Rick Warren's popularity seems to be off the charts - thanks to the fuss liberals and gays made over his participation in President-Elect Obama's inauguration. Great job, folks!
Rick Warren has been invited to speak at the Martin Luther King Commemorative Service, but gay-friendly African American pastor Rev. Joseph Lowery wasn't invited? See page 3 of the events schedule. Seems very purposeful to me. Conservative religious Blacks are supporting Obama's decision to invite Rick Warren to speak at his inauguration. That move sends a very loud and crystal clear message to the LGBT community.
The UPI reports:
Evangelical Rev. Rick Warren has been invited to speak at the Martin Luther King Commemorative Service in Atlanta the day before Barack Obama's inaugural.
Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California and author of the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life," will be the main speaker for the Jan. 19 service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said. The service is one of the major events of a week of activities in Atlanta in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King.
We (the collective LGBT "we") seem to be losing the Rick Warren battle. And it's just what we deserve. We have to learn to pick our battles better.
The LGBT community's unnecessary temper tantram about Rick Warren has rallied more support for him - and this time that support comes from the one group the LGBT community needed to mend fences with the most: conservative religious Black folks. I'm hoping we've learned our lesson, but I seriously doubt it.
Please note: Starting Wednesday, January 7, 2009 - and every Wednesday thereafter - we'll introduce you to a new blogger through the SistersTalk Radio Bloggers You Should Know series. And don't forget to tune in Sundays at 5pm to hear us interview people like Kate Clinton, Ellis, Cheril N. Clarke, Felice Newman and Barb Elgin/Coach Sappho.
Of course the controversy continues. It's the holidays and the news business is slow.
Anywho . . . Rick Warren went shopping at a gay-friendly bookstore in West Hollywood:
What will pissed off gay people bitch about after the inauguration?
I'm willing to bet NONE of these angry gays will participate in the National DOMA protest on January 10 - because Bill and Hillary Clinton gave us DOMA. Gay boys love Hillary the Diva so her anti-gay behavior has been forgiven.
A rally calling on the Iraqi Government to free Montather Al-Ziedi, the man who threw his shoes at George W. Bush, will be held Monday, December 29 at noon in front of the Iraqi consulate [site currently inaccessible] to the United States, located at 1801 P Street NW in Washington, DC.
The rally is timed to immediately precede Mr. Al-Ziedi's appearance in the Central Criminal Court of Iraq on Dec. 31, New Year's Eve. Mr. Al-Ziedi was arrested December 14 after hurling his shoes at Mr. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad.
"Al-Zeidi did not attempt to physically hurt George Bush but to insult him and express the deep anger that so many Iraqis feel over the U.S. occupation. He should be immediately released and the Iraqi government should be held accountable for abusing him while in custody," said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the peace group CODEPINK.
"The treatment Al-Zeidi has received should shame all Americans and is likely to motivate as much anti-American sentiment as have the photos of torture at Abu Ghraib," said David Swanson, cofounder of AfterDowningStreet.org. "While our President and Vice President openly confess to authorizing torture, their puppet government in Iraq tortures a man for throwing shoes, in complete absence of even the pretense of 'interrogation,' much less a ticking time bomb. Freeing Al-Zeidi will not fix this situation. We must also put Bush and Cheney behind bars."
"There are credible reports that Montather Al-Ziedi has been tortured while in the custody of the government of Iraq," said Nick Mottern, Director of Consumers for Peace, one of the rally organizers, "and this alone provides the basis for setting him free."
"Mr. Al-Ziedi's act, in the context of the suffering caused by the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, can be seen as a legitimate form of self-expression," Mottern said, "but in any case his action is something that should be treated as nothing more than a misdemeanor in which his time already spent in jail would be more than sufficient."
At the close of the rally, organizers will deliver a petition to Ambassador of Iraq to the United States Samir Sumaida'ie at the Iraqi embassy at 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW.
For Christmas this year, I bought my teenagers their very own laptop - one that will remain unlocked and accessible at all times. Since I've granted them so much internet freedom, I thought it would be a good idea to load their new laptop with a really good parental control program. A quick search of Google and I landed on Wikipedia's entry for List of content-control software. I was immediately distracted by the huge sign at the top of the page that says, "Please Read: A Personal Appeal From Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales."
Your donation helps us in several ways. Most importantly, you will help us cover the increasing cost of managing global traffic to one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Funds also help us improve the software that runs Wikipedia -- making it easier to search, easier to read, and easier to write for. We are committed to growing the free knowledge movement world-wide, by recruiting new volunteers, and building strategic partnerships with institutions of culture and learning.
I donated to Wikipedia. But sites like Bitch Magazine won't get one penny of my money. Now that Bitch is financially strapped, they're reaching out to segments of the female population that they appease with a small bone only once or twice a year: women of color. They think women of color didn't notice their meager attempts to address issues related to women of color. We're Black; we're not stupid.
I'm sure there are plenty of women who have a completely different opinion of Bitch than I do. If there's enough of them out there, I'm sure Bitch can raise enough money through them to keep their magazine running at least another month or so.
I've been fighting a cold all day and I didn't plan to blog about anything until tomorrow. But, I've received a dozen emails about the Pope's comments on homosexuality - mostly from smart-asses who want me to "defend" the Pope's comments the way I defended Obama choosing Rick Warren to do the opening prayer at his inauguration.
The Pope's comments were insulting, homophobic, and ignorant - especially for a man of his caliber. But, my dear homosexuals and liberals, we do not own exclusive rights to free speech. Anti-gay religious people have every right to speak their mind, even if we don't like anything they say.
Here's what the Pope said:
Pope Benedict said Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.
The Church "should also protect man from the destruction of himself. A sort of ecology of man is needed," the pontiff said in a holiday address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration.
. . .
The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are. It opposes gay marriage and, in October, a leading Vatican official called homosexuality "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound."
Christians everywhere (both gay and straight) should be just as offended by the Pope's speech. Aren't they bothered that the Pope didn't address things like:
1. saving children from pedophile priests
2. domestic abuse
3. poverty
4. the homeless
5. hungry children worldwide
How can a person call herself a Christian and yet sit quietly while the Church ignores things like child sexual abuse and poverty? It's time for Catholics everywhere to say "Enough is enough! When will we do more to protect the world's children from physical abuse, sexual abuse, and poverty?" When will all the good Christians finally get sick of Catholics and other religious groups spending valuable time and energy protesting gay marriage instead of protesting pedophile priests?
