Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Lesbian Gift Guide 2011
For many of us, finances are tight this holiday season. Yet, we still want to get our loved ones something special. Gifts in this year's Lesbian Gift Guide 2011 start at under $20. What will you get for the lesbian on your list this holiday season?
Santa Barbara's Sophisticated Allure
I'm just now wrapping up a short trip to one of my favorite small cities in California, Santa Barbara. Set along a stunning stretch of the Pacific and backed by soaring mountains, it's one of the most picturesque communities on the West Coast. You'll also find the Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial-style swank resorts, posh boutiques, and sophisticated restaurants that make this city of 88,000 a mecca for celebrities, jet-setters, and bon vivants. It surprises a bit that the area doesn't have a bit more of a gay following - it's just two hours up the coast from Los Angeles, and although you won't find any full-time gay bars and resorts, this is a laid-back and welcoming city....Read Full Post
Trudy Ring: I Advocate...
The Advocate's holiday buying guide: Our chief copy editor shares a few of her favorite things to consider this year for your favorite people.
Justin Utley LIVE Stream Tonight 7pm (E)
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Justin Utley began his career as a Mormon-Contemporary singer/songwriter. After publicly breaking ties with the Mormon Church and sending his own "self-excommunition letter", Justin became a noted activist and advocate for civil rights and LGBT equality in the United States, and an outspoken personality against the Mormon church's use of conversion therapy, a method Utley endured for two years after serving a two-year full-time mission for the church.In June 2010, Utley released Stand for Something a single written to inspire and motivate to take action towards securing LGBT equality in America, ending youth homelessness, and increasing community awareness. The single was nominated by the LGBT Academy Of Recording Arts for 4 OutMusic Awards, including Best Songwriter and Artist of the Year, winning Best Country/Folk Song of the Year.Tonight, 11-11-11, watch a live stream performance of Justin singing songs from his new album. ! It
starts at 7:00 PM Eastern and is located at
http://www.stickam.com/justinutley. #nothingthisreal
starts at 7:00 PM Eastern and is located at
http://www.stickam.com/justinutley. #nothingthisreal
Food for Thought & A Great Pic
This is something to ponder:A year ago, my parents went with me to Italy and we had the BEST time EVER! I just came across this pic of our first night stranded at the JFK Inn when our flight to Milan was cancelled due to bad weather. Our first night was spent sharing a room with them in the dumpiest of dumpy airport hotels. Still, we had a GREAT time. I am just crazy about my parents.
Bathe Her and Bring Her to Me.
I've always thought Hope Solo was a great athlete and even wore 'muh American flag panties when we were in the World Cup, but I never really *got* it...until now. I give you: naked Hope Solo...and something or other about sports:Holy Teenage Jesus! I wish she'd come do MY lawn. And I don't even have a lawn. ...or a house. ...or an apartment. But that's beside the point!
Portland Pride This Weekend
Boy do I wish I was going to be in Portland this weekend!Two of my favorite performers are singing or strutting their stuff on the Community Stage for the Portland Pride 2010.First up: Christine Havrilla plays at 3pm on Saturday. Right after: Bang Bang Betty's Big Beautiful Bombshells (which includes our Executive Editor from Curve, Diane Anderson-Minshall) at 4:30.Portland Peeps: get your pride on this weekend and go check out these fantabulous performances!Be sure to check out the full lineup of great performers coming to Portland Pride this weekend. It's quite the talent draw: http://www.pridenw.org/* Kina Williams Photography for Bang Bang Betty
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
New York City Announces Marriage Lottery For July 24-25
New York, NY (July 19, 2011) - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and City Clerk Michael McSweeney today announced that due to high demand for marriage services on Sunday, July 24, 2011 – the first day New York State’s recently passed marriage equality law takes effect – the City will conduct a public lottery for any couple wishing to marry on July 24th. The lottery will guarantee access to one of the City Clerk’s five offices for 764 couples – opposite sex or same sex – on July 24th.
read more
read more
Judge refuses to toss suit challenging Prop. 8
A federal judge in San Francisco refused Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit challenging California's Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, and ordered a trial on whether the measure denies fundamental...
Dining, Drinks & Desserts
Little Italy’s “5 Star Restaurant”
Hello everyone and thanks for checking back in this week. Before beginning I would like to ask for your friendship on Facebook. In the search box type in Frank Lechner and my mug will pop up. I have created an album and will be adding photos of places we visit.
Thanks again for your continued support.
This week my guest was John Woodgate, a long time friend and wonderful man. Our destination BENCOTTO – Italian Kitchen in Little Italy, created by owners Guido Nistri and his lovely bride Valentina Di Pietro. I think this is about as Italian as it gets.
Website Quotes: The word BENCOTTO, means and refers to a meal “done well” or perfectly cooked. Our core belief is that high quality food can be simple and supremely delicious. Combining differ…
Read More | View Comments (2 comments)
Hello everyone and thanks for checking back in this week. Before beginning I would like to ask for your friendship on Facebook. In the search box type in Frank Lechner and my mug will pop up. I have created an album and will be adding photos of places we visit.
Thanks again for your continued support.
This week my guest was John Woodgate, a long time friend and wonderful man. Our destination BENCOTTO – Italian Kitchen in Little Italy, created by owners Guido Nistri and his lovely bride Valentina Di Pietro. I think this is about as Italian as it gets.
Website Quotes: The word BENCOTTO, means and refers to a meal “done well” or perfectly cooked. Our core belief is that high quality food can be simple and supremely delicious. Combining differ…
Read More | View Comments (2 comments)
Jersey Score: Making a welcome return to the National Theatre, 'Jersey Boys' is as crowd-pleasing as a Broadway show gets
Stage:
Am I in the right theater? That's what you might wonder as Jersey Boys opens when an African-American performer launches into a hip-hop number. In French.
Isn't this supposed to be about four white guys from Jersey, who found success a half-century ago with a doo-wop style of pop?
Jersey Boys
(Photo by Joan Marcus)
Well yes, soon enough it tells exactly that story. Frankie Valli (Joseph Leo Bwarie), Bob Gaudio (Preston Truman Boyd), Tommy DeVito (John Gardiner) and Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) made up the original lineup of the Four Seasons, the most popular band in the land before The Beatles arrived a few years later. The quartet remained wildly popular for more than a decade after, too, though eventually Valli was the only original member left. In fact, the band's several dozen hits still have staying power, and international appeal.
That opening hip-hop number is the 2000 French version of ''December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night).'' It's performed here by the phenomenally versatile Donald Webber Jr., who adds pizzazz to every small part he plays in the show. The song was a late entry in the Four Seasons' repertoire, hitting in 1975, well after two of the four original members had left the group and were eventually replaced.
But the standard English version of the song comes relatively early in the program for Jersey Boys: It becomes the soundtrack to lead songwriter Gaudio losing his virginity to a prostitute at the urging of his three original bandmates.
What, you thought this was light and wholesome family fare? The boys are from Jersey, people -- the shore was dirty well before MTV camera crews came rolling. God bless it, this ain't no Bible Belt state.
Ultimately, though, aside from a few curse words and some suggestive sexual content and intimations of violence -- and a little jarring French hip-hop -- this show is about as non-threatening as it gets. It's also as crowd-pleasing as Broadway comes. At a performance last week at the National Theatre, the crowd could barely contain its glee after the actors playing the band gave spot-on traditional covers of ''Sherry,'' ''Big Girls Don't Cry'' and ''Walk Like A Man.'' The three songs are performed one after another to signify that once the Four Seasons finally solidified itself and broke through to the mainstream, it was an unstoppable force.
Jersey Boys, which just may be the most successful jukebox musical in history, proves that the band was no fluke. The show -- which won four Tonys in 2006, including Best Musical -- is still on Broadway and has been touring now for five years. (There are currently two national U.S. tours running.) And it was only two years ago that it first stopped in D.C. for a prolonged, nearly sold-out holiday run. Now, it's encamped at the National Theatre for a two-month stretch, going through the holidays.
So if you leave feeling slightly underwhelmed, less than enraptured, at a musical that is more style than substance, and stronger in song than in story, well, you'll certainly be in the distinct minority.
Maybe it's better to just focus on what makes this show, and especially this production, work. First and foremost, there's all those hit songs, and the revelation that one of the very best, ''Can't Take My Eyes Off You,'' only got released after Valli struggled valiantly with the label. John Samorian does a fine job leading a nine-piece rock orchestra, helping give these songs even more power.
JERSEY BOYS and one half To Jan. 7, 2012 National Theatre $36.50 to $121.50 202-628-6161 www.nationaltheatre.org
The show also works because of a strong ensemble of 19 actors. And while the four leads get most of the audience's applause, I don't think Jersey Boys would be half as strong without its supporting cast of actors who do double-, triple-, even sextuple-duty, playing multiple bit parts. In addition to Webber, who plays the French rapper and several men in uniform, there are the show's three Angels -- Lauren Decierdo, Denise Payne and Kara Tremel. Without such strong women, this show -- and by extension Jersey itself -- might just fade into the background. Broadway veteran choreographer Sergio Trujillo also adds luster, giving the actors restrained but still charming moves.
Even if Jersey Boys doesn't fully move you, at least the evening will give you a nice jolt. As that French rapper sings, ''Ces Soirées-La.'' ...more
Am I in the right theater? That's what you might wonder as Jersey Boys opens when an African-American performer launches into a hip-hop number. In French.
Isn't this supposed to be about four white guys from Jersey, who found success a half-century ago with a doo-wop style of pop?
Jersey Boys
(Photo by Joan Marcus)
Well yes, soon enough it tells exactly that story. Frankie Valli (Joseph Leo Bwarie), Bob Gaudio (Preston Truman Boyd), Tommy DeVito (John Gardiner) and Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) made up the original lineup of the Four Seasons, the most popular band in the land before The Beatles arrived a few years later. The quartet remained wildly popular for more than a decade after, too, though eventually Valli was the only original member left. In fact, the band's several dozen hits still have staying power, and international appeal.
That opening hip-hop number is the 2000 French version of ''December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night).'' It's performed here by the phenomenally versatile Donald Webber Jr., who adds pizzazz to every small part he plays in the show. The song was a late entry in the Four Seasons' repertoire, hitting in 1975, well after two of the four original members had left the group and were eventually replaced.
But the standard English version of the song comes relatively early in the program for Jersey Boys: It becomes the soundtrack to lead songwriter Gaudio losing his virginity to a prostitute at the urging of his three original bandmates.
What, you thought this was light and wholesome family fare? The boys are from Jersey, people -- the shore was dirty well before MTV camera crews came rolling. God bless it, this ain't no Bible Belt state.
Ultimately, though, aside from a few curse words and some suggestive sexual content and intimations of violence -- and a little jarring French hip-hop -- this show is about as non-threatening as it gets. It's also as crowd-pleasing as Broadway comes. At a performance last week at the National Theatre, the crowd could barely contain its glee after the actors playing the band gave spot-on traditional covers of ''Sherry,'' ''Big Girls Don't Cry'' and ''Walk Like A Man.'' The three songs are performed one after another to signify that once the Four Seasons finally solidified itself and broke through to the mainstream, it was an unstoppable force.
Jersey Boys, which just may be the most successful jukebox musical in history, proves that the band was no fluke. The show -- which won four Tonys in 2006, including Best Musical -- is still on Broadway and has been touring now for five years. (There are currently two national U.S. tours running.) And it was only two years ago that it first stopped in D.C. for a prolonged, nearly sold-out holiday run. Now, it's encamped at the National Theatre for a two-month stretch, going through the holidays.
So if you leave feeling slightly underwhelmed, less than enraptured, at a musical that is more style than substance, and stronger in song than in story, well, you'll certainly be in the distinct minority.
Maybe it's better to just focus on what makes this show, and especially this production, work. First and foremost, there's all those hit songs, and the revelation that one of the very best, ''Can't Take My Eyes Off You,'' only got released after Valli struggled valiantly with the label. John Samorian does a fine job leading a nine-piece rock orchestra, helping give these songs even more power.
JERSEY BOYS and one half To Jan. 7, 2012 National Theatre $36.50 to $121.50 202-628-6161 www.nationaltheatre.org
The show also works because of a strong ensemble of 19 actors. And while the four leads get most of the audience's applause, I don't think Jersey Boys would be half as strong without its supporting cast of actors who do double-, triple-, even sextuple-duty, playing multiple bit parts. In addition to Webber, who plays the French rapper and several men in uniform, there are the show's three Angels -- Lauren Decierdo, Denise Payne and Kara Tremel. Without such strong women, this show -- and by extension Jersey itself -- might just fade into the background. Broadway veteran choreographer Sergio Trujillo also adds luster, giving the actors restrained but still charming moves.
