The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center has launched a new webisode of their online soap opera - In The Moment - which hopes to bring attention to the HIV epidemic and its ravishing affects on gay and bisexual men.

Take a look at their first video below.

“We’re grateful the City of West Hollywood has funded this initiative, through our WeHoLife.org program, to promote healthy living among those who live, work and visit West Hollywood,” said Susan Cohen, director of the Center’s Health Education and Prevention Department. “Of course, we know it also has the potential to stimulate safer sex discussions among anyone with a computer and we will be monitoring web traffic, with the hope that we can secure funding for the remaining 11 webisodes.”

You can go to the WeHo Life site for more information and to participate in the interactive discussions.

The first episode was engaging and I am hopeful that this new initiative will spark a new movement to become vocal and active in the fight against AIDS. If you haven't been following the news young gay and bisexual men - particularly those men of color - are seeing a dramatic increase in HIV infections.

Today - January 13th - marked the 50th anniversary of the first ever pro-gay U.S. Supreme Court ruling in ONE Inc. v. Olesen. ONE magazine, launched in 1953, was the very first mailed publication for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in the United States and served a crucial role for the LGBT community in what would have been very dark times.

The magazine was stylish and professional and the editorial content was adamantly unapologetic. In April 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450 which barred gays and lesbians from federal employment with its “sexual perversion” clause. The FBI tried shutting down the magazine by calling the employers of the publishers and trying to get hem fired but soon lost interest. Then the Los Angeles and Washington post offices tried holding up the publication on grounds of "indecency." The clip below is from the October issue....

Your August issue is late because the postal authorities in Washington and Los Angeles had it under a microscope. They studied it carefully from the 2nd until the 18th of September and finally decided that there was nothing obscene, lewd or lascivious in it. They allowed it to continue on its way. We have been found suitable for mailing.

…But one point must be made very clear. ONE is not grateful. ONE thanks no one for this reluctant acceptance. It is true that this decision is historic. Never before has a governmental agency of this size admitted that homosexuals not only have legal rights but might have respectable motives as well. The admission is welcome, but it’s tardy and far from enough.

I can't believe that somebody was writing content like this so many years before Stonewall. I might be hard pressed to find gays and lesbians that would write so unapologetically today.

So to those early activists and pioneers for Gay Rights I salute you. Thanks for fighting the unpopular fight far before the world was ready to hear you.

The Advocate - the nation's largest LGBT news magazine - ran a piece in their September 25th issue entitled, "Out With the Mayors." The story centers around University of Toronto business professor Richard Florida's best-selling book The Rise of the Creative Class where he argues that a large gay presence helps a city's economic performance. Five mayors were asked: "Why should young gay professionals move to your city?"

Milwaukee's very own, Mayor Tom Barrett, along with the mayor's from Dallas, Kansas City, MO, Newark, and Portland, OR all answered the question.

Milwaukee's LGBT community should be pretty depressed by the TERRIBLE answer that Mayor Barrett gave. Notice how he doesn't even mention the word "gay" or even the acronym "LGBT". What's up with that Mayor Barrett???

Mayor Mark Funkhouser (Kansas City, MO) probably gave the best answer and he even used a clever reference to The Wizard of Oz. Mayor Tom Leppert of Dallas gave an almost equally bad answer to Barrett's but he at least mentioned GLBT. Leppert beat the openly gay candidate, Ed Oakley, in June 2007 in what supporters hoped would become the largest city with an openly gay mayor in the US.

Mayor Barrett certainly needs to work on catering to Milwaukee's thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Let's ask him to begin by saying the right words.

The brand-spankin' new building that just opened on the corner of Halsted and Waverly in Chicago is an impressive "green" building. Add on to that feat that it is the new home of the Center on Halsted - the LGBTQ community center for the Greater Chicagoland and you just might be blown away.

I went on a tour of the building with a few folks from other LGBT community centers in cities such at NYC and Sioux Falls & Rapid City, South Dakota the other night with Executive Director, Robin Burr. From the moment I stepped into the modern lobby that opens up to the second floor reception to the moment I left I was "wowed" by all the work, thoughfulness, and effort that went into making this building. The Center on Halsted occupies nearly 60,000 square feet of space with a anchor tenant, Whole Foods, utilizing the first floor.

