RITA RUDNER, FEBRUARY 2011 How awkward can being off
SAN DIEGO’S RACE FOR A GAY MAYOR BEGINS The 2012 race for mayor in San Diego is shaping up to be one of the most
interesting city elections in recent memory. With high-profile allied politicians Congressmember Bob Filner and Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher lining up as announced candidates for the position, the other two strong contenders in the race come from the LGBT community, including Councilmember Carl DeMaio and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. In June, State Senator Christine Kehoe—who became the first openly gay elected official in San Diego when elected to City Council in 1990—created an exploratory committee for the position, but bowed out less than a month into it.
BECOMING AND BEING CHAZ: THE DOCUMENTARY AND DANCER Chaz Bono—child of Sonny and Cher—transitioned the face
of transgender people into homes of millions of Americans with the Emmy-nominated documentary, Becoming Chaz, which chronicled his transition from female to male. He went on to ap- pear as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars and rounded out the year with a follow-up documentary on OWN, Being Chaz, that captures the drama as Bono prepared for his primetime debut and the controversy that ensued. Everyone was moved at the blessings from the goddess Cher, who took the spotlight for just a brief mo- ment when given the opportunity as she stood and waved to the audience of fans while showing her support of Chaz and giving a face—albeit plastic poker face—to transgender moms.
stage in a social setting be? Well, don’t ever expect to receive any comic relief from Rita Rudner unless she’s on stage—as was explained by the comedian, wife and adoptive mother of one in the February 2011 issue of The Rage Monthly. “For the most part I hate to tell jokes when I’m not on stage. Because then people feel like they have to laugh when you stop talking to them and that’s very uncomfort- able for everyone involved. So therefore, I only tell jokes when I’m on stage.”
MARRIAGE EQUALITY ADVOCATES FIGHT FOR RESPECT The fight in the battle for marriage equality continued this year. As the American
Medical Association declared marriage inequality unhealthy, politicians joined in the fight introducing the Respect for Marriage Act to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). President Obama stepped up to support the new legislation that authors hope will overturn the 1996 DOMA law, which allows discriminatory treatment of same-sex couples under federal law. Meanwhile, “the dream legal team” waged on in the fight to overcome hurdles that pre-
vent the legality of Proposition 8 from reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Still proponents pulled the “gay card” and unsuccessfully argued Judge Vaughn Walker was unqualified to overrule Proposition 8 because he’s gay. They also failed at keeping the lid on video foot- age of their weak defense. No doubt 2012 will keep us on the edge of our seat since the issue remains wrapped up in the appeals process. On another note, New York lived up to its reputation as a national leader when the New
York Senate passed legislation granting the freedom to marry to same-sex couples in the Empire State. The historically momentous dream became a reality as thousands of New Yorkers began tying the knot on July 24, 2011, making New York the largest state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage. Everyone involved in the fight remains hopeful with the New York state of mind—“As goes New York, so goes the nation.”
DECEMBER 2011 | RAGE monthly 43
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