Even if Jersey Boys doesn't fully move you, at least the evening will give you a nice jolt. As that French rapper sings, ''Ces Soirées-La.'' ...more
(52) Three Legged Lesbians
Donation thank you’s; Multi-Tasking; Stupid Americans; Oxymorons; LoHans Solo 2.0; Odd Couples … and more! Reproduced and renamed song *You’re a Stupid Cunt* by Kiko Lombardi of: http://www.visitronix.com Music bed provided by DJ Toni Teresi http://www.myspace.com/nypstar
Barney Frank Will Retire From Congress
From abcnews.go.com Rep. Barney Frank, the first openly gay serving member of Congress and a powerful Democrat whose name is attached to the sweeping Wall Street reform bill, will announce today he doesn?t plan to seek reelection. Frank became the … Continue reading →
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry: New Couple Alert!
There?s a new couple alert out now that The Talk?s Sara Gilbert and record producer and musician Linda Perry have been snapped holding hands while walking in West Hollywood over the weekend.
Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry: New Couple Alert!
There?s a new couple alert out now that The Talk?s Sara Gilbert and record producer and musician Linda Perry have been snapped holding hands while walking in West Hollywood over the weekend.
Ads We'll Never See Again
I have a funny friend, Trey,who always sends me the best e-mails. He recently sent a collection of hilarious old ads. I thought that I would share them with you. Please enjoy:.Apparently, people back in the day called fat kids "chubbies." .This is MY kinda cruise... .Obviously created by a male marketing guru... . Happy Birthday Jesus! I'll celebrate by buying myself a nice gun! .Yep. That's what wives are for! .Dear Santa, leave this under my tree and your dead! .Oh, I suddenly have a toothache... . A handy list for the busy wife who has no time (between the cooking, vacuuming and window cleaning) to make her own wish list of appliances that she would like to be gifted with: .If they could only see what is on TV for the kids today... .Okay, this ad seems legit. .Yes- ANYWHERE! .It's true. When my wife is working hard around the house, she is super cute! .I want to scream here... .I bet it's Marlboro's now. .I agree! Have a fag today! .Why are we no longer able to buy tape worms to keep us thin? This sounds like a sound diet plan!
Former Secretary of the Army, Clifford Alexander:
“The policy is an absurdity and borderline on being an obscenity. What it does is cause people to ask of themselves that they lie to themselves, that they pretend to be something that they are not. There is no empirical evidence that would indicate that it affects military cohesion. There is a lot of evidence to say that the biases of the past have been layered onto the United States Army.”
Iraq War Veteran and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, challenging a witness during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” hearings in the U.S. House:
“You’re basically asserting that straight men and women in our military aren’t professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while completing their military missions. You know as a fo…
Read More
Iraq War Veteran and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, challenging a witness during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” hearings in the U.S. House:
“You’re basically asserting that straight men and women in our military aren’t professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while completing their military missions. You know as a fo…
Read More
Pretty Airplanes
Jes from Dayton Ohio recently contacted me to tell me about an art project she completed. She was invited by the city to cover this model F16 jet with art. Since she is a mosaic artist, this is what she came up with. Jess said:I covered the Jet with stained glass because glass is the most beautiful media in the world ;)I wanted to show a larger range of color and knew that a rainbow would be perfect. The plane is meant to be beautiful more than anything else. I wanted people to want to know what she is all about. A beautiful sculpture that says I'm proud to be gay and in the military. I hope this Rainbow F16 serves as a reminder that we need to defeat the BAN on gay men and women serving our country. Equality is beautiful.Jes's plane will be on display in a bank in Dayton, Ohio. Thanks for sharing Jes!
Census: 131,729 gay couples report they’re married
(Washington) Increasingly visible, the number of gay Americans telling the U.S. census they're living with same-sex partners nearly doubled in the past decade, to about 650,000 couples. And more than 130,000 recorded partners as husband or wife.
Census figures released Tuesday provide a rare snapshot of married and unmarried same-sex couples in the U.S. based on the government count conducted last year, when gay marriage was legal in five states and the District of Columbia. It comes at a time when public opposition to gay marriage is easing and advocacy groups are seeking a state-by-state push for broader legal rights.
Some 131,729 same-sex couples checked "husband" or "wife" boxes on their decennial census forms, the first time people could do so, after gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts starting in 2004.
That 2010 tally of married gay couples is higher than the actual number of legal marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships in the U.S. Even after New York legalized gay marriage in June, a Census Bureau consultant, Gary Gates of UCLA, put the actual number of legally recognized gay partnerships at 100,000.
"There's no dispute the same-sex population increases from 2000 and 2010," said Martin O'Connell, chief of the fertility and family statistics branch at the Census Bureau. In cases of couples who reported they were living in a marriage relationship, "they basically responded that way because that is truly how they felt they were living."
The total of 646,464 gay couples in the U.S. was a downward revision of the Census Bureau's count of 901,997 released last month. The bureau said Tuesday it had to make the adjustment after determining that coding errors resulted in an exaggerated count for the initial number.
Still, researchers believe the new estimate could be as much as 15 percent lower than the actual number of gay couples in the U.S. because of social stigma, discrimination or other concerns about confidentiality. In a small number of cases, younger gay couples also may not have been counted in the census if they were "doubling up" in a home where neither was the head of household.
Based on revisions made to the 2000 census figure as well, the number of same-sex couples nationwide rose 80 percent from an adjusted 2000 figure of 358,390. Previously, the Census Bureau had reported there were 594,391 same-sex couples in the U.S. in 2000.
Nationwide, about 51 percent of the couples last year were female. Nearly one in five of the same-sex couples was raising children at home - widely distributed among those who reported being in marriage relationships and those who were not.
Broken down by state, the highest rates of increase in gay couples - both married and unmarried - were in lesser-populated states such as West Virginia, Montana, the Dakotas, Oklahoma and Kentucky, each rising at least 150 percent from 2000. In contrast, the larger, more traditional gay places including the District of Columbia, California and New York, posted the smallest percentage increases - 60 percent or less.
Gay rights groups say the latest census numbers are an important step in increasing visibility and helping to dispel notions that they live primarily in big cities on the two coasts. Still, because the census forms do not ask about sexual orientation, some activists have complained that single gays - as opposed to those with live-in spouses and partners - have no means of gaining collective representation through the census.
"Every step is a step forward in acknowledging that, yes, we do exist," said Lois Farnham, of Burlington, Vt., who recorded a civil union with Holly Puterbaugh the first day they were allowed in 2000 and then legally married her in 2009.
Farnham, 67, said she expected the census numbers would underestimate the number of people in such relationships, noting that many same-sex couples keep quiet about their married status. "They can't share that with a lot of people for family or job security reasons. It's still an issue and people are still being discriminated against," she said.
Puterbaugh, 65, said many couples live as if they're married without making it formal. "You have to remember that there are many straight couples who have chosen not to marry for whatever reason that may be," she said.
Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel at the Human Rights Campaign, described the latest census numbers as a "tremendous increase," demonstrating a culture shift and sending a signal to local officials and governments that gays and lesbians exist and deserve rights and benefits.
"A lot of couples who are reporting they are same-sex are in places where it's been legally and culturally more challenging for our community," he said. "That's not a reflection of couples suddenly popping out of nowhere - the culture is changing in those places to a degree people feel comfortable coming out on the census form."
The new same-sex data come as battlegrounds lie ahead over gay rights. Voters in North Carolina and Minnesota will be deciding next year on the fate of constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while the Maryland Legislature is expected to consider a bill that would legalize it.
An August poll by The Associated Press and the National Constitutional Center found a narrow majority of Americans support legal recognition of same-sex marriage - 53 percent to 44 percent opposed. That is largely unchanged from last year but a shift from 2009, when a slim majority opposed government recognition of gay marriage.
In 2000, citing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Bush administration directed the Census Bureau to re-code same-sex couples who identified themselves as married to be counted as unmarried partners. Pressed by gay-rights groups in 2009, the Obama administration reversed that policy, allowing the bureau to count same-sex couples as married.
Last week, the U.S. military passed a historic milestone with the repeal of its "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly.
The census figures were welcomed by many gay people.
"It makes me feel like I am part of this country," said Al Koski, 69, a retired Social Security claims representative from Bourne, Mass., who married his partner Jim Fitzgerald in 2007 after they were together for more than 30 years. "I don't have to be in the background anymore. I am glad people are coming out of the closet and are not afraid to check that box."
Koski said he is hopeful that the census count will help in the push to legalize gay marriage in other states.
"Every time I see something happening, like `don't ask, don't tell' falling by the wayside, every time something happens, it's another little domino falling," he said.
The highest share of households with reported same-sex couples - both married and unmarried - was in Washington, D.C., at nearly 2 percent. Washington was followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Delaware, New Mexico and Washington state. On the other end of the scale, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming had the smallest shares, each with less than one-third of 1 percent.
Census figures released Tuesday provide a rare snapshot of married and unmarried same-sex couples in the U.S. based on the government count conducted last year, when gay marriage was legal in five states and the District of Columbia. It comes at a time when public opposition to gay marriage is easing and advocacy groups are seeking a state-by-state push for broader legal rights.
Some 131,729 same-sex couples checked "husband" or "wife" boxes on their decennial census forms, the first time people could do so, after gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts starting in 2004.
That 2010 tally of married gay couples is higher than the actual number of legal marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships in the U.S. Even after New York legalized gay marriage in June, a Census Bureau consultant, Gary Gates of UCLA, put the actual number of legally recognized gay partnerships at 100,000.
"There's no dispute the same-sex population increases from 2000 and 2010," said Martin O'Connell, chief of the fertility and family statistics branch at the Census Bureau. In cases of couples who reported they were living in a marriage relationship, "they basically responded that way because that is truly how they felt they were living."
The total of 646,464 gay couples in the U.S. was a downward revision of the Census Bureau's count of 901,997 released last month. The bureau said Tuesday it had to make the adjustment after determining that coding errors resulted in an exaggerated count for the initial number.
Still, researchers believe the new estimate could be as much as 15 percent lower than the actual number of gay couples in the U.S. because of social stigma, discrimination or other concerns about confidentiality. In a small number of cases, younger gay couples also may not have been counted in the census if they were "doubling up" in a home where neither was the head of household.
Based on revisions made to the 2000 census figure as well, the number of same-sex couples nationwide rose 80 percent from an adjusted 2000 figure of 358,390. Previously, the Census Bureau had reported there were 594,391 same-sex couples in the U.S. in 2000.
Nationwide, about 51 percent of the couples last year were female. Nearly one in five of the same-sex couples was raising children at home - widely distributed among those who reported being in marriage relationships and those who were not.
Broken down by state, the highest rates of increase in gay couples - both married and unmarried - were in lesser-populated states such as West Virginia, Montana, the Dakotas, Oklahoma and Kentucky, each rising at least 150 percent from 2000. In contrast, the larger, more traditional gay places including the District of Columbia, California and New York, posted the smallest percentage increases - 60 percent or less.
Gay rights groups say the latest census numbers are an important step in increasing visibility and helping to dispel notions that they live primarily in big cities on the two coasts. Still, because the census forms do not ask about sexual orientation, some activists have complained that single gays - as opposed to those with live-in spouses and partners - have no means of gaining collective representation through the census.
"Every step is a step forward in acknowledging that, yes, we do exist," said Lois Farnham, of Burlington, Vt., who recorded a civil union with Holly Puterbaugh the first day they were allowed in 2000 and then legally married her in 2009.
Farnham, 67, said she expected the census numbers would underestimate the number of people in such relationships, noting that many same-sex couples keep quiet about their married status. "They can't share that with a lot of people for family or job security reasons. It's still an issue and people are still being discriminated against," she said.
Puterbaugh, 65, said many couples live as if they're married without making it formal. "You have to remember that there are many straight couples who have chosen not to marry for whatever reason that may be," she said.
Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel at the Human Rights Campaign, described the latest census numbers as a "tremendous increase," demonstrating a culture shift and sending a signal to local officials and governments that gays and lesbians exist and deserve rights and benefits.
"A lot of couples who are reporting they are same-sex are in places where it's been legally and culturally more challenging for our community," he said. "That's not a reflection of couples suddenly popping out of nowhere - the culture is changing in those places to a degree people feel comfortable coming out on the census form."
The new same-sex data come as battlegrounds lie ahead over gay rights. Voters in North Carolina and Minnesota will be deciding next year on the fate of constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while the Maryland Legislature is expected to consider a bill that would legalize it.
An August poll by The Associated Press and the National Constitutional Center found a narrow majority of Americans support legal recognition of same-sex marriage - 53 percent to 44 percent opposed. That is largely unchanged from last year but a shift from 2009, when a slim majority opposed government recognition of gay marriage.
In 2000, citing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Bush administration directed the Census Bureau to re-code same-sex couples who identified themselves as married to be counted as unmarried partners. Pressed by gay-rights groups in 2009, the Obama administration reversed that policy, allowing the bureau to count same-sex couples as married.
Last week, the U.S. military passed a historic milestone with the repeal of its "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly.
The census figures were welcomed by many gay people.
"It makes me feel like I am part of this country," said Al Koski, 69, a retired Social Security claims representative from Bourne, Mass., who married his partner Jim Fitzgerald in 2007 after they were together for more than 30 years. "I don't have to be in the background anymore. I am glad people are coming out of the closet and are not afraid to check that box."
Koski said he is hopeful that the census count will help in the push to legalize gay marriage in other states.
