02.01.05 (12:28 am) posted by Genia
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Sources report that Portia de Rossi has given Ellen DeGeneres a wedding ring and bought herself one to match. Here honey, here's your ring. And I have one just like it. Now, I just have to get that other girl's initials off my ring finger.
I'm tellin' ya, there's something oddly reminiscent of Anne Heche here. Maybe I'm just saying that because I don't much care for Portia. She's trouble and you heard it here first. Ok, and maybe it's because I have a slight crush on Ellen.
Anyway, I'm still waiting for Portia's ex to give me a call. Yep. . . still waiting.
Another thing that probably irritates me is that Portia and Ellen look like the poster couple for lesbians; they're both white, blonde, and rich. If I hear "they're so cute together" one more time. Ick! WHAT makes them so cute together exactly? The fact that they both walked out on long-term partners for each other, moved in together within 2 weeks, and are now . . . wearing matching wedding rings? Ummm, yeah! That's cute. See how cute it is when you're the ditched ex.
Texas Abstinence Program Increases Sexual Activity in Teens
01.31.05 (9:25 pm) posted by Genia
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Anyone who has children can answer this question: what's the first thing a child does when you tell her not to do something?
Raises my hand. Oh! Oh! I know. They do it anyway! I know I did when I was a child. My children do. It's not until I perfected the art of scaring the shit out of them that they've become a little less inclined to ignore my wishes. So, it doesn't surprise me at all to learn that Texas teens increased their sexual activity after receiveing GW's "just say no to sex" abstinence education.
The study showed about 23 per cent of ninth-grade girls, typically 13 to 14 years old, had sex before receiving abstinence education. After taking the course, 29 per cent of the girls in the same group said they had had sex.
Boys in the tenth grade, about 14 to 15 years old, showed a more marked increase, from 24 per cent to 39 per cent, after receiving abstinence education.
Abstinence-only programmes, which have sprouted up in schools across the nation, cannot offer information about birth control and must promote the social and health benefits of abstaining from sex.
My younger sister has children approximately the same age as mine, except both her children are girls. When speaking with her a couple of weeks back, she mentioned her 13 year old showed signs that she was sexually active. Now, my sister and I both were sexually active at age 13 and 14, so the last people who would preach abstinence are the two of us. The do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do-t hing has never played a role in my parenting style. My sister, N, said she asked her daughter "are you havin' sex?" To this her daughter replied "no." But N wasn't convinced, so she sat the child down in front of the TV and popped in a video about HIV. The video spoke of HIV, its affects on your health, and the ultimate end result. It also showed how many Black girls and women were delivering HIV positive babies on a monthly basis. N said, when the video was over, she asked her daughter, "are you having unprotected sex?"
We can certainly hope that N's approach was effective. I sure pray it was. She never told the girl not to have sex because she knows that's counterproductive; instead, she's working on learning how to scare the shit out of her.
It's always been my belief that when we tell children and teenagers not to do something, it makes that something even more inviting. That was certainly the case with me as a teenager. The only thing that kept me from doing half the things I wanted to do was the knowledge that my Mama was the meanest woman in Georgia. When temptation started boiling up inside me, a voice would start screamin' and hollerin' "Girl, yo' mama will kick yo' ass! Is it worth it?" I heard that voice even after I had long left home because my Mama was just that effective. I wonder if that's the same voice my children hear.
01.31.05 (6:55 pm) posted by Genia
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Bert, over at TCF, has pointed me to the 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2004 list. Ann Coulter is on the list at number 50. I expected her to be closer to the number one spot. Anyway, I especially liked what TCF said in response to:
#47. 50 Cent Crimes: Sole credential for being a rapper, aside from his affiliation with Dr. Dre, is having been shot several times. Spent his first record company advance on crack to sell. Can barely talk, let alone rap. Represents the worst aspect of urban culture, its tendency to collapse in on itself in an orgy of mobsterism and self-destructive spending. Obnoxious tendency to pull out large wads of cash and wave them around in people’s faces (not a figure of speech).
Smoking Gun: Ugliest rapper to make it since Biggie.
50 Cents - You wrote 'Represents the worse in urban culture...' This reminds me of what Rush Limbaugh really wanted to say, when he blamed the Pistons/Pacers brawl on the 'hip/hop culture' in the NBA. Go ahead, call it like it is! 50 Cent represents the worse in Black culture, prevalent Black attitudes, which contribute greatly to the continuing deterioration of the Black community.
If anybody gives you crap for saying it, tell them this Black man gave you permission
One of the funniest I saw was:
4. Dick Cheney Crimes: So loathsome his own party is frightened of him. Manages to deliver stunning lies with an air of sneering authority. Shamelessly employs scare tactics in order to strip the federal government of any resemblance to the one described in the constitution. So visibly evil that all of the documented evidence against him is superfluous. The kind of guy who starts talking cannibalism the minute he steps on the lifeboat.
Smoking Gun: Managed to make his own shame at producing gay offspring into a negative for Kerry.
Punishment: Hacked to death by Mexican migrant workers.
Others on the Loathsome list: Laura Bush, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Ellen DeGeneres (nothing to do with the whole surprise break-up), everyone who got together to watch the last episode of "Friends", Clarence Thomas, Ronald Reagan (dude, he died), Condi Rice, Dan Rather, Jessica Simpson (no mention of that horrid sister of hers), and Donald Rumsfeld. The list is a must-read. Don't forget to check TCF's comments. They're just as funny.
