PRIDE TV: Obama to Grant Benefits to Same-Sex Partners

Your network for progressive information Obama to grant benefits to same-sex partners (June 17, 2009) President Barack Obama plans to announce his decision to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees today in the Oval Office. Many gay activists have started to call Obama out on the carpet, citing his administration has been slow to act on LGBT issues. He has recently received mounting criticism for not seeking to end the ban on openly gay men and women in the military. The decision to extend same-sex partner benefits may be the kind of political overture Obama needs to keep his gay and lesbian critics at bay. However, the Associated Press reported that several powerful gay fundraisers withdrew their support from a June 25 Democratic National Committee event where Vice President Joe Biden is expected to speak. AP said their exit came in response to a June 12 Justice Department brief that defended the Defense of Marriage Act, a prime target for gay and lesbian criticism. Justice lawyers argued that the law allowed states to reject marriages performed in other states or countries that defy their own standards. Many staunch LGBT activists and leaders remain vigilant in holding Obama's feet to the fire as it relates to repealing the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bans openly gay and lesbian staff from serving in the Armed Services, in addition to other equality measures. Do you think many gay activists have been fair in their assessment that Obama has been slow to act on LGBT issues during his first few months in office? Send your response to: mystory@pridetv.org     SAVE THE DATE: "Outside Blackness: The Artistry of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and Alice Walker" scheduled for 3pm, Saturday July 11th at America, I AM inside the Atlanta Civic Center. Doors will open at 1:30 pm. to allow attendees to walk through the African-American traveling exhibit: America, I AM, which celebrates 500 years of Black achievement. www.americaiam.org "Outside Blackness" is a thought-provoking discussion exploring the creativity, courage and activism of artists who boldly spoke truth to power and whose cultural imprint help change the image of what it means to be Black in America. This special event is sponsored by the International Federation of Black Prides and PRIDETV, in association with a host of other Atlanta LGBT organizations. For tickets contact: advertising@pridetv.org   Real fathers, real men By Anare V. Holmes My life changed the summer of 1983. I was 8 years-old when I boarded the Greyhound bus leaving Hartford, Connecticut en route to Madison, Wisconsin to visit my father, Toye Holmes. I was not aware before getting on the bus that I would not return to live with my birth mother, nor was dad. We thought we'd both enjoy a short summer visit. But, God has a way of showing up in your life in mysterious ways. Toye Holmes is among the millions of Black men that don't make the news for taking care of their children. The Human Rights Campaign does not post their pictures on their website to show examples of men who are not homophobic. So, today I lift up my dad and men like him. They are real fathers and real men. Read more now 'Pride & Politics' uncovers what it means to be  Young, Black and Gay in America  If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to join the production team of the television newsmagazine "Pride & Politics with Anare Holmes," please send statement of interest OR resume and reel to: producer@pridetv.org. Today's emerging LGBT artists, activists, intellectuals and business professionals have access to unparalleled resources and opportunity. However, what does it mean to be young, black and gay in America? Our taping is Saturday, June 20th.      Homophobia in the Black Community If you or someone you know moved to Atlanta, known as the Black Gay Mecca, to come to terms with your sexuality as a same-gender-loving man or woman or member of the transgender community, email: producer@pridetv.org today! While we prefer Atlantans, we are open to anyone who moved anywhere in the United States to be free. PRIDETV is also interested in talking to teens, young men and women who have found themselves cut off from their families and are homeless because of their sexual orientation.   Visit: www.PrideTV.org         PrideTV.org Everyday people, everyday stories  producer@pridetv.org