"Every time I see something happening, like `don't ask, don't tell' falling by the wayside, every time something happens, it's another little domino falling," he said.
The highest share of households with reported same-sex couples - both married and unmarried - was in Washington, D.C., at nearly 2 percent. Washington was followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Delaware, New Mexico and Washington state. On the other end of the scale, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming had the smallest shares, each with less than one-third of 1 percent.
The MetroWeekly & LGBT Weekly Follow-Ups To The HRC Story
Clarification/Correction: Chris Geidner wrote "Although the sources say that no permanent replacement has been selected, none of the four sources were willing to say what, if any, role Woolard would play in the transition efforts at HRC."
Beyond connecting a name to the unidentified paid consultant from the initial PHB piece, Chris Geidner indicated no conclusions as to what her role in the transition would be, assuming that Woolard would even have a role.
After the story broke at Pam's House Blend on Friday, August 26, 2011 -- as well as roughly simultaneously on the front page of Pam's House Blend's future host website Firedoglake -- MetroWeekly has released a follow-up piece.
Chris Geidner of MetroWeekly independently confirmed that the HRC's executive director, Joe Solmonese, is indeed leaving his position. What MetroWeekly is also reporting is that the consultant that we at PHB reported that the HRC is going to tap as the new executive director is going to instead be an interim director. And, MetroWeekly names the names of that would likely be that interim director:
From the MetroWeekly article HRC's Solmonese to Step Down, Sources Say No Replacement Has Been Selected:
...[Joe Solmonese's] most recent contract expires in March 2012, and an informed source tells Metro Weekly that "a full candidate selection process will take place" to find his successor.
A second source familiar with the situation said that a board conference call that originally was scheduled for Aug. 29 was rescheduled on the evening of Aug. 26 to take place later today, Aug. 27. The change was made after Spaulding published her report, which stated that an announcement about his departure was to be made public on Aug. 30.
...Although Spaulding reported that "a replacement executive director has been identified," four sources familiar with the situation describe that portion of the report as inaccurate -- with one saying the process is just beginning and will not be rapid.
Spaulding refers to the person she reported was identified as Solmonese's replacement as "a paid consultant" who has worked with the organization. Metro Weekly has identified that consultant as Cathy Woolard, who most recently served on the senior leadership team at CARE, which describes itself as "a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty" and is based in Atlanta...
The publication I write the Trans Progressive column for, the LGBT Weekly, also has a story up this morning as well by LGBT Weekly publisher Stampp Corbin, entitled HRC President to Step Down:
...Solmonese's tenure has had significant high points, most recently the passage of hates crime legislation and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. However, he has also had to deal with significant criticism for his handling of the Employment Non-discrimination Act. While Solmonese had promised he would support the inclusion of gender identity to protect the transgender community, at the last minute Congressman Barney Frank and Solmonese tried to pass legislation that did not include transgender protections. It created a firestorm within the LGBT community.
Sources also suggest that the press release date was moved up to accommodate the questions that will be asked of Solmonese when he addresses the HRC Cleveland Dinner this evening. Many current and former members of the HRC Board of Directors were caught off guard by the leak to Pam's House Blend, which suggests that Solmonese's decision to step down is a surprise.
Given Solmonese's salary level, it is unlikely that he will be joining the Obama administration as many have suggested on blogs, as well as Facebook.
I'm not sure if Stampp Corbin is interested in the job, but given his experience in HRC leadership in the past I would hope the HRC would consider him for the executive directorship.
So there you have the latest, as reported by Metro Weekly and the LGBT Weekly. As for the significant staff shake-up that PHB also reported as being in the works at the HRC, neither Metro Weekly and the LGBT Weekly mentioned anything about that aspect of the original PHB story.
Frankly, the staff aspect of the HRC story that PHB broke on Friday, August 26th is what I'm most interested in having independently verified or debunked -- what the staff looks like after the change in leadership is going to say a lot about how the HRC plans to move forward after this change of leadership.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Gaga in Drag, for Those of You Who Missed It
I enjoyed this:
Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Lady Gaga
Emo. Girls. Naked.
Punk. Girls. Naked.
Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Lady Gaga
Emo. Girls. Naked.
Punk. Girls. Naked.
Who's Afraid of Vagina Wolf?
Who's Afraid of Vagina Wolf?: You should probably donate to help get this awesome film get made. VAGINA Wolf, people!!
Help Curve Keep Publishing!
We know these are tough economic times. And print media is struggling to figure out its place in the wide world of instant internet gratification. If you value Curve magazine, the place that gave Lipstick & Dipstick it's start and the place that continues to publish our monthly column, please do what you can to help out.This year Curve is celebrating it's 20th year. But unless the community comes out to support it, Curve will not make it to its 21st birthday. Curve is struggling financially. There are a few ways you can help.Make a donation. Subscribe. And when you do, you're entered to win a trip to Cozumel with Sweet Vacations. Unlike most magazines that rely on advertising dollars to sustain them, Curve relies on its subscribers. So don't just pick an issue up at the newsstand. Become a regular subscriber. Advertise. If you own a business, consider advertising in Curve magazine. Buy your tickets to the 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco. We love Curve and we know you do too. So please, do what you can. If you already subscribe, consider buying one for a friend. Where would our community be without Curve?
Sam Brownback's Office Upset Over Teenager's Tweet
Once upon a time, Kansas's new governor, Sam Brownback, wanted to lead the free world.
Horoscope
ARIES (March 20 – April 19): Sex doesn’t solve all the problems in a relationship, but now it offers an interesting perspective on whatever the real problems are. Any secrets, resentments, unfulfilled wishes? Share yours and invite your partner to open up!
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Your partner and colleagues are obstructing whatever you want to do. Or is that really it? Be responsible for your own accomplishments. While your partner’s feedback won’t make you happy, it will help you find answers.
GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Trying too hard to promote your own plans can provoke problems with colleagues. If you’re sensing hidden agendas, it may be due to your own pushiness. Have a good talk. Listen between the lines, but…
Read More
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Your partner and colleagues are obstructing whatever you want to do. Or is that really it? Be responsible for your own accomplishments. While your partner’s feedback won’t make you happy, it will help you find answers.
GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Trying too hard to promote your own plans can provoke problems with colleagues. If you’re sensing hidden agendas, it may be due to your own pushiness. Have a good talk. Listen between the lines, but…
Read More
Real Estate News
San Diego needs its own Housing Hero
Big Bad Banking got some really BAD NEWS last week as Mother Jones Magazine’s Andy Kroll broke the story of huge law firms, known as “foreclosure mills”, operating in Florida (and elsewhere) engaged in the potentially illegal taking of millions of homes.
GMAC -a subsidiary of Ally Financial was so worried it suspended foreclosure evictions and sales altogether. Rising Democratic Party star Rep. Alan Grayson along with his Ohio colleague Marcy Kaptur have been among the few voices in Congress for homeowners in the ongoing class war waged against them by Wall Street. It seems now they were right all along. You may remember Kaptur as the take-charge legislator who advised homeowners in her Toledo-area district to demand that banks produce th…
Read More | View Comments (1 comment)
Big Bad Banking got some really BAD NEWS last week as Mother Jones Magazine’s Andy Kroll broke the story of huge law firms, known as “foreclosure mills”, operating in Florida (and elsewhere) engaged in the potentially illegal taking of millions of homes.
GMAC -a subsidiary of Ally Financial was so worried it suspended foreclosure evictions and sales altogether. Rising Democratic Party star Rep. Alan Grayson along with his Ohio colleague Marcy Kaptur have been among the few voices in Congress for homeowners in the ongoing class war waged against them by Wall Street. It seems now they were right all along. You may remember Kaptur as the take-charge legislator who advised homeowners in her Toledo-area district to demand that banks produce th…
Read More | View Comments (1 comment)
Gay marriage message takes gentler tone in Maine
Since California voters approved a ban on same-sex marriage in 2008, supporters of such unions have dissected what went wrong with their campaign to defeat Proposition 8 and similar campaigns across the nation. The...
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Horoscope
Breathe, Aries!
Saturn in Libra is squaring the lunar nodes, showing necessary steps in the relationships that are most important in our life’s lessons. Mars is in Scorpio, offering insights to those problems, but those insights can feel more urgent and be more complex and distracting than strictly helpful.
ARIES
March 20 – April 19
Your control issues can wreck your relationship. Step back. Breathe. Be responsible for yourself, and let your partner do the same. Domestic issues are an easy distraction. Work is where you need to focus your energies and sense of mastery.
TAURUS
April 20 – May 20
You’re fine on the details; don’t worry about those! Work on seeing the big picture. There, you need some help that you’ll …
Read More
Saturn in Libra is squaring the lunar nodes, showing necessary steps in the relationships that are most important in our life’s lessons. Mars is in Scorpio, offering insights to those problems, but those insights can feel more urgent and be more complex and distracting than strictly helpful.
ARIES
March 20 – April 19
Your control issues can wreck your relationship. Step back. Breathe. Be responsible for yourself, and let your partner do the same. Domestic issues are an easy distraction. Work is where you need to focus your energies and sense of mastery.
TAURUS
April 20 – May 20
You’re fine on the details; don’t worry about those! Work on seeing the big picture. There, you need some help that you’ll …
Read More
New policies, attitudes are best way to honor transgender lives lost to violence
Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. -More-
Romance in the royal land of diversity
Honeymoon is a custom sanctioned by authorities in many communities. In Bible it is said that a man should not be called for any war nor given any public duties within one year of marriage. He should be allowed to concentrate exclusively on making his wife happy. Although not for a long period like one year, contemporary world also views a few days off from worldly duties, so that husband and wife may spend some time exclusively on their own, as permissible Honeymoon packages for Kerala Everybody wants those days to be memorable with out of world experiences engraved in every moment. India, the land which boasts of a culture that wrote a treatise on love, is an ideal place to spend your romantic days of Honeymoon together.
Honeymoon Packages to India offer different packages to different states or a single package which involve different states. India is such a diverse landscape that each state may be viewed as a separate country with its own unique identity, culture and language. The main states involved in Honeymoon packages are Kashmir, Goa, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. If you look for some Budget Honeymoon Packages in India, choice can be made from lesser preferred regions like Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Madhya Pradesh. They are not popular does not mean that they are in any which ways not rich or not apt.
Tasting Kashmir, a wise soul exclaimed, “If there is heaven on Earth, it is this, it is this, it is this”. Celebrating your Honeymoon in this heavenly landscape will be a remarkable experience. Prime destination is Srinagar, located in the heart of Kashmir valley. Srinagar is situated one thousand and seven hundred and thirty meter above sea level Honeymoon Packages for Darjeeling spreading over both sides of river Jhelum. Dal and Nagin lakes enhance the picturesque setting of Srinagar. Kashmir is known for its glorious gardens which you may savor. You may also have a trip to Gulmarg which offer world class skiing facilities.
Goa is world famous for its beaches and it has more to it than beaches alone. Goan seas are safe for swimming and there is provision for various water sports to add a tinge of adventure to your honeymoon. Lying on the beaches in the sun listening to waves roaring is another blissful experience. The Portuguese architecture on show in Goa is an edifying entity. Apart from that if you are nature lover, you have waterfalls, lakes, spice plantations and wildlife sanctuaries to boot.
Kerala is renowned for its pristine beaches, mist covered hill stations, serene Backwaters, exotic flora and fauna and suave art forms. The most preferred honeymoon destinations are Honeymoon packages for Kashmir Munnar, Kovalam and Kumarakom. In Kerala, you should taste the unique phenomenon of Kerala – Backwaters. You can have houseboat cruises in Kochi, Alleppey, Kollam and Kumarakom.
In Himachal Pradesh, you will discover the blissful arrangement of sky high mountains and gentle rolling hills hiding serene lakes, icy glaciers and lush green valleys within their folds. Shimla, Kullu and Manali are the favoured destinations of Honeymooners in Himachal. These hill stations offer an amiable ambience conducive for your love for each other to grow. Then there is nearby Darjeeling, another verdant Hill station in the state of West Bengal.
Rajasthan will touch your heart with its regality and hospitality. Monuments of Rajasthan are breathtaking and there many palaces turned into hotels which will take care of you.
Vimlesh Kumar has deep interest in writing informative articles on Travel and tourism India. He has authored may books on tour guide Luxury Honeymoon Packages and Honeymoon Destinations in India. Find more Information to visit at http://www.honeymoonpackagesindia.org.in.
Honeymoon Packages to India offer different packages to different states or a single package which involve different states. India is such a diverse landscape that each state may be viewed as a separate country with its own unique identity, culture and language. The main states involved in Honeymoon packages are Kashmir, Goa, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. If you look for some Budget Honeymoon Packages in India, choice can be made from lesser preferred regions like Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Madhya Pradesh. They are not popular does not mean that they are in any which ways not rich or not apt.
Tasting Kashmir, a wise soul exclaimed, “If there is heaven on Earth, it is this, it is this, it is this”. Celebrating your Honeymoon in this heavenly landscape will be a remarkable experience. Prime destination is Srinagar, located in the heart of Kashmir valley. Srinagar is situated one thousand and seven hundred and thirty meter above sea level Honeymoon Packages for Darjeeling spreading over both sides of river Jhelum. Dal and Nagin lakes enhance the picturesque setting of Srinagar. Kashmir is known for its glorious gardens which you may savor. You may also have a trip to Gulmarg which offer world class skiing facilities.
