tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85315149555122793502024-03-13T08:48:18.279-04:00Raging PrideRaging PrideDavid Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-54232711796122522282013-03-19T08:46:00.001-04:002013-03-19T08:46:40.606-04:00We're shocked, shocked... by Michele Shocked<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Aaaaand the music industry now has its very own Victoria Jackson.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Earlier in her career, Michele Shocked toyed with her sexual image, saying she felt boxed in by listener expectations that she was either straight or gay; she said, "I would</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> like a much broader definition for myself." She joked that the New Music Album of the Year award she won, beating out Tracy Chapman, Phranc, and the Indigo Girls, should have been called "Best Lesbian Vocalist". Maybe hinting at bisexuality was thought to be good for record sales.<br /><br />But the former mormon, now born-again christian, has come out of the closet. Not as a lesbian or bisexual. As a bigot. Quotes include:<br /><br />"You are looking at the world’s greatest homophobe. Ask God what He thinks." (6/11)<br /><br />"When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization... You can go on Twitter and say, 'Michelle Shocked says God hates Fags.'" (3/17/13)<br /><br />Numerous venues are now cancelling her engagements. I hope she's not still on the jukebox at the Cubby Hole.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/mar/19/michelle-shocked-anti-gay-rant">http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/mar/19/michelle-shocked-anti-gay-rant</a></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-9569039245354272013-01-03T09:20:00.003-05:002013-01-03T09:26:55.030-05:00Chris Christie Plays Politics With Hurrican Sandy Relief<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xSI7aZjqeHY" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mainstream media and the blogosphere have erupted with praise for such GOP politicians as Chris Christie and Peter King for their "attacks" on the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for their failure to even vote on an relief package for victims of hurricane Sandy. CNN has gone so far as to label it a "GOP Civil War."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYe1lvcQ1hZsY9wCjtHHwlL7ZJ3H7F8CVudz3bWaQoW7RFVfWxdsmcUDNBt2VDSJ6cW8pqLDJKOc4YHhDqifpl6ER-pF3lMZBefEXHI2wL5r9PNleXGZsW6d5DIICueVRomFUBZmkhUQ/s1600/michael+grimm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYe1lvcQ1hZsY9wCjtHHwlL7ZJ3H7F8CVudz3bWaQoW7RFVfWxdsmcUDNBt2VDSJ6cW8pqLDJKOc4YHhDqifpl6ER-pF3lMZBefEXHI2wL5r9PNleXGZsW6d5DIICueVRomFUBZmkhUQ/s320/michael+grimm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rep. Michael Grimm</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I just don't buy it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rep. Michael Grimm, a tea party member (and the only Republican member of Coongress from New York City) said in a radio interview, "The speaker just decided to pull the vote. He gave no explanation... I feel I was misled from the very beginning."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rep. Peter king, a senior New York Republican, was even more blunt. "This has been a betrayal of trust. We were told at every stage that [the vote] was definitely going on. It is inexcusable. It is wrong."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As for Gov. Christie?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEOkFbJB16nKzoCCq7smWHSin81F2mRHiVIlAOxvPM4O6U_F_uJn5OLxa3Edq1cL9MoUfh5HYLFQzuVctkNkjZEWDGyxitH5BqlpxKrV1kD7Nl-SoeRdHMSUxLBV1NZgn7HY78q40ipU/s1600/Peter+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEOkFbJB16nKzoCCq7smWHSin81F2mRHiVIlAOxvPM4O6U_F_uJn5OLxa3Edq1cL9MoUfh5HYLFQzuVctkNkjZEWDGyxitH5BqlpxKrV1kD7Nl-SoeRdHMSUxLBV1NZgn7HY78q40ipU/s320/Peter+King.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rep. Peter King</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">"Shame on you. Shame on Congress... </span><span style="line-height: 12px;">Our people were played last night as a pawn."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">People are even suggesting that Gov. Christie may be contemplating joining the Democrats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wouldn't hold my breath.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maybe I'm getting old and cynical, but I don't see Christie switching parties. If he were going to, he'd have already done so. My own belief is that these statements from GOP politicians, criticizing their party for its failure to enact Sandy aid, are actually approved by the party in advance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By attacking the GOP, these politicians are saying to their constituents, "I'm on YOUR side, even willing to fight my own party." Their criticism of the party doesn't hurt the party at all - quite the reverse. They strengthen their own chances of being reelected and, by strengthening their position with their constituents, they ensure that the GOP will continue to hold on to that governorship, that congressional district, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Republican voters are upset because, even though their home was destroyed, their party is blocking assistance from reaching them. Now they can say "Yeah, I'm mad at the party, but MY Governor is fighting for me!" Independent voters (and more than a few Dems, too) can be impressed with his courage for standing up to the party bosses on behalf of the "little people." And when the GOP-controlled House does approve the aid, as Speaker Boehner now promises? Well, the voters in the hardest hit towns will want to thank the Christies and the Kings by reelecting them. It's a win for the candidate and a win for the party...</span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-81786085536460127872012-06-01T09:54:00.000-04:002012-06-01T09:54:12.864-04:00This Is What Equality Looks Like!DC gets it right!<br />
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In their soon-to-be-published story, Green Lantern isn't only gay - He actually gets to <b>kiss</b> his BF.<br />
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Unlike Marvel, who in their recent Northstar wedding issue tried not to alienate their more homophobic readers by showing on their cover the two gay men at their wedding standing a comfortable arms-length apart:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6JGcXy1E9TnJWk6_tklxKpHriT0UqayaeNFaHerMx5jJlYKH8lJ15NdgSmMzmH0J-T1wVePIHw0im7gTt_cGlessEWJX354CvwHiprdApNPhZqLovK5HryxwAAC1DoDDIeOkSbmR9sQ/s1600/AstonishingXMen_51_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6JGcXy1E9TnJWk6_tklxKpHriT0UqayaeNFaHerMx5jJlYKH8lJ15NdgSmMzmH0J-T1wVePIHw0im7gTt_cGlessEWJX354CvwHiprdApNPhZqLovK5HryxwAAC1DoDDIeOkSbmR9sQ/s320/AstonishingXMen_51_Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Even in the variant cover edition, Marvel shows us the happily wedded couple moments <b>before </b>their kiss:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd-KQhv1Uymhggq0zasjZ0FnwDEg0XfCMaWgQAjRB_DblX2q-_jH1P984I84vI-T_xaj05vpQ8Xk7LUiTti24_XNJRhaI9mLW_94PRKM5AzR4lHI9A5zPPJgLazjc2ciXAe-pIMntxuA/s1600/tumblr_m4l0zdZKd71qdwa3wo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd-KQhv1Uymhggq0zasjZ0FnwDEg0XfCMaWgQAjRB_DblX2q-_jH1P984I84vI-T_xaj05vpQ8Xk7LUiTti24_XNJRhaI9mLW_94PRKM5AzR4lHI9A5zPPJgLazjc2ciXAe-pIMntxuA/s320/tumblr_m4l0zdZKd71qdwa3wo1_1280.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
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Unless you think that Marvel is just a little more conservative in how they picture <b>all</b> of their heroes, consider these wedding pics of other Marvel characters. This cover from another issue of X-Men, for example:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoy_EkiPVlIf31Pa2Oo3skdkEwll5NTCDgl8sjGjeqfpOhSmyr8ATUmAqLmWg6_1GQVMXqbrXWnsew6AVAgc1EXX0WoU_NyhLhcKQazZJGV1jc9uukdewq-U7afadCFoCufrfh9Ar3k3s/s1600/X-Men_Vol_2_30_Wraparound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoy_EkiPVlIf31Pa2Oo3skdkEwll5NTCDgl8sjGjeqfpOhSmyr8ATUmAqLmWg6_1GQVMXqbrXWnsew6AVAgc1EXX0WoU_NyhLhcKQazZJGV1jc9uukdewq-U7afadCFoCufrfh9Ar3k3s/s320/X-Men_Vol_2_30_Wraparound.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Or these images from the Fantastic Four:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif_OMTrydDW6micx3JjAcYBY9lcBGw0qHpkthn89FYkgMhGkAT00KZWnBX7gUvzNXo2-yBjQQeiriDuiW3cRFKR-32JCayl0tgE-xvC3wTAZQ14DhcJos-j9T2P5C8JAJde26tUgBnAg/s1600/pre_ff02_17b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif_OMTrydDW6micx3JjAcYBY9lcBGw0qHpkthn89FYkgMhGkAT00KZWnBX7gUvzNXo2-yBjQQeiriDuiW3cRFKR-32JCayl0tgE-xvC3wTAZQ14DhcJos-j9T2P5C8JAJde26tUgBnAg/s320/pre_ff02_17b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This is the difference between <b>celebrating</b> marriage equality and <b>tolerating</b> marriage equality for the sake of bringing in a couple of extra bucks from your gay readers. After all, when Kevin Keller got married in Archie comics, the issue was such a huge success that the publishers had to order a second printing for the first time in their history. Marvel just want$ a piece of that pie.David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-77579464392983011332012-05-25T10:42:00.000-04:002012-05-25T10:42:21.536-04:00New Video: The "Temporary" Memorial<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It stood in the center of the plaza between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="331" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/42134457" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Miraculously, when the Towers fell on 9/11, it survived, battered, but unbowed. Just as did New York City itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When the city quickly needed a memorial to the thousands of victims, it was the obvious choice. It was well known, damaged yet still beautiful and entirely secular in its nature (unlike the famous cross-shaped steel structural members found in the rubble).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Six months after the worst terrorist attack in history against the USA, while the former World Trade Center was still being excavated for human remains, it was rededicated as a memorial in Battery Park several blocks to the south of its former home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The city even added an eternal flame, all the while knowing it was only temporary.