Backfired!

Remember last week when the Polish president used a video of American gay couple getting married as a warning to his nation on the evils of homosexuality? Well, this is a fantastic development:

A married gay New York City couple have become the darlings of the Polish media since arriving in the country on the weekend. Brendan Fay and Tom Moulton were unknown in Poland until it was discovered they were the couple whose wedding pictures were illegally used by Lech Kaczynski last week to warn that ratifying a European Union treaty would lead to the forced legalization gay marriage.

When Fay found that the pictures were used without his or Moulton's permission he filed a formal complaint with the Polish consulate in New York. Kaczynski used the pictures in his conservative Law and Order Party's campaign against the European Union's proposed charter of rights, called the Lisbon Treaty, during a national broadcast. Fey and Moulton were legally married in Toronto in 2003. It was not clear where Kaczynski obtained the picture.

[snip]

The trip to Warsaw was paid for by TVN - a private television station.Reporters and camera crews were on the ground when the plane landed and have been following them ever since in what Polish gay rights advocates say it is the biggest bonanza for LGBT in the country's history.

On Monday Fay and Moulton, met with Ryszard Kalisz, the head of the parliamentary committee on human rights in Poland and a leading member of the left of center coalition.At a news conference on Monday Moulton said that he and Fay were impressed with the reception they've received.

"I want to reiterate that we feel comforted by the Polish people who feel badly how our images have been used. We come here in the hope of opening a dialogue with a community that may have not had much voice and that will make Poland a better place. The issue here is about equality."

A huge round of applause to Tom Moulton and Brendan Fay!

NYC: Protest At Iraq Mission Over Murders Of Gay Men In Iraq

Led by activist Brendan Fay, today a small group of LGBT activists protested in front of NYC's Iraq Mission over the recent spate of gay men murdered in Iraq. What would have been a relatively low-key demonstration turned somewhat ugly due to the NYPD, who at first refused to allow activists to stand on the public sidewalk in front of the Iraq Mission, then threatened to arrest anyone who attempted to ring the building's bell and deliver a formal letter of protest.

Reporter Andy Humm of Gay City News vehemently objected, shouting, "You can't ring a bell and deliver a LETTER in NYC?" Eventually two men appeared from inside and a man who identified himself as Yassar Mohammed accepted and read the letter but said he would have no official comment, as the Mission was observing "Great Friday." Below is my slideshow of the protest and my video of Brendan Fay's passionate speech in support of LGBT people in Iraq.

UPDATE: Wayne Anderson at World Of Wonder has his post up with more photos.

Gay Protest At NYC Russian Consulate

With Russian news cameras rolling, rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker and gay activist Brendan Fay poured Stolichnaya vodka into the street in front of New York City's Russian consulate in protest of the treatment of Russian gays by their government.

Under the wary eye of the NYPD (who did NOT want to be photographed) and U.S. State Department operatives (the earpieces are a dead giveaway), a small group of protesters marched on the sidewalk with placards. Brendan Fay attempted to deliver a letter of complaint to the consulate staff, but they did not come to the door.

I spoke briefly with the Russian news team, who seemed sympathetic to the cause and promised that their story will run on Russian satellite news later today. I will provide a link to their online streaming account of the event when it becomes available. Russian nationals waiting at the consulate were generally friendly, with one woman commenting that she worries for the safety of her gay cousin in St. Petersburg.

RELATED: SPI International, the Russian spirits manufacturer that has owned the rights to make and distribute Stoli since 1992, won an 18-month court battle against the Russian government in the U.S. District Court of Southern New York in April 2007, granting it the right to the trademark in the United States. Pernod Ricard, the international distributor of Stoli, acquired the brand last year when it bought Allied Domecq, a former co-defendant in SPI's case. When Russia stripped SPI's right to bottle and sell Stoli from Russian soil in 2002, SPI moved manufacturing to Latvia, despite continuing to label Stoli as "authentically Russian vodka". Pernod Ricard maintains the the vodka is merely bottled in Latvia and is shipped there in bulk from Russian distilleries, although that claim is disputed. The Russian state-owned import-export agency Soyuzplodimport continues to maintain that they alone hold the right to manufacture and sell Stoli, which is the 3rd largest selling vodka in America, with annual sales of $400 million.

