Florida Agenda

TAMPA – The Florida Family Association (FFA) is condemning business supplies giant Office Depot for a recent contribution to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, a donation FFA says will help “turn children gay.” The business services and retail chain, which is headquartered in Boca Raton, recently contributed $1 million to the entertainer’s foundation, to fight homophobic and other forms of bullying.

Through its 1,600 stores, the company will also sell limited edition “Born This Way”-branded goods. David Caton of Tampa-based FFA called Office Depot “irresponsible” for sending a “message to many teens who would have eventually chosen to be straight.” Caton added, “The $1 million pledge from Office Depot to the Lady Gaga Born this Way Foundation will influence many teens to embrace homosexuality for their lifetime, who may have otherwise worked through their crisis with straight results.”

“Thousands of kids who might have otherwise worked through their pubescent sexual identity issues will be inspired to accept the wrong choice based upon this unscientific, emotionally charged propaganda. What’s brave or kind about telling thousands of sexually frustrated teens that they were ‘Born This Way,’ when a high percentage of them would have ended up taking the straight heterosexual path for life?”

For its part, Office Depot seems unconcerned. Bob Moore, the Chief Marketing Officer for the $12 billion retailer—which opened its first store in Lauderdale Lakes in 1986—called the foundation “an inspirational organization that has the power to make a difference in the lives of today’s youth.”

ALEX VAUGHN

In today’s world, anyone can be a celebrity. It seems, you really don’t have to even achieve anything to become one. Thanks to reality TV, you simply have to go on a dating show, or perhaps venture into a jungle somewhere far away, or, better yet, stay in a house with complete strangers and if you are odious, good looking or stupid enough, you will grace the cover of US Weekly or the Enquirer.

Celebrity culture is prevalent in our society, particularly as a result of this television phenomenon. They sell us everything from water to fiber supplements, oftentimes stuff we really don’t need. However above the vapid existence of some reality socialites, there are celebrities who are using their fame and popularity in fantastic ways for the gay community.

Being gay or a gay-friendly celebrity in 2011 is extremely fashionable. Now, it seems, is the time. We have gay celebrities and their partners kissing on the red carpet. We can read about celebrity weddings, adoptions and much more. In a way, they have become poster children for the “normality” of gay lifestyles. Superstar Elton John and film producer David Furnish married and now have a child. They live a lovely jet-set lifestyle without bullying. Certainly, there’s the odd snarky remark, but on the whole … perfect.

Then there are actors John Barrowman and his civil partner, Scott Gill; actor Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, chef David Bertka and their twins, Gideon and Harper; Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, among others. Without counting any of their actual contributions to charities, or to political initiatives, their simple presence “out” is bringing gay life to the A-list forefront of our celebrity-obsessed culture.

I have often said Middle America is where the decisions are made – not in Miami, NYC or other major cities on the peripheral. As these people see more and more of the celebrities they watch on “Glee,” or daytime talk shows, they will cut them more slack than they might otherwise afford the gay guy in the small town.

More than just swanning around being “gay housewives” or over-stereotyped gays who sell products and unrealistic lifestyle ambitions, the instant reality show celeb also occasionally makes a positive impact as well.

Carson Kressley comes to mind. Not only has he kept his staying power (despite being the most “outrageous” of the bunch of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” crew), he is now headlining his own national TV show, “Carson Nation” and is topping the rating charts on “Dancing with Stars”– right beisde Chaz Bono, who is also flying the flag for the LGBT community.

Without excuse or muting their instinctive behaviour, this pair shows that gays really can do anything they want. If the bigotry and hate that is putting a stop to legalizing marriage was actually as far reaching as the news would have us believe, then the voting majority would never have allowed a gay man and a post-op transsexual to be on a nationally televised reality TV show.

Reality TV is part of our lives, and many people around the world will change their social schedules to stay in and watch a show.

Thanks to Carson and Chaz, they are being taught that there is no need to fight, bully or judge. These are just normal celebrities, competing on a show watched by “everyone.”

Add to the mix those celebrities who aren’t gay but who weigh in with their support of the “gay cause.” Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie who wont marry until  marriage is allowed for everyone, for example. The late Liz Taylor, Madonna, Cher, Bette Midler, Sharon Stone, Donatella Versace, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway and many, many more ensure their support of gay causes is loud and clear.  Some have questioned why? Is it because they genuinely do care? Is it because it is a popular cause? Or could it just be the power of the gay community?