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9dfQ8-7WUTkrECk8-F4R4FWOFSRC42eKtVS7Gn31e8qLNWILeyAQuUdX4wcvNGxVr9NoRllHKfjSMxd1pLOrzuNIU8trYKv8bYlUB6dPjY-eluI8I38B4-LGMB8hgooW8Zm1ECRBWWg/s1600/fountain_post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9dfQ8-7WUTkrECk8-F4R4FWOFSRC42eKtVS7Gn31e8qLNWILeyAQuUdX4wcvNGxVr9NoRllHKfjSMxd1pLOrzuNIU8trYKv8bYlUB6dPjY-eluI8I38B4-LGMB8hgooW8Zm1ECRBWWg/s320/fountain_post.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sphere after the destruction.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today, it's gone, removed so that the park's lawns can be renovated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Where is it going?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a statement released on May 12, PA Executive Director Pat Foye said, "<span style="color: cyan;">Next week, the Port Authority will announce a new temporary home for the Koenig Sphere, the iconic bronze sculpture that miraculously survived the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. We have worked tirelessly to find a new, accessible public space for this important symbol of hope amid devastation. We believe this sculpture should continue to reside in a location where New Yorkers and people from around the region, nation and the world can view this important reminder of survival and resilience.</span>" But despite this promise, as of 5/25 there has still been no announcement of The Sphere's new home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One thing is certain: It will not be a part of the </span><a href="http://www.911memorial.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 1.45em; text-align: left;"><span style="color: yellow;">9/11 Memorial</span></a>,<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> which has hosted almost 2.5 million visitors since opening 9/11/11.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"<span style="color: cyan;">We fully, 100% support The Sphere being kept outside in a way the public can experience whenever they want to, but it's not going to be incorporated in the eight-acre memorial plaza,</span>" National 9/11 Memorial and Museum president Joe Daniels told Community Board 1 at a May 14 meeting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Architect Michael Arad's concept for the 9/11 Memorial Park is somewhat antiseptic, and the PA feels that the battered Sphere would clash with his design. The PA's decision isn't sitting too well with area residents and the families of the fallen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Michael Burke, who lost his firefighter son in the tragedy, started an online petition which has garnered thousands of signatures asking that The Sphere be returned to its original location. "<span style="color: cyan;">Putting The Sphere anywhere else denies its meaning and... betrays the innocents who perished on 9/11... I would just ask to keep 9/11 all in one place, where it belongs.</span>" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Daniels commitment to keeping The Sphere "outside" makes it clear that the PA is also not considering including it in the collection of artifacts to be displayed in the museum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So for the time being, it looks as though 45,000 pound, 25 feet tall bronze sculpture is going to go back into storage at Hanger 17 in JFK International Airport. The "eternal" flame has been extinguished.</span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-54326125922049181702012-05-14T15:51:00.001-04:002012-05-14T16:05:36.969-04:00Rep. Clyburn Comes Out in Support of Marriage Equality on a National Level<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 25px;">Going even farther than President Obama, today Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC) said that he believes legal recognition of Marriage Equality should not be left to state laws, but instead ought to be decided at the national level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clyburn told NBC's Chuck Todd, "<span style="color: cyan;">If we consider this to be a civil right - and I do - I don't think civil rights ought to be left up to a state-by-state approach. I think we should have a national policy on this.</span>"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">"<span style="color: cyan;">Sometimes it takes the federal government to step into the breach to resolve many of these issues,</span>" Clyburn continued.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Video of the full interview:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 25px;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0" height="245" id="msnbc95a9de" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=47413006^0^301388&width=420&height=245" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed name="msnbc95a9de" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=47413006^0^301388&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></span><br />
<div style="background: transparent; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center; width: 420px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 25px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;">news about the economy</a></span></div><br />
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</span></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-21362854597178198892012-05-13T14:34:00.000-04:002012-05-13T14:34:00.236-04:00Newsweek Blows It Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA49hKGVPpHXeoeF5W6KNO_jAXCG8R1FuOu72cRE2yit3r-jC_UyOVrP1YKumnxnkWuKifv7yW1fhiokd9WVvOHiDr35KgLvknqWvIS3wEPKbNCXIk8Vx_vkuY0Zh0z0o0gO0IVG7golg/s1600/NEWsweek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA49hKGVPpHXeoeF5W6KNO_jAXCG8R1FuOu72cRE2yit3r-jC_UyOVrP1YKumnxnkWuKifv7yW1fhiokd9WVvOHiDr35KgLvknqWvIS3wEPKbNCXIk8Vx_vkuY0Zh0z0o0gO0IVG7golg/s400/NEWsweek.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>The cover for the next issue of Newsweek (not even on the stands yet) is already causing some consternation in the LGBTQ community.<br />
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Just as many persons of color found it inherently condescending when Bill Clinton was referred to as the first Black President, so too will many LGBTQs find this to be insulting. Despite his statement of personal support for the concept of Marriage Equality, his insistence that it is still a matter of States Rights over Civil Rights has many of the people he expected to come to his side in support continuing to challenge him. We want to know, if he truly believes that we should all be treated equally under the law, why does he still refuse to sign the Executive Order that has been waiting on his desk for 3 years now and ban discrimination against LGBTQ employees by Federal contractors?<br />
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Even among those in the community who have vocally expressed their gratitude and support for the President for his interview the other day, few believe he has achieved the status of Sainthood this cover implies.<br />
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But more troubling (to me, at least) is that this cover reveals the complete lack of any appreciation of American history that one should expect from a publication that would like us to consider it as a reputable source of news.<br />
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At least, at the time people were referring to Bill Clinton as the first Black President, we had never had one. But we HAVE had a gay President!<br />
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Leaving aside the speculation about Abraham Lincoln for now (speculation being given increasing attention in academic circles) there is very little doubt in the minds of all but the most homophobic historians that James Buchanan was gay.<br />
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Even Wikipedia, notorious for trying to whitewash their biographies of LGBTQ people (as if a President who has been dead for over one-hundred years were going to threaten a lawsuit, a la Tom Cruise or John Travolta) tacitly acknowledges the fact that he was, at the least, bisexual. From their biography:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">For fifteen years in Washington, D.C., before his presidency, Buchanan lived with his close friend, Alabama Senator William Rufus</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"> King... Buchanan's and King's close relationship prompted Andrew Jackson to call King "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy", while Aaron V. Brown spoke of the two as "Buchanan and his wife." Some of the contemporary press also speculated about Buchanan's and King's relationship. The two men's nieces destroyed their uncles' correspondence, leaving some questions about their relationship; but the length and intimacy of surviving letters illustrate "the affection of a special friendship", and Buchanan wrote of his "communion" with his housemate. In May 1844, during one of King's absences that resulted from King's appointment as minister to France, Buchanan wrote to a Mrs. Roosevelt, "I am now 'solitary and alone', having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone, and [I] should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection."</span></span></blockquote><br />
"I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen... not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection..." Is there any other rational way to interpret these quotes other than as revealing the depth of his relationship with King?<br />
