The following is an opinion I've formed in recent months on what is and isn't homosexuality and I'd like to hear what others think before I go with it.

About the whole "homosexuality" thing, every verse in the Bible that mentions what we now call homosexuality defines it as a sex act between two people of the same gender. Nowhere does it say that two people of the same gender having a close but platonic relationship is a sin. And so nearly everything that's thought of as gay, homosexual, etc. by people both for and against homosexuality today is only so because people make it to be.

Sincere thoughts on this please? Is there anything wrong with my logic?

( in which State Senator Diaz blathers on to Juan Manuel Benitez, anchor of the NY1 Noticias' show Pura Politica that he believes that homosexual relations are akin to bestiality and that there is no such thing as separation between church and state )

yes, please DO X-Post

This was a sad case in my local area, but I'm happy to see that the perpetrator was convicted of committing a hate crime. Apparently only the 2nd in the nation convicted of committing a hate crime against a transgendered individual.

RIP Lateisha Green.

DeLee: Guilty of Hate Crime

I was also saddened to see that while this article referred to Lateisha with the proper name, our other major paper referred to her with her male birth name.

As members of (contributors to?) the nefarious Homosexual Agenda, I thought we should compile information on mainstream, popular music that has subtle gay lyrics, undertones, or symbolism. I'm not talking about something that is blatantly obvious, like Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" or even songs by out gay artists. Nor am I talking about every love song that could apply to same-sex couples. I'm talking about things that likely weren't intended to apply to a gay relationship or crush, coming out/a parents' reaction, etc. but that can be rationally interpreted that way.

I'll get us started, so you can see what I'm talking about:

( A few songs )

A friend of mine was recently telling me about coming out to his family, and how at first his family was accepting of it, but became unaccepting later on.

We didn't talk much about why his family disapproved of it, so I don't know if their disapproval stems from religious beliefs, social taboos, or something else.

So I was just wondering if there were any books/sites I could recommend that tackled homosexuality/bisexuality from the different angles (religious, social, whatever else).

I already know of PFLAG, and plan on giving him the link, but I just want to know of other stuff I can give him to help him out with his family.

Thanks.

Stop the Anti-Gay Slander Against Kevin Jennings -

On June 1st GLSEN founder Kevin Jennings was appointed as Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for the Department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Since the announcement was made, efforts have been made by the anti-gay industry to slander Kevin’s reputation to his new colleagues at the Department of Education.

Please join us in thanking US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for Kevin’s appointment and affirming this great step forward for real school safety by signing on to our letter of support.

You can add your own personal message and GLSEN will deliver these messages to Secretary Duncan.

Don't let the anti-gay industry derail such important progress. Raise your voice in support of a proven education pioneer.

Click here to sign on!

Best,

Eliza Byard
GLSEN Executive Director

(Not sure how to tag this, Jaime.)

The AP put out a story today comparing the US's stance on gays in the military with the stance of three prominent allies--Israel, Australia, and the UK. In the US part of the article, a new talking point, or at least a talking point I hadn't heard before, seemed to be introduced, as several opponents of gays in the military voiced the idea that, as the only superpower in the world, the American military is so unique that it is impossible to compare them to the other militaries of the world. As one opponent in the article put it, "Why in the world would we try to adjust our military model to be like them?"

To me, this is a variation of the offensive argument that former Congressman Duncan Hunter tried out on 60 Minutes a couple of years ago. Hunter's argument, that gays were too wimpy for active combat, and that our allies are mostly peacekeepers and don't do any "real" military work, was so insulting that no one else, as far as I know, used it in that form. This new argument, though, feels like a watered-down version with the offensive language removed. And, as ridiculous as it is, I have to admit, it might just appeal to people on the fence on the issue, giving them a legitimate-sounding reason to oppose any changes in the policy.

I still think DADT is on its way out. However, this new argument might just allow it to hang on for a little while longer than it would have.

"Morgan Spurlock presents a diverse group of participants, each given the opportunity to experience life as a radically different person for one month. Each participant investigates a world antithetical to their own comfortable existence."

Link to episode - "Same Sex Parenting."

I'm watching it right now, and it's really good.

Hulu doesn't work if you don't live in the US, by the way. :\

Hey All,
First of all, thank you to the many people who offered support and advice for my girlfriend and I in regards to the DADT policy and options. She is doing much better and we have the SLDN on our side. My girlfiend also made some phone calls to some friends who are among the "higher ups" and they are working on that end too. (These higher ups also have assured her that her supervior (captian or whatnot) will never be promoted and possibly will be fired... It's apparenlty nice to have friends in power). She may or may not be discharged but she definitely will be honorably discharged if she is, and if she stays, she will change units and should be well taken care of.

