Pride Jewelry

ICE.com

It’s been awhile since I mentioned this jewelry store and I feel bad for neglecting it because it really is one of my all time favorite online shops. ICE com is cheap but the gems are perfect, just as good as from stores that charge thousands for the same thing.

There is plenty of designer jewelry at Ice com too. Some of the hottest names from classics to the up and comers. You will love the selection of jewelry there, it’s all just what you need for Valentines Day.

I love pearls and color. Whether it’s gemstones that top a pearl on a pendant like the center image above, or a combination of different shades of pearls.  It’s just that there is nothing that can class up an outfit like pearls, you know what I mean?

Now talking about pearls and colored gemstones, take a look at the rhodolite and pearl necklace and earrings above, so gorgeous. I adore the intense raspberry sparkle of this garnet, add that to the soft pearls and you have jewelry that is almost to wonderful to wear.

Any and all of the above gifts are a great choice for a Valentines Day gift. Your girlfriend will be very thankful for any of the gorgeous baubles on sale at Ice com.

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Join my Gay PRIDE group and help me spread the word about how wrong things like ex-gay propaganda are

SHOCKING article from Change.org

When Public Schools Peddle Ex-Gay Propaganda
BY MICHAEL A. JONES

You expect your kids to come home from school with homework, maybe a report card, or a note from the teacher. But would you expect your kids to come home with a flier from an ex-gay organization? At a public school no less?

Turn to Montgomery County, just outside of Washington, D.C., where a group of high school students were officially given literature from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), an ex-gay organization that believes that sexual orientation is a self-chosen identity, and collaborates with organizations who view homosexuality as destructive. What did the flier given to students say?

According to teachthefacts.org, the flier told students that if they were LGBT or knew someone who identified as LGBT, that they could change. Oh, and of course, that scientists have yet to discover the “gay center of the brain.”

“Every year thousands of people with unwanted same-sex attractions make the personal decision to leave a gay identity through gender affirming programs, including therapy, faith based ministries, and other non-judgmental environments,” the PFOX flier stated. “No ‘gay gene’ or gay center of the brain has been found. No medical test exists to determine if a person is homosexual. Sexual orientation is based on feelings and is a matter of self-affirmation and public declaration.”

Huh, maybe next week the Montgomery County Public Schools would like to hand out fliers suggesting that the world is flat? Because that carries about as much scientific fact as what PFOX is saying. Tell the Montgomery County Public Schools that peddling propaganda from ex-gay organizations is not only harmful to LGBT students, it’s also an affront to science.

PFOX claims to have distributed the flier as a means of drawing attention to the discrimination that ex-gay people face. But as the Washington City Paper’s Amanda Hess points out, PFOX doesn’t really have all that many ex-gays among its membership. Just a lot of straight people who talk about how gay people can change their sexual orientation.

But PFOX and their bad science aside, what was the Montgomery County Public School system thinking? The President of the School Board even admitted that these fliers “probably” ran counter to what children are taught in the classroom.

“These fliers are probably counter to what is available in our health curriculum,” said President Patricia O’Neill. Really? So would you hand out a flier that says 2+2=67 too?

The school district said they were forced by a previous lawsuit to distribute the fliers. But does litigation really mean giving your students misinformation? As teachthefacts.org notes, that’s just not a good enough justification.

“This is damaging both to gay adolescents who need understanding and accurate information at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable, and to the others, who are forming attitudes and stereotypes, and are likely to believe this junk about gay people choosing not to be gay, especially since it is handed out by their teachers, at school,” they write.

If you agree, send the Montgomery County Public Schools a message that ex-gay fliers — fliers that counter what’s being taught in student health classes — don’t deserve to be distributed like the lunch menu.

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Valentine’s Day – Get FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING on orders for $175 USD or more. Coupon Code: FS175PLUS

The chubby little cherub named Cupid is going to be in town any day now and you know what that means. It’s almost Valentines Day! Yay! I know so many people abhor this holiday but I love it. I don’t care that I’m single I want to celebrate anyway and it doesn’t matter to me that I don’t actually like most of the candy that comes in those cheesy red velvet boxes, I want them anyway. (I really really do love the boxes, so pretty!)

If you have a partner and you want to really get him or her something special but have no clue where to start then check out a good gift guide. This will supply you with a ton of great ideas for mens and womens jewelry and accessories. Let Forzieri’s style experts lead you through an inspirational choice of gifts with the Holiday Gift Guide.