Goa is world famous for its beaches and it has more to it than beaches alone. Goan seas are safe for swimming and there is provision for various water sports to add a tinge of adventure to your honeymoon. Lying on the beaches in the sun listening to waves roaring is another blissful experience. The Portuguese architecture on show in Goa is an edifying entity. Apart from that if you are nature lover, you have waterfalls, lakes, spice plantations and wildlife sanctuaries to boot.
Kerala is renowned for its pristine beaches, mist covered hill stations, serene Backwaters, exotic flora and fauna and suave art forms. The most preferred honeymoon destinations are Honeymoon packages for Kashmir Munnar, Kovalam and Kumarakom. In Kerala, you should taste the unique phenomenon of Kerala – Backwaters. You can have houseboat cruises in Kochi, Alleppey, Kollam and Kumarakom.
In Himachal Pradesh, you will discover the blissful arrangement of sky high mountains and gentle rolling hills hiding serene lakes, icy glaciers and lush green valleys within their folds. Shimla, Kullu and Manali are the favoured destinations of Honeymooners in Himachal. These hill stations offer an amiable ambience conducive for your love for each other to grow. Then there is nearby Darjeeling, another verdant Hill station in the state of West Bengal.
Rajasthan will touch your heart with its regality and hospitality. Monuments of Rajasthan are breathtaking and there many palaces turned into hotels which will take care of you.
Vimlesh Kumar has deep interest in writing informative articles on Travel and tourism India. He has authored may books on tour guide Luxury Honeymoon Packages and Honeymoon Destinations in India. Find more Information to visit at http://www.honeymoonpackagesindia.org.in.
4,000 Demand Ohio School District Protect LGBT Students after Violent Assault Caught on Tape
Following the on-campus assault of a gay 15-year-old student caught on cell phone video, more than 4,000 people have joined a campaign on Change.org calling upon the Union-Scioto School District in Chillicothe, Ohio, to pass an anti-bullying policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
Bret Thompson launched the campaign on Change.org after the assault, which no one stepped in to stop. The 15-year-old?s attacker received only a three-day suspension for the assault.
?I started this petition on Change.org because I know Ohio and this attack does not reflect our values,? said Thompson. ?Every child has the right to learn in a safe environment, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.?
The Union-Scioto Ohio School District has adopted anti-harassment policies that include sex, race, color, national origin, religion, and disability, but have not specifically moved to protect against harassment or bullying based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
?The school administrators should be ashamed of their response,? said Thompson. ?If they won't send a message to their student body that this is unacceptable, we'll just have to send a message to them.?
Thompson?s campaign also calls for the expulsion of the attacker. Rebecca Collins, the victim?s mother, told reporters she wants criminal charges pressed against the attacker ? including federal hate crime charges.
It is clear from the huge support for Bret Thompson?s campaign on Change.org that Ohio citizens want school districts to ensure that schools are safe for all students, including LGBT students. Change.org is all about empowering anyone, anywhere, to take action on the issues they care about, and it is remarkable how much support Thompson has been able to recruit for his campaign in just a few days.
Watch the video:�
Sign Bret's petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/bully-beats-up-gay-student-on-video-tell-ohio-school-district-to-protect-lgbt-students-from-assault
Bret Thompson launched the campaign on Change.org after the assault, which no one stepped in to stop. The 15-year-old?s attacker received only a three-day suspension for the assault.
?I started this petition on Change.org because I know Ohio and this attack does not reflect our values,? said Thompson. ?Every child has the right to learn in a safe environment, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.?
The Union-Scioto Ohio School District has adopted anti-harassment policies that include sex, race, color, national origin, religion, and disability, but have not specifically moved to protect against harassment or bullying based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
?The school administrators should be ashamed of their response,? said Thompson. ?If they won't send a message to their student body that this is unacceptable, we'll just have to send a message to them.?
Thompson?s campaign also calls for the expulsion of the attacker. Rebecca Collins, the victim?s mother, told reporters she wants criminal charges pressed against the attacker ? including federal hate crime charges.
It is clear from the huge support for Bret Thompson?s campaign on Change.org that Ohio citizens want school districts to ensure that schools are safe for all students, including LGBT students. Change.org is all about empowering anyone, anywhere, to take action on the issues they care about, and it is remarkable how much support Thompson has been able to recruit for his campaign in just a few days.
Watch the video:�
Sign Bret's petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/bully-beats-up-gay-student-on-video-tell-ohio-school-district-to-protect-lgbt-students-from-assault
This Week In Gay
Joey from Cocktails and Creampuffs and David from That Blue Jeans Guy are back to help Anthony investigate and inform the weekly LGBT News. And Boy-Oh-Boy do we go head-to-head at some points! How does the gang feel about Pakistan? Is India?s health minister calling homosexuality a ?western disease?? LGBT Education Bill passes in California, but the House Reaffirms DOMA, why?
read more
read more
Friday, November 25, 2011
Trans Woman Harassed in Des Moines Bar
In an incident that was caught on tape, a transgender woman was allegedly harassed by city of Des Moines employees in a crowded bar Friday night.
Homosexuality: Ghana's Public Enemy Number One
Last month, we learned of very disturbing news from Ghana. The diverse west-African nation of 24-million people had�plunged head-on into the murky waters of extreme homophobia, quickly closing the gap with�Uganda and Nigeria, where ever-escalating oppression of LGBT has become vogue.
Thankfully, nations like Rwanda and South Africa continue to advance equality and justice, but the momentum in other countries ?such as Ghana?�seems to be quickly treading in a dangerous direction.
What is so scary about this situation is not necessarily the cultural tensions by those who are confused by or afraid of homosexuality; rather, it is the increasing politicization of homophobia, and the culturally and politically influential leaders of the country wielding fear and hate as a weapon.
Not unlike�other countries around the world, Ghana has on its books loosely-worded laws prohibiting homosexual sex, but it was not until this past decade ?after a surge of evangelicalism and fundamentalism?�that the scapegoating of LGBT Ghanaians really began to rise.
Compounding the issue is a justifiable strengthening of a post-colonial�Pan-African identity, one that seeks to establish social and economic practices based upon the countless cultural and ethnic histories and values shared by Ghanaians and other African peoples. This shift from Western influence is not a bad thing; I speak more to the point that the very history and perception of Western colonial and economic oppression is used as an excuse to�subjugate�LGBT (or perceived) community members, while shedding cultural or constitutional values of human rights and dignities.
Equality versus Colonialism
A gaining narrative throughout Africa, loudly touted by politicians (Ghana's President Mills included), church leaders, and even those in academic circles, is that homosexuality is an 'import' to the continent; a lifestyle or value recently brought in by Western colonialists and imperialists, supposedly new and unheard of in the histories and traditions of the many African cultures. Homosexuality has been successfully lumped in with the decadence and belligerence identified with the West, something to be shunned (however�forcibly) in order to regain a true sense of cultural identity and to make real socio-economic progress.
This warped revisionist perspective seriously limits the capability of non-Ghanaians, Nigerians, Ugandans, et al in pursuing or protecting global human rights there. Because of that narrative, any action by outsiders to support equal freedom and protections can be used by the homophobic leaders as ammunition for their socio-political agenda, be it to remove LGBT citizens from society (or life), or as some sort of scarlet letter to hang upon politicians from opposing parties.�Interestingly�enough, President Mills himself is often called gay by his opponents, holding that as a reason enough for removing him from office.
Such fear-mongering has even lead Ghana Education Service to proclaim the nation's same-sex schools as "breeding grounds" for "creeping homosexuality." How safe are schools where the administrators freely proclaim homosexuality as a key problem? Here in the U.S., ignoring the subject of sexual orientation has led to extreme bullying to the point of rising suicide rates; will Ghana's kids rise above the hate and fear peddled by the leaders in their society?
Despite the dislike for American involvement in African legal or cultural issues, this should not stop us in our push for equality. Whereas our direct influence in affecting sovereign laws and practices in oppressed countries might be limited, our ability to influence international governments, organizations, and corporations to leverage these protections has yet to be fully realized.
Failure to Act
The United Nations (former Secretary-General Kofi Annan is himself a Ghanaian),�United States, and European nations still carry significant economic and political clout in the region, along with the large multi-national companies like�IBM or Unilever, thanks to billions in investment and development money that they pump into Ghana.
As of yet, however, the U.S. State Department has been mum on this, even though they claim such strong ties with Ghana. It is anybody's guess whether the Obama administration's recent "barring of LGBT rights violators" from entering the U.S. is in response to this, and given their handling of DADT and DOMA it's hard to be optimistic toward its future enforcement or effectiveness.
IBM, a major investor in Ghana, and acclaimed for its advancement for equality, has also been silent on the measure. With nearly 5,000 petitioners calling upon IBM to take a stand against this escalating situation, we are left to wonder what it will take for them to say something.
They wouldn't have to take this step alone, as it did not take long for the�National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) to call for U.S. businesses to speak up on the matter. As a member of this organization, IBM could take a lead on this issue in denouncing the anti-LGBT rhetoric and call upon other members to do the same.
The silence by the State Department and IBM is tragic; how long will they stand by while anti-LGBT rhetoric grows? Is it not enough when even Ghana?s Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) proclaims that they "will not fight for the rights of homosexuals"?
Mission to Serve
Perhaps not to be outdone by national politicians, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) held a meeting whereby they declared their intent to open "reparative therapy" centers throughout their country, stating that LGBT Ghanaians were in-fact victims of demonic spirits, and that prayer and "a vigorous spiritual exercise" will cure them.
To go one step further, Rt. Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey, Moderator for the PCG General Assembly, also called upon the government to "put up effective measures to check [the spread of homosexuality] and transform the destiny of the country."
Another Ghana church, the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Church, similarly proclaimed an intent to treat homosexuality with prayer, but didn't go so far as the PCG in opening "therapy centers," while a local prophet plans to make available a "special solution center for gays and lesbians" in his Accra-based church.
It is possible that more Ghanaian churches and faith leaders will jump on the "pray away the gay" bandwagon, though their actions and commentary will likely carry well beyond the walls of their churches or parishioner's homes.
Here we enter another difficult conversation, particularly for those that have experienced oppression by faith communities, or feel that religion itself is to blame for such vitriol.
The Way Forward
For Ghana, perhaps there is greater room for positive reconciliation and protection by the international faith community. We've seen and fought against American-based evangelical groups�who have supported or encouraged the kind of hate-filled rhetoric that has lead to Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill and other forms of sponsored violence. It seems that the primary mission for these organizations ?like Family Watch International?is to�strengthen�and encourage homophobic laws and attitudes in African countries, Nigeria having been a recent success for them.
But can we call upon the religious organizations in our own country to export the ideals of love and equity that they espouse, instead of fear and hate?
Soon after the story broke, a group within PCUSA known as 'More Light Presbyterians,' was quick to denounce PCG's plans, as their executive director ?Michael Adee?�stated "the church is to be a messenger of God?s love for all persons, not of prejudice," and that "therapy is not a Christian or medically helpful response to gay people and it is harmful."
To shed some light on what people of faith, and faith groups can do here in the U.S., I sat down with Rev. Dr. Richard W. McCarty, an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and board member for Equality Pennsylvania.
First, Rev. Dr. McCarty acknowledged the challenges to overcome in this situation, particularly in telling a congregation or foreign social institution that their beliefs or behaviors are wrong. "However," Rev. Dr. McCarty said, "we should not feel that we are advancing colonialism by taking a stand. Sexual identity defines so much of how we�interact�with the world; it ought to be recognized and protected."
"We have to engage in dialogue," Rev. Dr. McCarty insisted, "and dialogue is not private conversation amongst ourselves."
"Instead," he continued, "we must call upon political, private, and faith groups to condemn violence and oppression, and to use their influence as leverage �to start this dialogue."
I recognized how he himself has stood up to�oppression�in other countries,�notably�Nigeria and Uganda, by joining other faith leaders in denouncing homophobic laws and prejudice.
"As a person of faith, I am fundamentally opposed to violence and oppression," Rev. Dr. McCarty stated, "and when lives are at stake, we must intervene."
Thankfully, nations like Rwanda and South Africa continue to advance equality and justice, but the momentum in other countries ?such as Ghana?�seems to be quickly treading in a dangerous direction.
What is so scary about this situation is not necessarily the cultural tensions by those who are confused by or afraid of homosexuality; rather, it is the increasing politicization of homophobia, and the culturally and politically influential leaders of the country wielding fear and hate as a weapon.
Not unlike�other countries around the world, Ghana has on its books loosely-worded laws prohibiting homosexual sex, but it was not until this past decade ?after a surge of evangelicalism and fundamentalism?�that the scapegoating of LGBT Ghanaians really began to rise.
