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NBJC Partners with NGLCC and Leadership of Diverse Groups at NYSE

Spelman Student Honored for Campus LGBT Efforts

Uganda Opposition Leader Would Decriminalize Homosexuality

The Giffords Shooting's Gay, Hispanic Hero

Gay Rights Platform Championed in Miss America Pageant

Leader of Anti-Gay Anglican Church Fired for Surfing Porn on Church Computer

Gay Marriage Isn't Revolutionary. It's Just the Next Step in Marriage's Evolution.

New “Ex-Lesbian” Poster Child Rallies Fellow “Ex-Studs”

Omarion Denies Bisexuality Rumor

Will Gay Rights Progress in This New Congress?

Texas Can’t Stop Gay Divorce

Transgender Vets Want Military Access for Own

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The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. NBJC's mission is to eradicate racism and homophobia

Dear Friend,

This week, NBJC had the privilege of partnering with The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) on their fourth annual “Diversity & Leadership in Financial Services Awards” at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

This year’s event was the first to focus on cross-diversity in the financial services industry and deepen the relationship between LGBT business advocates and other diverse communities.  National groups representing LGBT, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Women, and disabled business owners were all present marking the first time in the nearly 220-year history of the NYSE that these communities joined together to refine corporate best practices related to diversity and inclusion. In addition to ringing the Closing Bell, NBJC’s presence guaranteed our participation in conversations about issues important to Black LGBT people—exclusionary hiring practices, increasing the number of Black LGBT owned businesses within supplier diversity programs, workplace harassment, and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity—with the “titans” of Wall Street.

Some African American communities face unemployment rates double and even triple the national average, which means that the heads of Black LGBT families are more likely to lose their jobs. In this economy, we are at even greater risk of not being able to find another job. The NGLCC event provided us with an opportunity to advocate for social and economic justice as an important aspect of our mission to create stronger Black families.

Onward and upward,

Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks

Executive Director

NBJC Partners With NGLCC and Leadership of Diverse Groups at NYSE Event 

"The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) hosted its fourth annual Diversity & Leadership in Financial Services Awards at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and NBJC was a collaborative partner of the event.  The awards recognized the commitment made to diversity by the leadership of the financial services sector and the deepening relationship between LGBT business advocates and other diverse segments."

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Spelman Student Honored for Campus LGBT Efforts – Project Q Atlanta

The former president of Spelman College’s LGBT student group has received national recognition for her work on LGBT issues, including helping to create the school’s first Pride week, boosting awareness of gay issues and calling attention to the troubled dress code of neighboring Morehouse College.

The recognition also led JeShawna Wholley (photo left) to meet President Obama during a White House reception to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Wholley received the 2011 Campus Pride Voice & Action National Leadership Award after being named one of the organization’s Top 12 Leaders in Action.

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Uganda Opposition Leader Would Decriminalize Homosexuality- Advocate.com

Kizza Besigye, the top opposition leader in Uganda who is challenging President Yoweri Museveni, suggested he would decriminalize homosexuality if elected.

According to IC Publications, Besigye said Monday that police in Uganda have more pressing concerns than investigating homosexuality, though he stressed the he was speaking for himself and not the four-party opposition group he leads. His remarks were filmed for a town hall dialogue that will air on Ugandan television as the county prepares for a vote on February 18.

"This is something that is done in the privacy of people's rooms, between consenting adults," he said.”

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The Gifford Shooting's Gay, Hispanic Hero – Salon

 “In the days since the shooting, Daniel Hernandez has emerged in interviews as a graceful presence with a no doubt promising future, with considerably much more going for him than his status as a minority. So why should the sexual orientation of this eminently competent, compassionate person keep coming up in this tale? Why is his ethnicity, and the fact that he grew up speaking Spanish and attending dual language schools, of any consequence?  Hernandez never asked to be the face of a movement. He doesn't represent any one group any more than Jared Lee Loughner is your typical white guy. And that's exactly why it matters."