Oh wait. . . I forgot. Good Catholics are obedient and silent. Good Catholics don't question the Pope; his word is God's word! Good Catholics don't stand up to the Pope. That'll earn them a ticket straight to Hell, right?
We just finished another Sunday night edition of SistersTalk Radio. Our guest tonight was New York City's lifestyle diva, Shoshi. Hear Shoshi discuss:
* What a luscious lifestyle diva is and what she does
* How single women can unleash their lusciousness
* How to find your J Spot
* How single ladies can rock being single
* How she feels about marriage, settling down, and raising 2.5 kids
* How she feels about gay marriage
* How she feels about President-Elect Obama and what she'd like to see him address once he's in office
Since Friday, I've read over 50 liberal and/or LGBT blogs that are demanding that Obama rescind his offer to Rick Warren to speak at his inauguration. My head hurts and my eyes are about to fall out their sockets because I've been shaking my head and rolling my eyes for almost 3 days straight. Either I'm the worst liberal in the world or I'm a closet conservative just waiting for that one moment when I finally decide to go play for the other team.
I agree with liberals about things like: full equality for homosexuals, a woman's right to choose an abortion, and healthcare for all Americans. I agree with conservatives on things like: welfare checks encourage laziness and make people dependent on the government, tax refunds shouldn't go to people who haven't paid a dime into the system, and Affirmative Action needs a serious re-evaluation. I think hate crime laws are stupid, instead we need stiffer laws for all violent crimes. I believe religion has no place in public schools because it comes dangerously close to establishing a state religion.
Every election season, I look at the Independent candidates first and pray there's an Independent candidate who has a good chance of winning. If an Independent candidate doesn't earn my confidence, I start comparing all candidates from both parties. Usually, Democratic candidates come much closer to what I want in a President than Republican candidates. My biggest turn-off with Republican candidates is how much they buddy up with religious organizations. Those religious organizations are expecting huge favors for the millions of dollars they "donate" to the RNC - and most likely, homosexuals and women will suffer the most when a Republican backed by religious fundies has to start paying back favors.
So my question is (yes, I do have one): what does a liberal lesbian with conservative tendencies call herself? I'm open to suggestions. Really, I am.
I just received a press release from the Gay Catholic organization Rainbow Sash. The organization states:
While we respect the wonderful work the Human Rights Campaign Fund and Equality California has done on the part of the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Tran sgender Community, we must voice a different opinion. We echo Obama's call that we must all come together even when we disagree on social issues. Obama said "That dialogue is part of what my campaign is about". The call for "Common Ground" is deeply felt and understood among members of the Rainbow Sash Movement and our allies.
Watch Rainbow Sash's video message regarding Obama and Rick Warren - and don't forget to read their press release
It's official. I'm a Twitter Addict.
I'm averaging about 300 updates (also called "tweets") per day.
The bulk of my 300 daily tweets are spread out between noon and 8pm. Yeah, I'm wide awake by then.
The good news is approximately 55% of my daily tweets in the past 3 months are replies to another Tweeter user.
It's nice to know I'm not just talking to myself! Follow me so I can talk to you, too.
Check your Tweet Stats. But brace yourself. You might learn you need rehab.
Fag Candle Light Show - No marvel, they call satan - santa! 111 N. State Street Encouraged by the Beast, Barack Obama (a/k/a Antichrist) - these pushy fags are having them an event. They believe they can take on God Almighty, and they will overtake Him and make Him their fag servant. The same thing they tried to do to Jesus Christ (the Angel of God) in Sodom.
I agree with Phelps. Fags can be pushy. But that's why I love them.
Anywho . . . The more I read about Fred Phelps, the more I'm convinced he's a psychotic self-loathing closet case. According to Phelps, God hates beauty queens too:
Lied Center - God Hates Whores, you know The 2009 Miss Kansas USA & Miss Kansas Teen USA Pageant, are you kidding me? They are going to bring these silly girls/women in and prop them up and have some nasty-minded perverts eyeball them for a while and then go ahead and give one of them some tin foil and some spending cash with a little sash.
More interesting notes taken from the GodHatesFags.com picket schedule: God hates Baltimore. God hates the Pope. God hates Kenya. God hates Canada, the land of Sodomites. And apparently God hates Queen Elizabeth - because she's a whore.
There's a special place in Hell for Fred Phelps - and he doesn't even know it.
Picking a question to answer this week was a breeze. I chose one that's pretty close to my
heart and groin.
Femme in Portland Asks: I'm what a lot of lesbians call a femme and I really prefer women who are less femme than I am. I often meet "butch" women who come off as very "masculine,"
confident and sexually aggressive, but when you get them to the bedroom they become really submissive and are not as interested in oral sex
as I thought they would be.
I don't mind being the giver sexually, but if I'm
dating a butch girl who likes to publicly present herself as some kind of Don Juan, I'm expecting that to flow over into the bedroom.
Instead, most of the time
I am the giver and my butch doesn't return the favor. If she does, she's not very good at it. I'm beginning to believe that most of the
overtly masculine butch women are just
big pillow queens.
Marti Says: Femme in Portland, there's an assumption that butch women are naturally sexually dominant and eager to perform oral sex.
I have to tell you that's not true. I've met far too many shy butch women who panic and start stuttering when you even mention the word sex.
I've also met a lot of femme women who will scare the hell out of you because they're extremely sexually aggressive. Also, more lesbians
(both butch and femme) are
getting more cautious about sexually transmitted diseases and are not interested in performing oral sex on someone they hardly know.
The butch and femme stereotypes seem to hurt the lesbian community far more than
they help us because we prowl for sexual partners with certain preconceived notions of the other. Once we meet someone we assume
will meet our sexual expectations, we don't bother to ask probing questions to verify that this person will indeed
satisfy our physical needs. Being butch doesn't make a person sexually dominant;
being femme doesn't make a person sexually submissive. Some butch lesbians are pillow queens; and a lot of butch lesbians will tell you they know plenty femme pillow queens.
The next time you meet a hot butch and you want to jump her bones, make sure you're honest with her about your desires. Your honesty will help you avoid
being disappointed later. Oh, and try broadening your horizons a little. You never know who's out there.
I wonder how long it will take before gay activists send a pipe bomb to this magazine publisher's front door.
The LDS Church leader now can add "Q Salt Lake Person of the Year" to his list of notable honors, which range from Brigham Young University's "Exemplary Manhood Award" to the Boy Scouts' Silver Beaver prize.
Q Salt Lake, Utah's gay and lesbian magazine, recognized Monson for having the biggest impact on the gay community in 2008. His letter urging Mormons to support California's Proposition 8 helped eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in the Golden State.
