Joe Novotny

Joe Novotny has spent his entire career on Capitol Hill. He’s been a congressional page, chief clerk for the House Education and Labor Committee, and now, as reading clerk for the House of Representatives, he’s one of the most visible people in Washington. If you tune in to C-SPAN to watch a House debate, chances are that you’ll see Novotny, 34, the first openly gay House reader, introduce a bill by reading it aloud. He also marks any adjustments. Novotny speaks about what it’s like to be a part of this House of “firsts,” which includes his bosses, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House clerk Lorraine Miller—the first woman and first African-American to hold their respective positions.

What’s a typical day like for you?

There’s one other reading clerk [Susan Cole], so every other day we take turns with opening and closing the day. Our days are typically anywhere from 12 to 14 hours when the House is in session. I’m responsible for overseeing what is coming up that day, going over all of the bills and resolutions…. I also have to keep track of everything that passes, so if there’s a bill that has amendments, I have to physically insert it appropriately into the bill. Basically we’re following what’s happening on the House floor and then physically taking the bills over to the Senate.

What was the interview like for the job?

It was a little intimidating. They put you on the House floor with the TV lights, with about five or six things to read. They’re looking for delivery, tone, how you convey the legislation, and how you present overall.



Are you ever tempted to give a little commentary to bills you don’t agree with?

Never! [Laughs] It’s a simple task, but it’s an important to just get it right.

Does it feel like you’ve broken a glass ceiling?

I feel tremendously proud to represent the community as the first gay reading clerk. I’m representing the speaker of the House, I’m representing the clerk of the House, all of the members, because I am truly there to convey who they are and what they do. It means a lot for some people to see me and think, Wow, that guy is gay, and he’s just being himself, and look at how far he got.

Brooklyn Man Charged in Antigay Incident

A knife wielding New York City man was arrested over the weekend after menacing two younger men on the street with a knife and shouting anti-gay slurs, reports 1010 WINS and WCAX.


"Authorities said a 43-year-old Brooklyn man approached two 22-year-old men around 9:30 Saturday morning on Utica Avenue and began making comments about 1 of the men's clothing. As the men continued on their way, police said the older man pulled out a knife and made anti-gay remarks while menacing them. The younger men flagged down two police officers, who took the 43-year-old into custody. He was charged with menacing as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon."

The assailant has been identified as 43-year-old Luis Newman,

Tuesday's Tease

Singer/Songer Writer Trey Songz....YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Rally for Homeless LGBT Youth in NYC

On Monday, June 14th at 6:30PM a rally will be held to support LGBT homeless youth in New York City's Union Square. It's being coordinated by The Ali Forney Center, New York City's leading service and advocacy group for LGBT homeless youth.


As LGBT youth find the courage to come out of the closet at younger ages, thousands are being rejected by their families and forced out of their homes. Most homeless LGBT youth describe having suffered violence and harassment in their homes due to their sexual orientations and gender identities. As many as 40% of the homeless youth in the United States are LGBT. Homeless LGBT youth are subjected to violence and harassment on the streets and in mainstream youth shelters. They face treme ndous risk of HIV infection, drug addiction, and criminalization.

The past year has been brutal for LGBT youth. From the vicious murders of Jorge Steven López and Jason Mattison to the carjacking of three gay Morehouse students and the weekend knife attack in Brooklyn, LGBT youth, especially those of color, remain under attack. The situation is even more dire for homeless LGBT youth.

A number of progressive and LGBT organizations are participating in the rally. It's also being endorsed by a number a politicians, activists, entertainers and media types, including yours truly. Here is the Facebook page. Please come and help make a difference if you can.

GENDA Failed

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, has once again failed to advance in the New York Senate. GENDA was voted down in the New York Senate Judiciary Committee by only one vote. The lone dissenting Democratic vote that killed the bill? As expected, it was the rabid and intolerant Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr..


From the Empire State Pride Agenda:

"Today the Senate Judiciary Committee took up the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and failed to move it forward by a vote of 11-12. All the Republican Senators on the Committee voted against it, as did Senator Ruben Diaz as the lone Democrat vote in dissent. Some senators raised concerns about the use of bathrooms and other gender-segregated facilities, and a number of senators who voted against the bill expressed a willingness to support it if this issue could be sufficiently addressed. Committee Chair John Sampson promised to take these concerns back to the prime sponsor of the bill, Senator Tom Duane, for discussion."
Diaz Sr is the rabidly anti-LGBT Bronx Pentecostal minister who is the leading opponent of LGBT rights in the Empire State. In May 2009, Diaz Sr. lead 10,000 people to condemn gays and marriage equality on the streets of Manhattan.
Three months ago, the New York Assembly passed GENDA by a 91-40 vote. The vote came with bipartisan support and this was the third time GENDA passed the Assembly.
Only 13 states and the District of Columbia have laws to protect transgender people from employment, public accommodation and housing discrimination. Seven more states and the District of Columbia protect gays and lesbians. In December, Gov. David Paterson issued an executive order covering state employees that bans discrimination based on gender identity and expression

Is Ted Haggard Believable

Do Lesbian Parents make better parents?

A nearly 25-year study shows that children raised in lesbian households have fewer behavioral problems than children raised by gay men.


But does this study really prove anything? Women are naturally more nurturing than men, aren’t we?

A nearly 25-year study concluded that children raised in lesbian households were psychologically well-adjusted and had fewer behavioral problems than their peers.

The study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, followed 78 lesbian couples who conceived through sperm donations and assessed their children’s well-being through a series of questionnaires and interviews.

Funding for the research came from several lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy groups, such as the Gill Foundation and the Lesbian Health Fund from the Gay Lesbian Medical Association.

Wendy Wright, president of the Concerned Women for America, a group that supports biblical values, questioned the legitimacy of the findings from a study funded by gay advocacy groups.

“That proves the prejudice and bias of the study,” she said. “This study was clearly designed to come out with one outcome — to attempt to sway people that children are not detrimentally affected in a homosexual household.