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Quote UnQuote

Compiled by Rex Wockner

Published Thursday, 03-Jun-2010 in issue 1171

“There seems to be, of concern to me, young men that are now sick again or are HIV-positive, and I think that (is) because they were too young to see what happened 20 years ago, to know the devastation and the absolute heartbreak that accompanied that time.”

Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker to Towleroad.com, May 28.

“We’ve heard all we can stand to hear from leaders in Congress. They promised a vote this calendar year and we expect them to honor their word. As the window continues to slowly close on available legislative calendar dates to vote on ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) in the House and in the Senate, we will continue to hold Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader (Harry) Reid accountable for the direct promise they made to the LGBT community. Our community has done the work to lobby and educate members of Congress on the need for a fully inclusive ENDA and now is the time to stop the talking and start the voting.”

GetEQUAL co-chair Robin McGehee in a May 19 statement.

“It was the first time I’ve done something like that by myself. ... I was close enough to see Obama’s face. I worked so hard on his campaign and I still believe in him and I support him and I wish I didn’t have to have that exchange with him and I saw the anger on his face when I started speaking, but I’m angry too, and I can’t be silent.”

GetEQUAL co-chair Kip Williams to this column May 25 after he was arrested for yelling at President Obama about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell at a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer in San Francisco.

“In the U.S., it’s very frustrating, in a way, that what Harvey (Milk) fought hardest about in San Francisco more than three decades ago was protection in employment and housing, and we still don’t have that in more than half the country. We do not have it federally, and we are still debating in Congress whether we should have employment nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people.”

Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk’s nephew, to San Diego’s Gay & Lesbian Times, May 20.

“When it’s one of their own (coming out), I think it forces people to take it a little more seriously. In that way, (country music star) Chely Wright has the promise of being far more impactful in coming out in red states where people couldn’t give two hoots about Ellen DeGeneres.”

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation President Jarrett Barrios to The New York Times, May 21.

“They come to Daddy. They know Daddy has a loud mouth.”

Veteran activist Larry Kramer on his involvement with efforts to stop the world’s oldest AIDS organization, New York City’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis, from moving to a new building, to Gay City News, May 28. Story: tinyurl.com/3acezxv.

“My practice in my entire political career when it came to gay issues was to prevent any kind of spotlight from being shined my way, because I was in hiding. So casting any kind of vote might, could in some way lead to my secret being revealed. That was terrifying to me. It was paralyzing. So I cast some votes that have denied gay people of their basic, equal treatment under the law, and I’m not proud of it. I’m not going to do that again.”

Outed California state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, to Los Angeles’ KNBC, May 27.