From the Cyber Center with customized tables, meeting rooms with high-tech gadgets such as distance learning video equipment, color monitors, wi-fi (which can be accessed throughout the entire building), to the counseling rooms (designed by the hottie Nate Berkus who also designs for Oprah) and youth space that includes a kitchen for feeding the very hungry youth accessing programs the Center on Halsted has it all. And just when you thought that was enough, COH also includes a full sized regulation basketball court and gym along with a locker room to change in. Every bathroom is furnished with retro-funky chandeliers. They also have a theatre with dressing rooms, full-service kitchen which will cater events, and gallery space along with a stunning view of Chicago on the Richard M. Daly Rooftop Patio.

The roof is green which means that several beautiful plants are growing with plans to perhaps start a vegetable garden. The building also uses a greywater system - which is rain water that is collected from the roof and held and treated in the basement - and used to flush all the toilets in the building.

The Center on Halsted is a beacon for our community. It certainly raises the bar for what LGBT community centers could - and should - be shooting for in their communities. If you are in the the Chicago area make sure to stop by and check things out - in June 2007 they will be having a Grand Opening event - which is already sold out.

Congratulations Center on Halsted! Every single staff person, donor, and volunteer deserves to bask in this tremendous success. And if you happen to see Robin Burr make sure to tell her what an AMAZING job she did making this center happen.

Recently I took an amazing vacation to an idyllic destination – despite the protests of friends and family. This past February my partner and I spent a month in a tropical paradise - Sri Lanka. I chronicled some of my adventures on this site during my trip but I could probably write so many stories of my time there because it was truly amazing.

Sri Lanka is often in the news because of their tumultuous sectarian conflict that has been waxing and waning since the early1980’s (which made many people worried for our safety while we were there.) The conflict in Sri Lanka overshadows other important work being done on the island.

Now, LGBT people in Milwaukee and the United States can lend a helping hand and reach out internationally to make every community in every country a safe, supportive place to live if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning.

One of the highlights of that trip was visiting Equal Ground – Sri Lanka’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender equal rights organization. I often tell people that one of the best things about being LGBT is that no matter where I travel when I meet another LGBT person it’s like meeting family. I immediately feel a connection with the other person – almost as if we have been friends for ages. That was exactly how I felt when I met Rosanna Flamer-Caldera who is the Executive Director of Equal Ground.

That’s why my partner and I have made a commitment to raise money for Equal Ground to build upon their very vital work in Sri Lanka. Our original intention was to raise $1000 but I’m confident that with all of your support we can easily raise $2000 for Equal Ground. Several people have already sent in checks after reading the column in Q Life and I’ve pledged a donation of $500. The Milwaukee LGBT Community Center is acting as a fiscal agent so all contributions are tax-deductible. You can donate online HERE or send checks with “Sri Lanka” in the memo to:

Milwaukee LGBT Community Center
315 W. Court Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212

Equal Ground is the only organization doing LGBT work in Sri Lanka. They are currently organizing Sri Lanka’s first ever week long pride event. Hosted in the capital city, Colombo Pride, will run from May 20th-27th, 2007. This unique event is a one-week celebration for the LGBTIQ in a country which still criminalizes homosexuality. Attendance at Columbo Pride has grown exponentially over the years with over 650 participants taking part in 2006.

Rosanna Caldera-Flamer plans to lead the organization - and country - down the road to equal protections for LGBT people. Caldera-Flamer is also the Secretary-General for the International Gay & Lesbian Association (IGLA) where she is working hard on building international collaborations.

Equal Ground has set a financial target of $4000 to cover all expenses related to Colombo Pride. Donations will support Equal Ground’s efforts in making Colombo Pride a success and giving the community a stronger voice in Sri Lanka.

By joining us today you will send an important message and lend a huge helping hand. Many of us enjoy traveling and going to places that are welcoming of us and our relationships but less often do we proactively reach out across borders to assist our LGBT “family” in their times of need.

Equal Ground works very hard to provide for the needs of the community each year. Join me in offering our support for their important work so that every LGBTQ Sri Lankan can - for one day, one week, one lifetime - find their own space to stand up tall and be proud.

Washington Governor signs Domestic Partnership Law

Governor Chris Gregoire signs Washington's Domestic Partnership Bill into law this past Saturday. Legislators were moved by Charlene Strong's powerful story about the death of her partner in the flooding in Seattle last year.

Meet the organizers!

Backed by some of San Francisco's unions the Youth Organizing Project is seeking to capture the energy of Bay area queer youth. The Youth Organizing Project is an offshoot of Pride At Work. The group will be working with 16-30 year olds whether or not they belong to a union to connect them with social issues and political movements.