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Maybe we should all chip in and buy Andrew Sullivan and his editors at Newsweek copies of a few American history books!David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-37997746853786907642012-05-04T12:37:00.003-04:002012-05-04T13:53:40.659-04:00Exclusive Video - ACT UP's 25th Anniversary Commemoration<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYCpwFy_eukuDq6BfoqIePlC4eeQND-vfHZmpXOFfjB4OsOZatTeObEQRU4x61nQBKr-QrPabYkXYW4SvnjAlU9x9p0nObDDenuUCsdO8kFKlBKOuTgc4BthvlgdCvITvu9Qvyqaulw4/s1600/reagan_aidsgate_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYCpwFy_eukuDq6BfoqIePlC4eeQND-vfHZmpXOFfjB4OsOZatTeObEQRU4x61nQBKr-QrPabYkXYW4SvnjAlU9x9p0nObDDenuUCsdO8kFKlBKOuTgc4BthvlgdCvITvu9Qvyqaulw4/s200/reagan_aidsgate_large.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, </span><span style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://actupny.org/"><span style="color: yellow;">ACT UP NY </span></a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> commemorated its 25th anniversary with a march on Wall Street, returning to the scene of their first demonstration on March 24, 1987. Joined by Occupy Wall Street, Queering OWS, Housing Works, Queerocracy, Fed Up Queers, and others, the activists are demanding the passage of a <b>Financial Speculation Tax</b> (better known as the Robin Hood Tax) to fill AIDS funding gaps.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">During the course of the day's events, 19 protesters were arrested for acts of civil disobedience. Traffic on Broadway was halted twice. Demonstrators, chained together, formed a line across the avenue. After the NYPD had cleared the street, another group blocked traffic again, this time by dragging furniture into the street to illustrate the plight of the many homeless people who are infected with HIV, forced to live in the streets because they are unable to get adequate support from <span style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/hra/html/directory/hasa.shtml"><span style="color: yellow;">HASA</span></a> </span>(NYC's HIV/AIDS Services Administration).</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(More on this story below, after our exclusive video coverage of the protests.)</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/41527749?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/41527749">ACT UP at 25</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3878862">David Wallace</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Representing those charged, noted attorney <a href="http://luthmannfirm.com/richardluthmann/"><span style="color: yellow;">Richard A. Luthmann</span></a> stated, <span style="color: cyan;">"The District Attorney's office has made no offers of outright dismissal with respect to the 19 arrested at the ACT UP protest. What is clear is that anything less than an outright dismissal of all the pending charges shows a failure of</span> <a href="http://manhattanda.org/"><span style="color: yellow;">District Attorney [Cyrus] Vance</span></a><span style="color: yellow;">'s</span><span style="color: cyan;"> office to recognize the pivotal significance that ACT UP has had in combatting the global AIDS pandemic for tyhe past quarter-century towards bring about the day when AIDS is no more... ACT UP has had a seat at the table in informing and molding public health policy in every Presidential administration, with the United Nations and with the World Health Organization. The group remains a powerful force for social justice and change, and we are going to assure that they are treated fairly."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SPECULATION TAX: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The FiST would not target individual investors and would not affect regular banking transactions. It would place a small tax on speculative trading by Wall Street investment banks, hedge funds and other large financial institutions, the kind of transactions that largely precipitated the economic recession of the last few years. Nine member-nations of the European Union are currently considering such a tax, and the International Monetary Fund agrees that such a tax would not have a negative impact on domestic financial markets in countries in which it is implemented.</span></div><br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-37337481022208391022012-04-26T13:30:00.000-04:002012-04-26T13:30:35.115-04:00Larry Kramer Rocks ACT UP's 25th AnniversaryWhile I work on editing the rest of the footage I shot yesterday at ACT UP's 25th Anniversary action on Wall St., I thought I'd share a little "teaser," Larry Kramer's impromptu address to the crowd, complete and unedited:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="331" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/41089418" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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MUCH more video coming up soon!David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-68716462621881719012011-11-23T08:22:00.000-05:002011-11-23T08:22:02.319-05:00Queer Rising Protests Cuts for Homeless LGBTQ TeensMy video footage of Saturday night's demonstration in Times Square:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="384" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32559390?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=969696" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="580"></iframe>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-43809644989042229862011-09-14T17:37:00.000-04:002011-09-14T17:37:57.606-04:00Just a quick thought regarding the recent GOP Presidential Debate...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ei909LJqr-8" width="480"></iframe>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-54689085678705731402011-07-27T16:46:00.002-04:002011-07-27T20:23:27.409-04:00Boycott the Blue Bunny?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJliatzZSJQ/TjBhqqkd5iI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/VmC_hQenisc/s1600/Blue+Bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJliatzZSJQ/TjBhqqkd5iI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/VmC_hQenisc/s400/Blue+Bunny.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmmmm! Tasty, and just a few colors short of a rainbow.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blue Bunny Ice Cream is finding itself at the center of a controversy. What could this company, the third largest manufacturer of ice cream in the United States, have possibly done to cause people to be calling for a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Blue-Bunny/219328294776752?sk=wall"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">boycott</span></a> of its delicious products?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, it all starts with <a href="http://www.thefamilyleader.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">THE FAMiLY LEADER</span></a>'s 14-point Marriage Fidelity Pledge, which asserts (among other things) that homosexuality is a choice and that people of color had stronger family units during the era of slavery. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The President of THE FAMiLY LEADER is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Vander_Plaats" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Bob Vander Plaats</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">, serial Iowa gubernatorial candidate and long-time anti-LGBTQ activist. Bob was one of the leaders behind the successful movement to recall the three Iowa Supreme Court judges who ruled that Iowa could not deny same-sex couples the right to marry. Bob believes that homosexuality is a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">"public health risk," just like second-hand smoke:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TQz7AV73GQ8" width="560"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">And here's Bob enjoying a relaxed moment laughing at a "fag" joke:</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-hlEMlNWUPg" width="560"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now how could this involve something as innocuous as ice cream?</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bob enjoys considerable financial support from Mike Wells and his family, and Mike is the CEO and President of Wells Enterprises, manufacturers of Blue Bunny and Weight Watchers ice creams as well as Disney ice cream novelties. (You'll see the Wells family name featured prominently in the center of the <a href="http://www.bluebunny.com/Default.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Blue Bunny</span></a> logo.)</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Quickly responding to the growing controversy, Blue Bunny has posted the following statement on their website:</span></div></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Regarding Recent Posts About Political Contributions:</span></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Blue Bunny and Wells Enterprises have never donated money to Bob Vander Plaat’s political campaign.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Everyone, including our employees, has a right to support political activities within their role as a private citizen. What our employees support personally is in no way an endorsement by our brand or our company.</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Technically, of course, they're right. Unlike Target, for example, Blue Bunny as a corporation has not contributed to Vander Plaats' political campaigns. But we're not talking about the contributions of an individual, low-level employee of Wells Enterprises. We're talking about the CEO and President.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consider the contributions made by individual members of the Wells family:</span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><ul style="font-weight: normal;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">$184,500</span></strong> from Wells family members for Bob Vander Plaats' <span class="Apple-style-span">2010 gubernatorial race. (The Wells family were the largest source of his campaign funding in 2010.) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">$246,000</span></strong> from Wells family members for his 2006 gubernatorial race.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">$25,500</span></strong> from Wells family members for his 2002 gubernatorial race.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">$25,500</span></strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> to the Iowa Family Center PAC, a group associates with the FAMiLY Leader.</span></span></li>
</ul><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">So even though the corporation may not have directly contributed to Vander Plaats, the fact is that most of the profits from your purchase of Blue Bunny's products go straight into the Wells family's pockets, and from there, into Vander Plaats'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">So, as much as I may like ice cream, as long as the Wells family continues to fund extreme right-wing candidates such as Vander Platts, I'm going to have to find a more friendly and supportive source to satisfy my addiction. Anyone care to join me for a dish of </span><a href="http://www.benjerry.com/hubbyhubby/" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Ben & Jerry's Hubby Hubby</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">?</span></span><br />