Does it actually matter? Probably not. It’s worth understanding that the people listed above all have a strong gay following. They have been kept in their careers in no small part because of the support of this community. Many have clearly acknowledged this – and often. So too, comedienne Kathy Griffin who openly courts gay men and women as her fans. She is extremely vocal for “her gays” including threatening Sarah Palin’s daughter for using the “F” word on her Facebook.

Lady Gaga has taken support of the gay community to an entirely different level. To call it the stratosphere would be an understatement. Ironically, her support has been knocked more often than not by the community itself. While I was reading news reports thinking about this editorial, I stumbled across a list of celebrities who support gay causes. It was compiled by the “viewers” of the website. One guy said in response to the question: “FFS. Don’t say Lady Gaga. WE ALL KNOW!”

Wow – and yet I have felt the same way he did – particularly around the time that “Born this Way” came out. I mean honestly, “We know, we know.” And all this before the backlash when she was dubbed the “Gay Icon,” replacing Madonna in the role.

If you take a step back, however, Lady Gaga realized early on that it wasn’t straight middle America who made her. They didn’t appreciate how “different” she is. She isn’t attractive; boys don’t fancy her; and she’s no Taylor Swift, though she has a great voice. It’s her individuality that struck the chord with the community.

Not content with posturing on gay rights, or making a mint on sales of her “Gay Anthem.” Rather, she has used her voice, loudly and wisely. In fact, just last week, fresh from paying tribute to 14-year-old Jamie Rodemeyer. He was the fan who said goodbye to her on his Facebook page before he tragically took his own life, the victim  of bullying. She even addressed the issue directly with the President of the United States.

Like it or not, this is what a celebrity should be doing. While selling the gay lifestyle is nice and entertaining, it won’t help a 14 year old on the receiving end of taunts, it just may help turn the tables on bullies who will be made to look like the bigots they are.

We encourage more celebrities to lend their voices to the growing outcry over the immediate need for gay rights and a stop to tolerance for any bullying in schools and the workplace. The need is great and the groundswell long overdue!

We may not all be famous, but we all have a voice to join the outcry. Like celebrities, we need to speak out against bullying, for the protection of our rights, and for anything for which you feel passion. We can no longer be content to coast through a vacuous existence of bars and sex and assume someone else will do the work for us.

If we can make a celebrity, why can’t we make a change?

Alex Vaughn is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Agenda. He can be reached at editor@FloridaAgenda.com

NEW YORK, NY – Forbes Magazine has released their list of the world’s most powerful women, and Lady Gaga has beaten Oprah Winfrey.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped this list, followed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. First Lady Michele Obama came in at #8, Lady Gaga ranked #11 and Oprah Winfrey came in at #14.

Protesters Don’t Want Boxers in Hell’s Kitchen

NEW YORK, NY – Owners of the popular Boxers gay sports bar located in the Chelsea section of New York City had planned to open a second location in Hell’s Kitchen; however, the neighbors in that new location say that the bar would be too close to a school and playground.

According to the New York Post, the Hell’s Kitchen site is right around the corner from Sacred Heart School and next to the playground of PS 111. Protesters are saying the problem is not that Boxers would be a gay bar, just that it’s a bar in general. The building that Boxers wants to locate to would be within 200 feet of Sacred Heart, which is too close under zoning laws. But the owners of the building want to subdivide the site so that the bar itself sits just outside the mandated limit.

“Daddy Bear” Competes  in “Survivor”

NEW YORK, NY – Mark-Anthony Caruso, a 48-year-old gay retired NYPD detective and self-described “daddy bear,” has been announced as a cast member of the upcoming “Survivor: South Pacific”.

Caruso’s “Survivor” profile on CBS.com:
‘”I call myself Daddy Bear,” says the openly gay former NYPD morgue detective. ‘“I’m older, wiser, and cuter, I guess. No, I’m kidding. I’m not cuter.’” One thing he’s not kidding about, however, is which two former players he’d like to see return this season. ‘”I would like to see Jane. And I know people may not like hearing this, but I like Russell. I do! I just like him! I worked in the New York City police department for 20 years. There’s a thousand Russells!”

Rick Perry Signs Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Pledge

WASHINGTON, D.C. – G.O.P. presidential hopeful Rick Perry has joined Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and former candidate Tim Pawlenty in signing the National Organization for Marriage’s anti-gay marriage pledge.

By signing the pledge, the candidates promise to:

“Support and send to the states a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman; defend DOMA in court; appoint judges and an attorney general who will respect the original meaning of the Constitution; appoint a presidential commission to investigate harassment of traditional marriage supporters; support legislation that would return to the people of D.C. their right to vote for marriage.”