01.31.05 (12:20 am) posted by Genia
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Is it just me, or is the news full of crazy shit lately? Dear gawd this story is even crazier than the lesbian who set a blaze to her expartner and new girlfriend.
A quick synopsis. A heterosexual married woman meets a lesbian at a party, They swap spit and exchange phone numbers. When the married woman's marriage hit a rough spot, she hooked up with the lesbian and the lesbian moved in with her. The lesbian supposedly got controlling and proposed to the woman who was already married. The married woman freaks and says she wants to go back to her hubbie. The lesbian moves out and attempts to kill the hubbie.
I swear, that's Jerry Springer drama right there.
Let's talk about falling for straight women, shall we? By the way, to be fair about it. . . that lesbian is really messed up in the head!
01.30.05 (11:57 pm) posted by Genia
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Scientists at the University of Illinois have concluded there is no one "gay" gene. Well, that's nice to know. They've brought company.
Our study helps to establish that genes play an important role in determining whether a man is gay or heterosexual," [Dr Mustanski] said, but added that other factors were also important. "Sexual orientation is a complex trait. There is no one 'gay' gene.
"Our best guess is that multiple genes, potentially interacting with environmental influences, explain differences in sexual orientation."
So, the debate continues. The debate would continue even if every scientist in the world agreed that people are born gay.
Despite a public outcry from gay, Jewish and African American civil rights groups, Virginia Military Institute will allow its own students to investigate a party at which some cadets dressed in drag while others wore Nazi uniforms and still others were in black face.
Pictures of the Halloween party only came to light one weekend when it was learned they had been posted on the Internet.
One picture shows three cadets in VMI uniform shirts giving the Nazi salute to the camera. Two of the students are wearing swastika armbands and one had a Hitler-style mustache.
Another photo shows a cadet was dressed as "a starving African". Other pictures show two men in tiaras, wigs and eye shadow. Both are wearing underpants and tank tops that read, "I [heart] a man in uniform."
There is also a picture of a man in a loincloth wearing dark makeup, and one of a man with a bull's-eye drawn on the rear of his pants.
You are looking at tomorrow's future Iraqi prison guards. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Allowing their own investigators to look into the situation reminds me of the GOP's attempt to change the ethics rules to protect one of their own. They're training them to watch each other's asses early. I guess it's never really too early.
01.30.05 (10:53 pm) posted by Genia
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Dr. James Dobson is putting pen to paper and defending his attack on Spongebob. He writes:
Some of you heard the bogus story and believed it. We received more than 1,200 e-mails in the first few days, almost all of them critical because of my perceived attack on poor SpongeBob. One more time, let me say that the problem is not with SpongeBob or the other cartoon characters. It is with the way they will be used in the classroom.
And that brings me to the larger issue. It does not matter what the secular media says about me. In the final analysis, who cares? What is vitally important, however, are the children of this country and the effort being made to manipulate them for political purposes.
[ . . . ]
Parents, I urge you to keep a close eye on your sons and daughters. Watch carefully everything that goes into their little minds. Monitor their textbooks and the words of their teachers. Do not turn them over to harmful television programs. When God’s name is used in vain, or when sex and violence come on the screen, turn off the tube and then read and discuss together the scriptures found in Psalm 103:1: "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" [NIV]. Read uplifting and inspiring stories to your children daily.
He doesn't care what the media says about him, but his letter explaining himself sure looks like he does. It's pretty damn long! Read the entire letter.
01.30.05 (9:42 pm) posted by Genia
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Chris Smith, Britain's first openly gay government official, has announced that he's been HIV positive for 17 years. He says he was inspired by Nelson Mandela to go public with the hopes that it would remove some of the negative stigma attached to the disease.
"What Nelson Mandela said very much struck a chord with me," Smith was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times newspaper. "He spoke about how nobody should be ashamed of HIV and said that it should be regarded just like any other illness. He was brave and right."
Regardless of the statistics that state otherwise, HIV is still viewed as "the gay diesease" or the disease of the sexually promiscuous. It's that mentality that allows us to turn a blind eye to the AIDS epidemic in Africa. It's also that ignorance that allows the Black Christians in America to blatanly ignore the large amount of African American women who are inflicted with the disease. Their master wasn't even aware there was an HIV epidemic among Black female Americans. But, they were aware their master needed their help to win the election.
Smith goes on to say:
"If I can help to demystify this, if I can help to challenge a little bit of prejudice, if I can help to give a little bit of greater confidence to other people who are affected in the same way, well, let's say something."
The American Hand-Picked Iraqi Government -- At Last!
01.30.05 (12:18 pm) posted by Genia
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Iraqis voted for the first time in history today. Welcome to the world of democracy.
I have no doubt that GW's little GOP soldiers are applauding and gloating -- as if this seals some sort of declaration that their cowboy was right all along about those WMDs and Iraq being connected to 9/11. This is no declaration of righteousness by any means. The sad part is that most of the people who are supporting GW and waving the flag of democracy have some idea that democracies everywhere are exactly like the system we use in the US. Any fool with even 1 brain cell in his or her head should know better.
