Straight Allies

The arc of history is long and bends toward progress, but it usually starts in a bad place. Former congressman Chris Bell knows this, because he went through his own reevaluation on gay marriage.

In memory of my father, please consider writing a note to your straight friends or speaking to them in person to thank them for being allies, for loving you, and for standing up for who you are.

The second of three award shows held this spring by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to honor the most outstanding images of th...

Nick came out to Larry a year after the two graduated from college. Approximately one year later Larry learned that Nick had died. According to Larry, "I want this to be printed so that everyone can know that a bunch of macho, straight, philandering frat boys love their gay brother."

It seems that the straight community has, to date, failed our LGBTQ citizens by not fully standing up on their behalf. To support quietly from the sidelines while those oppressed stand on the battlefield is to ensure that change will come at a glacial pace.

The purpose of aNoteToMyKid.com is to remind people that there is a lot of love out there, to bring family and friends closer together, and to give parents and others who may not know how to broach the subject of sexuality an opportunity to learn from example.

We need our straight allies to rise up and stop being so silent and complaining to their gay friends and sympathizing and pretending everything's going to be all right because there's enough of us fighting the fight.

The "radical homosexual activist" label just can't hang very authentically around Clint Eastwood's neck. And it got me thinking, so I compiled some of the fiercest things our straight male allies have said on the topic of LGBT equality.

This memoir is the merging of two worlds: my 20-something gay life in New York City and my mom's empty nest back in a small Illinois town. People often ask if I'd describe this book as a coming-out memoir. The answer is no -- at least not in the traditional sense.

My passion for being an LGBT advocate as a straight-identified person came from my personal journey and recognition from a very early age that equality was important because it could affect me, someone I care for or any other human being.

"Mom, I am evil, I am dirty, I am a liar." I am in shock. Why is she saying these horrible things? Did she kill someone? Did she steal money? Why is she in so much pain? Her words fill the room: "Mami, I am in love with a girl."

Homophobia seems wholly unaligned with the inclusivity and diversity necessary for winning. I believe that by appealing to individual honor, the honor of the team, and the sense of fairness that is ingrained in every athlete, change is possible.

Almost three years ago, my son Aiden, whom I saw as my daughter for the first 20 years, sat across from me at a restaurant table and bravely spoke the words that would begin our journey.

A combination of personal and work experiences taught me that LGBT equality is about all of us, regardless of our own sexual orientation or gender identity, and that made me an ally.

So there I was, standing on the altar, swaying back and forth anxiously as the clergyman read the passage: "Christian marriage is between a man and a woman." I felt a pang. I felt excluded.

It is said that seven out of 10 people know someone who is LGBT, which means that the ally circle of reach will have a greater circumference if those allies can move beyond once-a-year support and be an ally every day.