My Personal Inspiration: Jason Bartlett

What better way to end the month than to recognize an individual who is African American, openly gay, a father, and has served as a political figure for our country. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jason Bartlett at a conference that we were both presenting at in West Palm Beach and I was instantly swept away with his charm. When meeting this very intelligent gentleman I was delighted to learn of all his accomplishments and to learn how humble and kind he is. I am the most excited to honor Jason Bartlett as my final inspiration for Black History Month and I challenge each of you to discover your own inspirations for your individual lives.

Jason Bartlett is an American businessman and politician from Connecticut. A Democrat, he was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, representing the state's second district in Bethel, Danbury and Redding. He was defeated for re-election on November 2, 2010.

Bartlett was raised in Redding and graduated from Redding Public Schools, before earning a B.A. in political science from the University of Connecticut.

He was elected a state representative in 2006, defeating Republican Phil Gallagher by 4,112 votes (54 percent) to 3,524 (46 percent). In 2008, Bartlett was re-elected to a second term, polling 54% — a margin of 945 votes. In 2010, Bartlett faced Republican Dan Carter and was defeated.

He had previously run in 2002 and 2004, losing on both occasions to Republican Hank Bielawa. He lost by over 450 votes in 2002, but the 2004 result was exceptionally close — Bartlett lost by just 87 votes, with 49.6 percent of the vote to Bielawa's 50.4 percent.

For over a decade, Bartlett has owned and operated his own mortgage company. He is the owner of Connecticut First Capitol in Bethel as well as a restaurant in Hartford. Bartlett is no longer with the mortgage company he owned and operated, and now works for the National Black Justice Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to ending racism and homophobia by empowering black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

He raised two sons, the children of his deceased uncle and aunt. Now 21 and 19 years old and both attending community college in Connecticut, they came to live with him when they were 11 and 9 respectively.

Bartlett is gay. Although his district is 96 percent white, Bartlett is African American. He served for a time as the country's only openly gay black state legislator, a distinction he lost when Simone Bell was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in December 2009.

S.C. Democrats Uphold Greene's Primary Win

By: Meg Kinnard, Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Democratic Party officials on Thursday upheld a surprising U.S. Senate primary win by an unemployed military veteran, nixing a protest lodged by their favored candidate that could have required a new vote.

The party's executive committee decided there was not enough evidence of impropriety to nullify the June 8 election victory by Alvin Greene, a 32-year-old who lives with his father and waged no visible campaign against a former lawmaker.

Greene did not attend the meeting and nobody spoke on his behalf. Reached afterward by phone, he reiterated one of his few, common public statements about his candidacy.

"I am the best candidate in the U.S. Senate race in South Carolina. Let's stop my opponent from reversing forward progress in the United States and South Carolina," he said.

The move upholds the improbable win by Greene, who raised no money and didn't even have a campaign website. Democratic Party leaders intensified their scrutiny after The Associated Press reported Greene faces a felony obscenity charge and the candidate stammered through a series of awkward, terse news interviews. Some accused Republicans of having a hand in the election.

Greene won with 59 percent of the vote and faces Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who is considered a heavy favorite. Vic Rawl, the candidate who filed the protest, had 41 percent.

The party's 92-member executive committee made its decision after experts and voters testified for Rawl that questionable balloting statistics and problems with touch-screen voting machines indicated a corrupted final tally.

Duncan Buell, a computer scientist at the University of South Carolina, testified he had experimented on the same machines in previous elections and was able to trick them into selecting a candidate whose name he had not actually touched.

"I believe that these should be used with an enormous amount of skepticism," Buell said.

But committee members said they hadn't been presented with enough concrete evidence and could not overturn an election, no matter how much they wanted Rawl, a former lawmaker and judge, to win.

"We do the right thing even when it hurts us," state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said before the vote that overwhelmingly went in Greene's favor. "We do the right thing even when by doing the right thing it conflicts with everything that we feel in our hearts."

Some had speculated that Greene, who is black, benefited from an undercurrent of support from black groups.

A state lawmaker has suggested that black voters looking for a black candidate might have chosen Greene because of the spelling of his name, with an "e'' on the end.

But the state's NAACP chapter says its leaders didn't even know about Greene's candidacy. And Walter Ludwig, Rawl's campaign manager, said Thursday that most registered South Carolina voters with that spelling are white, and Greene — who had did not attend state or county party conventions — did worse in heavily black counties, anyway.

"How would voters know Mr. Greene was black?" Ludwig asked. "He made no campaign appearances. He attended no Democratic events."

Rawl said he would not appeal the decision but did not answer other questions.

