Chris Kluwe; Keith Olbermann; Civil Rights & Tolkien?

Is Kluwe really Thranduil?

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe is an undeniably valuable straight ally in the continuing fight for LGBT Civil Rights. He and former Ravens' player Brendon Ayanbedjo have almost certainly lost lucrative sports careers over their stances in support of LGBT rights. 

Both Kluwe and Ayanbejo are young, attractive and athletic. Both of them came of age in a very different era than Uncle P and both of them (because of their celebrity) are able to make their opinions available to the public at large in venues that are widely accessible to just about the entire world. Both of them have also had Major League sports careers which will allow them to support themselves for the foreseeable future. Kluwe has even managed to write a book from which he will see residuals for quite some time. 

All of that is fine and well, and even commendable. I will never knock or abrade anyone who understands that being gay is not a choice (as do every one of my friends and most of my family). 

Still... I can't help but note that no matter how much these two support our community, neither of them will ever really know the kind of discrimination, hate and abuse the LGBT community experiences on a daily basis.  Both are attractive and fit and both have very public forums in which to express their views. But both of them are straight and neither of them can truly know the kind of hatred expressed solely because of their innate sexuality (despite the by now far-more accepted bi-racial status of Ayanbedjo). 

Hear me out - No one can know anyone (you should excuse the old adage) until they have walked in another's shoes. Straight supporters or LGBT civil rights are all well and good (and more important to our cause than most of us realize) but they will never really know the kind of hatred directed at the people they support. 

Okay - LGBT Rights rant over, for now. 

On a much sillier note, look at Kluwe's ears in the interview below with long-time LGBT advocate Keith Olbermann. Is it me, or do his ears appear to be nothing less than Elvin? I think JRR would agree...

Yes, Uncle P knows his view of the world is slightly askew, but would you have it any other way? I should hope not. Why else would you be reading my nonsense?

More, anon.
Prospero

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21st Century Flaws

I have to wonder why, in the second decade of the 21st Century, the majority of our planet's citizens remain a bunch of superstitious, uninformed and downright ignorant jerks.

The Russians have basically declared war on the LGBT community. Muslim nations continue to subjugate women and criminally punish gay people just for being themselves. Republican asshats like Rick Perry refuse to recognize basic Human Rights and fear-mongering jerkwads like Bryan Fischer are allowed to spread hateful lies about Nazis being gay.

I know... I've been on this particular soapbox for a long time. But it's a soapbox I will not step down from until everyone realizes what a bunch of a-holes they're being.

And it's not just an LGBT issue. Middle-Eastern women are still having acid thrown in their faces or being murdered for expressing their autonomy. Children are still being sold into slavery (both sexual and menial). Refugees seeking better lives are still being exploited by farmers, pimps and pornographers. Dictators are using unspeakably awful weapons against their own people. Horrors are still being perpetrated against people all over the globe. Why? It's not like there are no agencies or groups trying their best to put a stop to these atrocities. In fact, there are probably more such groups than ever before.

Sadly, fear; greed and avarice have been part of the Human Condition since the Dawn of Civilization (and probably even before). There will always be people in power who care only about themselves. There will always be people who perpetrate evil deeds for their own gain. There will always be people who prey on the fear of death to fill their own pockets. I fear there may be no way to stop them, short of killing them. And that's awful, too.

No, I'm not saying I advocate Communism. We've all seen how well that system works. I am, however, advocating Humanism. Do what's right because you know it's the right thing to do, rather than doing what someone else says their version of "God" says it's the right thing to do. Treat every person you come across as you would want them to treat you (sound familiar?).

This is 2013. We all should be past this crap and trying to figure out how to feed, clothe and house everyone on the planet we all share.

I have no idea how to fix this mess (well, maybe a few, which many would reject), but I suspect that Education has the best chance of doing so. That and the eradication of irrational religious beliefs. But that just brings us back to fear...

Maybe Global Warming is the answer, after all. Humans seem to be the worst thing to happen to Earth since the extinction of the dinosaurs. I hope the cockroaches will take better care of the planet than we have, once we're gone.

Rant over (for now). More of my usual nonsense, anon.
Prospero

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Sex, Lies and Pat Roberston

Pants on Fire

Pat Robertson continues to be one of the worst human beings alive. I'm not saying this because I'm gay. I'm saying this because I am a rational human being. 

Listen, I have no problem admitting I am a Secular Humanist. I also have no problem with people who are religious. I have a dear friend of over 35 years who is an Episcopal priest. My own sister is a devout Christian. Neither of them have condemned me to hell because of my innate sexuality. They take the New Testament at it's word: "Love thy neighbor as thou wouldst love thyself." They also know that many of the things in the Old Testament were written before the rise of Science and Reason.

But there are plenty of uninformed, frightened and honestly ignorant 'Christians' who fall for the kind of fear-mongering their religious leaders use to keep them in line (i.e. 'donating'). These preachers continue to use and abuse the Bible to further their own agendas, threatening their followers with eternal damnation if they don't agree with their vitriol. Among the worst offenders is Pat Robertson, who hosts the "700 Club" (founded by the very publicly disgraced Jim Bakker). Robertson's obviously loony claims include telling a woman whose husband had cheated on her that she should make a home so nice he wouldn't want to stray. But earlier this week, Robertson made what is probably his most insane claim, ever:

"The Stuff" to which Robertson refers is HIV/AIDS. And while there are admittedly a very few equally insane people who do want to infect others and even fewer and even more insane folks who actually seek out infection (more on that in another post, someday), Robertson's story about HIV+ people in San Francisco using special rings to infect innocent people with AIDS is probably the singularly most preposterous statement I've ever heard. And I'm not the only one to think so:

Thankfully, the folks at CBN (The Christian Broadcasting Network) recognized Robertson's ramblings as false and didn't air that particular segment, but that didn't stop his hateful claim from being posted online for everyone to see.

Personally, I don't understand how any educated person in the 21st Century still believes that homosexuality is a product of demonic possession; the result of sexual abuse; influenced by other gay people or a deliberate choice. Having never been possessed, abused, influenced nor having deliberately chosen my sexuality (as has no one else, ever) I find myself both alternately wanting to punch Robertson in his nose, asking him when he 'chose' to be straight and sitting down with him and explaining just how wrong he is.

Here's the thing: As long as there are superstitious, uneducated people, Robertson and his ilk will continue to influence their opinions. Using fear; threats; misinformation and outright lies to propagate prejudice, people like Robertson, Vladimir Putin, the most recent former Pope; the head of the ROC; Robert Mugabe and various Hindu and Muslim leaders will do everything they can to keep their followers from recognizing Truth.

Ignorance is not bliss, folks. It is death. Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning and with the recent SCOTUS rulings, the U.S. is well on the way toward joining the 21st Century in recognizing that LGBT people are deserving the same Human Rights as our straight counterparts. For the first time in my lifetime, I have hope that I will not die a second-class citizen, something I honestly never thought I'd live to see. The times are indeed, a-changing. 

I just hope that those who refuse to accept reality will eventually realize that if they don't grow, learn and accept the truth, they will leave a legacy of ignorance and hate for future generations to scorn and ridicule.

More, anon.

Prospero

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The Most Positive Gay Things You'll See This Week

Pope Francis I

I'm torn. Do I write about the story that impacts LGBTQ people here in the U.S. or the the story that impacts LGBTQ people all over the world? I guess I have to talk about both, if I'm going to write about either. Let's start with the whole world, shall we? (Hey - go big or go home, right?)

On his flight back to Rome from Brazil, Pope Francis I gave an impromptu, jovial, no-holds-barred press conference for the reporters on board. And in answering one question, he moved the HRC (no, not the HRC) into the 21st Century. When a reporter asked what he would do if he found out a priest was gay, he responded "Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord? You can't marginalize these people." Of course, this is no way means that Francis thinks gay sex (the biggest hang-up most religious folks seem to have about gay people) is okay, but his answer to that question is probably the most progressive statement ever made by any Pope, ever. Historically, there have been married Popes; adulterous Popes; sadistic Popes and (in 2000-odd years), undoubtedly at least one gay Pope. I mean, come on. 265 men (and possibly 1 woman) have held the title. Statistically, at least one or more of them had to be gay.

Francis is proving himself to be even more "The People's Pope" than the much-beloved (and on the track to Sainthood) John Paul II. Smart, modern and accessible, Francis knows the Church is hurting. In South America, Catholics have been leaving the Church for evangelical congregations, while in the U.S. and Europe, they have been leaving because the Church has refused to evolve on issues like homosexuality, women's rights and birth control. Of course, Uncle P still views all religion as detrimental to progress and an affront to science, but that doesn't mean I hate religious people. I just wish they would wake up and smell reality. Francis seems to at least caught a whiff and that's terrific.

Tim Hardaway

And the other big LGBTQ news comes from retired NBA star Tim Hardaway, who in a 2007 interview said "I hate gay people... I'm homophobic." After spending time at Miami's YES Institute and seeing the way LGBTQ people have been abused, bullied and vilified, Hardaway had an epiphany of sorts. Earlier this month, he was the first person to sign a petition challenging Florida's marriage laws. 

"With what I said, people could think it's OK to throw rocks at them or bully them... I just wanted to make people understand that what I said wasn't cool. I wanted to make amends for it.'' Hardaway says he hasn't become a voice for Equality because he wants publicity (he rarely gives interviews). As a young man growing up in Chicago, he had a gay relative to whom he was apparently close. He says now that his comments were 'thoughtless.'

Wow! A little education goes a long way. And while my faith in Humanity hasn't been fully restored (at least while Vladimir Putin and Robert Mugabe are still spewing ignorance and hate), it has been elevated by the words and actions of two very influential people who have had a change of heart and mind. I still have issues with Pat Robertson, who yesterday said that Trans people aren't sinners, but gay people are (don't get me started about that old fossil), but it is amazing to see the tide turning so quickly and so dramatically. 

We still have a long way to go. Next month, 13 U.S. States will officially recognize same-sex marriage (Yay, Minnesota!). I suspect that Illinois; Pennsylvania; New Jersey; Hawaii and Virginia will be next with Colorado; New Mexico; Nevada and Ohio to follow.From there, it's just a matter of time before America finally embraces everything for which our Constitution stands.

Last week, Queen Elizabeth II signed her approval of Marriage Equality in the UK. New Zealand is likely to be the next country which fully embraces Equality, with Australia probably soon to follow. I now have real hope that before I leave this world, it will be changed for the better in so many ways.

The Roger Waters' song embedded below may be about the end of the Cold War, but I can't help but think it applies here (and the animation by my favorite artist certainly doesn't hurt):

More, anon.

Prospero

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Do Boycotts Work?

There was that gay boycott of Coors beer in the 90's. That worked, right? Coors is out of business, right? More recently (and still going on) we boycotted Chick-Fil-A. And they totally went under. And right before that, our boycott of Target took them down. And let's not forget the opposition. One Million Moms' boycott of JC Penney really sent them spiraling into oblivion, didn't it?

Oh... wait. None of those boycotts made a damned bit of a difference to the companies being boycotted. And while as a community, we are much larger in numbers than One Million Moms (with 58,000 followers on Facebook - about 5% of their claimed membership), even we couldn't take down Coors, Chick-Fil-A or Target.

