Welcome

"God loves you more than any dude will ever love you. Don’t put your faith in some man, some flesh. That’s what we do when we’re stuck in the gay identity, when we’re stuck in that cave. We go from guy to guy, looking for someone to love us and make us feel O.K., but God is so much better than all the other masters out there." - "Ex-gay" nutter Michael Glatze, interviewed by his longtime friend Benoit Denizet-Lewis for the New York Times.

Glatze was the founder and publisher of the gay youth-oriented title XY Magazine, but suddenly became "ex-gay" after Jeebus "cured" his heart palpitations. Read the entire article. Previous JMG posts on Michael Glatze are here, here, and here.

"I am disgusted and appalled by Tracy Morgan's homophobic rant. The devastating repercussions of hate-filled language manifest in very real ways for today's LGBTQ youth. I've known Tracy for two years, spent many long hours with him on set, and I want to believe that this behavior is not at the core of who he is. I'm incredibly disappointed by his actions, and hope that his apology is sincere." -Openly gay 30 Rock cast member Cheyenne Jackson.

"Herman Cain understands the real and present danger that the spread of radical Islam poses to our way of life. Herman Cain hasn’t been shy about speaking out about the need to confront and stop the spread of radical Islam – a barbaric ideology that brutalizes women, religious minorities and gays. For the gay left none of this will matter. All that matters is the group hug.

"For the gay left, it isn’t important whether the policies pursued by a candidate or a party actually improve the lives of gay people, all that matters is that they get the pat on the head – the assurance that they are ok. I don’t need the group hug, nor do I need affirmation from the government that I am ok. What I need is a President and a Congress that will pursue policies that will make life better for me and my family." - GOProud chairman Chris Barron, sticking by his man, even though he thinks Barron is a sinner bound for an eternity in a lake of fire.

"I'm ex-gay. And so when I hear people celebrating, 'Oh, we're doing the LGBT month,' and those types of celebrations, I want to ask the question: 'Well, when does the state, when does the county of Los Angeles respect those who are ex-gay? When do we celebrate ex-gay month?' We've gone down this road -- it's not good -- and we've changed our lives. When does the state recognize that?" - Pastor Jim Romen, seen above (center) celebrating the passage of Prop 8.

"I was so nervous that morning that I threw up. I spoke against him across the street, directly within his view. But then I approached a police officer who escorted me to the podium where he spoke. My grandfather introduced me to the crowd and kissed me on the forehead. 'This is my granddaughter," he said. 'She chose her way of life, but I chose God's way, but I love her.' Grandpa even called me after the rally, to say that he was proud of me for 'respectfully speaking up for what you believe in.' You cannot tell someone that you love them and stay silent when people call for their death. 'Love' is empty when you say someone's life isn't natural. He could quietly vote 'no' if that's what he believes is right. But I want him to know that every word he utters hurts his own blood." - Erica Diaz, openly lesbian granddaughter of NY Sen. Ruben Diaz, recounting her awkward appearance at his Bronx hate rally last month.

"Let’s be honest, the left doesn’t hate me because I am mean or brash or too aggressive – the same label can be applied to many of my critics. No, the left hates me because I have the audacity to stand up to them. They hate me because I am a conservative who happens to be gay. They hate me because I won’t be bullied by them. They hate me because I have dared to wander off the liberal plantation, because I refuse to play the victim card, and because I have rejected their failed big government agenda. So if the left is looking for an apology for things I say on twitter or the things I write on my blog or for statements I make on TV, they won’t get one. Indeed, they can expect more of the same." - GOProud chairman Chris Barron, writing on his personal blog.

"The first adult authority figure that I came out to who wasn't a member of my family: my pediatrician. I'd been seeing him since I was a child and he was still my doctor. After my third or fourth visit about 'a small skin blemish,' he asked me what I was really worried about. I remember what I said to him: 'I'm gay and I don't want to have AIDS.' I don't remember what he said to me, but I'll never forget the look on his face. It was this combination of pity, panic, disappointment, and judgement. I never saw him again." - Dan Savage, in a post marking the first year of AIDS in the United States.

