Tuesday Watercooler: Gays win in California, lose in Arizona
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Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is on the war path. In a not-so-subtle way, she is marginalizing and discriminating against nearly every minority group in her state.
To start the week off, Brewer cut domestic partner benefits for state employees [2] and their dependents – on the pretense of saving a few bucks. She saves $3 million by cutting the benefits of roughly 800 affected employees. How much does she spend on benefits for everyone else? About $625 million. Looking at it that way, $3 million is merely a drop in the budgetary bucket.
The Arizona Daily Star reported: “Gov. Jan Brewer said Wednesday that she believes ‘God has placed me in this powerful position as Arizona’s governor’ to help the state weather its troubles.”
Somebody please remind Brewer and her ilk of the phrase “separation of church and state.” It’s in the Constitution.
The move, of course, follows on the footsteps of the legislation she signed on Friday that makes racial profiling legal. If someone is suspected of being illegally in the United States – and a description of that is quite fuzzy – a police officer is legally required to ask for paperwork proving citizenship. The law is not only detestable, it is likely illegal [3].
San Francisco officials have called for a boycott [4] of Arizona. And flights from Mexico to Phoenix are being canceled by Aeromexico airlines. But that’s just the beginning. If Brewer wants to create her own Aryan-zona, her state will suffer the economic consequences. It’s just a matter of time.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news [5], world news [6], and news about the economy [7]
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[8]
Speaking of unnecessary laws, California finally addressed a decades-old piece of legislation [9] that compared homosexuality to child molestation – both were in need of a “cure.”
Unlike Arizona, California is moving in the right direction as the House of Representatives adopted a measure that directs the Department of Mental Health to remove statements that dictate the agency research “causes and cures of homosexuality.” The measure is now headed to the Senate.
I can almost hear the California Legislature saying, “Cures, we don’t need no stinkin’ cures.”
***
[10]
In more good news from California, a leader in the state’s nurses’ union, Mary Kay Henry [11], was picked to head the Service Employees International Union. Henry, an out lesbian, will represent more than 2 million workers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
She becomes both the first woman and the first person in the LGBT community to head the union.
***
[12]
And, finally, something that has nothing to do with politics or immigration or any anti-gay sentiments, I found this little nugget of, well, sparkle power: Canned unicorn meat [13].
ThinkGeek, for the low, low price of $9.99, is offering Spam-inspired containers of precious unicorn meat, which is noted as “an excellent source of sparkle.”
In a moving tale of selflessness, we learn about the Sisters at Radiant Farms, who “have dedicated their lives to nursing these elegant creatures through their final days.”
Then they chop the unicorns up and process them for a profit. Mmm, mmm good.
[1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-jan-brewer-top.jpg
[2] http://www.towleroad.com/2009/09/arizona-governor-takes-away-state-domestic-partner-benefits-says-god-has-placed-me-in-this-powerful-.html
[3] http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/article_e282eddf-7b50-514f-9716-3829a65d9df5.html
[4] http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14961851?source=most_emailed&nclick_check=1
[5] http://www.msnbc.msn.com
[6] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507
[7] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072
[8] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-cure-medicine-top.jpg
[9] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=62158
[10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-mary-kay-henry-top.jpg
[11] http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=&sc3=&id=105018
[12] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-unicorn-meat-top.jpg
[13] http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/unicorn-meat.shtml
Tuesday Watercooler: Supreme Court divided on discrimination
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This morning’s discussion in the Supreme Court kinda scares me … a lot. The case, Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, is a fight over the right to discriminate, and, of course, money.
“Hastings College of Law, which is part of the University of California, has a general policy barring student groups that receive official recognition and university funding from discriminating,” the American Civil Liberties Union [2] explains. “The Christian Legal Society is a student club that requires its members to sign a Statement of Faith that, among other things, rejects homosexuality as inconsistent with Christian values. CLS is ineligible for official recognition and university funding at Hastings because of its membership requirement, although it is otherwise free to meet on campus.”
Essentially, no gays equals no money. That math seems simple, right?
Now, here’s the scary, though somewhat ironic, part: The right-leaning justices seem to think this is discrimination.
“It is so weird to require the campus Republican club to admit Democrats,” Justice Antonin Scalia said, The Republic reported [3]. “To require the Christian society to allow atheists not just to join, but to conduct Bible classes, that’s crazy.”
Let’s break this down: Essentially, it’s discrimination not to allow a group to discriminate. Um, WTF?
Thankfully Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sonia Sotomayor inserted some logic into the discussion citing what would happen if women and minorities were banned.
“What is wrong with the purpose of a school to say, ‘We don’t wish (to recognize) any group that discriminates?’ ” Sotomayor asked.
***
[4]
While the current justices battle it out over discrimination, a separate battle looms for potential Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.
The big question seems to be about her sexuality. Is she gay? Well, around the Harvard campus, that appears to be an open secret. It’s not hard to find sites calling her a lesbian [5].
