According to Britain’s Financial Times, UK security service MI5 will be actively targeting gays in a recruiting effort designed to diversify the ranks of the rapidly growing government agency. Stonewall, sort of a British HRC, has been hired by the service to assist in making the organization friendlier for its existing and future gay employees. 

The organization had been barred from having queer or gay employees through the early 1990s, with the rationale that such employees could be blackmailed, or if open, raise tensions in international diplomatic positions involving governments unfriendly to LGBTQ people.

For the record, we Just Out knows that 007 was actually in the MI6, not MI5. But it made such a good headline…

Photo courtesy Klast.net

Berlin recently unveiled a memorial to homosexuals persecuted and killed by Nazis. Less than three months after its unveiling, it has been vandalized. 

“An attack against this memorial is clearly directed against homosexuals—that can be said without waiting for further police investigations. We must show our condemnation of this act of intolerance and homophobia,” said openly gay Mayor Klaus Wowereit.

The memorial, which was unveiled in Berlin’s Tiergarten on the 27th of May, showcases a video of two men kissing.

Photo courtesy Spiegel.

 

L-Word star Leisha Hailey and singer Camila Grey’s new video for the track “Not A Love Song” was recently released on YouTube. We present it for your immediate viewing pleasure:

From AfterEllen.com:

L-Word actress Leisha Hailey and pal Camila Grey teamed up to form a band, Uh Huh Her, and they just released an album - and now they’re talking about it! Says Hailey of their label’s reaction: “They were expecting the record to sound a lot like the EP, lo-fi and homemade, and it sounded a lot more commercial than I think they expected, so they really rallied behind it. They’re really pushing it, which is great. We’re happy they did that.” [AfterEllen]

Fret not over the six percent unemployment rate in Oregon. There are good jobs available, and Just Out has one of them.

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic sales person to join our existing sales staff. We need someone who understands the value and need for print and banner advertising. While an experienced print sales professional is high on the list of things that would make me happy, a new-to-sales person who is capable of demonstrating a strong work ethic and desire to succeed would get attention also. A successful work history in customer service is always a good starting point for a the step up to full-time sales.

After a three month training period this position does evolve into full-commission. We will only be hiring someone who recognizes that they are up to this task.

If you’d like to be considered for this position please send all your details to marty@justout.com.  While we’d like to get someone started soon, we also have time to thoughtfully select the best possible candidate.

Is it time for a career change for you?

Those in the know, or at least those who think they are in the know, are predicting that Wednesday will be the day that Sen. Barack Obama announces his running mate for the Nov. general election.

While there is much speculation as to whom has been picked, I’m kinda more curious about what the method of delivery of this message is going to do to phone systems across the country. Of course, with programs like American Idol pulling in millions of text messages at a time this little ole announcement might be only a ripple in the electronic pond of life.

Did you sign up, will you get the message?

And, does anyone think for a second that he’ll select Sen. Clinton?

Despite the lousy timing of the nightly closures of the Sellwood Bridge a couple of hundred determined skaters made it to Just Out’s Gay Skate held last night at Oaks Park. Oaks Park is located of course, at the immediate east end of the Sellwood Bridge.

The cooler weather was a welcome relief as the energy-charged skaters took to the floor for two hours of exercise, dancing and flirting.

We were especially honored to have in attendance last night the 37th runner-up from the recent Estacada Days Daisy Duke look-alike contest.

Everyone who’s anyone comes to Gay Skate night.

Same-sex marriage won’t be an issue of concern to voters in 2008, said former White House adviser Karl Rove, whom many hold responsible for making marriage an issue in the 2004 election to boost President Bush’s conservative support.

Perhaps it won’t be an issue because Rove isn’t making it an issue?!

“The bigger issues,” he said, “will be the economy, terrorism, health care, energy.” There goes Rove with his conservative agenda setting again. Trade “terrorism” with “the war” and he may be onto something.

Click here for the story.

Portland’s own White Bird Dance just announced that founder Paul King has been elected as Chair of the national dance service organization, Dance/USA.

King’s appointment, which begins in June 2009 and is slated to last three years, means the Stumptown dance impresario with the irrepressible smile will lead the national organization’s long-term strategic planning, fiscal oversight and general advocacy for dance funding and support. King has already served as a Dance/USA board member for five years, and led the group’s Presenters Council for three of thos years.

In a written statement released from White Bird, King identified his goals as Dance/USA chair “will be to move the dance field forward by encouraging more dance presenting, increasing support for dance artists and companies, and raising the profile of American dance both here and internationally.”

White Bird’s 2008-09 season opens September 24 with the Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet with the Shaolin Monks, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

(photo above: Paul King, standing, at a recent White Bird event. Photo courtesy Portland Tribune)

Former Irish boy-band singer Brian McFadden (Westlife) has caused a storm with a radio rant about gay men, including the bizarre claim that straight men should not wear pink. 

“If you are not gay, a man should not be wearing pink,” he claimed in a radio interview. “Saying pink is a form of red is the same as saying homosexual is a form of male.” 

Incidentally, former bandmate Mark Feehily came out in 2005 and subsequently announced he would marry his boyfriend, singer Kevin McDaid. I’m guessing McFadden didn’t send a gift.

Read the whole story here.

According to the Associate Press:

California’s highest court on Monday barred doctors from invoking their religious beliefs as a reason to deny treatment to gays and lesbians, ruling that state law prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination extends to the medical profession.