"We witnessed a high level of fraternisation and collusion between neo-Nazis and the Moscow police. I saw neo-Nazis leave and re-enter police buses parked on Tverskaya Street by City Hall. Our suspicion is that many of the neo-Nazis were actually plainclothes police officers, who did to us what their uniformed colleagues dared not do in front of the world’s media. Either that, or the police were actively facilitating the right-wing extremists with transport to the protest.

"During the Second World War, Mucovites stood against the Nazis. Now the Mayor of Moscow is colluding with neo-Nazis. He gave the neo-Nazi groups permission to stage a protest calling for violence against gay people, while denying Moscow Gay Pride a permit to rally for gay equality." - Famed British activist Peter Tatchell, reporting from yesterday's demonstration in Moscow.

"Bloomberg's speech today amounted to hollow words. He is the sole reason that Republicans are in the majority in the NYS Senate as he has propped them up literally with MILLIONS of dollars in just the last several years. And he has repeatedly said that he will NOT stop donating to Senators who oppose marriage equality--who also happen to be the ones who oppose GENDA, the AIDS bills we need, and virtually everything else of a progressive nature. Let Bloomberg put his money where his mouth is: Stop funding bigots. It is sickening to watch the gay establishment and average gay people fawn over him like some kind of hero when he is in fact the main reason we don't have marriage equality in New York." - Gay City News reporter Andy Humm, via email.

"I held my composure as I stood in the back of a small but crowded room with standing room only. The formal briefing was a slightly awkward attempt at a conversation between one of my superior officers and the 40 or so of us squeezed in that room. He was clearly not used to talking about the topic of homosexuality as he seemed uneasy, but his overall message was a good one: 'Soon you will be working around openly gay people. This change is akin to the integration of blacks into the military and the key to a successful transition is professionalism and mutual respect.'

"As with any other conversation about gays in a setting where I am not 'out,' I found myself reverting to old defense mechanisms. I tried to laugh, but not too hard. I listened intently while trying to look as if I was barely paying attention. I looked to see how everyone else was reacting only to mimic their posture, their level of attentiveness, and their own reactions to the conversation." - TIME Magazine's anonymous Officer X, writing about his DADT repeal training.

"Focus on the Family finally got something right—the American people are rejecting their anti-gay toxic rhetoric and punitive politics, and are siding with loving and committed couples seeking the freedom to marry. With six national polls now confirming that a majority of Americans support the freedom to marry, it’s time for Focus on the Family and other anti-gay industry activists to move on and, ideally, redirect their resources toward tackling the real problems gay and non-gay Americans could be confronting together in these tough economic times." - Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson, responding to Focus president Jim Daly, who says the Christian right has lost the marriage battle.

"Are we ready to have our sports information delivered by someone who is gay? We're going to find out. Because for the last 16 years I've been living a free life among all my close friends and family. But I've been living behind what is a gargantuan size secret in the sports world. I am gay. Yeah, Jared Max, the sports guy with one of the most familiar voices in New York sports isn't quite like the majority." - Veteran NYC sports radio announcer Jared Max, speaking yesterday to his audience on ESPN 1050 AM.

(Via - Gothamist)

UPDATE: Listen to Jared Max's announcement.

"There are gay organizations with multi-million-dollar budgets, and none of them can seem to scrounge up an executive director who can string a few persuasive lines together and win an argument on basic cable. Why is that every time someone from the Human Rights Campaign is on TV, you just know that we already lost the fight? Whatever the argument is, whatever the question is, it’s over. Some people will say to me, 'Who made you spokesperson?' You know what? Nobody. I’m a spokesperson by default." - Dan Savage, who says he's "appalled" with his role as the go-to gay on television news.