UPDATE: Today's action at the Russian consulate is being criticized by some activists, who maintain that as a private (for now) brand that strongly supports gay events and causes, Stoli is not a correct target for a boycott. While I only heard of this boycott today, my understanding thus far is that Stoli was chosen due to its being the most widely-known Russian brand is the world, with the hope that the mainstream media would finally take notice of the plight of Russian gays. If the organizers of today's action would care to elaborate on Stoli's selection, I'll post their explanation here.

UPDATE II: The NY Blade used the top photo in today's cover story.

Polish Prez Mocks Gay American Wedding

Speaking to a national television audience, the president of Poland played a video of two American men getting married in Canada as he mocked the EU's rules on same-same unions.

A gay man from the United States on Tuesday voiced outrage against Poland's President Lech Kaczynski for publicly using a video of his marriage to bash the EU's proposed charter of rights.

"Of course I am outraged that the president and his party would use images of Tom and I, of a very sacred moment for us as a couple," Brendan Fey told Poland's commercial Radio Zet broadcaster. Kaczynski used a prime-time televised address Monday to argue the EU's proposed Charter of Fundamental Rights, linked to the bloc's crucial reforming Lisbon Treaty, could allow homosexual marriage in Poland, a devoutly Catholic country.

A video of the couple's marriage in Toronto, Canada was broadcast nationwide to illustrate Kaczynski's presidential address. Fey and his spouse were not identified by name in the broadcast. "It is very sad for me when leaders of a nation such as the president of Poland urge people not to support the Lisbon Treaty because of the possibility of recognising equally same sex couples and our families," Fey told Radio Zet.

"Tom and I, we are both Catholic, in fact we met at church at Sunday mass," he added. Fey vowed to complain to Polish authorities that images of his wedding were "used in a derogatory manner."
Poland's liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk also slammed the president's address Tuesday.

"To scare Poles by saying that homosexuals and Germans pose a threat to the EU is stupid, indecent, contrary to our fundamental interests and very damaging to Poland's image abroad," Tusk said. Kaczynski had also said the charter could allow Germans to sue Poles for properties lost after World War II, when the Polish-German border was redrawn.

What Kaczynksi probably didn't realize is Brendan Fay is an internationally reknowned gay activist. Here are some photos I took of Fay at a protest at the Russian consulate last summer.

NGLTF's New York Leadership Awards

Last night Aaron and I attended the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's New York Leadership Awards at the new New York Times building, where although the honorees of the evening were filmmaker John Waters, Gov. David Paterson, and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce, the night was really one long tearful goodbye to outgoing Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman.