Compounding the issue is a justifiable strengthening of a post-colonial�Pan-African identity, one that seeks to establish social and economic practices based upon the countless cultural and ethnic histories and values shared by Ghanaians and other African peoples. This shift from Western influence is not a bad thing; I speak more to the point that the very history and perception of Western colonial and economic oppression is used as an excuse to�subjugate�LGBT (or perceived) community members, while shedding cultural or constitutional values of human rights and dignities.
Equality versus Colonialism
A gaining narrative throughout Africa, loudly touted by politicians (Ghana's President Mills included), church leaders, and even those in academic circles, is that homosexuality is an 'import' to the continent; a lifestyle or value recently brought in by Western colonialists and imperialists, supposedly new and unheard of in the histories and traditions of the many African cultures. Homosexuality has been successfully lumped in with the decadence and belligerence identified with the West, something to be shunned (however�forcibly) in order to regain a true sense of cultural identity and to make real socio-economic progress.
This warped revisionist perspective seriously limits the capability of non-Ghanaians, Nigerians, Ugandans, et al in pursuing or protecting global human rights there. Because of that narrative, any action by outsiders to support equal freedom and protections can be used by the homophobic leaders as ammunition for their socio-political agenda, be it to remove LGBT citizens from society (or life), or as some sort of scarlet letter to hang upon politicians from opposing parties.�Interestingly�enough, President Mills himself is often called gay by his opponents, holding that as a reason enough for removing him from office.
Such fear-mongering has even lead Ghana Education Service to proclaim the nation's same-sex schools as "breeding grounds" for "creeping homosexuality." How safe are schools where the administrators freely proclaim homosexuality as a key problem? Here in the U.S., ignoring the subject of sexual orientation has led to extreme bullying to the point of rising suicide rates; will Ghana's kids rise above the hate and fear peddled by the leaders in their society?
Despite the dislike for American involvement in African legal or cultural issues, this should not stop us in our push for equality. Whereas our direct influence in affecting sovereign laws and practices in oppressed countries might be limited, our ability to influence international governments, organizations, and corporations to leverage these protections has yet to be fully realized.
Failure to Act
The United Nations (former Secretary-General Kofi Annan is himself a Ghanaian),�United States, and European nations still carry significant economic and political clout in the region, along with the large multi-national companies like�IBM or Unilever, thanks to billions in investment and development money that they pump into Ghana.
As of yet, however, the U.S. State Department has been mum on this, even though they claim such strong ties with Ghana. It is anybody's guess whether the Obama administration's recent "barring of LGBT rights violators" from entering the U.S. is in response to this, and given their handling of DADT and DOMA it's hard to be optimistic toward its future enforcement or effectiveness.
IBM, a major investor in Ghana, and acclaimed for its advancement for equality, has also been silent on the measure. With nearly 5,000 petitioners calling upon IBM to take a stand against this escalating situation, we are left to wonder what it will take for them to say something.
They wouldn't have to take this step alone, as it did not take long for the�National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) to call for U.S. businesses to speak up on the matter. As a member of this organization, IBM could take a lead on this issue in denouncing the anti-LGBT rhetoric and call upon other members to do the same.
The silence by the State Department and IBM is tragic; how long will they stand by while anti-LGBT rhetoric grows? Is it not enough when even Ghana?s Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) proclaims that they "will not fight for the rights of homosexuals"?
Mission to Serve
Perhaps not to be outdone by national politicians, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) held a meeting whereby they declared their intent to open "reparative therapy" centers throughout their country, stating that LGBT Ghanaians were in-fact victims of demonic spirits, and that prayer and "a vigorous spiritual exercise" will cure them.
To go one step further, Rt. Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey, Moderator for the PCG General Assembly, also called upon the government to "put up effective measures to check [the spread of homosexuality] and transform the destiny of the country."
Another Ghana church, the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Church, similarly proclaimed an intent to treat homosexuality with prayer, but didn't go so far as the PCG in opening "therapy centers," while a local prophet plans to make available a "special solution center for gays and lesbians" in his Accra-based church.
It is possible that more Ghanaian churches and faith leaders will jump on the "pray away the gay" bandwagon, though their actions and commentary will likely carry well beyond the walls of their churches or parishioner's homes.
Here we enter another difficult conversation, particularly for those that have experienced oppression by faith communities, or feel that religion itself is to blame for such vitriol.
The Way Forward
For Ghana, perhaps there is greater room for positive reconciliation and protection by the international faith community. We've seen and fought against American-based evangelical groups�who have supported or encouraged the kind of hate-filled rhetoric that has lead to Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill and other forms of sponsored violence. It seems that the primary mission for these organizations ?like Family Watch International?is to�strengthen�and encourage homophobic laws and attitudes in African countries, Nigeria having been a recent success for them.
But can we call upon the religious organizations in our own country to export the ideals of love and equity that they espouse, instead of fear and hate?
Soon after the story broke, a group within PCUSA known as 'More Light Presbyterians,' was quick to denounce PCG's plans, as their executive director ?Michael Adee?�stated "the church is to be a messenger of God?s love for all persons, not of prejudice," and that "therapy is not a Christian or medically helpful response to gay people and it is harmful."
To shed some light on what people of faith, and faith groups can do here in the U.S., I sat down with Rev. Dr. Richard W. McCarty, an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and board member for Equality Pennsylvania.
First, Rev. Dr. McCarty acknowledged the challenges to overcome in this situation, particularly in telling a congregation or foreign social institution that their beliefs or behaviors are wrong. "However," Rev. Dr. McCarty said, "we should not feel that we are advancing colonialism by taking a stand. Sexual identity defines so much of how we�interact�with the world; it ought to be recognized and protected."
"We have to engage in dialogue," Rev. Dr. McCarty insisted, "and dialogue is not private conversation amongst ourselves."
"Instead," he continued, "we must call upon political, private, and faith groups to condemn violence and oppression, and to use their influence as leverage �to start this dialogue."
I recognized how he himself has stood up to�oppression�in other countries,�notably�Nigeria and Uganda, by joining other faith leaders in denouncing homophobic laws and prejudice.
"As a person of faith, I am fundamentally opposed to violence and oppression," Rev. Dr. McCarty stated, "and when lives are at stake, we must intervene."
U.S. to Russia: Respect rights of your LGBT citizens
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department this week expressed concern to Russia after two of that nation's largest cities passed anti-gay legislature that essentially silences LGBT Russians and prevents Pride marches and other public gatherings of gays and lesbians.
Vladimir Putin?s ruling United Russia party, which is facing elections, is supportive of these restrictions that violate the rights of LGBT Russians. The sprawling nation, which lies in both Europe and Asia, is very homophobic.
"We are deeply concerned by proposed local legislation in Russia that would severely restrict freedoms of expression and assembly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and indeed all Russians. As Secretary Clinton has said, gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights."
read more
Vladimir Putin?s ruling United Russia party, which is facing elections, is supportive of these restrictions that violate the rights of LGBT Russians. The sprawling nation, which lies in both Europe and Asia, is very homophobic.
"We are deeply concerned by proposed local legislation in Russia that would severely restrict freedoms of expression and assembly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and indeed all Russians. As Secretary Clinton has said, gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights."
read more
New Flower Service
As workmen begin installing the flowers for the Prince William and Catherine Middleton's Royal wedding, uur friends at The Garden Party Flower Service launched a new Flower Service today at http://www.thegardenparty.co.uk/ Head over and take a look.
Image by shannonpatrick17 via Flickr
View Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Image by shannonpatrick17 via Flickr
View Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
IKEA instructions for building a lesbian relationship. No allen...
IKEA instructions for building a lesbian relationship. No allen wrench required!
Activists Picket MPD and Prosecutors: Transgender Day of Action protesters deliver complaints and demands to D.C. authorities
News:
More than 30 local activists representing a coalition of LGBT organizations protested in front of Metropolitan Police Department headquarters and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia Nov. 17 to demand fair treatment of transgender individuals by police and increased efforts in solving and prosecuting crimes committed against transgender people.
The protest, the Transgender Day of Action, was organized to call attention to what activists deem an inadequate response to violence directed against members of the LGBT community.
Ruby Corado at Transgender Day of Action protest
(Photo by John Riley)
Members of the ''TLGB Police Watch'' coalition sponsoring the Thursday demonstration included the DC Trans Coalition, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, Gender Rights Maryland, Get Equal DC, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), the Rainbow Response Coalition, Transgender Health Empowerment and the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance.
Protesters walked in a circle outside MPD headquarters chanting pro-equality messages and carrying signs reading ''Stop the Killings; Solve the Crimes,'' ''The D.C. Human Rights Law is for All!'' and ''Train All Police to Respect Transgender People.'' The protesters then marched across the street to the U.S. Attorney's Office, where five people displayed a large paper banner reading, ''End Transphobia Now!!!'' while speakers addressed the crowd.
''For the last 15 years, we have endured a lot of violence on the streets of D.C., and a lot of our sisters have actually fallen due to that violence,'' said local transgender activist Ruby Corado. ''We can no longer afford one more murder. We can no longer afford one more stabbing. We can no longer afford one more shooting. What we need is to move forward with initiatives that help our community thrive.''
Event organizers also issued a list of demands and goals, which they submitted to the offices of MPD Chief Cathy Lanier; U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Ronald Machen; and the 13 members of the City Council.
The list includes requiring LGBT sensitivity training for all MPD officers; closing what activists call a disparity gap between the clearance, or closure, rate of crimes against the transgender community and crimes overall; harsher disciplinary standards for officers failing to uphold the D.C. Human Rights Law; and better tracking and reporting procedures of cases involving transgender people, including referring to them by their preferred name and presenting gender.
''It's gotten to a point now where something needs to be done,'' said Xion Lopez, a transgender woman who addressed the crowd in front of the U.S. Attorney's Office. ''I'm here because I'm standing up for my rights, not just for myself, but for all people of the LGBT community.''
The activists also called for the elimination of ''prostitution free zones,'' which they believe to be unconstitutional and say encourages police to engage in discriminatory profiling. A recently introduced City Council bill, submitted by Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), could make such zones permanent.
Janelle Mungo, a member of Get Equal DC and one of the organizers of the demonstration, said the prostitution-free zones are ''huge detriments'' to the LGBT community.
''When you think about it in theory, it sounds nice,'' Mungo said of the prostitution-free zones. ''But when you really dig down into it, it creates huge problems for the communities that live there, whether they are sex workers or just people in the area. It doesn't create a safe environment. It creates a heavily policed environment, which creates a lot of aggression in the people, and it's not safe. That's why we need to educate the community about the real problems with these prostitution-free zones.''
In response to the demonstration, Lanier offered a statement, handed to protesters by MPD personnel, in which she reiterated both the MPD's commitment, as well as her own, to protecting ''all members of our communities'' and highlighting the department's outreach to the LGBT community.
''An example of our efforts to improve our outreach is that we scheduled a series of open houses – the first being last night to introduce our GLLU affiliates to the community,'' Lanier said in the statement. ''While 15 affiliate members were in attendance, no members of the GLBT community showed up. This has to be a partnership where efforts are made on both sides.''
The department has seven other open houses scheduled for November and December, one for each police district. Although none of the remaining MPD outreach events are specifically geared toward the LGBT community, the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) participates as a component of the Special Liaison Units (SLU) division, as was the case in the Nov. 16 open house cited by Lanier.
But the activists in attendance pushed back against Lanier's statement, which many viewed as an attempt to discredit them.
''We've had those kinds of open houses and those meetings, and nothing comes of it,'' Mungo said. ''They're not highly publicized. It's hard to know when they're going on. When they are publicized and we do know of it, we send folks. Nothing comes out of it. It's the same story over and over.''
Lanier's statement also prompted a rebuttal from Get Equal's Charles Butler: ''We had 30 people show up at our event. You had none. Next time, if you contact us, we'll help you with your P.R.''
Others attending the demonstration said they hoped there would be positive developments once public officials realized they are being held accountable for how they respond to crimes against transgender people.
Cyndee Clay, executive director of Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), said she came down to support better treatment of transgender individuals by law enforcement.
''I think this is a problem with individual officers on the streets, which is a training problem, which is also a leadership problem,'' Clay said. ''We need to system-wide try to address these issues, do system-wide trainings, and give officers the tools they need, which they often don't.''
Clay added that, as a community activist, she used to have a good working relationship with the GLLU officers, but feels the decision to change how the unit operates by focusing more on affiliate officers in each of the seven police districts instead of a centralized unit has harmed its ability to provide culturally sensitive service to LGBT crime victims.
''I think it was an example of something that was going well that got all screwed up,'' she said. ''I'm not sure why they took something that was working and disbanded it to the point that it became largely ineffective.''
Also attending the rally were five high school students representing the Gay-Straight Alliance of Washington-Lee High School, in Arlington. The students said they came because they wanted to support members of the transgender community and were particularly influenced by the attack last April against transgender woman Chrissy Lee Polis in a Baltimore-area McDonald's restaurant, as well as anti-transgender shootings in the District.
