12.23.09 Editor’s Desk

Trying to wrap up an entire year’s worth of events in 700 or so words is a daunting task. There is no way I can easily convey the news that affected the LGBT community in 2009 on this one page. Where would I start? The Matthew Sheperd Act was surely a high point this year, and a low point was undoubtedly the decision of Maine’s voters to overturn its legislature’s approval of same-sex marriage.

Presenting a year-end wrap-up is difficult. What is considered big news to one person isn’t so big to another. For example, international debate over the treatment of gays in an African nation probably isn’t as important to the late night crowd of the local gay club as the breakthrough dance mixes of Lady Gaga. The ongoing battle for the repeal of Florida’s adoption ban may not be on the forefront of a gay person who doesn’t want to have kids, but it’s still an important issue to Martin Gill, the North Miami man who wants to adopt his two foster children.

As we say goodbye to another year, it’s only natural for us to want to look back and reflect on the accomplishments and defeats of the previous 12 months. On the surface, it appears 2009 was a rough one for the LGBT community.

I am not a negative person. I’ve always been a glass-is-half-full kind of guy. But browsing through this year’s headlines, it’s easy to get discouraged. Marriage equality was defeated by voters in several states—even after their respective legislatures passed same-sex marriage in the spring. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is still keeping our military brothers and sisters in the closet and non-U.S. partners of citizens are not granted the same immigration rights as their straight counterparts.

It is still illegal for us to adopt a child in this state and our president, who was so embracing of us during his campaign, still hasn’t moved on federally protecting members of our community.

It is frustrating to look at the number of obstacles we still have to overcome to truly be considered equal citizens in the United States. Sometimes I wonder if the calendar is really going to say 2010 or if we’re reverting to the early 1960s.

But, as I said, that’s what I see when I look at the surface of what was 2009. Fortunately, upon closer examination, the past year can provide hope for our future.

I prefer to look at the positive side of 2009, which included:

• The Matthew Sheperd Act, which was finally signed into law by Obama in October. This is the first time federal hate crimes legislation has directly addressed discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• Same-sex marriage in Iowa, a state never associated with the LGBT community in any real, public way. The state’s legislature passed the law, and couples from around the country took advantage of the opportunity, and it appears that gay marriage is here to stay in that state.
• Thousands of people marching on Washington, D.C. this year to bring attention to LGBT rights. The need for equality was once again brought to the national spotlight in a very big way.
• Gay characters making a huge impact on television. Modern Family on ABC brought us a hilarious look at a same-sex couple struggling with parenthood and Fox’s Glee didn’t hesitate to introduce a gay angle in its pilot.
• Carrie Prejean, the outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage who lost the title to the Miss U.S.A. crown after sharing her views on the stage. She was immediately adopted as a right-wing darling before she was immersed in her own sex photo scandal.

The list could go on and on. Fortunately for our readers and for me, I’m not going to drone on for hundreds of words here. Our dedicated staff at Watermark has scanned our 2009 archives to find the top news items of 2009. Each year it seems LGBT people are becoming more embedded in the mainstream news. From politics to sports and arts and entertainment—we’re everywhere.

We hope this issue gives you a summary of the year that was 2009 and hope for the brand new decade that begins with 2010. As for us, we will continue bringing you the pertinent LGBT news for another year both in print and online.

Happy Holidays.