Lets Laugh at Liberals

What amazes me is that, to people watching this on Fox news, this clip probably shows how laughably immoral and wrong proponents of homosexuality are. Personally, watching this shows just how horrendously pig-headed and cruel a TV personality is allowed to be on public television. The fact that they showed this on their own channel, however, means that they clearly think this successfully caters to their like-minded audience. I know any situation can have multiple interpretations, but i don't think I've ever been hit in the face with that fact so much before.

I'm not sure how much of a thoughtful analysis i can do of this, please just watch it yourselves and maybe comment for discussion. hmm.

Survey on Gays in the Army

A recent study showed that the majority of troops in the military do not mind serving with gay soldiers. This is an extremely important survey considering the fact that many Republicans and Democrats are voting with “what the soldiers have to say.” The vote to lift DADT will occur soon after the report comes out in December. What I found considerably more interesting were the comments left at the bottom of the article, a “Gunnary Sergeant Hartmann” writes, 

I served in the military and let me tell you first hand most troops do mind. Survey my @ss. Maiman like many left wing pinkos has never served 1 day in the military. OORAH TROOPS. Give me one for God, two for the Country, three for the Corps, and four for no fairies. OORAH!

The writer of the article responds,

Not sure what serving in the military has to do with your homophobic attitude, but if being prejudiced and hateful towards any group for any reason were a required prerequisite for serving in the military, we'd have far fewer Americans serving than we currently do. Most soldiers --and Americans-- get it.

And you are definitely not someone I'd have been proud to serve with.

(The battle continues). But if this “Sergeant Hartmann” is actually who he says he is, then the complexity of the problem with DADT transcends further than whether or not soldiers “mind” gay troops. The issue strikes the very foundation of the military’s persona, as the army seems to use homophobia as a signifier of strength and patriotism.

So, just how much change in repealing DADT by “de jure,” will result in autonomy in “de facto?”

Obama's stance on LGBT Rights

 I thought that it would be interesting to examine what Obama has done for the LGBT community and what he intends to achieve. In this article, Obama's perspectives on issues relating to civil justice are analyzed. So far, Obama has been successful in the passing of anti-hate crime Matthew Shepard Act but many problems are still prevalent in society. I thought what was most interesting was his disposition on "don't ask don't tell"

From the White House Website: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.

This would undoubtedly be a great feat for his administration to accomplish but just how hopeful should we be?

Homophobia Lost? In UK, Straight Guys Kiss Each Other

Sociologist Eric Anderson is reporting that in Britain straight males are starting to engage in same-sex kisses with their peers.

Based on in-depth interviews of 145 British university and high-school students, Anderson and his colleagues discovered that 89 percent had kissed a male heterosexual friend on the lips at some point. A total of 37 percent had engaged in "sustained" kissing with another man, Anderson said. The men all identified as straight, and they didn't see the kisses as sexual.

"These men have lost their homophobia," Anderson said. "They're no longer afraid to be thought gay by their behaviors, and they enjoy intimacy with their friends, just the same as women."

[...]

The United Kingdom is less homophobic as a whole than the United States, Anderson said, but Americans should expect acceptance of men kissing on our shores soon enough. Research on American college soccer players suggests that 20 percent of those men have kissed another man, which is a harbinger of the trend, Anderson said.

It's not yet known how the trend of men kissing extends to non-University segments of the British population. Anderson plans to extend the research to minority men and low-income men who aren't in college.

Growing acceptance of same-sex kissing doesn't mean that homophobia is gone, just that masculine ideals are changing, Anderson said. His theory, put forth in his book, "Inclusive Masculinity: The Changing Nature of Masculinities" (Routledge, 2009), is that in times of homophobia, men police their behavior to avoid being seen as gay. When homophobia fades, men can relax and explore behaviors that don't jive with the traditional masculine ideal.

"Decrease in homophobia has positive effects for heterosexual men as well," Anderson said.

Thoughts? Does anyone think that such "enlightened" views about how heterosexual masculinity can be constructed will ever cross the pond and reach the United States?

Worthy of Attention?

This past weekend, an Emory student was kicked out of a frat party. He also happened to be gay. Since this was a late night party, no one seems very sure on the details; the student may have called some frat guy gay, and got kicked out. A lot of people didn't understand what was happening, saw a scuffle, and cheered. No one was hurt, police were not called, and if the gay student hadn't said anything, very few people would know this even happened.

Yet because this incident occurred on the wake of an anti-gay bullying frenzy, starting with Tyler Clementi's suicide, the story is now in newspapers and online, and Emory is investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Um, I don't think being gay should get anyone kicked out of a party, ever, but the fact that this is "news" is a little much for me. This was a frat party scuffle that did not involve any injury; people getting kicked out of parties happens every weekend at hundreds of colleges. Granted, the student was kicked out because he called a frat boy gay. Hopefully one day "that's so gay" and derogatory connotations of the word will be gone, but today they very much exist. But that is something LGBT activists recognize as a societal problem - it is not necessary to publish in the news every case of every small scale wrongdoing ever. If that were they case, the news would also have stories about girls being called hos, etc., etc. To me, this is a small example of a societal problem - the problem should be written about, but probably not something as minor as this. Then again, maybe I'm being terribly insensitive.

What do you think? Is there a reason why this story is news?

Omaha, Nebraska Rejects LGBT Rights Ordinance

Is it 2010 or 1975?

