The second annual North Shore Pride Parade and Festival will take place tomorrow in Salem, MA.

The parade will kick off at noon on Margin St., turning right on Norman St. and heading down New Derby. It will continue to Derby St. and onto Hawthorne Boulevard where it will end up on Salem Common, where the Pride festival will take place from 1-5 p.m.

The festival will feature a wide variety of vendors including local businesses, non-profits, artists and galleries, and more. There will also be an afternoon long line up of entertainment with acts such as Johnny Blazes and the Pretty Boys, Bikini Whale (New England's premier B-52s cover band), Singer/Songwriter Kenny Chambers, Chelsea Berry, and Gunpowder Gelatine (the world’s ONLY all-female Queen tribute band).

Following the festival the official North Shore Pride afterparty will be held at Murphy’s Pub (300 Derby St. in Salem)

At a press conference in Senegal, U.S. President Barack Obama took the occasion of the recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down DOMA to give his thoughts to Africa about issues of gay and lesbian rights.

At the Presidential Palace in Dakar, with Senegal President Sall at his side, Obama said, "The issue of gays and lesbians, and how they're treated, has come up and has been controversial in many parts of Africa." Obama made it clear that he believed "everybody has to be treated equally."

Here is the relevant passage from Obama's remarks, which were released by the White House Office of the Press Secretary:

Now, this topic did not come up in the conversation that I had with President Sall in a bilateral meeting. But let me just make a general statement. The issue of gays and lesbians, and how they're treated, has come up and has been controversial in many parts of Africa. So I want the African people just to hear what I believe, and that is that every country, every group of people, every religion have different customs, different traditions. And when it comes to people’s personal views and their religious faith, et cetera, I think we have to respect the diversity of views that are there.

But when it comes to how the state treats people, how the law treats people, I believe that everybody has to be treated equally. I don’t believe in discrimination of any sort.

That’s my personal view. And I speak as somebody who obviously comes from a country in which there were times when people were not treated equally under the law, and we had to fight long and hard through a civil rights struggle to make sure that happens.

So my basic view is that regardless of race, regardless of religion, regardless of gender, regardless of sexual orientation, when it comes to how the law treats you, how the state treats you -- the benefits, the rights and the responsibilities under the law -- people should be treated equally. And that’s a principle that I think applies universally, and the good news is it’s an easy principle to remember.

Every world religion has this basic notion that is embodied in the Golden Rule -- treat people the way you want to be treated. And I think that applies here as well.

Representative Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) has announced that will be introducing the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) later this week. The FMA would define marriage as between one man and one woman but, unlike DOMA which was a federal law, Huelskamp will propose the FMA as an amendment to the Constitution.

As an amendment to the Constitution the act would require support by two-thirds of the House and Senate as well as ratification by 38 (or more) states.

This is not the first time that a marriage amendment has been introduced. In 2006 a similar measure was defeated by a vote of 236 – 187 (290 votes were needed for passage). Judging by the current make up of the House and Senate the new amendment proposal would have little chance of success.

Prior to yesterdays Supreme Court ruling CNN released the results of a poll showing that 55 percent of those asked support marriage equality, up from 53 percent just days earlier.

That did not deter Huelskamp who stated, "Today, 37 states still have traditional marriage amendments and laws. Those are not overruled, which is the good side of this. It's not over."

The Massachusetts Catholic Conferences (the public policy arm of the four area bishops) has issued a statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision earlier today which struck down several key components of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

From the Conference:

The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman and a gift to children and society. Today, more than ever, the institution of marriage needs to be strengthened, not redefined as twelve states (including Massachusetts)and the District of Columbia have done.

This morning, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, (DOMA) which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional. The Court based that decision primarily on the principle that DOMA deprives equal protection under the Fifth Amendment to those citizens lawfully married in those thirteen jurisdictions. The Court did not hold that the Constitution requires marriage redefinition in those states that do not recognize same sex marriage.