Justice Joyce Kennard wrote that two Christian fertility doctors who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian have neither a free speech right nor a religious exemption from the state’s law, which “imposes on business establishments certain antidiscrimination obligations.”

The law was originally designed to prevent hotels, restaurants and other public services from refusing to serve patrons because of their race. The Legislature has since expanded it to cover characteristics such as age and sexual orientation.

Read the whole story here.

Am I the only one who thinks swimmer Michael Phelps looks like he’s wearing a halter top on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

For anyone who might not have heard (there must be someone somewhere) Phelps won eight Olympic gold medals in swimming, breaking the record set in 1972 by heartthrob Mark Spitz, who is also the newest spokesperson for Botox.

I was walking along the Park blocks recently and got caught in one of these downpours we’ve been having. Escaping the drops, I popped into the Portland Art Museum to take another look at the Contemporary NW Art Awards show.

In particular, I wanted to spend time with Seattle artist Jeffrey Mitchell’s sphinx-like sculpture, which sits opposite a very beautiful (and meditative) black on black painting.

Mitchell is gay and much of his art reflects that. Be sure to walk around to the back of the sphinx. Notice the numerous white ceramic bears and stylized sex toys and you get a pretty good idea of what Mitchell thinks about. Then peek in the bottom row and be sure to notice what Mitchell calls “the glory holes.”

Welcome to the inner workings of an artist’s mind.

The CNAA show continues at the Portland Art Museum through Sept. 14.

In her exclusive appearance in the Portland area, legendary singer/songwriter Karla Bonoff performs 7 p.m. Aug. 22 in the amphitheater at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Wash., in the Columbia Gorge as part of the Guest Artist Series presented by Skamania Performing Arts Foundation. Tickets are $15-$25 at Hollywood Theatre or here. Read on:

As a songwriter, Bonoff’s songs have been interpreted by other artists such as “Home” by Bonnie Raitt, “Tell Me Why” by Wynonna Judd, “Isn’t Always Love” by Lynn Anderson. Singer Linda Ronstadt has successfully recorded a number of her songs, including “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me,” “Trouble Again,” “All My Life,” “Falling Star” and “Goodbye My Friend,” thus helping to introduce Bonoff to a larger audience.

In her early career, Bonoff sang background vocals for Linda Ronstadt and Wendy Waldman before releasing her debut album in 1977, titled Karla Bonoff (1977). Her other albums include Restless Nights (1979), Wild Heart of the Young (1982), New World (1988) and All My Life (a greatest hits collection) in 1999. Bonoff is best known as a songwriter, but she is also noted for her hit recording of “Personally,” which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1982. She also recorded “Standing Right Next to Me” on the 8 Seconds movie soundtrack (1994) and “Somebody’s Eyes” on the Footloose soundtrack (1984). Her latest album, Karla Bonoff Live, was released in September 2007.

I leave PDX in less than 72 hours. It’s getting pretty intense and doesn’t look like it will let up any time soon.

I can no longer keep up with all the events I’ve been invited to as a delegate to the convention. I have a spread sheet in the works with all the forums, receptions and events. Everything from movie previews to a poker tournament with Ben Afleck benefiting paralyzed veterans. Also in the mix are political events of every kind and description.  I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to maximize the time in Denver and still get some sleep. I did buy a pair of new shoes so I can run this marathon.

Denver looks like it is pulling out all the stops in preparation for the DNC. Restaurants are coming up with convention theme drink and menu specials. My favorite so far is the Obamalette, an omelet with crab and avocado. Yum! Although I don’t quite get why crab and avocado?  Did I mention the $16 Obamatini? (Reminder to self: practice nursing a drink)

The local gay bars are also rolling out the welcome mat. I already have free tickets to the Unity dance at Tracks nightclub. There’s also a ton of other queer political events and parties happening around town all week long.

On another note, Queerty is reporting that Catholic League president Bill Donohue is calling on the DNC to banish two blogs from the DNC approved list of blogs. Of course one of the blogs is an LGBT blog, Towleroad, which Donahue says Catholics find offensive because it describes itself as, “A Site with Homosexual Tendencies.”  ewww yuk!

Along with all the scheduled events in Denver, I haven’t mentioned all the things that have been happening at home. There’s been a bunch of conference calls and meeting to attend in preparation to the convention. I’ve had conference calls and meetings with the Obama and Clinton campaigns, our own Oregon delegation, as well as flurries of emails with my fellow Oregon queer delegates and folks across the country.

Last weekend was largely taken up with the 2008 party platform drafting. In regards to LGBT issues, the platform defines all families to include same sex couples for the first time. Another first in the national democratic platform is the inclusion of gender identity language in regards to banning discrimination. The Gay People’s Chronicle has a good article here.

Also last weekend, I went to a garden party for all the Oregon delegates hosted by Congressman Earl Blumenauer at his home. After Earl’s garden party, I was personally overwhelmed once again by the support of so many people I can truly call freinds who gathered to help raise funds for me and Carla ‘KC’ Hanson  to able to go to Denver as delegates. KC Hanson is another Oregon GLBT delegate to the DNC. We’ve logged a lot of time working together and I couldn’t wish for a better friend.

Here’s KC with her kitty, you can also get a hint of why everyone calls her KC.

Stay tuned for more updates.

It happened! Gay congressional candidate Jared Polis (featured in BlogOut last week) won his primary in Colorado’s Second District (a mostly-Democratic district) after coming out, not before. Jared Polis, if his elected in November, will be the first out nonincumbent candidate elected to congressional office, and will be the third out congressperson. Check out more information from Queers United after the jump.

[Read more →]