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Content about Straight ally

May 8, 2013
Straight teens launch gay support and anti-bullying campaign

Two straight British 15 year-olds launched a campaign asking people to take a pledge to support young gay people and the wider LGBT community

Two straight British teens who had enough of seeing their gay friends discriminated against and bullied launched a campaign to support LGBT teenagers.

Nathan and Ross, two 15 year-olds based in Merseyside, England are encouraging people to ‘Take The Pledge’ to support of gay young people and the LGBT community.

The web based campaign urges supporters to download a template which has space for their name and a paragraph on why they support LGBT people.

April 25, 2013
Why I am a straight man for gay rights

Demitri Levantis explains the importance of gay rights to straight people today

I remember one of my tutors looking at my CV and noticing I’d written for Gay Star News before starting my journalism course and saying: ‘I assume you’re gay.’

The response I felt was of much annoyance – not because I’ve been in a relationship with a woman for the past two and half years – but for the narrow mindedness displayed by another straight person only a decade or two my senior.

February 27, 2013
John Bercow ‘outs’ rugby star Ben Cohen as gay

Speaker for the House of Commons accidentally called the former England international gay, when he is actually a straight ally

John Bercow may have a job as Speaker for the House of Commons, but that doesn’t mean he always says the right thing.

At a meeting of ParliOut, the Houses of Parliament’s gay staff network, last night (26 February), Bercow was introducing the former England international rugby star.

Ben Cohen, the founder of anti-bullying charity StandUp Foundation, is a straight ally to the gay community and uses his position to fight homophobia.

February 16, 2013
President Obama honors PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford at The White House

'Her legacy carries on, every day, in the countless lives that she touched'

The daughter of the founder the straight ally group Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbians accepted the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal on behalf of her late mother from President Barack Obama on Friday (15 February).

Jeanne Manford, who founded PFLAG in 1972, died last month at the age of 92. So her daughter, Suzanne Swan, traveled to The White House and stood in her place as Obama handed the nation’s second-highest civilian honor to Manford and 12 other honorees.

February 9, 2013
Founder of Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbians (PFLAG) to receive second-highest civilian honor in US

Jeanne Manford will posthumously receive 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal

Jeanne Manford, who founded the straight ally group Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbians (PFLAG) in 1972, will posthumously receive 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal next week from President Barack Obama.

Manford died last month at the age of 92 but part of her legacy will now be as a recipient of nation’s second-highest civilian honor. It is given to those who display a commitment to public service.

January 24, 2013
NFL's Brendon Ayanbadejo wants to use Super Bowl to promote marriage equality

Baltimore Ravens center also wants to use occasion for anti-bullying message

The Baltimore Ravens’ Brendon Ayanbadejo and his team may be headed to the Super Bowl but that doesn't mean he's not mean this straight ally of the LGBT community is still not thinking of ways to promote marriage equality.

The NFL center says he recently had 'Jerry Maguire moment' when, at 3:40 am, he emailed a political ally: 'Is there anything I can do for marriage equality or anti- bullying over the next couple of weeks to harness this Super Bowl media?'

January 9, 2013
Founder of Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbians (PFLAG) dies at 92

Jeanne Manford, who had a gay son, created the group in 1972

Jeanne Manford, who founded the straight ally group Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbians (PFLAG) in 1972, died on Tuesday (8 January) at the age of 92.

Manford had been in declining health for some time.

'All of us - people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight allies alike - owe Jeanne our gratitude,' PFLAG officials said in a statement. 'She paved the way for us to speak out for what is right, uniting the unique parent, family, and ally voice with the voice of LGBT people everywhere.'

November 15, 2012
Dan Savage thanks straight allies for gay marriage

Creator of It Gets Better campaign Dan Savage launches Straight Up Thanks, a photo website recognizing straight people who actively pushed for marriage equality in America's latest election

It wasn't just the gay community that made the 2012 US elections historic for marriage equality.

Author, journalist and founder of the It Gets Better campaign Dan Savage wants to publicly thank the straight allies who worked and volunteered to block Minnesota's anti-gay marriage amendment and helped marriage equality pass in Maine, Maryland and Washington and Minnesota.

October 31, 2012
Gays and straights doing more to win equality at work

New report released at Out & Equal’s conference shows US is moving forward equality agenda at work

More gay people are standing up for themselves at work and ‘straight allies’ are keen to flex their muscles to support their LGBT colleagues.

That’s the finding of a new study released this morning in Baltimore, Maryland where Out & Equal is having it’s annual gay and trans workplace summit.

The Harris Interactive and Witeck Communications study found that a little over a quarter (26%) of US adults self-identify as allies to the LGBT community.

October 30, 2012
Out & Equal summit bounces back after Sandy with new book

Delegates get back to workplace conference in Baltimore after disruption caused by Hurricane Sandy overnight

The Out & Equal LGBT Workplace Summit has got under way again in the wake of Hurricane Sandy – with the launch of a new book.

The city of Baltimore, Maryland was battered by the Sandy Halloween ‘Frankenstorm’ overnight (29 to 30 October) but downtown survived relatively unscathed.

August 1, 2012
All Out celebrates one million members with new video

Pop stars Mika and Pharrell Williams lend music to video featuring stories of gay campaign group's members

Global gay rights group All Out is celebrating reaching a milestone one million members with a montage video featuring vox pops from supporters.

The short film, which also features the new single Celebrate by pop singer Mika and hip hop artist Pharrell Williams, stars members of the organization telling their stories.

July 31, 2012
Gay rights protesters hold hunger strike for 100 days

Michigan LGBT groups campaign against state's anti-gay laws by holding hunger strike in 24-hour shifts on live webcam

LGBT groups in the US have begun a 100-day hunger strike to protest state laws which the campaigners claim are anti-gay.

Leaders from the Community Centers Network (CCN), which is made up of eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups in Michigan, are refusing food for 24-hour shifts, living on display in the front windows of Affirmations, the state’s largest LGBT community center on 9 Mile Road, in the heart of downtown Ferndale.

July 29, 2012
Michigan LGBT leaders plan 100-day hunger strike

Eight gay-rights groups in Michigan join forces to educate 'straight allies about the extreme anti-equality government in this state'
 

Leaders from gay rights groups in Michigan will embark on a 100-day hunger strike.

Starting tomorrow 30 July, leaders from eight different gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights groups will go without food for 24 hours as part of their Hungry4Equality campaign.

Hungry4Equality is designed to raise awareness of specific issues facing the LGBT community, according to David Garcia, executive director of LGBT group Affirmations in Ferndale.

April 30, 2012
Zach Wahls talks about his book 'My Two Moms'

Iowan Zach Wahls makes the case for gay equality with his new book

Only a crank, or Rick Santorum, would say anything negative about Zach Wahls.