"This is not about me," Rawl said. "It is not about blacks. It is not about whites. It's about the sanctity of our electoral process."

Among the suspicions raised about Greene is that he has failed to fully answer how he paid the $10,440 filing fee to run for office in March. He has said he saved up his military pay for two years but has refused to back it up with bank statements.

Zolra's Corner: Sarah Palin's Been Rogued Again

I have never laughed this much since watching constant episodes of The Golden Girls. I started watching the show two weeks ago for the first time in my life. Yes, I have never watched the The Golden Girls until the age of eighteen. If you don't like it, sue me!!!

Sarah Palin has been in the news more than most politicians. Except for Barack Obama, she is the one person that appears on CNN every time I flip to the channel.

First of all, I'm not going to make any judgment towards this woman. I think she is great at what she does. I have watched from once she first started working for John McCain to when she appeared on Oprah.

However, I will say I am not going to comment on her actions like most people in the world. Judgment and comment are two different things. Just because someone makes some mistakes doesn't mean we shouldn't guess what their lifestyle is like. That is never a good thing. Because of that, I love Sarah Palin at what she does, but that doesn't mean I'm going to comment on her current actions.

There has been so many things going on with Sarah Palin in the past two years since the election she was involved in. In the middle of the election, the most funniest incident that has ever happened related to her was Tina Fey's Emmy Award winning portrayal of her on Saturday Night Live again. I am a huge fan of Tina Fey and she did an amazing performance.


First, she turned as governor of Alaska. Her daughter Bristol Palin gotten pregnant at age sixteen. Levi Johnston, the baby daddy, posed for Playgirl, which is now an online magazine. Then she released her book Going Rogue. The revealing book became a #1 New York Times bestseller, and it showed us a side of Ms. Palin that we have never seen before. People are still wondering what is truth and fiction in this book, but once again, no judgment.

Then she accepted the offer of becoming a commentator of the most critical show I have ever watched and will never watch for the rest of my life. She joined Fox News. In the beginning, I wondered how was this offer put on her table. But then again, I remembered the position: commentator. Then upon reflection, I thought to myself "She always comments on something every time I see her. So this should be a good position."

If it was me, I would take that offer. If I got offered to be paid for my comments on the news, I would be sleeping in the studio the day before my first day on the job. Then again, I hate the show. So if I got the job, I will deliver my point of view, and my limo will be outside of the studio quickly because I would rather not get critical behind the scenes. You never know what happens when the camera turn off.

But just when you think there isn't anything else to humiliate this woman with, I was a club when I saw this video. Once I saw this thing, I was literally on the floor laughing. Other men was looking at me like I was psychotic, but the video was hilarious.

Dorothy Bishop (Sarah) and Gregory Uliasz (Levi) Vogue parody
Directed by Francis Legge
Parody lyrics by James Jorden and Dorothy Bishop

Outrage And Shame In Albany!

This past Wednesday, after a long, emotional debate on New York's Marriage Equality bill, which would have legalized gay marriage here, the State Senate defeated the legislation, 38-24,in a shocking display of intolerance and homophobia. Despite some very eloquent testimony appealing to common sense and human decency, invoking historical examples of persecution and poignant stories of the experiences of Senators' gay family members, the State Senate--YOUR State Senate--chose instead to continue your separate, unequal status as second-class citizens in New York State.



The issue of same-sex marriage goes beyond the right of gays and lesbians to marry. It speaks to the core of our democracy. Same-sex marriage challenges us, as a nation, to see if we can live up to the principles enshrined in our living Constitution, particularly those spelled out in Article IV, Sectuion I, and the 14th Amendment. Article IV, Section I of the Constitution includes the "full faith and credit" clause, which says that every state is bound to respect and honor the laws of every other state. This is why extradition works in the United States. But, curiously, this seems not to apply in cases of gay marriage. The federal Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) defeats the Constitution by allowing states to refuse recognition of same-sex marriages performed in states where it is legal. The Act goes on to specify marriage as between a man and a woman only. This, like Jim Crow laws before it, is a pernicious example of a government passing laws to specifically persecute a minority of its population.



Compounding the injury to the LGBT community in this, is the willful disregard of the 14th Amendment to our Constitution, the well-known Equal Protection Clause. Passed by Congress in 1868, the 14th Amendment says "No State shall deny to any person, the equal protection of the laws." But the illegality of gay marriage in 45 states, does, in fact, contravene the 14th Amendment very explicitly. Like the 1967 Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case that invoked the Amendment in overturning laws against interracial marriage, we are again faced with the moral imperative posed by our Founding Fathers. Neither personal nor religious belief may interfere with Constitutional law, as has been held by our courts time and time again. Yet, I was astonished to see many State Senators, particularly rabidly homophobic Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Pentecostal minister, invoke religious belief to justify voting against gay marriage. Faith-based bigotry has no place in any legislative body, or, indeed, in modern society. Your legislators were not elected to set their religoius beliefs on all of us, they were elected to REPRESENT all of us. By using religion as a legislative influence, these Senators blur the line between Church and State, and move us dangerously closer to theocratic rule.

