Frazzled from shopping yet?  Tired of the crowds?

Take a break from your travel reading  for just a moment and this will put a smile on your face !

Watch these adorable dogs decorate cookies and get ready to celebrate the holidays in style. They’re not only spreading good cheer, they have an important message to share— Make a holiday wish come true for a homeless dog or cat…ADOPT!

Many gay homes are  not complete without some cute little critter roaming around—a compact pincher, a rare breed cat or, in my case, the random leopard tortoise!  A study shows that 7 out of 10 gays own pets! and 9 out of 10 gays say their pet is “a member of the family” and 2/3rds of gays have BOUGHT THEIR PET A HOLIDAY PRESENT!

HOMELESS PETS – It’s so sad.  Best Friends Animal Society   is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. At the core of Best Friends’ work is the dream that one day kindness will replace cruelty, and animals will no longer be destroyed because they are unwanted or imperfect. Spaying and neutering will be the rule for all pets and adoption will be the first option for everyone. Making this dream a reality is the mission we call No More Homeless Pets. The society’s leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation. 

Sponsor an animal. Help buy food. Donate a dollar or two. Your contribution to Best Friends goes straight to work helping tens of thousands of animals both at the sanctuary at Best Friends and through outreach and rescue programs all around the country.

For more information visit: http://www.bestfriends.org/ 

WATCH THE VIDEO NOW !
(there are lots of fun videos on their site – sure to make you smile!)

    

The Consitutionally mandated decennial census begins in March.  Will your same-sex relationship be counted?

The task of the US Census is to count every man, woman and child in the country and in the past has measured everything from income, to housing to health insurance, to illegal aliens.  One of the most important tasks of the Census is for the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives, from which are dervied the total number of electors to the Electoral College – who ultimately vote for our President.

Since 1990 the census has included a designation of “unmarried partner” on the form, it was the first time that same-sex relationships could at least somewhat be acknowledge.  Unfortunately there is no question on the census that allows citizens to designate their sexual identity.

This year there are only 10 questions on the form this year, one of the shortest in history.  Adding a question specifically about sexual oritentation will take quite some time to get included, but at least now if you are in a committed relationship you can attempt to be counted. This years census only asks for name, sex, age, date of birth, hispanic origin, race, household, whether you own or rent your home and your relationship. 

You can still make your gay voice be heard by requesting a copy of the sticker at the top of this page and affix it to your US Census envelope when you return it to the government. 

Head over to Queer the Census and request your own sticker to tell the government that we need to be included.

From Change.org:

Even though the results aren’t officially reported, the raw numbers reveal that 145,000 same-sex couples identified as married or “unmarried partners” in 1990 (before any legal recognition in the U.S. even existed) and close to 600,000 same-sex couples self-reported in 2000. The Obama administration has reversed a Bush-era policy, so in the 2010 Census, a report will be released that outlines official information about same-sex couples. Here are some quick instructions on how to make sure your family is reported correctly.

What Box Do You Check?
If you are in a relationship and you live together, you have two choices. First, one of you will be designated as “Person 1.” If there is no clear favorite for who should be the head of household, perhaps you could flip a coin, wrestle for it or hold a lip-synching competition. Whoever doesn’t win will be designated as “Person 2.” This person is asked how they are related to Person 1. There are 16 choices, but the two that concern you are “husband or wife” and “unmarried partner.”

This is the important part: You do not answer based on the actual legal status of your relationship, you answer based on how you personally categorize your relationship. If you are legally married, you will probably mark down “husband or wife,” though if you are in a civil union or domestic partnership, yet you still feel married, than you should also mark “husband or wife.” If there is no legal recognition of your relationship where you live, but you still consider yourself married, it’s also important that you mark “husband or wife.”

Modeled after Black and Women’s History Months, GLBT History Month highlights annually the achievements of 31 gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Icons—one each day—with a free video, bio, bibliography, downloadable images and other resources.

a new GLBT Icon is presented daily. Each day you’ll have access to his or her video, bio and resources, along with information on all the preceding Icons.


GLBT HISTORY MONTH