In many democractic societies, the President is nothing more than a figurehead. A separate person would behave in the capacity that the United States President performs. An example would be Germany. "The USA and Germany are federal republics governed by representative democracy, in which the states play a crucial role." (Wikipedia, Republic). The Federal President in Germany has powers that are limited to ceremonial and representative duties. The head of the government in Germany is really the Chancellor. The Chancellor is elected by political party members; the Chancellor is not elected directly by the people. To Americans that's unheard of. Ask your average American who elects the head of the government in a democracy and they will no doubt state "the people" in a collective sense, not a representative sense.
If we had that kind of democratic system in the United States, there would be times when a Democratic controlled Senate chose the President. The Senate was controlled by Democrats when Ronald Reagan was in office. Imagine the possibilities.
So, what form of democracy will Iraq become? In its present state, I don't see Iraq becoming an effective functioning democracy anytime soon. With "elected" officials that are hand-picked by the United States government to run as candidates in the first place, that has to be the most destructive way to start forming any democracy. "Ok, now you're going to be a democratic society and you'll get to vote for the very first time ever. But, you must choose between the people the Americans have chosen to take care of you." I say the Americans are getting more out of this than the Iraqis -- a hand-picked government in a country rich with oil. Gooo Democracy!
Gay Students Bullied and Christians Screwed by Bush
01.29.05 (6:34 pm) posted by Genia
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Just a couple of things to mention:
A report out of the UK estimates that up to 60,000 school age children are the victims of homophobic bullying. London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, is calling for the creation of an educational program that is more inclusive and does not assume that all students are heterosexual.
Rush Limbaugh once stated that openly gay students were showing off their sexuality and asking for trouble. I guess if you hide it -- the way Rush hid that drug problem of his -- life would be so much simpler.
And quoted from the threatening letter the good Christian folks sent GW and Karl Rove:
"Is [Bush] prepared to spend significant political capital on [social security] privatisation but reluctant to devote the same energy to preserving traditional marriage?
"If so, it would create outrage with countless voters who stood with him just a few weeks ago, including an unprecedented number of African-Americans, Latinos and Catholics who broke with tradition and supported the President solely because of this issue."
Yeah it would create outrage. You bastards were had! Used. Abused. Tossed aside. So how many more bitches does Bush have now? Toss in the Christian African Americans, the Latinos, and the Catholics he used to win votes by appealing to their hatred of homosexuals. He's been quite busy bendin' a whole lot of people ovah.
Texas Judge Declares Former Lesbian Partner Has Parenting Rights
01.29.05 (12:40 pm) posted by Genia
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I'm not sure how I missed this one.
Another broken lesbian relationship involving a child has ended up in one lesbian attempting to use a homophobic law to keep the other from remaining in the child's life. Sometimes those folks down there in Texas surprise me. The Texas Supreme Court has denied the biological mother's request to overturn the adoption of her 6-year-old daughter by her former lesbian partner. The biological mother, Julie Ann Hobbs, claims the adoption should be deemed void since Texas does not allow same-sex marriage or same-sex co-parenting. Umm, didn't Hobbs know that when she allowed her partner to adopt the child? The things we do when we're in love. The shit we stoop to when we're jilted ex-lovers.
Janet Kathleen Van Stavern filed for joint custody and standard visitation of the 6 year old girl -- a child born via artifical insemination, then adopted by Van Stavern in 2001. A District Judge ruled Van Stavern has parental rights to the child. A court date is set for April 4, and Hobbs plans to appeal the family court ruling.
This reminds me of how much we have in common with straight people. No, they don't use anti-gay laws to keep parents out of children's lives, but they sure do a lot of other things. All is well with Dick and Jane, until Jane catches Dick doin' the next door neighbor Sally. Suddenly Dick is really a dick and doesn't deserve to see the kids anymore. Or, maybe Dick catches Jane doin' Sally. You know what I mean . . .
ABC Canceled Debate Between Lesbians and Ex-Gay Man
01.29.05 (2:55 am) posted by Genia
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Well, I don't know about anybody else, but I've had just about enough of the ex-gays taking every opportunity they can get to persuade homosexuals to live a life that we simply do not wish to live -- even if we could. The ex-gays need to understand that I won't bother them, if they don't bother me. It's really that simple.
ABC's Good Morning America cancelled a scheduled debate between, Stephen -- a now married ex-gay -- and a lesbian couple. Stephen was supposed to discuss Margaret Spelling's disapproval of PBS running an epidose of "Postcards from Buster" that contained a scene with lesbians heading to Vermont. After the lesbian couple learned that Stephen was an ex-gay, they decided they didn't want to be in the same room with him. Can't blame 'em there! They're like those pesty religious freaks who bug ya at 8 am on Saturday morning. ABC tried to make arrangments to do the debate via satellite, but arrangements fell through. One source claims ABC canceled the debate at the lesbian couple's request.
A debate between an ex-gay man who is now married-with-children and a lesbian couple with children was scheduled for no other reason than to increase ratings. So, I don't really give a rat's ass if the debate was canceled at the lesbian couple's request. If ABC really wanted to address the issue of lesbian and gay parenting in a non-combatant environment, that was not the way to do it. ABC will still get something out of this failed attempt to see the lesbians battle it out with the ex-homo; the network will be in the headlines for a few days, maybe a week at the maximum.
Based on what I've read in the article, this is not a case of discrimination. It sounds like poor planning on the part of ABC, and exaggeration on the part of the Christian "news media." Besides, the couple has every right to refuse to talk to Stephen, or anybody else. It's not like they're the head of a nation that advocates freedom of speech.
01.28.05 (10:48 pm) posted by Genia
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Quoting those greats words of Margaret Spellings, the new education secretary who was livid that PBS used public funding for a children's cartoon that included lesbians, "that's not what public funds are meant for."
GW used public funds, taxpayer money, to pay an anti-gay activist to write a report that spoke against gay marriage. Gallagher admitted she received $21,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services to push Bush’s $300 million initiative to ban gay marriage.
Ok, now . . . who else was paid off by that administration? It's not surprising, but it's definitely enough to inspire me to keep talkin'. It annoys the hell out of the little GOP soldiers.
01.28.05 (10:26 pm) posted by Genia
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It's been an odd kinda day. I heard "good night, Mom" from my boys at 9pm on a Friday night (it is Friday, isn't it?) and I've been completely caught up in a new business project that I didn't even notice the time.
Speaking of children, our little bundles of joy. . .
GW has stated that children are worse off if they are raised by gay people than they are if they are raised by straight people. I didn't know GW's parents were gay! Holy shit! Experts have disagreed with GW. Big surprise there, does it take an expert?
Ya know, I have to pause here and think about the response GW's opinion about gay parents will provoke from his 1 million loving and adoring homosexual fans. (pausing, reflecting, thinking. . . laughing!) Can we say, "Thank you, Daddy. May I have another?"
So, is a federal gay adoption ban on GW's list of How to Appease the Religious Right?
On the Definition of Marriage: Which Definition Do You Mean?
01.27.05 (11:22 pm) posted by Genia
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When the state stepped in and decided it should play a role in heterosexual marriage, the state decided that it could play a role in not only defining marriage, but setting the criteria for marriage. Many states have laws that dictate minimum age of consent for marriage -- 17 or 18 in most states, unless the girl is pregnant. The United States, and most countries, have laws that state a marriage is defined as a union between 1 man and 1 woman. Some countries still allow a man to marry more than one woman. So, in essence, marriage is defined by the government -- not by the Bible. If that's not the case, then why is the religious right calling on the government to etch in concrete a definition for marriage?
Scott Simpson, a lawyer for California's Department of Justice, said recently "Marriage has always meant a man and a woman. That is what is fundamental about marriage." I noticed Scott's language. He said a man and a woman. He's right. The state has always defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It seems the religious right is forgetting that marriage has had (and continues to have) many state definitions:
Polygyny: a man has more than one wife simultaneously. Polyandry: a woman has more than one husband. Practiced in Tibet, Zanskar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and some regions of China. Endogamy: typically results in marriage between cousins. Practiced in areas like Iraq where it's important to marry within the same social circles. Common law marriage: two people are deemed married after living together openly as a married couple under specified conditions for a specified period of time.
If the state wants to continue defining marriage in whatever way it wishes, so be it; however, heterosexual married people should not receive special rights (like tax breaks) just because they are married. That's where the inequality rears its ugly head. My argument supporting gay marriage has always been one that speaks to equality. I have never cared to have the government define for me what my relationship with my life partner should be. That's my decision alone. The present marriage system as-is is a discriminatory system that should anger even single heterosexuals. Why should single people without children bear the heaviest tax burden? Why should married people be entitled to cheaper insurance policies for their home, auto and health?
Historically, marriage served an economic purpose. Today, it still serves that purpose. I don't know where these religious fanatics get off with the whole "marriage-as-a-religious- tradition" bit. Those who oppose gay marriage on the premise that marriage is some sacred union between 1 man and 1 woman, well . . . I have to wonder how far up their asses they had to reach to find their head. Marriage has existed a lot longer as a union between multiple men and women a lot longer than it's existed as a union between 1 man and 1 woman. It just goes to show how well you can train a parrot to mimic an idiot.
Anti-Gay Dart Team Booted & Marlon Brando Voted Sexiest
01.27.05 (3:22 pm) posted by Genia
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Tblog is having trouble with its posting editor, so bear with me.
A few quick news mentions and it's time for me to prepare for one of my last 5 MBA classes ever. I remember the first day of grad school long ago. Seeing the first syllabus. It looked like a book -- no exaggeration there. I said, "This is the syllabus?!" The professor said, "Welcome to grad school." I'm considering a PhD in Communications, so if anyone wants to contribute to my PhD fund, I'll be beggin' soon enough.
Ok, a story in Gay Wired mentions that an anti-gay dart team has been banned from a dart-bar in the UK after they made nasty homophobic comments to an all-gay opposing team. It didn't matter to the bar owner that this was one of the country's best dart teams. Out ya go, homophobic bastards!
Marlon Brando has been voted the sexiest man by a gay magazine? Umm. . .ok.
New York Medical School refuses to lift its ban on gay med students. It's a private Catholic college affiliated with the Archdiocese of New York. I guess it's more important to have straight doctors than it is to save lives.
Cop Threatens to Arrest Woman For Fuck Bush Bumper Sticker
01.27.05 (11:09 am) posted by Genia
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Denver police officer Sgt. Michael Karasek threatened to arrest Shasta Bates because she flaunted a "Fuck Bush" bumper sticker on her truck. One man confronted Shasta Bates while she stood inside a UPS store about her bumper sticker, saying it bothered him. He then went out to find Karasek.