California State G.O.P.  Will Permit Openly Gay Candidate to Speak at Their Convention

LOS ANGELES, CA – After originally denying him permission to speak, the Republican Party has changed their mind and will permit openly gay presidential candidate Fred Karger to speak at their upcoming state convention, scheduled to take place September 16 through 18.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the party had originally given Karger what he called the “cold shoulder” in his attempts to speak at the convention. However, when the Chronicle reported the story, the party extended an invitation.

Karger said that Republican officials offered him a chance to speak and introduce himself to G.O.P. delegates at a Saturday pre-luncheon event and other gatherings during the party’s upcoming weekend.

Crack in Washington Monument was a “Sign from God”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After last week’s earthquake in Washington D.C., Reverend Pat Robertson proclaimed that the damage done to the Washington Monument was a sign from God.

Robertson made his statement during the 700 Club’s “The Sign of the Times” series on the end of the world. The earthquake, which caused a four-foot crack in the monument, claimed that it was a sign from God because of sin, legal abortion and the country’s tolerance of homosexuality. He then said that America will receive the same lethal punishment as Sodom and Gomorrah, and that the crack was just a symbolic message of more to come if the country didn’t change its ways soon.

Cyndi Lauper Shows  Her “True Colors”

NEW YORK, NY – Cindy Lauper is opening housing for LGBT youth. The opening is scheduled for September 1 and is going to be called The True Colors Residence. Lauper explained that New York City has a very disproportionate number of homeless youth who identify as LGBT. She said that even more disturbing are reports that these young people often face discrimination and, at times, physical assault in some of the very places they have to go to for help.

The idea behind the 30-bed facility, which is on West 154th Street near Frederick Douglass Boulevard in  the Harlem area, was conceived by Lauper, her manager and the West End Intergenerational Residence, a non-profit group that provides housing and support for homeless families and seniors.

The True Colors Residence will be the first permanent housing facility in New York for homeless LGBT youth.

Perry Equates Homosexuality to Alcoholism

NEW YORK, NY – Time Magazine has reported that in Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry’s first book, “On My Honor,” Perry equates homosexuality to alcoholism.

“Even if an alcoholic is powerless over alcohol once it enters his body, he still makes a choice to drink,” he wrote. “And, even if someone is attracted to a person of the same sex, he or she still makes a choice to engage in sexual activity with someone of the same gender.”

Perry also wrote that he is “no expert on the ‘nature versus nurture’ debate,” but that gays should simply choose abstinence.

Perry’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whether he maintains this view, but the candidate has either reversed his stance or refused to comment on several other issues he wrote about in his book.

Lady Gaga Declared More Powerful than Oprah

NEW YORK, NY – Forbes Magazine has released their list of the world’s most powerful women, and Lady Gaga has beaten Oprah Winfrey. German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped this list, followed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. First Lady Michele Obama came in at #8, Lady Gaga ranked #11 and Oprah Winfrey came in at #14.

State Representative Admits Giving a Teen Boy Money for an Encounter

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Indian State Representative Phil Hinkle admitted last week that he paid a young man $80 to have a good time, but insisted he isn’t gay and doesn’t know why he did it.

According to the Indianapolis Star, Hinkle has been stripped of his committee chairmanships and, despite pressure from the Speaker of House to resign, he will not do so. But he also said that he will not seek re-election.
Hinkle maintains that he did nothing illegal, there was no sex involved and that he himself was a victim of a crime, but would not file a police report.

NOM Links Homosexuality to Pedophilia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Twice last week, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) claimed there was a link between pedophilia and homosexuality. According to Equality Matters, NOM posted on their blog that the effort to normalize pedophilia is following the same pattern as the effort to normalize and legalize same-sex marriages.

Elmhurst College Asks Prospective Students About their Sexual Orientation

CHICAGO, IL – The newest version of the application to become a student at Elmhurst College asks students if they consider themselves a member of the LGBT community. That question made Elmhurst the first college or university to ask a potential student about their sexual orientation.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, officials of the college said that the question is in a group of questions asking about race and religion and is completely optional and is not taken into consideration on accepting or rejecting the new students. The college said that the purpose of the question was intended to increase diversity among their student body.

Ecstasy Could Be  Used to Cure Cancer

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – The Daily Telegraph reported that researchers from Birmingham University claim that the designer drug Ecstasy may one day be used as a cure for cancer after scientists modify the drug to increase its tumor-killing properties. The drug, also known as MDMA, could be used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma after making it 100 times more effective at suppressing growth.

Ecstasy was already known to be effective against more than half of white blood cell cancers, but previously the large dose required to treat a tumor would also have killed the patient.

