Florida Gay Marriage Advances

The New Year brought fabulous news from federal district court Judge Robert L. Hinkle confirming his marriage ruling in a new order stating that clerks of all Florida counties must issue marriage licenses to gay & lesbian couples after his stay expires at the stroke of midnight on January 6th. Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida stated, “We believe Judge Hinkle's order was clear from the beginning. We are pleased that he has put an end to the unnecessary confusion caused by a misguided legal memo by a private law firm. We look forward to January 6th when couples who have waited for this day can finally be married, & those of us married elsewhere are finally able to fully protect our families.” Last August Judge Hinkle ruled that Florida’s laws barring gay & lesbian couples from marriage violate the equal protection & due process requirements of the federal Constitution & stayed his ruling until January 5, 2015. Both the Eleventh Circuit & the U.S. Supreme Court subsequently denied the State of Florida’s request to extend the stay. Anti gay opponents attempted to prevent gay & lesbian couples from marrying on January 6th by threatening criminal prosecution of clerks who issued marriage licenses but this ruling by Judge Hinkle ends the madness for our LGBT community in the Sunshine State.
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Happy LGBT New Year 2015

Let’s make 2015 the best year for the advancement of LGBT equality. Not just in the US but we must reach out to our global LGBT community. Recently we talked to political humorist Kate Clinton about what she would like to see happen for LGBT civil rights in 2015. Clinton stated, “Well I think our big challenge in 2015 is going to be the kind of slimy interpretation of the horrible Hobby Lobby case; the right to refuse on your religious convictions & that’s bigger than a company that does flowers saying ‘No we’re not going to do flowers for that gay wedding’. But I do think there’s going to be a lot of push back & not that kind of full frontal assault on marriage equality, but again just more chipping away of LGBT rights.” On marriage equality heading to the US Supreme Court in 2015 Clinton added, “I do think it’s moving. I think that Evan Wolfson, the intrepid Evan Wolfson & the Freedom to Marry have really had a plan that they have been following & I do think their absolute goal is to get a decision about federal marriage equality at the Supreme Court.” When asked about LGBT workplace protection & the Republican majority in 2015 Clinton concluded, “I think there’s been a lot of work done through organizations like Out & Equal that have really been working with corporations & their memberships & their employee relations groups to really talk about discrimination in the workplace. I think that it’s been very much under the radar. They’ve been doing amazing work with corporations not only here but internationally & I do think that the notion that ENDA is just good business might sway moderate corporate business types in the Republican Party. I do think that it does have a possibility but we can’t do it without trans rights…” Listen to Kate's full audio interview:
LISTEN: Kate Clinton's 2014 LGBT Review & 2015 Forecast
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LGBT Equality Moving Forward

As we approach the end of 2014 we are reminded of the eventful year that our LGBT community has had. We made tremendous strides & have now secured marriage equality in 35 states & the District of Columbia. However there are still 15 states & US territories where gay & lesbian couples are not protected & their families are subjected to discrimination hardships just because of who they love. In 2015 our New Year's resolution is to continue to do everything we can to ensure that our LGBT families & community are honored & protected. We won’t stop until federal marriage equality laws are passed & enforced in all of the USA. Once we achieve this we must continue to fight for full equality because as you know once we can legally marry we can still be fired from our jobs in many states that still allows our LGBT community to be discriminated against in the workplace. So when you make your year-end gifts to nonprofits make sure that you generously give to LGBT organizations that are continuing to fight for your equality. So our wish in 2015 is to create a world where LGBTQ youth are safe in school from being bullied, employment protections for our LGBT community throughout the country, LGBT elders can thrive, we finally secure greater legal protections for our transgender community, a higher quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS & we succeed in fighting attempts to add exceptions to anti discrimination laws that affect our LGBT community. If you want to help make this all a reality for our LGBT community we suggest you send your checks to GLAD, the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the architects of gay marriage in America. Or click on our Equality Store link & support our work by buying a mug or tea shirt...:)
For Info & Support: glad.org
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Celebrities Gay Activists & Allies