In the light of recent anti-gay politicking under uber-masculine President Vladimir Putin (methinks the lady doth protest too much) and homophobic attacks in the former USSR, LGBT activist Dan Savage has called for a boycott of Russian products. In particular, Russian Vodka. Already bars in Chicago, San Francisco and several other US cities have removed Stoli and other Russian brands from their shelves. In response, the president of Stolichnaya (which operates in Russia and Latvia) has issued a statement decrying Putin's policies, while touting their promotion of and participation in LGBT events all over the world -- except in Russia. He goes on to say that they are a private company with no influence on governmental policies. And he is 100% right.

In the late 70's or early 80's, I remember a call to boycott Chilean grapes. I think it had something to due with the political climate in Chili at the time. It didn't stop me from eating grapes, mostly because I didn't care about the political climate in Chili. And this current call for a boycott of Russian products isn't going to stop people from drinking Stoli or buying gas at Lukoil and will certainly not stop Putin and his homophobic, fascist regime from persecuting LGBT people in Russia. And that's because most Americans don't care about the political climate in Russia. 

Support for Marriage Equality may be at an all-time high in the U.S., but most of us are more concerned with being able to afford the gas to get to work, let alone Human Rights violations thousands of miles away in some frozen wasteland of a country we've always considered "less than." Hmmm...sound familiar?

Don't get me wrong, I'm very concerned about Human Rights violations wherever they are taking place. But we need to take care of those same issues here in the States before we can even begin to worry about the rest of the world. Hate crimes against LGBTQ people are on the rise (I suspect because the homophobes are reacting against recent strides in Marriage Equality). Recent events in NYC (one of the gay-friendliest cities in the world) prove that we still have a long way to go before we are equal -- Just ask the African-Americans who are still dealing with racism 40+ years after the March on Selma. Ask the Latino-Americans who are subjected to documentation searches in certain southern states. Ask the flight crew of Asiana Airlines flight 214, who were subjected to a news report featuring sophomoric parody names like "Wee Too Lo" and "Bang Ding Ow." Ask any West Asian/Muslim person in the US how they've been treated since 9/11. Ask every parent of a child who committed suicide last year because of homophobic bullying. 

Ask an aging gay atheist what the problem is and I'll be happy to tell you. Ignorance, fear and religion are at the root of both homophobia and xenophobia. Putin's policies are backed by the Russian Orthodox Church, whose leader has said (and I'm paraphrasing here, so don't jump down my throat) that Marriage Equality will bring about the apocalypse. Talk about using scare tactics! 

Here's the thing - boycotts are all well and good, despite their ineffectiveness. If nothing else, they raise awareness. And that's not such a bad thing. 

How do we fix the problem in Russia? I don't know. Some are calling for a ban on international travel by Russian officials. Others are calling for UN sanctions. Me? I'm calling for fighting homophobia, ignorance and hate here in the U.S. before we start worrying about the rest of the world. We can't fix problems elsewhere until they're fixed here. And while I am encouraged by how quickly things are happening here, I know we have a long way to go before joining the now 16 (with the recent addition of the UK) countries which afford same-sex couples the same rights and privileges as opposite-sex couples.

I still don't eat at Chick-Fil-A, but I shop at Target. I was never a big drinker of Stoli (there are cheaper and equally good, if not, better vodkas on the market) so I won't miss anything by not drinking their products. Coors has moved on, though I rarely drink beer (and when I do, it's Harp or Sam Adams or a local brew-pub's). In general, boycotts don't work. Want to effect change? Write or call your local representatives (a simple Google or Bing search will get you the info you need). Demand sanctions and actions. Demand changes to your state's laws. VOTE! Voting is the single most powerful tool we have to effect change in government policy, and most of us don't even bother. Become involved. Be a voice for change, rather than whining about what you don't like. Support local and national LGBT charities either by donating money or volunteering time. Whatever it is, just don't sit on your ass and do nothing. That never helps. The video below may (and should) be disturbing.

More, anon,
Prospero

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Legally Gay or: The Domino Effect Part Deux

Alicia Terrizzi and Lorren Bloodgood of Pottstown, PA

So, on the heels of PA State Attorney Kathleen Kane announcing that she will not defend the federal lawsuit brought against the commonwealth's law banning same-sex marriage, Montgomery County Registrar of Wills, D. Bruce Hane, began issuing licenses to same sex couples, saying he wants to be "on the right side of history." 

Sadly, the licenses (and even today's first same sex marriage in PA between the two ladies on your left) will not be recognized under current PA law. Our 'illustrious' and homophobic Governor Corbett  issued a statement which said in part:  

"Individual elected officials cannot pick and choose which laws to enforce. 

"All officials are constitutionally required to administer and enforce the laws that are enacted by the Legislature." 

It looks like Uncle P's adopted state is about to (maybe) become the last of the Northeast states to have either civil unions (ugh - NJ, come on!) or legally recognized Marriage Equality.

Here's the thing. I hope that the LGBTQ Gen-Xer's and Millennials truly appreciate how far we've come, how long it took to get here and how amazed the Queer Boomers are at how quickly it all seems to be happening. Keep fighting the good fight. Celebrate every small victory. The future is sooner than you think.

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Domino Effect?

The ACLU has filed a legal challenge to my home state's Marriage Equality ban. Similar suits have also been filed in Virginia and North Carolina. 

And it's about time. 

Since SCOTUS ruled Article 3 of the DOMA Act Unconstitutional last month, we can expect such suits being filed in the remaining 38 states which currently do not allow for Marriage Equality. And one by one, just like lined-up dominoes, we can anticipate those anti-gay laws to fall on the side of fairness and "Equality Under the Law." I don't expect it to be an easy fight. Pennsylvania's current Repugnican Governor Tom Corbett, like many of his dinosaur cronies, is against Marriage Equality. But in light of SCOTUS' recent decision on DOMA, the state where America was founded is likely to join the current 12 states and DC in legalizing love within the year (though I think my native state of NJ will be first, despite Governor Krispie Kreme's* opposition).

Yes, there are plenty of PA rednecks who live the part of my state I like to refer to as 'Pennsyltucky,' who rant and rave, but the tide has been turning for quite some time and I suspect the progressive thinkers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh (what's up with that superfluous H?) will prevail. 

I can see the whole country eventually turning toward reason as more and more people realize that being gay is not a choice, especially if the LGBTQ community continues to make ourselves known. Yes, the haters will probably always be there, just like the racists and anti-Semitics. But even their numbers are (thankfully) dwindling. Frightened, uneducated jerks like Pat Robertson; Maggie Gallagher; Brian Brown and Bryan Fischer will be silenced soon. And the creeps at the Westboro Baptist Church have long ago become laughingstocks. 

While Uncle P has no personal stake (and at my age is unlikely to do so) in the matter, I hope that when I am truly old and decrepit, those who come after will enjoy the rights and privileges afforded every other American citizen. 

You've probably seen this Australian Equality promo before, but I think it's worth repeating:

*Yes, I went there. You hate me? I hate you. Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah!

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Civil Rights; Equality / DOMA / Gay / LGBT Rights / LGBTQ / Marriage Equality / Pennsylvania / SCOTUS / Uncle P with the title LGBT Rights. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-domino-effect.html. Thanks!

The Gayest Thing Every One Has Seen This Week

Most LGBTQ bloggers have been reporting and commenting for several hours since SCOTUS' rulings on DOMA and Proposition 8. And yes, I am thrilled - No - beyond thrilled by today's rulings. We're one step closer to joining the 21st Century and the rest of the countries already there. But unlike most bloggers, I've all had all day to ponder and digest amidst the celebrating. 

Now, I know I've mentioned Alvin Toffler and his 1970 book "Future Shock" and the subsequent 1972 documentary (narrated by Orson Welles) based on it. I was 13 years old when I (along with all my classmates) was shown Future Shock in our Health Studies class (taught begrudgingly by our Phys Ed teachers). The premise is that technology is moving so fast, humans can't keep up and will eventually suffer from Information Overload (a term Toffler created, by the way) and civilization as we know it will break down into chaos. Of course, humans invent and create technology, which makes the concept absurd. 

Anyway... as part of the 'collapse of society' section of the movie, there was a scene where two men get married in a church. My classmates all giggled and hooted. I did, too. I mean, I knew I was gay by then, but the idea seemed silly. That of course, was part of the shame I was feeling about who I was, but I as 13. Who isn't ashamed of themselves for something at 13? I spent an inordinate amount of time being ashamed... as do many of us. Then, with some help, I stopped being ashamed and found out I really had no reason to be. And once I stopped, it seemed like the whole world changed. And just kept on changing.

Flash-forward several decades and I'm on the board of an organization that raises funds for people afflicted by HIV/AIDS & Arts Education; Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention charities. I am out to everyone at the Day Job (without having had to out myself and no one caring) and I write openly here and on Facebook about who I am and the things in which I believe (and don't believe) and I don't care who has a problem with it. I have yet to lose a real-life or Facebook friend over any of my opinions or beliefs and if I did, they weren't my friends in the first place and good riddance to bad rubbish.

I have been very clear about stance on Marriage Equality from the beginning and today feels like... well, it feels like I may actually see the day when my friends and I (and those who will come after) can never again be made to feel (in the words of Dustin Lance Black) "Less than." Make no mistake, this is the beginning of the end of one of the last Civil Rights movements in the U.S. I will be so happy to say "Goodbye" to Bryan Fischer; Brian Brown; Maggie Gallagher; Pat Robertson, at al when they die and fade into obscurity, their over-stayed 15 minutes reduced to a very brief footnote: "These idiots were wrong and they lost."

But we can't get overly excited, just yet...

There is still ignorance, bigotry and hate. Crimes against gay men in Manhattan in the past few weeks alone have been more than alarming and crime against trans people continues to rise. We have a long way to go. I said I couldn't wait to say goodbye, because those idiots aren't going away or shutting up anytime soon. They'll be at until they croak, even when they're only left listening to one another.  The churches will still lie and cover-up their bigotry. I won't be around to see it, but they will lose all relevance, too.

Rational Secular Humanism is on the rise and while superstition still rules much of the east, reason reigns in the world's civilized countries (at least, I hope it does - it sure seems like it does, anyway). There are still bullies and families that ostracize their gay kids and preachers who want to exorcise the gay demons. There are still men and women in positions of power (ecumenical; secular; educational & governmental) who believe that I have made a conscious choice to disobey the natural order; that I am unnatural. I am evil, simply because I am attracted to other men. To these people, regardless of what the 5 have said today is true and fair, will always think of me as "Less Than." And not that I care what those people think. Hardly. I know they are wrong. Still, it makes me sad when fear repels truth.

Of course, still not having found "The One" (in fact, I'm beginning to doubt the existence of "The One"), it's unlikely that today's rulings will ever really have an impact on me, personally. At Uncle P's age, the odds are not in one's favor. Of course, I keep trying. I've had both wonderful and awful experiences (T comes to mind as the most recent of the latter - and no, no details on any of that, thanks), but I keep hoping. And that's what today is really about. Hope for the future. Hope for a time when superstition and fear are eradicated, like the diseases they are.

I know... such a downer for such a great day, right? Well, here are some things about today that made me smile and cry in good ways:

Weeping again...



Go, Nancy! Go, Nancy! It's your birthday! Go, Nancy!

Thank you, Mr. President!

In my lifetime I've witnessed a lot of history. The Moonlanding. Kent State. Nixon Resigning. The Iran Hostages. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. Operation Desert Storm. 9/11. Operation Iraqi Freedom. AIDS; Avian Flu; SARS; MRSA; E-bola; Anita Bryant; Leonard Malkovitch; Harvey Milk; Computers; The Internet; Daniel Choi; Ellen Degeneres; Lance Bass; Ricky Martin. 

Today, though.... Today was a day I honestly thought I'd never live to see. Today I witnessed justice and the upholding of the self-evident truth that "All men are (indeed) created equal..." Today was a ginormous step in the right direction, for all the right reasons. Today was just as historic as each and every one of the events I've cited, all of which continue to lead towards the ideals of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" so wisely envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. When the Tea Party is joke gotten only by historians and a POTUS and his First Husband live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I won't be here to gloat at the haters, so I'm doing so in advance. 

Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah!

Suck it, haters! (Even though you know you've secretly longed to do just that, anyway). Read a book by a reputable author, losers. I mean, if prayer worked, don't you think you might have won? Nope. If there is a 'god,' She hates you for hating me. But don't worry... it's a dry heat.

Stay strong, stay truthful and stay visible. Never stop fighting the bullies, folks. You will always win.

More, anon.

Brian

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BSA, Peace Corps, Gratuity and Other Nonsense

It Should Be Illegal to Be this Beautiful

That PYT on your left is the "Gratuity" portion of tonight's (OK - this morning's) post. Seriously, no one I know or have ever known in real life is quite that gorgeous. The body; killer smile; the bright blue eyes and the "I'm naughty" scruff all add up to a very attractive package, but I hope the two of you have something to talk about after. Pretty is all well and good. I have nothing against pretty in the correct context. But if all he wants to talk about is how many hours a week he works out; Crest White Strips and Spongebob Squarepants, it's probably better to cut your losses and move on. Not that I am saying such is the case with this anonymous beauty; he may well be a Rhodes Scholar for all I know. Of course, as much as I may admire a fine piece of Lalique glass, I don't want to have cold, unresponsive sex with it.

Wow. That escalated quickly. Still, if you know this young man's name, please pass it on so that I may give him proper credit for his luck in the genetics crap shoot.

Moving on.

This week, the Peace Corps, founded in the early 60's by beloved Democrat JFK, announced that they will now allow same-sex couples to serve together starting this June (via). "Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining leadership experience for Americans who want to make a difference around the world," said Peace Corps Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. "I am proud that the agency is taking this important step forward to allow same-sex domestic partners to serve overseas together." I can only imagine that Mr. Kennedy would very much approve.

Conversely, the BSA has come forward to announce that while they will lift the ban on openly gay Scouts, they will continue to ban openly gay Scout Leaders (also via), denying LGBT parents the right to participate in their own children's scouting experience and denying openly gay Scouts the right to become Scout Leaders after the age of 18. This is a sad and myopic solution to the objections raised by the LGBT community and its supporters. When the current BSA Board of Directors are long forgotten, a future Board will look back and ask "What the heck was wrong with those idiots?" Shame on you, current BSA Board. Don't even try to tell me you don't have a gay family member of friend, because you do. And I hope they hate you now. 

In other news, it has been reported that 67-year-old genre icon Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show; Legend; It; Clue; Spamalot) suffered a stroke, but is reportedly doing well and expected to make a full recovery. In fact, it is now being reported that Tim's stroke occurred last July. I have no idea what Mr. Curry's sexuality may be. I only know that he helped a much younger version of Uncle P to let his own freak flag fly and I will always love him for it. Continue to get well, Tim! You mean so much to so many folks, for so many reasons!

So come up to the lab. And see what's on the slab! 

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week: The Beginning of the End?

Jason Collins

Putting aside my Essential Movie Guide for the night, I had to talk about today's huge LGBT/Sports news. Former Nets, Lakers and Celtics (now a Free Agent) NBA player Jason Collins made history today by coming out of the closet in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. 

For many weeks, there has been speculation that a group of three or four NFL players might come out collectively, so as to 'soften' the impact. But Collins beat them all to the punch and became the first active professional team sports athlete to embrace and proclaim his queerness. The 33 year old, 7' tall twin says he started thinking about his life during the 2011 NBA shut-out, though he doesn't say why it took him another 2 years to come out. Of course, coming out publicly is a deeply personal and often painful process (though I personally know of no one who has regretted doing so). I was in my mid-30's before I came out to my family (all of whom said they already knew), though all of my friends already knew, so I can totally sympathize with Collins. 

As more and more countries and U.S. States are affirming that LGBT people have the same basic human rights as straight people, Collins' announcement couldn't come at a better time. Not only has he set a precedent for other professional athletes (who I hope will follow his lead), he joins the growing ranks of celebrities who raise both our visibility and (though I hate to use the word) 'normalize' homosexuality. The last ten years have seen great strides in LGBT rights and the last 2 years alone have shown leaps and bounds in people's attitudes about what being gay means. 

Of course, there are still homophobic asshats out there who want us to stay silent and 'repent' for our 'sins.' As an atheist I don't believe in sin. What I do believe in is common decency; human rights; doing good for its own sake and accepting people for who they are. Yes, there are horrible people who want to plant bombs at public events; take out thousands of innocents with hijacked planes and generally destroy all that is good and right in the world, simply because some religious fanatic brain-washed them into doing so. But those people are the exceptions. And yes, there are those who would twist the words of 'holy' books to suit their own needs and persecute those who disagree. Again, these are the exceptions. Seriously, if you believe in "God," how the hell can you say what "He" (or "She") thinks? Get over yourselves, already.

Here's the thing: We are still just at the very beginning of the 21st Century. As more and more famous LGBT people make themselves visible, the more the public at large will realize we aren't freaks, perverts or sinners. We are simply people; living the lives we were born to live; loving the people who make us happy. Isn't that what life is really about, anyway? As we move further into the century's second decade, I can only imagine that things will continue to improve and can very clearly imagine basic human rights for everyone, regardless of sex; race; creed or orientation. I'm very much looking forward to other pro athletes inevitably following Collins' lead and a time when sexuality is no longer a dividing issue. The Bryan Fischers and Maggie Gallaghers of the world have already seen the writing on the wall (you should excuse the Biblical reference) and they are becoming more and more desperate in their attempts to defame and decry our rights as fellow humans. And while I would never deign to deny them their right to believe what they want to believe, I will happily stick out my tongue and make fun of them for being the losers in the fight for what's right.

I am so happy that I am alive to see at least the beginning of the end of homophobia and a new path towards acceptance and understanding. It's been a long time coming and it's actually exciting to see it happening. 

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Power of the Media?

America's Moral Downfall?

A certain douchebag politician who never had a chance in his recent bid for President, has managed to use the recent Supreme Court hearings in a truly pathetic attempt to somehow remain relevant. I won't deign to name this particularly loathsome Republican, but I'm not above linking to hilarious pictures and definitions of him. Anyway, yesterday, said D-bag came out and used something Joe Bidenhas previously praised to defame Marriage Equality, 'blaming' the 1998 sit-com "Will and Grace" for the demise of "traditional marriage." Talk about grasping at straws. I won't even get started about how "traditional marriage" has absolutely NOTHING to do with Christianity, since marriage pre-dates recorded history. But his comments got me wondering about how modern media has helped change minds about the LGBT people.

Truly, before "Will and Grace," there were very few positive portrayals of queer folk on TV. Yes, there was that trans character on "All in the Family." But Beverly was murdered in a later episode. Then Jody came along in "Soap," though as progressive as Billy Crystal's character was, he still wasn't portrayed in the most flattering of terms. Even the theatre and films of the time didn't help. The play (and subsequent movie) The Boys in the Band portrayed gay men as tortured, unhappy and unfulfilled. It wouldn't be until 1997, when comedienne Ellen DeGeneres came out both in person and on her show, that a gay character was portrayed in a truly positive light - and it very nearly destroyed her career. The following year saw the premiere of "Will and Grace," the story of a straight woman and her GBF. Often hilarious; occasionally subversive; loaded with double entendres and populated with relatable characters, "Will and Grace" introduced successful (if neurotic) gay characters to middle America.

Sure, so-called 'Queer Cinema' has been around since the 70's, it would be 2005 before a major studio released a film about gay love. Oscar-winning director Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain was the film we all hoped would open people's eyes. And while it was both a critical and financial success, it really didn't do much to help the cause. Of course, the unhappy ending didn't help. You're gay? Oh, then you'll either die at the hands of homophobic a-holes, or you'll end up alone for the rest of your life. Not very encouraging. And while Showtime successfully adapted the British series "Queer as Folk" into a gay, soft-core soap-opera (followed soon after by The L-Word), the audience for the show wasn't nearly as wide as a broadcast network show. Often naked Bear Richard Hatch may well have been the first winner of "Survivor," but that didn't actually sit well with Maude in Milwaukee.

Another 5 years would pass before there we saw a truly positive gay couple on ABC's "Modern Family." Once again, Middle America found itself with happy and loving gay men in their living rooms every week. 

Still, none of these films or shows were the first to bring up Same Sex Marriage. We have to go back to 1972 for that. Sociologist Alvin Toffler wrote the book Future Shock in 1970, and it was adapted into a 'documentary' (narrated by Orson Welles). I was 12 or 13 when I was first shown Future Shock in school, and I giggled along with my classmates at the scene where two men got married, even though I secretly hoped that such a thing might actually be possible. 

So I have to ask Frothy (who is only 3 years older than Uncle P), is "Will and Grace" truly the first time you got the idea that Same Sex Marriage was a possibility? Or were you so so horribly scarred by a screening of Future Shock, that you felt it your duty to prevent people who loved each other from sharing the same rights as other people who loved each other? I honestly wished I believed in hell, so I could tell him to go there, though it's nice to imagine him roasting in Dante's 8th Level forever.

From Ireland, comes a bit of media Frothy would probably lose his mind over:


More, anon.
Prospero

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Before Laramie

1979

This coming October will mark the 15th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's beating at the hands of two troglodytes in Laramie, Wyoming. But this past December marked the 25th anniversary of the murder of my friend and high school classmate Anthony Milano at the hands of two monsters who have yet to pay for their crimes. 

That's Tony on the far-right of the top row, right next to Uncle P (in the white shirt and over-sized aviators) in a photo from our high school senior year in 1979. The future looked so bright for all of us. 

Tony was quiet and shy but very smart and creative and subversively funny. A talented graphic artist with a skewed sense of humor, we spent three years together (with the rest of the good folks in this photo) in our High School Humanities program, led by a teacher who would go on to be the most celebrated High School Theatre Teacher in the country (and the first adult to tell me it was okay to be gay), Lou Volpe. 

About a year or so after this photo was taken, Tony and I ran into each other in a gay bar in Philadelphia (where we were both too young to be, legally), though neither of us was yet willing to admit even to each other that we were gay. He offered to drive me home to my apartment in Northeast Philly (I had taken the train into Center City) and we parted without saying a word about where we'd met. It was a very different time. 

Over the years since then, we'd meet in various places and situations, never once mentioning that encounter. The last time I saw him, I was working a retail job while trying to establish an acting career. It was early December and I was just too busy to take time out to have a meaningful conversation with him. I promised I would keep in touch and brushed him off, too concerned with whatever it was I was doing to worry about hurting his feelings. A week later, Tony was dead and I was wracked with guilt at having dismissed him.