BELOW: The evening kicked off with a two-song performance by Debbie Harry and Miss Guy. The second number was a great cover of Ace Frehley's New York Groove. I'll have a video clip of the performance up later today. BELOW: After accepting his award from Debbie Harry, who spoke about her role in Hairspray, John Waters launched into what has easily got to be one of the most raunchy speeches ever given at the podium of a gay rights event, touching on glory holes, back rooms, muff diving, and shrimping. It was classic John Waters. Waters also amusingly spoke about (paraphrasing here) reverse assimilation, saying instead of blending in with straights, we should work to make them gayer.BELOW: I ran into activist Brendan Fay and filmmaker Gréta Olafsdóttir, director of The Brandon Teena Story, who were there to film Gov. Paterson. I was so happy to be able to personally congratulate Brendan on he and his partner's recent public relations triumph over the president of Poland.BELOW: When the Task Force invited David Paterson to the awards, he was still Lt. Governor, so with the budget deadline looming in Albany, the governor was unable to attend. Accepting for Paterson was his openly gay First Deputy Secretary Sean Patrick Maloney, who you may recall ran for Attorney General of New York in 2006. Maloney introduced a hilarious video message from Paterson, which opened with: "Help! If you are seeing this video, please call the FBI or Interpol as I'm strapped to this chair with a gun to my head until we finish the budget!" If David Paterson wasn't a politician, he'd have a career in stand-up. BELOW: Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle and Task Force Board of Directors Co-Chair Mark Sexy Sexton, both of whom lauded Matt Foreman's legacy.
BELOW: Downtown scenesters Kenny Kenny and Patrick McDonald added flash to the room of power suits.BELOW: Matt Foreman and myself. While Matt leaves an enormous legacy of LGBT activism in New York, he will undoubtedly continue his trailblazing work at the Haas Fund, where he will oversee the largest grant program for LGBT rights outside of gay organizations. From the podium, Matt recognized his partner of 18 years, Frank De Leon, and spoke tearfully and eloquently about the battles both won and lost during his time at the helm at the Task Force. Speaking to critics who complain of "mission creep" in LGBT orgs, Foreman avowed that abortion rights are a gay issue and that racism is a gay issue and he pledged that after his departure the Task Force will continue to work with a broad coalition of progressive groups towards fairness and equality.In all, it was an inspiring evening, just being in the presence of so many people who have devoted their lives to LGBT equality. Aaron and I left feeling newly energized for the fight. On a personal note, while Matt Foreman's departure surely leaves a (temporary) void in an organization that has fought loudly and fiercely for all our LGBT brothers and sisters, I'm confident that his star will only continue to rise. I'm proud to call Matt Foreman my friend.

RUSSIA: Anti-Gay President Of Poland Dies In Plane Crash With 96 Others

Poland has declared a week of mourning after President Lech Kaczynski and his wife were killed in a plane crash in western Russia this morning. All passengers and crew died in the crash. As mayor of Warsaw, Kaczynski had repeatedly banned gay pride marches and had been quoted as saying that same-sex marriage would bring about the destruction of the human race.

Russian state television reported that the Tu-154 jet crashed about a kilometer short of the runway on its fourth attempt to land in heavy fog at the Smolensk-Severnyi military airport, shortly before 11 a.m. Moscow time. Reports of the number killed in the crash varied. Polish officials put the figure at 88, while Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said 97 had died and Russia's Investigative Committee said the total was 132. "We still cannot fully understand the scope of this tragedy and what it means for us in the future," said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Piotr Paszkowski. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Poland." "We can assume with great certainty that all persons on board have been killed." Passengers included the president and his wife as well as other top officials. SlawomirSkrzypek, president of the National Bank of Poland, was also on board. Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Pszkowski said that the army chief of staff and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer were also on board the plane. The plane "clipped the tops of the trees, crashed and broke into pieces," the governor of the Smolensk region, Sergei Antufiev, told Rossiya-24 television news network by telephone. "There were no survivors."

In 2008 Kaczynski went on national Polish television to mock the same-sex wedding of two men in Canada. Unknown to him, however, one of the two men whose photos he ridiculed was internationally noted LGBT activist Brendan Fay. Kaczynski's move then backfired when Fay and his husband were brought to Poland and interviewed by national television, something local activists called the greatest visibility for LGBT rights there in many years.

TRAILER: History In The Making

Clip recap:

This feature-length documentary, History In The Making: The Marriage Equality New York Archives 2007-2015, follows an all-grassroots organization, Marriage Equality New York (or MENY) from the NYC streets to Albany and eventually to the Supreme Court. Directed & edited by Fred Anguera. Filmed by Cristina Wolff, Rob Martin, Reed Davis, Fred Anguera, Emmanuel Migrino, Carmine Nicholas Tzavis. Appearances by Cathy Marino-Thomas, Edie Windsor, Brendan Fay, Margaret Cho, Maggie Gallagher, Sen. Thomas Duane, Christine Quinn, Danny O'Donnell, Candy Samples, Gilbert Baker, Chic, Ann Northrop, Gov. David Paterson, Sassy, Ron Zacchi, Fred Anguera, Sheila & Jackie Marino-Thomas, Cynthia Nixon, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Kate & Darcy Tuscano and more.