As we finish the LGBT Rights in the Era of Obama section of the class comes word about this story which reads like it is right out of Neil Miller's Out of the Past LGBT history book: a city council refusing to pass a non-discrimination ordinance protecting gay and transgender citizens.

Here's the deets:

The Omaha City Council on Tuesday voted down a proposed ordinance to give new protections to gays and lesbians.

The measure failed on a 3-3 vote. Councilman Franklin Thompson, who has called for a public vote on the issue, abstained.

Councilmen Ben Gray, Pete Festersen and Chris Jerram voted in favor of the ordinance; Jean Stothert, Garry Gernandt and Thomas Mulligan were opposed.

Gray, author of the ordinance, proposed that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people be a protected class under city code — protection they don't currently have under state or federal law.

He amended the proposal to exclude religious organizations, but members of the Omaha business community also opposed the ordinance.

The council held a public hearing Tuesday on Thompson's proposal to put the issue to a public vote, in the form of an amendment to the City Charter. The vote on Thompson's measure is expected next week.

“I find it offensive that we would equate this with civil rights,” Pastor Cedric Perkins, pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church said. “Those rights were based upon a person's color of their skin, which they could not change.”

[...]

The existing city ordinance already includes language prohibiting bias based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age and disability.

Gray's ordinance would allow homosexual and transgender residents who believe they have been fired or suffered other workplace discrimination, or have been refused service at a restaurant, hotel or other place that serves the public, to file a complaint with Omaha's Human Rights and Relations Department, Assistant City Attorney Bernard in den Bosch has said.

In case you were wondering, here's a picture of "Pastor Cedric Perkins." Leapfrog Paranoia, Willful Blindness and Defiant Ignorance, anyone?




(Note, that the city councilman who proposed the ordinance, Ben Gray, is also African-American). Thus we have an example of Diversity Within intersectionality.

Obama Breaks Clinton's Record of 140 Openly Gay Presidential Appointees

Amanda Simpson, first openly transgender
Presidential appointee in history

Less than two years into his first Presidential term, Barack Obama has broken Bill Clinton's record of the number of appointees to the federal government with over 150 openly LGBT people in his administration so far.

Back in the 1990s when Clinton was president he made history by appointing the first openly gay person to a position requiring United States Senate approval, Roberta Achtenberg, to be assistant to the secretary for Housing and Urban Development. Noted homphobic Senator, Jesse Helms (R-NC), opposed the nomination and called Achtenberg a "damned lesbian" and "militant extremist" while he tried to stall and kill the appointment.

Now Obama has reached a historic level of 150 openly LGBT appointees in less than 2 years when it took Clinton 8 years to reach 140 openly gay and lesbian appointees.

From the Los Angeles Times report:

Gay activists, among Obama's strongest supporters, had hoped he would be the first to appoint an openly gay Cabinet secretary. While that hasn't happened — yet — Obama did appoint the highest-ranking gay official ever when he named John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the nation's 1.9 million federal workers.

Other prominent names include Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Fred Hochberg, chairman of the Export-Import Bank. Obama also named Amanda Simpson, the first openly transgender appointee, as a senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department. And David Huebner, ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, is the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye confirmed the record number, saying Obama has hired more gay officials than the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations combined. He said Obama "is proud that his appointments reflect the diversity of the American public."

"He is committed to appointing highly qualified individuals for each post," Inouye said. "We have made a record number of openly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) appointments and we are confident that this number will only continue to grow."

Progress takes time, and occurs in different areas (administrative instead of legislative) at different rates.

Cross-posted from The Mad Professah Lectures.

Morehouse Bans Crossdressing

I just read this article Morehouse Clothing Policy, which is about Morehouse ( an all male, historically black college) and it's new ban against wearing any women's clothing and makeup, etc. The vice president of Student Services, Dr. William Bynum said this ban is targeted for a minority of students who are dressing in women's clothing and who are apparently "living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men". 

I know that gender conformity is extremely important in the black community, especially for black men.  However I am still surprised that Morehouse would go so far to actually create a school policy to ensure that the men attending their institution would look a certain way.  In fact, any student that breaks this policy "will not be allowed to go to class unless they change. Chronic dress-code offenders could be suspended from the college".

Apparently, the reason behind this policy lies within the vision of the president of the college who  "wants the institution to create leaders like notable graduates Martin Luther King Jr., actor Samuel Jackson and film director Spike Lee". However, who said dressing a certain way meant that you couldn't be an activist like Martin Luther King Jr. or a famous film director like Spike Lee. I don't understand why what you wear would have anything to do with your potential to become a leader. This is clearly about maintaining a certain idea of masculinity. I understand that they want to uphold a legacy, but this policy is just reinforcing the boxes that black men are "suppose" to fit into.

Event in 2001

The Netherlands became the first country allowing same-sex marriage. (In 2001).
Countries today allowing Same Sex Marriages:
The Netherlands
Sweden
Argentina
Iceland
Belgium
Canada
Norway
South Africa
Spain
Portugal
United States: (states)
Massachusetts
Iowa
Connecticut
Vermont
New Hampshire and the
District of Columbia.

Conversion Therapy

      Conversion therapy, or reparative therapy, is a psychiatric attempt to change someone's sexual orientation through therapy. In many instances this process is a religious based, striving to create "ex-gays" who have altered their identity so that they become heterosexual.
      In the United States this practice began in the 1930s because many physciatrist and doctors thought of homosexuality as a choice, as well as a disease. This logic caused many people to believe that homosexuality could be "cured". It was not until after the Stonewall Riots, that conversion therapy was actually protested on a large scale.
      Yet the practice still continues today. Here is a video of a young man in college talking about going through conversion therapy. His experience might seem a little extreme, but it is also indicative of what some people go through.




    I think it is pretty interesting that some people still see homosexuality as a curable choice. I found it very powerful when he said "you can't change what I never chose". What do you think? Is there anything you found particularly striking?

You Don't Have To Ask, But I Have the Right To Tell

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to see president Barack Obama at his vote-democrat rally at the University of Southern California. Many of the political figures at the rally made sure to point out the faults of the republican party and the relatively recent revival of the tea party movement. Along with the celebrity appearance of both Jamie Foxx and Kal Penn, who is officially working for Obama, there were many performances by the students of USC, actual music bands, and children choirs.

As aforementioned republicans were directly confronted with the comments stated by their democratic counterparts. Obama stated that he plans on combating the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has become accepted in the military today. This statement solidifies that fact that Obama has been and continues to be an advocate for the LGBT community. Though this is the type of progression that needs to be encouraged, it is clear that attacking LGBT issues with the current allotment of problems that Obama has to deal with is not exactly probable.

While it is true that Obama may intend to eventually combat these issues, are his current efforts nothing more than empty actions and promises?

Suspect of the Murder of Transgender Woman Victoria Carmen White Went to the Cops

On September 12, a transgender woman by the name of Victoria Carmen White was found dead in her apartment. The suspect that turned himself in on Saturday night is named Marquise L. Foster and he is 25 years of age. The night that Victoria was murdered, she was at a night club in which she met Foster, a person named Chambers, and two other people. According to all of the reports, Victoria took these people back to her apartment where she was shot and killed. This is Victoria Carmen White:

                                                          

I find it shocking that it is suspected that this man, along with Chambers, were also involved with another hate crime involving a 30-year-old gay man also from New Jersey.

Check out the news in advocate.com 

Bieber Bashing

Trust me, this relates to our class more than it related to Justin Bieber. Sort of. If you look at it sideways and with one eye closed. The reason i'm linking this is not to follow the life and times of a young canadian boy, it's actually because of the language two popular radio personalities use to demean said boy. I feel like it would be odd to just post the video with no explanation, so follow this link for both the video and some peripheral information:

Canadian Radio Host Calls Justin Bieber a Transsexual

There are so many levels of pathetic these men sink to. I cant really tell what's more offensive, the repeated implications that he is homosexual (which is, of course, bad), or their bashing of transsexuals, or the fact that 40 year old men with no sense of proper radio hosting are being paid to spend 10 minutes of air time bashing a 15 year old child. Or, alternately, the fact that i just wasted ten minutes of my life listening to all that happen. Hmm.

There has of course been backlash to this but, as this article says, "It's unclear whether the punishment means a fine, or just some tersely worded paperwork."

Again, trying to bring this away from Bieber himself, it amazes me that people who think this sort of slander is in any way appropriate are still hired to positions in radio and other media. What is a 'shock jock' if not a person who makes their living being constantly insulting to at least one group of people? Now, i acknowledge that Southpark constructs its entire show from being constantly insulting to as many groups as possible, but there is also a difference between satire and honest bigotry. Southpark goes so far over the line of inappropriate that it makes clear where that line is (and subsequently takes a piss out of it). The sort of 'jokes' this radio personality engaged in were clearly not meant to be so far over the line they were satirical - he couldnt even define that line.

i dont know how successfully i made my point clear, but it's there in my head! i swear!

(Also, by the way, Justin Beiber's fans make up 3% of all traffic on twitter, which i think is hysterical and sort of creepy)

Born Gay?

So, in the absence of any bathroom-related scandals recently (or maybe i just haven't been looking hard enough, heaven knows they're there) lets talk about something else. I'm winging this, i haven't done any proper research, i have nothing to present, disclaimer disclaimer. Really, i would love it if you would all make use of blogger's fabulous comment option and we can get a conversation going about this.

Question: are people born gay? can they be? are genetics even involved? is it always a biological trait? can it be changed?

Answer: lets figure that out.

I'll start off the discussion. Personally, i think that there can be no set answer. In the same way that we cant say biology determines gender 100% of the time, i don't think it's right to assume one answer for every person in relation to orientation either. I think we aren't born with sexual orientations, but we may be born with certain predispositions. Some people are predisposed to only ever like members of the opposite sex, some only members of the same. I think the vast majority, however, have the capacity to go either way. Society and surroundings, as well as your relationships themselves, then shape that capacity for going either way. Sexual orientation, then, is less like a continuum and more like a multi-laned highway: you can stay in any number of structured lanes, or you can swerve wildly between them at will.
I think I've answered most of my own questions by now....I'm really curious to hear what other people have to say, so go at it!

(also, hyperlink time. This site has some cool information on the topic of biological sexual orientation, both the pro and the con side. very interesting, good for debates)

Well, since I do talk about South Park all the time...

Here are a few of the episodes of South Park that are more relevant to our course material.  I mean, there are a great many more (so, so many) because if you ask me there's a good episode of South Park about everything, but these four are ones I mentioned in class or ones that particularly reminded me of our CSP.  WARNING for mature content, and (just in case someone has never heard of South Park before) easily offended people should not watch these videos.
Death Camp of Tolerance: Mr. Garrison, (the boys' openly gay teacher), returns to his job at South Park elementary after having a nervous breakdown.  He discovers the potential for earning thousands of dollars in a lawsuit if the school fires him for his sexual orientation, and becomes flamboyantly gay and inappropriately sexual in the classroom in an effort to cause this to happen.  When Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman are bothered by his actions, they are sent to the Death Camp of Tolerance to learn to accept other peoples' differences.
South Park is Gay: "Meterosexuality" becomes the new trend in South Park, with the town's straight men acting feminine in order to get girls to like them better.  Mr. Garrison and the other South Park gays are affronted.  Includes a "Metero Pride" parade featuring the chant "We're Here/We're not Queer/But We're Close/Get Used to It."
Cartman Sucks: A photo Cartman takes puts fellow student Butters in a compromising position and Butters' conservative Christian parents send him to a gay conversion camp.
The F-Word: A loud annoying motorcycle gang arrives in town, and the boys and their classmates call the offending motorcyclists faggots.  The adults inform them that they can't say that word, it's a bad name for gay people, and the kids say that they had no idea it had anything to do with gay people.  They just always associated it with being a word to make fun of conceited annoying motorcyclists.

Enjoy.  (And again, do not watch if easily offended.  I promise I have a soul, I just also happen to find this stuff hilarious.)

Obama Says It Gets Better

No Homo: Hip Hop Homophobia or Hidden Homoeroticism?

This video is a rather humorous explanation on the phrase poplar in Hip-Hop known as "No Homo" coined by Cam'ron and popularized by rapper Lil Wayne.





It is rather fascinating how the term "no homo"is used in everyday slang. It spread like wildfire in my own community and even I said it a lot when I was in high school. The term is used to reaffirm one's heterosexuality after committing a seemingly homosexual act. When one says "suck my d**k" and follows up "no homo," then he is consciously aware of the seemingly homosexual connotations attached to that phrase. 
This brings me to question. If some is knowingly saying something that can be perceived as homosexual, then is s/he gay? Well, evidence may point to rappers engaged in possible homoeroticism, usually with them posing by themselves with their shirts off and chests glistening or with each other. Some critics point to these examples as possible homoeroticism and that using terms like "no homo" is to deny their hidden sexuality.
It is probably unlikely that the rapper that use "no homo" are gay but simply that they could be perceived as such through their lyrics. If rappers are perceived as homosexual, then they are not seen as masculine as noted in the video. In Hip-Hop culture, if anyone is seen to lack masculinity then they will lose respect because they are seen as weak. 

Obama's BFF Valerie Jarrett Defends Administration Against Dan Choi

Why Obama isn't acting quicker for LGBT rights

Obama has been under a lot of heat for not carrying out his campaign promises to the LGBT community. According to PolitiFact.com, Obama made five promises about gay and lesbian rights:

1. Push for the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act. (promise kept)

2. Include sexual orientation and gender identity in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (not yet)

3. Encourage states to treat same-sex couples equally when it comes to family and adoption

4. Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (reports as "in the works")

5. Work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (not yet)

Out of the five, he's only fully carried out one, and the LGBT community and their supporters are not very happy with him. 

This article, though, explains why Obama might be more hesitant to forcefully and enthusiastically support minority rights. It says that in the past, presidents would have faced major consequences for supporting minority rights; they would not be reelected or would lose party seats in Congress. FDR, for example, refused to support anti-lynching laws and anti-poll tax laws because he didn't want to lose support in the South. 

In class, we just read about how Clinton made numerous statements of support for the gay community, promising that with him, they'll get the rights they deserve. When he was finally elected into office, though, it took a long time for him to act, and when he did, he compromised with his opposition and upset his gay and ally supporters. After reading the chapter about him in Out of the Past, we learned that he did so because he knew that it was politically impossible for him to fully carry out his promises. Congress was becoming increasingly likely to override his executive order due to the overwhelming opposition.

Obama seems to following in Clinton's footsteps and is deciding that to fully branch out in support of the LGBT community would be too risky.

Google Staffers: It Gets Better

Here's a(nother) connection between Google and LGBT Rights. Staffers at Google have posted their own video contribution to the It Gets Better project. A nice thing to view on Spirit Day 2010!

Spike Lee vs Tyler Perry

After watching Ethnic Notions, I've been thinking more about how African Americans are portrayed in our media today. I had always thought that if more people of color owned parts of the entertainment business, that we would be happier with the images depicted of us on television.  With this in mind, I immediately thought of the feud between the directors Spike Lee and Tyler Perry. Spike Lee criticizes Tyler Perry for his movies that display "Coonery Buffoonery" in an interview.  I seriously recommend that you watch him speak here: Spike Lee talks about Tyler Perry.

Although, Lee was harsh (and has gotten a lot of backlash for his criticism), I agree. In this age of Obama, the message should be progress, not the same old stereotypes and its always especially sad when they are perpetuated by those who are members of the Black community.  I am a huge fan of Spike Lee because of his representation of black people in his movies.  He is really careful about the issues he films as well as the characters in his film.  The characters in his movie reflect regular African American people, instead of the typical stereotypical depictions we often find in our movies.  I also really appreciate his documentaries on New Orleans.

Also, I really liked how Spike Lee said that part of the issue was the consumer/the audience.  He says that "we vote with our wallets" and when we support these movies we support the stereotypes.  Since majority of Tyler Perry fans are African American, African Americans are the ones supporting these stereotypes.  I believe if we starting thinking like Lee, we might realize how much power we actually have in controlling the depictions of people of color on television.