But whether she is gay or straight should not be the issue. If she is gay, she is making a huge effort to keep it quiet – an Internet finds her personal life is strictly under wraps. What is at issue is her stance. Her lack of actual judicial experience leaves little written record of her opinions.
If she is in fact nominated, as can be inferred from the over-the-top “She’s not gay” denials emanating from the White House, much will be made of her anti-Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell stance. Shortly after taking over as dean at Harvard, Kagan shot an e-mail to students over having military recruiters on campus.
“This action causes me deep distress. I abhor the military’s discriminatory recruitment policy,” Kagan wrote. She called DADT “a profound wrong — a moral injustice of the first order.”
She is standing up for the LGBT community and has done so in the past. If she wants to hide in the closet, fine by me. But if that closet starts impeding a potential justice’s judgment, I’ll be the first in line to out her.
***
[6]
Speaking of standing up for rights, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center refuses to be intimidated after staff discovered a torched rainbow flag last wee [7]k.
“The act of hate demonstrated outside the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in the Village is unacceptable,” Christin Quinn said in a statement. “I was angered and deeply disturbed when I heard someone would go to such great lengths to burn a rainbow flag and pin it to the outside of the building.”
In response, the Center plans to unfurl a new 20-foot flag on Wednesday that will drape the building.
“We invite our straight allies to stand with us to demonstrate that LGBT safety and rights are not just an issue for LGBT people. Our city is strong and we need to come together to show that we cannot be intimidated,” the Center said in a message posted on their website.
***
[8]
And in another example of standing up for rainbow rights, the Tennessee teen who was reprimanded [9] for wearing an “I (heart) Lady Gay Gay” T-shirt, with the help of the ACLU, convinced school officials the T-shirt was acceptable.
The ACLU told The Chattanoogan [10] they have assurances from the school it will not censor gay fashion.
“Students not only have a First Amendment right to be out at school, but the right to an education free from discrimination and harassment,” Tricia Herzfeld, ACLU of Tennessee staff attorney, told the newspaper. “We applaud the school for recognizing this and taking steps to ensure that they are providing a safe and equal learning environment for all students.”
I (heart) teens who stand up for fashion.
[1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-supreme-court-top.jpg
[2] http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights-religion-belief/christian-legal-society-v-martinez
[3] http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/RELIG-SCOTUS-STUDENTGROUP_2173652/RELIG-SCOTUS-STUDENTGROUP_2173652/
[4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-kagan-gay-top.jpg
[5] http://www.epinions.com/review/educ-Law_Schools-All-Harvard_University_Law/content_219010666116
[6] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-torched-flag-top.jpg
[7] http://www.gaycenter.org/torchedflag
[8] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-gaga-tshirt-top.jpg
[9] http://www.wsmv.com/video/23072689/
[10] http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_173769.asp
Friday Watercooler: Palin/Bachmann 2012…Hell Yeah!
• If only. On Sean Hannity [1] Wednesday night, Hannity asked his guests Sarah Palin and Rep. Michelle Bachmann if they would consider being on the same ticket for a presidential run in 2012. Palin answered in her usual cagey way “As I have said, I’m not gonna close any doors that perhaps would be open.” When Hannity asked the crowd what they thought there was a roar of approval. Most likely the same kind of roar that would come from a left-leaning crowd. How could the lefties amongst us not roar in approval for that kind of competition. Bring it on!
[2]
• He has supporters, too! Here is an addendum to a previous Friday Watercooler. Remember Derrick Martin who was allowed to attend his prom with his male date and was subsequently kicked out of his parents house? Remember how his classmates were soooo supportive of him that they held a rally [3] not because they cared that he was gay but because they were worried that their town would be known “known as a pro gay town”? Well, brave Derrick gets his own REALLY supportive rally [4] tonight in Macon, Georgia. Now lets hope some rich, famous gay gives Derrik a scholarship [5].
[6]
• She shows her true colors. Yet another shout out for our straight ally, Cyndi Lauper. I LOVE this lady. Lauper is spearheading the first permanent housing complex for homeless LGBT youth. Opening in the winter of 2011, The True Colors Residence [7] will give homeless LGBT youth ages 18-24 will have subsidized homes to help get them off the street. I find it shocking that, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, between 20 – 40% of LGBT homeless youth identify as LGBT. I am happy that Cyndi puts her money where her mouth is. I live a few blocks from the proposed site and look forward to welcoming the residence into the neighborhood. The girl doesn’t just want to have fun!
