NEWSBYERIC GRIGNOL

In Spring 2006, Batwoman made headlines by coming out of the closet. In doing so, she became DC Comics’ highest profile gay character.

But what most news outlets haven't covered since Batwoman's coming out party is the journey she has traveled, mirroring changes and challenges faced by today's LGBT movement. It's a ground-breaking storyline, and another example of how the comic world continues to cover gay rights better than a big chunk of traditional media.

Comics have come a long way over the past fifty years. Batwoman's first appearance in comics decades ago was a response from editors to address mounting concern that Batman and Robin were a little too gay themselves. In 1954, Fredric Wertham published Seduction of the Innocent, which warned that comic books were a corrupting influence on the nation’s children. As a result, male superheroes were given an opposite-sex counterpart as a love interest to quiet the gay allegations. Even worse, female heroines like Batwoman were given a stereotypical slant, such as disguising the weapons in her utility purse (not belt!) as feminine products including lipstick and cosmetic compacts.

But what a difference a few decades make.

Germany made historic news this week when Guido Westerwelle, a German politician, was announced as the country's next foreign minister. The significance? No, not that another foreign leader will have the initials G.W. in his name (*shudder*)...it's the fact that Westerwelle is gay. It's historically significant. But is it really a big deal?

An article posted in Foreign Policy by Cameron Abadi on Westerwelle states: “Nobody in Germany cares.”

But that’s a good thing! And it provides a great lesson on why being a public figure and being out can do so much to advance LGBT rights. The newspaper Bild even went so far as to say, very tongue-in-cheek, that Westerwelle's boyfriend made him strong.

Abadi riffs on this: “Taking its cues from voters, Bild's editors didn't wring their hands over Westerwelle's sexual orientation, nor did they sensationalize it as a novelty.” Westerwelle didn’t force himself back into the closet for the trail, but rather campaigned with his partner at his side, and voters responded that everything was, well, normal. Because it is.

This isn’t the product of some all-enlightened Europe that’s always been so far ahead of the U.S. on gay rights. For decades, gay rights resistance in Germany flourished. But now this sea change is a product of allies in governmental parties and the shifting religious landscape over time.

Germany’s first major public official to come out of the closet was Klaus Wowereit, the mayor of Berlin since 2001. Some have tried to make an issue of his sexual orientation, including one person who "suggested Berlin deserves to have ‘a first lady.’" Wowereit responded that at least he was in a steady relationship, whereas his opponent was in the midst of a divorce. Touche.

Imagine a time -- be it in the U.S., in Germany, around the globe -- where gay rights are so accepted, so normal, that to be breaking news about an openly gay leader is...well, boring and old news. Very smart voters in Germany know that in the future, we’ll see that day.

Recently I attended a screening of Michael Moore’s new movie Capitalism: A Love Story, with Moore taking some questions from the audience after the movie. Asked about Obama, Moore said, he inherited a horrible mess, and Obama deserves a long grace period to sort it out. But, Moore added, he hoped that the President realized that the biggest damage he could do is not deliver on his promise of change. It would take a nation of young activists and idealists and turn them into hardened cynics.

Which is why this piece in the L.A. Times by Johanna Neuman and Kate Linthicum caught my eye, noting how some gay activists are criticizing Obama for being “all talk.”

Neuman and Linthicum write that Obama seems to be paying the community lip service, fueling “an ongoing debate among gay-rights activists about whether the president is living up to his promise that he would be a ‘fierce advocate’ for LGBT equality.” He has not moved to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” and his Administration has at times defended DOMA. The article points to activists’ claims that the President's support for gay rights “has not been reflected in policy decisions, but has been purely rhetorical.”

Interestingly, at the movie screening for Capitalism, another questioner asked Moore about footage in the film featuring FDR addressing the nation.  Interestingly enough, what was FDR’s reply to activists who wanted to see Social Security enacted? Peter Dreier in this article from Common Dreams documents it: “He listened to their arguments for some time and then said, ‘You've convinced me. Now go out and make me do it.’"

