Michelangelo Signorile Rips GOProud

In a blistering essay which name-checks right wing gays Roy Cohn and Ken Mehlman, today Michelangelo Signorile posts an Advocate column ripping GOProud and its chairman, Chris Barron. An excerpt:

[D]enialists and elitists who believe they are superior to other gays — even if the attitude masks a pitiful self-loathing — are clearly as prevalent as ever in the LGBT movement, except that they can now be out of the closet. Perversely, the fact that we can find such people in GOProud is a measure of our success. The other thing we’ve learned is that the Christian right, contrary to all the media blather about it losing steam as the Tea Party ascends, still has a grip on the GOP, and this can actually be helpful in gaining civil rights through the Democratic Party—if the Democrats recognize a useful wedge issue staring them in the face. [snip]

GOProud’s Chris Barron fits right in, often appearing desperate for Republican acceptance, compromising his positions at a moment’s notice—if he even had any to begin with. Formerly political director for the Log Cabin Republicans, he broke away and cofounded GOProud, claiming that Log Cabin wasn’t conservative enough. Since its founding in 2009, GOProud slowly moved in the direction of not taking any pro-gay positions, all in an attempt to be included in the Republican Party, even though Barron oddly once tweeted that GOProud is “a gay organization, we only work on gay issues.”

Read the full article.

Signorile Vs. Crazy Birther

NOM To Marinelli: We'll Sue!

"I’ve received a message or two from Brian [Brown], who basically has – he’s trying to intimidate me to stop talking. He’s saying that if I don’t remove the posts I’ve posted on my site and I don’t stop telling the truth about who they are he may pursue legal action. I considered it an intimidation tactic. On two occasions he wrote me a message saying if I don’t comply with his wish that I remove certain posts from the site…that he would have no option but to pass it on to his attorneys and pursue legal action." - NOM defector Louis Marinelli, speaking to Michelangelo Signorile. Hit the link for an audio file.

Signorile Vs. Sarah Palin Supporter

Signorile: It's A Monumental Day For Us

Signorile Talks "Tranny" With Joy Behar

Michelangelo Signorile joined Joy Behar last night as the GLAAD/Glee "tranny" controversy roils on. Behar posted GLAAD's statement on her blog:

GLAAD did not ‘take action’ against Glee – which last year won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. GLAAD included the recent use of the word ‘tra—y’ on the show in a blog post which looked at the rising use of this word as an insult against transgender people in popular culture. It was unfortunate that the Daily News and others sensationalized our blog commentary. Members of the transgender community are best to speak about the harms of this word being used by people who are not transgender. Part of GLAAD’s mission is to educate the media and the public about how words like this can be dehumanizing and dangerous to the transgender community, a nearly invisible minority whose issues even some members of the gay and lesbian community might not fully understand.

Rosie O'Donnell Vs. GOP Voting Gays

Clip description from Michelangelo Signorile:

I asked listeners to respond to the prior day's calls from gays who voted Republican (featured in the video I posted yesterday, consider this Part II). Todd from Phoenix, a gay man, called to tell me that he didn't like my tone with the callers, that he too voted Republican and that gay issues (marriage in particular) just don't matter to him. Then Rex from South Carolina called to say, 'I used to be just like Todd until I heard Rosie O'Donnell interviewed on the show, telling her story.' Rosie happened to be listening, and then called in and explained how it was Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry who convinced her why marriage was so important. A great exchange of ideas.

Signorile Talks To Gays Who Voted GOP

SiriusXM host Michelangelo Signorile talks to gay callers who threw their votes away. They did this to send a message! Or something!

HomoQuotable - Michelangelo Signorile

"The Republican Party would like nothing better than to see the discontent in the Democratic base help them install truly the most extreme lot of candidates we have seen in many years. We've exposed the tea party as nothing more than a reconfiguration of all the religious zealots, moral crusaders, racists and bigots who've been around for years. Do not attempt to punish the President or the Democrats by punishing yourself. This country has been in a very precarious state for a long time, in which the political winds can usher in something radical and extreme very quickly. Bad economic times are always an opportunity for those who seek to do that. We have and will demand full accountability by the Democrats and president -- who is not on the ballot until 2012 -- but don't do it by giving power to your enemies." - SiriusXM radio host Michelangelo Signorile.

Signorile Speaks To Gay Paladino Fan

Michelangelo Signorile Show: 4:30PM

I'll be on Michelangelo Signorile's show on SiriusXM OutQ at about 4:30pm today to talk about the Sen. Saxby Chambliss story from yesterday. The story has gotten tons of web coverage, including from some major national outlets, but so far today Chambliss' office is apparently being unresponsive to inquiries. Listen to the Signorile show online for free. (Registration required.) NOTE: This post's photo will only be hilarious to hardcore Simpsons fans.

Sirius XM At 2pm: Michelangelo Signorile Hosts Special Panel On Ethics Of Outing

On SiriusOutQ at 2pm today, Michelangelo Signorile hosts a special discussion on the ethics of outing. The show will be broadcast live from the convention of the National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Association, which is taking place this week in San Francisco.