Having help like this can really take the load off if you are looking for the perfect Valentine gift for the one closest to your heart. They have some great sales in time for this holiday as well as free shipping. Don’t waste any more time, remember, Cupids coming! I can hear his little wings beating now.

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Love and Pride Lesbian Jewelry – Best sellers

Valentines heart jewelry is just one of those things that never ceases to charm. They are pretty, classic and fun. Of course there are some that go above and beyond, some that even dare to step away from the true classic sense and really, this only makes them even better in my book. On a romantic day like this, you can’t ever feel bad about giving this kind of jewelry gift.

This is one of those Valentines heart necklaces. It is clearly a heart which stands for love in the truest sense of the word but with a twist, the kind only Love and Pride lesbian jewelry would offer us. It’s the perfect gift for the lesbian love of your life. It’s made of stainless steel and those two little female symbols at the bottom of the heart are just precious and perfect for a romantic day like Valentine’s Day.

Love and Pride has lots of other great Valentine’s gift ideas, but this is one that is highly affordable, fashionable and great for a girl you have been dating for a month or a decade. I love the versatility and the cotton cord it comes on too!

It’s the ideal Valentines heart for the ideal woman in your life on the most romantic day of the year.

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Join Me In My Fight For Equality By Joining My Gay Pride Facebook Page

Obama, military push to lift gay ban
News update, Feb. 2, 2010
by Tracy Baim

Military leaders testified before the U.S. Senate Feb. 2 about “how” not “when” the military’s gay ban will be lifted.

“The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how best we prepare for it,” Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We have received our orders from the commander in chief and we are moving out accordingly.” However, it is up to Congress to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law.

Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate committee: “No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.” Later via “thejointstaff” Twitter account Mullen also stated: “Stand by what I said: Allowing homosexuals to serve openly is the right thing to do. Comes down to integrity.”

The hearing happened just days after President Barack Obama used his first official State of the Union speech Jan. 27 as an opportunity to call for the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that had been implemented by the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, in his own failed bid to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly.

Gates said there will be a 45-day period to review and implement improvements in enforcement practices, the ACLU reported.

“While less draconian enforcement is long overdue and welcome, it will be no substitute for Congress taking the discriminatory law entirely out of the U.S. Code,” said Christopher Anders, ACLU senior legislative counsel.

This marks the first time in 17 years that Congress has held hearings on the military and gay servicemembers.

Gates and Mullen “announced the creation of a working group whose outcomes must be nothing less than full equality and full access to all of the benefits and obligations required by military service,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The Human Rights Campaign urged the military to include non-military experts in the group, but no non-military names have been listed so far. The American Forces Press Service reports that the working group will be headed by Jeh Johnson, the Pentagon’s top lawyer, and Army Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Army Europe.

“We are encouraged by Secretary Gates’ announcement that, as a first step, the Department of Defense will no longer aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay servicemembers whose orientation is revealed against their will by third parties so that as few qualified and patriotic Americans as possible are discharged from the armed forces because of their sexual orientation,” said the Center for American Progress ( CAP ) .

The response from the LGBT community to Obama’s speech was mixed, ranging from skepticism to optimism.

“This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do,” Obama said to loud applause, mainly from Democrats.

More than 13,500 servicemembers have fallen victim to DADT since it was created in 1994, according to SLDN, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. The military claims the number is 10,900.

In Obama’s first year, far fewer gays were kicked out than the prior year, 2008. This could be in part because of personnel needs for the two wars being waged. The Pentagon said Feb. 1 that there were 428 DADT-related discharges in 2009 compared to 619 in 2008.

“It was heartening to hear President Obama mention that he would work with Congress to overturn Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” said Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer USA retired, in an email to Windy City Times. “I would be honored to have a Commander in Chief, acting as one, acting as President Truman, and pushing for the repeal of a law which has created two classes of people, one open and affirming and the other second class, secretive and disrespected. It is past time when the dedicated commitment of gay and lesbian servicemembers is acknowledged and celebrated by allowing them to serve in the military with full appreciation of their humanity.”

“While the President promised that DADT would come to an end ‘this year,’ he did not provide specifics — and the White House still has not released a plan to kill it. That’s unacceptable,” said Lt. Dan Choi, an Army lieutenant fighting his discharge under DADT. “I served in the Army for a decade under [ DADT ] — an immoral policy that forces American soldiers to lie about their sexual orientation. Worse, it forces others to tolerate deception. As I learned at West Point, deception and lies poison a unit and cripple a fighting force.”