And therein lies the lesson from FDR. We've convinced Obama about most of our issues -- hate crimes, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," repealing DOMA. Now we just have to make Obama do it.

This past weekend, Philadelphia hosted the Equality Forum and the National Equality Rally, the largest LGBT rally in a decade and the first outside of the nation's capitol, according to organizers. Wet weather did not deter hundreds of demonstrators from showing support for gay rights in the birthplace of independence. Activists throughout Sunday took on issues from the alphabet soup we've become so familiar with lately: ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act), DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell), DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), and more.

Several youth leaders who spoke were also written about the Philadelphia Inquirer. They talked eloquently about how they see apathy, indifference, and a lack of knowledge being the number one hindrance to the movement today. If your friends and family don't know what those acronyms stand for and how they affect your life on a daily basis as a gay person, now's the time to tell them!

See more clips from the rally and march over at Towleroad.

No real surprise here that the new CEO at Wal-Mart likely won't be taking the company in a more progressive direction, but good to see that the watchdogs over at The Advocate reported this. Among those who signed a petition to place a gay adoption and foster parenting ban on the Arkansas ballot last November was Mike Duke, Wal-Mart's new top man. Although the initiative makes it illegal for all unmarried, cohabiting couples - straight or gay - to adopt children, opponents argue that the real targets behind it were same-sex couples.

Obviously, this puts gay families in an impossible situation because, whereas unmarried straight couples could in theory sidestep this law and adopt children in the state by becoming married, same-sex couples do not have that option. A lot of the gay community's efforts recently have centered primarily on marriage; and while marriage and adoption can be related, let's not forget about fighting for adoption no matter what your family looks like. It's good to remind the public that discrimination against gays actually hurts families.

Opposing gay rights, something that Republicans were previously able to bank on as a wedge issue and energize their base, may have evaporated for the 2010 Congressional elections, the Associated Press reports.

With four states that have already legalized gay marriage and several others poised to do so soon, Democrats sense a favorable opportunity for them in next year's races. As public acceptance of gay marriage has changed so drastically in our favor, Republicans who have used gay marriage as a tool for fear-mongering to get conservative voters to the polls and marginalize more centrist party members may not have that plank to rely on anymore.

"This is a tide that is slowly rising in favor of gay marriage," creating a favorable political situation for Democrats and ever-more difficulty for Republicans, said political scientist David McCuan, at Sonoma State University in California. As more states legalize same-sex marriages, Republicans will struggle with where to position themselves on the issue without looking unresponsive to public opinion. They will have no place to go but shift to the left. In the AP article, Liz Sidoti writes:

"Some prominent Republicans are backing away from cut-and-dried opposition, and some party operatives say it's only a matter of time before others follow suit because the country is changing."

Now that "not-Miss USA" has taken her hate show on the road, three former beauty pageant contestants decided it was time to hit back. A new ad supporting gay rights and slamming Prop 8 shows that beautiful people on the outside can also be beautiful inside their hearts and minds as well -- instead of, well, close-minded and generally vacant. (Yeah, Carrie Prejean, we're talking about you.)

One of the three, Shanna Moakler, is the director of the Miss California USA pageant, who appears alongside Raquel Beezley and Taminko Nash, two former Miss California contestants). "I believe Prop 8 lead a campaign of confusion and never made clear what was being asked of the people," Moakler said in a statement to Usmagazine.com.

In response to Miss California going to Washington to launch a campaign to "help save marriage" because it's something "near and dear to [her] heart," one astute commenter on boston.com noted:

"If protecting traditional marriage is so dear to her heart, she would be better served finding a way to help the many straight couples who already have troubled marriages for reasons that have nothing to do with whether gay couples get married or not."

Hat tip to Sean for pointing us to this item (if you haven't seen his post buried in the comments section!), which goes to show again how straight allies who come to our defense are some of our best supporters.