''Honestly, I think people are more indifferent to trans rights than anyone else in the LGBT community, just because there's a lot of misinformation about it and people cling so tightly to their ideas of gender norms and gender roles,'' said 15-year-old sophomore Gwen Yamanaka. ''So there's a lot of ignorance, a lot of indifference. It's really easy for people not to care or be against us.'' ...more
More than 30 local activists representing a coalition of LGBT organizations protested in front of Metropolitan Police Department headquarters and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia Nov. 17 to demand fair treatment of transgender individuals by police and increased efforts in solving and prosecuting crimes committed against transgender people.
The protest, the Transgender Day of Action, was organized to call attention to what activists deem an inadequate response to violence directed against members of the LGBT community.
Ruby Corado at Transgender Day of Action protest
(Photo by John Riley)
Members of the ''TLGB Police Watch'' coalition sponsoring the Thursday demonstration included the DC Trans Coalition, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, Gender Rights Maryland, Get Equal DC, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), the Rainbow Response Coalition, Transgender Health Empowerment and the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance.
Protesters walked in a circle outside MPD headquarters chanting pro-equality messages and carrying signs reading ''Stop the Killings; Solve the Crimes,'' ''The D.C. Human Rights Law is for All!'' and ''Train All Police to Respect Transgender People.'' The protesters then marched across the street to the U.S. Attorney's Office, where five people displayed a large paper banner reading, ''End Transphobia Now!!!'' while speakers addressed the crowd.
''For the last 15 years, we have endured a lot of violence on the streets of D.C., and a lot of our sisters have actually fallen due to that violence,'' said local transgender activist Ruby Corado. ''We can no longer afford one more murder. We can no longer afford one more stabbing. We can no longer afford one more shooting. What we need is to move forward with initiatives that help our community thrive.''
Event organizers also issued a list of demands and goals, which they submitted to the offices of MPD Chief Cathy Lanier; U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Ronald Machen; and the 13 members of the City Council.
The list includes requiring LGBT sensitivity training for all MPD officers; closing what activists call a disparity gap between the clearance, or closure, rate of crimes against the transgender community and crimes overall; harsher disciplinary standards for officers failing to uphold the D.C. Human Rights Law; and better tracking and reporting procedures of cases involving transgender people, including referring to them by their preferred name and presenting gender.
''It's gotten to a point now where something needs to be done,'' said Xion Lopez, a transgender woman who addressed the crowd in front of the U.S. Attorney's Office. ''I'm here because I'm standing up for my rights, not just for myself, but for all people of the LGBT community.''
The activists also called for the elimination of ''prostitution free zones,'' which they believe to be unconstitutional and say encourages police to engage in discriminatory profiling. A recently introduced City Council bill, submitted by Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), could make such zones permanent.
Janelle Mungo, a member of Get Equal DC and one of the organizers of the demonstration, said the prostitution-free zones are ''huge detriments'' to the LGBT community.
''When you think about it in theory, it sounds nice,'' Mungo said of the prostitution-free zones. ''But when you really dig down into it, it creates huge problems for the communities that live there, whether they are sex workers or just people in the area. It doesn't create a safe environment. It creates a heavily policed environment, which creates a lot of aggression in the people, and it's not safe. That's why we need to educate the community about the real problems with these prostitution-free zones.''
In response to the demonstration, Lanier offered a statement, handed to protesters by MPD personnel, in which she reiterated both the MPD's commitment, as well as her own, to protecting ''all members of our communities'' and highlighting the department's outreach to the LGBT community.
''An example of our efforts to improve our outreach is that we scheduled a series of open houses – the first being last night to introduce our GLLU affiliates to the community,'' Lanier said in the statement. ''While 15 affiliate members were in attendance, no members of the GLBT community showed up. This has to be a partnership where efforts are made on both sides.''
The department has seven other open houses scheduled for November and December, one for each police district. Although none of the remaining MPD outreach events are specifically geared toward the LGBT community, the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) participates as a component of the Special Liaison Units (SLU) division, as was the case in the Nov. 16 open house cited by Lanier.
But the activists in attendance pushed back against Lanier's statement, which many viewed as an attempt to discredit them.
''We've had those kinds of open houses and those meetings, and nothing comes of it,'' Mungo said. ''They're not highly publicized. It's hard to know when they're going on. When they are publicized and we do know of it, we send folks. Nothing comes out of it. It's the same story over and over.''
Lanier's statement also prompted a rebuttal from Get Equal's Charles Butler: ''We had 30 people show up at our event. You had none. Next time, if you contact us, we'll help you with your P.R.''
Others attending the demonstration said they hoped there would be positive developments once public officials realized they are being held accountable for how they respond to crimes against transgender people.
Cyndee Clay, executive director of Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), said she came down to support better treatment of transgender individuals by law enforcement.
''I think this is a problem with individual officers on the streets, which is a training problem, which is also a leadership problem,'' Clay said. ''We need to system-wide try to address these issues, do system-wide trainings, and give officers the tools they need, which they often don't.''
Clay added that, as a community activist, she used to have a good working relationship with the GLLU officers, but feels the decision to change how the unit operates by focusing more on affiliate officers in each of the seven police districts instead of a centralized unit has harmed its ability to provide culturally sensitive service to LGBT crime victims.
''I think it was an example of something that was going well that got all screwed up,'' she said. ''I'm not sure why they took something that was working and disbanded it to the point that it became largely ineffective.''
Also attending the rally were five high school students representing the Gay-Straight Alliance of Washington-Lee High School, in Arlington. The students said they came because they wanted to support members of the transgender community and were particularly influenced by the attack last April against transgender woman Chrissy Lee Polis in a Baltimore-area McDonald's restaurant, as well as anti-transgender shootings in the District.
''Honestly, I think people are more indifferent to trans rights than anyone else in the LGBT community, just because there's a lot of misinformation about it and people cling so tightly to their ideas of gender norms and gender roles,'' said 15-year-old sophomore Gwen Yamanaka. ''So there's a lot of ignorance, a lot of indifference. It's really easy for people not to care or be against us.'' ...more
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Autumn in Provincetown
I'm just back from a very quick trip to one of America's quintessential beach towns, and also one of the world's leading GLBT vacation getaways, Provincetown. High season in this artsy, historic fishing village at the very tip of Cape Cod is summer. I tend to visit in late spring or early fall, as I did last week - it's still busy enough that most restaurants, galleries, and bars are open, but the crowds are far below what they are in July in August. Also, inns and hotels start to drop their rates a bit by September, and fewer of them require minimum stays of two or more days (a week minimum is not uncommon during certain summer holiday weekends at certain Provincetown hotels)....Read Full Post
(25) The Pope Show & Debbie Gibson
The Pope reps in NYC, The Pope-mobile, Pope apologies, The Pope on Evil Eve, The Pope, Pope and more Pope ….
Same-sex marriage might be back on '10 ballot
Californians could vote to overturn the state's ban on same-sex marriage in November 2010 as a coalition of 40 organizations Thursday took the first step toward starting an initiative campaign. The effort is being...
(6) Interview w/ Kate Clinton and My Feminazi Ramblings
Fancier than Uhaul, Rare Exclusive Interview With The Goddess Kate Clinton, Sexy Feminism, Closing Ramblings From Yours Truly The Feminazi?
If The Voice Were The Girlfriend
I wasn?t going to do it, I was not going to get invested in a reality show to find the next great singer. But on a lazy Wednesday I went to primetime on demand, the savior of people who don?t want or forget to DVR things and queued up The Voice
Out and About
Friday, October 8
Now in its 20th smash season, The Mystery Cafe proudly carries on their legacy as San Diego’s longest running dinner theater. Join them for a night of the most informal dining fun San Diego has to offer. Enjoy a four course meal, solve a mystery, be a part of the show, and laugh yourself silly! Bring the family and friends and enjoy an evening of hilarious, non-stop action, great food and good old fashioned FUN...you never know, you might get to be part of the act! 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mystery Café is located at 505 Kalmia St., San Diego, 92101 Tickets - $59.50 which includes 4 course meal, show and tax. Gratuity not included. For more information call the Mystery Cafe Box Office (619) 460-2200 or visit www.mysterycafe.net
…
Read More
Now in its 20th smash season, The Mystery Cafe proudly carries on their legacy as San Diego’s longest running dinner theater. Join them for a night of the most informal dining fun San Diego has to offer. Enjoy a four course meal, solve a mystery, be a part of the show, and laugh yourself silly! Bring the family and friends and enjoy an evening of hilarious, non-stop action, great food and good old fashioned FUN...you never know, you might get to be part of the act! 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mystery Café is located at 505 Kalmia St., San Diego, 92101 Tickets - $59.50 which includes 4 course meal, show and tax. Gratuity not included. For more information call the Mystery Cafe Box Office (619) 460-2200 or visit www.mysterycafe.net
…
Read More
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Life Beyond Therapy
A psychological look at HIV
I am sometimes asked to help facilitate workshops at The Center for people who are HIV-positive. As an HIV- person, I consider this quite an honor…and I have learned A LOT in doing so. I’ve learned that, for many people, an HIV+ diagnosis feels like your world is falling apart. After the initial shock wears off, most people feel a lot of grief and depression. Over the years, so many people have asked me some version of these two questions: “How do I keep my sanity when I get an HIV+ diagnosis?” “What do I do when it feels like my life is falling apart?”
To answer these questions, here are some questions that I have offered participants in workshops for HIV+ folks. [Note: If you’re HIV-, these questions may still be…
Read More
I am sometimes asked to help facilitate workshops at The Center for people who are HIV-positive. As an HIV- person, I consider this quite an honor…and I have learned A LOT in doing so. I’ve learned that, for many people, an HIV+ diagnosis feels like your world is falling apart. After the initial shock wears off, most people feel a lot of grief and depression. Over the years, so many people have asked me some version of these two questions: “How do I keep my sanity when I get an HIV+ diagnosis?” “What do I do when it feels like my life is falling apart?”
To answer these questions, here are some questions that I have offered participants in workshops for HIV+ folks. [Note: If you’re HIV-, these questions may still be…
Read More
"Are All Libertarians Socially Liberal? No way."
TokenLibertarianGirl weighs in on what she calls the "Reason v.
Mises Debate":
Relevant links at the source. And
since Token brought up (and recommended!)
The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can
Fix What's Wrong with America, here's some interesting
policy discussion that references the book from National
Review's Reihan Salam. Excerpt:
The
traditional approach to making the basics of a middle class life
more widely available is to increase the resources devoted to
dysfunctional public sector institutions, to increase the number of
regulations, and perhaps to create new public sector institutions
in the hope that they will escape the sclerosis that plagues older
ones. This approach hasn?t turned out very well.
Note, however, the trajectory of various other consumption
goods: appliances, automobiles, and amenities; personal services in
domains that are not burdened by licensing restrictions; the cost
and quality of housing in regions that aren?t severely
capacity-constrained by zoning restrictions and other
regulations.
Somehow libertarians and conservatives need to connect these
threads, as Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch try to do in their
The Declaration of Independents: the assumptions need to
flip so that voters start wondering why the public education system
isn?t offering higher quality at lower cost, in marked contrast to,
say, fast-casual dining chains or the manufacturers of consumer
electronics or the purveyors of coffee.
Over at The Huffington Post, Jigar Singh, CEO of
The Carbon War Room, declares the book "fascinating."
The Libertarian Party of California deems
it "an awesome volume, sure to guide you to a more libertarian
future....an entertaining manifesto." Bill Conerly calls it
"a
really fun read," and takes our implicit recommendation to buy
(for free!) a copy of
Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. Over in Bangkok, Paul
Salvette
says "the book is quite enjoyable, regardless of where you sit
on the political spectrum," and cogitates a bit on how it applies
to "the self-publishing and indie author community." And for
balance, here's a
disappointed review from Alex Chiang:
Two editors from Reason magazine write a book subtitled "How
Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America", which I
don't understand, because they spend a lot of time talking about
case studies where non-traditional thinking was advantageous, but
in my opinion, failed to connect that to any sort of concrete
action about how to create a viable, politically electable
Libertarian candidate. Had high hopes; I give it a B-.
There's a big pile of reviews and reactions over at the
Declaration2011 site.
Mises Debate":
Relevant links at the source. And
since Token brought up (and recommended!)
The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can
Fix What's Wrong with America, here's some interesting
policy discussion that references the book from National
Review's Reihan Salam. Excerpt:
The
traditional approach to making the basics of a middle class life
more widely available is to increase the resources devoted to
dysfunctional public sector institutions, to increase the number of
regulations, and perhaps to create new public sector institutions
in the hope that they will escape the sclerosis that plagues older
ones. This approach hasn?t turned out very well.
Note, however, the trajectory of various other consumption
goods: appliances, automobiles, and amenities; personal services in
domains that are not burdened by licensing restrictions; the cost
and quality of housing in regions that aren?t severely
capacity-constrained by zoning restrictions and other
regulations.
Somehow libertarians and conservatives need to connect these
threads, as Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch try to do in their
The Declaration of Independents: the assumptions need to
flip so that voters start wondering why the public education system
isn?t offering higher quality at lower cost, in marked contrast to,
say, fast-casual dining chains or the manufacturers of consumer
electronics or the purveyors of coffee.
Over at The Huffington Post, Jigar Singh, CEO of
The Carbon War Room, declares the book "fascinating."