Karasek then entered the UPS and threatened to arrest Bates if she didn't remove the sticker. Bates filed a complaint. Karasek will be disciplined, but specifics on how he will be disciplined weren't mentioned. I keep thinking I need a "Dumb Ass" category. What was this guy thinking? Did he think he would be able to bully Bates into submission just because he was a cop? Props to Shasta Bates!
01.26.05 (8:15 pm) posted by Genia
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Ellen DeGeneres is 47 today, born 01/26/58.
Also born today:
[i]Derek Bond[/i] (1919 B-Scotland; F-Saturday Night Out, When 8 Bells Toll); [i]Angela Davis [/i](1944 Black Leader); [i]Julia Grant [/i](1926 Wife Of Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President Of US); [i]William Hopper, Jr[/i]. (1915 Died-1970; Tv-Perry Mason -- Detective Paul Drake); [i]Anne Jeffreys[/i] (1923 40's Film Star; Former Opera Singer; Tv-Topper ); [i]Wayne Gretzky [/i](1961 Pro Hockey Player); [i]Eartha Kitt [/i](1928 Singer/Actress; F-Uncle Tom's Cabin, Friday Foster, Last Resort); [i]Joan Leslie [/i](1925 F-Star Dust, Military Academy, Camille, Nancy Drew: Reporter); [i] Douglas Mac Arthur [/i](1880 Dead-1964 Am. General In WW 2 In SW Pacific); [i]Mary Murphy[/i] (1931 Leading Lady 50's; Once Married To Dale Robertson; F-Manhattan, Harlow); [i]Paul Newman[/i] (1925 F-Hud; Butch Cassidy; Sting, The Color of Money); [i]Maria Trapp [/i](1905 Singer-Story Told In The Sound Of Music Movie); [i]Jimmy Van Heusen [/i]( 1913 Song Writer; Oscar-"Swinging On A Star" In Going My Way -- '44); [i]Jack Youngblood [/i](1950 Football); [i]Anita Baker [/i](1958 Singer); [i]Eddie Van Halen [/i](1957 Lead Guitar - Van Halen)
Law Professor Says Gay Ban Will Wilt Under Scrutiny
01.26.05 (6:55 pm) posted by Genia
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A constitutional law professor in Kansas testified before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee that a proposed Kansas gay marriage ban would wilt under scrutiny by Supreme Court judges. He said, "it would be found quite quickly unconstitutional."
[Bill Rich] said the U.S. Supreme Court already has ruled it is unconstitutional for states to make it more difficult for some groups to seek relief from the government.
"It has nothing to do with same-sex marriage, as such. It has everything to do with democracy," he said.
It's always been my belief that gay marriage bans are unconstitutional, not because they define marriage as a union between 1 man and 1 woman, but because they don't afford the same rights to one group of law-abiding taxing-paying Americans that they do to another group of law-abiding tax-paying Americans. If our Supreme Court Justices did their job as they should, gay marriage bans wouldn't stand a chance once they reach the nation's highest court. The anti-homosexuals know that too, which is why they have worked to remove a citizen's right to challenge the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) by passing of the Marriage Protection Act.
The Marriage Protection Act strips federal courts of any jurisdiction over same-sex marriage cases -- despite the fact that both DOMA and the Marriage Protection Act are unconstitutional. Why so much work to keep us from challenging their gay bans? Perhaps we might have a chance at overturning them?
The Alabama Sheriff who longed for the good ol' days when homos were forced to remain silent will remove the public homophobic letter he published on the county's website.
Sheriff Holcomb said the letter was never meant to represent the Sheriff's office official policy. He said, "We at the Marshall County Sheriff's Department have always treated all victims of crime, all criminal suspects, all detainees, all inmates exactly the same."
Yeah, stick it, Sheriff Holocomb. And you know where.
Education Department Balks at PBS Lesbian Characters
01.26.05 (5:16 pm) posted by Genia
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Margaret Spellings, the new education secretary, protested a PBS cartoon episode of Postcards from Buster -- not yet aired-- that depicted lesbian characters on their way to Vermont:
The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles.
Spellings said the episode does not represent what Congress meant public funding to be used for. By law, she said, any funded shows must give top attention to "research-based educational objectives, content and materials."
01.25.05 (9:23 pm) posted by Genia
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I read a post on a newsgroup in which a straight woman asked why lesbians discriminate against heterosexual women. I've never heard that question before. The usual question is why we discriminate against bisexuals. This particular heterosexual woman viewed lesbian women as anti any female that represented the traditional family unit. My first thought was she was giving herself and any other heterosexual woman much more credit than they deserved. This heterosexual woman was making a few other assumptions:
1. Lesbian women who are without children are jealous of heterosexual women who are mothers 2. Lesbian women who have children wish there was a man around in the family 3. Lesbian women who have children with other lesbian women don't view their family as "traditional" in every sense of the word
While we're looking at lesbian stereotypes, let's examine a few others:
[b][i]Lesbians hate men[/i]. [/b] No we don't. Well, speaking just for myself, I really dislike the really stupid ones. Like the ones who hit on a lesbian at a gay bar. Yeah, those men. Now, I have met many, many straight and bisexual women who can dog the hell out of men. They sound more anti-male than lesbians do -- perhaps that's because they actually deal with men on an intimate and personal level and we don't. Yes? So, if there are any male-haters in the world, folks, it ain't the lesbians. If ya noticed, the most prominent feminists in the world, the ones who seem the most anti-male, are straight or bisexual.