It's been a real treat and privilege to be the guest blogger this week and interact with change.org-ers and I thought this post could reflect on some thoughts that bubbled to the surface from these past days of dialogue.

There's a lot of debate out there from within and outside of the gay community, not only about the state by state strategy for securing our equal rights, but also about whether that happens through legislatures (respect the voice of the people!) or judiciary (damn activist judges!). Comments on posts this week have given me pause to note that as Steve Chapman at reasononline wrote: "It's at moments like this that the framers of the Constitution begin to look even wiser than usual."

They knew that the rights of the minority could be steamrolled over by the will of the majority, so it's not out of the realm of what was intended by the founding fathers to empower the judiciary to secure protection for marginalized populations. At the same time, as a democracy, we need to build consensus around our shared values. Which is why, as Susan said this week: "Every straight ally who stands up for what is right and what is fair makes a huge difference."

It's by our straight friends and families, co-workers and acquaintances, all standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us on the front line saying "fair is fair" that tips the scales from being a minority group with a cause to a majority consensus with a will that compels legislatures to make laws that reflect its citizenry. And now, because our straight brothers and sisters have stood with us, and more are joining with us every day, most Americans favor equal rights for LGBT individuals.

What's even greater is the next generation that will inherit the world is overwhelmingly with us. By a six-to-one margin, young Americans support marriage equality and protections for LGBT people, according to a survey by Pew Charitable Trusts.

"Those sentiments are held by all ideological, partisan, racial, geographic, and religious groups. One out of two respondents said they know someone who is gay; knowing a gay person has a significant impact on attitudes."

Opponents to our cause tend to say we are undermining civilization. In fact, it's the opposite. We are upholding it where it is starting to crack and crumble. One of those shared American values is equality. The reason the gay rights movement has traction and resonates with society is not that we are asking for special treatment, but only equal treatment under the law.

Again, to our straight allies, a heartfelt thanks.

(Photo: Silent Witness PA (SWPA) is an organization of gay and straight allies dedicated to providing a non-confrontational buffer between those who condemn others based on their sexual orientation or identity and those they condemn.)

Yesterday, change.org-er Dave commented that the Maine Senate stepped closer to becoming the next state to back gay marriage by voting 21 to 14 for a bill allowing same-sex couples to wed legally later this year. Tuesday the House will take up the issue and according to the New York Times, looks to gain even wider support for the bill. Abby Goodnough writes: "The vote was the latest victory for gay rights groups in New England, which are campaigning to get same-sex marriage approved in all six of the region's states by 2012."

The momentum building for gay marriage seems unstoppable. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll reports that "support for legal gay marriage has increased dramatically over the past three years, and for the first time, those in favor outnumber those opposed." Support has increased 13 percent since June 2006, and nearly half of the respondents now favor it.

That's an incredible leap forward in just three years for a social issue. Every activist who has read this blog, taken action, and connected to this grassroots movement to make dramatic change like this happen should feel proud. You've had a hand in changing the world for the better.

(Photo: Cheering on gay marriage legislation at a day-long public hearing in Augusta, Maine.)

That's what Sharon McGowan, an attorney with the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project, said in a statement about Diane Schroer being awarded the maximum compensation for the discrimination she suffered when her job offer as a terrorism research analyst by the Library of Congress was revoked after she told her would-be boss that she was about to undergo sex-reassignment surgery.

"Today's decision is especially gratifying because it puts all employers on notice that transgender discrimination, in addition to being wrong, can be very expensive."

Schroer was awarded nearly $500,000 for back pay, emotional suffering, and out-of-pocket expenses. It will be up to the government to decide whether to appeal the decision. It was argued the employer had a right to discriminate against transgender employees, but this decision amplifies the previous ruling "that discriminating against someone who transitions from living as one gender to another is discrimination under federal law." It was the first time a transgender person had won a lawsuit on the grounds of sex discrimination under a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.