Cherry Grove Celebrates Its 12th LGBT Pride with Parade & BBQ Rib Contest
Leather contingent aasembles - photo by Koitz
Source:www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert
On a glorious, sunny last Saturday in June, the 25th, Cherry Grove celebrated LGBT Pride-and the 41st anniversary of the historic Stonewall Rebellion, which kicked off the Gay Liberation Movement-on the day before the Pride March in New York City, with a colorful 12th annual Pride Parade, twice around downtown Cherry Grove, and a first-ever, post-parade barbecued rib competition among the Grove restaurants. Read more
Gathering at the Palace to Cheer Friends & Neighbors in Beltzer’s “Coming of Age”
James Beltzer - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert
The Grove’s James Beltzer introduced the documentary “Coming of Age in Cherry Grove,” his work-in-progress, to an appreciative audience, at the Grove Hotel’s Ice Palace on June 20, that had come to see their friends, their neighbors-and themselves-and to cheer.
We saw Bella, who was a few seats away from us, say onscreen that Cherry Grove is “like a Federico Fellini movie” and play Susan Boyle doing “I Dreamed a Dream.” We saw Panzi, bullhorn in hand and all in yellow feathers, leading last year’s Fourth of July Invasion of the Pines and, later, she and Bella and Rose Levine held forth about the origins of the Invasion. The Pines’ Robyn Bird spoke of videotaping the Invasion and claimed, “I’m trisexual-I will try everyone sexually. Read more
Lee & Clara Get Married on the Beach
Lee Sharmat & Clara Bogetti - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Having gotten legally married in Connecticut in February, Lee Sharmat and Clara Bogetti celebrated, with family and chosen Cherry Grove family, with a wedding on the beach, off Aeon Walk, on a sunny June 19 afternoon.
Sherri Rase officiated at the ceremony under the chupah, others in attendance added remarks, the couple exchanged rings and vows, and Lee stepped on and broke the glass to ward evil spirits away from their union. Mazel tov!
Refreshments at the couple’s home on Aeon preceded the ceremony at the beach and a reception at Jumping Jack’s Seafood Shack restaurant followed it.
Obama Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Partners of Federal Employees
President Barack Obama - photo submitted by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Source: www.newyorkqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert
On June 2, President Barak Obama issued a memorandum to Federal Executive Department and Agency Heads extending benefits enjoyed by Federal heterosexual employees’ spouses and families to domestic partners and children of LGBT families. The memorandum instructs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Administrator of General Services to ensure that sex-sex domestic partners and their children qualify as immediate family members and dependents under the law, with regard to family and medical leave protections, child care services, and retiree pension annuities, for example, but stops short, according to Lambda Legal of guaranteeing family health insurance. Read more
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Passes U.S. Senate Committee & House of Representatives, But McCain & Colleagues Announce Plan to Filibuster
President Barack Obama, courtesy of Organizing for America
Source: www.newyorkqnews.com
by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
On May 27, the United States Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by Michigan Democrat Carl Levin, passed, by a vote of 16 to 12, an amendment to the National
Defense Authorization Act that would remove “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”(DADT)-the heinous 17-year-old policy whereby open gay and lesbians are discharged from military service-from federal Read more
GLSEN Presents Respect Awards
Constance McMillien, Dr. Eliza Byard, Chely Wright, CyndiLauper, ReichenLehmkuhl - photos by Lee Sharmat & Clara Bogetti
Source: www.newyorkqnews.com
By Lee Sharmat
GLSEN (the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network), the leading national education organization, focused on ensuring safe schools for all students, and headed by Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard, held its sold out annual Respect Awards ceremony Read more
NYS Court Affirms Lesbian Non-Biological Mother’s Visitation Rights
Susan Somer, Lambda Legal's Director of Constitutional Litigation, who represented Debra H. - photo from Lambda Legal.org
Source: www.newyorkqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert
The New York State Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, affirmed, on May 4, in the case of Debra H. v. Janice R., that a lesbian non-biological mother of a child could “seek visitation and custody rights at a best-interest hearing,” over the objections of her ex-partner, the biological mother, with whom she had entered into a civil union in Vermont.
Janice R. and her former partner, Debra H., who was represented in the case by Lambda Legal Director of Constitutional Litigation Susan Sommer, met in 2002, decided to raise a family together in a two-parent household, conceived their son using in vitro fertilization, and were joined in civil union in Vermont in November 2003, a month before their son, M.R., was born. According to Lambda Legal, Read more
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