Honorable Mention: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) did not pass, in spite of assurances that it would be. A vote is now expected in the House in February, making some watchers think that this being a mid-term year Dems in conservative districts might be scared off.
10: Three celebrities came out. Adam Lambert of American Idol highlighted the double standard of two men kissing was deemed scandalous but two women kissing raised no eyebrows. Lady Gaga came out with no detriment to her career. Chaz Bono, child of Cher, began transitioning from female to male and his story was told respectfully by the press.
9. Stonewall was repeated 40 years later. A gay bar was raided in Fort Worth with the patrons treated harshly. This was part of a story of increased police brutality. The result wasn't riots but investigations of police action. Alas, police still run sting operations on gays and ignore crimes where the victims are gay.
8. Calif. tries to overturn its marriage ban in the Supreme Court.
7. Obama's Justice Dept. used what was seen as nasty reasons for supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Gay organizations exploded and the prez. didn't smooth things over. Gays were the first to end their honeymoon with the guy who said he was our fierce advocate.
6. Many gay newspapers folded. Many gay bookstores went out of business. Many gay blogs started receiving national attention and awards.
5. Congress lifted the HIV travel ban, decades after other countries did so.
4. The National Equality March was a success with over a quarter-million attendees. It was also organized in six months and cost a pittance compared to previous marches that took years and millions of dollars to plan.
3. We won in Kalamazoo and Washington state, while losing in Maine.
2. Gay marriage was added in Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and District of Columbia. And the mainstream media yawned.
1. Hate Crimes legislation passed.
Commenters added some thoughts:
Too many gays and transgenders are still victims of hate crimes. Many of those result in death. Too many gay teens commit suicide. Too many are pushed back into the closet and engage in risky behavior, resulting in higher caseloads of HIV.
A story to be explored in 2010: Why do the Fundie Christians lie about us?
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