HRC President to Resign in 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The co-chairs of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Board of Directors and the HRC Foundation Board announced that HRC President Joe Solmonese has informed the boards he will not renew his contract, which expires March 31, 2012.

Solmonese will remain at the helm of the organization until the completion of his contract to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

At the same time, the co-chairs announced the formation of a search committee to be co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of Hillsborough, N.C., and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles.

“Joe Solmonese is an outstanding leader,” said Anne Fay, who co-chairs the Foundation Board of Directors with Andy Linsky. “While we will miss his extraordinary leadership, we enter this next phase, thanks to Joe, in the best place the organization has ever been. Not only has our community secured historic victories, but our membership is larger and more active than at any time in our history, and our financial health is secure even in these difficult economic times.”

“From the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ to the recent passage of marriage equality in New York, Joe has made sure that HRC is an effective and strategic force for positive change,” said Tim Downing, who co-chairs the HRC Board of Directors with Rebecca Tillet.

“Over the course of his tenure, he’s set the tone for delivering real reform that matters in peoples’ everyday lives.”

“Leading HRC has been an inspiring experience and a complete privilege,” said Solmonese. “I could not be more proud of our staff, our volunteer leadership and of the extraordinary progress we’ve made together as a community.”

Solmonese’s leadership has taken the organization from 750,000 members and supporters to more than 1,000,000. Additionally, he oversaw significant expansion of HRC’s public education and outreach programs, including the launch of the Healthcare Equality index, a more robust Religion and Faith Program and wider reach and success of the Corporate Equality Index. The HRC Foundation also launched the Welcoming Schools program to address family diversity, gender stereotyping, bullying and name calling in schools, as well as the All Children All Families initiative that helps open up adoption agencies to prospective LGBT parents. The grassroots field operation also expanded – most recently mounting the largest state-level campaign in LGBT movement history resulting in the passage of marriage equality in New York.

Gay Days Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV – Next year, Las Vegas will host the first Gay Days Las Vegas, September 4-10, 2012. As in Gay Days Orlando, the Las Vegas event will include a Travel-Retail Expo, pool parties and events all around town with a portion of proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations.

Gay Days co-owner, Chris Alexander-Manley, President of Gay Days, Inc., said, “We’re proud to announce our 2012 schedule which includes Las Vegas. This event will now allow our loyal attendees vacation options that include the two largest vacation destinations in the country. After twenty-one years hosting one of the largest GLBT vacation events in the world, Gay Days Orlando, we feel we have grown up, and Las Vegas is the perfect city for adults.”

Gay Days Orlando, the first weekend in June each year, attracts over 150,000 from around the world to the central Florida area, and the event generates over $600 million in economic benefits. Gay Days Las Vegas will always start the day after
Labor Day each year, and run through the following Monday. Organizers believe the Las Vegas Gay Days will grow to be as large or larger than the Orlando Gay Days.

The Gay Groupon

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI – A new daily deals site catering to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LBGT) and allied communities has just launched, and it’s called Gaypon. The site provides its subscribers with daily offers from local and regional businesses – but only those businesses known to be gay-friendly.

In addition, Gaypon says a portion of its proceeds will be donated to local and national LGBT organizations and charities.
Gaypon was founded by Robert Graham, formerly of Clear Channel Radio, and Jason Buszta. It’s based in West Bloomfield, Michigan, which is where the majority of

the deals are now located. Check it out at www.dailygaypon.com.

CALIFORNIA – Lady Gaga says she has raised $250,000 in just 48 hours for victims of Japan’s hurricane and tsunami.

The bisexual singer has been selling $5 ‘prayer bracelets’ of her own design on her official website.

Gaga, 24, has not yet said which charity will receive the money but announced on Twitter earlier that funds had hit the quarter of a million mark.

The bands, which, the Grammy Award Winner has been promoting to her nine million Twitter followers, are red and white with characters in English and Japanese.

Photo: Lady Gaga, Courtesy, skateboard-city.com

Lady Gaga has nixed a deal to sell a special edition of her upcoming album at the retail giant.

Gaga previously told, Billboard that her relationship with Target was tied to their “reform … and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those [antigay] groups.”

Last month, Target announced it would be selling a deluxe edition of Lady Gaga’ s new Born Thi

s Way album, starting May 23. But now, a rep for the singer confirms the two sides “came to a mutual decision to end their overall exclusive partnership,” reports The Advocate.

Why? Gay advocates were concerned, citing Target’s donations to a political candidate who was against gay marriage. Target came under fire last year after the discount store chain had donated corporate funds to MN Forward, a political action committee that supported anti-gay candidate Tom Emmer in his failed 2010 run for governor of Minnesota.

