Herland Sister Resources

(from MSNBC and the LA Times)

Robin Tyler, left, and Diane Olson rejoice after marrying in a Jewish ceremony on the steps of the Beverly Hills courthouse.  (Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times)

Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were the first same-sex couple to wed after California’s Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal. (MSNBC)

Dozens of gay couples were married Monday after a historic ruling making California the second state to allow same-sex nuptials went into effect.

At least five county clerks around the state extended their hours to issue marriage licenses, and many same-sex couples got married on the spot.  “These are not folks who just met each other last week and said,  ‘Let’s get married.’ These are folks who have been together in some cases for decades,” said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

“They are married in their hearts and minds, but they have never been able to have that experience of community and common humanity.”

The really big rush to the altar in the nation’s most populous state is not expected to take place until Tuesday, which is when most counties plan to start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of couples from around the country are expected to seize the opportunity to make their unions official in the eyes of the law.

Local officials are now required to issue licenses that have the words “Party A” and “Party B” where “bride” and “groom” used to be.  In San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom, who helped launch the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California’s one-man-one-woman marriage laws,
presided at the wedding of lesbian rights activists Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 84.  (In 1955, Martin and Lyon and six other lesbian women formed the Daughters of Bilitis, the first major lesbian organization in the United States.)  Well-wishers cheered when they emerged outside Newsom’s office after the ceremony.

Dozens of couples gathered outside the clerks offices in Alameda, Sonoma and Yolo counties, where hours were extended to accommodate gay couples who wanted to be among the first to marry.

Derek Norman, 23 and Robert Blaudow, 39, from Memphis, were in the Bay Area for a conference and decided to get married at the Alameda County clerk’s office.  “We might wait a long time in Tennessee, so this is our chance,” Blaudow said.

First in line to pick up a marriage license in Sonoma was Melanie Phoenix, 47, and Terry Robinson, 48, of Santa Rosa. They have been together for almost 26 years and plan to be wed in August.  “It’s an historic occasion,” Phoenix said. “I never believed it was really possible until Gavin Newsom took the first step in 2004.”

A throng of well-wishers and news media surrounded a lesbian couple as they were married in a Jewish ceremony in front of the Beverly Hills courthouse.  The ceremony was broadcast live on three newscasts in Los Angeles.  The couple wept and pressed their foreheads together, and onlookers whooped as the marriage became valid.

Unlike Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage in 2004, California has no residency requirement for marriage licenses, and that is expected to draw a great number of out-of-state couples. The turnout could also be boosted by New York state’s recent announcement that it will recognize gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions.

A UCLA study issued last week estimated that half of California’s more than 100,000 same-sex couples will get married over the next three years, and an additional 68,000 out-of-state couples will travel here to exchange vows. The study estimated that over that period, gay weddings will generate some 2,200 jobs and $64 million in badly needed tax revenue for the state, which is ailing financially.

Some of those out-of-state couples are likely to demand legal recognition in their home states, setting the stage for numerous court battles.  However, some couples may wait to tie the knot because of a proposed constitutional amendment on the California ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

The National Black Lesbian Conference will be held at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas, NV from Thursday, July 10, 2008 to Sunday, July 13, 2008. 

This is the only event of its kind and is the preeminent assembly of Black Lesbian activists, educators, community organizers, and professionals.  The National Black Lesbian Conference provides attendees with opportunities for leadership development and skills-building, business development, professional networking, and continues to develop and expand the platform for future advocacy. 

The  past three conferences have fostered an environment and provided a space where  hundreds of Black Lesbians have convened to enhance their skills through a holistic  approach to well being, receive information, commemorate each other, and network with like-minded members of the community.

For more information about the conference go to: http://nblc-invitefriends.eventbrite.com/

Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control are not natural.
Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people cannot get legally married because the world needs more children.
Obviously gay parents will raise gay children because straight parents only raise straight children.
Straight marriage will be less meaningful, since Britney Spears’s 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.
Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and it hasn’t changed at all: women are property, Blacks can’t marry Whites, and divorce is illegal.
Gay marriage should be decided by the people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of minorities.
Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of the official state religion are always imposed on the entire country.
Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people makes you tall.
Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage license.
Children can never succeed without both male and female role models at home. That’s why single parents are forbidden to raise children.
Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven’t adapted to cars or longer lifespans.
Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a “separate but equal” institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages will for gays & lesbians.
from GatorGSA.org at 12reasons.com

If you have ever started a program of physical activity and failed, being a part of this study will help you learn how to cope with or overcome your barriers so you will continue to participate in physical activity.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma want to understand how an 8-week educational program (1 hour per week) may help increase participation in regular moderate physical activity among adult lesbians. This educational program will focus on teaching skills and abilities needed to cope with or overcome barriers to participation in moderate physical activity.

Who can participate? If you are a self-identified lesbian aged 21-64 years and not pregnant please call us so we can determine if you are eligible to participate.

What will I have to do for the study? You will be asked to volunteer for an 8-week research study that includes a 1-week follow-up 1-month and 2 months later.  Participants will complete several questionnaires, wear a small, pager-sized device to measure physical activity for 1 week on 5 different occasions, and potentially participate in either the intervention or the control group. In the intervention group participants will attend several 1-hour educational sessions that include information on how to cope with or overcome barriers to doing physical activity, as well as a 20-30 minute moderate intensity walk. Participants in the control group will attend several 1-hour sessions that include general information on moderate physical activity, as well as a 20-30 minute moderate intensity walk.

All participants who complete the 8-week study and the 1-month and 2-month follow-ups and wear the accelerometer as instructed will receive a physical activity report, a summary report of the study results, a study t-shirt, and the education sessions information. In addition, for every accelerometer data collection time point (5 different occasions) a $5 gift card will be given to each participant who wears the accelerometer as instructed. Participants who begin the study but do not fully complete the study will receive a study t-shirt.

Why is this study being conducted? Up to 78% of adult lesbians are not physically active at sufficient levels. This is important because we know that physical activity decreases the onset of many diseases (i.e., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, etc.) plus improves overall health and well-being. The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association has provided us a Lesbian Health Fund grant to conduct a study on how to increase participation in physical activity among adult lesbians. In addition, very minimal research is being done on adult lesbian women, thus your participation is so very important and beneficial to understanding how to improve the health of all lesbian women.

How do I get involved or what if I need more information? If you need more information or you want to get involved, contact Danielle Brittain or Mary Dinger, Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, 1401 Asp Avenue, Norman, OK 73019, Phone: (405) 325-9028, Email: ouphyactlab@ou.edu.

Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp
Finally the camp you have been waiting for! Campus Pride organizes the second annual
Summer Leadership Camp for LGBT and Ally college students. The five-day camp experience works to develop stronger undergraduate student leaders and safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. Participants have the opportunity to learn valuable campus organizing skills, coalition building and strategies for creating change at colleges and universities. 

Registration includes five nights of suite-style lodging, breakfast, lunch and dinner each day as well as all educational program materials and entertainment
WHEN:  July 19-24, 2008 WHERE:  Glen Complex—Towson University Towson, Maryland

For more info visit www.campuspride.org/camp.asp