[b][i]A lesbian just needs the right man to come along.[/i][/b] This one just cracks my shit up everytime I hear it -- especially when I hear it from a guy who's hitting on me in a GAY bar. My comeback is always, "and I guess a straight man just needs the right guy to come along and make him gay?" People, it doesn't work that way.
[b][i] Lesbians want to be men.[/i][/b] I am perfectly happy with the parts I have. There's a huge difference between butch lesbians and transgendered female-to-male (FTM) identified individuals who might or might not identify as a lesbian. Typically, those who are FTM plan to (want to) change their gender. Butch lesbians do not.
[b][i]Women become lesbians because they can't find a man.[/i][/b] I've been married and would still be married if I had simply walked away from the divorce proceedings. It was that easy. Many lesbians have had relationships with men. Many lesbians are propositioned by men -- even the butch ones! Statistics show that women outnumber men in the United States and in most parts of the world. And with the infidelity rate, well . . . finding a man just ain't that difficult.
[b][i]Women become lesbians because they were sexually abused as children.[/i][/b] This one is another one that makes me roll my eyes. How many women were not sexually abused as children? I know just as many straight women who were sexually abused as I know lesbians who were sexually abused. [b][i] Lesbians look like men.[/i][/b] I've been shocked a few times to learn that there are quite a few butch (masculine in appearance) women who are not lesbians. My "gaydar" has completely missed the femme lesbian across the room in the low-cut dress and 6 inch heels.
Straight people aren't the only ones who submit to stereotyping gay women. Gay people are just as guilty of it. I'm thinking it's part of who we are -- part of our basic desire to fit everyone into categories that make them easier to describe in conversation.
If there's anyone who wants to submit a gay man's stereotype piece (or already has one), please do.
01.25.05 (7:15 pm) posted by Genia
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Ok, so for those people who haven't the foggiest idea what the words [i]stupid[/i] and [i]hateful [/i] look like personified, here's a clue:
(Little Rock, Arkansas) Proposed legislation banning any mention of gay families in Arkansas school books has been met with heavy criticism in state Legislature.
The bill, filed by Rep. Roy Ragland (R-Marshall) would force the state's school districts to purchase only textbooks which define marriage as between one man and one woman. Ragland said the legislation was aimed at bringing school books in line with the state Constitution when bans same-sex marriage.
So, Mr. Roy Raglard claims these new anti-gay textbooks are in line with Arkansas's new anti-gay marriage ban. Let's see, if that's the case, Arkansas schools should ban books that mention:
Politician Used Gay Researcher to Spy on Gay Rival
01.25.05 (1:40 pm) posted by Genia
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Candy Atherton wanted to ensure she won the last election. How do you ensure a victory? Ya dig up dirt on your rival! Atherton attempted to use her openly gay reasearcher, Paul Phillips, to spy on her rival, so she could use the information against him during the election:
A Labour MP told her researcher to dig the dirt on her gay Tory rival to damage him, a tribunal heard today.
Candy Atherton, MP for Falmouth and Camborne, asked Paul Phillips to use his contacts to find out whether Ashley Crossley frequented gay bars in Soho, the south London hearing was told.
[...]
“[Phillips] said ‘I can’t do anything which is homophobic.’ Candy said she wasn’t going to do anything that was homophobic but she just believed in people being open about what they did.
“She then said she was ‘out’ about not being gay and he should be ‘out’ about being gay.”
Phillips was fired and is suing for discrimination because he feels she wouldn't have asked anyone else to spy on her rival. Phillips says the places she needed him to go and the things she needed him to do (talking to his friends and family) required a gay person.
Well, we have our David Dreiers in this country, so why not spread that kind of love elsewhere?
3 Gay Couples Drop Challenge of Defense of Marriage Act
01.25.05 (12:52 pm) posted by Genia
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After reading this article, I'm wondering where the gay rights movement will go:
"Three gay couples dropped their lawsuits Tuesday challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act, saying they don't want to risk having a conservative U.S. Supreme Court set legal precedent by rejecting their cases.
Robin Tyler, executive director of the Equality Campaign, the gay rights group that helped bring the lawsuits, said she doesn't consider the decision to drop the suits a setback for her cause.
``It's a loss when people don't stand up and fight for their rights,'' she said.
``You pick your battles, but you continue fighting,'' Tyler said. ``We understand it's a matter of time....Love always wins.''
We've learned to better calculate the opponent's moves, something the GOP has been very good at all along -- being the sneaky bastards they are. But, do we need to back away from the fight altogether?
Are we submitting to a new form of closetness -- backing down from fights we should have, fights that are long overdue, and fights we have the right to reciprocate or initiate? I think we are. We're becoming a new class of out-and-closeted homosexuals.
We're out and proud -- attending our gay pride fests every summer -- yet backing down from the religious right wrong because 51% of the country voted for GW and 11 states banned same-sex marriage in the last election.
We back down as the GOP and religious wrong follow the lead of their smirkin' leader. I'm ashamed, to be quite honest. Remembering the civil rights movement and how so many Black Americans and allies laid their bodies on the line -- literally -- for what they believed in, I am ashamed to see this mass gay-flight starting to happen. Compared to the challenges and hardships Black Americans faced during the civil rights movement in this country, how dare you people cower!