But Monson's move, Q Salt Lake argues, also ignited a new wave of gay-rights activism:
As strange as it may seem, we at QSaltLake believe that Monson and the Mormon Church are somewhat responsible for this resurgence in U.S. gay rights activism now known as "Stonewall 2.0." Many of our readers seem to agree. When editor and publisher Michael Aaron posted a comment on his Facebook page on Dec. 9 asking for nominations for our Person of the Year, a majority of commenters picked Monson and/or the LDS Church. For those readers who would disagree and are shocked - or even offended - by our choice, it is important to remember the criteria of such important recognition. Like other newsmagazines, we too choose a person or oganization that has had the greatest impact (in our case, on the GLBT community) - for good or for ill over the past year.
LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter declined to comment on Monson's latest recognition.
An inauguration should honor all viewpoints, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said in explaining his choice of an evangelical pastor to give the invocation.
Obama said Thursday his choice of Saddleback Church founder and pastor Rick Warren represents what his presidential campaign stressed: "(That) it is important for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues."
And single-issue gay voters were happy with that rhetoric because in their minds Obama was speaking specifically about allowing in the gay voice, a voice that the religious right often attempts to silence. It never occurred to those single-issue gay voters that Obama also meant we would have to keep the dialogue open with people we don't agree with.
Warren has championed the poor, the disadvantaged and people suffering from HIV/AIDS, but he is in the conservative camp regarding abortion and gay marriage, which is why his delivering the invocation drew criticism from liberal and gay rights groups.
Actually, not all liberals and gays have a problem with Obama including Rick Warren in his inauguration. The HRC had a problem with it, and they then made it other people's problem. I caution the media and single-issue gay voters that the HRC (while it sometimes does great work for the LGBT community) is not and should not be the voice for all liberals and gays. It's a bit scarey that single-issue gay voters are so easily influenced by the HRC.
Obama said "it is no secret" that he advocates equality for gay and lesbian Americans "and I intend to continue to be consistent on (this advocacy) during my presidency."
He said the inauguration festivities would present a wide range of viewpoints.
"And that's how it should be, because that's what America is about," Obama said. "Part of the magic of this country is that we are diverse and noisy and opinionated."
Obama discussed his selection of Warren during a news conference in Chicago, Obama presented regulatory veteran Mary Schapiro as his nominee for Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, Gary Gensler as his choice to head the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Dan Tarullo as his designated Federal Reserve Board governor.
Liberals, and gays too, are very diverse people. I'm upset that the media has made it appear as if every liberal and gay person in the world is narrow-minded and petty.
Let me remind my fellow gay Americans that the religious right has yet to make the same amount of distracting noise about the gay band marching in the inaugural parade, nor have they demanded Obama remove the 7 openly gay advisors from his transition team, and they haven't asked him to remove openly gay Nancy Sutley from his administration. Is the religious right suddenly more tolerant than liberals and homosexuals?
Update 2:15pm: I just learned that Joseph Lowery (who is a supporter of gay marriage equality) is giving the closing speech at Obama's inauguration. I'm willing to bet the HRC knew this all along. This news won't matter to a lot of single-issue gay voters because they're too embarrassed to admit they let the HRC lead them by the nose.
Some of my fellow gay Americans are really startin' to get on my last damn nerve. They're acting as if homosexuals were single-handedly responsible for sending President-Elect Obama to the White House. A recent CNN article states that gays are outraged because Obama chose pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration next month:
Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights campaign (HRC), said Wednesday he feels a "deep level of disrespect" over the choice of Warren and is calling on Obama to reconsider the move.
"By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table," Solmonese said in an open letter to Obama that was released by his organization.
What the hell is Solmonese smokin'? Or is he trying to distract people from the HRC's Proposition 8 scandal by making a big fuckin' deal about Obama's inauguration speaker.
Obama has a gay band marching in his inaugural parade, his transition team includes 7 openly gay advisors and he chose openly gay Nancy Sutley to join his administration as chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Quality. Solmonese and all the other gay people who are bitching about Obama's inauguration speaker are just being greedy and petty.
No, I don't like Rick Warren. I don't like Hillary Clinton either. And I'm certainly not happy with any Bush-Republicans that Obama is keeping around, but it's really not my decision, now is it? In my opinion, Obama is trying to be inclusive of all people - even people I don't like.
All these gay drama queens bitching because every decision Obama makes doesn't suit them need to go sit their punk asses down somewhere.
I started using Twitter regularly in August 2008 because I was curious about all the Twitter buzz appearing in all the top online media magazines. The first thing I noticed after getting familiar with the service was there was a small select group of white men who had been anointed Twitter Rockstars - mostly because they have 10K+ people who are supposedly keeping up with their Twitter updates. A huge following means you've earned Rockstar status. Sorta.
Eventually, I learned that a lot of the "Twitter Rockstars" aren't really Rockstars at all. I renamed them "Boy Bands" because they remind me of one-hit wonders who ride their accidental wave of success until their fans eventually outgrow them. If you scroll through some of the Twitter profiles of supposed Rockstars who have 10K+ followers, you'll see that a large percentage of those profiles are inactive. Dead. Pretty much non-existant. So, do these Rockstars really have 10K+ active followers - or a huge list of dead profiles listed in their followers list?
To further prove my point, poke around at The Shorty Awards - a web site that allows Twitter users to nominate other Twitter users who they feel are tweetin' the best 140 character content. Twitter users are nominating Tweeters they are actively engaged with who provide them with the best 140 characters of content on a regular basis. You'll notice that very few of the Twitter Rockstars are showing up in top spots. I'm willing to bet the reason these supposed Twitter Rockstars are missing from the top spots is because: they don't engage their following; they communicate with only a handful of their followers on a regular basis; they use their Twitter updates for strictly self-promotion; and they use their Twitter updates primarily to make money by posting sponsored content.
So before The Shorty AWards existed, who decided that certain people were Twitter Rockstars? I'll tell ya who. They did! The Twitter Rockstars labeled themselves Rockstars, then participated in the age-old good ol' boys club method of promoting each other and patting each other on the back. Every once in awhile they let a new guy into the fold, and sometimes, they even let a girl in.
I use BlogTalkRadio.com to host SistersTalk Radio. I've been very happy with their service so far. Today, I logged in to prepare for an interview with Kate Clinton and I saw the following Mormon.org advertisement on the SistersTalk Radio profile page in the right sidebar.
