This year, a friend and I were talking about gender affirmation surgery and how expensive it is. We were pondering all sorts of ideas on how to raise some money for my surgery and how to best help the community at large. It’s no joke trying to have twenty one thousand dollars to affirm your own gender and bring into congruence your mental and physical beings. Thus, Butterfly Transitions was born.

You can stop asking what you can do to help further equality in the United States (and beyond) now. As previously discussed on Closet Talk with Tanner Efinger, Equality Across America has made a call to action for the week of Harvey Milk Day (May 22). In response, grassroots organizations and activists have been popping up all over the country.

Organizing of the EAA – Texas conference is well underway, with most of the logistics already worked out. Now, we get to do the fun stuff. Remember though, even if you can’t help organize, you can start planning to attend.

Today, I learned that action is inspiring. Tomorrow, I hope to learn that it’s also contagious.

As my facebook, twitter and email exploded today with little clips of the DADT Rally, I marveled at an act of well timed genius. While the HRC was negotiating equality with the well-oiled political machine, the people were speaking. Grassroots activists took to the streets refusing to negotiate their rights… our rights.

We’ve written a lot of letters, most of which have been to our elected officials and representatives. While those letters have made a difference, we have to ask ourselves, “How do we reach the people?”

Our friend from the Nationwide Chalk Message Project, Jen Dugan, came up with a fantastic idea a couple of months ago to do just that.

Lady Gaga asked President Obama at the National Equality March “ARE YOU LISTENING?”

I ask you. “ARE YOU SPEAKING?”

Today the Examiner reported that Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jared Polis (D-CO)

“…said the House is set to pass bills to provide health coverage for the same-sex partners of gay federal workers and to protect all gay and transgender employees from job discrimination. They said they expect a domestic partner benefits bill to come up for a vote by the end of the year and the employment bill to reach the floor early in 2010.

Baldwin and Polis said they are also confident that the House will include a provision in the military spending bill to repeal the Clinton-era “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, which prohibits LGBT people from serving in the U.S. military.”

In 29 states, it’s still legal to fire someone because they’re gay; in 38 states it is legal to fire someone for being transgender. ENDA will make it illegal to fire a person based on their sexual orientation or genetic identity (as usual, some restrictions apply). Here is a Summary of legislation and cosponsors.

I was first introduced to Dr. Michael T. Schmitt’s work by way of jaysays.com’s resident scientist, Jude. After seeing his video presentation, I knew I had to have him on the show. Dr. Schmitt, along with Dr. Justin Lehmiller and Dr. Allison Walsh, published the article, “The Role of Heterosexual Identity Threat in Differential Support for Same-Sex ‘Civil Unions’ veruses ‘Marriages’ in the journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

Ami and Ruby were married in a ceremony that was not recognized by their state; however, once marriage was allowed in California, and knowing that Proposition 8 was looming, the couple headed south and tied the knot. Now, they are trekking around the country through many states that don’t recognize their marriage with the goal of visiting all states that do (including the District of Columbia).

Susan Parker joined me last night on Closet Talk to discuss her new book, Walking in the Deep End, a memoir. Parker is a passionate advocate for the needs of people suffering from depression and eating disorders and confronts these often taboo subjects head on in her memoir.

We discussed Parker’s growing up in an evangelical family, her bulimia, coping with the suicides of family members and dealing with depression, Susan’s early homophobia (which resulted in unkindness toward her friends who would come out to her), and how, after discovering she wasn’t a zero on the Kinsey scale of sexual orientation, her relationships with those people changed.

The National Equality March is fast approaching. Organizers launched the National Equality March Song Contest weeks ago and four finalists have been chosen and I must say the finalists are as diverse as our community. In them you’ll here the influence of show tunes, blues, jazz and new age.

Here’s your chance to vote for your favorite. Voting will end at 5:00 p.m. PST on October 1, 2009. You may vote via YouTube or Facebook simply by rating the song on YouTube or giving it a thumbs up/thumbs down on Facebook.

Congratulations to all finalists. Great songs! [songs after the jump]