01.25.05 (1:40 am) posted by Genia
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Thursday 27th January 2005 marks Holocaust Memorial Day.
Holocaust Memorial Day promotes awareness and raises understanding of the Holocaust and its victims. The Memorial seeks to remind us of the grave atrocities of the Holocaust, hoping to inspire us to ensure that racism, sexism, and extreme cruelty have no place in society.
The Holocaust Memorial serves as an important reminder to members of the LGBT community -- as the infamous gay pink triangle has its roots in the Holocaust. It's widely believed, and documented, that Hitler came for the homosexuals first. Gay males were made to wear pink triangles, while lesbians wore the black triangles. This branding was meant to single out homosexuals to prison guards and other Holocaust victims. It was estimated that 2,000,000 gay men lived in Germany during Hitler's rule. It was Hitler's goal to find all gay men and remove them from society.
This is a time to remember all Holocaust victims, gay and straight:
"We must be on the watch for any revival of anti-Semitism, and ready to act against the new forms of it that are appearing today," Annan said. "That obligation binds us not only to the Jewish people, but to all others that have been, or may be, threatened with a similar fate."
01.25.05 (12:45 am) posted by Genia
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It's payback time, GW:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 - A coalition of major conservative Christian groups is threatening to withhold support for President Bush's plans to remake Social Security unless Mr. Bush vigorously champions a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
The move came as Senate Republicans vowed on Monday to reintroduce the proposed amendment, which failed in the Senate last year by a substantial margin. Party leaders, who left it off their list of priorities for the legislative year, said they had no immediate plans to bring it to the floor because they still lacked the votes for passage.
Did GW really think he could use those Christians to win the election and they wouldn't expect anything in return for their hard work? That just doesn't seem very Christian-like to me. Anyone else?
I must admit, it's nice to see GW's ass in a sling for once. What surprises me about these lovely Christian folks (no, not the hypocrisy. that doesn't surprise me) is these people are most concerned about homosexuals than they are about world peace, poverty, homelessness, child abuse, spousal abuse, finding the cure for cancer, finding the cure for AIDS . . . . Just imagine what good Christian folks like these can accomplish if they bullied Presidents into passing legislation that ensured every child in America never went to bed hungry. Just imagine what these good Christian folks can accomplish if they bullied Presidents into passing legislation that ensured that anyone who sexually abused a child received a mandatory 25-year prison sentence.
But oh no! They will not work for such superficial goals such as those. They will work long and hard to ensure that every heterosexual married couple in America knows their marriage has been branded sacred by the federal government.
God Bless the good Christians! They will save the world and reserve their seat on the bus to heaven by ignoring children who go to bed hungry every night, and instead zone in on the homosexuals. God Bless the good Christians! They will save the world and reserve their seat on the bus to heaven by ignoring all the abused wives (and husbands) in their precious heterosexual marriages, and instead focus on banning gay marriage. God Bless the good Christians, indeed. Can I have an "amen?" They will save the world and reserve their seat on the bus to heaven by ignoring the millions of homeless people in the world, and instead focus on banning gay marriage. God Bless the good Christians . . . .
01.24.05 (6:31 pm) posted by Genia
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The loyal secretay who claims she accidentally erased 18 1/2 minutes of the infamous Watergate tape, has died. Rose Mary Woods, Secretary of President Nixon, payed a crucial role in the Watergate scandal. Sources says Woods never talked much about those years with Nixon after she left the White House.
As I read sources about Woods, I was reminded of Condi Rice. Woods was often viewed as part of the Nixon family. Rice has been treated as a trusted member of Bush's family -- often spending spending holidays at the Bush ranch in Texas.
01.24.05 (5:25 pm) posted by Genia
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What's with Colorado?
Wayne Allard, R-Colo., has vowed to revive the vehement pursuit of equality for heterosexuals only. He plans to resurrect the fight to establish a constitutional ban on gay marriage. If you recall, Allard and another politician from Colorado (Marilyn Musgrave) were the first to take those steps to estalish a federal gay ban -- on GW's cue, of course. Musgrave, a GW and Cheney favorite even before she joined the ranks at the White House, never gave up her fight to ban gay marriage between homosexuals in America.
Unhappy that their efforts failed in 2004, Allard says, "We think we have more support this time than we had last time around." I'm guessing that mandate GW thinks he has gives Allard the confidence he needs to continue this noble fight. He's also relying on the fact that 11 states successfully passed gay bans. He hopes the others will fall in line.
So, for my favorite little GOP soldiers who keep an eye on the SistersTalk blog. . . I think I'll continue to discuss the gay marriage issue, as long as your people continue to walk about with a stick up their asses.
01.23.05 (11:32 pm) posted by Genia
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A recent article states that three quarters of Indiana school counselors are not trained to assist gay and lesbian students. 93.5 percent of those counselors in rural areas and 67.3 percent in urban areas stated there were inadequate resources to assist them with counseling gay and lesbian students.
In a survey of 118 high school and middle school counselors from Indiana:
About 80 percent of counselors reported dealing professionally with gay and lesbian students.
About 97 percent of respondents said it was the school counselor's role to counsel gay and lesbian teens, but about 82 percent believed such services should only be offered at the student's request.