The Libertarian Party of California deems
it "an awesome volume, sure to guide you to a more libertarian
future....an entertaining manifesto." Bill Conerly calls it
"a
really fun read," and takes our implicit recommendation to buy
(for free!) a copy of
Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. Over in Bangkok, Paul
Salvette
says "the book is quite enjoyable, regardless of where you sit
on the political spectrum," and cogitates a bit on how it applies
to "the self-publishing and indie author community." And for
balance, here's a
disappointed review from Alex Chiang:
Two editors from Reason magazine write a book subtitled "How
Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America", which I
don't understand, because they spend a lot of time talking about
case studies where non-traditional thinking was advantageous, but
in my opinion, failed to connect that to any sort of concrete
action about how to create a viable, politically electable
Libertarian candidate. Had high hopes; I give it a B-.
There's a big pile of reviews and reactions over at the
Declaration2011 site.
"Maddow is an anchor who is, she says? ?definitely not an ?autocutie??. And if there were any doubt,..."
?Maddow is an anchor who is, she says? ?definitely not an ?autocutie??. And if there were any doubt, when she stands up from her desk, she reveals that the jacket is worn, not with a pencil skirt, but a pair of jeans and cumbersome black and red trainers. ?And not just jeans ? ugly jeans!? Maddow laughs, proudly, and then swiftly swaps that regulation jacket for a grey sweatshirt.? - Rachel Maddow: The Guardian (via fuckyeahrachelmaddow)
Friday Abs
Just some gratuitous flesh in diesel underwear for Friday.
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Gay candidates for Congress draw interest, hope
PROVIDENCE (AP) – Laure Rondeau, an 82-year-old Catholic, supports Providence Mayor David Cicilline for Congress because he wants to get the troops out of Afghanistan and says Washington is losing sight of what’s happening to regular people.
The sexual orientation of the openly gay mayor doesn’t figure into her decision.
“That doesn’t bother me at all,” Rondeau says. “He’s been a good mayor of Providence, and I think he’d do well in Congress.”
Just three of the 535 members of Congress are openly gay, but two candidates hope to inch that number up to five this year: Cicilline, who is running to succeed fellow Democrat Patrick Kennedy, and Democrat Steve Pougnet, who’s trying to knock Republi…
Read More
The sexual orientation of the openly gay mayor doesn’t figure into her decision.
“That doesn’t bother me at all,” Rondeau says. “He’s been a good mayor of Providence, and I think he’d do well in Congress.”
Just three of the 535 members of Congress are openly gay, but two candidates hope to inch that number up to five this year: Cicilline, who is running to succeed fellow Democrat Patrick Kennedy, and Democrat Steve Pougnet, who’s trying to knock Republi…
Read More
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Boot~ique with VIDEO: Keep fit and dance to give back at Thanksgiving
Plus check out all the great low calorie recipies for the biggest eating day of the year!
The holidays have officially arrived! There are so many things to enjoy and appreciate during the holidays, but I bet you're thinking about Thanksgiving dinner, right?
To help you avoid over-eating this great meal, start your day off right.
After a good night's sleep, enjoy a healthy, protein and fiber-rich breakfast!
Remember, it's not helpful to starve yourself all day, just so you can eat more at night. Continue to eat well throughout the day so you are not overly hungry when the Thanksgiving meal hits the table.
Jaylin has tips for you to tackle the biggest eating day of the year, including a non-profit Zumba class that will offer ALL proceeds to St. Vincent de Paul Village!!
read more
The holidays have officially arrived! There are so many things to enjoy and appreciate during the holidays, but I bet you're thinking about Thanksgiving dinner, right?
To help you avoid over-eating this great meal, start your day off right.
After a good night's sleep, enjoy a healthy, protein and fiber-rich breakfast!
Remember, it's not helpful to starve yourself all day, just so you can eat more at night. Continue to eat well throughout the day so you are not overly hungry when the Thanksgiving meal hits the table.
Jaylin has tips for you to tackle the biggest eating day of the year, including a non-profit Zumba class that will offer ALL proceeds to St. Vincent de Paul Village!!
read more
What Martha Stewart Taught Jesse Tyler Ferguson
The Modern Family star reveals how the domestic goddess taught him to make a savory Thanksgiving dinner.
Lesbian News - 14 Nov 2011
Lesbian couple to provide drug therapy for transgender sonBeing Gay and AgeingLos Angeles gay rights group slams Bud Selig for speaking before Boy Scouts galaChick-Fil-A gave nearly $2 million to anti-gay groups in 2009Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film FestivalRainbow disconnectionNumber of gay couples who adopt tripled over last decadePaula Ettlebrick, who fought many battles, has lost her final oneDocumentary exposes lives, loves and fears of black lesbiansLesbians love their cat videosChurch opens drop-in centre for gays, others
Scene Heard...
This is beautiful...
Amber Heard, directed by her long-time girlfriend Tasya van Ree.
Amber Heard, directed by her long-time girlfriend Tasya van Ree.
Sex Ed Resources for Lesbians
My little sister is a lesbian, and seems misinformed about some basic sexual concepts (eg: safe sex for lesbians) .... I'm a 29 year old straight lady, with a 19 year old lesbian sister (we'll call her S) and an 18 year old straight sister (we'll call her H). I have always had a close relationship with both sisters, and the channels of communication have been very open regarding sex and other "sensitive" subjects. They look up to me, and I am supportive and try to give good advice when asked.
Recently (within the last year or so) both sisters have become sexually active. However it has become apparent over the last year that my lesbian sister S has developed something of an attitude. We've had some general talks about STD's and the like, but she acts like no one in the family has any right to say anything to her (about her sex behavior) because we "just don't understand" because we're not gay.
I COMPLETELY understand her need to be able to connect with someone who has had similar sexual experiences, but some things transcend orientation in my opinion, eg: safe sex practices!
S spent many years hiding her sexuality from my parents (but not H and I), and would have her girlfriend spend the night, while telling my parents they were just friends. I called her out on this (in my opinion inappropriate) behavior, and she dismisses it because she "can't get pregnant" and "what's the big deal anyway?" When I explain how our parents would not approve of a boy spending the night with H she get's upset and rolls her eyes and tells me I just don't get it. Well, sorry, I think it's the same thing. Now she's telling us she doesn't need to get her yearly exams at the gyno because she's not having sex with a penis, she acts like she's magically immune to STD's, and she's hooking up with random girls from a bondage bar because "she can't get pregnant!" She has loud sex in my parents house while people are there (someone actually walked in on her during my uncles retirement party!) and when you ask her to stop she has no respect and acts like we're being unreasonable and trying to stifle her gayness (no matter how accepting we are, and WE ARE, she thinks we are trying to stifle her gayness). My parents have told her this is unacceptable, but she sneaks around and does it anyway, and now they've asked me to help.
I really want some resources to point her in the right direction, mainly about how being a sexually active lesbian doesn't mean you can neglect your body and your safety ... which is what she is currently doing. Books, interwebs, penpals ... anything! I am really frustrated because she completely disregards me and everyone around her because we're straight. (again, I completely understand and agree with the real need to have a friend/mentor that is a lesbian to have some good talks with her). Any advice about her attitude would also be helpful!
Recently (within the last year or so) both sisters have become sexually active. However it has become apparent over the last year that my lesbian sister S has developed something of an attitude. We've had some general talks about STD's and the like, but she acts like no one in the family has any right to say anything to her (about her sex behavior) because we "just don't understand" because we're not gay.
I COMPLETELY understand her need to be able to connect with someone who has had similar sexual experiences, but some things transcend orientation in my opinion, eg: safe sex practices!
S spent many years hiding her sexuality from my parents (but not H and I), and would have her girlfriend spend the night, while telling my parents they were just friends. I called her out on this (in my opinion inappropriate) behavior, and she dismisses it because she "can't get pregnant" and "what's the big deal anyway?" When I explain how our parents would not approve of a boy spending the night with H she get's upset and rolls her eyes and tells me I just don't get it. Well, sorry, I think it's the same thing. Now she's telling us she doesn't need to get her yearly exams at the gyno because she's not having sex with a penis, she acts like she's magically immune to STD's, and she's hooking up with random girls from a bondage bar because "she can't get pregnant!" She has loud sex in my parents house while people are there (someone actually walked in on her during my uncles retirement party!) and when you ask her to stop she has no respect and acts like we're being unreasonable and trying to stifle her gayness (no matter how accepting we are, and WE ARE, she thinks we are trying to stifle her gayness). My parents have told her this is unacceptable, but she sneaks around and does it anyway, and now they've asked me to help.
I really want some resources to point her in the right direction, mainly about how being a sexually active lesbian doesn't mean you can neglect your body and your safety ... which is what she is currently doing. Books, interwebs, penpals ... anything! I am really frustrated because she completely disregards me and everyone around her because we're straight. (again, I completely understand and agree with the real need to have a friend/mentor that is a lesbian to have some good talks with her). Any advice about her attitude would also be helpful!
Shelagh Delaney, Writer and Morrissey Muse, Dies
The British playwright who included a gay lead character in her groundbreaking play A Taste of Honey, and who was considered a big influence on the music of The Smiths and The Beatles, has died at 71.
(30) You Like the Crazy
Isis, American Chappaquiddick Idol, Listener v/m, Quarrels, Monsters, Not so Smiley Cyrus, What’s a Hooker to Wear?, This American Life, Bottles of Red for Billy Joel … and last but not least, if you listen very carefully you will learn the real reason why cops eat donuts! Only here at the Lesma! Featuring music by: [...]
Is Simon Cowell Gay?
With the X-factor back on prime time TV in Britain, all of the tabloids are busy scraping up as much muck as they can and slinging it at everyone in the hope it will stick to someone. This week it was Simon Cowell's turn. Tough as an old leather handbag, Simon Cowell is not going to blink an eye at the rumours going around that he is gay.
I don't think Cowell is on anyones gaydar, but co judge Louis Walsh this week cleared it up for us, stating this week that his 51-year-old friend is easily "distracted by a pair of breasts".
Lois Walsh told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper this week that, "He's not gay. Not at all. He's camp. He's theatrical. But he's absolutely not gay. No way. He loves women. Haven't you seen the way he looks at girls? He'll get distracted by a pair of breasts."
Well I guess that clears it up then.
Gay news
View Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
I don't think Cowell is on anyones gaydar, but co judge Louis Walsh this week cleared it up for us, stating this week that his 51-year-old friend is easily "distracted by a pair of breasts".
Lois Walsh told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper this week that, "He's not gay. Not at all. He's camp. He's theatrical. But he's absolutely not gay. No way. He loves women. Haven't you seen the way he looks at girls? He'll get distracted by a pair of breasts."
Well I guess that clears it up then.
Gay news
View Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Monday, November 21, 2011
NOW Foundation's Love Your Body Day Set for Wednesday, Oct. 19
http://now.org/press/10-11/10-14.htmlThe NOW Foundation announces its 14th annual Love Your Body Day to take place on Oct. 19. NOW Foundation launched the groundbreaking Love Your Body Day in 1998 to promote positive images of women and girls in the media and offer an alternative to unrealistic and harmful standards of beauty.
IKEA instructions for building a lesbian relationship. No allen...
IKEA instructions for building a lesbian relationship. No allen wrench required!
Flexible, customizable, free, gay-friendly, Windows-compatible genealogy software?
Flexible, customizable, free, gay-friendly, Windows-compatible genealogy software? I just noticed that the software I'm using appears to allow only man-woman marriages. (There may be an option I've missed, but that's what it looks like for now.) So I want to know what my options are for gay-friendly genealogy software. Preferably, I would like it to be flexible enough to allow you to define any sort of relationship between people (friends, work colleagues, school buddies, neighbors, sexual partners, kindred spirits, ride the same bus, etc.) and then let you generate classic family trees or other sorts of reports.
The Dark Beauty's Struggle
Colombo. Sri Lanka. An entire shelf in the "beauty products" section of Cargill's supermarket is stacked with Fair & Lovely products--little pink rectangular boxes decorated by two versions of the same female face. One is dark and depressed; the other is white and beaming.
Business for skin "lightening" products and skin bleaching procedures are booming across Asia from Bombay to Tokyo. The market was estimated to be worth 18 billion dollars in 2009, according to Public Radio International, with more than 60 global companies competing for it. A survey by global market research company Synovate found that four out of 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea use a skin-whitening cream. Products like Unilever's Fair & Lovely promises to turn dark-skinned Asian women into glowing, bright-faced beauties, because, as is often implied, women with dark complexions are ugly, undesirable and unhappy. Why not let the beauty industry help you get that ideal white complexion?
In Asia, being fair is a fundamental element of measuring beauty, and then a woman's worth. Little Asian girls are told from an early age to shelter themselves from the sun, hide their little heads under an umbrella, anything to save the skin from getting too brown. The preference for fair-skinned women is deeply rooted in the incredibly diverse cultures of Asia, and is a combination of post-colonial influences and traditional concepts of beauty. The white privilege in colonial times stressed the need to look white to get ahead in society.