I don't know if advertisers get to choose certain shows to sponsor since advertisers are secured by BlogTalkRadio.com and show hosts don't have much say in who their sponsor will be. But, I find it hard to believe that this ad placement was accidental.
I'm offended by the advertisement. I don't want them sponsoring my lesbian radio show. I have sent an email to BlogTalkRadio.com requesting that the Mormon.org ad be removed from my profile page permanently. I will provide an update once I hear back from them.
Has the Mormon church's involvement in Prop 8 ruined the church's reputation so much that they had to launch an online marketing campaign to redeem themselves?
There's a lot of fuss buzzin' in the blogosphere about a 3 yr old white kid whose name is Adolf Hitler. In my opinion, that's not news. If a Black mother named her kid Adolf Hitler, that would be news!
A ShopRite bakery refused to decorate a birthday cake for the child, but Wal-Mart (big surprise there!) was more than happy to take the money.
The Campbells ultimately got their cake decorated at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania, Deborah Campbell said. About 12 people attended the birthday party on Sunday, including several children who were of mixed race, according to Heath Campbell.
"If we're so racist, then why would I have them come into my home?" he asked.
The Campbells' other two children also have unusual names: JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell turns 2 in a few months and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell will be 1 in April.
Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name [what the fuck?] and because "no one else in the world would have that name." [umm, there's a reason no one else has that name, dumbass!] He sounded surprised by all the controversy the dispute had generated.
Ok, what Black or Jewish mother would take her child to a birthday party for a kid named Adolf Hitler? I'm guessing those mixed-race kids who attended little Adolf's birthday party were probably 1/38th Asian or some shit like that.
Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have a few screws loose if they're really shocked people are reacting negatively to children name Adolf Hitler and Aryan Nation. In their case, I support free counseling and free mental health medication for as long as they need it.
I used to think Black mothers who named their kids stupid shit like DelaQuanda, La Malnesha or LaShaquita were ignorant asses. I mean, seriously, my fellow Black Americans, you know what I'm talkin' about. What you name a child will either haunt her or help her for the rest of her life. Little Adolf Hitler will probably change his name the second he has the right to do so. Let's hope he distances himself from his ignorant parents, too.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Chairman of American Solutions for Winning the Future, today sent a letter to RNC Chairman Mike Duncan urging him to pull down a web advertisement attempting to link President-elect Barack Obama and disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Dear Chairman Duncan,
I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.
The recent web advertisement, "Questions Remain," is a destructive distraction. Clearly, we should insist that all taped communications regarding the Senate seat should be made public. However, that should be a matter of public policy, not an excuse for political attack.
In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming President succeed in meeting them, regardless of his Party.
From now until the inaugural, Republicans should be offering to help the President-elect prepare to take office.
Furthermore, once President Obama takes office, Republicans should be eager to work with him when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him.
This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the "better solutions" party, not just an opposition party. And this is the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.
This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation's troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008.
The RNC should pull the ad down immediately.
Sincerely,
Newt Gingrich
Chairman, American Solutions
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
Is Newt looking for a job in the Obama administration, or are his efforts sincere?
ABC continues its tradition of stirring the bitch pot with today's episode of The View. Melissa Etheridge and right-wing co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck discuss gay marriage - and things got a little heated.
ABC loves stirring up controversy. Do you remember when ABC's Wifeswap featured a lesbian mom who swapped places with a conservative Christian housewife? Do you remember when ABC setup an ex-gay debate between a gay man and an ex-gay Christian man? Oh, and don't forget the Rosie and Hasselbeck feud, or the Rosie and Donald Trump feud, or the Rosie and Star Jones feud, or the Whoopi Goldberg and Hasselbeck feud - all compliments of ABC.
ABC is becoming the channel to watch if you're absolutely bored and you wanna see a good bitch fight. They never seem to disappoint you - if that's what you're looking for.
According to a recent ABC news article, minorities, women, and gays are applying for jobs with the Obama administration in droves.
This year, the excitement to work in Obama's administration has been overwhelming. The Obama transition Web site, change.gov, has so far received 331,000 job applications for about 3,000 positions. That's almost triple the number received by President Bill Clinton and almost eight times the applications to serve in the Bush administration.
Does this mean white men aren't interested in working for our new Black president? I doubt it. But, a white man applying for a job in the Obama administration isn't news, right?
The National Organization for Women (NOW) has set up a wiki where members can post names of promising female candidates for positions listed in the list of presidentially appointed jobs. Are these the same women who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries and wanted nothing to do with electing another man (Black or White) to be in the White House? Umm, I do believe it is!
So far, no one's makin' too much of a fuss about the news that women, minorities, and gays are expecting jobs with the Obama administration the way people poked fun at the woman who believed that an Obama win would help her stop worrying about her mortgage payments. I mean, seriously, a job with the Obama administration will definitely help you pay for your gas and your mortgage!
Everybody wants something from Obama. And I do mean everybody - even this guy who is hoping Obama will legalize marijuana.
I've been giggling about this video for hours. An Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at Bush and said, "This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" I'm offended the Iraqi reporter would insult dogs like that.
We just finished talking to lesbian dating coach Barb Elgin, better known as Coach Sappho. Barb is a Certified Singles Coach and a dating & relationship coach, with over 20 years of professional experience.
Hear Barb discuss:
What a dating and relationship coach does
What made her decide to become a lesbian dating coach (something about the Uhaul syndrome)
What a Coach Sappho woman is
Coach Sappho retreats: how you can attend and what you'll get out of it
The book she co-authored Seven Simple Secrets to Successful Workshops
This year's historic election
Upcoming projects and words of wisdom this holiday season
Welcome to the very first edition of Marti Says here at SistersTalk.
When Genia came to me and asked that I write blog a weekly sex column I thought she was insane. A sex column on a lesbian mommy blog?
Genia quickly reminded me that she's tackled sex-related issues often in her 6 years of blogging (my favorites: I Know, Dental Dams Taste Like Rubber and
Felice Newman Interview, Author of The Whole Lesbian Sex Book).
Marti Says will take Genia's efforts one step further and really push the envelope. I'll blog on everything from sex books to my
favorite sexual positions, so make sure you
bookmark us and check back every week. Send your questions to: martislinde@gmail.com.
Q: I hear mixed opinions about women who shave their pubic area completely bald. Some people think it's hot, other people think it's gross. What do you
think?
Marti Says: I used to think bald chochas were absolutely disgusting.