The entire New York State Senate is up for re-election next year. True to form, no Republicans voted for the Marriage Equality Act. But what's really shocking, is that eight Democrats, (the eight whose "Yes" votes could have passed this bill) voted against it as well. I urge you, one and all, to remember their names and vote them out of office next Fall. They are: Joseph Addabbo (D-Rockaways), Darrel Aubertine (D- Cape Vincent), Ruben Diaz (D-S. Bronx), Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn), Hiram Monserrate (D-Elmhurst), George Onorato (D-Astoria), and William Stachowski (D-Buffalo). They have shown themselves unconcerned with our Constitution, our humanity, and our right to live with and love whomever we choose. They have reaffirmed their beliefs that we have no value to them as human beings, and are undeserving of the equal protections of our laws. I therefore submit that they are undeserving of the privilege of continuing to represent us. Go tell it, and keep fighting for our rights! As gays and lesbians of color, we should settle for nothing less.

Victor, Oscar, Thomas, Edward!

This Tuesday is Election Day in America, and those four guys in the title of this post spell VOTE, which is exactly what you need to do. Voting is one of the most important things you do as an American citizen, and voting is still the most powerful expression of your voice in the affairs of our government. Last year, voters made history in electing Barack Obama to the Presidency, amid the greatest voter turnout of the past 50 years. We in the LGBT community are now seeing benefits from that election, as just a few days ago, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Act into law, granting federal hate-crimes protections to gays and lesbians. Obama became the first President to sign legislation specifically for the LGBT community, because YOU, the voter, put him in the White House to do it.



It's worth remembering that President Obama began his political career at the local level, as a Chicago community organizer. This bears out the oft-repeated (and little-noted) maxim that all politics are local. City Councilmen become State Senators, State Senators become Governors and Congressmen, Governors and Congressmen go on to become Presidents and high Cabinet officials. It all starts at the local level, which is why those seemingly "boring" local elections are of critical importance. The LGBT community in particular is dependent on local elections, especially in New York City, where four LGBT candidates are in the running for City Council seats. I will focus on the NYC election here, but wherever you live, it's always important to vote every year. Elect the candidate of your choice, as is your right.




New Yorkers are voting for most of the major Citywide offices, as well as City Council seats in Districts 1 through 18, or one-third of the Council. Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R-UES) is running for a third term, something only Mayor Koch and the legendary Fiorello LaGuardia have accomplished. LaGuardia is widely considered to be the greatest of all the NYC mayors, (he was offered a chance for a fourth term, but demurred) and both his and Koch's tenure evoked the qualities of the "quintessential New York City mayor". Despite two referendums retaining term limits, Bloomberg used the power of his high office and masive wealth to cajole the City Council into revising the New York City Charter to repeal term limits. He is opposed by NYC Controller Bill Thompson (D-Harlem).



Thompson, the city's chief fiscal officer since 2001, is running on a platform which, like his opponent's, includes a strong plank of support for LGBT community issues. However, the record shows Thompson has demonstrated a greater level of involvement and commitment with the gays and lesbians of the city. He is a frequent speaker at marches and rallies against homophobic violence, and lobbies City Hall for greater City support of the LGBT community. This is in sharp contrast to Mayor Bloomberg, who, while he has advocated legalizing gay marriage and marched in the Heritage Of Pride Parade, has been conspicuously absent from other LGBT rallies, marches and functions. Both Bloomberg and Thompson have not yet stated their position on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) or on the afotementioned Shepard-Byrd Act. As of this writing, Thompson was said to be enjoying a 17-point lead among gays and lesbians, over Bloomberg on these and other issues of the day. Mayor Bloomberg, however, has a 15-point lead over Thompson citywide. Other Mayoral candidates on the ballot include Stephen Christopher (C-Park Slope), Francisca Villar (Socialist Liberal, West Fordham), Dan Fein (Socialist Workers, Inwood), Billy Talen (Green-Coney Island), Jimmy McMillan (Rent Is Too High, Bed-Stuy), and Joseph Dobrian, Libertarian, Kip's Bay).

