Activists say Obama got off to a slow start as president on their priority issues, but he won many over by repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military and by instructing the Justice Department to stop defending in court a federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
But we haven’t made this progress alone. Straight allies have been beside us every step of the way, courageously standing up for their LGBT friends, co-workers, and neighbors and showing the world that fairness is a value we should all work for.
Courtney Mitchell, 41, and Sarah Welton, 48, from Denver, Colorado, celebrated in a Hindu Nepalese tradition at the Dakshinkali temple south of Katmandu, the capital of the Himalayan nation. Local gay rights activists and supporters cheered the ceremony attended by their close friends.
Every element of the festival is eco-friendly. The tents are being locally designed for environmental sustainability, a tree will be planted for every ticket sold and the bottles and utensils will be 100 percent biodegradable.
An estimated 300,000 people attended this year’s Denver PrideFest. The two day event — June 18 and 19 — is the Mile High City’s annual celebration of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Following a parade, thousands gathered at Civic Center to dance and “mingle.”