BIG GAY IMPROVEMENTS: New Report Documents ‘Decade of Progress’ on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality in America – Two-thirds of the 36 statistical indicators compiled in A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights showed significant advances, including sharp increases in the number of LGBT Americans protected by nondiscrimination and family recognition legislation at the state level. Just over a quarter of the indicators were negative, and two showed mixed results.
The Movement Advancement Project reports:
+ The number of states outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation increased 83 percent, from 12 to 22, between 2000 and 2009.
+ The number of Americans living in a state that offers some protections to same-sex couples nearly tripled, from 12.7 percent to 37.2 percent.
+ The number of openly LGBT elected officials in America rose 73 percent between 2000 and 2009, from 257 to 445.
+ The percentage of the public supporting the right of openly gay and lesbian people to serve in the military grew from 62 percent to 75 percent.
+ Support for marriage equality has grown from 35 percent in 2000 to 39 percent today; a larger increase in support for relationship recognition that involves many of the rights of marriage, from 45 to 57 percent.*
+ BAD NEWS INCLUDES: The percentage of LGBT students reporting hearing homophobic remarks in school has remained above 99 percent and LGBT students who report experiencing harassment in school edged up (up from 83.2 percent to 86.2 percent.)
* 35 PERCENT TO 39 PERCENT? REALLY? THAT’S IT? WTF IS GOING ON? Also they point out that now a ton of states have outlawed gay marriage, which was not happening 10 years ago. Of course we had nowhere to go but up this decade, but what do you think? Has progress kept pace with your expectations?
VOTE: Vote for SheWired’s Favorite Gay Woman of 2009! Looking through the (eight pages of) nominees is sort of inspiring ’cause you’re like, hai 8 pages, hai there’s a lot of gay ladies on here, and they’re so cute, Nicole Pacent hi!! and hai there’s a photo of Kim Stolz from the Autostraddle Photoshoot with Kim Stolz! Go vote, obvs I voted for Jane Lynch because I have to follow number one life rule, “The Lynch Can Do No Wrong.” (@shewired)
SEXTING: 1 in 6 teens have participated in “sexting,“ which is defined by this new study as sending nude or nearly nude photos of themselves to others via text or receiving these these photos. I thought “sexting” meant dirty talk via text message, in which case I was gonna say that 4 out of 6 kids lied to the survey taker. Anyhow, it’s sort of upsetting – “Teens explained to us how sexually suggestive images have become a form of relationship currency.” WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?(@mashable)
GOOD NEWS: John Mayer has given up dating.
SEX ED (OR LACK THEREOF): According to a new study, most teens have already had sex by the time parents get around to talking about it. Hopefully your children will be lesbians and therefore will not already be pregnant by the time you get around to talking about it. Unless they’re lesbians who are dating men. So you should probs just put them on a bus and send them to Planned Parenthood. Luckily we had Sex Ed. Also most sexually active unmarried young adults believe pregnancy should be planned, but about half do not use contraception regularly.
ON A HAPPIER NOTE: For Improv Everywhere‘s latest public spectacle, its agents recruited a 13-member handbell choir to “provided some unexpected accompaniment for a Salvation Army bell ringer on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.” Take a look at the video after the jump.