The Bishops of Massachusetts are extremely disappointed that the Court has struck down DOMA. The Church continues to stand for the traditional definition of marriage, an institution which unites one man and one woman with any children who may come from that union. Marriage, as a natural institution, predates both religion and government and is grounded in the nature of the human person. Protecting the traditional definition of marriage affirms the basic rights and dignity of women and men while safeguarding the basic rights of children.

How will this DOMA ruling affect real lives?

A coalition of LGBT advocacy groups have put together a series of fact sheets describing the practical application of the Supreme Court's DOMA ruling. It explains how lesbian, gay, and bisexual citizens can expect to be impacted by the decision.

The post-DOMA landscape affects over a 1,000 policies, which touch the lives of many LGB citizens through taxation, medicaid, social security, and more.

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and nine other organizations are making the information available via the web. You can find the information on GLAD's web site at http://www.glad.org/current/post/after-doma-fact-sheets.

The other organizations that have joined forces to create this useful resource are American Civil Liberties Union, Center for American Progress, Family Equality Council, Freedom to Marry, Human Rights Campaign, Immigration Equality, Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and OutServe-SLDN.

Carl Sciortino (photo: Courtesy Sciortino for Congress)

Now that Edward Markey has won the U.S. Senate seat for Massachusetts, openly gay Massachusetts state Rep. Carl Sciortino is officially announcing his intention to fill Markey's former Congressional seat.

Sciortino launched his campaign to represent the 5th Congressional District on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse today.

Here's from the press release from his campaign:

“This race is not going to be about who is the woman’s candidate or the gay candidate or the law and order candidate,” said Sciortino. ... “It’s going to be about who is the progressive Democratic leader who has always been there and always will be there to fight for progressive values.”

Sciortino continued, “As Governor Patrick said last year, we need Democrats with backbone. From my very first campaign, through my legislative accomplishments, I have maintained the view that the toughest challenges have to be met head on. I’m the only candidate for Congress in this race who enthusiastically supported Governor Patrick’s effort to make generational investments in transportation and education, to create jobs and move our economy forward.”

Sciortino also contrasted himself with the other candidates in the race.

“I’m the only candidate who has stood up for workers rights, veterans rights, immigrants rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, LGBT rights and privacy rights every day I’ve served in this state legislature. No other candidate in this race can say that.”

Sciortino, who coincidentally launched his campaign on the same day as the Supreme Court handed down decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act, also addressed the rulings.

“When I first ran for State Representative in 2004, I couldn’t have imagined how much progress we would make on marriage equality in nine short years. We are headed to the day to all couples have the right to marry whoever they love in any state in the country. But we are not there yet. Today is a great step forward for the thousands of couples living in states with marriage equality, and I’m so proud of Massachusetts for being a leader for equal rights. We must keep working until there is true marriage equality in every state.”

Carl Sciortino represents the 34th Middlesex District in the Massachusetts House, which includes parts of Medford and Somerville. He is the author of the Buffer Zone Bill, The Transgender Equal Rights bill, and fought to close corporate tax loopholes in Massachusetts. A Tufts alumnus, he resides in Medford with his partner, Pem.

We are posting statements on the U.S. Supreme Court gay marriage rulings on DOMA and Prop 8 from local (New England) LGBT rights advocates and politicians as we receive them.

Briefly, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) today. The ruling means that same-sex couples who are legally married in states such as Massachusetts, Vermont and New York will have their marriages recognized by federal law. No more having to file single tax forms at the federal level and couples' forms with the state for married same-sex couples.

Regarding Prop 8, the Supreme Court ruled that the petitioners for the case had no standing. The case goes back to California.

Here are some statements (most recent statements come first):

From Abbie E. Goldberg, associate professor of psychology at Clark University:

“This is a historic day in history, with profound implications for couples and families throughout the US. Today’s ruling sends a message not only to the children being raised by lesbian and gay couples and parents, but to their classmates, neighbors, and community members. In ruling DOMA unconstitutional, the SCOTUS has communicated a powerful message about equality for all families.”