Get tickets to the screening.

Say His Name: MARK CARSON

Hundreds of LGBT New Yorkers turned out tonight for a candlelight vigil held at the West Village corner where Mark Carson, 32, was murdered early yesterday morning. The event was organized by Adam Feldman and speakers included activists Eugene Lovendusky, Robert Pinter, and Brendan Fay. Among the local politicos in attendance were state Sen. Brad Hoylman, state Assemblyman Micah Kellner, and City Council candidate Corey Johnson.  Speaker after speaker exhorted the crowd: "Say his name!"  Everybody: "Mark Carson, Mark Carson, MARK CARSON!" 

NOTE: On Monday there will be a rally at the LGBT Community Center at 5:30PM, followed by a march to the scene of the murder.

PERSONAL:  Specials thanks go out to the many JMG readers who attended tonight. I just wish I'd gotten to meet you under better circumstances.

NYC Celebrates Prop 8 Overturn

About 200 NYC activists gathered at the New York Supreme Court in downtown Manhattan last night to celebrate the overturn of Proposition 8 and to breathe renewed life into New York state's own battle for marriage equality.

Speakers at the rally included Marriage Equality New York head Cathy Marino-Thomas, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, state Sen. Thomas Duane, and Charlie Ramos, the 2010 state Senate opponent of evil homophobe Sen. Ruben Diaz.

Among the homorati in the crowd was rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker, Towleroad correspondent Corey Johnston, Gay USA host Ann Northrop, Latino activist Andres Duque, Queens activists Brendan Fay and Brandon Brock, World of Wonder blogger Wayne Anderson, New Civil Rights Movement bloggers David Badash and Caleb Eigsti, Fire Island News reporter Michael Lavers, Advocate reporter Julie Bolcer, and safer sex activist/blogger Eric Leven.

After the speeches were concluded, attendees each took a single white flower across the plaza to lay on the steps of the Supreme Court building. While I expected to find a larger crowd, it was great to run into so many of New York's equality champions on such a celebratory day. The last few times we all gathered, it was with anger and disappointment in our faces. Last night was a different story. For once. Full-screen versions of the below slideshow are here.

Prop 8 Attorneys Ted Olson & David Boies Speak At The New York Times

Last night Perry Vs. Schwarzenegger lead attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies spoke before about 150 journalists at the New York Times headquarters in Manhattan in an event called "Unlikely Allies." In attendance among the print journalists were uber-blogger Andy Towle, activists Corey Johnson and Brendan Fay, former Clinton advisor David Mixner, and former GLAAD director Neil Giuliano.

Olson and Boies spoke eloquently and optimistically about the potential outcome for the case and fielded sharp questions from the audience about the possible ramifications should they lose, the campaign to put cameras in the courtroom, and the pitiful defense put on by Protect Marriage. The event was moderated by NYT Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak, who opened with an impassioned statement of his paper's support for LGBT rights. Paul Schindler at Gay City News:

It is no exaggeration to conclude that Boies and Olson are confident about their chances before Judge Walker, from whom they expect a ruling no later than June. The next step, they predicted, would be “expedited review” by the Ninth Circuit, perhaps in an “en banc” hearing that includes all of its appellate judges.

Victory at the appellate level –– which would legalize marriage for same-sex couples either in California or possibly in all nine states in the Ninth Circuit –– would speed Supreme Court review, since that victory would certainly be stayed, the attorneys said, until the high court ruled.

Boies and Olson were cagiest on how broad they think a potential district court victory might be. The court could find –– in somewhat analogous fashion to a 1996 Supreme Court case in which an anti-gay Colorado amendment was thrown out –– that voters in California had acted to deny gay and lesbian couples the equal protection of the law, in this case guaranteed by the state rather than the federal Constitution.

Or, Walker could rule that Boies and Olson succeeded in doing what they say they will fight to the end to demonstrate –– that the fundamental right to marry and the equal protection of the laws of the United States are violated when same-sex couples are denied access to civil marriage.