In the 21st century, heavily Western influenced mass media flood the market with advertisements featuring Caucasian models over local models, reinforcing the idea that white is beautiful, be white to be beautiful. Far worse yet, Asian celebrities endorse these products, giving them legitimacy. In one Indian commercial featuring Bollywood superstars, a man turns down a woman for being too dark. Dejected, the woman turns to skin-lightening products to be beautiful, successful and desirable.
Studies have found that having white skin significantly affects an Asian woman's earning potential and social status. In China, women are pressured to be fair to get ahead in a career or to get a boyfriend. In India, classifieds looking for brides often openly declare the desire for a "fair" woman.
Amid the social pressure, women are risking their health to look white. Skin lightening products contains substances such as hydroxyquinone that can be detrimental to the user's health, according to a BBC article. Some illegal products contain steroids and mercury, which has led to women's deaths. Included among the prominent health concerns affecting women because of these products are self-esteem, self-image and anxiety issues. Negative images of being dark-skinned stigmatizes otherwise healthy and capable women, making them overly conscious about their skin color. The social attitudes around them make them feel inferior and incomplete, and force them into extreme practices to look white. The products also perpetuate racism by reducing people to the color of their skin. Asians, and all others haunted by skin color, should censure skin lightening products. Women are worth more than their outer shell. Appearance alone should not determine a person's life.
This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival
Business for skin "lightening" products and skin bleaching procedures are booming across Asia from Bombay to Tokyo. The market was estimated to be worth 18 billion dollars in 2009, according to Public Radio International, with more than 60 global companies competing for it. A survey by global market research company Synovate found that four out of 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea use a skin-whitening cream. Products like Unilever's Fair & Lovely promises to turn dark-skinned Asian women into glowing, bright-faced beauties, because, as is often implied, women with dark complexions are ugly, undesirable and unhappy. Why not let the beauty industry help you get that ideal white complexion?
In Asia, being fair is a fundamental element of measuring beauty, and then a woman's worth. Little Asian girls are told from an early age to shelter themselves from the sun, hide their little heads under an umbrella, anything to save the skin from getting too brown. The preference for fair-skinned women is deeply rooted in the incredibly diverse cultures of Asia, and is a combination of post-colonial influences and traditional concepts of beauty. The white privilege in colonial times stressed the need to look white to get ahead in society.
In the 21st century, heavily Western influenced mass media flood the market with advertisements featuring Caucasian models over local models, reinforcing the idea that white is beautiful, be white to be beautiful. Far worse yet, Asian celebrities endorse these products, giving them legitimacy. In one Indian commercial featuring Bollywood superstars, a man turns down a woman for being too dark. Dejected, the woman turns to skin-lightening products to be beautiful, successful and desirable.
Studies have found that having white skin significantly affects an Asian woman's earning potential and social status. In China, women are pressured to be fair to get ahead in a career or to get a boyfriend. In India, classifieds looking for brides often openly declare the desire for a "fair" woman.
Amid the social pressure, women are risking their health to look white. Skin lightening products contains substances such as hydroxyquinone that can be detrimental to the user's health, according to a BBC article. Some illegal products contain steroids and mercury, which has led to women's deaths. Included among the prominent health concerns affecting women because of these products are self-esteem, self-image and anxiety issues. Negative images of being dark-skinned stigmatizes otherwise healthy and capable women, making them overly conscious about their skin color. The social attitudes around them make them feel inferior and incomplete, and force them into extreme practices to look white. The products also perpetuate racism by reducing people to the color of their skin. Asians, and all others haunted by skin color, should censure skin lightening products. Women are worth more than their outer shell. Appearance alone should not determine a person's life.
This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival
Fit Savvy
Blazing balls of fury
The tension is high, the room is hot, the crowd watches anxiously as sweat drips from the players’ foreheads and puddles on the floor, creating a smell reminiscent of a high school boys’ locker room after gym class. Bloodthirsty athletes with their souped-up, hard-hitting paddles show off their mind blowing skills as onlookers cheer them on in awe and admiration. These warriors of the rectangular table are fierce and are in it to win it! It’s official, ping pong fever has struck the masses.
What was once considered a “geeky game” is now a full blown hipster sport, and an Olympic one at that. Yes, unbeknownst to many, ping pong (also known as table tennis) has been an Olympic sport since 1988. Although the game seems to be do…
Read More
The tension is high, the room is hot, the crowd watches anxiously as sweat drips from the players’ foreheads and puddles on the floor, creating a smell reminiscent of a high school boys’ locker room after gym class. Bloodthirsty athletes with their souped-up, hard-hitting paddles show off their mind blowing skills as onlookers cheer them on in awe and admiration. These warriors of the rectangular table are fierce and are in it to win it! It’s official, ping pong fever has struck the masses.
What was once considered a “geeky game” is now a full blown hipster sport, and an Olympic one at that. Yes, unbeknownst to many, ping pong (also known as table tennis) has been an Olympic sport since 1988. Although the game seems to be do…
Read More
Celebrate Love Your Body Day!
http://action.now.org/o/5996/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=109739Take action on Love Your Body Day. Write a blog post for our blog carnival. Record a video and post it on YouTube as part of our Let's Talk About It Project. Get social by tweeting using the #lybd hashtag or RSVPing to our Facebook event.
Lists Are Hot: My Top Current lesBian Characters
Lists Are Hot is a monthly column for all those that love lists. This month Chantal tackles her top favorite current lesbian characters.
Like most everyone, or at least most everyone I know, I adore lists. I live and breathe lists. I usually get nothing done without my lists and I pretty much have a list for everything. Lists are clean, neat, and above all they keep us organized.
Normally I wouldn't limit myself on these types of lists, but since there are over two dozen actual lesBian characters that are on television and in movies (past, present and future) I decided to limit myself to a list of current lesBian characters.
Sophie Webster and Sian Powers (Coronation Street)
Sophie Webster (top) and Sian Powers
I cannot do a list with current lesBian characters and exclude Sophie Webster and Sian Powers, Coronation Street’s current and so far only lesBian power couple.
We have seen the story of a girl falling in love with her best friend done quite a few times before, but what makes this story special is the fact that not only is it well acted, but it is the first ever lesBian storyline in Coronation Street’s 50 years (and counting) history… and it dealt with not only the family aspect, but the religious aspect as well; the girls struggled to find acceptance from their loved ones and Sophie (and to a certain degree Sian), had to deal with an unaccepting religion.
I know I am totally cheating by listing them together, but they’re a pair and though they are their own person I cannot see them separately, especially since the actresses themselves are not without the other, even going as far as calling the other their ‘bird’ (slang for girlfriend).
Unfortunately I am going to have to see them separately if the rumors are about Sacha leaving are true, not to mention that there are these silly rumors about this chick called Amber.
Jennifer 'Jenny' Hartmann' and Emma M?ller (Hand Aufs Herz)
Jenny Hartmann (left) and Emma M?ller
No, I don’t actually have a ‘thing’ for school girls. It’s just that the school girls are some of the most well rounded, well-acted lesBian characters on television right now (plus, all actors are totally of age, so I have no shame ogling them). These two first came to my attention via a mention in an AfterEllen.com article and I have been hooked ever since.
The story told around ‘Jemma’ in Hand Aufs Herz and the awareness it has brought is exactly what Sophie and Sian did in Coronation Street, just in a different setting; Coronation Street dealt with coming out and acceptance in (mostly) family surroundings and Hand Aufs Herz did it in what can sometimes be an even harder setting – High School.
When Jenny transferred to Emma’s school, the girls had instant chemistry - not always with the right reaction, but always with the right attraction. Eventually Jenny and Emma realized they were completely and totally in love and recently Jemma was totally cemented in the hearts of viewers everywhere (if they weren’t already) when they did the deed.
After seeing that (a couple dozen times) all I know is that somewhere in the near future I am getting a wind machine (or just a fan that I can set really, really high!) and that I am totally going to stock up on white sheets.
Bianca Montgomery (All My Children)
Bianca as portrayed by Eden Riegel (left) & Christina Bennett Lind
Bianca Montgomery has been portrayed by seven actresses (from baby to adult), and though Eden Riegel is the most popularly associated with the character, it wasn’t until Bianca returned in the form of Christina Bennett Lind that I really started paying attention and did a speed-read/watch through for the character.
Sure, she’s not European, but when it comes to visibility and being one of the most well rounded (soap) lesBian characters on television can get you a long way in my book.
I had followed Bianca’s coming out and subsequent stories lightly through various news reports, and of course AfterEllen.com, but until recently I didn’t fully understand how much of an impact the character truly made.
Though All My Children is a soap series and they’ve pretty much thrown everything they could at Bianca (including a bout with Anorexia, rape, falling in love with the twin sister of your deceased girlfriend), the actresses (specifically Eden and Christina) that portrayed Bianca made it believable.
Currently played by Christina Bennett Lind, Bianca has found herself falling in love with her lawyer Marissa Chandler and as of recent, these feelings have been reciprocated. You can watch the storyline from the beginning over at onemorelesbian.com.
****
These were my favorite current characters. Do you agree? Do you have other favorites? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Like most everyone, or at least most everyone I know, I adore lists. I live and breathe lists. I usually get nothing done without my lists and I pretty much have a list for everything. Lists are clean, neat, and above all they keep us organized.
Normally I wouldn't limit myself on these types of lists, but since there are over two dozen actual lesBian characters that are on television and in movies (past, present and future) I decided to limit myself to a list of current lesBian characters.
Sophie Webster and Sian Powers (Coronation Street)
Sophie Webster (top) and Sian Powers
I cannot do a list with current lesBian characters and exclude Sophie Webster and Sian Powers, Coronation Street’s current and so far only lesBian power couple.
We have seen the story of a girl falling in love with her best friend done quite a few times before, but what makes this story special is the fact that not only is it well acted, but it is the first ever lesBian storyline in Coronation Street’s 50 years (and counting) history… and it dealt with not only the family aspect, but the religious aspect as well; the girls struggled to find acceptance from their loved ones and Sophie (and to a certain degree Sian), had to deal with an unaccepting religion.
I know I am totally cheating by listing them together, but they’re a pair and though they are their own person I cannot see them separately, especially since the actresses themselves are not without the other, even going as far as calling the other their ‘bird’ (slang for girlfriend).
Unfortunately I am going to have to see them separately if the rumors are about Sacha leaving are true, not to mention that there are these silly rumors about this chick called Amber.
Jennifer 'Jenny' Hartmann' and Emma M?ller (Hand Aufs Herz)
Jenny Hartmann (left) and Emma M?ller
No, I don’t actually have a ‘thing’ for school girls. It’s just that the school girls are some of the most well rounded, well-acted lesBian characters on television right now (plus, all actors are totally of age, so I have no shame ogling them). These two first came to my attention via a mention in an AfterEllen.com article and I have been hooked ever since.
The story told around ‘Jemma’ in Hand Aufs Herz and the awareness it has brought is exactly what Sophie and Sian did in Coronation Street, just in a different setting; Coronation Street dealt with coming out and acceptance in (mostly) family surroundings and Hand Aufs Herz did it in what can sometimes be an even harder setting – High School.
When Jenny transferred to Emma’s school, the girls had instant chemistry - not always with the right reaction, but always with the right attraction. Eventually Jenny and Emma realized they were completely and totally in love and recently Jemma was totally cemented in the hearts of viewers everywhere (if they weren’t already) when they did the deed.
After seeing that (a couple dozen times) all I know is that somewhere in the near future I am getting a wind machine (or just a fan that I can set really, really high!) and that I am totally going to stock up on white sheets.
Bianca Montgomery (All My Children)
Bianca as portrayed by Eden Riegel (left) & Christina Bennett Lind
Bianca Montgomery has been portrayed by seven actresses (from baby to adult), and though Eden Riegel is the most popularly associated with the character, it wasn’t until Bianca returned in the form of Christina Bennett Lind that I really started paying attention and did a speed-read/watch through for the character.
Sure, she’s not European, but when it comes to visibility and being one of the most well rounded (soap) lesBian characters on television can get you a long way in my book.
I had followed Bianca’s coming out and subsequent stories lightly through various news reports, and of course AfterEllen.com, but until recently I didn’t fully understand how much of an impact the character truly made.
Though All My Children is a soap series and they’ve pretty much thrown everything they could at Bianca (including a bout with Anorexia, rape, falling in love with the twin sister of your deceased girlfriend), the actresses (specifically Eden and Christina) that portrayed Bianca made it believable.
Currently played by Christina Bennett Lind, Bianca has found herself falling in love with her lawyer Marissa Chandler and as of recent, these feelings have been reciprocated. You can watch the storyline from the beginning over at onemorelesbian.com.
****
These were my favorite current characters. Do you agree? Do you have other favorites? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
BREAKING NEWS: Anti-gay opponents of SB 48 are back with two initiatives
SACRAMENTO ? Anti-gay opponents of SB 48, the California law that mandates the teaching of history of LGBT people, disabled people and other minority groups in the state?s public schools, are not taking ?no? for an answer.
Two homophobic groups want to wipe out all references to LGBT history icons in California's new state law.
read more
Two homophobic groups want to wipe out all references to LGBT history icons in California's new state law.
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