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</span></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-50943960799867645342011-06-25T21:27:00.000-04:002011-06-25T21:27:28.250-04:00Marriage Equality Comes to New York!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BR7r1Sg4c5U/TgaKiFrH7SI/AAAAAAAAAH8/41AGJpWKd2g/s1600/062511XX.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BR7r1Sg4c5U/TgaKiFrH7SI/AAAAAAAAAH8/41AGJpWKd2g/s400/062511XX.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It's Pride weekend here in New York City and I have waaaay too many places to be to sit at home editing the videos I shot last night of the celebration in Sheridan Square. I'll have the footage ready to post early next week, but in the meantime, just to give you an idea as to the size of the crowd, here's a brief hint of what is to come:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="435" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/25608368?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=969696" width="580"></iframe>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-71988345339629306572011-04-17T10:18:00.000-04:002011-04-17T10:18:26.101-04:00Obama Reacts to AZ Law Accepting Certificate of Circumcision as Proof of Citizenship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7GyyePBH_5E/TaodOPaFTtI/AAAAAAAAAH4/D9sRdqVS8_I/s1600/OBAMA+NYC+Fundraiser+9+22+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7GyyePBH_5E/TaodOPaFTtI/AAAAAAAAAH4/D9sRdqVS8_I/s320/OBAMA+NYC+Fundraiser+9+22+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">President Obama is clearly upset by the continuing controversy being fed by some members of the GOP concerning his birth certificate. The most recent manifestation of the "birther" issue is the passage of a <a href="http://ragingpride.blogspot.com/2011/04/az-to-accept-circumcision-as-proof-of.html" style="color: yellow;">new law in Arizona</a> which would allow prospective Presidential candidates to prove their citizenship by producing a certificate of circumcision.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While unable to produce such a certificate himself, the President appears to be looking forward to the opportunity of comparing his qualifications to be President with whomsoever the Republican Party nominates.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In an<a href="http://www.politicususa.com/en/obama-trump-birther" style="color: yellow;"> interview</a><span style="color: yellow;"> </span>with ABC News, the President stated, "Look, I right now have such a big..."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(<i>more after the jump</i>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"...day job that I'm not yet focused on what's happening on the other side. There'll be a time when I'm very focused on it."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-83643114912332940992011-04-16T12:51:00.000-04:002011-04-16T12:51:26.658-04:00AZ to Accept Circumcision as Proof of Citizenship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_rSTZ9T7xo/TanFU6nebLI/AAAAAAAAAH0/HJXeqfJIxOM/s1600/circumsision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_rSTZ9T7xo/TanFU6nebLI/AAAAAAAAAH0/HJXeqfJIxOM/s400/circumsision.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you're considering running for President, AZ is now willing to accept your certificate of circumcision as proof that you are a citizen. According to <a href="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/04/senate-approved_birther_bill_c.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Phoenix New Times</span></a>, the bill was designed to appease those who subscribe to the birther fantasy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; line-height: 20px;"></span>I'm not certain how that will affect potential women candidates, but most of the male candidates don't have much to worry about. They sold their testicles years ago to the highest bidder.</span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-24101148786966581282011-04-05T16:38:00.000-04:002011-04-05T16:38:13.796-04:00EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - 5 Arrested in Marriage Equality Civil Disobedience Actions in New York City<div><iframe frameborder="0" height="435" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/21992456?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=969696" width="580"></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">From Queer Rising's press release:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Five members of <a href="http://queerrising.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Queer Rising</span></a> members handcuffed and chained themselves in the middle of the street and refused to leave the demonstration. Those arrested were: Natasha Dillon (26, lesbian activist); Kevin Donohue (51, gay Jewish activist); Melissa Kleckner (31, straight ally); Ali Lozano (20, lesbian student activist); Robert Moore (30, gay Mormon activist).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">“My religious beliefs require that I stand up for the underdog - even when that underdog is me,” said Donohue.<span> </span>“Marriage rights go way beyond the wedding and encompass everything from custody rights to hospital visitation rights to pension and inheritance rights; in short, the protective legal framework straight families take for granted. Inequality under law is unjust, and now is the time we must end it.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drag-Queen-Weddings-For-Equality/130873243638135"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Drag Queen Weddings for Equality</span></a> organized a separate event at Grand Central Station, a drag wedding in which approximately ten drag queens officiated and enacted a wedding, educating commuters about the need for marriage equality and inviting them to march in solidarity to the governor's office.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">In January, Cuomo declared, “I want to be the Governor who signs the law that makes equality a reality in the state of New York.” The New York State Budget deadline was March 31 and there is still no confirmation that there will be consideration for marriage equality.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Unwilling to wait any longer for equal rights and protection from the state of New York, Queer Rising is calling on all the New Yorkers to call the governor’s office and voice their support for marriage equality.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Melissa Kleckner, another arrestee, said, "When my husband and I married five years ago, we were automatically granted 1,324 rights and privileges that the LGBTQ community is currently not afforded. I refuse to let my daughter grow up in a world where a government can tell a segment of its population that they are 'less than.' This is not a fight for ‘gay’ rights; it is a fight for human rights. It is my hope that Cuomo and the rest of the powers that be realize that the straight community is also here, we are just as angry, and we will no longer stand on the sidelines. We are coming out for equality."</span></div></div>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-19004448316074030482011-04-02T12:32:00.001-04:002011-04-02T15:08:44.162-04:00Anti-LGBT Assault - What Can I Do?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9UaC57oTsaU/TZYXeoGOX4I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/2lPcqwvGJoY/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9UaC57oTsaU/TZYXeoGOX4I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/2lPcqwvGJoY/s320/IMG_0031.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady B.L.U.E.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the wake of the most recent <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/30/2011-03-30_damian_furtch_victim_of_manhattan_gaybias_attack_says_its_part_of_larger_problem.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">anti-LGBT assault</span></a> in New York's heavily-gay West Village, popular entertainer Lady B.L.U.E. (Beautiful, Loud, Unique, Explosive) asked herself what could she do to help?</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Her answer was to put together a benefit show for New York City's <a href="http://www.avp.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Anti-Violence Project</span></a>. Using Facebook as a tool, she put the word out among her friends, and in 72 hours was hosting the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113724908707121"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Lady B.L.U.E Show AVP Benefit</span></a> at one of the West Village's oldest bars, <a href="http://bootsandsaddlenyc.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Boots and Saddles</span></a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The bar was packed with a very appreciative audience, loudly cheering the efforts of the talented entertainers who put on an extended show, performing for four-plus hours. The performers included Lady B.L.U.E., <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">Da Cukoo, M'Lady Uppercrust, Vanessa Valtre, Violet Storm, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">Miss Crimson Kitty, Victoria Chase, Demanda Dahling and Boots and Saddles' regular Thursday night dancer Jamal Alexander.</span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RrkvwoqVKs0/TZaqxKbQeuI/AAAAAAAAAHU/V1fa2ba6oKE/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RrkvwoqVKs0/TZaqxKbQeuI/AAAAAAAAAHU/V1fa2ba6oKE/s320/IMG_0054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady B.L.U.E. introduces Andrea N. Durojaiye from AVP</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lady B.L.U.E. had never organized a benefit like this before, and w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hen I asked</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">after the show what motivated her to do it, she replied, "I was continually seeing these violent occurances pop up all over our beautiful city and noticed the gays facebooking and twittering about the new Prada shoes they bought or fixating on style over substance... and made a conscious decision to step up and do something positive.... So with out any instruction I made it happen, and I'm so glad I did."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm sure AVP is glad, too. All of the performers donated their tips for the night to AVP, and while I had to leave before the show closed, the fishbowl was <i>filled</i> to overflowing with bills - And I know I saw some $20s in there! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All in all, a very successful and highly entertaining evening. The message of this is simple: If what's happening around you gets you upset, turn that upset into something positive by getting involved! Call your politicians. Find an organization that is addressing the problem and offer to help. It doesn't take a lot to make a contribution.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well done, Lady B.L.U.E. A true Lady, indeed.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61XN_PL0rBc/TZaq9GtjTUI/AAAAAAAAAHY/hlJPhPZOk-w/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61XN_PL0rBc/TZaq9GtjTUI/AAAAAAAAAHY/hlJPhPZOk-w/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M'Lady Uppercrust</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>A BRIEF HISTORY OF AVP</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The New York City Anti-Violence Project was founded in 1980 in reaction to neighborhood incidents of anti-LGBT violence and the failure of the criminal legal system to respond.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">In the mid-eighties, AVP expanded their work to provide professional counseling to victims of hate violence as well as domestic violence, sexual assault and HIV-related violence.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Today, AVP provides free and confidential assistance to thousands of LGBTQ and HIV-affected people each year. They maintain a 24/7 bilingual hotline staffed by professional counselors and trained volunteers.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhD5mKCOqe0/TZarWhn63vI/AAAAAAAAAHc/AR27mCcmMg4/s1600/IMG_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhD5mKCOqe0/TZarWhn63vI/AAAAAAAAAHc/AR27mCcmMg4/s320/IMG_0042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanessa Valtre</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">AVP works to educate law enforcement, health care and education professionals, and social service agency personnel on the violence issues, holding these people accountable to their obligation for fair and just treatment of our community. AVP documents incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence and uses this information to educate the public about safe dating, safe cruising, recognizing the signs of violence and much more. They work to change public attitudes that encourage and condone hate-motivated violence.</span></span></span></div><br />
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</span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-77134433874596120632011-04-01T11:53:00.001-04:002011-04-01T11:55:47.338-04:00Huckabee: Indoctrinate Americans "At Gunpoint"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thanks to the people at <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/huckabee-americans-should-be-forced-gunpoint-learn-david-barton"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Right Wing Watch</span></a> for preserving this video footage before it could be edited out and lost forever.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rsD4YWzb9V8/TZX0mWsdnCI/AAAAAAAAAHM/QMjEOEm2HJ0/s1600/090210_huckabee_barr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rsD4YWzb9V8/TZX0mWsdnCI/AAAAAAAAAHM/QMjEOEm2HJ0/s1600/090210_huckabee_barr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Huckabee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At a recent "Rediscover God in America" seminar, Mike Huckabee, introduced by David Barton as someone who has "that mentality of take the Bible and apply it to every aspect of the culture," thanked Barton and said,"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">I almost wish that there would be, like, a simultaneous telecast, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">all Americans would be forced–forced at gunpoint no less–to listen to every David Barton message</span>, and I think our country would be better for it. I wish it’d happen." When the sponsors of the event posted videos online, Huckabee's comments had been deleted.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">And this is a man who would like to be the President of the United States? What does he have planned for those of us who are not converted by this forced indoctrination? Are we to be rounded up into camps?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8mwGYr0OWzw" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></span></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-8635345353521021072011-03-16T15:54:00.002-04:002011-03-17T08:18:47.186-04:00Meet Danny Dromm, Out-and-Proud NY City Councilmember from Queens District 25<div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">One of the great things about living where I do is that I am represented by so many politicians I can support. When the call goes out for people to contact one of their elected officials in support of some piece of legislation, I can usually count on my rep having been one of the bill's sponsors. I'd like to introduce my readers to one such representative.</span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tkHi8jGKvOA/TYEThGiOSxI/AAAAAAAAAHI/-_Sh1z5SF6g/s1600/dromm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tkHi8jGKvOA/TYEThGiOSxI/AAAAAAAAAHI/-_Sh1z5SF6g/s1600/dromm1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny Dromm</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Danny Dromm was a teacher at PS199Q in Queens, NY. After eight years on the job, he came out as a gay man in 1992, sparking a controversy that became front page news across the country. He had to fight to keep his job, turning back several attempts to have him removed. He went on to win the "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" award in 2006 and was chosen as the "Educator of the Year" by the Kiwanis Club of Sunnyside, Queens.</span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He ran for the City Council seat in 2009, defeating his Democratic primary opponent, incumbent Helen Sears, by 10% of the vote. He went on to win the seat in November with over 75% of the votes cast.</span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Vitally active in Queens' LGBT scene, Danny is <span style="line-height: 16px;">the founder and former co-chairperson of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">organizing the first Queens LGBT Pride Parade and Festival. He is a</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">co-founder of the Queens Chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P-FLAG). He helped found Queens Pride House and co-founded the Generation Q Youth Services Program in Astoria. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">He co-founded the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens. But don't think the issues that concern him are all LGBT related!</span></span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Danny is a strong advocate for seniors, for the youth, for the marginalized members of our society. He serves as the Chair of the Council's Immigration committee and on the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Education, Cultural Affairs, Libraries, International Intergroup Relations, Juvenile Justice, Parks and Recreation, and Veterans committees as well</span><span style="line-height: 16px;">. He's</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> been honored by the Sociedad Puertorriquena de Queens for his commitment to the Latino community, is a member of the NAACP - Corona/East Elmhurst branch and has also been honored by the Korean-American Association of Central Queens.</span></span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">And he's not afraid to fight for the rights of those he serves, up to and including being arrested last June in an act of Civil Disobedience demonstrating for immigration reform.</span></span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On March 14, he hosted a dinner with his supporters and constituents, and there he discussed some of his legislative priorities for the coming year:</span></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/25-B-v_q19I" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Please join with me in supporting <a href="http://www.danieldromm.com/site/take_action/contribute.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Danny Dromm's campaign for reelection</span></a> to NY's City Council.</span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-34665087424439456712011-03-09T12:05:00.000-05:002011-03-09T12:05:01.821-05:00Peter Murphy, MD Legislator, Officially Comes Out of the Closet<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C_kECxraLFk/TXevET-nf9I/AAAAAAAAAHA/JWZDSirANTU/s1600/murphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C_kECxraLFk/TXevET-nf9I/AAAAAAAAAHA/JWZDSirANTU/s1600/murphy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Peter Murphy (Dem. - Charles County)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In an interview published today, Peter Murphy, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2007, told the <a href="http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/03/09/exclusive-md-lawmaker-comes-out/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Washington Blade</span></a> that he is gay.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With the pending vote on Marriage Equality still in question as legislators waffle on whether or not they will support the bill, having yet another member of the legislature come out to his colleagues (MD now has 8 openly LGBT legislators) could be of inestimable help. It is much harder to vote against the rights of people you know; many of Tom Duane's fellow members of the NY Senate said that it was their personal experience of working with him that influenced them to vote in favor of a similar bill last year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the sponsors of the Marriage Equality bill, Murphy told the Blade, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">I think it’s a strong civil rights bill. I think it’s a fair bill because it also addresses the religious issue and doesn’t require any religious organization to practice something that goes against their teachings.</span>"</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In reference to formally coming out, Murphy says, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">I have never denied [being gay... I just presumed people knew.</span>" He continued, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">I just come here to do my work... I’m not a big social person. I’ve never felt any pressure from anyone to be anything but what I am.</span>"</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a statement, VP of Maryland Equality Lisa Polyak said, "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">We’re so grateful to have Del. Peter Murphy among the LGBT Caucus of Maryland. We’re gratified that he’s a supporter of marriage equality and the gender identity bill. It shows that LGBT people live everywhere in the great state of Maryland, including in the Southern Maryland delegation. We’re always happy to have the support of Del. Murphy and now more so as a member of the LGBT Caucus.</span>"</span></span><br />
