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Tag: gay activists

  • Linda Wallem And Melissa Etheridge Marry In California

    Melissa Etheridge, rock singer-songwriter and activist, married her partner of four years Linda Wallem in California on Saturday. The ceremony was held at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito.

    Etheridge was excited about her wedding and even tweeted before the ceremony and said, “A gorgeous, perfect, beautiful day to get married.”

    Etheridge and Wallem, both 53, exchanged vows under an arbor decorated with purple and red flowers. Etheridge wore a gray suit and had her hair down, while Wallem donned a sparkly white dress. Witnesses to the union included Whitney Cummings, Chelsea Handler, Peter Facinelli, and Rosie O’Donnell.

    After the wedding, Etheridge tweeted a photo with the caption, “True love… so blessed. ‘By the power invested in me by the state of California…’ Thanks.”

    Wallem is a producer and writer who created Nurse Jackie. She also worked on other notable shows, such as Cybill, That 70’s Show, and Whitney.

    The two got engaged in 2013, a little after the US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. When the news was announced, Etheridge said that she was looking forward to marrying her fiancée. “I’m going to get married in the state of California, I woke the kids up this morning telling them the Supreme Court ruling on DOMA… I love everybody out there. It’s a great day,” she said then.

    Etheridge came out in 1993 at the Triangle Ball gay celebration. She has been a gay rights activist since then, and also shows her support for several environmental issues. Just last January, she formed Uprising of Love, in order to support Russian LGBT activists.

    Etheridge and Wallem started dating in 2010. Etheridge has 7-year-old twins with her ex Tammy Lynn Michaels, and she also has a son and a daughter from her previous relationship with Julie Cypher.

    Etheridge will be releasing a new solo album in September.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ian McKellen Protests Against Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws With Help From Nobel Prize Winners

    Ian Mckellen is certainly one of the more outspoken of the homosexual celebrities, and often uses his influence to help others when he can.

    Russia has been criticized for its treatment of gay people a fair amount recently, and with the Olympics right around the corner, some people have decided to write a letter to President Putin, and make their opinions heard.

    In addition to Sir Ian Mckellen, the actor is joined by 27 other Nobel laureates from the fields of science and the arts, and they are demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin repeal the repressive homophobic legislation that has put his country at the center of an international fury over gay rights.

    The letter was formulated by Ian Mckellen and chemist Sir Harry Koto, along with signatures from leading figures such as geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, novelist J.M. Coetzee, and physicist Brian Schmidt.

    The Russian law, which was enacted last year, outlaws the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations among minors.’’

    As stated in the letter, the actor and his fellow activists assert that “The letter is written to indicate that many senior members of the international scientific community show solidarity with politicians, artists, sports people and many others who have already expressed their abhorrence for the Russian government’s actions against its gay citizens.”

    One of the things that prompted Ian Mckellen to be involved in the situation, and with Russia’s policy in particular, was the fact that he had been advised by the UK Foreign Office to not speak openly about his sexuality while in Russia, and he had turned down the opportunity to appear at Russian film festivals as a result.

    The latest appeal to Russian lawmakers comes shortly before the Winter Olympics are scheduled to begin in Sochi, which will premiere on February 6th. The 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be the first time that the Russian Federation will have hosted the Winter Games, and while the Olympics is often an exciting time for fans, this one will be filled with controversy.

    A large number of people have already vowed to protest the country’s anti-gay laws and despite the fact that they have been threatened with fines and potential jail time, several athletes competing in the games are also scheduled to protest.

    Along with a number of others, Ian Mckellen has been getting involved in the protests over Russia’s laws against homosexuality.

    Can the influence of celebrities and high-powered individuals have an influence on President Putin?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons