WAC reprimands Hawaii coach for using slur
(Honolulu) The Western Athletic Conference is reprimanding Hawaii coach Greg McMackin for his derogatory comment while describing Notre Dame’s chant before last year’s Hawaii Bowl.
The university already has suspended McMackin for 30 days without pay. He’s volunteered to take an additional 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary.
The …
Tags: 1 Million, Chant, Coach Greg, Greg Mcmackin, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii University, Notre Dame, Reprimands, Salary, Slur, Wac, Western Athletic ConferenceGay Men Kissing Ousted From Chico’s Tacos in Texas
The Chico’s Tacos restaurant chain in El Paso Texas doesn’t like homosexuals eating their fast-food tacos and the police agree reasoning, that a business can refuse service to anyone it wants, despite the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
When two men briefly kissed at the popular taco chain, bigotry, homophobia and ignorance of the law came out in full force, beginning with the security guards’ hurling anti-gay slurs at the men and ending with the El Paso Police ordering the men to leave the restaurant or face a “homosexual conduct” citation.
The incident has garnered national attention and the taco chain faces a growing movement by gay rights activists to boycott the restaurant, with protests planned at the restaurant’s multiple El Paso locations.
See Gay Men Kissing Ousted From Chico’s Tacos: Cops Threaten …
ChattahBox
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
 |
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/gay-men-kissi…
NY Visitor from Boston victim of attack, slurs during Gay Pride weekend
A man visiting a friend on the upper East Side was robbed and pistol-whipped during Gay Pride weekend by a group of hoodlums yelling anti-gay slurs, the victim and cops said Sunday.
Joseph Holladay, 36, said he was set upon by at least three men on E. 85th St. about 4 a.m. Saturday.
“Out of nowhere, I’m being attacked,” he said from his bed at New York Presbyterian-Hospital Weill Cornell, a nasty gush visible on his forehead.
One of the robbers called out, “What are you looking at?” and used an anti-gay epithet, the Boston man added.
See Visitor from Boston victim of attack, slurs during Gay Pride weekend
New York Daily News
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/ny-visitor-fr…
Lesbians And Gays In Gaming
As gaming grows into a more mature artistic medium, elements of the “real world” that were once completely separate from games are creeping in, so make room for the gays and lesbians, everyone! Whether gamers like it or not, the issue of how to treat the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered community in games is quickly becoming an area of controversy.
The influx of people who live non-traditional lives is forcing game companies to come up with more nuanced policies to deal with gays in games. For example, Bioware dealt with the issue by banning the words “gay” and “lesbian” from their forums, then unbanning them, and Microsoft and Sony have had their own methods of dealing with words and concepts that make some people uncomfortable.
A recent post on Ars Technica takes an in-depth look at the issue, specifically, the ad-hoc “Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell” policy many think is the answer to the problem. Basically, the argument goes like this: Games aren’t about your sexuality, so as long as you don’t identify yourself as gay or lesbian in an way, there won’t be a problem… which might make sense to you, but what if you substituted the word “Black” for gay?Censoring certain words from profiles is not only discriminatory, it also creates the idea that there’s something wrong with whatever the word is. The words “gay,” “lesbian” and “queer” present unique problems, however, as they are used as points of pride or as slurs, depending on how they’re being said and who is talking. All of which creates the kind of gray area that you can hardly expect the common Xbox Live citizen to either respect or understand.
While using “gay” and “fag” as insults has been around probably since the first online game was ever played, I imagine identifying yourself as homosexual on your profile would open you up to online harassment in a big way, but that’s exactly why gay people should be “allowed” to identify themselves online, if they choose to. I truly believe that if people hang out, game-with and otherwise co-exist with different kinds people, eventually the problem will settle itself. Because, in the end, it’s no big deal. See, gay people are just like you, and you’re just like them, and gay gamers just want to play games, so let’s all chill out and act like humans, eh? See Lesbians And Gays In Gaming
G4 TV * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lesbians-and-…
Alameda parents debate lessons addressing gay slurs, bullying
Hundreds of people showed up at City Hall on Tuesday night to express their support — or concerns — about the Alameda Unified School District’s proposed lessons to address slurs and bullying against gays.
So many people showed up to speak that police and fire officials had to clear much of the crowd out of City Council chambers, where the public hearing to discuss the lessons was held. A second hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18 at a location to be announced.
School Board President Mike McMahon said he had 200 speaker slips from people who wanted to be heard on the issue. The school board — minus Trustee Neal Tam, who was absent — heard three and a half hours of testimony on the curriculum on Tuesday.
Supporters of the curriculum said it’s a tool desperately needed by teachers to combat anti-gay slurs and bullying that starts as early as kindergarten. It’s not about sex, they said, but about offering positive images of gays and their families who are members of the community but invisible inside school walls.
The consequences of not addressing the bullying or offering such positive reinforcement is dire, they said: Statistically, gay youth are much more likely to skip school, abuse alcohol and drugs and commit suicide than their straight peers.
Alameda parents debate lessons addressing gay slurs, bullying
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/alameda-paren…
McDonald’s Agrees To Training and Settlement After Staff Called Gay Customers “Faggots,” Super-Size Training For Management Offered After Kentucky Incident
LOUISVILLE, KY – Nine months after an employee at a McDonald’s restaurant in downtown Louisville called a group of gay customers a series of anti-gay slurs, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today that McDonald’s has agreed to a cash settlement and diversity training for management at 30 of its Louisville-area restaurants.
Ryan Marlatt, Teddy Eggers, and three other friends had stopped for lunch at a McDonald’s restaurant on East Market Street on July 26, 2008 while visiting Louisville for the weekend. While they waited for their food to be prepared, an employee behind the counter referred to them as “faggots” to another employee. When Marlatt and Eggers objected to the slur and asked to speak with a manager, the employee who had called them “faggots” started arguing with them, repeatedly calling them “faggots” in front of other customers and calling one of them a “cocksucker” and “bitch.”
“The reason we made such a big deal out of this to begin with was because we didn’t want it happening to anyone else, so I’m very glad McDonald’s management is going to be having these trainings,” said Eggers of Indianapolis, Indiana. “We were hurt and upset, but at least we’re adults and can handle being called names. We hated thinking that this kind of harassment might also happen to someone young and vulnerable who would really take it to heart.”
The supervisor on duty refused to refund the group’s purchase, so Marlatt attempted several times in the following weeks to contact both the general manager of the McDonald’s and the corporate offices, with no results. Louisville law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, so the ACLU filed a complaint in September on behalf of Marlatt and Eggers with the Louisville Human Relations Commission. In October, representatives of a variety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups as well as other civil rights organizations protested at the downtown Louisville McDonald’s where the incident took place.
Although Marlatt and Eggers only asked for $28, McDonald’s offered them $2000 each on its own, which they accepted, Sun said. The Louisville Human Relations Commission has been thoroughly investigating Eggers and Marlatt’s complaint since it was filed last September and helped negotiate the settlement between the parties.
“We’re really grateful to the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission for its investigation, as well as to our friends at the Fairness Campaign, and commonGround at the University of Louisville, for keeping the pressure on McDonald’s to do the right thing,” said Michael Aldridge, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky. “While we’re fortunate to have a law banning sexual orientation discrimination in Louisville, this goes to show that it’s still important to speak out and do something about it when your rights are violated.”
“McDonald’s could have saved itself a lot of embarrassment if they’d just done the right thing from the start and done something about this, but it’s great that so many people stood up for us and came forward to say treating people the way we were treated is wrong,” said Marlatt. “We just hope the trainings keep McDonald’s from letting this happen to any of their customers from now on.”
When their Louisville Human Relations Commission complaint was filed, Marlatt and Eggers asked for a refund of the money they spent on the McDonald’s meal, and asked that one employee – the cashier who objected to the other employee’s name-calling – be commended. “She was the only employee in the whole place who tried to help us,” said Eggers. “I hope she hears about this and knows how much we appreciated her sticking up for us.”
“While we wish Ryan, Teddy, and their friends hadn’t had to go through this whole experience to begin with, we’re glad that at least McDonald’s is taking steps to prevent anything like this from happening again in the future,” said Christine Sun, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project who is representing Marlatt and Eggers. “Businesses should treat all of their customers with respect regardless of their sexual orientation.”
A video of Marlatt and Eggers telling the story of what happened to them as well as their complaint to the Human Relations Commission can be found at http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/discrim/36781res20080916.html.
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/mcdonalds-agr…
Goldstein: ‘Joe the Plumber’ backlash would help pass marriage equality
Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein said today that he welcomes “Joe the Plumber’s” visit to New Jersey to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan tomorrow, especially in light of controversial comments about gay people he made in an interview that was published today.
“Joe the Plumber,” a.k.a. Samuel Wurzelbacher, told Christianity Today that he favors letting states decide the gay marriage question - which is more or less the same position that Garden State Equality takes. But in elaborating his point, Wurzelbacher made some comments some gay rights activists and progressive groups found offensive:
“People don’t understand the dictionary-it’s called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It’s not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we’re supposed to do-what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we’re supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I’ve had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they’re people, and they’re going to do their thing.”
Goldstein said that such comments actually help his group’s cause because they help create a backlash against anti-gay attitudes among regular New Jerseyans.
See Goldstein: ‘Joe the Plumber’ backlash would help pass marriage … PolitickerNJ
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/goldstein-joe…
Joe The Plumber: I Would Never Let “Queers” Near My Children
Joe the Plumber, aka Samuel Wurzelbacher, sat down for an lengthy interview with Christianity Today to discuss his views on the future of the Republican party. Wurzelbacher took the opportunity to speak out against gay marriage, which he says is wrong. The unlikely conservative spokesman went so far as to say he doesn’t allow openly gay people “anywhere near” his children.
The word “queer,” Wurzelbacher noted, “means strange and unusual.”
Christianity Today: In the last month, same-sex marriage has become legal in Iowa and Vermont. What do you think about same-sex marriage at a state level?
Wurzelbacher: At a state level, it’s up to them. I don’t want it to be a federal thing. I personally still think it’s wrong. People don’t understand the dictionary–it’s called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It’s not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we’re supposed to do–what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we’re supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I’ve had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they’re people, and they’re going to do their thing.
In the vein of George W. Bush and Michael Steele, Joe the Plumber also indicated that he wouldn’t run for public office until the Lord had given him a cue. “God hasn’t said, ‘Joe, I want you to run.’ I feel more important to just encourage people to get involved, one way or another. If I can inspire some leaders, that would be great.” Joe added: “I don’t know if I want to be a leader.”
Read more excerpts from the interview at the Colorado Independent.
See Joe The Plumber: I Would Never Let “Queers” Near My Children
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/joe-plumber-i…
‘Fat Gay Jew’ - surprises with unexpected freshness
While its title sounds like an epithet, if not a racial slur, Fat Gay Jew, Charter Theater’s trio of interrelated one-act plays, contains ample laugh-out-loud moments.
Area-based actor/playwright Mario Baldessari has collected a provocative list of ugly names for those who are fat, gay or Jewish. But he’s also written three reasonably believable scenarios that highlight some of the most uncomfortable aspects of being either fat, gay or Jewish.
This compact 90-minute evening takes place at Arlington’s intimate Theatre on the Run stage Thursdays through Sundays until May 23.
Is it a play with a message? Yes, and that’s clearly stated in the prologue/preface when actor Jim Helein allows there’s lots of “touchy stuff that most good people don’t usually say.”
Director Keith Bridges uses a bare-bones set — a table and four chairs — and has mined his performers’ individual quirks. Laconic Helein has no choice but to play the fat guy, his size and girth evident. He’s the one we meet first as he moves the furniture complaining that just because he’s fat doesn’t mean he’s strong.
Baldessari plays the gay guy with exaggerated feyness and Renee Calarco, the self-described token Jew in the theater company, plays a suburban wife, a single woman whose best friends are gay men and a convert to Judaism who believes that her Jewish connections make her a better Jew. See ‘Fat Gay Jew’ - surprises with unexpected freshness
Jewish Theatre * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/fat-gay-jew-s…
Esquire Magazine sorry for slur
Challenged by gay community, national magazine reacts to claims of homophobia.
Tags: Esquire Magazine, Gay Community, Gay Magazine, Homophobia, Magazine Gay, Slur