Lastly, I think its important to take Spike Lee's criticism as an opportunity to better ourselves. I know a lot of people defended Tyler Perry because they thought Spike Lee should be a little bit more supportive of another African American director.  In the clip, Spike Lee says "we could do better". That's important, because although Tyler Perry does have some good message and positive moments in his movies, he could still do much better. His character of Madea can be funny of course, but she still embodies the stereotypes we saw in Ethnic Notions. Shes always really loud, angry, a-sexual black woman.  Tyler Perry defended his character saying, well these people exist and Hollywood should know that. Well I think Hollywood does know that, considering historically movies have excluded African Americans or portrayed them in such demeaning ways. I don't think I'm so upset by the existence of these characters as I am with the lack of variety and the lack of characters that portray blacks in a positive way.

Through My Eyes (Documentary)

 

I am not a christian. I am not gay. But what I am, is glad that this Documentary exists. This seems as though it could be a small beacon of hope to someone who IS christian and IS having homosexual feelings. 

My high school teacher once told me "It's hard to believe in something that doesn't believe in you." I cannot imagine what it must be like to feel as though you are are being rejected by the thing you believe in the most. Thinking about this makes me wonder how many people have injured or killed themselves because they believed that they were having "unholy" thoughts? How many people have felt alienated by the thing that claims to love all? 

The website claims to discuss "one of the most controversial topics today with compassion and sensitivity, shining new light on the debate for people on both sides." It certainly seems that way from the trailer, although we all know what the magic of editing can do. I suppose that the only way to be certain is to watch.

Taking a Look at Common Transgender Americans

Warning for some mild language.



One of my friends sent me the link to a YouTube video today, and I was absolutely shocked by what I saw. Ayden, a FtM who had just started his transition, called his parents to talk to them about his fiancée and coming to visit them. He was met with resistance and anger, Christian moral views were thrown in his face, and he was demoralized.

The thing that really stood out to me happened throughout the video, but I feel like it was summed up at this moment.

1. At about 9:00 into the video, Aydens father calls him a lesbian, to which he responds "I'm not even a lesbian. I'm a man," under his breath. The fact that his parents cannot and refuse to accept Ayden for who he is, even to the point of calling him by this previous, feminine name is appalling and downright shocking.

Ayden is not a "special case" be any means. He's a trans man who is simply looking for affirmation in his relationship with his parents, and it's something that he can't find. Unfortunately, it's something that quite a few transgender people have to deal with from their family, parents, friends, coworkers. It's sad, and unfortunately, not much attention is paid to the transgender movement within the LGBTQ community.


If you're at all interested in checking out the rest of Ayden's story, their YouTube channel  is here.


I wonder how we can create a more trans friendly environment. If it's even possible.

Racist Banned Commercial

As I was writing my reflection paper on the depiction of racial minorities in the media, I thought I would look for videos where this is evident. I found so many racist videos, it was unbelievable. What is more distressing is the comments that people post on the videos. Many people think this is funny but they do not see the real issue in society; RACISM. This video is a little confusing because toothpaste is usually good for your teeth, so this makes the African American man a good person yet the Asian mother is scared of him because of his race. But why would someone use the African American race to prove this point. This video is completely racist for me, and I am happy that it was banned. I couldn't believe that this was actually a commercial!

Gay Pride Parades: Freedom of Expression or Extreme Immorality?

As most of you are probably aware of, New York Gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino is extremely homophobic as he hates the concepts of same-sex marriage and gay pride. He has gone on the record by saying,"I don’t want [my kids] brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and acceptable option- it isn't." I find this statement to be extremely intolerant and ignorant on the Tea Party supported candidate and I would be damned if he were elected governor. Yet, Paladino made comments about his opponent Andrew Cuomo appearing at a gay pride with his kids, an act he called "disgusting."While I am disturbed by most of Paladino's beliefs I agree with his questioning of the morality of gay pride parades.


You see, after seeing a baseball game, I went to a Gay Pride Parade with my cousin in San Francisco in the summer of 2009. I was appalled by what was demonstrated in the parade. This pride parade, among others, was nothing more than a campy, flamboyant, hypersexual, and sexist display of lewd conduct. It is completely non-representative of gays and lesbians because it continues to display the perception that they are hypersexual, flamboyant or effeminate human beings. It is also sexist in that it portrays a stereotypical satirical image of women. So in some ways, these Gay Pride parades poison youth's perceptions of gays and this can lead to homophobia. This is why there is a significant amount of gays who oppose these parades. 


If I were a parent I would not want my children to witness people publicly committing sexual acts with each other, heterosexual or homosexual. So, in some ways I agree with Paladino in that Andrew Cuomo bringing his kids to an inappropriate demonstration is irresponsible. Yet, I differ from Paladino in that I have another reason; I would not want my children to develop stereotypes LGBT persons as immoral or flamboyant people.


Now, there are plenty of pride parades that are not sexualized and follow a code of conduct. I would willingly attend and support those types of parades. However, the largest parades, the same kind that get the most media exposure, are the ones that perpetuate the perceptions of gays in a misrepresentative way. The government should censor these hypersexualized and sexist acts from being displayed to the youth, who could associate those characteristics with all gays and thus lead to homophobia. 

Analyze This: NOM's Ad In Minnesota Against Marriage Equality

The above ad will be more on point when we get to the third Section of the class which deals with marriage equality, Gender & Sexuality, Marriage & Law, but I couldn't resist adding it hear as an example of how the people who are opposed to LGBT equality frame their arguments in order to appeal to the most number of people.