I didn't want to go down on a girl who looks like she hasn't reached puberty yet. I realized over the years that my
problem with bald chochas wasn't the fact that I didn't like them; I was afraid there was a child molestor lurking somewhere deep within
my subconscious perverted mind. Since I was in therapy at the time (don't laugh, we all need therapy eventually) I decided to ask my
therapist how she felt about performing oral sex on a girl who has shaved her chocha bald. My therapist refused to answer that question, but she did
assure me that my desires were harmless.
I know lots of people who are disgusted by women who haven't shaved their chochas since the hair started growing over 20 years ago!
I am one of those people. It's just not fun when you have to mow the lawn before you can see how nice it'll be to finally play in it.
Update: I just joined Twitter, so follow me please.
Reality TV star Jade Goody is recovering from cervical cancer. Perhaps the chemo is messin' with her brain. Goody made the following stereotypical comments about lesbians:
"If you've got really short hair, if you're not an absolutely stunning bird, it's really hard to pull it off, which is why I struggle.
"And you can take the risk of looking like a lesbian. Mum even told me that and she's a lesbian.
"I don't want to be wearing Timberlands, baggy jeans, and a big shirt with short hair or a bald head." [source: Pink News]
I realize being a reality TV star means you're expected to say really dumb shit, but Ms. Goody obviously doesn't know a thing about lesbians - other than the little knowledge she's gained from her lesbian "Mum." I wonder if Goody purposely makes ridiculous statements to keep her name in the press.
While Goody was a contestant on Big Brother 2, her racist attitude landed her name in all the tabloids. Goody's claim to fame is her ability to make a complete ass out of herself, giving people something to talk about for months.
No publicity is bad publicity. And Jade needs all the free publicity she can get.
Religious people obsessed with homosexuality must be the most tormented closet-cases in the world. This video looks like something plucked right off GodTube.com, although I think it might be a product of the Ex-Gay Movement.
In this video, you learn that Nancy Heche (Anne Heche's mother) is really jaded about her husband leaving her for a life of homosexuality, her child committing suicide, and her daughter engaging in a lesbian relationship. Personally, after viewing this video, I understand why Anne Heche is a complete nutcase.
This video came from the religious web site Pure Passion (hyperlink omitted on purpose):
Pure Passion is the most unique & the most needed program on the web. There is no other program like it. It addresses an area of life (human sexuality) that is in dire need of healing. Millions are trapped every year in sexual brokenness, partly because the faith community is failing to regularly communicate the grace and the truth that will set them free and positively communicate the standards for healthy human sexuality.
Pure Passion faces the Tough Issues Head-On:
- Pornography
- Sexual Addiction
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Pedophilia / Ephebophilia
- Homosexuality / Lesbianism
- Adultery / Promiscuity / Divorce
- Prostitution / Child Trafficking
- Abortion / Unwed Mothers
- Intimacy with God
Right about minute 7:55, you learn Nancy Heche has a new book she's promoting to good ol' Christians who will buy any piece of crap labeled "Christian." About 16 minutes into the video, you see a closet-case preaching about how gays can change and become heterosexuals. At minute 17:46, the commentator uses an alcoholic who changes his behavior by going to AA meetings as an example that gays can change. Umm, he's still an alcoholic! And a homo who attends an ex-gay camp is STILL a homo.
Consumer spending increases dramatically during the holiday season. The LGBT community, along with our straight-yet-gay-friendly allies spend millions of dollars every year on various holiday related items like decorations, electronics, gifts, greeting cards, and music. GayWallet.com is organizating a national Gay Dollar Day on December 23, 2008 - two days before Christmas.
Because the country is in a recession, businesses are working even harder to earn your hard-earned and scarce money. Now is not the time for companies to alienate any segment of the US population - including the LGBT community.
We at GayWallet.com ask that you print up the following notice and use it while you're out shopping on December 23, 2008. Even if you just stop at the gas station for a stick of gum, hand the cashier the following notice:
Download full sheets of this notice: gif version or PDF version
Our mission for Gay Dollar Day:
To illustrate the financial impact of LGBT community spending and to present a unified front that consists of the LGBT community and heterosexuals who support our fight for full equality.
How you can help:
1. Print up Gay Dollar Day notices and use them - no matter where you spend money. Stick a notice in the envelope when you mail out your next car payment. Inform the Verizon Wireless customer service rep that he/she just received a payment from a member of the LGBT community. Do whatever you can to spread the word on December 23, 2008
2. Email everyone in your address book asking them to participate on December 23, 2008. Make sure you pass along the full sheets of notices so they can easily print them up.
3. Blog about Gay Dollar Day!
4. Tweet about Gay Dollar Day!
5. Announce Gay Dollar Day to your Facebook and MySpace Friends
We appreciate any support we can get from both the LGBT community and our straight allies on December 23, 2008.
Here's a few gay-related news items that briefly distracted me from my work
over on our social network . . .
Dontcha just hate those
low-life homosexuals
who try to use anti-gay laws to their advantage:
The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand a ruling
that Virginia must enforce a Vermont court order awarding child-visitation rights to a mother's former lesbian partner.
The high court today declined to hear the case of Lisa Miller,
who claimed that the Virginia Supreme Court improperly ignored
a state law and constitutional amendment that prohibit same-sex unions
and the recognition of such arrangements from other states.
Bridget Brophy and her wife, Suzanne Banning, tied the knot in Canada five years ago. They said their union isn't recognized in Colorado and that's why they were "calling in gay."
Brophy and Banning said their employers were supportive but realized not everyone has the same luxury, particularly in this economy.
Matt Palazzolo, 23, a self-described "video artist-actor turned gay activist," founded one group, Equal Roots Coalition, with a group of friends about 10 days ago. "I’d been focused on other things in my life," Mr. Palazzolo said. "Then Nov. 4 happened, and it woke me up."
Often young and politically inexperienced, the new campaigners include an unlikely set of leaders, among them a San Francisco chess teacher, a search-engine marketer from Seattle and a former contestant on “American Gladiators,” who jokingly suggested that he had become involved in the movement as a way of making up for his poor performance on the show.
Cleveland City Council's vote to create a domestic partner registry is a first step in recognizing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender partnerships.
While most in the gay community consider this an historic step forward, they say the city has a long way to go.
I've already ticked off several Black women who were not happy with my preliminary comments about the new Blackbird Browser. Oh well. My opinion is my opinion and you don't have to like it or agree with, nor do I expect you to like it or agree with it just because we're both Black.
Anywho. . . The Blackbird browser is a browser designed to bring you all things Black - all day, every day. Per the Blackbird web site:
Because we know the 20 million African Americans online need tools to build and foster community now more than ever.