The number-two office in NYC government is that of the Public Advocate. In the event that the Mayor dies or cannot fulfill his duties, the Public Advocate becomes mayor, until a mayoral election can be held. The Public Advocate is your watchdog in City Hall. Acting as a kind of ombudsman, his or her job is to call attention to issues raised by New Yorkers, and make sure the city fathers address them in a timely and correct fashion. The candidates running for Public advocate this year from the major parties are Bill De Blasio (D-Park Slope)and Alex Zablocki (R-Great Kills). Both candidates indicate strong support for such crucial issues as mass-transit improvements, strengthening the Rent Control Board, and better funding for the Police and Fire Departments. On other city issues, such as Charter reform and accountability of City officials, the candidates differ along Party lines. DeBlasio has been a consistent LGBT supporter, and is well-known for his efforts as a City Council member in pushing for greater recognition of LGBT rights, as well as better housing and senior-citizen care. Zablocki's record on LGBT issues is less clear, but he "maintains a concern for the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers."



The final citywide office on the 2009 ballot is for Controller, the city's chief accountant. The Controller manages funding for all of the city's departments and agencies, oversees municipal bond issues, and advises the Mayor and City Council on the fiscal health of the City. With sums running into the hundreds of billions of dollars, the monster New York City budget is bigger than that of many states, and some small countries. Competing for election to this daunting task are City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) and longtime securities analyst Joe Mendola (R-Greenwich Village). Councilman Liu is a vocal proponent of fiscal reform in lean economic times, and has been pushing for greater frugality in City spending while representing Flushing in the City Council. His GOP opponent Mendola brings the experience of his long career in finance to bear in addressing the City's fiscal woes. The Controller's office is a critical post in City government, because this office affects everything the City does, from the price of a subway ride to the functioning of city services we all depend on. It's not a race to be taken lightly.



Other major elections on the New York City ballot include five judgeships in The Bronx, the Bronx Borough President, and 18 City Council races. It should also be noted that participation in government is not limited to voting. We are the government, and running for public office is also available to us. In City Council District 8 (Spanish Harlem), incumbent Melissa Mark-Veverito (D-Harlem) is running unopposed. While she boasts an excellent record representing her District, the fact that she runs alone points to a lack of interest in political affairs in that area. That's a shame, because when we don't vote, run for office, or otherwise pay attention to who is in our government and what it is doing, we often end up with the government we don't want. On Tuesday, get over to the polls and cast your vote, no matter where you live. Your government arises out of your choices, so don't let others make that decision for you!

Batty Boy

Jamaicans like music, but hate fags
By Son of Baldwin
The literary, socio-political, sexual, pop culture blog. Live from Bedford-Stuyvesant.

We don't understand this.

Jamaicans have a deep-seeded hatred of homosexuals that goes way beyond the simple homophobia and rests firmly on the grounds of Schizophrenia. Jamaicans HATE homosexuals--including the ones with whom they have sex. Shit, even Jamaican homosexuals hate homosexuals.

The hatred infects every atom of the society and every cell of the citizenry. It's in the DNA. They're proud of it. It's rivaled only by the Middle East. And we just have one question: Why?

We just read an article where the Jamaican prime minister wants the Jamaican constitution amended to restrict gay rights. "I make no apology in saying decisively and emphatically that the government of Jamaica remains irrevocably opposed to the recognition, legitimization or acceptance of same-sex marriages or same-sex unions," he said, before disappearing into the forest to give dome to some random stranger with a big dick.

We're kidding about that last part, but wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we discovered that it was true. And before we get all high and mighty about Jamaican homophobia, let us not forget that America ain't exactly loving the homos, either. In fact, hatred of homosexuals is pretty much the only subject where you can get Christians, Muslims, Hindis, Jews, the Taliban, al-Qaeda, democrats, and republicans to agree.

Read the full article here.

The National Equality March And LGBTs Of Color

Last Sunday, the National Equality March was held in Washington, DC. It drew gays, lesbians, and our supporters from all fifty states to our nation's capital to call for an end to our current status as second-class-citizens. We came to seek the legalization of gay marriage, an end to the homophobic official policy of our military, commonly known as Don't Ask Don't Tell, and to call for the enactment of federal-level legislation to end widespread discrimination against our LGBT community in housing and employment. But for the LGBT community of color, this March had an even deeper meanings: the chilling fact that 46% of gay men of color are HIV positive, that LGBTs of color face even greater social ostracism based on their orientation than do gay or lesbian whites, and that most of our prominent black gay figures were conspicuous by their absence. Let me say that last part again: the gay and lesbian notables from our community were conspicuous by their absence.