From Peter F. Zupcofska, partner and Burns & Levinson:

The US Supreme Court DOMA ruling means that gay and lesbian married couples in same sex marriage states will now be able to file as married 1040 tax returns. In addition divorcing couples will have the right to significant tax benefits that run to divorcing straight couples, specifically, alimony tax treatment and the ability to make property transfer without incurring capital gains taxes.

On the death of a spouse the surviving gay or lesbian spouse will not have to pay the federal taxes just as a surviving straight spouse has not had to pay such taxes.

Query?- What if a Massachusetts gay couple married for 5 years moves to Florida or a whole host of other states that do not recognize marriage between same sex partners- would that mean that those federal benefits received by the gay and lesbian couples in Massachusetts would be erased because they moved to these other states? This dichotomy creates significant and rarely discussed complications. Since individual states can refuse to follow federal law, couples who are married in a state where gay marriage is recognized and then live in a state that does not recognize gay marriage can encounter difficulties in many aspects of normal life.

From openly gay Candidate for Boston City Council At-Large Jeff Ross:

“The Supreme Court did the right thing today by striking down DOMA and finally recognizing that gay and lesbian couples in Massachusetts are fully equal under the law. We led the way when it comes to marriage equality here in Massachusetts over 9 years ago and I am proud that today, Boston’s gay and lesbian couples will be fully recognized under federal law” said Ross. “While I’m not running just to make history as the first openly gay city councilor ever elected city-wide, I’m proud of how far our country has come and I am energized about the work ahead. Bostonians believes in a truly equal, diverse city and I hope to add to that history by becoming Boston’s first openly gay at-large city councilor and continuing the movement for true equality.”

No matter what the Supreme Court decides tomorrow concerning the DOMA cases before it, hundreds are expected to gather in support of marriage equality on Wednesday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Cambridge City Hall, site of the first legal marriages between same-sex couples in the United States.

The event is being hosted by several groups that advocate for LGBT concerns, including MassEquality, ACLU of MA, GLAD, HRC, Family Equality Council, MGLPC, the Boston Pride Committee, and the Cambridge GLBT Commission.

"In the case of good news," says the press release from MassEquality, "we'll be continuing the celebration afterwards at Club Cafe in Boston at 8pm."

For more information, visit the event's "DOMA Decision Day" page on Facebook.

One way or another it looks as though history will be made on Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. It is at that time that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to release its decision on two cases, Hollingsworth v. Perry, the Proposition 8 case, and U.S. v. Windsor, the case challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

After concluding today’s session Chief Justice John Roberts announced that opinions on the three remaining cases before the court will be released tomorrow, prior to the courts scheduled summer vacation.

The Proposition 8 case will decide the fate of marriage equality in the state of California while the “Windsor case” will decide whether certain aspects of the Defense of Marriage act are discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional.

As the lgbt community awaits word from the United States Supreme Court regarding marriage equality on California and the legal merits of the Defense of Marriage Act, one justice who will be ruling spoke out recently regarding the “sanity of having a value-laden decision such as (marriage equality) this made for the entire society by unelected judges.”

The statement was made by Justice Antonin Scalia on Friday while he was speaking at a North Carolina Bar Association event.

Scalia, in comments made at the meeting, said that judges shouldn’t delve into the moral components of issues such as abortion, the death penalty and same-sex marriage because they’re no more qualified than anyone else.

“I am questioning the propriety, the sanity of having a value-laden decision such as this made for the entire society by unelected judges,” Scalia said to the attorneys and judges attending the annual meeting. “We have become addicted to abstract moralizing.”

The Supreme Court is expected to render a decision, perhaps as soon as Tuesday morning, on two major cases closely ties to the lgbt community. The court will rule to either uphold Proposition 8 in California (defining marriage in that state as between a man and a woman) or strike it down (ensuring marriage equality in that state).

