Gay Charleston

State gay activists are rallying support to sideline another anti-gay effort in the legislature. Bills introduced in both the House and the Senate would create standards for educating teens on dating violence. An effort last year to define these relationships as strictly heterosexual, ignoring the very real threat that young gay and lesbian teens face in their own relationships, was beat back after community opposition. But the amendment has been attached to another bill currently in the Senate Education Committee.

Not only are gays and lesbians just as likely to be victims of dating violence, they may be even more at risk because of the sometimes secretive nature of their relationships.

“If conservatives and liberals could agree on one issue in this state, I would think it would be that all violence towards children is wrong,” says Ray Drew, executive director of the statewide gay advocacy group S.C. Equality. “This is state sanctioned abuse of gay teenagers, and the legislature ought to be ashamed of itself.”

Here's our piece from last year regarding the House dating violence bill.

For those not in the know, the board overseeing Patriots Point heard a pitch earlier this week for a male Statute of Liberty as one opportunity to save the struggling military tourist stop. The PP says it was one of several pitches and it hasn't made any decisions on the idea.

We've got our own poll about the fate of the big guy at the bottom of the front page.

• Courtesy of Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo

The recently released Spoleto schedule includes a unique ballet experience.

Go for Barocco, a signature piece of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, could be seen as a metaphor for the troupe itself: on the surface, a witty and somewhat campy send-up of classical ballet conventions but just underneath, a seriousness of purpose and a love for the art form. Similarly the dancers — “ballerinas” with names like Svetlana Lofatkina and Ida Nevasayneva in size 10 pointe shoes — are superb, with a level of technique that would top that of many of their female counterparts. By enhancing rather than mocking the spirit of dance, “the Trocks” — as they are known to their fans around the world — delight and amuse the most knowledgeable dance enthusiasts, as well as novices.

Dates are May 28-30. More info here.

The Houston Chronicle profiled new Houston Mayor Annise Parker today. Her election made Houston the biggest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor.

Among the biographical tidbits is a note about her time in Charleston as a teenager struggling to understand her sexuality.

As a senior at R.B. Stall High School in Charleston, S.C., she was a high jumper and long jumper on the women's track team and a member of the school's Ecology Club, National Honor Society and Christian Youth Fellowship. She graduated in 1974, won a coveted National Merit Scholarship and enrolled at Rice University, the only college she had ever wanted to attend.

Teaser art by flickr user davidortez

Sen. Jim DeMint's "Back-to-Basics" approach for saving conservatism apparently puts a lot of stock into homophobia.

In a Bloomberg interview, DeMint didn't just stop at opposition to gay marriage like most right-wingers, he went all the way.

The comments came under the subhead, "Time of Terrorism" (let us hope that was artistic license by the columnist and not by DeMint's design).

He takes a hard line on social issues, passionately anti- abortion and pro-guns. He has been most outspoken as an opponent of any form of gay marriage.

“Marriage is a religious institution. The federal government has no business redefining what it is,” DeMint says. This is one issue where he doesn’t support states’ rights; state government shouldn’t have the right to permit gay marriage: “Governments should not be in the business of promoting a behavior that’s proven to be destructive to our society.”

He cringes at the notion of a gay or lesbian president: “It would be bothersome to me just personally because I consider it immoral.”

The South Carolina Baptist Convention called for the federal government to repeal the newly passed hate crimes law that includes expanded protection to gays and lesbians, according to Baptist Press.

Regarding hate crimes legislation, South Carolina Baptists said such legislation "could effectively kill" freedom of speech by "criminalizing any verbal opposition to homosexuals and/or their lifestyle." The resolution calls on Congress to repeal the recently passed legislation and (calls) on Americans "to avoid acts of hatred and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons."

If anyone wants to know why conservative Christians have a tough time selling their morals to the world, this is a prize example.

Avoid? Really? Why not call on Americans to end acts of hatred and violence toward LGBT people? What about calling on Americans to deplore acts of hatred and violence toward LGBT persons? Is it because there is some list of unavoidable acts of hatred and violence the rest of us aren't aware of?

It's one part sc

Southern Voice newspaper has closed up shop, according to news reports that staff arrived to locked doors this morning, followed by a post on the paper's Facebook page.