I also didn't see very many black and brown faces among the 150,000+ marchers last week. Certainly not in any real proportion to the actual size of our community. I kept hearing the usual exzcuses from those I know, about why they couldn't make it: "I'm not political" [why not?], "I don't have the time" [it was a Sunday, on a holiday weekend], "It's too costly" [there were plenty of free buses], "I've got a party to go to" [there will be other parties, this was a lifetime event]. I hate to say it, but this is sad. We as a community need to show our faces and our numbers to the world at every opportunity. You're not political? If not now, when? There are laws against us being able to marry, laws that permit us to get fired or refused work solely because we are gay or lesbian, laws that prohibit us from defending our country for the same reason, and a prevailing attitude among our leaders and our neighbors that we are "less than". If you're not ready to speak up today, you might find yourself alone, with no one left to speak up for you. People of color didn't find excuses not to march during the 1960s, when Jim Crow was the law of the land all across the South. People of color didn't watch in silence and absence as others braved the evil Bull Connor's firehoses and police dogs in Birmingham. Just as was necessary then, it's necessary now, to stand up and be seen when we are faced with such gross injustces and such pervasive homophobia as we see today. No number of excuses will change that.



Today, a man of color occupies the White House as the leader of the Free World. As both a national and black leader, he understands the power of organized protest. But if we don't participate in the struggle, how can we ever hope to truly claim the benefits won for us by those who do? As I marched through the streets of DC, and past the White House on my way to the Capitol rally, I saw a few people of color here and there, but nothing like the numbers of us I know are out there. I didn't see our entertainment, literary, or political figures there in great numbers, either. Just from New York City alone, I know many gay and lesbian actors, musicians, writers, and journalists of color, and out of all of them, I saw only TWO who made the trip and marched with us. That's pitiful!

If you are reading this, and you marched in DC last Sunday, consider yourself on the right side of history. If you didn't, ask yourself this: how much longer are you willing to tolerate second-class life? How much longer should you sit back and take it, knowing all the while that others (particularly many in our government) ridicule you for being LGBT and even legislate against you? These are sober questions. It's up to us to end the suffering we endure and the persecution we continue to face. We'll never truly join the rainbow if we don't. Just something to think about.

Gay, Lesbian Candidates In 2009 NYC Election

It's almost time to go to the polls again, and this year in New York City, it's historic, because it's the first time more than one or two gay or lesbian candidates are in the running for high office in city government. Of the several LGBT candidates running on the Democratic ballot, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Chelsea) is perhaps the most well-known. Representing District 3 (Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, West Village), Speaker Quinn has been a pioneer in the Council during her tenure. As the first openly lesbian Speaker of the Council, Ms. Quinn has consistently advocated for LGBT rights, stood up for small businesses, worked with other Council members and Mayor Bloomberg on legislation vital to the functioning of the city, and been a strong supporter of our community. Ms. Quinn is currently running for re-election in her district, and the LGBT community will do well to return her to City Hall.




In Queens, Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) achieved a stunning upset victory in the Democratic Primary for City Council. An openly gay schoolteacher, Mr. Dromm has been a visible activist on LGBT issues, speaking frequently in support of gay marriage, hate-crimes legislation, and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). That he won the nomination in highly conservative Queens speaks to the weather change among voters, who are less concerned with a candidate's sexual orientation, and more keen to look at his or her platform. Mr. Dromm sees the winds of political change in Queens as his opportunity to bring LGBT rights to the forefront of City Hall affairs.



Also in Queens, James Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) won in the battleground 26th district to become a City Council nominee. Mr. Van Bramer, the Chief Affairs Officer of the queens public Library, prevailed in a tough campaign which further reinforced the political transitions in the borough of Queens. He has served as a reporter for the Lesbian and Gay New York, the forerunner of today's Gay City News, and has lobbied tirelessly on behalf of the LGBT community. A lifelong Queens resident and gay advocate, Mr, Van Bramer hopes to bring lasting change to City Hall, and looks ready to join Mr. Dromm in representing us on Park Row.





Finally, back in Manhattan, Rosie Mendez (D-SoHo) won her primary race in District 2. Ms. Mendez is a strong civil-liberties proponent, seves as Democratic District Leader, and her record on animal rights is among the best in the city. An out, lesbian lawmaker with a progressive vision for the city, Ms. Mendez joins the other gay and lesbian Council candidates in making history in New York City. But none of it will happen unless you vote! Election Day is November 3, and wherever you live, a trip to the polls is your right and responsibility. Here in NYC, the better represented we are as gays and lesbians in government, the more our issues will be heard and addressed. Because all politics are local, it's of paramount importance for everyone who visits the FUTURE to vote, and remind their families and friends to vote, as well. See you at the polls!