In addition the Court will rule on whether the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) discriminates against same-sex married couples when it comes to receiving federal benefits.

Nicole Polizzi, better known as “Snooki” from the MTV reality series Jersey Shore, wants to have a gay son. At least that is what she told the audience on Monday night at TrevorLive, a fundraising event for the Trevor Project.

"Me and Jenni (Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley, also from Jersey Shore) weren't exactly the best role models, but now that I'm a mom I'm so grateful for The Trevor Project to support the LGBT youth so they have someone there for them because I'm praying I have a gay little boy one day."

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and
suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.

Snooki has long been a supporter of the lgbt community having participated on the NOH8 campaign and speaking up in support of President Obama’s stance on marriage equality.

"We're very strong when it comes to the gay community," she said. "[JWoww] has a lot of friends; her best friend is gay. I have a lot of friends who are gay. They need to be equal because they are amazing friends."

"We're huge supporters of the LGBT community. ... So we would do anything to help them and to protect them," JWowww added. "We feel like moms when it comes to our gays. We really do."

Earlier today Republican Senator Lisa Murkowsjki (Alaska) joined fellow GOP Senators Rob Portman (Ohio) and Mark Kirk (Illinois) as the only sitting Republican senators publically supporting marriage equality. Murkowski cited several reasons for her change of heart, she supported a state gay marriage ban in 1998, including her experience with a lesbian couple who lives in her home state and has adopted four children.

Regarding the couple, Murkowski stated:

Despite signing up and volunteering to give themselves fully to these four adorable children, our government does not meet this family halfway and allow them to be legally recognized as spouses. After their years of sleepless nights, after-school pickups and birthday cakes, if one of them gets sick or injured and needs critical care, the other would not be allowed to visit them in the emergency room – and the children could possibly be taken away from the healthy partner. They do not get considered for household health care benefit coverage like spouses nationwide. This first-class Alaskan family still lives a second-class existence.

Murkowski went on to state that changing views across country on marriage, and relationships in general, played a large part in her “evolving views.” She discussed the rise in divorce rates and the increase in cohabitation as societal changes that are making the traditional notion of marriage (“til death do us part”) as more the exception than the rule.

“Why should the federal government be telling adults who love one another that they cannot get married, simply because they happen to be gay? I believe when there are so many forces pulling our society apart, we need more commitment to marriage, not less,” said Murkowski.

She continued, “This thinking is consistent with what I hear from more and more Alaskans especially our younger generations. Like the majority of Alaskans, I supported a constitutional amendment in 1998 defining marriage as only between a man and a woman, but my thinking has evolved as America has witnessed a clear cultural shift. Fifteen years after that vote, I find that when one looks closer at the issue, you quickly realize that same sex unions or civil marriages are consistent with the independent mindset of our state – and they deserve a hands-off approach from our federal policies."

YouGov BrandIndexhas named their Top 20 of the best perceived brands by the LGBT community. Coming in at number one on the list is YouTube (taking he place of the Android Operating System which slipped to number 15).

Nearly half of the brands in the Top 20 are in technology or entertainment, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon.com, Samsung, Kindle, Google, Android, iPhone, PBS, HBO. Amazon, Google, HBO.

Falling out of the top 20 this year: iPad, Disneyland/Disney World, Apple, Advil, LG, Starbucks, Comedy Central, iPod, and Skype.

Capital One made the largest gains in perception by the LGBT community during the first half of this year with Coca Cola making the second biggest gains.

All 1,100+ brands in the YouGov BrandIndex brand universe were measured with the company’s buzz score, which asks respondents “If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?” All results were filtered for respondents who identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender.

