The Bisexualist

OFFS

2010-06-15T11:02:00.004-05:00

I don't know whether to be amused, scared, or both.

via JMG

Didya ever pick up a turn of phrase from another blogger?

2010-05-01T15:20:00.002-05:00

I find myself thinking "this is a real thing in the world" from time to time. That's a title used for an ongoing series over at Shakesville, and boy oh boy, does it apply to this product.

h/t neatorama

About Constance's prom...

2010-04-07T07:56:00.004-05:00

There's probably not much I can say about the Itawamba Agricultural High School prom that hasn't already been said. I hope as they go through life, some of the students at Constance McMillen's high school have experiences that lead them to open their minds and learn to treat their fellow human beings with compassion. It's disheartening, though, that the adults in the town were complicit in the high school meanness bullshit, and in fact facilitated a lot of it. Strange, I thought parents and teachers were supposed to teach children about kindness, civility and, you know, manners. Shame on you, so-called grownups!

Okay, folks...

2009-12-03T11:04:00.000-06:00

I'm really gonna start blogging again. Soon. Really. Honest.

By the way kids...

2009-11-24T07:20:00.002-06:00

Did you know that once you vote in an election, you should trust those you've elected to do the right thing, and not try to have further input?

What? You're writing a letter to your congressman? Why do you want to micromanage Congress?

Note: This post is not actually about the U.S. legislature.

Cryptic? perhaps

2009-11-21T22:13:00.003-06:00

Calling people Klan members directly or by implication unless they're actually burning crosses or lynching people, is, at the very least, tacky. When the people you're talking about comprise a mixed race group including most of the POC in a larger very very white group and they're trying to fix an organization that has been unresponsive to all attempts to make it more democratic in the way it works, man, that's really classy.

And I wonder why I get so much use out of the fyyff tag.

Oh, I am feeling so belledame-ish right now.

It's very simple...

2009-09-30T08:03:00.004-05:00

You want to read a good summary of l'affaire Polanski, read Kate Harding's piece, or Little Light's. Me, I'm through reading reading about this. People's apologia for this admitted criminal is not funny stupid, it's sad stupid.

AAAARRRRRGH!

2009-07-29T06:36:00.003-05:00

If you know me at all (she said to her readership of three counting the two people she lives with and makes read this thing under duress) you'd know that I try to write about things I love and things I hate, but the latter was what would motivate me to post here.

Having said that, give a listen to Rush:

Quoth the Liger, "He's a dick."

And speaking of dickish comments: Dear Mr. Ellison, thinking someone was mean to you first doesn't explain why that tirade you went on included a racial epithet explicit or implied.

... and I repeat, argh.

Gearing up...

2009-07-27T22:45:00.003-05:00

I actually wrote something on my ElJay the other day, and came over here to see how long it had been since I blogged. Holy crap, it's been a year!

So, trying to get back in the habit of posting every so often, if only for myself. we'll see how that goes. Stay tuned.

So, Tom Batiuk is responsible for this idiot?

2008-07-23T15:02:00.003-05:00

I don't know if I'd ever seen Michael Savage before today. Sure, I'd heard him on the radio a few times, and read a lot of virtriolic crap that spewed from his mouth, but when I read a story today on Joe.My. God. (about his show being dropped from a few stations), I had an epiphany. He smirks like a Funky Winkerbean character. Hell, I think he is a Funky Winkerbean character! Specifically, Les after the time-jump. If you don't know what I mean, count yourself lucky. No, I don't read FW daily, but I do read The Comics Curmudgeon every day, so I probably see the 'bean several times a week, which is plenty. Well, don't just take my word for it. I give you... photographic evidence!

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case.

Free speech? Public space? What's that?

2008-07-09T09:39:00.001-05:00

Via Culture Kitchen

No homosex, please, we're British

2008-06-24T10:26:00.002-05:00

Just a few days ago, I read (at Joe.My.God.) about an ad being run by Heinz in the UK that featured a kiss between two men. It's a very chaste kiss, and technically, it's a kiss between a husband and wife. Watch the ad and you'll see what I mean.

Very cute, n'est-ce pas? And well done*, too. They even got the New York accent accurately, which is apparently not easy ("Daleks in Manhattan," anyone?).

Today I found out (via Joe, again) that the ad is being pulled because of the huge number of complaints Heinz has received from people who are upset that it features ZOMG! BOYSEXXORZZ!!!1!!!ELEVENTY-ONE!!1!111, which has forced them to explain the wonders of same-sex attraction to the innocent little kiddos. Silly me, I thought the person in the white hat was meant to be a (presumably) British woman who just makes sandwiches as well as a New York deli counter man, not someone who actually is one. I'm always getting stuff wrong, aren't I?

I'm disappointed in Heinz knuckling under so easily, and in the ignorance of the letter-writers , too. The Brits are supposed to be more openminded about this sort of thing, amirite? After all, as Archie Bunker told us "England is a fag country... the whole society is based on a kind of a fagdom"?

*I do have one quibble with the ad. I'm from New York, and I like mayonnaise on my sandwiches, but I certainly would not call it a "New York deli" thing, nor put it on a lot of typical delicatessen sandwiches. You order a pastrami or corned beef with mayo in a NYC deli, and see the response you get. Go on, I dare you.

Anti-trans hate from Memphis cops

2008-06-18T09:39:00.004-05:00

The whole story is here, and at The Blend. As Autumn points out in the comments:

To put February 12th in broader perspective, it was also the day that 15-year-old Lawrence King was killed by a 14-year old-classmate.

I guess it was a bad day to be gender variant in America -- like too many days are.

I know not all police officers are like this, but for some reason, I find the behavior of the nurse even more surprising.

I'm speechless

2008-06-13T19:41:00.003-05:00

Well,not really, just disgusted.

You've surely seen the SockObama by now. If you haven't, there it is on the left for your edification you lucky people. Some people find the toy rather racist.In fact, the folks who make itgot a bunch of emails to that effect, and they are miffed. They wrote an email in response, but only sent to those whose emails had the correct tone. They not only say the toy is not racist, but if you think it is, you're the racist, you lousy racist you. It's people like you who are causing the racial problems that tear this nation apart.

We at TheSockObama Co. are saddened that some individuals have chosen to misinterpret our plush toy. It is not, nor has it ever been our objective to hurt, dismay or anger anyone. We guess there is an element of naviete [sic] on our part, in that we don't think in terms of myths, fables, fairy tales and folklore. We simply made a casual and affectionate observation one night, and a charming association between a candidate and a toy we had when we were little.

A toy company that doesn't think in terms of myths, fables and so on? That must be some toy company. And a charming association? Between Obama and a monkey. Charming, my black ass!

We wonder now if this might be a great opportunity to take this moment to really try and transcend still existing racial biases. We think that if we can do this together, maybe it will behoove us a nation and maybe we'll even begin to truly communicate with one another more tenderly, more real even.

Note to pretentious racist asshats: using fancy words incorrectly makes you look really, really foolish. It would behoove you to know how a word is meant to be used before just throwing it into a sentence.
The whole letter is at New York Magazine's Daily Intel.

via Shakesville.

The Fag Bomb

2008-06-13T14:50:00.002-05:00

I love Kirby Ferguson.

via joe.my.god.

x-posted

The problem with gender stereotypes...

2008-05-23T10:12:00.005-05:00

I read about that "ex-gay" therapy program in Poland, at which they claim to "help lesbians, gays and bisexuals." The story says "Men at the center are taught to play football and women are taught to cook." But what about the bisexuals? I mean, we already play football and cook.

via Pam

Mommy! I touched my special area!

2008-05-22T10:03:00.003-05:00

It's not even noon, but this may be teh st00pid of the day. Parents in the Schenectady, New York area are all up in arms because the school proposes something other than abstinence only sex education. Of course, with that program in place, the county has managed to have the second-highest teen pregnancy rate in the state--and mind you, the fleshpots of New York City comprise five counties, so that's some achievement. (Joking, folks, joking--despite searching, I haven't figured out which county's rate is highest.)

This is the best part of the whole story. It seems some parents looked into the materials being used by the schools, and were pretty darn upset by them.

Arlene Whittingham said she did research as well and found educational materials directed to children between the ages of 5 and 8 which indicate that girls and boys have body parts that feel good when touched.

