This is kind of a cheap post, but I always like to include this when I blog. You’re looking at a world map presented in Jack Kirby’s Kamandi. It’s the kind of thing that as a reader, going back into the troves of past generations, I can’t get enough of. It’s a great tie in for me as a gamer, too. But really, at the end of the day, it’s a plug for my favorite comic podcast, Funnybook Babylon. I’ll let them take it from here.
--------Its been Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay tooooooo long for me to remember,...but this is still the D.C. universe,.......but something "REALLY BAD" happened to poor ol' Gea,...the eco system has dun gone "STRANGE"......"Damn filthy apes!" are the LEAST of the problems.This is kind of a cheap post, but I always like to include this when I blog. You’re... more
The Obama administration's point man on civil rights said Wednesday he will seek to fight discrimination against gays, an area in which the Justice Department has had only a small role in the past.
Tom Perez, the assistant attorney general in charge of the department's Civil Rights Division, said pending legislation in Congress will allow the department to attack discrimination against lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgender people, a group often referred to by the acronym LGBT.
That would be new territory for the division that has historically gone after discrimination based on race, gender or religion. It would also be a major shift from the division's work during the Bush administration, which opposed expansion of the federal hate crimes law to prosecute those who attack gays.
Perez on Wednesday he gave his first speech to division employees, saying the division must be transformed "so that we are capable of tackling the civil rights challenges of the 21st century," include issues not historically addressed by the department.
"We must fight for fairness and basic equality for our LGBT brothers and sisters who so frequently are being left in the shadows," he said, and to "ensure that there's a level playing field in which our LGBT brothers and sisters are judged by the content of their character."
Allison Herwitt, legislative director for Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group, called Perez's words "fantastic."The Obama administration's point man on civil rights said Wednesday he will seek to... more
President Barack Obama has nominated a Minnesota policewoman to become the first openly gay person to serve as a U.S. marshal.
Sharon Lubinski is an assistant chief in the Minneapolis Police Department, where she has worked for 20 years.President Barack Obama has nominated a Minnesota policewoman to become the first... more
If you thought it was going to be a long time before you ever witnessed Lady Gaga make a grandly gay appearance on the C-Span television network, well you’ll just have to think again! Our Lady Gaga of the Immaculate Penis spoke before thousands in attendance at The National Equality March on Washington today. And there were two very memorable parts: first, when they placed a riser behind the podium for her to stand on and speak, and second, when she wooed the audience with a Judy Garland joke. Reminders: Obama makes Lady Gaga joke, Gaga makes Judy Garland joke. Oh yes…America, the Beautiful!!
This includes color photographs and the video of Lady Gaga's speech.If you thought it was going to be a long time before you ever witnessed Lady Gaga make... more
While West later posted an apology to Swift on his blog an all-caps rant that was off the site by Monday morning , another person who was not having it was Joseph Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson family, who reportedly shared sips from 'Ye's bottle of Hennessy earlier in the night. TMZ posted a statement from Jackson in which he said, "I don't know what he was doing, he jumped up on stage and snatched that microphone out of that poor girl's hand. They should blackball him out of show business for that. He just leapt up there, that was bad." Jackson said just minutes after he'd spoken to West and been introduced to the rapper's girlfriend, Amber Rose, Kanye jumped onstage and grabbed the mic from Swift.
While he's all for beauty queens expressing their opinions at pageants, if there's one thing Donald Trump can't stand it's rudeness. The Donald unloaded on Kanye West Monday, laying into the rapper for his now infamous disruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at Sunday nights' VMAs.
According to Hoodwatch Media, Trump said West's actions were "disgusting" and called for a boycott of all things Kanye-related "so this kind of thing doesn't happen again." The Donald also apparently wasn't buying the argument that West jumped up to defend Beyoncé's honor when he ranted about how "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" should have won for Best Female Video. "He couldn't care less about Beyoncé," Trump said. "It was grandstanding to get attention."
In a statement out of Atlanta , even Hoodwatch Media CEO Lord Hector Diono said "Kanye needs his ass kicked, I mean somebody really needs to slap the shit out of him like the little child he is and get him back in line with the rest of civilization". By Pat Rozenski Hoodwatch Media News staff New YorkWhile West later posted an apology to Swift on his blog an all-caps rant that was off... more
This article is about the raid that happened last night in Atlanta. According to the source, patrons are the bar were forced to lay on the floor and where then searched and ided. Several workers at the bar were arrested. Many reports include homophobic remarks and behavior from the police officers.
I really thought this sort of thing wouldn't happen in my city.This article is about the raid that happened last night in Atlanta. According to the... more
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued a posthumous apology for the "appalling" treatment of Alan Turing, the British code-breaker who was chemically castrated for being gay.
The apology came after more than 30,000 people signed an online petition on the UK Government Web site calling for the government to recognize the "tragic consequences of prejudice that ended this man's life and career."
Turing was just 41 years old when he committed suicide, two years after undergoing a court-ordered chemical castration. He had been found guilty of gross indecency for having a homosexual relationship. The punishment in 1952 was either a prison sentence or chemical castration. Turing chose the latter.