(YouGov BrandIndex)

The White House announced the nominations of James Costos, an accomplished businessman and current executive at HBO, as the United States Ambassador to Spain, and Rufus Gifford, a former finance official for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Obama for America, and the Democratic National Committee, as the United States Ambassador to Denmark. Last week, President Obama also nominated Daniel Baer, the openly-gay Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, to be Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. If all three are confirmed, they would become the fourth, fifth, and sixth openly-LGBT people to serve as a U.S. Ambassador. Spain and Denmark are two of the 13 countries in the world that have marriage equality. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin issued the following statements:

“Ambassador-designate James Costos is a true citizen of the world. He has incredible global business experience and is a respected and innovative leader. He has solid business and political relationships at the highest levels and a proven commitment to community, philanthropy, human rights, and democracy that make him an outstanding choice to be the nation's next Ambassador to Spain.”

“Rufus Gifford is a terrific choice to represent our country in Denmark. His demonstrated leadership and unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights will serve him well as he represents America’s interests abroad. I urge the Senate to confirm his nomination.”

Gifford also has strong ties to the Boston area as his parents, Chad and Anne Gifford, live on the North Shore. Gifford was also honored recently by Greater Boston PFLAG for his work on behalf of the LGBT community.

Although France recently legalized marriage equality one Mayor, Jean-Michel Colo of Arcangues (in Southwestern France) is refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In fact, Colo recently stated that he will “go to the gallows” before officiating a
same-sex marriage.

“I am not discriminating as a same-sex couple is sterile. It’s a parody of equality, it’s a big lie,” Colo said. “When people close the door at home, they do what they want. For me, marriage is for a woman and man to have children.”

Colo rejected a marriage license application from Guy Martineau-Espel and his partner Jean-Michel Martin last week. The couple is planning to sue.

According to French Interior Minster Manuel Valls, Colo could face discrimination charges for refusing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and penalties including up to five years in jail and a fine approximately $100,000.

“The elected [officials] who do not respect the laws of the republic will risk significant sanctions,” Valls said.

Colo has vowed not to change his mind, saying, “I will go to the gallows.”

Nike has expanded their Be True line of footwear and clothing making the items available for purchase online, previously the line was only available in limited markets.

The line, which features multi-colored sneakers and sandals, among a variety of other items was launched last year in a show of support for the LGBT community. A portion of the profits from sales of Be True items will be donated to the LGBT Sports Coalition, with the aim of ending discrimination in the athletic world.

Jason Collins, who is in talks with Nike regarding coming on as a spokesperson for the campaign, wore the Be True T-Shirt while marching in the recent Boston Pride parade.

Nike is also holding its annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit this week.
The event includes college and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, political figures, LGBT advocates and journalists.

Featured on LOGO, HBO and Comedy Central, funny girl Marga Gomez arrives in Boston for a one-night performance this evening, Thursday, June 13 at Club Café in the South End.

By Jennifer Dettman

Her comedy has been featured on LOGO, HBO and Comedy Central. She has been called “astounding” by Armistead Maupin. In Premiere magazine Robin Williams hailed her as “amazing” and described her as “a lesbian Lenny Bruce.”

On Thursday June 13 Gomez plays Club Café one night only in a show called Marga Gomez, Funny Lesbian.

[Boston Spirit] From comedy clubs and blockbuster movies to the beloved Celluloid Closet, you’ve been on every size stage and screen. What has been your most gratifying and/or proudest work so far?

[Marga Gomez] I lived in Hollywood for a couple years. Had the manager, the agent, the hair. Auditioned for crap with a bunch of hos. Hated it. I do like the residual checks. My passion is live performance. I’m not just kissing up here, but the most gratifying moment in 2013 was in Boston at the lounge of the Charles Street Playhouse during the Boston Women in Comedy Festival. It was standing room only and the audience was mostly straight, like they had just come a Red Sox game. I was scared, but charged up. Go big or go home, I told myself. Well they roared from beginning to end, and it showed me a lot about the hearts of your people and how humor can cut through all our differences. It certainly wasn’t the biggest room I ever played, but I’m still high from it. My lifetime greatest moment was doing five minutes of comedy on the pitcher’s mound of Yankee Stadium during the Gay Games way back in, I think, 1994 — just before Cyndi Lauper.