Obama is perhaps responding to increased pressure from LGBT activists and Democratic Party donors who are withholding their support of Dems until they see more dramatic progress on LGBT issues. Even though Obama did sign into law the gay-inclusive federal hate-crimes law, and lifted the HIV+ travel ban, LGBT activists and leaders are seeking more progress, and lifting DADT would send a strong signal that Obama is willing to fight the more controversial battles for gay rights.

Openly gay Chicago Ald. Tom Tunney was at the speech, as the guest of U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley. He was seated above and behind the president, so he had a bird’s eye view of the fidgeting Republicans. “It was mind boggling,” Tunney said. “It was just awesome to hear the words, but the chemistry and dynamism of the room was amazing. There were so many elected officials and the Supreme Court justices. As a listener and student of politics, it was more intriguing to see the non-verbals, the reactions and cynicism of the Republicans.”

Tunney said it was an honor to be there, after having heard so many Obama speeches over the years, including at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He said he “looks forward to having more visits to D.C., for substantive discussion” on issues that impact the LGBT community.

The President also mentioned the hate-crimes law in his speech: “We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate.” And he included HIV and AIDS among the list of international causes the U.S. is helping.

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain said the DADT policy is “working,” and the ban should stay. In a statement that could be taken as conflicting, Fox News reported that McCain praised all servicemembers while clearly not backing those who are gay: “I am immensely proud of, and thankful for, every American who wears the uniform of our country, especially at a time of war, and I believe it would be a mistake to repeal the policy.”

“We applaud President Obama tonight for his call to Congress to repeal [ DADT ] this year, setting the stage for the beginning of the end of DADT,” SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis stated in a press release. “The climate is ripe for repeal, but the fight is far from over.”

Human Rights Campaign used the speech to announce a “Voices of Honor” campaign to push for the end of DADT.

The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, being pushed by Iraq War veteran Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Penn., would replace DADT with open service by qualified lesbian and gay servicemembers.

Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart stated: “We have heard promises before about ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and we welcome the President’s statement that the time has finally come to fulfill that promise. Very little has changed since Lambda Legal represented Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer 18 years ago after she was discharged for being a lesbian. Changing this discriminatory policy is long overdue.”

“Although brief, his language was plain, his message was clear, and the outline of his strategy was smart,” said Alexander Nicholson, founder and Executive Director of Servicemembers United, a group for gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their allies. “This effort will indeed be a challenge for our community, and the resistance of those who support discrimination in our armed forces should not be underestimated.”

Nicholson is also a plantiff in Log Cabin Republicans vs. the U.S., a challenge to DADT filed after the Supreme Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas. The case is headed to trial this June. Nicholson is a former U.S. Army Human Intelligence Collector who speaks multiple languages, including Arabic; he was fired because of DADT six months after 9/11. Another injured party in the case, listed as ‘John Doe,’ serves in the Armed Forces. Log Cabin said “in an alarming contradiction to his stated public policy position, President Obama has instructed his Justice Department to fight” this lawsuit.

“The day after the State of the Union address, President Obama’s lawyers ‘bombed’ us with so much paperwork that we can only conclude that the Justice Department’s legal strategy is at odds with the President’s position and his recent statements,” said Dan Woods, a partner in the Los Angeles office of White & Case, who is representing the Log Cabin Republicans. “Despite his repeated pledge to do away with ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ his lawyers are continuing to fight this lawsuit in court.”

The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law has released a research brief that updates estimates of the number of LGB men and women serving in the U.S. military along with the cost of the DADT policy.

“Despite official policy requiring that lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals remain silent about their sexual orientation, data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest that an estimated 66,000 LGB men and women are serving in the U.S. military,” about 2.2% of personnel, said the study’s author, Dr. Gary J. Gates. About 13,000 LGB people are serving on active duty ( comprising 0.9% of all active duty personnel ) while nearly 53,000 are serving in the guard and reserve forces ( 3.4% ) .

The study updates estimates of the cost of DADT policy made by the General Accountability Office and the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Ending DADT “will save a substantial amount of taxpayer dollars since estimates suggest that the policy has cost more than half a billion dollars,” Gates said.