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Gay Rights Platform Championed in Miss America Pageant – NY Daily News

“Instead of sticking to something safe, Miss New York Claire Buffie will be championing gay rights as part of her campaign to become the next Miss America.

Never in the 90-year history of the pageant has a contestant gone to bat for gays. And the 24-year-old brunette knows she's taking a risk with her "Straight for Equality: Let's Talk" platform.

But this, she says, is the civil rights struggle of her generation.”

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Leader Of Anti-Gay Anglican Church Fired For Surfing Porn On Church Computer – LezGetReal.com

“Reverend Marshall Brown was the associate rector at Truro Church, which broke away from the Anglican Communion back in 2003 after Gene Robinson was elected Bishop in New Hampshire. He was the associate rector until he got fired for repeatedly using a church computer to surf for pornography. In fact, Truro Church’s clergy helped to lead fourteen Virginia Parishes in breaking away from the Episcopal Church after Bishop V. Gene Robinson was elected to his post. He was the first openly gay Bishop in the Anglican Communion.”

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Gay Marriage Isn't Revolutionary. It's Just the Next Step in Marriage's Evolution – Washington Post

According to arrest affidavits, [21 year-old Matthew] Guzman confessed to hunting down his victims, shooting and killing them because he thought they were gay and were coming onto him. The police report said, "His motive for committing the murder was due to his belief that the victim had homosexual tendencies. … The subject confessed…eventually claiming that the victim made homosexual advances towards him, leaving him no choice but to shoot the victim."

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New "Ex-Lesbian" Poster Child Rallies Fellow "Ex-Studs" – Truth Wins Out

“Ursery’s flimsy perspective on sexual attraction: 'Based on what I’ve been told by quite a few youth I’ve talked to, they are preconditioned to accept homosexuality because of [name calling, hormones, distance from one's family]. Just the other day a young lady told me how she always thought her sisters were more pretty then her, and how she used to get teased. She figured since nobody accepted her she would just rebel and turn to homosexuality. So those factors can and do influence a young person’s choices about their sexuality.'”

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Omarion Denies Bisexuality Rumor – Advocate.com

“BET reports that the topic began to trend heavily after a "fake and grammatically incorrect" press release called Omarion a "respectable, mature, proud, bisexual man." In addition to his own press release denial, the former lead singer of boy band B2K denied the rumors on Twitter.

“Check it out ‘I DID NOT RELEASE THAT STATEMENT’,whatever you like is your business but I AINT GAY OR BISEXUAL,I love women PERIOD!!!!!!!” he tweeted.”

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Will Gay Rights Progress in This New Congress? – 365gay.com

As it prepared for a new era on Capitol Hill, the Human Rights Campaign did some analysis that led its staff to conclude, in part, "Last year's elections that resulted in the loss of the House to an anti-equality leadership, along with more anti-LGBT senators, will certainly impede — but not entirely stop — pro-LGBT federal legislative efforts."

HRC was able to do some interesting number crunching, even before the first votes of the new session.

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Texas Can't Stop Gay Divorce – 365gay.com

The Texas attorney general can't block a divorce granted to two women who were legally married elsewhere, an appeals court ruled Friday.

A judge in Austin granted a divorce last February to Angelique Naylor and Sabina Daly, who were married in Massachusetts in 2004 and then returned home to Texas. A day after the divorce was granted, Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott filed a motion to intervene in the case, arguing the judge didn't have the jurisdiction to grant the divorce because Texas has a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

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Transgender Vets Want Military Access for Own – Washington Post

"Before handcuffing herself to the White House fence, former Petty Officer First Class Autumn Sandeen carefully pinned three rows of Navy ribbons to her chest. Her regulation dress blue skirt, fitted jacket, hat and black pumps were new – fitting for a woman who spent two decades serving her country as a man.

Sandeen was the only transgender person among the six veterans arrested in April while protesting the military's ban on openly gay troops. But when she watched President Barack Obama last month sign the hard-fought bill allowing for the ban's repeal, melancholy tinged her satisfaction."

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NBJC News is distributed by the National Black Justice Coalition.

For more information, please visit www.NBJC.org.