Afraid To Hold Hands?.. Cuba Goes Gay.. GLAAD President Steps Down

May 17, 2013 Subscribe · Forward International Day Against Homophobia And Transphobia May 17 is the 9th annual International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO). The day will be commemorated in over 100 countries around the world and will highlight the horrific consequences of homophobia and transphobia on gender and sexual minorities. IDAHO has grown in leaps and bounds over the last nine years and is now celebrated by a wide range of stakeholders from local organizations, to celebrities, to city councils, to private organizations and corporations, to national governments and international agencies such as the United Nations. The organizers of IDAHO believe that the most powerful component of the Day is recognizing the voices of all people from all walks of life. It opens the channels of communication so that the Day can be used in multiple ways, in whatever context suits the local and cultural needs of those who are doing the work on the ground and within communities. In that spirit, a handful of activists commemorating IDAHO all over the world submitted a brief post about what homophobia and transphobia look like in their countries, what they are doing for IDAHO and how IDAHO will ultimately impact their efforts at the local level to end homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia and transphobia. These are just a few of the many voices who will be speaking out during IDAHO. To add your own experiences and thoughts to the conversation, visit the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia's official facebook page and tweet your using the hashtag #may17idaho. Continue reading... A Fabulous Gay Celebration...In Cuba? Most Gay People Afraid To Publicly Hold Hands: Survey GLAAD President's Resigns After One Year LOOK: Barbie's Ken Comes Out! WATCH: After 20 Years Of Marriage, Husband And Wife Both Come Out Of Closet Oregon Baker: 'I Believe I Have The Liberty' To Turn Away Lesbian Brides-To-Be Bad News For Georgia's Gay Community LOOK: Commemorating International Day Against Homophobia And Transphobia Bad News For Georgia's Gay Community LOOK: Barbie's Ken Comes Out! JENELLE RILEY Why Gay Actors Going Public Matters I can offer nothing but gratitude to those who are willing to talk freely about their personal lives. To prove there is no stigma or shame in being gay. Because of them, a very special young man in my life may have an easier time with his life. Continue reading... JINCEY LUMPKIN Nobody Told Me Getting Pregnant Would Be This Hard I'm not pregnant. If I were 17, this would be cause for celebration, but when you are ready for a baby and you can't just materialize one, an empty womb feels like an empty heart. Continue reading... HOSSEIN ALIZADEH 'The Other' and LGBT Rights in Turkey Dr. Toprak and her colleagues in parliament are great allies of the LGBT movement in Turkey. Their political fight for equal treatment of all citizens is a source of inspiration for human rights activists in Turkey who have been advocating for equal rights and protection of LGBT individuals. Continue reading... DAVID GALENSON Keith Haring: Rebel With Many Causes Haring was a conceptual artist, whose goal was to communicate his ideas. He recorded in his journal that he thought in poems, and painted them instead of writing: "Paintings can be poems if they are read as words instead of images." Continue reading... B.J. EPSTEIN Whatcha Waiting For: Eurovision and Gay Rights Silly pop songs, over-the-top costumes and dance routines, and a (possibly) fake sense of intra-European bonhomie. Yes, it's easy to dismiss the annual Eurovision song contest. But wait. This year might be a little bit different. Eurovision might actually get political - and not just political in the usual sense that neighbouring countries vote for one another in a show of regional support... What better time to demand equal rights than when you have the eyes of much of Europe on you? Continue reading... Received this from a friend? Sign up for alerts from The Huffington Post here. Unsubscribe here. Huffington Post, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003