2011 LGBT Pride Month Proclamation

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

The story of America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Since taking office, my Administration has made significant progress towards achieving equality for LGBT Americans. Last December, I was proud to sign the repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. With this repeal, gay and lesbian Americans will be able to serve openly in our Armed Forces for the first time in our Nation's history. Our national security will be strengthened and the heroic contributions these Americans make to our military, and have made throughout our history, will be fully recognized.

My Administration has also taken steps to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans in Federal housing programs and to give LGBT Americans the right to visit their loved ones in the hospital. We have made clear through executive branch nondiscrimination policies that discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the Federal workplace will not be tolerated. I have continued to nominate and appoint highly qualified, openly LGBT individuals to executive branch and judicial positions. Because we recognize that LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration stands with advocates of equality around the world in leading the fight against pernicious laws targeting LGBT persons and malicious attempts to exclude LGBT organizations from full participation in the international system. We led a global campaign to ensure "sexual orientation" was included in the United Nations resolution on extrajudicial execution -- the only United Nations resolution that specifically mentions LGBT people -- to send the unequivocal message that no matter where it occurs, state-sanctioned killing of gays and lesbians is indefensible. No one should be harmed because of who they are or who they love, and my Administration has mobilized unprecedented public commitments from countries around the world to join in the fight against hate and homophobia.

At home, we are working to address and eliminate violence against LGBT individuals through our enforcement and implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We are also working to reduce the threat of bullying against young people, including LGBT youth. My Administration is actively engaged with educators and community leaders across America to reduce violence and discrimination in schools. To help dispel the myth that bullying is a harmless or inevitable part of growing up, the First Lady and I hosted the first White House Conference on Bullying Prevention in March. Many senior Administration officials have also joined me in reaching out to LGBT youth who have been bullied by recording "It Gets Better" video messages to assure them they are not alone.

This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has had a profound impact on the LGBT community. Though we have made strides in combating this devastating disease, more work remains to be done, and I am committed to expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Last year, I announced the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. This strategy focuses on combinations of evidence-based approaches to decrease new HIV infections in high risk communities, improve care for people living with HIV/AIDS, and reduce health disparities. My Administration also increased domestic HIV/AIDS funding to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and HIV prevention, and to invest in HIV/AIDS-related research. However, government cannot take on this disease alone. This landmark anniversary is an opportunity for the LGBT community and allies to recommit to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and continuing the fight against this deadly pandemic.

Every generation of Americans has brought our Nation closer to fulfilling its promise of equality. While progress has taken time, our achievements in advancing the rights of LGBT Americans remind us that history is on our side, and that the American people will never stop striving toward liberty and justice for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2011 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
            
BARACK OBAMA

Memorial Day 2011

Today is Memorial Day, the day that we set aside to remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow Americans.  

As I strive to remind people, TBLG Americans have not only served, but given up their lives as well in military service for this country

Memorial Day 2011 comes several weeks after Osama Bin Laden was killed during a daring May 1 operation in Pakistan that may lead to expedited withdraw of American troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Time to bring our girls and boys home and start spending the money we waste fighting in those countries domestically on our infrastructure.and other domestic priorities.    

Brittney Griner In Mix For 2012 Olympic Basketball Team

As you TransGriot readers are aware of, I'm a big hoops fan, especially on the women's side.

I've been following the career of my hometown lady baller Brittney Griner ever since one of my readers told me about the viral YouTube videos of her dunking on her high school competition enroute to taking Aldine Nimitz to the Class 5A state finals a few years ago.

The evolution of Brittney continues as she along with Gonzaga point guard Courtney Vandersloot were invited to attend a recent three day training camp for the USA national squad in Las Vegas as the road to determining who will make up the 12 woman squad in London next summer starts .

She was the only collegiate player there in Vegas and bad news rest of FIBA basketball world, she is in the mix to be on either next summer's or a future final twelve woman USA Olympic b-ball squad or a USA FIBA championship team. .   

And yes, despite the rough first day of camp,  the current national squad players and coaches were excited about the prospects of Brittney's 2.08 meter frame (6' 8" inches for the metrically challenged) blocking shots and patrolling the lane for us either at the London Olympics or the 2014 FIBA world championship in Turkey


"Brittney made tremendous progress in the three days she was here," said USA coach Geno Auriemma. "The first day she was completely lost and out of it. The second day she looked like a completely different person. Each time she's together with us you'll see her get better and better and better. Her size, her length are impact things."

"She does a spin move from the free-throw line, takes one dribble and slams it with two hands," coach Jennifer Gillom said. "’I said, I’m done.’ she got my respect right away. Wow, that was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like that with any player. That was quite impressive. This kid has a future, an unbelievable future. To think what she could become is amazing. I’m telling you, this kid is something special, very special."

"She is the most special player I’ve ever seen," Diana Taurasi said. "She will be a help in 2012. She will."

And it's going to be fun watching her play..

50th Anniversary of Alan Shepard's Mercury Flight

The mission only lasted 15 minutes and 28 seconds, but it put the United States in the middle of the space race with the Russians and was our first step to eventually getting to the Moon.

Naval pilot Alan Shepard was part of the first group of seven astronauts for NASA's Mercury program and in January 1961 was chosen to be the first American on  a manned space mission.     The flight was originally scheduled to take place in October 1960, but delays pushed it back to March 6, 1961.   Flight preparation delays pushed the launch date back to May 2  and a weather delay pushed it back a few more days to May 5.   In the meantime the Soviet Union beat us to that historic feat by launching Yuri Gagarin into space on his 108 minute flight on April 12. to become not only the first human in space, but the first to orbit the Earth.

When Freedom 7 launched at 9:34 AM EDT with Shepard aboard on May 5 and 45 million people watching it live on television the flight plans for the first American in space were more modest. 

It was a suborbital flight on a ballistic trajectory that reached a 116 mile height (187 km) and traveled 302 miles (486 km) down the Atlantic Missile Range before splashdown off the Bahamas   Unlike Gagarin's totally automatic flight weeks earlier, Shepard had some ability to control the Freedom 7 capsule 

With the successful conclusion of the Freedom 7 flight the race to the Moon by the superpowers was on in earnest.  Shepard would later command the Apollo 14 lunar mission and become the fifth person to walk on the Moon.    

But America's successful road to the Moon started with a suborbital flight piloted by our first man in space.

Renee, Can You Say Threepeat?

It may be your game, and Canada has won the International Ice Hockey Federation women's title nine times, but when it comes to what have you done lately in the IIHF world championships, that trophy has stayed on our side of the border since 2008.

The 13th annual women's International Ice Hockey Federation championship concluded today with a overtime goal by Hilary Knight to secure a hard fought 3-2 Team USA win over Team Canada. for our third straight IIHF women's world title and fourth overall.

USA! USA! USA! 

And to underscore our growing star spangled superiority in 'your game', peep the most recent IIHF Women's world hockey rankings:   

The top ten of the World Ranking is as follows:
1 USA 2970
2 CAN 2930
3 FIN 2800
4 SWE 2700
5 RUS 2670
6 SUI 2620
7 KAZ 2475
8 SVK 2470
9 CHN 2385
10 GER 2355


Don't worry, you'll get another chance to take that title away from us next year.    And Sochi is only three years from now.