That, of course, would be the ultimate game-changer. Olson, perhaps the nation’s preeminent Supreme Court litigator, and Boies are clearly banking on their ability to win that argument on the merits at the high court, whatever the conventional wisdom about the current justices’ biases.

When asked afterward whether his confidence at the district court level is about winning the general argument or more narrowly restoring the right to marry in California, Boies said he was uncertain, acknowledging that Walker might well reach a decision fashioned to survive review by the Ninth Circuit and the Supreme Court. Even at this first stage, then, politics are not absent from the judicial equation.

Read Paul Schindler's complete article. Below is my short slideshow from the evening, followed by Towleroad's Corey Johnson's pre-event interview with Olson and Boies. I came away even more impressed with the pair, if that's possible. And it struck me that if someone had told me ten years ago that one day I'd be gushingly shaking the hand of the lead attorney in Bush Vs. Gore, I'd have told him that he was full of the crazy. Ted Olson left us with his prediction that Prop 8 would be before the Supreme Court by October 2011. It's almost unimaginable that in just 18 months, this decades-long battle could be over.

Queens: St. Patrick's For All

Here's a slideshow from today's LGBT-inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade in Sunnyside, Queens. It was a gorgeous day, almost t-shirt weather. Lots of well known folks and groups attended, from Mayor Bloomberg, Christine Quinn, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (mine!) to activists Ann Northrop, Brandon Brock and the folks at Marriage Equality New York. (That's them in the green t-shirts towards the end of the slideshow.) Organizer Brendan Fay, the famous Irish/gay activist, hosted from the podium. Fun day, very small town "let's throw a parade and invite everybody!"

Today In Queens: LGBT-Inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade

It's a beautiful clear morning in NYC and later I'll be taking my 3/8ths Irish self to the LGBT-inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade in Queens. You can join Marriage Equality New York and Western Queens for Marriage Equality on the corner of 43rd Street and Skillman Avenue at 12:30pm for the parade. Subway directions here. DADT activist/hero Lt. Dan Choi emailed last night to note his attendance.

As you may know, gays are banned from taking part in Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day Parade by order of the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1995 ruled that the world's largest such parade, which travels down public streets and is protected by the NYPD and NYFD at public cost, is a private event. Manhattan's parade is "owned" by the Catholic group, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians. The parade in Queens was created by Irish gay activist Brendan Fay specifically as an "all are welcome" event.

Cleve Jones At NYC LGBT Center

National Equality March founder Cleve Jones spoke long and passionately to an enthusiastic overflow crowd at NYC's LGBT Center last night. Numerous well-known activists were in attendance, including Brendan Fay, Gilbert Baker, Lt. Dan Choi, Brandon Brock, and Jeff Campagna, but the only real dissent came from Gay City News' Andy Humm (pictured above on the right, Father Tony on the left). Humm demanded to know what the concrete goals of the March were, leading Jones to repeat his earlier call for "full civil equality in all 50 states."

Mentioning complaints about the March's short lead time, Jones criticized earlier March On Washington events (which had many notable problems), prompting the organizer of the 1987 MOW to lengthily defend its tactics. Jones responded by citing Facebook and other tools of the digital age as obviating the need for yearlong planning. Father Tony provides the video clip below of Jones opening his speech.

UPDATE: Here's World Of Wonder's Wayne Anderson's report from the evening.

Evening View - Queens Marriage Activism

Brandon Brock (far left), Brendan Fay (far right) and Astoria, Queens residents are holding nightly (5pm-8pm) vigils outside the office of Sen. George Onorado until the New York Senate has its vote on marriage equality.

(Photo via Manhattan Offender)

False Arrests Protest At Mayor Bloomberg's House

Today a group of LGBT rights and sexual freedom activists gathered just down the block from Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Upper East Side mansion to protest the false arrests of gay men in NYC's adult bookshops. Robert Pinter, a victim of this campaign, gave interviews to a number of local and national newsmedia outlets as two dozen gay men marched with placards denouncing Bloomberg and the NYPD.