Because we know that 85% of African Americans prefer online news and information from the Black perspective.*
Because we know that you are twice as likely to be among the first to discover new trends and use advanced technology compared to the general population.*
The astericks refer to a 2004 report published by PEW Internet and American Life Project
I'm proud of being Black, like most Black Americans I know, but here's the deal:
I wouldn't subscribe to a news service that only kept me updated with things happening in the Black community.
I wouldn't pay for cable TV and subscribe to only those stations presenting me with Black-related content.
I wouldn't pay for mobile phone service if the only people I can call are other Black people.
I wouldn't live in a neighborhood where the only people who acknowledge me are other Black people.
I wouldn't pay for internet access if the only web sites I can access are Black-specific web sites.
Why would I want a browser designed to bombard me with all things Black, all day everyday? I am more than a Black person.
I am a female. Am I supposed to not care about women's issues unless those issues are related to Black women?
I am a lesbian. Am I supposed to only care about gay issues related to Black homosexuals?
I am a parent. Am I supposed to only care about issues related to Black parents?
For some, the Blackbird browser is supposed to help Blacks with community building. I applaud the effort; honestly, I do. But, is Blackbird asking Black Americans to ignore all the other issues going on in the world that may not be directly related to us being Black? Trust me, those issues will eventually become an issue for all Black people?
One of my Twitter buddies (umm, ex Twitter buddy?) made a rather interesting attempt to compare her membership as a straight woman at GayWallet.com to what Blackbird is trying to do. I disagree. As founder and Community Development Director at GayWallet.com, I am not asking the LGBT community to spend all of their internet-surfing time reading only gay-related content. I'm only asking the LGBT community and our straight allies to keep the struggle for LGBT rights somewhere near the top of their mind, both consciously and subconsciously.
Now personally, in my humble opinion, Blackbird was designed to generate advertising revenue from companies trying desperately to reach the Black community. Per the Blackbird web site:
Blackbird is free for you because it is supported by advertising and sponsorships. You don't pay to use Blackbird.
It's a money-making project so just be honest and call it that. I ain't hatin' about that either, because we all need to pay the bills.
For many years CVS remained one of my best friend . . . until two days ago, when I found out that CVS locks up condoms in underrepresented communities. You heard me. In predominantly Black/Latino communities, otherwise known as "the hood", CVS will lock up its condoms - the most popular source of contraception. But in chiefly white areas, condoms are always on display.
Sidenote: I recall a very recent conversation I had with some Twitter buddies on the subject of intent as it relates to race. I was livid about the lack of non-white women represented at a women's blog conference coming up in TN in February. I won't mention the conference 'cuz I don't want to help those Donna-Reed-Wannabes promote their project. Anyway, one of my Twitter buddies said something to the effect of, "Inclusion is purposeful, just as exclusion is very purposeful." The Donna Reed Wannabe Women's Blog Conference purposely excluded Black women, and CVS pharmacy purposely locks their condoms away from Black folks and Hispanics. End of sidenote.
The CVS article goes on to say:
At a time when HIV is at an all time high among young women of color, shouldn't condoms be available in underrepresented communities? I feel like screaming, "You're to blame, CVS!" CVS has undermined the intelligence of these citizens and has setback their basic plead for this thing we all fight so hard for - equality. This is a major lawsuit waiting to happen.
True. HIV is rising sharply amongst women of color - and people of color in general. Do we really expect CVS Pharmacy to care about us? If HIV only affected white women, CVS Pharmacy would give their condoms away for free. They'd hire people to walk around and hand them out door-to-door. We can't have our precious white women dyin' off in droves, now can we?
Here's where the baby conservative in me starts trying to take over the ragin' liberal I aspire to be, brace yourself . . . CVS Pharmacy has every right to lock up whatever products they want, for whatever reason they choose. If they wanna lock up the milk, hell, I say let 'em. Take your money elsewhere. I'm sure you can find condoms someplace else.
We've just finished another awesome Sunday night SistersTalk Radio interview. Tonight's guest was lesbian author Cheril N. Clarke.
Cheril is the author of five novels and one play: Foundations: A Novel of New Beginnings (2001), Different Trees from the Same Root (2003), Intimate Chaos (2005), Tainted Destiny (2006), Losing Control (2009) and Intimate Chaos (the play).
I just saw this article fly by me in my Twitter update stream:
The research - to be detailed tomorrow in the most comprehensive report yet published - shows that a host of common chemicals is feminising males of every class of vertebrate animals, from fish to mammals, including people.
It's articles like this that bring out the ragin' bitchy feminist womanist in me. This article implies that women used to be the weaker sex: commom chemicals are feminising males, and that feminization makes them, officially, the weaker sex?
It also follows hard on the heels of new American research which shows that baby boys born to women exposed to widespread chemicals in pregnancy are born with smaller penises and feminised genitals.
I have never seen so much fuckin' hoopla about a man's penis size and function in all my life. First there was the excessive late-night Viagra commercials, and now there's research about a man's penis size before he's even born? What.the.fuck?
Perhaps this is the only way extreme eco-friendly liberals can convince men to care about the environment: "Hey, if you don't take care of the environment now, your penis will shrink and your son's penis will be even smaller." Let's take that conspiracy theory even further and assume the makers of Viagra funded this ridiculous research.
Perhaps I shouldn't tweet and drink Bacardi and Coke at the same time. I always manage to get extra annoyed by things I see in my Twitter update stream. Tonight, I was annoyed by the amount of Black women who self-identify as Christians and believe true Christian women believe the man is the head of the household.
I'm a lesbian and I'm a Christian. But, according to these women, you're not a Christian if you don't have a penis heading up your household. What.the.fuck?
After pokin' around these Christian Black women's web sites and blogs, I learned 99% of them are single mothers whose children were born out of wedlock. Is that not a sin? Of course it is, but it's not a sin related to homosexuality so Ms. Thang still has a chance of eternal life in Heaven, right?
When I was growing up, I remember being extremely disgusted by the Black church and the Black women who attend it. Why?
The Black church I attended was full of single never-wed mothers who went to the dance club on Saturday night to find a husband, but somehow made it to church early Sunday mornin!
The Black church I attended was full of married Black men who were fuckin' the single unwed mothers who went to the club on Saturday night lookin' for a husband
The Black church I attended was usually led by a Black male minister who had slept with most of the married and unmarried Black female congregation
The Black church I attended was full of brainwashed Black women who honestly believe that those lazy SOB men they were chasing would miraculously save them from a life of poverty. Umm, how about gettin' an education and a job and savin' yourself!