Note that the ad begins with images and sounds of Martin Luther King, Jr., our country's most respected civil rights leader talking about the right to vote. The right to vote to eliminate the civil right of another minority (i.e. the majority should get to vote to decide what rights the minority gets to exercise, for example whether that minority has the right to marry someone of the same sex) is what the argument is.

In addition, harkening back to our current study of LGBT rights in the 1970s and Anita Bryant's Save Our Children campaign, there is the argument that allowing gay marriage will have "consequences," one of which will be that boys will be taught that they can grow up and marry boys. (The horrors!) But, of course, regardless of whether Minnesota enacts marriage equality, that will always be the case somewhere in the world since marriage equality is an established fact in multiple areas around the country and the world. Other consequences are examples of "movement backlash," in which allowing marriage equality will place people who oppose it to be victims of frivolous lawsuits by activists who will sue them for  expressing viewpoints opposing gay marriage.

Who wouldn't want to vote to give THEMSELVES more power? Shouldn't you have the right to decide how other people live their lives? That's one of the implicit messages of NOM's ad.

Discuss.

Alejandro Parody (You're a Homo) By Sherry Vine & Francis Legge

A few days ago, I was discussing some thoughts about the course with my roommates and she thought that I would be interested in watching this video. As I was watching it I thought how ridiculous and absurd it was. I was disturbed by the video. I didn't quite like the comments of "you are a homo", but when I finished watching it, I understood that this video is trying to prove a point; being a homosexual is nothing to be ashamed of! The images and certain symbols she uses are very controversial. Her comments about preists and God seeing homosexuals as sinners are very disputations. Watch this video and comment your thoughts and feelings! Thank you!

Random excerpt from my life that I swear is GLBT related.

Yeah, if the title doesn't explain enough, basically I just had an experience yesterday and for some reason I felt like the appropriate response was to blog about it.


I'm staying with my uncle for fall break, and so I got picked up at the train station in San Luis Obispo on Saturday evening by him and a friend of his, who was driving.  We were basically just engaging in polite conversation, and some news came up that his friend was surprised I hadn't heard about.  I told them that I don't follow a lot of news right now, because I'm in college, except for GLBT news because I'm taking a course in it.  I mentioned as an example the incident in Tricia's latest blog post about the lesbian couple being kicked out of a mall for kissing.  And that's where things got kind of interesting, because my uncle's friend responded by telling a story of how he was at court for a parking ticket recently, and there were two lesbians kissing and hugging in the courtroom before the proceedings started, ending this story by saying "There's a place for it" in what was really a disapproving tone.  I wanted to tell him that yes, there was a place for it and it was called wherever they wanted, but I didn't say anything about it because I barely knew the guy and I didn't want to make the rest of the drive awkward.  But it bothered me, because no matter how much I try to, I really can't seem to wrap my head around people who feel that way.  Why is it that two girls have less right to kiss in public than a girl and a guy?  I mean, marriage rights and federal protections aside, shouldn't the LGBT community at least be afforded the ability to be in public without being openly judged by now?


Maybe I'm overreacting, but it got under my skin.  I've lived most of my life in an environment where at least the right of gay and lesbian couples to exist was recognized with few people being openly bigoted or uncomfortable about it.  I realize that my little corner of the world is not at all like the rest of the world, but because I was always just raised to believe that men loving men or women loving women was a totally natural phenomenon, it still shocks me when I remember that the rest of the world does not agree with me.

Suicides in LGBT Community!

As I was researching the recent incidents happening with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, I found out that they are "up to four times more likely to commit suicide" than the rest of the heterosexual community. This was truly frightening to me, but it makes sense because of the struggles that they face each and everyday.Struggles that they should not face! I was also trying to find ways to prevent suicides. I know there are many things we can do to help a friend and I want to share the links with you. I have many friends that could be in this situation; at risk of committing suicide. I know many of you are also in the same position. I want to help before it is too late!

 Remember to wear purple on Wednesday October 20th in honor of the gay suicides that have occurred. Rest In Peace!

http://gaylife.about.com/od/informationresources/tp/teensuicide.htm

http://gaylife.about.com/od/gaymentalhealth/a/mendepression.htm

http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayorganizations/p/trevorproject.htm

The Trevor Project, a National LGBT Help Line!

An Important Message from Ellen About Bullying

Please, watch this video and listen to Ellen Degeneres' wise words. Lets join forces with Ellen Degeneres and Oxy to support the awareness for gay bullying! We need to make a change and one person can start by make a huge difference; this is what I am tryign to do. The LGBT community and any other person in general should not be bullied or pushed to commit suicide. If you know anyone that is in need of help, give them a hand before it is too late. Everyone should be able to express their identities without feeling afraid of what other people might think or do against them. This is enough! OXY supporting the LGBTQ community! & remember if you have a white board, write something that shows your support! Thank you!

Gay Couple Kicked out of Mall for Kiss

Raleigh, NC – A lesbian couple have been thrown out of a shopping complex after a security guard saw them share a kiss. They were told that their kiss was inappropriate and “no one wants to see that here.” Watch the video below!

The Cameron Village shopping center is in hot water now. Caitlin Breedlove and her partner had just finished eating at a restaurant in the complex when they went outside to sit on a bench. They shared a kiss and security guards rushed over to throw them off the property. Not only are Caitlin and her partner furious, but the owner of the restaurant has lodged a complaint on behalf of his customers. The ACLU is also jumping in, demanding immediate remedies.