Whittingham said she found it “quite unconscionable” that an organization could suggest sharing such information with school students.

Yeah, that's unconscionable, all right. After all, kids would never even think of such a thing if some evil brochure didn't tell them about it.

via Feministing

Mehdi Kazemi has been granted asylum in the UK

2008-05-20T10:38:00.003-05:00

And about damn time. Full story here.

via Petulant at Shakesville

Mildred Loving on Marriage

2008-05-10T11:36:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you all (or at least those of you who are in the U.S.) know by now that Mildred Loving, one of the plaintiffs in Loving v. Virginia died about a week ago. Ms. Loving always said she was not a political person, and in all the years since the Supreme Court decided the case, refused to say much about it. However, last June, on the fortieth anniversary of the Loving decision, she did issue a statement. If you haven't read it before, it's worth looking at.

Loving for All

By Mildred Loving

Prepared for Delivery on June 12, 2007,
The 40th Anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia Announcement

When my late husband, Richard, and I got married in Washington, DC in 1958, it wasn’t to make a political statement or start a fight. We were in love, and we wanted to be married.

We didn’t get married in Washington because we wanted to marry there. We did it there because the government wouldn’t allow us to marry back home in Virginia where we grew up, where we met, where we fell in love, and where we wanted to be together and build our family. You see, I am a woman of color and Richard was white, and at that time people believed it was okay to keep us from marrying because of their ideas of who should marry whom.

When Richard and I came back to our home in Virginia, happily married, we had no intention of battling over the law. We made a commitment to each other in our love and lives, and now had the legal commitment, called marriage, to match. Isn’t that what marriage is?

Not long after our wedding, we were awakened in the middle of the night in our own bedroom by deputy sheriffs and actually arrested for the “crime” of marrying the wrong kind of person. Our marriage certificate was hanging on the wall above the bed. The state prosecuted Richard and me, and after we were found guilty, the judge declared: “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” He sentenced us to a year in prison, but offered to suspend the sentence if we left our home in Virginia for 25 years exile.

We left, and got a lawyer. Richard and I had to fight, but still were not fighting for a cause. We were fighting for our love.

Though it turned out we had to fight, happily Richard and I didn’t have to fight alone. Thanks to groups like the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, and so many good people around the country willing to speak up, we took our case for the freedom to marry all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And on June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” a “basic civil right.”

My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. The majority believed what the judge said, that it was God’s plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others.Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

Thank you, Mildred Loving. Rest in peace.

Ah, Fox News... so entertaining!

2008-05-01T17:54:00.004-05:00

I mean, this was meant for a joke, right? (Take a gander at this post over at Bitch, Ph.D., and we can all have a laugh.)

Okay, okay, I know they weren't joking, but I just don't want to believe they don't know the Lincoln -Douglas debate were not between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, who didn't even spell his name the same fucking way. But when I see this video, well, I have to admit these guys are even more ignorant than I thought.

And thanks to Wonkette for her original post, which inspired me to make a new tag.

The Daily Fail strikes again

2008-05-01T13:31:00.005-05:00

So, I was reading an article on the Daily Mail website about how young women who inherit their body type from their hippy mothers (no, not mothers who like to wear patchouli and wear love beads, necessarily) should literally diet and exercise their asses off. The impetus for this is a picture of Princess Beatrice in a bathing suit which shows that the girl has the nerve to have hips, just like her mum! Mind you, the writer starts out by saying the princess is not by any means fat. So, burning calories is supposed to do what exactly? (Leaving aside the argument about how effective weight loss is in those of us who actually are fat, of course.) And then some ass of a commenter refers to the woman as morbidly obese.

When I was done banging my head on the keyboard, I noticed that there was a link to a story about an alleged Jimi Hendrix sex tape. My curiosity aroused, I followed the link and read the story, which was accompanied by a number of photos, including this one:

The caption is "Hippy values: Hendrix pictured with two un-named women in the late sixties." Well, I am notoriously bad at putting names with faces, but those two unnamed woman sure as heck looked like half of the Mamas and the Papas to me. And, whaddaya know— a Google Image search for "hendrix phillips elliot" brings up many instances of that same photo. Now, I know nobody considers The Mail a great newspaper, but FFS, if I of all people am better at identifying the people in a photo that they are, they're more pathetic than I realized.

via Shapely Prose

Heteronormativity and sexism go together like a horse and carriage

2008-02-12T15:27:00.000-06:00

So, immediately after I read a post on Shakesville about how several bloggers have suggested the Obama campaign use Scarlett Johansson, who's campaigning for them, as some kind of sexy vote bait for Jason Rae, who at 21 is the youngest superdelegate, I read at Joe.My.God that "Gay Man is Youngest Superdelegate." Ha! Misogynistic and badly researched!