20 year old Jonathan Allen from Lawrenceburg Tennessee made quite an impression on viewers and judges on last night’s America’s Got Talent.

Allen, in a behind the scenes interview, told the story of how his family disowned him at age 18 when he came out as gay. While he said he still loves his parents very much he also has not seen them in more than two years.

After performing Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye,” Allen received a standing ovation from the audience and all four judges. Judge Howie Mandel told the young singer “With your talent, the show has become your family, and we’d like to say, welcome home. We love you, and we accept you.”

Check out Jonathan’s performance below.

The Associated Press is reporting on notes from a closed door meeting where Pope Francis is said to have spoken about a "gay lobby," confirming its existence in the Vatican.

The report, as published at the New York Times reads:

The Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious, the regional organization for priests and nuns of religious orders, confirmed Tuesday that its leaders had written a synthesis of the pope’s remarks after their audience with him last Thursday. The group, known by its Spanish acronym CLAR, said it was greatly distressed that the document had been published and apologized to the pope.

The document quotes Francis as saying that while there were many holy people in the Vatican, there was also “a current of corruption.” “The ‘gay lobby’ is mentioned, and it is true, it is there ... We need to see what we can do ...” the synthesis reads.

More at: The New York Times.

(HRC)

Glee star Jane Lynch has announced that she and her wife of three years, Lara Embry, are getting divorced. The couple, who were married in Western Massachusetts, met at a fundraiser in 2009. “I thought she was cute,” Embry told People magazine when she and Lynch married.

“Lara and I have decided to end our marriage. This has been a difficult decision for us as we care very deeply about one another. We ask for privacy as we deal with this family matter,” Lynch told People magazine.

Lynch was also the stepmother to Embry’s daughter Haden. "My greatest pleasure is Haden, my stepdaughter," Lynch told People last March. "I am surprised how much love you feel and how you would do anything for your children."

Lynch, 52, is currently making her Broadway debut in a revival of "Annie." She's portraying the role of Miss Hannigan from May 16 to July 14

President Obama nominated Daniel Baer to be the next Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

If Baer is confirmed, he would be the "4th openly-LGBT person to serve as a U.S. Ambassador abroad, and the first to a multilateral institution," according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT advocacy organization.

Baer is the current Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. He is a Colorado native who received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College.

“Deputy Assistant Secretary Baer has led a distinguished career of public service, both at home and abroad,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin. “Over the last few years at the Department of State, Daniel has worked tirelessly to promote democracy and human rights in every corner of the globe, helping to secure and protect the freedoms of the world’s most vulnerable communities. This, paired with his years of global business experience, makes him an outstanding choice to be our nation’s next Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.”

Divine (photo: Lynn Davis)

15th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival — June 19-23 — keeps getting bigger and better

By Loren King

A documentary about Divine, director John Waters’ muse and star, is just one of many LGBT-themed films that will grace the 15th annual Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF), running June 19-23. From its first year, when Waters himself was honored as the festival’s “Filmmaker on the Edge,” PIFF has championed LGBT films and filmmakers. For this milestone year the festival will do it again — but even bigger.

As the PIFF has grown in reputation and popularity, its organizers have been savvy about attracting not just A-list talent more than happy to spend a few days in P-town but the funding to put on a destination event. This year, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded grants to PIFF for its 15th annual fest. It will be used to bring back several “Filmmaker on the Edge” awardees from the past 15 years.

Besides Waters, directors Mary Harron and Gregg Araki and producer Christine Vachon are among past guests slated to return. PIFF will screen seminal films from each of these filmmakers, who all have strong LGBT ties. These include Waters’ legendary Pink Flamingos; Vachon’s Kids; Harron’s I Shot Andy Warhol; and Araki’s Mysterious Skin, the 2004 drama starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and based on gay writer Scott Heim’s novel. Other past honorees Jim Jarmusch, Todd Haynes and Quentin Tarantino have been asked to invite a rising director they admire to attend. PIFF artistic director Connie White says this underscores and continues the festival’s mission to recognize independent filmmakers “on the edge.”

(Target 10)

It’s been quite a year when it comes to the melding of the lgbt world and sports world. Several current and former players have come out as gay including, former Boston Celtic Jason Collins, WNBA star Brittney Griner, and recently MLS player Robbie Rogers.

On the heels of all of this momentum Nike recently held its second annual ‘Nike LGBT Sports Summit which brought together advocacy groups, athletes, coaches, and journalists to discuss the LGBT community in the world of professional sports.

In addition, New York marketing firm Target 10 has released its list of Top 10 LGBT Sports Cities in the country. The list was compiled by using data such as LGBT population, number of gay sports leagues, number of gay sports bars, as well as a few other data points.

Boston ranked 6th on the list behind Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Atlanta. Rounding out the top 10 were Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Philadelphia.

In keeping with his administration’s tradition President Obama has released a proclamation that the month of June will be recognized as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Pride Month.

The proclamation, which can be seen in full HERE, begins by stating, “The story of America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

While President Obama has highlighted progress in his annual proclamations for several years, this is the first year that the Department of Defense has also recognized the month of June as LGBT Pride Month. A statement from the DoD remarks that that "the LGBT community has written a proud chapter in this fundamentally American story by reminding us that integrity and respect remain corner stones of our military and civilian culture."

After going into some detail on all of the advances made on the LGBT front during the recent past the President’s proclamation takes a moment to express confidence in the future stating, "We have a long way to go, but if we continue on this path together, I am confident that one day soon, from coast to coast, all of our young people will look to the future with the same sense of promise and possibility," says the proclamation reads. "I am confident because I have seen the talent, passion, and commitment of LGBT advocates and their allies, and I know that when voices are joined in common purpose, they cannot be stopped."

Boston Pride Week launches with a Rainbow Flag-raising ceremony at City Hall at noon on Friday, May 31 (photo: James Lopata)

It's Pride Week again in Boston!

The 2013 festivities commence this coming Friday at noon with the raising of the Rainbow Flag over City Hall.

This year, Thomas Menino hosts the flag raising for the last time as mayor of Boston. Menino is also being honored as a Marshall for the Pride parade on Saturday, June 8.

Below is a rundown of some of the key events happening in conjunction with Boston Pride Week.

For more information on all the events, be sure to check out Boston Pride’s web site at www.bostonpride.org.

Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony
Friday, May 31 — Boston City Hall
With host Mayor Thomas Menino.

Pride Day at Faneuil Hall
Saturday, June 1 — Boston’s Faneuil Hall
Live music and performances from The Urban Ballet, South End Show Stopperz Dance Team, Crystal Foxx, Rolla and more. Hosted by Raquel Blake. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Royal Pageant
Monday June 3 — Machine Nightclub
Lake Mondale and Raquel Blake crown the king and queen of Boston Pride at 7 p.m.

Boston Pride Festival
Saturday June 8 — City Hall Plaza
From noon to 6 p.m. with vendors and live entertainment — including Boston-based headliner Karmin.

Boston Pride Parade
Saturday June 8 — The streets of Boston
Parade starts at 12 p.m., with celebrity marshal Denise Crosby (Star Trek).

ESME Women's Block Party
Saturday, June 8 — 1 Boylston Place
DJ Linda Lowell spins the annual women's favorite. 2 p.m. in the alley at 1 Boylston Place.

Pride Block Party: Back Bay Edition
Sunday, June 9 — St. James Avenue in the Back Bay
Dancing in the streets from noon to 8 p.m.

Pride Block Party: JP Edition
Sunday, June 9 — Perkins Street, Jamaica Plain
Dancing in the streets of JP from noon to 7 p.m.