The SLDN has been amazing and honeslty they are the ones that helped put her on the right path. Thank you so very much for the advice... this community has made a major difference in both of our lives. Thank you.

~Tera

So, is anyone planning on seeing Sacha Baron Cohen's (i.e. Borat) new movie, Bruno? It opened on Friday. For those interested, you can track its progress at the box office.

I have fits of giggles every time I see a preview or read an article about it. It looks hilarious. Which is sort of weird to me, since that level of flaming isn't my cup of tea.

Still, as satirical as he's being, he's raising some important points about society and stereotypes, and how people really react (even violence and homophobia) when faced with something so over the top (but seemingly real).

So my question is this: even if you remove the humor aspect, do you think these sorts of films have sociological or anthropological value? Or is it just an amusing ruse that should be taken at face value as a cheap laugh?

Something I thought would be of interest to this community. (Apologies for incorrect/missing tags)

http://kotaku.com/5311939/guest-oped-the-impact-of-homophobia-in-virtual-communities

"It seems that real people in those virtual communities, as well as the massive companies that run the platforms, don't like when people form groups that advocate killing people or targeting groups.

Now what happens when you take that model and you turn it to online gaming virtual communities?

To illustrate my point, take a look at this video previously highlighted on Kotaku and GayGamer to get a sense of the problem just in online gaming communities.

Halo 3: Homophobia Evolved (NSFW)

This isn't to say that all gamers feel and think this way. As we know, there's a great diversity in who plays computer and video games and how they think. But similar to other forms of mass medium entertainment-like music, books, and movies-the new frontier created by advances in technology, especially Internet technology, has increased ability to transmit our voices, images, and ideas. But it has also come with a greater capacity to harass, bully, and spread prejudices - often times with little-to-no repercussions. "

I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise, but the recent ruling from an Indian court (that deemed India's archaic anti-sodomy law illegal) is being appealed to the Indian Supreme Court.

The suit was filed by a Hindu astrologist. Which just goes to show you that religious nuttiness transcends culture, and isn't just an issue in countries with a predominantly Judeo-Christian religious tradition.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090708/ap_on_re_us/us_gay_marriage

Previous legal challenges have come from individuals. This is the first time that a state has sued over the issue.

Does this lawsuit have any merit? If Obama and Congress fail to overturn DOMA themselves, could this case do it for them?

( seeking artists who identify as Bisexual [or with a label inclusive of bisexuality, such as Pansexual, Fluid, Omnisexual, Ambisexual or Queer] for SF exhibition )

yes, please DO X-Post

My girlfriend is getting kicked out of the military due to DADT. She's working with JAG right now to try to get a general discharge vs dishonorable. She was honorably discharged from the Army (now is in the reserves) after 6 years of service. She served in special forces (a rarity for women), was shot twice, has a broze star and several medals for conduct and exemplary service... The only reason she's getting kicked out of the reserves is because she's gay... She also has some health issues and disablility (due to service) and we have some concerns about her health insurance and disablity pay.

Does anyone have any additional resources that she can use to help with this?

Thanks

Politics ...

The Conservatives have reacted angrily to claims by two openly gay ministers that many Tory MPs are homophobic.

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw told the BBC News website: "a deep strain of homophobia still exists on the Conservative benches".

Foreign office minister Chris Bryant said: "If gays vote Tory they will rue the day very soon."

But Alan Duncan, one of two gay shadow cabinet ministers, accused the two men of "stirring up hatred and division".

...

The context of this news story is a poll which indicates that the Conservative Party is gaining support among gay people:

A membership survey by Jake, a networking group for gay professionals, found 38% would vote Conservative at the next election, 1% higher than the general population, according to an average of recent opinion polls.

Labour came third on 20% behind the Liberal Democrats - even though 86.6% of those surveyed said Labour was the party that had achieved most for gay people and just 4% said the Tories were "gay friendly", compared with 44% for Labour and the Lib Dems.

The Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, recently apologised for his party's creation of the notorious "Section 28" law whilst in government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Section 28 of the Local Government Act of 1988 made it illegal for local councils to portray gay relationships in a positive light, notably in materials for use in schools. It was eventually repealed in 2003, but only after repeated attempts to block the repeal by Conservatives in the House of Lords.

Religion ...

A traditionalist Anglican group has warned the issue of homosexuality could split the Church of England the way the Episcopal Church has done in the US.

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans will be launched in the UK on Monday.