This has been a fabulous year for LGBT equality & we want to thank you, our millions of global listeners, for making OUTTAKE VOICES such a success. We also want to thank all the celebrities, gay activists & allies who appeared on our audio interview series in 2014 & our syndicated version on Huffington Post. Thank you fashion designer Andre Soriano, Brian Silva, Executive Director of Marriage Equality USA, Filmmakers Daniel Cardone & Marc Smolowitz, Host of Food Network’s “Chopped” Ted Allen, India LGBT activist Pothik Chatterjee, Executive Director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Rea Carey, Executive Director of GO! Athletes Anna Aagenes, rock band Antigone Rising’s Kristen Ellis-Henderson & Cathy Henderson, legendary actor Pam Grier, newly elected Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, author attorney Scott Squillace, actor/writer Terry Ray, Fred Harmon The Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas, designers Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, Executive Director of the Elton John AIDS Foundation Scott Campbell, actor/producers Kit Williamson & John Halbach, singer/songwriter Jen Foster, GLAAD’s CEO & President Sarah Kate Ellis, Out NCAA basketball player Derrick Gordon, transgender model Geena Rocero, Stafford Arima, actor George Takei, New Orleans bounce performer Big Freedia, GLAAD National Spokesperson Omar Sharif, Jr., comedian Fortune Feimster, Perez Hilton, actor Wilson Cruz, transgender actress Candis Cayne, reality star Sonja Morgan, actress Robin Weigert, actor Yael Stone, Tony & Emmy winning actress Swoosie Kurtz, pop star Boy George, martial arts fighter Jessica Aguilar, out Olympic speed skater Blake Skjellerup, actress Alysia Reiner, actor Raúl Castillo, transgender actress Laverne Cox, filmmaker Kim Rocco Shields, writer Kate Fagan, Boston Pride’s Sylvain Bruni, Grammy & Oscar winning recording artist Melissa Etheridge, producer Christine Vachon, actress Debra Winger, writer & director David Cronenberg, director John Waters, activists Kris Perry & Sandy Stier, writer/producer Gary Janetti, P-Town’s Rick Murray, writer/director Marina Rice Bader, filmmaker Alexia Kosmider, rocker Carole Pope, filmmaker Caryn Hayes, writer Michelle Theal, singer-songwriter Matt Gold, AIDS activist Jim Morgrage, event planner Paul Saltalamacchia, producer Mark Gilbert, author activist Urvashi Vaid, filmmaker Stu Maddux, Dr. Dain Heer, designers Sam Street & Jonathan Tack, guitarist Sharon Isbin, executive producer Michael Levitt, wedding planner Jason Mitchell, GLAAD VP Zeke Stokes, author Larry Robinson & Kate Clinton our favorite political humorist. We still have a lot to accomplish in the US & Globally for our community so let’s make 2015 the best year yet for LGBT equality.
LISTEN: Kate Clinton's 2014 LGBT Review & 2015 Forecast
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Have A Fabulous Gay XMAS

We just want to thank our global LGBT audience & allies for making this past year so rewarding for our OUTTAKE Team. We wish all our friends & family a healthy & happy holiday. So Make the Yule-tide gay & enjoy this performance of Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" a song she introduced in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis written by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane. We’ve included the lyrics so you can all sing along....
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light From now on, our troubles will be out of sight. Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Make the Yule-tide gay, From now on, our troubles will be miles away. Here we are as in olden days, Happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us once more. Through the years We all will be together, If the Fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself A merry little Christmas now. HAVE A SAFE & FABULOUS XMAS!!

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Gay Blood Donors Ban Eased

The Food & Drug Administration has decided to ease restrictions on its 31 year ban on gay blood donors. Scott Campbell, Executive Director for the Elton John AIDS Foundation stated, “The Elton John AIDS Foundation is pleased that the FDA has taken a first step to lift the antiquated ban prohibiting gay men from donating blood. This announcement represents a long overdue shift in the public health field’s perception of gay men. While we urge the FDA to fully discard its ban, this step underscores what we have always believed: that all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, should be allowed to help people in need. It’s part of ending stigma against LGBT Americans & is simply the right thing to do.” The Elton John AIDS Foundation also just recently awarded more than $3.2 million in grants that specifically address LGBT people of color & people living with HIV/AIDS in the South. Sir Elton John created EJAF over 20 years ago, first in the United States in 1992 & then in the United Kingdom in 1993. Through hard work & help of kind, amazing, creative & generous friends & supporters, the two foundations together have raised more than $300 million over the past 2 decades to combat stigma, prevent infections, provide treatment & services & motivate governments to end AIDS. Listen to Scott Campbell talk about EJAF in this exclusive audio interview from last spring:

For More Info: newyork.ejaf.org
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PBS “Vicious” Gay Holiday Event

PBS announced their holiday themed programming including a holiday special of VICIOUS airing December 25th at 9:30P EST. VICIOUS stars legendary openly gay actors Sir Derek Jacobi & Sir Ian McKellen playing Stuart & Freddie as partners who have lived together in their central London flat for nearly 50 years. In their holiday XMAS special Freddie (Ian McKellen) & Stuart (Derek Jacobi) host a holiday soiree in their small central London flat. Ash (Iwan Rheon), their young upstairs neighbor, has volunteered to cook the meal, their feisty best friend Violet (Frances de la Tour) is up to her old tricks & a wicked game of Truth or Dare brings up hidden truths & surprises as well. Last summer we interviewed Gary Janetti the writer/producer of VICIOIUS who talked about what he wanted to accomplish with this breakthrough gay sitcom stating, “What I want to accomplish is not only that this is a gay couple, the fact that they were gay was always besides the point, it’s also a couple of a certain age. We don’t see couples in their seventies together not as an archon to the young couple on the show, but as the main focus of the show & their world is also populated by people around the same age as them and they are the people we follow. We’re inside their world & it’s unusual & I don’t think it should be unusual. There was something about that I felt really good about accomplishing, also that they were a gay couple of a certain age & within the gay community."
Listen To Full Interview: 
LISTEN: Kate Clinton's 2014 LGBT Review & 2015 Forecast
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