Sin is sin. If you honestly believe that homosexuality is a sin, then you also believe that sex outside of marriage is a sin - including heterosexual sex. Your bastard kids were born out of wedlock, Ms. Thang, so don't worry about what this lesbian is doing in her bedroom. Worry about your own salvation.
Crystal Dixon, a former University of Toledo administrator, was fired after she publicly stated the following in a newspaper column:
"I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are 'civil rights victims,' Here's why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman."
Ms. Dixon assumes I can wake up tomorrow and decide to be straight. I'm annoyed by all ignorant straight folks who actually believe that homosexuality is a choice; however, I believe she has every right to express that opinion, especially since she never mentioned that she worked for the University. It's too bad she was too damn stupid to realize that someone might associate her name with her position at the University.
Ms. Dixon retained Thomas More Law Center a "nonprofit Christian law firm" (I know, seems completely contradictory to me) and has filed a lawsuit against the University of Toledo. The Thomas More Law Center is committed to defending traditional family values (guess that means they don't do divorce cases) and challenging "special rights" for homosexuals.
This "law firm" seems almost obsessed with homosexuality. On their main page is a link to their profile on GodTube. Also, there's a poll on the right-hand side of the page that asks, "Will The California Supreme Court Overturn The Will Of The People A Second Time On Traditional Marriage?" Sounds like a bunch of closet cases to me.
Ms. Dixon's going to be Thomas More's new dog and pony show - and it's just what she deserves.
In the Information Age, to be ignorant because information is not readily available is inexcusable. Hence, the purpose of "The New Civil Rights Movement: Gay Marriage and Gay Rights". This website is dedicated to keeping you informed of all the events in the gay rights arena, especially gay marriage.
Yesterday, I received a random email from a woman who stated the following:
i'm very interested in getting to know you better.
i'm single and i'm 38 years old. i'm a lesbian but i'm only open about my sexual orientation around really close friends. . . .
It was a rather lengthy email, but I stopped reading it and hit the delete key after I learned she was a closet case. I'm not interested in a
romantic relationship with a closet case, and I even hesitate developing a close friendship with one, although I do have several friends who are
extreme closet cases.
I tossed the following question into my Twitter stream yesterday:
Question for the lesbians here: Would you date a closet case? The responses were mixed, but not a surprise:
nrdavis: I'm technically bi, but my answer is HECK NO!
MarquitaThomas: well some folx don't pass under the radar
well so they have to be "out" but take issue with PDA bc its an open admission
lesbiandotpro:
re: closet case, all depends, define 'closet' & one can be reserved at times for personal safety, it's not 'usually' out or in
artemisdreams: NEVER!
The idea of being closeted, even the littlest bit, would sour any feelings I had for someone.
prunella: I can't imagine! It would essentially be
denying yourself for someone else's neurosis' sake.
While I respect any reason a person has for staying in the closet, it doesn't mean I have to bring all the shame and fear associated with homosexuality back
into my own life. I've been an open homosexual for about 13 years. My youngest child is 14 and my oldest is 16. I've spent the
majority of my children's lives living as an open homosexual and hoping they decide (on their own) that gay really is ok.
No matter how much my former in-laws and my exhusband have tried to convince my children otherwise, they don't appear to have a
problem with my sexuality. My children are both very popular kids and have a huge circle of friends. They don't hide my sexuality from their friends; they shun
kids who make gay jokes and won't invite them into their circle of friends; they believe gays should have the right to marry whomever we want to marry.
It took a long time for my family (immediate and extended) to accept me and who I am. I wouldn't dream of asking my children to
go back into the closet with me because I'm dating a closeted lesbian. What does that teach them?
I'm sure there are plenty homosexuals out there who don't mind dating closet cases. I'm not one of them. I respect the internal struggle they're experiencing (because I've been there), but I'm really not interested in going back to that dark place.
A jury Wednesday awarded a Costco employee more than $400,000 for working in what they called a hostile work environment.
The jury said Juan I. Valera was also retaliated against for being gay and HIV-positive.
The Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated about 2 1/2 days before finding that Valera, who is on leave from his job as a photo manager, suffered under a hostile work environment.
However, the panel rejected his claims that he was the victim of sexual orientation discrimination; that Costco failed to provide accommodations for his needs; or that the company acted with malice.
GAY and single women can have babies with fertility treatment after controversial legislation passed State Parliament.
Upper House MPs voted 20 to 18 in favour of the amended legislation at 8.30pm. The result was greeted with uproarious applause and cheers from dozens of mothers with children in the public gallery.
Moscow has banned gays and lesbians from promoting their way of life because they can help spread HIV/AIDS, the Russian capital's 72-year-old mayor was quoted as saying on Thursday by RIA news agency.
Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, speaking at an HIV/AIDS conference in Moscow , also said there was no scientific proof that condoms provided full protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
"We have banned, and will ban, the propaganda of sexual minorities' opinions because they can be one of the factors in the spread of HIV infection," Luzhkov was quoted as saying by state-owned RIA.
The conservative segment of the Episcopal Church is forming its own branch of Anglicanism in the United States, its leaders said Wednesday.
Conservative Episcopalian representatives voted in favor of splitting from the U.S. church at a meeting in Wheaton, Ill., The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) reported in its Thursday edition.
The group, upset with the U.S. church's ordination of an openly gay bishop and other liberal trends, intends to seek recognition of its separate status in the worldwide Anglican church, the Post said.
Cracks in the Episcopal Church have been spreading the past five years as a number of parishes and dioceses have voted to leave.
Republicans and black Democrats in the United States are in near agreement on the moral acceptability of homosexual relations, a Gallup Poll indicates.
Only 31 percent of black Democrats said gay relations were morally acceptable while 31 percent of Republicans agreed with that position, Gallup results released Wednesday indicated. Sixty-one percent of non-black Democrats said they found same-sex relations morally acceptable.
The fact that black Democrats more closely align with Republicans on this issue is significant, given that blacks overwhelmingly identify themselves as Democrats, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.
Gallup reported 65 percent of blacks identify themselves as Democrats and 16 percent said they leaned toward that party. Only 5 percent identified themselves as Republican. Yet, on a number of moral issues, such as gay relations, blacks are aligned more closely with Republican views.
(ht: UPI)
Civil rights, as defined by Dictionary.com states the following:
1. rights to personal liberty established by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and certain Congressional acts, esp. as applied to an individual or a minority group.