“She and Target didn’t see eye to eye on Target’s policy of political donations and how they affect” the GLBT community, Bob Witeck of Witeck-Combs Communications, told the Advocate.

Born this way? A choice? The backlash.

By ALEX VAUGHN

Lady Gaga (left) and Justin Beiber both are facing backlash from the gay community.

As Lady Gaga soars on the success of ‘Born this Way’, the song called ‘the new gay anthem’ by Elton John, Justin Bieber finds himself in hot water after implying that being gay is a choice. The two polar opposite pop stars are joined by the fact they are currently the only two artists in history to reach over a billion views on Youtube, and, now by the backlash from the gay community they are BOTH facing.

The 16-year-old Grammy nominated Canadian pop star made his comments in this month’s issue of Rolling Stone, now on newsstands. When asked his views on being gay, Bieber responded: “It’s everyone’s own decision to do that. It doesn’t affect me and shouldn’t affect anyone else.” Bieber also told the magazine that he doesn’t believe in abortion.“ What about in cases of rape?” he was asked. “Um. Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don’t know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that,” Bieber responded.

Rolling Stone reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis, has came under fire in some quarters for asking the teen about issues like abortion in the first place. She defended her line of questioning Thursday on Twitter. “

A 16 year old kid, to be 17 in a couple weeks, who has control over a large population should be asked all questions,” she wrote.

Responses to Bieber’s comments were luke warm and questioned the ethics of the reporter than his statement itself. Its ambiguity made it unclear as to whether he believed it a choice, or whether he was simply saying let anyone love who they want.

Meanwhile on the other side of the fence Lady Gaga’s anthem has not been free of controversy. She was questioned for the blatant similarities of ‘Born this Way’ to Madonna’s iconic empowerment anthem, ‘Express Yourself’. The eccentric 24 year old made an appearance on Jay Leno, fresh from winning three more Grammys. When asked about Madonna, Gaga said ‘I got an email from her people and her, sending me their love and complete support on behalf of the single and if the queen says it shall be, it shall be…’ However just days later, Liz Rosenberg, Madonna’s publicist put a statement out saying there was no such email from Madonna’s people.

Simultaneously to fans accusing her of copying the ‘Queen’, the backlash of Gaga’s ‘Gay Anthem’ spread online like wildfire. Joseph Alexiou of The Business Insider ran a story claiming the gays have had enough of Lady Gaga. He said, ‘I don’t hate her message. I love that she has taken the issue of gay invisibility and made a big, sparkly, meatwearing deal out of it. Her refusal to be silent is refreshing and, yes, I have danced to her music, starting in 2007. It’s catchy and the lyrics are easy to remember — and while it works, that’s not always a good thing. Good music has staying power, and I’m not sure this stuff does.’ He then went on to address the ‘gay anthem’ aspect and how just telling people what to think wasn’t going to cut it. “Sailing through the gay blogosphere, gay men seem to be at odds with being told what the new gay anthem is, instead of deciding it for themselves. As former club kid James St. James points out, a gay anthem becomes one “because we find ourselves empathizing with the singer’s passion or pain or exuberance. It’s the realization that their pain is our pain too, that their joy is our joy…”

Daily Beast’s Jacob Berstein posted his own take, Gays Turn On Lady Gaga. Bernstein points out that Gaga may have over played her hand and that the reactions from her ‘gay’ audience was mixed and in no way all positive, he quoted, Eric Ord, an openly gay chap working in New York in commercial real estate, who said, “I think she sees herself as the gay messiah and it bugs me.” According to him, the song would be like “white people writing a song about breaking free from slavery and expecting black people to worship us for it.” And Aaron Newbill, a modelling agent, referred to an old quote where Gaga said she wrote the song in 10 minutes. “She should have taken at least 11,” he said.

However the backlash has not slowed the Gaga juggernaut, or the dollars rolling in. The song is number 1 on the Billboard 100. The single in fact became the 1000th No.1 hit in Billboard’s 52 years to which Gaga said “It is a tremendous honor to be the 1000th No.

1 on Billboard…I would be silly not to say this is the greatest honor of my career” adding that “I am so humbled and so honored and overwhelmed by the reception to Born This Way”. The single made 448,000 sales in digital alone in the opening week breaking previous records of female artists including Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ which sold 411,000 upon its arrival. It was also the fastest selling song on itunes.

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Cartoon by Kevin Miller

Sure, you already know all the words and have been waiting for this for months… now the wait is over…

Lady Gaga – Alejandro video is finally here!

Watch it now on www.GagaForever.com and to stay up to date on all the latest Gaga goodness!