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</span></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-83806209983057295942011-03-02T13:13:00.001-05:002011-03-02T13:15:55.994-05:00COMPLETE VIDEO Coverage: Queer Rising Closes Manhattan's Sixth Avenue - 8 Activists Arrested<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">...and here's the completed video I promised you of <a href="http://ragingpride.blogspot.com/2011/03/breaking-news-8-marriage-equality.html" style="color: yellow;">yesterday's action in NYC</a>. It includes footage of the planning session for the action, the complete action itself, and interviews with many of the participants, both before and after the arrests.</span><br />
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</div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9R8Js85FECw" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-5398273648406116242011-03-01T08:53:00.004-05:002011-03-01T09:04:05.421-05:00BREAKING NEWS: 8 MARRIAGE EQUALITY ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN NEW YORK CITY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2-lJRI_Gh1Y/TWz5cX7N98I/AAAAAAAAAG4/TziY3iTrUEI/s1600/6thave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2-lJRI_Gh1Y/TWz5cX7N98I/AAAAAAAAAG4/TziY3iTrUEI/s400/6thave.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Shortly after 8 AM today, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Queer-Rising/243273811427"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Queer Rising</span></a>, an organization <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">dedicated to achieving equal civil rights for LGBTs through nonviolent direct action, engaged in an act of civil disobedience, closing down Manhattan's Sixth Avenue just one block from Times Square in a protest against the failure of the NY State Senate to pass legislation legalizing Marriage Equality for all New York citizens.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As we post this story, the police are in the process of arresting the following protesters:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Kevin Beauchamp</span></em></strong>, 48 year-old, blind gay activist, partnered for 9 years; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Nora Camp</span></em></strong>, 29 year-old queer activist; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Natasha Dillon</span></em></strong>, 26 year-old lesbian activist and MBA student; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Frostie Flakes</span></em></strong> (aka <strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Adam Siciliano</span></em></strong>), 24 year-old drag queen activist and nightlife performer; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Jake Goodman</span></em></strong>, 31 year-old queer activist and educator; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Honey LaBronx</span></em></strong> (aka <strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Ben Strothmann</span></em></strong>), 31 year-old drag queen activist, actor, & photographer; </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Eugene Lovendusky</span></em></strong>, 25 year-old gay activist, educator and NYCGMC member; and </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Kitten Withuwip</span></em></strong> (aka <strong><em><span style="color: magenta;">Caldwell</span></em></strong>) 24 year-old drag queen activist of color and actor/comedienne</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5HveTQHZo-o/TWz8wc7NXQI/AAAAAAAAAG8/_jzgSnZ7Yts/s1600/6thave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5HveTQHZo-o/TWz8wc7NXQI/AAAAAAAAAG8/_jzgSnZ7Yts/s400/6thave2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">From Queer Rising's statement to the press:</span></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"The federal government has advanced the cause of marriage equality this week, with the decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act," said Queer Rising founding member Natasha Dillon. "But New York State shamefully lags behind on the issue. Marriage equality was defeated in December 2009 and the measure was not included in Governor Cuomo's 2011 Executive Budget. LGBTQ New Yorkers refuse to be persecuted, second-class citizens any longer!"</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This past January, Queer Rising asked the Cuomo administration to include Marriage Equality in the 2011 Executive Budget. Marriage equality is legal in states like Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington D.C., and these places enjoy the income from such freedoms. However, New York State is losing valuable commerce and tax revenue from LGBTQ marriages happening in those neighboring states.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A new Quinnipiac University Poll shows New York State's support for same-sex marriage is at an all-time high, with 56 percent supporting and 37 percent opposed. Earlier this week, the Obama administration declared it will no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage. The time is now for New York to bring equality to its citizens!</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here is the first video protest of the protest:</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxewg7JyaGz5A81UQGRjAWqBdzAYfv_r8tbnkxyCoxEQONNMATZsM4jlJ_Xf_Ut8HREnv9r4i7Hl0grZN3xFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span>We will be posting updates with additional video footage as more information becomes available.</span></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-71455252755819373242011-02-22T12:07:00.000-05:002011-02-22T12:07:14.320-05:00The Granny Peace Brigade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wrote about the <a href="http://www.grannypeacebrigade.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Granny Peace Brigade</span></a> in December when several of their members were <a href="http://ragingpride.blogspot.com/2010/12/131-arrested-in-white-house-protest.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">arrested in Times Square</span></a> for protesting against the wars in the Middle East. I had the privilege of seeing some of them again on Valentine's Day when they protested the <a href="http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Toy Industry Association</span></a>'s annual <a href="http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Toy_Fair&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=193&ContentID=3538"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Toy Fair</span></a> at the <a href="http://www.javitscenter.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Jacob K. Javits Convention Center</span></a> here in New York City.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVYdibfn-ZE/TWBHYec26cI/AAAAAAAAAGU/JsS8Kzfxt4c/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVYdibfn-ZE/TWBHYec26cI/AAAAAAAAAGU/JsS8Kzfxt4c/s400/IMG_0063.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the fine ladies of the Granny Peace Brigade.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I made this brief video of their demonstration against the proliferation of war toys and their call to toy manufacturers to produce more educational, less violent toys:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A little information about the history of the Granny Peace Brigade, an active anti-war group in NYC made up primarily of senior citizens:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In July, 2005, members of the Raging Grannies of Tucson, AZ, tried to enlist in the US military and were arrested for trespassing. Media coverage of that effort inspired New York women to come together to make a similar stand.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This group of women went to the US Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square on Oct. 17, 2005, intent on asking to enlist in the military in place of grandchildren who had been deployed to Iraq. Eighteen were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. They could have accepted an ACD (an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, effectively allowing them to walk away without any fine or punishment) but, with representation by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Siegel"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Norman Siegel</span></a>, former director of the NY Civil Liberties Union, they decided to go to court to defend their civil right to speak out. They were tried in NY Criminal Court and acquitted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today they continue to stand for peace and in opposition to the use of military force to resolve conflicts between nations or hostile forces.</span><br />
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</span></div>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-8558268473290536092011-02-21T04:48:00.006-05:002011-02-28T10:31:16.343-05:00Obituary: Perry Moore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xq66CD6vpno/TWIznM6PbHI/AAAAAAAAAGo/vYbj6hlPPYg/s1600/20081124_hillmoore_250x375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xq66CD6vpno/TWIznM6PbHI/AAAAAAAAAGo/vYbj6hlPPYg/s200/20081124_hillmoore_250x375.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perry Moore, with<br />