About 94 percent of counselors from urban schools who had dealt with gay students had been approached directly by those seeking assistance; about 84 percent of counselors in rural schools reported the same.
The growing trend in high schools across the nation is the formulation of LGBT support groups; however, for many students, taking that first step and actually joining the group is difficult. The support groups don't provide the privacy many students may need to begin the process of dealing with their sexuality; counselors provide that privacy because they're professionals bound by a code of conduct that insists they keep conversations between themselves and students private -- except in cases involving abuse or intent to cause harm.
One of the answers here is definitely more education and training for middle school and high school counselors. The increased risk of suicide among homosexual or questioning teenagers -- due to isolation, rejection, confusion, and shame -- is more than enough reason to invest in the added training and resources.
SistersTalk Nominated for Bloggie as Best GLBT Blog
01.23.05 (10:46 pm) posted by Genia
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Much to my surprise, SistersTalk has been nominated to receive a Bloggie: one of 30 publicly-chosen awards given to weblog writers and those related to weblogs. This is the fifth ceremony. SistersTalk is a finalist in the gay/lesbian/bi/trans (GLBT) blog category. View the 5th Annual Weblog Awards and pick your favorite. Thank you very much for this show of appreciation. You like me . . . or you really love to hate me. I'll accept either!
I wish I had known when the nominations were open so I could nominate some of my favorites in various categories, but this is one of those things I'm always the last to know about. Go take a look at the nominees. You may find some great blogs you haven't read before.
Campbell's former personal assistant said she was grabbed by Kate Moss and kissed after she complimented her on how nice she looked. Allegedly, Moss and Campbell's former PA then made out (nothing more than kissing and touching body parts) in a hotel room. Umm, you know how girls get. Compliment them and they wanna touch your 2000 parts!
So, why is there a picture of Naomi Campbell accompanying the original article when Campbell has nothing to do with the intimate details? Shouldn't there be a picture of Kate Moss or Campbell's former PA? Also, notice how the writer classified the accusation as "damning" -- as if a supermodel with lesbian (or bisexual, excuse me) tendencies is the most horrific thing in the world.
01.23.05 (6:58 pm) posted by Genia
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An interesting story on thestar.com says a secret gay slang language is coming back in Britain:
Polari, the gay slang used as a secret underground language before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain back in the 1960s, is making a comeback.
I can imagine what some people will call this: a sorta ebonics for gay people? Here's a sample: "They were forever trolling (walking) down to a fantabulosa (wonderful) bar for a bijou drinkette. As feele homies (young men) they would love to zhoosh their riah (fix their hair)."
This language was used before 1967, when sex between gay men was illegal. The story makes no mention of sex between homosexual females.
01.23.05 (1:58 pm) posted by Genia
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Papa George H. W. Bush came to his little boy's defense after leaders worldwide viewed GW's speech as a warning that the Bush Administration would take a more aggressive role in securing freedom worldwide:
"People want to read a lot into it -- that this means new aggression or newly asserted military forces," former president George H.W. Bush said. "That's not what that speech is about. It's about freedom."
Former President George H.W. Bush talks to the media during an impromptu visit to the White House Saturday.
After George W. Bush's second inaugural address, in which he promised to defend those who seek freedom everywhere, there has been confusion overseas and in the United States over whether he was signaling a shift in foreign policy. Some interpreted the speech as presaging a more confrontational relationship with Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other nations that are allies in the war on terrorism but also have records of abusing human rights.
I would interpret GW's comments the same way. He thinks he has a "mandate", remember? He thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants after 51% of the country re-elected him even though: there were no WMDs in Iraq, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, he bulldozed the homos, he attacked civil liberties on all fronts, and he set out to systematically divide the nation to ensure he would win a second term. Well, if I got away with that kind of behavior and people elected me to be President, I would assume I could do whatever the hell I wanted too.
Now, if GW (and his little GOP soldiers who are runnin' on extremely high levels of testosterone) seem to think we can just wander around the world and pick fights because we're the big, strong, mighty USA, they sure have another think comin'. At one point, Japan was the best military power in the world. Hell, even the Roman Empire crumbled like day old bread. The thing that humors me the most are the people who aren't even Americans who are standing on the sidelines singing our praises and treating us like we're hot shit. They too forgot the Roman Empire was conquered. Did they forget, or are they ignorant wanna-be Americans?
liberal bloggers
Sources report that Portia de Rossi has given Ellen DeGeneres a 
Anyway, I'm still waiting for Portia's ex to give me a call. Yep. . . still waiting. 
Scientists at the University of Illinois 
When the state stepped in and decided it should play a role in heterosexual marriage, the state decided that it could play a role in not only defining marriage, but setting the criteria for marriage. Many states have laws that dictate minimum age of consent for marriage -- 17 or 18 in most states, unless the girl is pregnant. The United States, and most countries, have laws that state a marriage is defined as a union between 1 man and 1 woman. Some countries still allow a man to marry more than one woman. So, in essence, marriage is defined by the government -- not by the Bible. If that's not the case, then why is the religious right calling on the government to etch in concrete a definition for marriage? 
Denver police officer 
Ellen DeGeneres is 47 today, born 01/26/58.
Ok, so for those people who haven't the foggiest idea what the words [i]stupid[/i] and [i]hateful [/i] look like personified, here's a clue:
Dear lord! I'd like to strangle the editor of this article: