Despite a few technical difficulties in the first few minutes of the show, SistersTalk Radio finished yet another great interview tonight. Our guest was Erin Davies, the very brave girl behind
FagBug.com.
In 2007, Erin's Volkswagen Beetle was vandalized with the words "fAg" and "u r gay." Instead of cleaning up the mess, Erin turned her experience into a movement. She took her new Fag Bug on the road to confront homophobia.
Hear Erin discuss both her rewards and challenges while driving her Fag Bug across the country.
Listen to the interview. You'll be shocked to learn who's been boycotting Erin every step of the way. Hear Erin describe how people responded to the Fag Bug when there was a guy (not a girl) behind the wheel.
While you're on Erin's site, please hit the DONATE button in the top right-hand corner. Every dollar you donate goes to help Erin continue her activism on wheels.
One Nation, Indivisible, with Civil Unions for All
"In a free government, the security for civil rights must be the same as that for
religious rights. It consists in the one case in the multiplicity of interests, and in the other, in the multiplicity of sects." - James Madison
Can it be as simple as this, the government would recognize and sanction the union of two adults, with legal and mental capacity to consent to join in a monogamous union obligating to each other legal rights and responsibilities and thus availing themselves to federal and state protection, accommodation and regulation, i.e., a civil union.
Therefore, all government recognized unions be they between a man and a woman, a man and
a man, or a woman and a woman, would be civil unions. The licenses granted to such
couples would be civil union licenses. To deny any of the above couples this license
would have to be based on a compelling state interest (That is, if the right to form a
civil union [secular] is construed as equal to the right to marry [ecclesiastical/coitus]. In reality one has little to do with the other). Out side of religious and optimum child rearing environment arguments, a court would be hard pressed
to find one.
Going forward, the concept of "marriage" would no longer be legally operative
and could thus safely retain its physiological and biological and/or traditional
ecclesiastical and/or spiritual meanings including the union of man and woman during
coitus and/or in holy matrimony. Marriage would be a non-legal status and event defined by the couple
and/or their religious and/or spiritual affiliation. This will comply with the concepts
of freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and public policy considerations.
An analogy could be drawn to Judaism which recognizes adulthood at twelve or thirteen but
the state recognizes adulthood at eighteen or twenty-one. Why not a similar understanding
applicable to marriage?
By its very definition, marriage (a union of a man and a woman), is an under inclusive
legal term for use in a society that strives to ensure due process and equal protection
to all similarly situated persons under the law. The term civil union most accurately
describes the socio/political construct of a state sanctioned union. It is all inclusive
in that it can pertain to both heterosexual and homosexual couples.
Let's not let this issue divide us. Can we be one nation, indivisible, with civil unions
for all? Can it be as simple as that?
Best regards,
Vanessa May
I think civil unions for all is reasonable solution; however, I'd like to point out that even though homophobic heterosexuals do not own exclusive rights to the word
marriage, they are insisting that the government grant them exclusive rights to the term. The term can be defined several ways:
4. a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction: trial marriage; homosexual marriage.
5. any close or intimate association or union: the marriage of words and music in a hit song.
6. a formal agreement between two companies or enterprises to combine operations, resources, etc., for mutual benefit; merger.
7. a blending or matching of different elements or components: The new lipstick is a beautiful marriage of fragrance and texture
In addition, gay marriage foes aren't interested in a reasonable and agreeable solution to the battle over marriage; they're interested in promoting their own homophobic anti-gay agenda. The same men who are disgusted by the idea of two men goin' at it are constantly nagging their wives about engaging in 3-way sexual activity with another woman. They don't mind female homosexuals, just the male ones.
If homosexual females were the only ones insisting on gay marriage rights, we wouldn't hear a peep from all the hypocritical homophopbic straight men who voted Yes for Prop 8 - then later indulged in a bit of
phoney lesbian porn with wifey.
I have to remember to check my Facebook page more often since people have started sending me great stuff using Facebook. I saw this video posted in my Facebook comments today. I'm not a huge Margaret Cho fan, but for those who are, you'll love seeing her play a butch lesbian. I just love the actress who plays the preacher. She's funny shit!
I just read a letter that was supposedly written by a Black female who hates Blacks and admires white supremacists:
Hey. I just thought I would stop by and let you guys know that, despite my race (I am a non-White), I think the message that Stormfront promotes is absolutely right; I would be wrong to condemn any of you for defending your people, who've made so many contributions to this world. It's difficult for any sane person to know of individuals like Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Aristotle, Socrates, and countless others who existed because your race did. It's difficult to see the beauty of European nations (including the United States), but demonize and/or ignore the race that made it all possible.
You are absolutely right to love and adore your race; I think Whites in general, especially compared to Blacks, are more moral, peaceful, intelligent, creative, open-minded and forward-thinking, and definitely much better people to be around.
I don't believe for one second that letter was written by a Black female. Those people are looking for free publicity and mass traffic to their web site. What better way to generate insane amounts of traffic on a played-out white supremacist web site than to post a letter supposedly written by a double minority - a Black woman?
The GOP tried this same lame divide and conquer strategy during the election. They paid off Blacks to attend an Obama rally to very vocally claim he was part of the KKK. They were trying to say, "See even Blacks don't like your great Black hope."
This fake letter is the epitamy of divide and conquer. It's a strategy that's been used for centuries. White men used this tactic during the labor movement - they got Black and white men to turn against the women who worked alongside them in the factories. White men used divide and conquer during the feminist movement, convincing white women to leave Black women behind for personal gain. And white men used divide and conquer during slavery - convincing the house niggas to turn on the field niggas, all for a minimum upgrade in food and lodging.
When I was little, I never believed in Santa even though I loved watching Christmas cartoons about him! I never wrote a letter to Santa and I never took a trip to mall so I could sit on Santa's lap. This year, I plan to take my very first picture with Santa! I'll post it here when I do. Here's my very first letter to Santa.
Dear Santa:
I've been a pretty good girl tried hard to be good this year and, if you know me, you know that my effort should count for something. I pissed off only half of the people I normally piss off, and I've been extra patient with my teenagers. Since I think I did a pretty good job of behaving myself this year, I thought I'd ask for a few a lot of stuff.
I would love to have a brand new Acer laptop so I can give it to my kids and they can stop using my computer and going to shitty web sites and infecting my laptop with all kinds of nasty things.
A huge flatscreen TV would be great. That will allow me to watch re-runs of Charmed like the Princess I am.
A new newer car would make me so happy, preferably one without a crack in the windshield - and no coolant leak!
If you could send me a personal trainer, that would be awesome! And if you could make her tall, dark, beautiful and great in bed, that would be even better.
A Bitch-Be-Gone Zapper would really come in handy. I've looked everywhere and I can't seem to find one anywhere. It must be a hot item this year.
A Blackberry Storm would look nice in my cell phone holster. That damn thing is great! I know you have one already so you know what I'm talkin' about!
A lifetime supply of lint brushes would make my life so much easier. I wear a lot of black so I spend a lot of money on lint brushes. With the economy the way it is, if you could buy me a lifetime supply that would be da bomb!
A free personal chef . . . if you can combine the personal chef with the personal trainer, I would be forever grateful. Plus, it would be easier on you if just combine the two people into one person.
A litter box that never stinks and cleans itself - every half hour! I love cats and I fear I'll be the single old lady on the corner with a house full of cats. If you could help me out with this fantastic self-cleaning litter box, my future neighbors will love you forever.
Happy Pills that allow me to ignore stupid and annoying people. Make sure those Happy Pills don't make me pop positive on any future drug screens, ok? That'll be great.
A lifetime supply of marijuanna that's untraceable in your blood or hair. Holy.Shit. Do you know how much money I could make selling that stuff around here?
And last but not least, I wish for world peace . . . cuz I don't wanna seem too selfish.
I feel like an ass because I forgot to post a "Happy Thanksgiving" greeting here at SistersTalk yesterday. I hope you all enjoyed overeating as much as I did. I did not participate in Black Friday today. People go insane to get a good deal and I seriously lack the kind of patience required for that kind of activity.
Some gay news you might not have heard already:
Australian actor Hugh Jackman is glad people assumed he was gay in his youth because it gave him the chance to act like a "vulture" and pick up single girls.
Gay marriage backers protested at an annual Mormon Christmas lighting ceremony.
A police officer in the UK was fired for using the company's computer to make offensive comments about homosexuals.
Two U.S. states see
a boost from gay weddings, while other states miss out on earning those additional gay dollars.
The Rugby Football League has become the first national governing body of a major sport to sign up and support an anti-homophobia campaign in Britain.
If there's any news I missed, please feel free to post it in our comments.
You're all aware of those Salvation Army fundraisers who stand outside retail shops ringing bells and asking for your donations during the holiday season. We've revived the old Gay Dollars campaign this year. Make every dollar that you drop into a Salvation Army pail a "Gay Dollar." The campaign started in 2001 in response to Salvation Army Rescinds Benefits to Gay Partners.
Liberal Hollywood may not be so liberal afterall. A recent article in the LA Times might just please conservative crybabies who are always whinin' about liberals using their friends in Hollywood to win an election. They've conveniently forgotten about conservative politicians Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Hollywood industry officials say the U.S. entertainment industry has been in turmoil since California passed Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage.
Film distributor Howard Cohen said the Election Day outcome left Hollywood filled with conflict between those who supported the ban and those who opposed it as a violation of civil rights, the Los Angeles Times said Sunday.
Some of the biggest names at the center of the controversy are Los Angeles Film Festival Director Richard Raddon and Film Independent, the Times said.
Raddon donated $1,500 in support of Proposition 8 and despite criticism by same-sex marriage supporters, Film Independent has defended his position with the festival.
"There is still roiling debate within the organization," Cohen said of the Hollywood conflict. "Is it OK to let this go? There are a lot of gay people who work at Film Independent. The issue has not been closed."
The Times said adding to the controversy are the notable names who are part of the group's board including actors Don Cheadle, Forest Whitaker and Fox Searchlight President Peter Rice.
Lesbian dating site Pink Sofa has released survey results which reveal that, despite arguments otherwise; sexuality is not a choice for most lesbians.
Of the more than 5,000 respondents in the Pink Sofa poll, more than 60 per cent believed they were born lesbian or bi-sexual, with only six per cent attributing their sexuality to a life event or their upbringing.
Further, only seven per cent of respondents said their sexuality was a conscious choice. About a fifth of participants took the middle ground believing their sexuality was a combination of nature, nurture and choice.
Pink Sofa respondents are not alone in arguing the genetic influence of sexuality.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge inadvertently supported the nature debate, with a recent post on The Daily Beast blog, referring to the banning of gay marriages.
"Gay people are born everyday. You will never legislate that away," she said.
Etheridge suggested that since banning gay marriage California could forget about getting any tax payments from her.
It seems as though the long standing nature v nurture debate will continue to be discussed for some time yet.
We just finished
this week's show
at SistersTalk Radio. We talked to the beautiful and talented InnaRae.
InnaRae joined us to discuss her latest work "Rena's Moan." On the Afrakan concept
of Sankofa, "Rena's Moan" expresses the voice of InnaRae's late grandmother and her struggle to maintain personal power
over her sexuality in the mid 1900s.
We also discussed: the slave trade and the tradition of storytelling and singing, InnaRae's upcoming projects, Obama's victory, and gay marriage.
Years ago I tried contacting Jasmyne Cannick to connect with her as I noticed she was a brand new blogger who really didn't have a clue how to effectively network with other Black bloggers or other Black lesbian bloggers. She never responded to any of my emails yet she often snagged content from my blog and re-purposed it as her own content.
I've been catching random soundbytes of Ms. Cannick's latest opportunistic move. She's come out in support of Prop 8 stating that Black people have better things to worry about. Oh.no.she.didn't. Like my friend would say, "That bitch is tryin' to get cute."
Cannick's support of Proposition 8 landed her 15 minutes of fame and a guest appearance on Bill O'Reilly. Nevermind the fact that Bill O'Reilly and his people don't give two shits about her Black gay ass. But then again, Ms. Cannick doesn't care as long as somebody's writin' that bitch a check. She reminds me of Black conservative blogger LaShawn Barber, a woman who supported Bush in 2000 and 2004, in addition to posting regular hateful racist commentary about Blacks - because it's what God would have wanted her to do. Barber enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame when conservatives grabbed onto her as their token Black female. They didn't give a shit about her Black ass, either.
Ms. Cannick, when your 15 minutes of fame are over, I hope you still have enough change left from that O'Reilly check to get the hell outta dodge.
Note: I purposely avoided linking to both Cannick and Barber. I wouldn't dream of helping their SEO rankings. You'll have to Google them to learn more.
I just read a bulletin post in MySpace that said the following:
According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of
Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a President
who speaks English as if it were his first language.
"Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in
agreement," says Mr. Logsdon." If he keeps it up, he is running the risk
of sounding like an elitist."
The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences
in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, "Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate - we get it, stop showing off."
It's President-Elect Obama, not Mr. Obama. Get it right, jackass. And, I do believe that English is indeed President-Elect Obama's first language.
Black folks will never catch a break. If we use poor grammar, people complain and call us ghetto and uneducated. If we use proper grammar, we're called elitists - or sadity as my family members used to call me.
The real problem here is that no one expects to hear Black people using proper grammar. In high school, I edited my white friends' English papers for them only to have them receive higher grades than I did. It seems Mrs. Dunaway approached my paper with a much more critical eye than the one she used when she graded her white students' papers.
Classist Americans of all races want Black Americans to remain in "their place." Educated Black Americans scare the hell out of people who have to step outside their comfort zone - a zone they live in when they deal with people they assume are less educated than they are.
I have to be honest with my readers and state that I've read emails, letters and blog posts written by people who have an advanced degree and I'm shocked by the plethora of grammatical errors I see. I see "your" instead of "you're" a lot. I see "alot" instead of "a lot" quite often. I see "their" instead of "they're" or "there" way more than I should. Just how many Americans will really notice that Obama's grammar is impeccable?
Update: I've just been informed that the item I quoted is supposed to be a joke started by The Onion. It's only a joke to those white people who have never been called "sadity" for using proper grammar. Please view the comments for this posting.
While browsing various gay and lesbian related groups on Facebook this evening,
I noticed an eHarmony ad pop up in the right-hand sidebar. I would've been shocked had I not already posted an article that stated the following:
"eHarmony.com has agreed to provide services to people seeking same-sex relationships, under a settlement reached Wednesday in New Jersey.
The online dating service was sued in 2005 by Eric McKinley, a gay man from New Jersey, after the matchmaking service refused to take his personal advertisement,
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported."
One of my Twitter followers said the following: "No, they [gays and lesbians] get Compatible Partners. (Which is yet to be launched. Look to March 31st, 2009, for that.)"
And she's right. When you visit eHarmony.com, the choices in the drop-down menu still read "man seeking woman" and "woman seeking man."
I clicked on the Facebook eHarmomy advertisement thinking it would take me to a special gay personals landing page, and that landing page still shows only two choices: "man seeking woman" and "woman seeking man."
I wonder if eHarmony's Facebook ads are part of a marketing research project where they're testing the waters and trying to decide how much money they can realistically make by offering gay personals on a "special"
segregated section of their web site. What other reasons would they have for posting misleading advertisements? The segregated gay personals site won't launch until March 2009.
The Kingdom of Heaven, a church in San Diego, CA has filed an
amicus brief in support of retaining Proposition 8 - on behalf of God.
Here's an excerpt:
See the original document here. Warning:
it reads like a church sermon in a scorchin' hot Southern Baptist Black church - long, boring, and repetitive.
The writer of this brief has declared herself the Divine Queen and Heiress of the
Almighty Eternal Creator and states that 9/11 was our fault because we disobeyed God.
Ryan Garns has officially kicked off the 2008 War on Christmas campaign. I'm guessing Bill O'Reilly will soon follow with his ridiculous antics about how liberals are trying to steal Christmas from the Christians. This would be funny (as intended) if religious fanatics didn't really believe this.
Opponents of gay marriage who believe marriage should only apply to heterosexuals now wish to restrict access to another sacred institution: Christmas.
"Much like traditional marriage, the traditions of Christmas have been under assault for many years now," says Brent Slabroller, leader of The Defense of Traditions Coalition. "In order to preserve those traditions, we're calling for a constitutional amendment that defines Christmas as only for Christians."
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
The Obama-Biden Plan
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. Barack Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
Fight Workplace Discrimination: Barack Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. Obama also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Barack Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: Barack Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. Obama will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he supports aid for the auto industry and will not personally fight the state's voter-approved a gay marriage ban.
In an appearance on ABC's "This Week" program, the Republican governor said Sunday that President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are right to back a federal loan of up to $25 billion to the nation's automotive industry.
"I think itss very important to not just put money in, but let's go and see if they have been fiscally responsible, and if they're really operating the right way. Because right now, all of those - you know, if you pay the auto workers or the benefits and all of those things, are maybe too high," Schwarzenegger said.
On the state's recent gay marriage ban, the governor said he believes the state Supreme Court was right to say the state's previous ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
"So the Supreme Court, you know, I think ought to go and look at that again. And we'll go back to the same decision . . . I think that they will. And I think that the important thing now is to resolve this issue in that way," he said.
He added, "For me, marriage is between a man and a woman. But I don't want to ever force my will on anyone."
I just read an interview with Prince in The New Yorker. I was very disappointed to read:
When asked about his perspective on social issues - gay marriage, abortion - Prince tapped his Bible and said, "God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, 'Enough.'"
Androgynous and overtly-sexual Prince said that? I'm most disturbed that he would point to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah to justify what appears to be his own homophobia.
It's a bit ironic that Prince would speak out against a community that helped build him to pop star status. Prince's habit of wearing heels and makeup while singing some of the most sexually-charged lyrics in history (Pussy Control, for example) speaks volumes about his own morals and values.
I have to believe Prince was higher than a kite when he did the interview with The New Yorker. I mean, what the fuck?
Over the past several days, GLAAD has been in communication with the Dr. Phil Show regarding a show they will be taping this week on marriage for same-sex couples and the aftermath of Proposition 8 in California.
"The Dr. Phil Show is producing one of it's most controversial shows. We are looking for audience members that are FOR or AGAINST Prop 8. We will be needing strong opinions. The show will be taped on November 18."
Looks to me like Dr. Phil is looking for a trainwreck to increase his viewership and ratings. At this point, though, I don't really care what his motives are.
The show will air on Friday, November 21.
A 20-year-old Syracuse man was being held without bail Monday after a fatal shooting that police said might have been a hate crime.
Dwight DeLee, who is accused of killing 20-year-old Moses Cannon, was arraigned Monday on a single count of second-degree murder.
Police said it appeared Cannon, also of Syracuse, was targeted Friday night because he was gay and sometimes dressed as a woman.
"There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood," said Police Chief Gary Miguel.
"Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding his brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim," Miguel said.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Doran said the case was still being investigated to determine whether to pursue a hate crime charge. A hate crime classification would increase the possible penalty against DeLee if he's convicted, Doran said.
From the outset, Cannon's family has said his death should be treated as a hate crime. Family members said Sunday that DeLee's arrest did not give them any comfort.
"I don't understand ... they weren't causing any trouble," said Shaconia Williams, the victim's sister. "You can put (DeLee) away for 1,000 years, and it's not going to make up for what happened."
Moses Cannon was living as a female and was known to family and friends as Latiesha Green. Police said he was not wearing women's clothing Friday night.
"I'm hurt. Angry, upset. Mostly, I'm upset with society. How do we let our kids get this angry this young? This was hatred," said Albert Cannon, the victim's father.
Police said Cannon and his brother Mark Cannon, 18, were invited to a party by a friend Friday night. When they pulled up to the party, several guests took issue with their arrival because the brothers were gay and started "making profane and vulgar comments in regards to the sexual preference of our two victims," Miguel said.
DeLee went into the house and came back out with a 22-caliber rifle. He aimed it at the driver's side window and fired a single round. The bullet grazed Mark Cannon's arm and hit Moses Cannon in the chest.
Mark Cannon was able to drive home, where an ambulance picked the brothers up and took them to University Hospital. Moses was later pronounced dead. Mark was treated and released.
DeLee fled the party after the shooting and police later found him at a home in Liverpool. He was arrested early Sunday morning.
Officials did not return calls for information about whether DeLee has a lawyer.
It's a bit difficult for me to write about projects I've started, especially projects that were started for personal reasons. On November 12, I created an LGBT community designed to: (a) promote companies and organizations that support the LGBT community, (b) bring the LGBT community together with our straight supporters - in one place, and (c) make public any companies and organizations that support anti-gay legislation.
I had a lengthy discussion with a Republican gay male friend and he said the following, "I just don't think this country is ready for gay marriage - and protesting won't help us." Apparently, the GOP has him brainwashed into believing that protesting is a waste of time. Tell that to all of the Blacks who marched alongside Dr. King and lived long enough to witness history on November 4, 2008.
GayWallet.com is a peaceful protest. It is a modern-day movement that utilizes technology from the 21st century -- the internet and social media web sites. Gay Americans are taxpaying Americans who deserve full and equal rights. If we don't receive full and equal rights, then we shouldn't have the same economic responsibilities as heterosexual taxpayers.
Gay Americans buys goods and services. We spend our money on cars and houses. Our tax dollars are used for schools and roads and social services. We deserve nothing less than equality. If a company or an organization wants to help right-wing religious fanatics strip us of our equal rights, it's only fair that we know who those companies are so we can spend our money elsewhere.
We just finished another great Sunday night interview at SistersTalk Radio. Tonight's guest was award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist Ellis. I like listening to Ellis talk - almost as much as I love listening to her sing.
Highlights from tonight's interview:
A trip down memory lane - back to the first time I ever saw Ellis perfom live in 1997! Listen to Ellis perform with her old band Bobby Llama. Tracks 3 and 4 are my favorites.
Ellis's favorite tunes from her Break the Spell Album. Listen to samples from Break the Silence.
Experiencing homophobia while on tour - and how those situations became positive esperiences.
Contemplating how Ellis can reach new listeners and stay in touch with old fans, all while preserving the environment by touring less.
Ellis's feelings about Obama's historic victory - and what we hope to see Obama accomplish for the LGBTQ community.
Ellis's feelings about Prop 8 - you might be surprised!
Her new last name and why she changed her last name after marrying her female partner.
Ellis and her new interest in Twitter. If you're not following her, you should be.
If you missed the interview, you can listen to the archive.
Thousands of supporters of same sex marriage and full equality for LGBT Californians today rallied at Los Angeles City Hall in response to the recent passage of Proposition 8, which repeals the fundamental right of same sex couples to marry in California through changes to the Constitution. The measure is currently being challenged in the state's high court.
"Today, we are united, energized, and empowered like never before," said Dayna Frank, a spokeswoman for event organizer Freedom-Action-Inclusion- Rights (F.A.I.R.). "We are going to reach out to, and educate, every community in California in the effort to overturn Prop. 8. The journey there starts right here. It starts right now."
This event, organized by F.A.I.R. with the support and involvement of several other LGBT
organizations, was held in conjunction with Join the Impact's "National Day of Action" rallies, marches, and protests at city halls across the nation. Event participants included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, City Council Member Bill Rosendahl, State Assembly Member John Perez, West Hollywood City Council Member John Duran, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center C.E.O. Lorri L. Jean, actor/activist Alec Mapa, and civil rights activists Connie Rice and Christine Chavez.
The protest rally at City Hall was followed by a march through the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, which ended at the Los Angeles Historic Park, commonly known as "the Cornfield." Event participants were then treated to live musical performances by local openly-LGBT artists and additional speakers.
"With the passage of Prop. 8, young people, both gay and straight, have been energized to action," said Darryl Stephens of F.A.I.R. "We hope to channel this energy into securing full equality for all. This is California. We must continue to lead the way on civil rights issues. And this is the civil rights issue of our time."
California was just one of several states, including Arizona, and Florida, which saw the recent passage of ballot measures designed to deny same sex couples the right to marry. In Arkansas, same sex couples were denied both the right to marry, and the right to adopt children.
More than 40 states now deny same sex couples the right to marry, and with the recent passage of Proposition 8, now only 2 states, Massachusetts and Connecticut, allow same sex couples the right to marry. In Vermont, same sex couples are allowed civil unions, and provided with most, but not all, the rights of marriage.
Rev. Jay Scott Newman, a priest at St. Mary Catholic Church in Greenville, SC, is urging parishioners who voted for Barack Obama not to present themselves for Communion unless they go to confession first because they have cooperated with "intrinsic evil" by voting for a candidate who supports abortion rights over a candidate who does not.
Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.
The web site containing the letter has disappeared (surprise, surprise!), but you can see a cached copy of the letter here.
If Rev. Newman plans to get his church involved in politics, they should lose their tax exempt status. I have reported Rev. Newman, his parish, and his web site to the IRS using this form.
It looks like Rev. Newman's church web site has disappeared completely; however, I searched Google, Yahoo, and MSN in addition to archive.org and I don't see any mention of him ever addressing the Catholic church's problem with priests molesting little boys. I guess that's not an issue worth mentioning, eh?
The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Chief of Staff, Darrel Cummings, has issued the following statement:
"Today, the Mormon temple in Los Angeles received an envelope containing white powder, raising the specter of anthrax. While the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center organized a peaceful demonstration against the involvement of the leadership of the Mormon Church in the deceitful Yes on Prop 8 campaign, we decry the use or threat of violence. Just as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community seeks the right to be treated equally under the law, all Americans should have the right to live lives free from fear and violence."
I don't believe for one second that the Mormon church received a threat of violence. They're playin' the victim in an attempt to make the LGBT community look like violent monsters. I smell Ashley Todd.
Charles Merrill, the cousin of the man who founded Merrill Lynch & Co., and who predicted
(Wall Street Journal, 10/31/2007) a stock market crash that will put the 1929 crash to shame, has also been a key figure since 2004 resisting paying federal income tax.
Merrill is legally married to Kevin Boyle in California, and his case is going to court.
The docket at ustaxcourt.gov is 3058-08, Merrill vs Commissioner of Internal Revenue and is scheduled to be heard in 2009, at U.S. Tax Court, San Diego.
The latest celebrity to join a tax protest is singer Melissa Etheridge,
who rails against the passage of the gay-marriage ban in California - and she won't be paying the state a dime.
She stated on Daily Beast "Okay. So Prop 8 passed. Alright, I get it. 51% of you think that I am a second class citizen. Alright then. So my wife, uh I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now. Anyways, she and I are not allowed the same right under the state constitution as any other citizen. Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen. I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights, sounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books." She added at the end of her statement, "Come to think of it, I should get a federal tax break too ...."
Merrill said, "During this time of economic strife, shouldn't it make sense that the federal and state governments recognize our marriages? We want to pay taxes, but we don't like being treated as second class citizens because of religious bigotry. President-elect Obama promised to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits us from getting federal benefits, 1,138 of them. We must hold him to his promise."
Today on Bloomberg Television, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
told Bloomberg anchor Peter Cook that he urges
Congress to come up with money for US automakers on the brink of bankruptcy outside of the allocated $700 billion
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) money, saying the funds are not intended for manufacturers.
"The intent of the TARP was to deal with financial institutions and major systemic issues and getting lending going in capital institutions.
Congress, I believe, should address the question of the auto industry."
The interview aired today at 3:40pm ET. The interview will replay tonight on the Bloomberg Television program 'Money & Politics' at 9pm ET.
The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center announced today that its InvalidateProp8.org Web initiative
has raised more than $60,000 to support the effort to overturn Proposition 8.
More than 2,300 postcards, one for each donation, are being sent to Mormon church President Thomas Monson, acknowledging that a donation has been made in his name to invalidate Prop. 8 and restore fundamental civil rights to all Californians.
The Center launched the initiative at a news conference in front of the Los Angeles Mormon Temple, three days after the election, to not only support the work to invalidate Proposition 8, but send a message to the leaders of the Mormon church that no one's religious beliefs should be used to deny fundamental rights to others. At the urging of church leadership, Mormons contributed more than $15 million to fund the deceitful advertising campaign that resulted in the initiative's passage by a small margin.
"It is a travesty that the Mormon church bought this election and used a campaign of lies and deception to manipulate voters in the great state of California," said L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean. "People from all over the world are sending a message to President Monson that we will not tolerate being stripped of our equal rights in the name of religious bigotry. They're entitled to their beliefs, but not to impose them upon the constitution or laws of California."
Of the money raised so far, $40,000 will be given to the ACLU, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights,
the three non-profit organizations that have jointly filed a lawsuit in the California Supreme Court challenging Proposition 8. Another $20,000 remains in a fund that will be used to support grass-roots activities for full marriage equality.
The donations have come from nearly all 50 states and from countries around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, Japan, Singapore and South Africa.
The Web initiative, InvalidateProp8.org, remains active and will continue to raise and distribute funds to support the effort to overturn Prop. 8 and send postcards to the president of the Mormon church.
Nixzaliz Santiago received a 40 year sentence for failing to save her 7-year-old daughter's life after the child's stepfather delivered a fatal blow as punishment for stealing yogurt. The stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, received a 29 year sentence. Nixzaliz received a a harsher sentence because of her act of omission - "failing to save her child's life by taking her to the hospital after the beating in January 2006."
Rodriguez sadistically tormented Nixmary Brown by tying her to a radiator and forcing her to use a cat litter box to relieve herself.
The mom stood by and did nothing as the stepfather pummeled the little girl in the hours before she was found beaten to death on Jan. 11, 2006.
Both trials raised questions of whether mothers should be held to a higher standard than fathers. Prosecutors accused Santiago of not doing her duty to protect her helpless daughter, saying she only summoned help hours after the victim had died. [source]
Should Nixzaliz Santiago be held more responsible than the man who delivered the fatal blow? Yes. I believe mothers should be held to a higher standard, but not because I believe mothers are nurturers by nature. I don't believe that at all. Andrea Yates, Susan SmithDeanna Laney, and Sivananthi Elango seriously lack the nurturer gene.
With rights come responsibilities. In this country, women have the right to decide if they want to bear a child; therefore, women should be held more accountable for the fate of that child after it's born. I'm sure lots of my fellow feminists would disagree with that. I don't understand how any woman who fights for exclusive rights to her own body can then reject the responsibilities that come with those rights.
Proposition 8 amends the state Constitution to define marriage as
only between a man and a woman. Approved by 52% of voters statewide,
its passage ends same-sex marriages in California, which began in June
after the state Supreme Court overturned a 2000 ballot initiative that
banned gay marriage but did not amend California's Constitution. At last
count, Los Angeles County voters narrowly approved the measure--with only
about 26,000 votes separating the two sides. A final tally of uncounted
votes, which include absentee and provisional ballots, is not due to the
secretary of state until Dec. 2. Statewide, the margin was considered
too wide to be bridged at this point.
View a map
of the precinct-level vote for Los Angeles county. Also view a
city map.
You're absolutely right when you say that if we let people in the south vote to decide whether to desegregate or not, we would still have segregation.
Same principle applies here with gay rights. We can only hope that somehow this vile proposition [Prop 8] will be overturned.
But honestly, what bothers me the most about Prop 8 is that it was a further extension by politicians,
pundits and religious organizations to try and divide this country.
This election season as a whole, was filled with this kind of divisiveness, and honestly it made me sick.
I feel that right now, this country as a whole needs to find a way to pull
itself out from the toxic mess that's been created during this last election,
and the divisiveness it has forced upon us - and it's really up to each one of us to do something about it.
In fact, just this year, I completed a documentary to show that
America might not be as divided as the pundits and politicians would
have us believe; over 36 days, we drove 12,000 miles across America and
interviewed 33 people at random from all walks of life, just to find out: if
America is as divided a country as it's been portrayed to be -- then what
exactly is it that still keeps us 'united'?
Originally, we had planned on selling the film - but as this
election got more and more divisive, we decided that spreading some message of unity would be much much more important than profit.
We ended up putting it up for free on the web for anyone to see; as a way to aid in healing this false divisiveness.
It just felt like it was the right thing to do.
Anyway, thanks again for your thoughtful interview - and please keep up the great work!
Best,
Adam Kramer
Please view Adam's documentary. I think you'll enjoy it.
In a recent SistersTalk poll, 47 per cent of respondents revealed they will spend less money on Christmas gifts and decorations this year,
while only 3 per cent said they would spend more than they spent last year. Nineteen per cent said their spending will remain
about the same as it was last year, while 31 per cent said they won't spend anything this holiday season.
With Americans spending less on Christmas gifts due to the current economic crisis, retailers are bringin' their A game and implementing aggressive integrated marketing
campaigns that include compensating Twitter users to subtly promote their products. Wal-Mart and Ford are using mommy bloggers and tweeters while
other companies are using company employees to chat it up online all day. This tactic would be quite effective,
if tweeters didn't make their intentions so
obvious. No one talks favorably about Wal-Mart and
Ford all day (partly because of this and this)
unless they're getting compensated in some way.
Professionally, I applaud Wal-Mart and Ford's online marketing efforts.
Americans have less disposable income this year and retailers are competing to be
our shopping destination. So far, those two retailers are ahead in the game because most of their social media marketing uses women bloggers and tweeters.
Research shows that
70 per cent of all women in the U.S. (over 106 million) are online. Currently there are more women online than men overall, with women accounting for about
51 per cent of the total online adult population.
We just inteviewed Ian Essling: conservative blogger, college Republican, and supporter of Prop 8. If you missed the interview, you can listen
here.
We discussed traditional Republican politics, Prop 8, and gay adoption. Even though Ian and I sit on completely different sides of the fence politically, I respect him immensely and I think he's a very intelligent young man.
Focus on the Family's James Dobson spent $800,000 on Proposition 8 to stop gay people form marrying in California. On Saturday evening, this dangerous ideologue will be inducted into the Museum of Broadcast Communication's Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago. He will be met with a protest from outraged gay organizations at 5:30 PM on Saturday, November 8, outside of the Renaissance Chicago Hotel, 1 W. Wacker Drive (corner of Wacker & State).
"It is mind-blowing, that the Radio Hall of Fame would honor a primary leader of Proposition 8," said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. "Dobson put his Media Empire and vast amounts of money into the service of denying equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. And, the Radio Hall of Fame reacts disgracefully by giving this demagogue a trophy."
"If Dobson had helped organize and fund a campaign to take away African American voting rights, he would be properly shunned as a hater," said Bob Schwartz of the Gay Liberation Network. "However, because the Museum of Broadcast Communications has chosen instead to honor Dobson, they apparently think it's okay to promote those who publicly organize discrimination against gays."
It is ironic that the Museum will be honoring a promoter of hate like Dobson, while at the same time many mourn the recent passing of journalistic legend Studs Turkel, whom the Museum never got around to honoring.
The campaign against the honoring of Dobson was initiated by the Gay Liberation Network and
Truth Wins Out, and endorsed by dozens of groups and individuals signing on to a series of full-page protest signature advertisements.
I know I'm doing a great job here at SistersTalk when the hate mail starts coming in. In my inbox this morning was a very bitchy letter from Sharon Alcalde - a McCain/Palin religious nutcase:
you're an idiot...grow up...leave Palin alone....you got the president
you wanted. stop spreading untruths and condemning her faith.
God help you because the day is coming when we're all going to be
judged according to our works. It doesn't matter what we believe, or NOT believe.
God is in control, period.
Now, go do something worthwhile and stop critizing someone you don't even KNOW!!! Its becoming very
nauseating.
It's a good thing I ain't afraid of eternal life in the lake of fire, or this email would've really rattled me. I wonder how many more McCain/Palin crybabies are reading this blog.
Note: all hyperlinks within the quoted text were added by me, for dramatic effect. See where some of them lead you.
Apparently, I'm not the only person who dislikes Sarah Palin. McCain's own advisers called Palin a whack job and the Secret Service is accussing her of "unintentionally" causing a rise in Obama assasination attempts.
Yey for religious Sarah Palin - and her dumbass religious followers.
Black Americans have become the scapegoat for the passing of Prop 8. Since Wednesday morning, I have received half a dozen private messages from white
homosexuals asking me what can be done to change Black people's minds about gay marriage.
What.the.fuck? White folks, I can't help ya with that. Yes, I am Black; however,
that fact doesn't arm me with any special insight into the Black mind.
Right-wing religious white people are the ones who pushed to have Prop 8 on the 2008 ballot. Don't forget that, ok? Those people then appealed to other
religious people using a very common scare tactic: "if you're a real Christian, you'll vote to ban gay marriage, or your ass is goin' straight to Hell." My exhusband's new wife
used that same tactic with him to convince him to start a 5 year custody battle for our children: "if you're really a Christian, you wouldn't allow a lesbian to
raise your kids." That tactic works well for people who are afraid of living eternal life in the lake of fire.
The religious right relied heavily on the assumption that Black voters would turn out in droves for this year's historical election. It was always a part of the
Yes on 8 strategy.
Religion wasn't the only factor that influenced Blacks to support the passing of Prop 8. Black women have been fighting for decades to hold on to their Black men.
An increase in Black male/white female coupling combined with the large percentage of incarcerated Black men means less eligible Black men are available for Black women.
Nearly one-third of all Black and/or African American men have been incarcerated either
as adolescents or adults. This negatively affects Black men's ability to keep and maintain
jobs and relationships. Maintaining a sexual relationship with just one person is difficult
when Black men are incarcerated at high rates and cycle in and out of the prison system.
Fewer available Black men in the community means Black couples have less opportunity
for long-term monogamy and more chance for multiple partnerships . . . (source)
When you ask a religious Black woman if she supports gay marriage, you're basically asking her
if she supports removing one more eligible Black man from the singles pool.
Black Voters Not to Blame if Proposition 8 Passes offers a really intelligent
take on the issue. It's a must-read. The author asserts that the LGBT community didn't make enough effort to talk to Blacks and other minorities. I completely agree.
Historically, Blacks are ignored by the very people who need them the most. Let's not forget how white feminists ignored the need to combine their efforts with women of color.
I ask all the white homosexuals who are sending me private messages, suddenly concerned about my opinion on how to talk intelligently with Blacks about homosexuality, where was that effort when the LGBT community needed it the most?
This Friday's open thread is called "Tell us where the heck you are!" What social bookmarking and social networking sites do you use?
Here's where you can find SistersTalk:
Tell us where you are. And don't forget to list your blog URL as well. Happy Friday!
Quick reminder: one lucky SistersTalk reader wins a $50 Visa Gift card - each and every month. We pick a winner on the 15th of every month. Click the Win $50 link below for details.
Women's votes were a significant factor in Barack Obama's victory, with a sizable gender gap evident in the election results,
according to an analysis of exit poll data by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
Women strongly preferred Obama to McCain (56 percent for Obama, 43 percent for McCain) unlike men who split their votes about evenly for the two presidential candidates (49 percent for Obama, 48 percent for McCain).
Defined as the difference in the proportions of women and men voting for the winning candidate, the gender gap was 7 percentage points in 2008, with 56 percent of women versus 49 percent of men voting for Barack Obama. The gender gap this year is consistent with other presidential elections, where gender gaps have ranged from a high of 11 percentage points in 1996 to a low of 4 percentage points in 1992. There was a similar 7-point gender gap in the final vote in 2004.
Obama fared notably better with women voters in 2008 than did John Kerry in 2004. Obama won the support of a clear majority of women voters (56 percent) compared with Kerry's very slim majority among women's voters (51 percent). In contrast, McCain did worse with women voters, attracting only 43 percent of their votes, than did George W. Bush in 2004, who won 48 percent of women's votes.
Obama also won the votes of a larger proportion of white women (46 percent) than did Kerry who was supported by only 44 percent of white women voters in 2004. A gender gap was clearly apparent among white voters in 2008, with 46 percent of white women versus 41 percent of white men voting for Obama. A gender gap was also evident among Latinos, where 68 percent of women versus 64 percent of men cast votes for Obama. An overwhelmingly majority of both black women (96 percent) and black men (95 percent) supported Obama.
In 1992, I married a white man from a conservative Indiana family. His parents weren't very accepting of the union. My new father-in-law said, "We're
concerned there are too many cultural differences because of your race." I asked him, "What do you really know about my culture?" He didn't respond.
One of the definitions of marry is: to combine, connect, or join so as to make more efficient, attractive, or profitable.
Last night, America married a Black man. We made it very clear that we wanted to combine our efforts with Obama's efforts to
make this country more efficient and profitable. Barack Hussein Obama became the very first Black president of the most ethnically diverse nation in the world. I wonder
how my former in-laws feel about that historical marriage.
One of the most annoying phrases my former boss used was "No worries. You're not married to this [idea or project]." This is the first time I'm actually happy
to repeat a corporate buzzword. Americans are married to a Black president - at least for the next four years. If he does a good job during his first term, we'll marry him again
in 2012.
I know lots of conservative Americans are unhappy with Obama's victory. Now they know how I felt on November 3, 2004. I wasn't very happy to be married to George W. Bush for another
four years. I cried for two days.
Bush's re-election campaign was the most divisive and hateful campaign I have ever witnessed. He kept the country distracted
from the war and our failing economy by aggressively pushing to add discrimination against homosexuals to the US Constitution. Every American who voted for Bush in 2004 betrayed their country.
A lot of Bush's 2004 supporters jumped ship in 2008, choosing Obama instead of the usual GOP hate tactics. Democrats won the presidential election and have control of both the House and Senate.
I guess Bush's 2004 supporters didn't want to be married to Republicans for another four years. Other than my own divorce, Americans divorcing Republicans is the best divorce ever.
The Teamsters, the world's most powerful labor union, unleashed its largest election mobilization in history, helping land Barack Obama in the White House and putting worker friendly candidates in key offices at every level in the country.
"Our 1.4 million members demanded change and we marshaled our forces in unprecedented numbers for this historic election," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "There is no doubt that we made the difference. I congratulate Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden on their well-deserved victory, and our Teamster members who worked tirelessly on their behalf."
More than 40,000 Teamsters volunteered for the union's massive member mobilization efforts. Hoffa and General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel barnstormed key battleground states across the country on multiple trips, talking to Teamster members and motivating them to volunteer and go to the polls for Obama.
Additionally, the Teamsters' impressive get-out-the-vote push included:
-- More than 2.6 million direct mail pieces
-- More than 1.6 million phone calls
-- More than 40,000 volunteers
-- More than 1 million Teamster job sites visited
-- 54,687 Teamsters signed up for election text messaging
-- 4.5 million doors knocked as part of Change to Win
Also, Teamsters conducted precinct walks, canvassed neighborhoods, drove voters to the polls and countless other activities. The union also incorporated new technology, like text messaging, predictive dialer phone banking, national and targeted-state interactive teleforums and microtargeting of swing voters.
"This is a great day -- a historic day," Hoffa said. "Now let's get this country unified and working for regular, middle-class Americans again. We elected a great man, but we can't stop here because our real work starts now."
Twitter users are microblogging about the election throughout the day. We snagged the RSS feed for the keyword "voted." Hit refresh to see new updates. Use the scroll bar to view all contents.
I just finished a very slow walk around the river with the absolute best Karaoke DJ in the world. No, we didn't sing while we walked. We discussed politics. Big surprise, right? We're both very excited about tomorrow. It kinda reminds me of the way I used to feel on Christmas Eve - before I learned Santa didn't exist.
We're both Obama supporters who don't understand how some of our friends can vote for McCain/Palin and admit they don't know much about either person. We still love them though (our friends, not McCain/Palin). We'll still give them a ride to the polls, even if we don't agree with their choice. The way we figure it, we can poke fun at them when their guy loses.
Obama's grandma died today. I can't imagine losing my grandmother. She is my favorite person in the world. It's amazing how strong of a bond we create with our grandparents who, according to our parents, were much different people before they became grandparents. I'm sure my children will say the same about me when I'm a grandmother.
I planned to finish off a bottle of Pinot Noir, but I left the top off the bottle last night and it's full of frickin' gnats! I also planned to kill off the ladybugs in my home, but a lot of my Twitter followers screamed murder! So for now, the ladybugs are safe.
My oldest son is at his girlfriend's house. His curfew is 9pm. He will walk through the door at exactly 8:59pm. My youngest son is in his room having yet another conference call with every teenager in the neighborhood. I wonder if they realize just how historical the next 24 hours will be.
I wonder if I should take something to help me sleep. I'm so excited about the election that I'm sure I won't get any sleep. I'm afraid to take something because I'm scared I'll sleep late and have to stand in line for hours. Decisions. Decisions.
Participants were asked how often they watched any of more than 20 TV shows popular among teens or which were found to have lots of sexual content, including "Sex and the City," "That '70s Show" and "Friends."
Pregnancies were twice as common among those who said they watched such shows regularly compared with teens who said they hardly ever watched them.
Risque TV watching was closely linked with pregnancies even when other factors such as grades, family structure and parents' education level were considered, Chandra said.
A 2006 study by Guttmar Institute shows that teen pregnancy is actually
declining significantly - citing changes in contraceptive practice and abstinence as the main reasons for this decline. Chandra's article is based on a 2001 study published in the November issue of Pediatrics about teenagers and their viewing habits at that time. Umm, was Gossip Girl even around in 2001?
Jennifer at Parent Dish says, "It sounds right up there with the notion that listening to heavy metal will make you suicidal . . . " Yeah, and masturbating will make hair grow on your palms.
The issue of same-sex marriage was identified as the key factor for morally-conscious voters in the races for New York State Legislature, according to The Righteous Voter's Guide, a handbook published for voters concerned with decency, morality and religion. The publication announced its endorsements for the New York State Senate and Assembly races, covering the New York City area, based on the candidates' public stance against same-sex marriage.
The Guide, a Jewish publication of Zeh Journal, rips Assembly members who voted to legalize same-sex marriage in the now-dead bill that passed the lower house in June 2007. The Guide identifies each candidate who voted for the Assembly bill, or who publicly supported same-sex marriage, as a "Confirmed Stinker." Assembly members who voted against the same-sex marriage bill are honored as "Confirmed Heroes."
As an explanation, the Guide says that same-sex marriage "is a grave threat to our safety and wellbeing, and the candidates who support it are unforgivably cynical and callous to moral truth. Any lawmaker who suggests that he is willing to entertain the idea that marriage can be consummated between two men or two women, that the distinction between male and female is somehow arbitrary, has breached a fundamental responsibility as a leader. Decent voters need to stand up and impose justice where their leaders have failed."
The Guide further specifies, "the categories of 'male and female' are not arbitrary. 'Mankind' was created as a single set of two, complementary parts. Men and women are created different, and that's a good thing. It is only through the interaction of opposites, male and female, that children are born. That is, novelty, new life, emerges from the union of opposites.
A Halloween display setup by a group of students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo
included a confederate flag and a noose. A sign displaying derogatory
language toward blacks, gays and hippies added the final touches to what some would consider a completely tacky Halloween display.
It's always been my opinion that people use Halloween as an excuse to step outside culturally accepted norms. Halloween costumes help people live out
deep-rooted desires they usually have to suppress. How many typically-conservative women did you see wear dirty whore costumes this weekend?
How many hairy, macho, homophobic men did you see wearing a dress?
My point exactly. It's safe to step outside your self-imposed box when you can mask it with humor and claim it was all about having a good time: "My slutty whore costume was hilarious! I had so much fun!"
Citing free-speech rights, the university said it won't punish the students; however, horticulture and crop science department head John Peterson said "the students have issued a written apology and acknowledge that they were wrong in allowing a noose and a Confederate flag to hang from the home."
Bullshit. Those kids are only sorry they underestimated their fellow classmates. They assumed no one would care about their racist and homophobic Halloween display.
The worst punishment for these guys is knowing their fellow classmates think they're a bunch of asswipes. Cal Poly students gathered to protest the
display and make it clear that not everyone on campus is a racist homophobe.
"From Jackie Kennedy's sexy Spanish to the anti-sexy John Kerry windsurfing ads,
from Reagan vs. bears to Dukakis vs. dignity, we cover over fifty years of political maneuverings, advertising shenanigans and controversial campaign choices.
Think the attack ad was invented in the Fox News era? Think again."
Nerve.com has compiled the 20 greatest political campaign ads of all time. Here's a few to get you started.
Apparently, even John Kennedy knew the importance of reaching spanish-speaking Americans:
Bill Clinton appeals to the poor. Who does this remind you of?
Seems the GOP has been using race-fueled scare tactics for quite some time:
I guess this ad was a sign of the times - hippies and acid!
Today at 5pm central, we interviewed Aiesha Turman, founder of SuperHussy.com.
Some of what we discussed included:
1. The origin of the word hussy
2. Aiesha's love for her maternal grandmother
3. Being raised by a Black lesbian mother
4. Why it's important for Black mothers to be positive role models for both daughters and sons
5. Aiesha's special project: The Black Girl Project
6. The election and how an Obama win will affect the Black American population
7. The Black church and homophobia
8. Racial stereotypes
9. Today's youth
It was yet another great SistersTalk Radio session. If you missed the live broadcast, check it out
here.
If you missed last week's interview with lesbian sex coach Felice Newman, you can listen here
Despite a few technical difficulties in the first few minutes of the show, SistersTalk Radio finished yet another great interview tonight. Our guest was Erin Davies, the very brave girl behind
We just finished
While browsing various gay and lesbian related groups on Facebook this evening,
I noticed an eHarmony ad pop up in the right-hand sidebar. I would've been shocked had I not already posted an 
Over the past several days, 
We just finished another great Sunday night interview at 