partner Hunter Hill</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is with great sadness that we note the passing this week of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://home.perrymoorestories.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Perry Moore</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, 39, author of the groundbreaking 2007 book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Hero</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, which featured a gay superhero as its lead character.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Feb. 17, he was discovered unconscious by his partner, Hunter Hill, in the bathroom of their home in New York City. While the official cause of death is yet to be determined by the medical examiner's office, there has been some speculation in the press that it was caused by an overdose of OxyContin which he had been taking for pain resulting from severe problems with his back and knee. Despite this speculation, those who knew him best have denied that Moore was given to the misuse of drugs. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Moore was also the executive producer of the very successful </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Chronicles of Narnia</i></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> series of movies. He was instrumental in obtaining the rights to the novels from the estate of C.S. Lewis (despite Lewis' stated desire that the novels never be filmed) and was in the process of putting together the financing for the fourth film in the se<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ries, </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>The Magician's Nephew,</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> at the time of his death. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The three movies completed so far, <b><i>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</i></b>, <b><i>Prince Caspian</i></b> and <i><b>The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</b></i> have combined combined ticket sales of over $1.5 billion worldwide.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Police are not at this time considering foul play in his death.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Birth of a <i>Hero</i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In 1992, Northstar, one of the lead characters in <i>Marvel</i> comics' <b><i>Alpha Flight </i></b>came out of the closet, prompting <i>The New York Times</i> to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/24/opinion/the-comics-break-new-ground-again.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">editorialize</span></a>, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mainstream culture will one day make its peace with gay Americans. When that time comes, Northstar's revelation will be seen for what it is: a welcome indicator of social change." But in 2005, <i>Marvel</i> killed off Northstar, murdered by the X-Men's Wolverine.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a9FYpT5yeDk/TWIznoP25_I/AAAAAAAAAGs/DGAZIgAziys/s1600/Hero_novel_Moore.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a9FYpT5yeDk/TWIznoP25_I/AAAAAAAAAGs/DGAZIgAziys/s200/Hero_novel_Moore.PNG" width="133" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">Moore was incensed by the murder of Marvel’s biggest gay hero by one of its most popular characters. "I thought I was going to have to stop buying comics," he said. Instead, inspired by Gail Simone's Web site, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Refrigerators"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Women in Refrigerators</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">, he compiled his own </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/10/0081728"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">list</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">, detailing more than 60 gay and lesbian comic book characters who have been </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">tortured, raped, disemboweled, decapitated, had their genitalia disfigured or removed, or retroactively "converted" to heterosexuality</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">. "Bad things do happen to all people," he asked. "But are there positive representations of gay characters to counterbalance these negative ones?"</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The answer, he felt was no. He set out to create his own positive gay character, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Thom Creed, a high school basketball star, whose father is a former masked crimefighter. Thom must keep his powers a secret, for fear of further disgracing his father and risking his community's homophobia.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">"I have always been enthralled with comic books and superheroes, and I've always believed there should be a gay superhero. Not as a joke, not as a supporting character, not as a victim, not as a token, but as a real front-and-center hero," Moore wrote. "Like most young people, I grew up feeling alienated and different--for very specific reasons in my case--in a place that didn't value differences. I also have this borderline-crazy belief in the power of literature to change the universe. So I'd always wanted to tell this story."</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Critical reception to <i><b>Hero</b></i> was mixed. <i>Publishers Weekly</i> wrote, "T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">he novel misses its mark, with an abundance of two-dimensional characters and contrived situations... While some may be glad to see a gay hero come out of the closet just in time to save the world, others may wish the situations felt less clichéd." <i>The Advocate</i> wrote, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><b>Hero</b></i> is a quick, at times shallow, but satisfying novel, the kind we all wanted while growing up and hopefully the first in a new genre of young adult literature." <i style="font-weight: bold;">Hero</i> went on to win the Lambda Literary Award as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">as the best LGBT Children's/Young Adult novel of 2007.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">At the time of the Lambda Award, Moore announced, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">It looks like we’re going to do a TV series. There were two networks that we pitched, and we got two offers." Late in 2008, <i>Variety </i>confirmed that Moore was developing <b><i>Hero</i></b> as a television production for the Showtime cable network in partnership with Marvel legend Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four. As Lee said, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">"This is gonna be a winner. I want in!"</span></span></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GM0so3Td53c" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Showtime later pulled out of the project. Lee wrote to his fans, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Showtime finally didn’t commit and we’re now exploring our options... Stayed turned for further developments. Excelsior!"</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DbCm9yChyRY/TWIzoBzOPRI/AAAAAAAAAGw/07RaJs7d_j4/s1600/Moore%252C+Perry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DbCm9yChyRY/TWIzoBzOPRI/AAAAAAAAAGw/07RaJs7d_j4/s200/Moore%252C+Perry.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Moore wrote, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><b><i>Hero</i></b> will see its day onscreen... I’m not sure how or where or who will make it possible, but like all the best heroes, you have to have faith. And when it does, it will be another step forward. And some folks will think, 'Damn, it’s about time someone thought of doing that.'"</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Moore's family has said that he was in discussions with the <i>Starz </i>network for a TV film adaptation of <b><i>Hero</i></b>. Moore had also told <i>The New York Times</i> that he planned on writing a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">series of book sequels featuring Thom Creed. "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There’s a lot left to tell in the future books." Sadly, while we may still see an adaptation of <b><i>Hero</i></b> at some point in the future, there will be no more new installments coming from this gifted young man.</span></span>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-14696300572799623522011-02-20T15:20:00.008-05:002011-02-20T16:11:35.117-05:00Guest Blog: What a Horrific Conference with a Horrific Message<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Welcome Guest Blogger Christopher Jay Hall, who documents his experience at an anti-LGBT <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">conferenc<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">e </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">led by Exodus International called </span><a href="http://exodusinternational.org/love-won-out/" style="color: yellow;">Love Won Out</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Christopher is the Executive Director/Founder of the Central AZ Rainbow Education (CARE) and a member of the Steering Committee for the Human and Equal Rights Organizers (HERO).</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5ba7eRdtUw/TWF9T1TOWBI/AAAAAAAAAGk/s_n_va4IMw0/s1600/182843_10150142608356329_639856328_8373534_8325085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5ba7eRdtUw/TWF9T1TOWBI/AAAAAAAAAGk/s_n_va4IMw0/s320/182843_10150142608356329_639856328_8373534_8325085_n.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Meg Sneed, Jason Hoppe, and</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Christopher Jay Hall</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">As many of you already know, I attended an anti-homosexual conference yesterday! Many of you may ask why, but the answer is quite simple. I truly believe the best way to have an intellectual conversation with those who have different views than us, is to try and understand where it is they are coming from. Unfortunately, their message made this impossible as they closed the conference stating that they were only here to serve the homosexuals and that compromise was out of the question. (Their words not mine)</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"></span>The conference was well over nine hours long and nearly 90% of the messages delivered were filled with hate and untruthful “statistics” about the LGBTQ community. We must have compassion for their ignorance as we should never hate. I must admit it was very difficult to sit and listen without saying a word, but I remained true to my intentions in trying to truly understand their logic.