The group has campaigned against active homosexuality in the Anglican Communion after being established last year.

One supporter, the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali, told the Sunday Telegraph homosexuals should "repent and be changed".

...

In happier news, the Church of Scotland has appointed an openly gay minister to a parish in the north-eastern coastal city of Aberdeen:

Mr Rennie, 37, a divorced father-of-one, was minister at Brechin Cathedral but was appointed to Queen's Cross earlier this year, where he is expected to preach his first sermon a week on Sunday.

He has been open about his relationship with his partner and plans to live with him in the manse in Aberdeen.

Some sections of the Church of Scotland feared Mr Rennie's appointment could cause the greatest divide since the Disruption of 1843, when part of the Kirk broke away to form the Free Kirk.

Mr Rennie had been backed by the majority of the congregation at Queen's Cross Church.

We all know how asinine the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is. But there are impacts that we don't often think of: how it effects the service member's partner.

I have to admit, as much as we've discussed DADT, I don't know if I've ever really thought of how it harms families. Not only are partners barred from spousal benefits, but, well, this statement was pretty powerful:

"I can't be there when he deploys to Iraq. I can't be on the sidelines waving and crying and giving him a hug like everyone else can. If I do go to those things, I have to stand behind a tree and hide. I don't know how many of us there are out there. But our lives are affected also. And all we're trying to do is love our partners."

Not terribly profound, and it probably doesn't tell you any truths you didn't already know. But sometimes, it's good to be reminded...



Cheers,

Bruce

As you may or may not have seen, solopatriot made this post. Unfortunately, didn't get much response. But it's an important topic, so I want to give more coverage to it. There also wasn't a link to the story, so that might explain why. You can read about it here for more specific details.

In a nutshell: a gay sailor at Camp Pendleton in California complained to his family that he was being harassed for being gay. They suggested he go to his superiors (i.e. the chain of command). But if he had done that, he would have been in violation of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and been kicked out of the military. He may be alive today, but he'd have more or less been fired because he was the victim of harassment. What a fucked up system.

Ultimately, the sailor is dead, found shot and his body burnt. Now a member of Congress has asked the Defense Department and Marine Corps to investigate whether this was a hate crime (as it appears on the surface to be).

This is sad, but also maddening. I'm incensed. The guy was serving his country, and likely died because of bigotry and because he couldn't ask for help or protection.

To our American members: remember this as you celebrate Independence Day.

In the previous post about raising a gender-free child, there were a couple of comments claiming that gender is entirely or mostly biological with very little or no cultural influence. One of those who commented thusly made reference to studies but provided no citation, link, or even name of the researchers [I have managed to find some of them and will be posting about them in a comment to this post].

( Read more... )</div></div></div>

The idea that Seaman Provost's death is directly related to his sexual orientation makes me sick. And like the article says, it's almost ten years to the day of Barry Winchell's murder. The following is exactly the reason why DADT needs to be repealed. Of course, many will look at this young man's death and the possibly reasons behind it and say that's why the policy should remain in place. It's just so frustrating.

AVER article on Seaman Provost

Indian court rules consensual sex between two adults of same sex is not criminal.  Previously, such acts were punishable by up to 10 years.

Non-consensual homosexual sex is still illegal.  In case you get any ideas.

It appears that Hindu, Muslim, and Christian groups are crying out against this decision.  This article suggests the Indian government is still deciding how to proceed, taking religious dissent seriously.

( Full Text from BBC NEWS article )

A couple of Swedish parents are raising their 2-year-old in a gender neutral way. They say it's in dedication to their feminist beliefs.

This reminds me of a scenario that my high school biology teacher told us about (the kid was older, but the dynamics were the same). I thought it was an interesting idea. I've always thought it was stupid when people freak out when babies or toddlers aren't wearing the "right" clothes or diapers, or playing with the "right" toys.

Still, I don't know if no gender roles is ideal. We don't want the little tykes to be totally confused. Or is that wrong?

What do you guys think?

Any advice/ideas/suggestions on binding/how to make my D-DD boobs stop screaming "Hey look, I'm biologically female"? (comfortable and/or cheap is a plus) Or can you direct me to a better comm if this isn't the right one?

Thanks!

x-posted to gaystr8alliance

(Don't know if this link has been posted here yet, so here you go.)

Lt. Dan Choi may be fired from the military for refusing to lie about who he loves.

Sign a personal letter of support for Dan before Tuesday's trial and help him fight "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Lt. Choi will be bringing this letter to his trial on Tuesday, June 30th and he needs as many signatures as possible to bolster his case.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/SupportDan