Pre-Homosexuality

An American Scientific blog site posted an article about how it is possible to predict adult sexuality from an early age. I was really shocked to see that the picture used for this article was of a girl in jeans, with a hat, baseball, and baseball glove. The implication of this picture is that when if a young girl rather wear jeans than a dress or play a sport rather than ballet, it only means that she is on her way to becoming a lesbian as an adult. It's really ridiculous that people think they can predict sexuality based off of what kind of activities children may.  Also, this article only demonstrates what the consequences are when one doesn't conform to society's gender expectations. Young girls are expected to be gentle and play with dolls.  However, if they don't but instead play sports it is quickly assumed that they must be lesbians. Sports do require some level of aggression, but since it is only acceptable for boys to be aggressive, they are the ones expected to play sports. Being aggressive isn't feminine and apparently what isn't feminine means it is an indication of homosexuality.
Lastly, what do these scientist have to say about girls who just like to play sports, because well, they like sports? I played soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse but I am not a lesbian. Am I the exception to their rule? I really doubt it.

Gendered Cars?

I read an interesting New York Time’s article for my Sociology 1010 class entitled Your New Baby: A Boy or Girl? (2004) about automakers and how they use gender stereotypes to their advantage when modeling vehicles.

Author, Phil Patton, uses two models of Mercedes-Benz cars as examples to illustrate his point of how concerned automakers are today with fashioning vehicles to appeal differently to the sexes.

The original Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster 1998 had “pert dimensions” and an “insouciant air about it”, however, its four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission “communicated that it would be no threat to the alpha males of the sports car pack.”

Original Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster 1998

7 years later, Mercedes-Benz came out with a newer model, the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster 2005, which was described as “unabashedly more macho”.

Remodeled Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster 2005

Patton’s description of the car: “A suggestive bulge, culminating in a huge rendition of the Benz three-pointed star, runs down the center of its hood; the jutting details of the front end evoke the Mercedes SLR McLaren supercar that costs roughly 10 times as much.” In advertising the new model, Mercedes worked words like “aggressive” and “muscular” in to the car's description to attract male customers’ attention.

Why did Mercedes remodel the roadster?

“Mercedes says that 52 percent of the registered owners of the first generation SLK’s are women and 48 percent are men; the company would prefer the figures to be more on the order of 60 percent men and 40 percent women.”

Although it would seem that the sex of a particular company’s customers should not matter, this is a standard concern within the industry. It is understood that lots of women will buy a car that appeals to men, but many men, “certainly those to wish to avoid the girlie-men label”, will not buy cars that are associated with women. One possible explanation for women wanting to drive masculine cars suggested by Dr. Malefyt: “A Hummer is masculine, but can appeal to the housewife tired of being ignored.” Whether this is true or not, it still stirs up intrigue regarding why only woman want to transcend the gender binary when it comes to driving cars. Is this because performing masculinity as a gender role is generally regarded as being cool? Or is it simply because it’s thought of as ‘un-cool’ or gay for men to perform femininity? Perhaps because cars in general are understood as being more of a male fascination, women may willingly accept to drive a vehicle catered to men’s taste. 

How are people attracted to the cars they buy? A valuable question for marketers is whether a masculine or feminine car will attract the same or opposite sex. “Do people want to drive something that extends or enhances their self, or do they buy cars to have a relationship with them?” Is one’s car meant to be a substitute for a lover or an object to seduce others? The answers to these questions, although seemingly trivial and bizarre, are essential within the car manufacturing industry. This article made me realize that within my own household, my cars are definitely gendered. What about yours?

Homophobia Literally Kills.

In light of the recent LGBT suicides, I find this video particularly disgusting. How is this kind of thing considered remotely funny or even kind of okay? Join us in wearing purple on October 20th in memory of recent youth tragedies and to show that this kind of behavior is not okay.

Portrayal of Men in Disney Movies

Children look up to the images that the see in movies. Specifically, disney movies are often idolized because they are see by so many not only in the US but all over the world. Many people see disney movies as a memorable aspect of their early youth.          

The images that we see in our youth can shape how we see society and our place in it. This youtube video addresse of masculinity in disney movies. It focuses on how these movies portray men and thier ideal qualitites to young boys and girls in the world.

What do you think?
How would things be different if they showed men in a new light?

Harassment on Oxy's Campus

"Diversity is a fundamental part of academic excellence at Occidental, not something separate and apart. Diversity of race, of income, of religion, of nationality, of viewpoint-all these challenge our students inside the classroom and out, preparing them to thrive in an increasingly complex and intertwined world"-Excerpt from Occidental's website
With the recent harassment on Oxy's campus, its good that the school has taken the initiative to hold a campus wide discussion about discrimination against the LGBTQ community. I hope that during this forum, we can come up with some ways to make the LGBTQ community feel safe and comfortable on our campus. However I am still not convinced that this discussion supports Occidental's statement of being an institution that values diversity.
It wasn't until after the harassment on our campus, did we realize that discrimination against the LGBTQ community is alive and well and something that we should talk about. We should have been having these discussions/panels well before these incidents happened, not only educate ourselves about their struggle but also to expose ourselves to the diversity of sexuality. Actively talking about LGBTQ issues (or any other social justice issues) could help expose this diversity and challenge students about their own biases outside the classroom as the excerpt says.
Also, these frequent discussions/panels woul also show the student body what kind of institution Occidental really is. It would prove that Occidental is an educational institution that not only cares about these issues, but also wants to be a hate free zone.
I guess in short, my point is that it does bother me how we never seem to want to talk about these issues until it happens too close in our space to ignore. We should not wait until the damage has been done to start talking.

