Bernice King’s gay-inclusive speech at MLK rally surprises LGBT participants
Bernice King took the stage today at Atlanta’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. rally and included gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people among the various groups she said need to come together to fulfill her father’s legacy.
In a passionate, sermon-like speech about building unity, King said she didn’t care if people were Hindu, Buddhist, Islamist, were from the North side or the South side, were black or white, were “heterosexual or homosexual, or gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender” — that all people were needed to create unity.
Huntsman, more moderate on gay rights, drops out of GOP presidential race
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman dropped out of the GOP primary process for the 2012 general election today and endorsed rival Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts.
Huntsman failed to gain a solid footing after the first two contests of the year: the Iowa Caucuses, where he finished seventh, and the New Hampshire Primary, where he finished third, behind Romney and Congressman Ron Paul.
YouthPride board member: Board has not met in two years
YouthPride’s board of directors has not met in two years, according to one board member who added she was not aware of the nonprofit’s current financial crisis and possible closure.
YouthPride, which serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth ages 13-24, is facing a $67,000 shortfall this year after it did not receive expected grants of $27,000 from United Way and $40,000 from Fulton County, according to Terence McPhaul, the organization’s executive director.
McPhaul said in December that if YouthPride did not raise $40,000 by Dec. 31 it would be forced to close in 60 days. The agency has only raised about half of that amount, McPhaul said on Jan. 12, but continues to operate and offer programming.
There are many things to be happy about right now in my life. I have a job I love (and I have a job, period), I’m in love, I have good friends and a family that loves me, and a cat that has adopted me and makes me smile when she rolls over on her back so I will rub her belly. And I don’t have to worry about the basics such as food and shelter.
I can’t complain, people will say. And right now, I really can’t.
But it’s not always like this for me. More than a 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I spent a couple stints in psychiatric wards and struggled ferociously with regaining my sanity.