Our panel includes Mike Rogers of Blogactive, who was at the forefront of reporting on Senator Larry Craig, Congressman Mark Foley, Ken Mehlman and many others; LZ Granderson, columnist for ESPN Page 2, host of the web-based ESPN360 talk show “Game Night” and a frequent commentator for CNN.com; and Michael Triplett, a contributor for the media analysis site Mediaite, assistant chief of correspondents for the Bureau of National Affairs, and a board member of NLGJA. They and other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender NLGJA members in the audience, journalists from across the country, will be participating, asking questions and commenting, as will be listeners from coast to coast calling in.

You can stream the show online for free. (Registration required.)

Signorile Vs. Log Cabin Republicans

Last night Michelangelo Signorile and Log Cabin Republicans' R. Clarke Cooper appeared on CNN to discuss the Mehlman story.

Signorile: Why Won't HRC Change Target's Corporate Equality Rating?

While the Human Rights Campaign has come out uncharacteristically forcefully against Target, the company continues to enjoy a 100% rating on HRC's lauded Corporate Equality Index. Yesterday HRC's Fred Sainz told Michelangelo Signorile that it's just too complicated to change the Index right now. Signorile:

Sainz went onto again explain how complicated it supposedly is to change the Corporate Equality Index criteria (something he told me a week earlier when I had him on the show) and how the group is trying to “grapple” with the new changes since the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United and that they don’t want to make a "knee-jerk" response and that they are working it through but in a "thoughtful” manner. That’s all well and good, but the boycott is now, and as it goes on, HRC is still telling people to shop at Target.

Listen to Signorile's interview with HRC's Fred Sainz.

UPDATE: HRC has issued the following response in which they state that both Target and Best Buy will be removed from their list.

The recent political contributions by Target and Best Buy are cause for reflection on the criteria used for future editions of the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). While considering all of this, it’s important to keep in mind that the CEI has made a tremendous impact in the real lives of LGBT people in large part because it has been a predictable and transparent roadmap for companies to institute fair workplace policies. Instead of making capricious decisions about scoring criteria, we believe that a responsible consideration of all of the facts is the smartest way to move forward.

Already complicated, the Citizens United decision has made campaign finance issues even more complex. HRC is thoughtfully studying the many ramifications of political giving by companies in this new reality. The CEI, upon which the Buyer’s Guide is based, was completed in June 2009. Under that set of criteria, both Target and Best Buy scored 100 percent. The Buyer’s Guide available on our website was released in November 2009 and is representative of the information known to us at the time. Because we understand the impact of leaving Target and Best Buy on the various products associated with the Buyer’s Guide, both companies will soon be removed from it. HRC will not encourage people to shop at either store and believes that consumers should make their own decisions after careful consideration of all of the information available to them.

Signorile Talks To Koran Burning Pastor

Michelangelo Signorile has interviewed Pastor Terry Jones, the Gainesville, Florida head of the Dove World Outreach Church, which plans to hold a Koran burning ceremony on September 11th. Jones' church was also behind last year's unsuccessful "No Homo Mayor" campaign in Gainesville. Listen as Mike ties Jones up in logical knots.

SLIDESHOW: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand LGBT Fundraiser In NYC

Last night NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, Pam Spaulding, and Jeremy Hooper joined me at Hell's Kitchen's Therapy Lounge for an LGBT fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, an event put together by Out For Kirsten's Todd Beeton. Dropping by were SiriusXM host Michelangelo Signorile, activist Corey Johnson, former Clinton White House adviser Ricard Socarides, and other homo-politicos. Great night! Full-screen version of the below photos can be found here.

Choi & Signorile Appear On CNN

The two discuss Choi's recent official discharge, DADT-related activism, and where the movement is headed.

#LGBTNN10

Here's some of the LGBT contingent here at Netroots Nation. No time to label all the photos, but you should recognize a lot of these folks. Follow along on Twitter at hashtag #LGBTNN10.

Signorile Interviews Donna Milo

Michelangelo Signorile has interviewed transgender candidate for Congress, Donna Milo. And she's not too great on gay issues. At all.

While she confirmed to me that she is in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act ("of course"), it turns out she is opposed to marriage equality, giving the religious line on marriage being between "a man and a woman." On the issue of adoption Milo also believes that, though kids should go to gay and lesbian parents if it means they'll be in an institution, "traditional families" should have priority over gays. She also believes the government should not have a role in funding gender reassignment surgery for transgender people. It was quite an interview.

Hit the link to listen to the complete interview.

Michelangelo Signorile: Out Them ALL

Activist and SiriusXM host Michelangelo Signorile says that it's time that the gay community stops cloaking anti-gay politicians that are known to us to be gay themselves. Writing for the Advocate, Signorile uses the recent example of California state Sen. Roy Ashburn, who was outed by West Sacramento's openly gay mayor on Facebook, although few took notice.

West Sacramento’s Mayor Cabaldon notes that unnamed gay and lesbian lobbyists and other prominent LGBT people knew Ashburn was gay and protected him. He told me that several of these individuals angrily complained to him after his Facebook update and after he criticized Ashburn in the media following the state senator’s arrest. Those who protected Ashburn were selling out the community. In that sense, they’re just as guilty as Ashburn. Every gay person who knows the truth about closeted antigay politicans has a responsibility to speak up, as Mike Rogers does so fearlessly. This is no longer an issue that is debatable. No one’s privacy deserves respect when that person is working against our rights, and none of us should be complicit in keeping the secrets of these detestable individuals. The message has to be sent loud and clear: You are either with us or you are against us.

To paraphrase NYC's MTA, if you see something, motherfucking SAY something!