2. the rights to full legal, social, and economic equality extended to blacks.
the liberty of an individual to do his or her will freely except for those restraints imposed by law to safeguard
the physical, moral, political, and economic welfare of others.
Since no one has been able to convince me that banning gay marriage between two consenting adults will help to safeguard the physical, moral, political,
or economic welfare of others, it's my opinion that the fight for marriage equality is indeed a civil rights issue.
But wait. Don't get too excited because I have to agree with Rev. Lee; any attempt to associate the gay rights movement with the Civil
Rights movement will only piss off Black Americans who still have
living relatives who lived through the Civil Rights movement in the 60s. Associating the gay rights movement with the Civil Rights movement
will only anger Blacks who still hear stories about their ancestors being brought here against their will to work the white man's fields and raise the white
woman's children. When people are pissed or hurt, they throw up barriers. It could take a very long
time to remove those barriers.
In a recent discussion on GayWallet.com, a lesbian used the phrase
"sexual preference" and two other lesbians were a little annoyed by it. Words seem to carry a lot of weight for people, even homosexuals.
Religious homophobes want to own the word "marriage" and Blacks want exclusive rights to any term related to the Civil Rights movement.
Transgender people have a fit when someone uses the word "transexual" instead of "transgender."
And everyone is tip-toeing around in this stifling politically-correct environment trying not to piss off the angry homo,
or angry woman, or angry Black person, or angry transgender person sitting next to them.
I took a Civil Rights class at Beloit College with one of my favorite professors, Alan Patriquin - an old white man who genuinely cared about the subject
and wasn't just doing his job as a professor at an extremely liberal college. I remember reading about all the people (both Black and white)
who worked together to make Dr. King's dream a reality. Dr. King knew that the only way his dream would become a reality was
to somehow make the Black struggle everybody's struggle. The LGBT community needs to learn to do that, too. We need to stop yak, yak, yakkin'
amongst ourselves, step outside our comfort zone and start a dialogue with people who are not homosexual - or else, we're just preachin' to the choir.
I've been a part of the gay community for about 13 years now. Never have I heard so many non-Black gay people voicing concerns about racism before in my life! Gay is the new Black?
After my live interview with Erin Davies of FagBug.com, Erin and I had a sidebar conversation about racism in the LGBT community. Erin and I agree that people assume homosexuals aren't racists . . . just because we're homosexuals. There's the assumption that Blacks aren't homophobic . . . just because we're Black. Too many people assume that one minority group will care about the challenges of another minority group just because we are minorities. Wrong. In all the time I've been a part of the LGBT community, I've rarely heard any moans and groans from non-Black homosexuals about the trials and tribulations of Black folks - that is, until now.
I've always believed that empathy (the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another) is the single most powerful tool we can use to change the world. Ask my teenage boys what empathy means and they'll roll their eyes because they're so damn sick of hearing me define it. Until people are able to instinctively put themselves in someone else's shoes, we won't see nearly the change this country world needs.
On November 4, non-Black gays and lesbians in this country finally got to know what it feels like to be Black (sorta, kinda). Non-Black gays and lesbians finally learned what it felt like to be the last minority group struggling for equality. Before November 4, Blacks were still the new and the old Black. Now, gays are the new Black.
Now that non-Black gay Americans need to reach out to Blacks (both gay and straight) to push forward with our struggle for equality, it's been interesting watching the exchanges between the groups. I hear a lot less sarcasm and degrading speech, and a sincere dialogue of understanding and appreciation is beginning to develop. If it took making gays the new Black to make that kind of change happen, hallelujah! It's about damn time.
I've just caught wind of the new Pirelli Tires annual calendar. What.the.fuck? I realize someone at Pirelli thinks their new calendar is artistic (and lots of folks might agree), but some of the most disturbing images are those that depict African women being tortured and abused:
While white women are being looked upon admirably by African women:
About Pirelli (from their web site): Pirelli is listed on the Italian Stock Exchange and is the parent company of a multinational Group active in more than 160 countries, with 135 years of industrial experience based on recognized excellence in innovation and a deep knowledge of world markets.
Hmmm . . . I think Pirelli's awareness of international women's issues is incredibly poor. Or perhaps that's how the Italians view African women? Or maybe the company is obsessed with what they deemed erotic?
Pirelli's 2008 calendar was full of Asian women, but it was still very classy. The 2007 calendar was full of European women, but again, still very classy. None of the company's previous calendars depicts the kind of blatant racism and brutality displayed in the 2009 calendar. Did this year's 2008 US election (chuck full or racist jabs) serve as Pirelli's inspiration?
I have two very handsome teenage boys who are extremely popular with teenage girls. The phone is ringing constantly with one girl after another calling to speak to one of my young men. Most moms would be proud (and I am!); however, I'm also very concerned about their health and safety.
For over 3 years now, I've talked to my boys about abstinence, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A year or so ago, I started supplying them with condoms - no questions asked. My exhusband would rather preach abstinence, even though he was having sex long before marriage. I know; he's a hypocrite. A friend said to me last night, "I'm just curious. Do you think supplying your kids with condoms is encouraging them to have sex?"
I know what I was doing at their age. I remember being a very sexually confused and sexually active young woman at the age of 13. Yes. Thirteen. And I wasn't the only one in my group of friends who snuck off to the local nature park to have sex. No, I don't believe supplying my boys with condoms is encouraging them to have sex because I believe they'll have sex even if I don't. No one ever gave me condoms when I was a teenager and I was much more sexually active than I should've been. I'm one of the lucky few who didn't contract anything deadly even though I was engaging in very dangerous activity. I'm not proud of that, but it's the truth.
I often tell my boys, "I don't care if a girl tells you she's on birth control pills. Assume she's lying and wrap it up. Protect yourself from everything, including HIV." I certainly hope mothers are encouraging their daughters to protect themselves as well.
I don't assume my boys are straight, even though they're both very interested in girls right now. We discuss HIV and AIDS statistics in both heterosexual relationships and homosexual relationships. I'm trying hard to cover all the bases.
I know every mother has to decide for herself how to discuss sex, teen pregnancy, and HIV and AIDS with their children. I've decided that the open, honest, and realistic approach works best for my family.
Picking a question to answer this week was a breeze. I chose one that's pretty close to my
heart and groin. 
We just finished a special Wednesday edition of 
We just finished talking to lesbian dating coach Barb Elgin, better known as 
We've just finished another awesome Sunday night SistersTalk Radio interview. Tonight's guest was lesbian author 