On December 14th, 1987, Tony stopped for a sandwich and a beer at a local bar, where he ran into Frank Chester and Richard Laird, who goaded him into ostensibly giving them a ride home. Chester and Laird were both relatively attractive men. Did Tony think he was going to have sex with one or both of them? Was he too afraid to refuse their request for a ride? Did they ply him with the promise of more alcohol or drugs? Did they intimate they were willing to have sex with him? We'll never know. What we do know is that they led him to remote, wooded area and murdered him in very cold blood. It's still not clear who did what, though it is certain that one of them held Tony down while the other one slashed his throat with a box-cutter (so brutally that flesh was found in the surrounding trees). They then set his car on fire and left him for dead. Chester and Laird were eventually found guilty and sentenced to death, though both of them remain alive and well in Bucks County Prison, filing appeal after appeal.

I remember attending Tony's viewing and seeing his obviously sedated parents; the undertaker's less-than-successful attempt at hiding the damage to his throat in his surprisingly open casket and the dozens of my weeping classmates. It was surreal, to say the least. Tony's mother never recovered and passed away a few years later. His father, a mild-mannered barber, passed away in 2012. His sister, Annamarie, is the last member of the family to survive. She rarely gives interviews or comments on the events surrounding her brother's death. Chester and Laird are still incarcerated, even though Laird was re-tried in 2007 with the same outcome. 

As a whole, the LGBT community has made great strides in the last 25 years. Just this week saw two  historic Equality issues argued before the Supreme Court. Still, I can't help but wonder what Tony might have accomplished in those years, had his life not been cut short by two ignorant, homophobic creeps. Worse still... There are plenty of ignorant, fearful and violent people who wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing to a naive young gay, lesbian or trans person, given the chance.

As children, we're told there are no such things as monsters. Sadly, as adults, we learn that's just not true. Personally, I am usually against the Death Sentence. In this case, I am happy to make an exception. 

Sorry if this post was a bummer but I think things need to be brought into perspective every now and then. As much as we may want to celebrate the eminent demise of DOMA and Prop 8, I think we need to take a moment to remember all that has led up to it. Hate crimes against LGBTQ people are still reported on a daily basis. So many young LGBTQ people are still rejected by their families, bullied by their peers and ostracized by the churches in which they grew up. Suicide among LGBTQ youth remains at an all-time high. It's up to all of us to stop the madness and embrace the idea that we are all human, no matter who or how we love.

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Value of Solidarity

So, if you are on Facebook or Twitter, you have no doubt seen the symbol that's on your right. You may even have seen it if you don't use social media, as it has made a bit of a stir on traditional media outlets, as well.

It is a variation of the Human Rights Campaign's traditional blue and yellow Equality logo. As the US Supreme Court heard arguments in both the Prop 8 and DOMA cases yesterday and today, millions of social media users (Uncle P, included) changed their profile pictures to HRC's pink and red logo. Interestingly, it wasn't just LGBT people who did this. On Facebook, my news feed was a sea of red as a good two thirds of my Facebook Friends posted the symbol, the majority of whom are straight. Seeing so many friends lend their support to Marriage Equality was both heartwarming and empowering. Of course, I wouldn't actually be Facebook Friends with anyone who wasn't LGBT friendly. And like many Facebook users, the majority of my Facebook Friends are people I've never actually met in person. They are friends of friends, or people with similar interests and beliefs, or just folks I think are funny and cool.

George "Sulu" Takei is being credited for getting the bandwagon going on this. His many, many followers saw him post it (and it's many, many variations) and took up the mantle, showing their support for him and LGBT people in general. It was amazing. Of course, there were detractors. "Oh, like SCOTUS is going to base their decision on your Facebook profile picture." Of course, that's hardly the point.

Here's the thing: The overwhelming majority of social media users (most of whom are between 18 and 30), are for Marriage Equality in America and don't understand why anyone would do otherwise.  The millions of folks who posted the red Equality symbol don't need to show SCOTUS that they support the cause (though traditional media coverage certainly couldn't escape the 9 Justices). Still, those straight allies who posted the symbol did so much more, just by letting us know that they have our backs. The tide is changing, and the pervasiveness of the red Equality symbol says more than any Quinnipiac poll ever could.

The haters are losing. And that's OK with me. And my friends, both on Facebook and in real life.

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More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article DOMA / Gay / LGBT Rights / Marriage Equality / Politics / Prop 8 with the title LGBT Rights. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-value-of-solidarity.html. Thanks!

Sterotype Schmereotype

Seriously?

Word is, people started lining up in front of the Supreme Court Building Thursday evening in order to attend the arguments in both the DOMA and Prop 8 cases, next Tuesday and Wednesday. If I could afford to spend 6 nights camped out in unseasonably cold weather, it would be on vacation with a hot, fuzzy companion to help keep me warm while Aurora Borealis shone above our heated tent.

But seriously, the next week may well prove the turning point for Marriage Equality on a national level. It's truly conceivable that the United States may actually progress into the 21st Century and join the planet's other progressive Democracies and acknowledge that not only is sexuality innate, but that Civil Rights belong to everyone. 

There are of course, many in the U.S. who (because of fear, ignorance and superstitions passed down from their parents and clergy) believe that LGBTQ people are perverted, evil sinners who flaunt their sins and try to entice intrinsically straight people (especially children) into homosexuality. These folks (probably gay, themselves) use extreme examples to perpetrate the lies they espouse. Sure, hot guys in leather ride floats in Pride parades. But hot girls with big breasts serve wings in tight T-shirts and cut-offs at Hooters, too. 

But I digress. Long-time readers know of my disdain for so-called 'Reality TV.' Manipulative; sordid; soul-sucking drek, shows like "The Bachelor;" "Survivor;" "The Apprentice;" "The Jersey Shore" and their ilk, pander to the lowest common denominator and insult all of our intelligences by their very existence. Tabloid TV seems to have taken over, making TV programming far worse than it ever was.* Unfortunately, Canadian cable channel Slice ("... the juicy channel women have been waiting for.") has lowered the bar yet another notch with their newest 'Reality' show, "Golden Gays."

