Morgan Freeman narrates HRC's latest ad on behalf of marriage equality. When he prays to God, God probably lowers his voice an octave to try to sound more authoritative...

Sally Field receives the Ally for Equality Award from the HRC, presented to her by her son, Sam Greisman.

GLAAD and HRC take advantage of the NOM gay vs. black scandal to release info showing that majorities in the black and Latino communities support marriage equality.

For some reason I can't comprehend, the Human Rights Campaign decided to celebrate Goldman Sachs. Talk about tone deaf! Bad timing, bad idea. They lost me when they endorsed Joe Lieberman years ago—and if they hadn't, they've done plenty of lame stuff since then, too. It's unfortunate, because I want not to be against an org that's dedicated to gay rights. But HRC is really so stupid in so many ways.

Video showing Goldman Sachs's Lloyd Blankfein (pictured) endorsing marriage equality after the jump...

Prove it!

As of midnight last night, it was exactly six years since my first post. It's been a tough thing to keep up with a dayjob and outside activities, and just when I think I might walk away, a valuable connection or interesting opportunity or a kind word comes my way. Thank you all for reading me.

Of whom are you more jealous?

Here are my favorite 100+ posts out of nearly 11,000. Please take some time to read (or re-read!) a couple and tweet or Facebook any you like.

xoxo Matt

The pocket pool championships were intense this year

BOY CULTURE

Boy-crazy

FROM BOY TO MAN: BC B.C. (2007): The entire history of my novell and novel Boy Culture as well as the movie version; might be my ultimate post.

Jonathon Trent & Derek Magyar make an Allan Brocka sandwich

BOY ON FILM (2006): An account of the NYC launch party for Boy Culture as it played the TriBeCa Film Fest.

I was left "Reeling" by the experience

FRIENDS AND "FAMILY" (2006): The movie version of Boy Culture hits Chicago.

No one would've mistaken me for Taylor Lautner

RAPT PUPIL (2006): The final night of Outfest with Boy Culture; I was fat but on the other hand got to meet Bryan Singer.

 

MY ART

 

Construction worker (shot this week) vs. James Dean

GUYDAR (since at least January 17, 2008) & ENDS OF THE WORLD (since at least January 13, 2008): Attractive men of the world—I got your backs. Your fronts, too.

i-i-i (phone)

Not totally built

Unaltered iPhone image that still blows me away

"Your pictures suck" (2008): An art critic attacks me, but not without sustaining some hits in return.

Let's call it a draw

DRAWN TOGETHER (2008): How my desire to draw related to my secret desire. One of my absolute favorite posts.

The shirtless one

LOST ANGELES (2009): My favorite photographic travelogue of L.A.

Even then, New Yorkers feared 9/11 was the beginning of the end

ART IMITATES LIFE (2006): My 9/11 and my distaste for grief tourism.

ME

Death of the party—Jeff in high school, already halfway through his life

BURNING MAN (2007): Tribute to my late high school friend and first romance.

Signed, sealed (eventually) delivered

LOST BOY FOUND (2011): There is a book in here somewhere.

Be Italian

CIAO HOUNDS: OUR TRIP TO ITALY (2011): Finally got José to Europe.

Death becomes here

ILLINOIS DEATH TRIP (2007): Ruminations on death while revisiting a past home, and the past.

Life is short...and meaningful

PASSING BY (2008): Mourning the loss of a person I only met once.

Lots more...

Jason Wu's Target-exclusive line is dropping soon—but did we ever get clarification from HRC as to whether Target is really as gay-friendly as they say, or should still be avoided for its donations to right-wing political causes?

"Ha, ha! We really screwed those gays!"

The legislative repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is apparently dead—its cloture vote failed today on party lines, with asswipe Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia the only Democrat voting against it and cloture-teaser Susan Collins (R-Maine) the only Republican voting for it. Collins voted for it only symbolically—she waited until the very end to switch to a yes.

"I never miss a chance to screw a gay!"

President Obama's "strategy" (or lack thereof) and HRC's endorsement of it was a complete and utter failure; all he can do now is own up to that and offer something proactive—which he's been dead-set against doing so far—like an executive order or dropping the government's appeal of the Log Cabin Republican case against it.

"Stories from the Frontlines: Letters to President Barack Obama" is a new media campaign in which men and women whose lives have been affected by Don't Ask, Don't Tell write open letters to the president, expressing their feelings and asking him to step up on this issue. 

Brilliant and constructive idea—it pressures the president (especially as more and more letters appear), lets the people affected speak out in dignity (something Lt. Dan Choi had stressed) and should not be divisive within the LGBT community.

Along with traditional lobbying and protests, this kind of action is valuable.

Be sure to keep reading Towleroad for updates.

GetEQUAL's next rally (via this horribly annoying video...I don't like the effects they used, which I am guessing are meant to make Lt. Choi seem MLKish?):

I think there is a parallel to be drawn between the national gay groups (in particular HRC) and the national women's rights groups (NARAL, NOW and Planned Parenthood). The latter are now upset over President Obama's decision to issue an executive order affirming the fact that the government will not in any way fund abortions as part of his health-insurance reform compromise. But why only now? Why are they issuing statements now and why are they only now seriously mobilizing against the despicable Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) and his kind of faux Democrats? Pro-act, don't re-act.

As with the gay groups, timing is everything—had the major gay groups pressured the White House earlier on, DADT might be further down the road. And had the women's groups pressured all Democrats early on regarding women's right to reproductive freedom, Stupak might not be the HCR kingmaker he's been made out to be.

At this weekend's Human Rights Campaign fundraiser gala, Joe Solmonese stated that Don't Ask, Don't Tell would be history by the end of this year (a tall order) and both Meredith Baxter and Clay Aiken (I have been ultra-cynical about him in the past, but credit where credit is due) gave great, rousing speeches. 

I have issues with HRC; I think I first got annoyed with them when they endorsed Joe Lieberman over Ned Lamont. But as many shortcomings as HRC has, it also does do good work, too. Click here to see the speeches and to read about this event—HRC's second largest all year—which gave tons of LGBTs and our supporters the opportunity to participate in the cause in North Carolina, a place not often thought of as a hotbed of activism.