With deepest regret, as editor of SoVo, I have to tell you that we arrived at the office to learn that our parent company, Window Media, has shut down. While the 20 years of SoVo have come to an end, our civil rights movement is only beginning. I am personally grateful to all of the staff, and to all of you who have had the courage to share your stories. It has been the honor of my life to help you tell them.

The local nonprofit Alliance for Full Acceptance will be hosting its second Taste of Equality on Saturday night. The event will be held at the Memminger Auditorium. Tickets are available online or through the AFFA office at 843-883-0343.

The Alliance for Full Acceptance will have its regular bi-monthly meeting at the Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Drive. Folks start to gather at 5:45 p.m. and the presentation starts at 6:15. The guest this month is Donna Red Wing.

From AFFA:

Donna Red Wing has spent most of her life as a grassroots advocate for fairness and equality, who was called on to share her talents with HRC, GLAAD, the Gill Foundation, presidential campaigns and many local and national projects advancing equality.

On Thursday morning, Donna will facilitate a discussion on Same-Gender Marriage & Religious Freedom with area clergy. If you are interested in participating, contact the AFFA office 843-883-0343 or info@affa-sc.org

Lots going on this week. First up from the Young Professional Gay-Straight Alliance:

Mellow Mushroom
Wednesday, November 11th
starting at 6 pm
We will be crashing the upstairs bar area at Mellow on King Street. It's a super friendly bar, with super beer, super great service and craaaazy pizzas, so come on out. Period.

Remember when Jim DeMint said he'd rather have 30 like-minded Republicans than a large tent majority? Well, he and 28 other like-minded Senate members (including one Democrat) voted against the latest Defense Authorization bill, which included an amendment expanding hate crime protections in regards to gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

No surprises that DeMint rolls out the same arguments that have been refuted by supporters of the hate crimes bill for years, including an attempt to play off the fears of religious persecution and the protection of pedophiles and people in wheelchairs who like to run over feet. Well, that last one was mine.

The most important thing to remember is that legal protection from violence only goes so far to deter hate crimes. An even better tool is a diverse community that stands up against this violence.

And you thought the hard work was over now that it's too cold to hit the beach. Guess again, fellas.

The 2010 Men of Charleston calendar competition kicks off tonight at Club Pantheon. Sponsored by Chambord Liquor, all proceeds will go to benefit Lowcountry AIDS Services.

Through six weeks of competition (at midnight on Saturdays thru Nov. 28, except Halloween) two winners will be selected for a month in the calendar.

Winners receive a $50 bar tab, a calendar photo shoot, and VIP treatment at the launch party in early January.

Reggae artists Buju Banton, whose Charleston show was canceled over local LGBT concerns, sat down with gay activists in San Francisco on Monday.

Venues across the country have been dropping Banton's act over anti-gay lyrics in one of his earlier songs, "Boom Bye Bye." In the song, Banton sings about shooting gay men and setting them on fire.

His management has said he doesn't sing the song anymore, but gay activists say he does and they've questioned his sincerity in making amends for the homophobic lyrics.

San Francisco activist Michael Petrelis posted a note on his blog about the meeting with Banton.

According to Buju and his advisers, this was his first meeting ever with gay advocates, and they really want to put an end to the controversy that continues to dog him over violent homo-hating song he sang in his late teens, "Boom Bye Bye."

The free show is at 8 p.m. at the Circular Congregational Church,

PURE Theatre's core group of actors will perform a one-night-only reading of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, the compelling and groundbreaking epilogue to the play, The Laramie Project, which was written in response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard. The epilogue, which is written by Tectonic Theater Project members Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris and Stephan Belber, will be performed simultaneously in theatres across the globe on Monday, October 12

The Young Professional Gay-Straight Alliance of Charleston will be meeting for happy hour from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 30, at the Recover Room, 685 King St.

Boston and the gang at Recovery Room are thrilled to host us and they'll be extending happy hour until 9pm just because we're so special. :) Happy Hour specials include a dollar off domestics and liquor drinks, 1/2 off wings, $1.25 PBR and High Life! Mmmmm, champagne of beer!