On hand were a number of familiar LGBT activists: Brendan Fay, Gilbert Baker, Ann Northrop, Father Tony, Eric Leven, John Weis and journalists Andy Humm and Duncan Osbourne. It was Osbourne's relentless pursuit of this story that brought the entire illegal campaign to light.

Also present were protest observers from the National Lawyers Guild and Susan Wright, the founder and spokesperson of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, with whom I had a chat about our mutual enemy, Peter LaBarbera. The NYPD was generally friendly and cooperative, although they did not allow the protesters within 100 feet of Bloomberg's home.

Curious passersby and tourists exiting Central Park took photos of the protest and were handed fact sheets about the action. Many of the men giving interviews to the press stressed that the entire "prostitution" campaign was in fact meant to close the city's adult businesses under nuisance abatement laws.

BELOW: Father Tony gets video of playwright George Tynan Crowley reading his special Valentine's poem to Mayor Bloomberg. Go to Father Tony's site for more on the rally, including photos and more video.

UPDATE: Robert Pinter tells his story to Eric Leven.

UPDATE II: The New York Times has published their coverage of the protest.

Rights Rally At UN: Noon Today

Human rights activists will gather at the UN's Dag Hammerskjold Plaza at noon today, marching through the plaza and laying a wreath at the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial. LGBT activists including Brendan Fay and Gilbert Baker are calling on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, to ensure the rights of LGBT persons are a “priority during the upcoming session.”

Gay Activists Disrupt UN Secretary General Speech In San Francisco

Gay activists interrupted the San Francisco appearance of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon yesterday, protesting the United Nations' refusal to address the plight of LGBT people being murdered, attacked and imprisoned around the world. Led by local activist Michael Petrelis, activists disrupted Ban's speech to the World Affairs Council of Northern California, chanting, "Break the silence! Talk about gays!" (Photo credit: Clinton Fein.)

General Ban responded, "That is most unusual welcome for me . . . As Secretary General, I'm supposed to answer all questions . . . The gay rights issue is very sensitive."

Petrelis: "The UN has been silent for far too long, as our gay brothers and lesbian sisters are aggressively selected for human rights violations, torture and execution across the globe, simply due to their sexual orientation." A global day of solidarity for LGBT people is planned for August 4th. The NYC event is being organized by veteran activist Brendan Fay and I will attend.

Russian Embassy Protests Today

UPDATE: This post has been updated above, with photos.

Late notice, but there's a vigil taking place today at the Russian embassies in New York (noon) and San Francisco (4pm) in protest of the treatment of gay pride marchers at last week's Moscow Pride event. Protesters intend to pour Stolichnaya vodka into the sewers in front of each embassy. Nikolai Aleseyeev, head of Moscow Pride, says, "We are thankful for the support of gay Americans mobilizing on our behalf to do what we can't - stage vigils at Russian government offices. Please don't forget about your brothers and sisters beyond the United States, and our difficult struggle for equality."

Supporters of the protest include Brendan Fay, of Irish Queers, and Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow flag. Michael Petrelis is organizing the SF vigil, asking, "I beg my fellow gay and lesbian Americans to refrain from buying Stoli vodka, as just one way to express solidarity with gays in Moscow. This Pride season, please avoid ordering Stoli."

Read the U.S. State Department's comment of the plight of gays in Russia. An exerpt:

In May gay rights activists hosted a small international conference in Moscow on combating homophobia; however, the mayor of Moscow and the courts denied their applications to hold a gay pride parade. According to Human Rights Watch, on May 27, several dozen Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender protestors, accompanied by Russian and foreign supporters, including members of the European and German parliaments, sought to hold two successive protest rallies, one to lay flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall, and the second a vigil at city hall in support of the freedoms of assembly and expression.Organizers decided to hold these events after a court upheld Mayor Yuriy Luzkhov's ban on a march they planned for that day. At both events hundreds of antigay protesters, including skinheads and nationalists attacked the participants, beating and kicking many, while throwing projectiles and chanting homophobic slogans. Police intervened only belatedly, failing to protect demonstrators from violence; observers noted that police inaction aggravated the violence.