Blabbeando nominated for the 1st ever GLAAD "Oustanding Blog" award

Seriously. Seriously? --- OK, "Seriously" is probably the one of those 2010 expressions that I hoped wouldn't survive the new year but I can't help but use it as I express my surprise at being chosen as one of five nominees to the first ever Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) "Outstanding Blog" awards.

And the nominees are:

• The Bilerico Project / Twitter
• Blabbeando / Twitter
• Joe.My.God. / Twitter
  
• Pam's House Blend / Twitter
• Rod2.0 / Twitter

For a long time, GLAAD has used its awards ceremonies to highlight excellence in media and televised coverage of LGBT issues but this the first time they honor excellence in social media including blogs.

It's bizarre, though, to be named in the same list as Burlesque (a nominee for 'Outstanding Film - Wide Release'), Grey's Anatomy (a nominee for 'Outstanding Drama Series'). Modern Family (a nominee for 'Outstanding Comedy Series'), the Scissor Sisters (a nominee for 'Outstanding Music Artists) and others

A preview:

I wanted to highlight some of the other nominees that might not get as much attention elsewhere.  They include the incredibly moving Peruvian film "Undertow / Contracorriente" which I saw in December and thought was the best movie of the year (nominated as 'Outstanding Film - Limited Release').

And, under Spanish-language nominees, I wanted to highlight amazing Mexican singer Christian Chavez who came out a couple of years before Ricky Martin did (he released a solo album called 'Almas Transparentes' last year and is a nominee for 'Outsanding Music Artist - Spanish language nominees'').

The great thing about being nominated for this first-ever 'Oustanding Blog' award is not necessarily that I expect to win. It's that I know each and everyone who has been nominated and consider them to be friends.  It might certainly be a cliché, but I am truly honored to be nominated.

Thanks, GLAAD, for considering this blog worthy of the nomination.

Related:

• GLAAD website here
• GLAAD media awards page here
• GLAAD on Twitter here

Wishing the best for Pam Spaulding today

As readers of Pam's House Blend know, blogmistress Pam Spaulding (right) was scheduled to undergo major surgery this morning in South Carolina.

Today, a bunch of us bloggers are writing to express our love for Pam and to wish her a prompt recovery.  As her illness has forced Pam to take unpaid leave from her day-to-day job we are also urging readers to help her with surgery-related expenses through donations to her PayPal account.

I have long been a fan of Pam's. I am often amazed at her proficiency and output, which might sound like bland words to describe someone, but when you realize that Pam works full-time and manages to consistently keep the quality of her blog top notch day in and day out, I hope it comes across as the high praise I mean to convey.  It's not for nothing that Pam - and Pam's House Blend - is considered to be one of the most influential blogs out there.

Our love also goes to Pam's wife, Kate, who is keeping by Pam's side.

The surprise get-better blog swarm was the idea of the other writers at Pam's House Blend as well as journalist Karen Ocamb.  I am more than happy to join them and others in embracing Pam and wishing her the best.

Other participating blogs include Rod2.0, The Mad Professah Lectures, Joe.My.God., Michealangelo Signorile, Karen Ocamb's LGBT POV, Towleroad, Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog Gay, Zack Ford, David Mixner, Jeremy Hooper at Gay As You, among others. In other words, the LGBT bloggers' glitterati.

Get well soon, Pam, we all love you.

UPDATE, from Pam herself:

• Back home after my slice-and-dice adventure (Pam's House Blend)

Sorta live-blogging from the Holiday Inn in Portland - Election night in Maine

[November 5, 2009] With 99% of precincts reporting, the Bangor Daily News says that 'No on 1' lost with 47.19% of the vote while the 'Yes on 1' side won with 52.81% of the vote.

[1:13 am] The Associated Press: "Gay Marriage-foes claim victory in Maine"

[1:00 am] For the night: As of 12:53am, with 86% of precincts reporting, The Bangor Daily News says that the the anti-gay 'Yes on 1' has 52.74% to 47.26% from 'No on 1'. There are 4 precincts in Portland that haven't reported which should go for our side but it is unlikely that they will cover the 25K vote difference. So, unless a miracle happens, it looks as if the anti-gay forces won tonight.