The study also found that while women comprise only about 14% of active duty personnel, they comprise more than 43% of LGB men and women serving on active duty. The military spends an estimated $22,000 to $43,000 per person to replace those discharged under DADT.

The day after his speech, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the University of Tampa, and student Hector Flores asked about same-sex marriages: “what are you doing now to put in motion so that same-sex couples and homosexuals are treated as equal citizens of the United States, i.e., same-sex marriages and the thousand-plus benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy after marriage?”

Obama responded: “Look, as I said last night, my belief is, is that a basic principle in our Constitution is that if you’re obeying the law, if you’re following the rules, that you should be treated the same, regardless of who you are. ( Applause. ) I think that principle applies to gay and lesbian couples. So at the federal level, one of the things that we’re trying to do is to make sure that partnerships are recognized for purposes of benefits so that hospital visitation, for example, is something that is permitted; that Social Security benefits or pension benefits or others, that same-sex couples are recognized in all those circumstances.

“I think that we’ve got to — we actually have an opportunity of passing a law that’s been introduced in Congress right now, and my hope is this year we can get it done, just for federal employees and federal workers. A lot of companies, on their own, some of the best-run companies have adopted these same practices. I think it’s the right thing to do and it makes sense for us to take a leadership role in ensuring that people are treated the same. ( Applause. )

“Look, if you are — regardless of your personal opinions, the notion that somebody who’s working really hard for 30 years can’t take their death benefits and transfer them to the person that they love the most in the world and who has supported them all their lives, that just doesn’t seem fair. It doesn’t seem right. ( Applause. ) And I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Report details at: www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinsitute

Also see www.sldn.org and www.hrc.org/VoicesOfHonor

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Shop Zales.com for Guaranteed Valentine’s Day Delivery – Restrictions Apply

One of the biggest problems with last minute shopping online for Valentines Day gifts is worrying about whether the shipping will get the jewelry where it needs to be on time. Zales offers guaranteed Valentine’s Day delivery. This is a huge deal and is sure to take a big weight off of shoppers like me that can’t seem to help but procrastinate.

Getting the right gift for your partner is always important and Zales is a huge online presence with great ideas for men and women, kids too for that matter! Lot it! Great sales too, so check them out for your Valentine shopping this year.

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Valentine’s Day Crystal Ribbon Necklaces

Valentine flowers may be pretty but they can’t hold a candle to unique jewelry like crystal ribbon necklaces. This one from jewelry designer Gerard Yosca is I think the best one I’ve ever seen. Like EVER!

When wearing crystal ribbon necklaces a girl doesn’t have to wear anything else. I meant as far as jewelry, but really, if you walked in naked people may not even notice because they would be too busy gazing at the necklace.

There is only one reason to not get crystal ribbon necklaces for your partner and that is that she will never again be satisfied with Valentine flowers. The clear crystals are sparkling, the black beads positively shine and the ribbon is silky and smooth. The depth of the necklace and the different textures come together seamlessly. I love it!

I’ve never looked at crystal ribbon necklaces the way I look at this one, I’ve found a whole new style of jewelry to hunt around for. This crystal necklace has a lobster claw clasp and it’s adjustable between 17 and 20 inches long. Forget those Valentine flowers and try something new.

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All images of gay and lesbian bridal jewelry in this post are from ICE.com

It is often heard that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but I believe that men would love to trade in the dog for diamonds any day, because everyone loves diamonds. Any man will know that giving the man he loves that beautiful diamond ring or necklace he’s always wanted will keep him out of the dog house for a long time to come.

Even with all the contention concerning same sex marriage gays and lesbians should still commit to one another and commitment rings and other bridal jewelry to wear and give at ceremonies is still an important right of passage. Love an Pride has one for all the lesbian brides and gay grooms out there, I promise.

Gay and Lesbian Diamond Jewellery Gifts at Love and Pride

Diamond jewelry gifts are suitable for all occasions, whether it be for Christmas, Valentines or that special Birthday treat. But again, even though same sex marriage is a no-no right now in California there is no better time to pick out the perfect commitment rings or engagement rings for when the tides change. The L&P selection of diamond, white and yellow gold, platinum and titanium gay and lesbian commitment rings are unsurpassed in both quality and style.

Just ask any girl what she would like for that big day and you can be assured that the answer will be diamonds–and if she is one of the very few who would rather a colored stone well Love and Pride has that covered too. Yay!

