GetEQUAL Youth Send Message To Obama

Clip description: "Ceara Sturgis, Constance McMillen, and Will Phillips share a message with President Obama and Congress, asking them to display the courageousness that these youth have shown by producing the change they have promised."

Will Phillips Speaks At DC Marriage Rally

Our ten year old hero, Will Phillips, spoke yesterday at the Big Commit, a counter-rally to NOM's hate fest a few blocks away.

PhoboQuotable - Tim Wildmon

"It’s shameful that adults would abuse a brain-washed child in this way. He’s obviously just parroting the nonsense he’s been told by manipulative adults. For gay activists to trot out this child and make him the poster child for promoting unnatural sexual expression is a form of child abuse.

"When you realize that the FDA won’t allow a male to donate blood if he’s had sex with another male even one time since 1977, you begin to understand the enormous health risks involved in this kind of sexual behavior. We call on Mayor Lioneld Jordan of Fayetteville to cancel his plans to issue a proclamation celebrating homosexual behavior and Gay Pride. There is nothing about homosexual conduct to be proud of, and much to be ashamed of." - American Family Association president Tim Wildmon, complaining about ten year-old Will Phillip's selection to be be the Grand Marshal of Northwest Arkansas Pride.

Ten Year-Old Will Phillips To Be Grand Marshal Of Arkansas Pride

Ten year-old Will Phillips, who made national news last year when he refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance until LGBT people have full equality, will be the Grand Marshal of Northwest Arkansas Pride.

"It's wrong for anyone to be treated differently just because of the way they are born," said Phillips, who declares himself as an ambassador for equal rights. Will's name may sound familiar because he was the West Fork student who decided not to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance this past fall. Will said he didn't stand because not everyone is being treated equal. He will be the parade's youngest grand marshal ever, but he said age shouldn't make a difference. "Because I'm a person, I may be 10, but I'm a person," said Will. The parade is put on by NMA Pride. They said they are aware Will's age could be an issue, but he's no ordinary 10-year-old. "He's literally the last half of the year been all over the country and spoken to thousands of people," said Jay Phillips, Will's father. NWA Pride also said they market their parade a little differently than some of the other pride parades around the country. "We're not San Francisco, New York, we're pretty much a family affair, so it's pretty safe to be there," said Joney Harper, creator of NWA Pride.

Will's parents are taking a bit of a beating in the comments of the linked newspaper story. Give them a little support if you have a minute.

(Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

Will Phillips At GLAAD Media Awards

Ten year old Will Phillips' speech at the NYC 2010 GLAAD Media Awards is the one that everybody will remember. Watch this. He's very smart and not a little snarky.

New Activism Group GetEQUAL Launches

A new LGBT activism group founded by the organizers of last fall's March On Washington has launched. Via press release from GetEQUAL:

It is 2010 in the United States of America, and nearly every day we see reminders of a simple, sad fact: LGBTQ people are not equal. Since 2008's momentous election, many of us feel like we have been waiting, waiting for our hope to be rewarded. But while our president has declared himself a "fierce advocate for equality," we have seen little in the way of real progress. Instead, we've heard only empty promises -- not just from elected officials, but from our own leadership, who urge patience and claim to know "best" how to attain equality for all.

We're tired of waiting to be treated as equals. We're tired of watching the rights of LGBTQ people being trampled, ignored, put on hold or stripped away. The time for waiting is over. Now is the time to act. Please join us in pledging to take bold action to demand equality for LGBTQ people, and to hold accountable any person or organization who stands in our way. Together, we can create a powerful force that can't be ignored.

From what I've been able to discern, GetEQUAL plans to be a direct action group a la ACT-UP, rather than a lobbying group such as HRC. Here's GetEQUAL's first clip from Will Phillips, the ten year old boy who got national attention for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance until LGBT equality is achieved. Will's speech here is a shorter version of the one that he delivered to a standing ovation at Saturday's GLAAD Media Awards in NYC.