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Hughes, LangstonLangston Hughes, whose literary legacy is enormous and varied, was closeted, but homosexuality was an important influence on his literary imagination, and many of his poems may be read as gay texts.
Beat GenerationThe writers of the Beat Generation, many of whom were gay or bisexual, endorsed gay rights as a part of their rebellion against inhibition and self-censorship.
Comedy of MannersThe Comedy of Manners, which flourished on the Restoration stage, has been particularly amenable to twentieth-century gay male writers as a vehicle for social satire in both dramatic and nondramatic works.
Sedaris, DavidUsing his and his family's experiences, particularly his childhood in Raleigh, North Carolina, and his own wacky perspective on life, David Sedaris has become a world-famous humorist, comedian, writer, playwright, and radio personality.
Novel: LesbianFrom the great modernist writers of the 1920s and 1930s to the pulp writers of the 1950s to the lesbian writers of today, lesbian novelists have had a powerful impact on the lesbian community.
From its beginning, the nineteenth century in England had a purposeful homosexual literature of considerable bulk, both male and female, though it was fettered by oppression.
Persecuted for his homosexuality by the Castro government he had once championed, Cuban novelist, essayist, and poet Reinaldo Arenas challenged all types of ideological dogmatism.
Baudelaire, CharlesLast updated on: 02/01/12
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
On January 30, 2012, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released the final text of a rule prohibiting sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in several of the agency's programs, including Title VIII-based public housing and Federal Housing Administration-backed loans.
Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the new rule on January 28 at the NGLTF's Creating Change conference in Baltimore. "Today, I am proud to announce a new equal access to housing rule that says clearly and unequivocally that LGBT individuals and couples have the right to live where they choose," he told the audience, which rose to its feet with applause.
The rule requires owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD, to make housing available without regard to the sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant for, or occupant of, the dwelling, whether renter- or owner-occupied.
It also prohibits lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis for determining a borrower's eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage financing.
In addition, it clarifies that all otherwise eligible families, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, will have the opportunity to participate in HUD programs. The new rule makes clear that otherwise eligible families may not be excluded because one or more members of the family are LGBT, are in an LGBT relationship, or are perceived to be such an individual or in such a relationship.
Finally, the rule prohibits owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing or housing insured by HUD from asking about an applicant or occupant's sexual orientation and gender identity for the purpose of determining eligibility or otherwise making housing available. This provision, however, does not prohibit voluntary and anonymous reporting of sexual orientation or gender identity pursuant to state, local, or federal data collection requirements.
Secretary Donovan's announcement of the new rule was greeted with praise from officials of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Human Rights Campaign. These comments may be found in Chris Geidner's report on the announcement for MetroWeekly.
On January 31, in answer to a question from the Washington Blade John Trasviña, assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, confirmed that the rule would apply to religious institutions, saying, "All HUD housing providers are covered under this rule."
More precisely, religious institutions that receive funding or other aid from HUD must abide by the nondiscrimination rule. If they provide housing solely through their own funds, they are permitted to discriminate.
Secretary Donovan's speech at the Creating Change Conference may be found here: Remarks of Secretary Shaun Donovan.
The new rule, which goes into effect 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, may be found here: HUD Final Rule.
In this video NGLTF Executive Secretary Rea Carey and Secretary of HUD Shaun Dononvan discuss housing discrimination.
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