[11:30 pm] Seen at the ballroom...

[11:08 pm] Tonight, Mainers were also voting on Question 5 which, if approved would make it easier for individuals with certain medical conditions to have access to marijuana. The New York Times is reporting that the marijuana referendum will pass.

[10:00 pm] Maine Governor John Baldacci was also in high spirits tonight as he addressed the crowd.

[9:38 PM] 'No on 1 / Protect Marriage Equality' campaign director Jesse Connolly just went live on Rachel Maddow. By now the room is full and everyone is in high spirits. People had to be told to quiet down a couple of times for the Maddow live-feed.

[9:16 PM] Mary Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director at Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) just gave a rousing speech. As one of the main legal advocates behind the strategy to secure marriage rights in Northeastern states, she said that to win tonight would be that much sweeter. As someone born in Maine, she said, it would be amazing to be able to marry her partner of 22 years in her home state.

[8:41] Second song of the night? Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue". Those of us on the bloggers' team were asked weeks ago for input on which songs the band should sing tonight. The Awesomes are a well-known 80's music cover band here in Portland. The song I submitted? The Thompson Twins' "Lies".

[8:15 pm] Room is filling up. The band's first song of the night: The Pointer Sister's "Automatic". USTREAM already carrying the live-feed of tonight's shin-digs here.

[8:10 pm] Sitting at the bloggers' table at a ballroom at the Holiday Inn in Portland, Maine, waiting for the procedings to begin. Polls close in a couple of minutes and The Bangor Daily News has already began to post some results. The ballroom is still empty, save a tableful of bloggers, a band doing a live-check, and TV news crews. Campaign manager Jesse Connolly was in the room a few minutes ago. He'll be going live on The Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC tonight. The photo is of the window at campaign headquarters the night I met the staff. The place must be pretty empty tonight. But that's where the heart of the campaign still rests.

Jeremy Hooper is is also live-blogging at Good As You and so is Rex at Wockner. Louise is here also from Pam's House Blend.

Hawaii: Don't be gaycist!

You might have heard that the Hawaiian House of Representatives passed a same-sex civil unions bill a week ago today.

You might have heard, as well, that a certain Hawaiian guy recently visited the Big Apple.

Well, a post by Joe.My.God earlier this week on the Hawaiian bill certainly caught my eye. It said that an estimated two thousand Hawaiians, most wearing red shirts, descended upon the state capitol in an anti-gay rally to protest passage of the bill.

Joe later excerpted a blog post at Pam's House Blend by guest blogger Keori which described the scene as she made her way out of the capitol on Tuesday after witnessing the legislative debate on whether the bill would be sent out of committee for a Senate vote:

...[I] forget to take off my little green and gold "equality" sticker on the way out of the building, and be followed to the bus stop by a bunch of red shirts with signs. Three 6'5", 200 pound Islander guys with signs saying "Gay marriage is wrong" and "John 3:16" followed the lone little white girl with her laptop case across the street, yelling at me, "Repent!", calling me a bitch and a whore, telling me, "You just need a real man to fuck you straight." Nothing I haven't heard before.

Then one of them said, "We know who you are now, and what you drive. We saw you last Thursday. You better watch yourself, fucking haole bitch." Not one of the 20 people standing around the bus stop said anything to them. I got on the first bus that came along, got off three stops down the street, and caught my right bus a few minutes later. I rode home all alone, with my headphones on, praying no one bothered me. I don't want to ever hear another fake apology from these people saying that they don't actually hate queers, they're just "protecting traditional marriage". It's just the latest lie in their christian hate grab bag.

It certainly doesn't change her awful experience as she made out of the capitol building but guess who was infiltrating the red homophobic masses.

Why, it's recent Big Apple visitor Kawika! Who probably confused quite a few by holding his "Don't be Gaycist" sign. Love it!