Yes, this is the image we want to project to the rest of the world. Woo-hoo! We survived the plague! Yeah! We wanna get it on! Wee-haa! Viagra! This kind of crap is exactly why the Rednecks, religious radicals and Repugnicans hate us. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't let your freak flag fly. By all means. I have no business telling anyone what to do, say, watch or participate in. I'm just saying that the sore thumb may get the most attention, but the other nine fingers end up doing all the work.

Yes, I know - this whole post comes off as an internal homophobic rant, but I swear it's really about the intentionally exaggerated circumstances created by the producers of these exceptionally horrid shows. And while I will happily admit to watching the Food Network's "Restaurant Impossible;" "Dinner Impossible" and "Chopped," those are more about my love of food than the sort of Schadenfreude in which most 'Reality' shows seem to revel.

More, anon.

Prospero

*Thankfully, scripted television has recently upped the ante with cable shows like "The Walking Dead;" "Breaking Bad;" "Dexter;" "Mad Men" and a few others.

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Shocked?

Michelle Shocked

By now you all know the story of the tragic breakdown of the once-promising alt-folk singer Michelle Shocked, who made a name for herself in the late 80's and early 90's. In the mid-90's (while gaining her greatest success with a song -- "Quality of Mercy" -- for the soundtrack to the Sean Penn/Susan Sarandon film Dead Man Walking), Shocked joined the choir of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal church in L.A. and subsequently became "Born Again." Honestly, I thought she'd given up performing, as I hadn't even heard her name in many, many years.

Of course, she got her name back in the press with her horrific homophobic rant this past Sunday at Yoshi, a club in San Francisco, where she declared that she was afraid that Marriage Equality would trigger the return of Jesus and the end of world, telling the audience (who walked out after) to "Go on Twitter and say that 'Michelle Shocked hates fags!'" Since then, 10 out of the 11 remaining venues where she had been scheduled to perform have cancelled her shows and LGBT groups have decried her statement all over the Internet. 

Today, Shocked issued an apology of sorts, stating she was merely expressing the worries of other Right-leaning Christians and the she (like Jesus) loves everyone.

Hmm. Too little, too late, Michelle. Or is it? Before this week, when is the last time you heard her name in the press (if ever)? I'd venture to say that no one born after 1985 had ever heard of her before this week. So I have to wonder... They say "There's no such thing as bad publicity." And Oscar Wilde famously said "The only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about." So, my question is, was this a true melt-down or just a publicity stunt? I'm guessing it's probably a little bit of both. The gigs she lost will likely be replaced with invitations to perform at anti-gay rallies for groups like NOM and Focus on the Family, regardless of what she actually believes about gays and Marriage Equality. And she'll be fine with taking their blood money. 

Take it from the voice of experience - performers are whores. Each and every one of us. Most of us are just a little bit classier about it. If this is a publicity stunt, I hope it backfires on her. If it isn't, she's already lost her credibility as an indie folk performer and sent herself on the same path as anti-gay nut-job Victoria Jackson - another has-been, desperately trying to stay relevant in a world that has mostly forgotten her.

I actually sort of feel sorry for both women. Their careers shut down at their peaks; misguided by right-wing religion and desperate for attention, what recourse did they have but to make outrageous statements about marginalized people who are finally coming into their own? In the 1960's, they both would have come out against desegregation and mixed-raced marriage.  Sad, sad, sad, no matter how one spins it.

I can only hope that smart folks will see through the hate these women espouse.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Don't Cry For Him

Pope Depravatio XXV

Today, a bunch of old guys obsessed with sex (because it's forbidden to them) voted for the new leader of their "No Gurlz Alloud" club. The RCC has certainly had a rollercoaster ride in the past few years, hasn't it? Sex scandals are just the tip of the iceberg, kids. And I know that folks are sort of excited that Francis I is the first Pope from South America, but I have have to wonder how the conclave missed the potential for Evita jokes. Seriously - that many Cardinals in the same room all missed the musical theatre reference? I hardly think so.

Jorge Bergoglio isn't exactly a charismatic man, despite his resemblance to "Arrested Development" star Jeffrey Tambor. And yes, he's the first South American Pontiff. At least he doesn't look like Evil Incarnate. Still... 

I just want to play 'Devil's Advocate' (you should excuse the expression - or not - don't care)  here... We know that Ratzeneater was in the Hitler Youth Corps and (allegedly) helped hide pedophile priests from prosecution as a Cardinal. We know that plenty of Nazis fled to South America after WWII; the majority of them taken in by Brazil and Argentina. I'll let the tinfoil hat/truther/ex-gay/abductees among you to draw your own conclusions to that particular setup.

Here's the thing: Nothing is really going to change for the Church (or its progressive members), other than a new PR campaign. Personally, I think it's too little, too late. Americans are abandoning the RCC in record numbers; both disgusted by the sex scandals and disappointed in the Church's refusal to recognize homosexuality as innate. Francis has previously expressed his opinion on gay adoption and marriage, despite the Argentine government's ruling which legalized same sex marriage. They've already begun the spin about Bergoglio's humble roots and his connection to and support of the poor and downtrodden. 

Unless the poor and downtrodden are gay, of course. Oops! How on earth did that slip out?

There are very, very few instances in which Rowan Atkinson (pictured above) has been able to make me laugh. I have honestly just never found him funny in more than one or two instances. That having been said, I can't imagine being sent into fits of hysteria more than by the thought of Atkinson as Pope. Yes, even more than the thought of a falling mascot.

Hocus-Pocus; Alakazaam! If Jorge can't do it; no one can!

Of course, this is the outcome Uncle P was really hoping for:

More, anon.
Prospero

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