There are many online diamond jewelry stores offering an array of diamond jewelry gifts such as diamond necklaces, diamond bracelets, diamond earrings and, of course diamond rings but two of my all time favorites are ICE.com you can see their images here their bridal jewelry is amazing, don’t forget that you need more than just commitment rings.

Nothing Says “I Love You” Like a Diamond Engagement Ring

If you are planning to ask the woman you love to marry you, what better way is there than to find a creative way to offer her a lesbian diamond ring? If you are looking for the perfect diamond engagement ring and bridal jewelry you are set between these two amazing and affordable online jewelry stores.

Diamond Jewellery For Men

Of course, diamond jewelry is not just for women. Today it is not unknown to see a famous footballer or rock star with a diamond earring or a huge ring ( or three) on their hand. In recent years, it has become quite the fashion for men to sport a nice diamond stud. So guys, if you are looking for a perfect gift for your man, look no further.

And if you are planning to get married you need some gorgeous commitment rings and perhaps some classy cuff links like those at Love and Pride.

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Today’s print edition of the New York Times features a tremendous article on TLDEF’s Name Change Project. It’s tremendous not just in that it features lengthy interviews with four Name Change Project participants – Em, Katherine, Kit & Roberta. It’s that the article makes clear that the movement for transgender rights is experiencing tremendous growth. And that it recognizes that a project like ours – providing free and low-cost legal name changes to community members in partnership with some of the world’s most prestigious law firms – “sends an important message to the world” that “the relatively new field of transgender law” is making its mark and is here to stay.

Adding to its historic status as a capital of finance, fashion, and the arts, we couldn’t be more pleased that with our “rare network of some 200 lawyers,” we’ve “contributed to Manhattan’s becoming a capital of” name changes for transgender people. And we couldn’t be more grateful to the hundreds of community members who, over the course of the two-and-a-half years since we founded the Name Change Project, have entrusted us to provide them with the help they need to ensure their legal identities match who they are and how they live their lives.

We founded the Name Change Project with the simple idea that giving transgender people adequate legal representation when they seek name changes would help them successfully negotiate the process and move forward with their lives. As project participant Kit Yan described it in the article, the name change process can be intimidating. Indeed, Kit described how he failed twice when he tried on his own to get the law to recognize his name before turning to the Name Change Project for help. We play just a small part in the much larger journey that project participants embark upon, but we’re grateful for the opportunity to do our part for each of the hundreds of people who come to us for help.

Many people have helped make the Name Change Project a success. It is no overstatement to say that this program would not exist without the extraordinary support of the hundreds of volunteer lawyers and law firms in the New York legal community who have partnered with us. They have devoted thousands of hours to transgender community members through their work with the Name Change Project. We are grateful to them for their generosity. Foundations like the Paul Rapoport Foundation and the Rubin Family Foundation placed early bets that we would succeed. Our Name Change Project Coordinator, Barbara Shulman, makes the task of matching hundreds of clients with hundreds of lawyers and ensuring that everyone stays on track (no small feat!) seem smooth and seamless when it almost never is. Our friends at GLAAD were masterful in helping us with this article. The too-many-to-list community organizations that refer their clients to us for name changes are critical to the success of the project. And we could not do any of it without you, our friends and supporters, who in countless ways have helped us flourish since we were founded just a few years ago.

Finally, to Em, Katherine, Kit & Roberta: Thank you for sharing your stories and your journeys in such a public way. Providing the public with a glimpse of transgender people’s lives, struggles, and concerns is a great way to change people’s hearts and minds about transgender issues.

What a treat it was to wake up today to find this in the Times! It’s a great way to kick off a new year and new decade of advocacy for transgender equal rights! We hope you enjoy the article.

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Up to 70% OFF – Special Discounts in Love & Pride

Valentines Day coupons are flooding my inbox these days and I have a feeling some of you haven’t yet made your final decision on what to buy your significant others. Sooooooooo, I am donning the cloak of the coupon maven once again.

I hope these Valentines Day coupons help you feel good about the gift idea you choose. I know if I could save money on a gift for a loved one, I would feel better!

Here are some awesome sites and deals you can use to get the perfect present this year:

These are all excellent jewelry stores online and they are filled with jewelry for all tastes and most importantly all budgets. The economy is a bitch but you can get great accessories on a budget. Have fun shopping! Oh, and Happy Valentines Day!

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