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More at link.LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued a posthumous... more
On Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City this past Thursday, July 9, 2009, a gay couple were handcuffed and arrested for trespassing and sharing a display of affection nearly 20-feet from the plaza's edge, as cited in a similar story published in the Salt Lake Tribune ("Gay couple cuffed, cited after kiss near LDS temple", 10 July 2009). The couple's show of affection Thursday evening on Main Street Plaza in the shadow of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple was provocation for several security officers to confront Matt Aune and his partner Derek Jones on charges of "inappropriate behavior." Aune and Jones described to Salt Lake Tribune reporter Lindsay Whitehurst that they were crossing the plaza holding hands, and then stopped to embrace, and Aune placed a kiss on Jones' cheek. The couple was returning home, just blocks away from the plaza in the Marmalade district, after attending a Twilight Concert Series show at the Gallivan Center. Security guards aggressively cuffed Aune on the ground on charges of "inappropriate behavior" after telling the men to leave, then detained them for Salt Lake City police who arrived later and issued trespassing citations against Aune and Jones. Trespassing charges were defended in favor of the church, because both Aune and Jones were on the plaza, a pedestrian public thoroughfare that used to be city property until 2003 when a land-swap exchange was arranged between the church and the city.
Photo: Matt Aune and Derek Jones (pictured). Image courtesy Salt Lake Tribune.On Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City this past Thursday, July 9, 2009, a gay couple... more
On Sunday (06-28-09) was the 36th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade.
The gay community gathered on a joyful march along Market Street in the spirit of its celebration theme: "In order to form a more perfect union…"
Mayor Gavin Newson e other local authorities participated on this event to show their support and commitment to preserve everyone's civil rights.
This event that usually attracts a joyful crowd this year seemed to have motivated everyone to come out. It felt like the rainbow was attracting everyone to show their support to marriage and family equality.
Prop. 8 gave the gay community a sense of union that is beyond the aspect of civil union. It made us realize that denying lawful recognition to longtime commitment among same gender couples affects the lives of their children as well.
The thought that children of same sex gender grew up by under the social stigma of their illegitimacy status, it's enough reason to recognize that Prop. 8 is extremely unfair!
Meanwhile, gays everywhere shall stand up and keep on shouting out loud: "homophobia got to go!"On Sunday (06-28-09) was the 36th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade.
The gay... more
This submission examines my home town's reaction to its high school production of The Laramie Project. About a Wyoming town's reaction to the 1998 hate murder of Matthew Shepard, the play brings the topic of intolerance into the public forum. A community-wide discussion has resulted from the controversy surrounding the production. The students of Valley High School involved in the production have been at the center of this controversy, many realizing the power they have to spread positive change in their community. I hope this submission further spurs discourse and awareness in other communities.This submission examines my home town's reaction to its high school production of The... more
Big news from Maine. On the plus side, the campaign to save Maine's marriage law has been launched -- and they've got a kick-ass campaign manager leading the effort. In Maine, new laws can be challenged via the referendum process. As I write this, the Catholic Church and its vehemently anti-gay allies are collecting signatures to get a measure on the ballot this November to repeal the new marriage equality law.Big news from Maine. On the plus side, the campaign to save Maine's marriage law has... more
There's one thing you don't want to do in Hollywood - upset the gay community. And unfortunately that's just what Bruno is doing. An editorial coming from GLAAD just hit Hollywood Reporter today and a separate article on The Wrap addresses the issue as well. However, Dominic Patten of The Wrap claims that Universal and Sacha Baron Cohen actually reshot part of the movie due to pressure from prominent gay individuals in Hollywood - like director Mike White - who apparently "found the Bruno character to be a depiction of fetishism rather than a comedic stereotype." Were there really reshoots on Bruno? I doubt it.There's one thing you don't want to do in Hollywood - upset the gay community. And... more
As you may have heard, President Obama tomorrow will be signing a presidential directive, not an executive order, providing "some" benefits to gay and lesbian employees. Well, the details, murky that they are, are coming. And they aren't great.Ah, those pesky details.
As you may have heard, President Obama tomorrow will be... more
Incidents increased by 28 % in 2008 compared to then in 2007.
NEW YORK - The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people killed in bias-motivated incidents increased by 28 percent in 2008 compared to a year ago, according to a national coalition of advocacy groups.
Last year's 29 killings was the highest recorded by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs since 1999, when it documented the same number of slayings, according to a report released Tuesday by the coalition.
"What we're also seeing, more disturbingly, is the increase in the severity of violence," said Sharon Stapel, executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which coordinates coalition.
Stapel theorized that at least some of last year's violence was backlash against issues that arose during the during the presidential campaign. She cited debates about same-sex marriage, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and federal legislation that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as possible flash points.
"The more visibility there is the more likely we're going to see backlash, and that's exactly what we see here," Stapel said.
Overall, the number of victims who reported anti-LGBT violence in 2008 increased by 2 percent compared to 2007, said the New York-based coalition of programs in 25 states.
Figures said to be more accurate
Coalition officials say their figures are more accurate than those from law enforcement agencies. As an example, they say, the FBI doesn't record bias crimes against transgender people because gender identity isn't covered by federal hate-crime law.
Also, victims sometimes are reluctant to report bias incidents to police because they don't want to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity and/or they fear bias from police, officials said.
Reports of physical abuse by police increased to 25 incidents last year from 10 in 2007, the report said.
For the new report, programs in Milwaukee, Minnesota, Chicago, Los Angeles, Colorado, Columbus, Ohio, Houston, Pennsylvania, New York City, Kansas City, Missouri, Michigan and San Francisco submitted data.
Programs in Vermont and the Boston area participated in the 2007 report but not the current one. The program in Rochester, N.Y., participated in 2008 for the first time.
The largest increase — 64 percent — was in Milwaukee, where the number of reported incidents rose to 18 in 2008 from 11 in 2007, the report said.
Officials weren't sure whether reported increases were attributable to more people reporting incidents or an actual rise.
'It's a vulnerable population'
Meighan Bentz, a victim outreach advocate at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, which includes an anti-violence project, said, "I think it's a combination."
"Certainly there are more people reporting," Bentz said, adding that the project started in 2005. "As time goes on there are more people aware of our program as a resource."
Bentz added, "I do believe there are ongoing issues of violence and its affect upon LGBT individuals. It's a vulnerable population."
Many of 2008's incidents made headlines.
In December, a man was beaten to death in New York City while he walked arm in arm with his brother as their attackers yelled anti-gay and anti-Latino epithets. Two men have been charged with murder as a hate crime.
In February 2008, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot to death at school in Oxnard, Calif., near Malibu after enduring harassment after he told classmates he was gay; a classmate is charged as an adult in the killing, which prosecutors classified as a hate crime.
Last June, a surveillance tape was publicized showing Memphis, Tenn., police officers beating Duanna Johnson, a transgender woman, and shouting slurs in a jail booking area; a public outcry erupted.
In November, Johnson was found fatally shot on a Memphis streetIncidents increased by 28 % in 2008 compared to then in 2007.
NEW YORK - The number... more
I found this not only funny but also a great way to look at the archaic laws that govern our lives and see how they do not translate into days timesI found this not only funny but also a great way to look at the archaic laws that... more
Natalie Jones, a 6th grader, was told by her principle that she would be unable to present her presentation on Harvey Milk because of the "sensitive matter". The ACLU is calling this censorship and looking to file a lawsuit if the school district does not issue an apology.Natalie Jones, a 6th grader, was told by her principle that she would be unable to... more
Miss California is not backing down from the answer regarding gay marriage she gave on Sunday night's Miss USA telecast.
Carrie Prejean told FOXNews.com that she had "no regrets" and was happy with the answer she gave when a Miss USA judge, the gossip blogger Perez Hilton, asked about her stance on same-sex marriage.
"I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," she said on the live broadcast. "No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."Miss California is not backing down from the answer regarding gay marriage she gave on... more
Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was asked during Miss USA 2009 whether or not other states like Vermont should legalize same-sex marriage. According to Perez Hilton she was booed. You can see this youtube clip and judge yourself.Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was asked during Miss USA 2009 whether or not other... more
According to author Mark R. Probst, Amazon.com has begun pulling the sales rank numbers from several gay and lesbian books, claiming that the books are "adult" and should be excluded from some searches and lists.
Probst noticed the disappearing rankings after searching for a few high-profile gay romance novels; believing there was some sort of glitch in the system, he continued researching and discovered that "HUNDREDS of gay and lesbian books simultaneously lost their sales rankings," including his own book, The Filly. When Probst contacted Amazon regarding the situation, he was given this response by the company:
In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude "adult" material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature.
Hence, if you have further questions, kindly write back to us.
Best regards,
Ashlyn D
Member Services
Amazon.com Advantage
This sounds like a big old bowl of BS, does it not? Especially when you consider the fact that Amazon has vibrators, clitoral stimulators and anal plugs available in their search system with sales ranks attached. One wonders why these items are allowed to remain in the system with sales ranks while books including gay and lesbian content, themes, and even, as a commenter points out, autobiographies of gay and lesbian authors such as Stephen Fry, are deemed too "adult" for such things.
The LiveJournal community MetaWriter is currently keeping tabs on the books that have had their sales ranks removed: Rubyfruit Jungle, Brokeback Mountain, and even Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys, a YA novel, have been deemed too "adult" for Amazon's customers to view their sales rankings. Twitter is currently buzzing with the controversy: #AmazonFail is the number one trending item on the site right now.
To be clear, the books that are having their sales rankings stripped fall into a wide range of categories; it appears that Amazon is removing the rankings from titles that touch on everything from romance novels to history titles to YA novels, and even such titles as The Advocate College Guide For LGBT Students. There doesn't seem to be much logic going on here; how anyone could classify a self-help guide for LGBT students going off to school or Homophobia: A History as too "adult" for sales rankings is a bit puzzling.
Update:
We've been keeping track of the titles that have been stripped of their rankings: Anna points out that Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer has retained its sales rank, but Anais Nin's Delta Of Venus has been stripped.