Yet Another Gay Teenage Suicide

I personally find it completely shocking the number of gay teenagers that have committed suicide recently. I was reading in 365: Gay News about yet another suicide from a 19 year old gay male. Apparently, Zach Harrington attended a city council meeting in Norman consisting of very anti-gay people. One of the members of the meeting actually said that the reason why he moved to Norman was because he was positive that it was a place that would not welcome gay or lesbian people. I find it crazy to think that Zach would even attend this meeting because he knew that it would consist of these kinds of people and he went through so much adversity in High School from being bullied because of his sexual orientation that someone would not believe he had any prior knowledge to the kind of people that were going to attend this meeting. I think that this is ridiculous that people can make these kinds of comments at a city council meeting and not take into consideration how it may make some people feel.

                                         

Has equality become fashionable?

I found this article about how the fashion industry is progressive in the sense that they are constantly blurring gender lines. Often female models will dress in typical male fashion and male models usually have very prominent androgynous features. The article mentions a model named Jo Calderone (who is widely recognized as Lady Gaga dressed as a male).

This comparison reminded me of another celebrity who has recently been playing the gender bending game: James Franco. For those of you who don't know, James Franco (click here for his IMDb page) recently dressed in drag for the cover of Candy magazine.

It could be that pop culture is shifting away from gender norms, if only just for the "shock value" it provides. Whatever the case, this could potentially be a huge step in breaking down gender barriers... Now it's just a matter of time to see how long this gender ambiguity will stay in vogue.

Gender Stereotypes Supported by Science?

I found this article on the blog cracked.com that argued that gender stereotypes we usually think of as "absurd" are actually true and supported by scientific studies. These myths include

women talk too much:

 

men are slobs:

women can't drive

According to the post, these gender based stereotypes can be proven by scientific studies. For example the post says that women do talk more than men do, based on the fact that "The areas of the brain responsible for language are over 17 percent larger in women than men." I was a bit reluctant to believe the claims made, because it is obvious that this is a comedy web site, but they do have the studies to prove their statements. I'm still a bit weary, but this has certainly made me think about gender stereotypes and if they hold any merit.

New Report Estimates LGB Population In U.S. At 9%

The Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, a think tank devoted to sexual orientation law and public policy, has released a report (pdf) which analyzes national demographic surveys to tease out interesting information about the national lesbian, gay and bisexual population.

From the Executive Summary:

Data from the 2008 General Social Survey (GSS) indicate that nearly 9% of adults either identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or report having had same‐sex sexual experiences as an adult. Although 90% of LGB people are out about their identity to other people, only 25% report being out to all of their coworkers in the workplace. The data show that bisexuals differ in several ways from those who identify as gay or lesbian, including being much less likely to be out or have a high school diploma and being much more likely to be women and/or racial or ethnic minorities.

Surveys that ask questions about sexual orientation and behavior are rare. Among the few surveys that ask these questions, few are representative of the US population. Even rarer is information about the coming out process from such surveys. As a result, little is known about how and if thinking of oneself as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, or experiencing same‐sex sexual behaviors and telling others about one’s sexual orientation or behavior varies by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment.

The General Social Survey (GSS), conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, has monitored social and demographic changes in the United States since 1972. The 2008 GSS marks the first time that survey participants were asked about their sexual orientation (prior surveys had only asked about same‐sex sexual behavior). The 2008 survey also includes a module of questions (added with the financial support of the Williams Institute) directed at sexual minorities that ask about the experience of coming out, relationship status and family structure, workplace and housing discrimination, and health insurance coverage.

Other significant results that are included in the report are:

·        1.7% of adults self-identified as gay or lesbian and 1.1% self-identified as bisexual

·        More than 3 in 4 lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adults say that they were first attracted to someone of the same-sex before they were 18 years old.

·        Women are more likely than men to be LGB (4.6% vs. 2.9%).    They are twice as likely to be bisexual than men (1.9% v. 0.7%, respectively).

·        Younger people are more likely to  be LGB.  7.2% of those aged 18-30 are LGB compared with 3.8% of those aged 30-54 and 1.4% of those aged 55 and older. (emphasis added)

·         Gay men and lesbians are more likely than bisexuals to be out to at least some people (96% vs. 75%, respectively).

·         Older people are much more likely to be in the closet .   Adults over the age of 55 are 83 times more likely than those under 30 to have never come out to another person.

·         Bisexuals are more likely to be a racial/ethnic minority than heterosexuals, gay men, or lesbians.   More than half of bisexuals are non-white compared to approximately 30% of heterosexuals, gay men and lesbian.  The racial and ethnic characteristics of gay men, lesbians, and heterosexuals are similar to each other.

The author of the report is Williams Distinguished Scholar Dr. Gary Gates who says:

"These provocative findings demonstrate the challenge in understanding the

complex relationship between sexual orientation identity and behavior.

Given that nearly half of Americans still believe that homosexual

relationships are morally wrong, it is not surprising to find ambiguity

between how people behave sexually and how they identify their sexual

orientation."

Cross-posted from The Mad Professah Lectures