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In my opinion, some of the most disturbing messages of the day included the following:</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- It was hard for some of the speakers to grasp the concept of respect when it came to transgender issues. They said they were going to call a person by the way god intended them to be, not by what they wish. This really irked me especially the way it was presented and the audience laughed and agreed with every hateful word.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- Heterosexual couples have a life-long interest in their relationships which apparently homosexuals lack.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- 91% of women who identify as lesbian are apparently the way they are because of trauma from their childhood (67% sexual abuse). What is abuse? Are we considering verbal abuse, a small punch in the arm when we yell slug bug no slug backs, or simple birthday spankings? I mean… women all over the world are abused both homosexual and heterosexual. They also believe women are gay because of their relationships with men went sour. If this is the case, so many heterosexuals today would be gay as I don’t know any relationship that has not had its moments.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- In a healthy mother-daughter relationship, the child should want to be like her mother otherwise there may be worry for lesbianism. I know many heterosexual women who do not want to be like their mother and I know many lesbians who would like to be like their mother so the “facts” are a bit odd to me. I would think the best way to understand the LGBTQ community is to ask us of our cause and listen to the medical professionals who are telling them otherwise. The church states, even if we are proven to be born gay, they will keep their stance saying that we are not born perfect so the battle almost seems never-ending. Why don’t we focus on what makes individuals heterosexual? There is a thought!</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-The gay gene is like any other gene that cause alcoholism, violent behavior, depression, etc. They are all unwanted genes that have a negative impact on our lives. Well, let me tell you, I am a happy homosexual who wants to be the way I am. </span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although there were several other messages that ruffled my feathers, those were among the most absurd.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fortunately, I fell within the age bracket for the youth portion of this conference so I got to listen in on what they are telling our youth. Apparently, there is no such thing as homosexuals as we are all broken heterosexuals. They told the youth that homosexual behavior is always a sin. People who believe they are homosexual are not the sin itself. The person is not an abomination rather their behavior is the abomination they must seek help in overcoming. They end by saying all sin is an abomination to god, but the youth were very intelligent and to some degree liberal. They were curious as to why our “sin” of homosexuality was a focus of the church when there are so many other sins within the church itself that are being ignored. The best question that left the presenters baffled was, “If it is bad to change one’s sex because it was god’s original intention to have us born the way we are, than why do we dye our hair, wear braces to “fix” our teeth, receive plastic surgery, etc. I was happy to see the amount of liberal individuals who attended, I am just saddened to see so many hurt souls who are forced to attend and the church feels they have no role in the high rates of suicide amongst our LGBTQ youth. What ignorance!</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can now say I have tried to understand the opposition and I can now speak against what I have always been against!</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I left the conference with the anti-homosexual philosophy behind me and our supporting LGBTQ community in front of us peacefully gathering to let these individuals know they are loved regardless of what they may have been forced to listen to, I felt as though I was going home. It was a feeling unlike any other. Thanks to all those who came out to show their disapproval in what these individuals were teaching.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While in attendance, I did gather some of the youth’s information so that I can later provide resources to them in the hopes of helping! This was truly an experience I will never forget. I was happy to have shared this expereince with some individuals that I admire within the community such as Meg Sneed and Jason Hoppe! What great individuals they are and you know what..... they too are gay! Hmm... who would have imagined such great people who identified as homosexuals too bad they are broken (ha).</span></div>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8531514955512279350.post-58513730128615160692011-02-18T18:01:00.001-05:002011-02-20T17:52:14.975-05:00Guest Blog: An Open Letter to President Obama<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak9PdxWWqBE/TV741okcdiI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ZbLfkxpM9nI/s1600/181624_10100189459807829_833914_56380239_4301306_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak9PdxWWqBE/TV741okcdiI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ZbLfkxpM9nI/s400/181624_10100189459807829_833914_56380239_4301306_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose Manuel Reyes, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Christin Meador</span>, Rev. Pat Baumgardner, Mark Pabon and Rob Lassegue</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Welcome Raging Pride's first Guest Blogger, Christin Meador, founder of Proud Ally and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">GetEQUAL NY State Organizer. I wanted to share with you this beautiful letter she has written to our President.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear President Obama,<br />
<br />
My name is Christin Meador. I am an American citizen, and today is my 27th birthday. When my parents were in labor back in 1984, they had no idea what kind of child I would be. They didn't know whether I would be a boy or a girl. They didn't know whether I would have brown, green or blue eyes, whether I would have red or brown hair. They didn't know whether I would have the fair complexion of my Anglo-American father or the darker complexion of my Puerto Rican mother. Would I be right or left-handed? Tall or short? Would I be gay, straight, bisexual, transgender? These are among the many questions that run through parents' minds as they anticipate the arrival of their child. One thing was for certain with my parents. They would love me no matter what. And so here I am, a redheaded, green eyed, left-handed, fair skinned, bicultural, straight woman.<br />
<br />
My parents and my nation taught me one important thing - we are all created equal.<br />
<br />
I love the date of my birthday because it falls between two holidays that represent values very close to my heart - Valentine's Day for its message of love and President's Day for its focus on leadership. Today, in our America, we need leadership to ensure the right to love freely. This Valentine's Day my boyfriend and I were at the Marriage Bureau of Lower Manhattan advocating for marriage equality for the LGBT community. As President's Day approaches, my birthday wish is for you, the leader of our great country, to take true leadership in ensuring the equality of all Americans. The current state of affairs is unjust and un-American.<br />
<br />
I grew up in the south, where my grandparents and parents fought for the full equality of black Americans. Without the support of allies, we may have never seen the signing of the civil rights bill. We as Americans may never have experienced the historic moment of your inauguration. It is the history of the civil rights movement, the women's rights movement and my fundamental belief in equality that inspire me to fight every day for the rights of my LGBT brothers and sisters.<br />
<br />
I don't know if you have ever attended a LGBT rally or protest. I can tell you from experience that it is devastating to witness people having to fight so tirelessly to defend the person that they love and the rights they are allegedly guaranteed in our democracy. I take action because I'm not willing to live in a country where my brothers and sisters are treated as second class citizens. Today I write to you to ask, will you do the same? Will you take action? Will you deliver a speech about the equal rights of LGBT Americans? Will you be more transparent in your plan for LGBT equality? Will you stand beside the people who campaigned for you? Will you be on the right side of history?<br />
<br />
This is not a hard battle to win when we are arguing on Constitutional grounds. Our opponent's opposition to equality is largely if not entirely rooted in religion and the flimsy notion of "traditional marriage". I ask you to stand up and make the argument that we've yet to hear from our politicians. We live in a secular nation, with separation between church and state, and religious beliefs should have no bearing on policy and law. Do you have a Constitutional reason why these rights are denied? If not, can you stand up and say so?<br />
<br />
While I understand the political position you are in, I can't help but wonder: Wouldn't you rather serve one term as President and go down in history as the one who delivered full equality to our nation? I know I would. This is your opportunity to make America the leader in human rights that she claims to be.<br />
<br />
I am not someone in the inside circle of Washington, and I have nothing to lose when speaking my mind. This kind of engagement is something you advocated for in your campaign, and so I hope you will hear my words. I have nothing to lose, no direct ties to Washington, no insider information. I am simply an active citizen making a plea to you to fight for full equality.<br />
<br />
There is a quote from a gospel tune that goes like this - "Lord don't move my mountain, just give me the strength to climb". The community of LGBT activists is a strong, loving and fearless bunch. And we will continue to hold you accountable. We will reach the top of that mountain because it is not in the spirit of the American people to be bystanders. We are upstanders. And we are here to say - love is not a special privilege. Will you join us?<br />
<br />
Christin Meador</span></blockquote>David Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08291855071750411767noreply@blogger.com1