[8]
• CNN apologizes, sort of. CNN Host Kyra Phillips [9] started a “debate” segment yesterday with the question “Homosexuality, Is it a problem in need of a cure?” Her producers invited a controversial “expert” in the “ex-gay” movement who was expelled from the American Counseling Association for ethical abuses and presented him as a “Psychotherapist, educator and expert in the field of sexual reorientation”. GLAAD [10] sent out a call to action and today the topic was revisited by Ms. Phillips on CNN by bringing on a real expert in the mental health field to educate that gay was not a mental illness and wasn’t need of curing. I really don’t have much issue with Ms. Phillips, I have an issue with the production. If they can’t afford or are too lazy to research their experts to see if they truly are experts, it’s time for a new job. Our friends at AfterElton.com have the video.
[11]
• God Save Malcom McLaren. This bit of news has saddened me. Former impresario and manager of the the Sex Pistols has died of mesothelioma in Switzerland. With Vivienne Westwood, McLaren [12] opened the clothing store Let It Rock (later Sex) in the early seventies before stumbling upon the future Johnny Rotten. Though the Sex Pistols flamed out quickly McLaren was instrumental in the seismic shift of music that is know as punk rock. A true Revolutionary!
[13]
• Gleeful. I hate to admit that I am excited for the new season of Glee. I don’t think it’s the best show but it definitely brings out the show queen in me. Besides, there is some definite eye candy on display. And who doesn’t LOVE Jane Lynch [14]. AfterElton’s Gay Man of the Decade, Neil Patrick Harris [15] guest stars on a future episode and the video below is behind the scenes scenes from that episode. We Got The Funk, indeed!
[1] http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/hannity-would-you-like-to-see-a-palin-bachmann-ticket-video.php?ref=fpb
[2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-sarah-palin-michelle-bachmann-detail.jpg
[3] http://www.365gay.com/news/weekend-watercooler-billie-joe-armstrong-talks-about-his-sexuality-again/
[4] http://www.macon.com/2010/04/07/1086151/rally-planned-friday-to-support.html
[5] http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-19-mississippi-prom-gay-teen_N.htm
[6] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-derrick-martin-gay-prom-student-georga-detail.jpg
[7] http://www.dnainfo.com/20100406/central-harlem/cyndi-lauper-open-shelter-for-homeless-lgbt-youth-harlem
[8] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-cyndi-lauper-detail.jpg
[9] http://www.afterelton.com/blog/michaeljensen/cnn-kyra-phillips-gays-cohen-not-appropriate
[10] http://www.glaad.org/Page.aspx?pid=1378
[11] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-kyra-phillips-cnn-detail.jpg
[12] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/malcolm-mclaren-dies-aged-64-1939621.html
[13] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-malcom-mclaren-detail.jpg
[14] http://www.afterellen.com/blog/thelinster/jane-lynch-dishes-on-glee-scenes-with-neil-patrick-harris-and-molly-shannon
[15] http://www.afterelton.com/people/2010/01/man-of-decade-results
Tuesday Watercooler: Defining sex and other NSFW activities
What is “having sex”? Well, it depends on who you ask. According to a new study done at the Kinsey Institute, there is no real consensus on the definition. The study found that 95 percent of people say standard penile-vaginal intercourse is having sex. But that number drops to 89 …
Monday Watercooler: Bishop Tutu defends gay equality
Another reason to love Bishop Desmond Tutu. If Bishop Desmond Tutu comes to your town, you best go see him. Hard not to adore a man who writes this when slamming homophobia in Africa, specifically the madness in Uganda.: “Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many …
Monday Watercooler: Roseanne talks too much and Ashburn adores male tail…on the sly
Stop talking Roseanne. Please. Comic Roseanne thought it best to pontificate about the suicide of Marie Osmond’s child, Michael Blosil. Barr is convinced the 18 year old took his life because he was gay and despondent over the anti-gay policies of the Mormon Church. “Marie Osmond’s poor gay son killed …
Friday Watercooler: RuPaul Rolemodel and South African Lesbian Rape
• Rupaul is MY role model. Three teachers in a Los Angeles have been suspended and are under investigation in a controversy surrounding the schools Black History Month celebration. At the end of the celebratory month, students paraded around their elementary school with posters of influential African American’s selected by …
Tuesday watercooler: Naked, nude and risque
It’s a good week for marriage equality as two more cities get added to the list of those allowing same-sex marriages.
In Washington, D.C., the magic day is expected to be Wednesday. (Opponents filed a challenge with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday, but I’m going to assume that …
Monday Watercooler: McCain’s love of pretzels to Ashley’s missing brain cells
All you couples better get to D.C. Want to make your mate an honest woman (or man) and be part of marriage equality history? Then grab a marriage ring and get to Washington, D.C. On March 20 up to 400 couples will be exchanging vows and tying the knot. If …
Friday Watercooler: Big Bank Brother and Power to the People
• Don’t take it lying down! It looks like the crushing defeat of the Marriage Equality bill in New York State has spurred some righteous advocacy. Gay activist, Tim Gill has formed a new political action committee, Fight Back NY, whose sole purpose is to aggressively target New York state …