Brilliant!

2007-12-18T17:19:00.001-06:00

via Joe.My.God

Alert Rick Santorum!

2007-11-14T11:07:00.000-06:00

Indian Man Marries Dog

A reception attended by some 200 guests was held for the newlyweds in the groom's house during which Selvi grew restless and ran away.

However she was subsequently recaptured and returned to her husband who gave her milk and a bun to eat.

via Joe.My.God

This is one gutsy young woman

2007-11-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

QueerToday has an interview with high school student Claudia Contrada who came out as a lesbian to her mother, one of the founders of Mass Resistance.

via Joe.My.God

We're Number One!

2007-10-25T12:03:00.000-05:00

I found a meme over at Shakesville that I couldn't resist, knowing, as I did, what some of the answers would be before I even started. In short: "attempt to find 5 statements, which if you were to type into Google [...] you'll find that you are returned with your blog as the number one hit".

I believe my results show that while this blog doesn't have a huge amount of content, it is full of snarky goodness.

Here are my results:
1. that queer chick (duh!)
2. smooching baby dykes
3. ex-gay-o-rama
4. irrefragably evil
and my favorite,
5. Is there any motherfucker leading the "family values" movement who doesn't want to give dudes a blow job in a mens' room?

Those are all without resorting to the dread quotes. If you do enclose the search in quotes, this one works too: "once again, it's all about the dick".

Go read Shark-Fu's latest post...

2007-09-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

Now.

Small Town Gay Bar

2007-09-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of seeing this movie based on this promotional video alone. I've never seen any of Kevin Smith's movies (Bad film snob! No biscuit!), but he rawks!

Brilliant!

2007-09-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

The video says it best: Is there any motherfucker leading the "family values" movement who doesn't want to give dudes a blow job in a mens' room?

via Feministe

Worst. Rap. Ever.

2007-09-11T21:11:00.001-05:00

Apparently, God hates me personally, or I wouldn't ever have seen this. Someone on The Blend said these folks aren't supposed to listen to secular music. I ask you, do you see any evidence at all here that these kids ever have?

Yeah, I didn't mention the group by name, but I'm so sick of mentioning them that I just decided not to this time.

Unconscious Mutterings, week 239

2007-09-02T08:28:00.000-05:00

The old free association game. She gives the starter word, you give the response.

Scrabble :: tile

NyQuil :: sleep

Roadtrip :: car

Idiot :: box

Bandages :: leper

Series :: TV

Summer :: dress

Prompt :: cursor

September :: rain

Chicken :: salad

You can play too, if you wish. Just be sure to comment or track back at Luna Niña.

The Doo-Dah News Network

2007-08-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

All the headlines that can be sung to the tune of "Camptown Races." In other words, followed by doo-dah. Check them out--they are the real current news stories!

From Bad Gods.

This is worthy of breaking the blog fast

2007-08-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted here, but I've finally found something entertaining enough to serve as the impetus to start again.

This guy's songwriting skills aren't causing Noelie and Colie to rest uneasy in the grave, but then again, I bet he thinks it's "not okay" to write songs like them.

Rush to War Blues

2007-07-31T12:13:00.000-05:00

This made me laugh, although it's not all that funny, is it?

via grow-a-brain

I swore I wasn't gonna mention him again...

2007-07-26T17:16:00.001-05:00

But I couldn't help myself. Fred Phelps has an all-new website, called godhatesireland.com. Check out the banner he's using:

So, now God hates America, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, and, of course, "fags" of every nationality. The Westboro Baptist church would slash its webhosting bills dramatically by combining all of its websites into one. It could be called something like "God hates everyone except Fred Phelps, his wife, and those of his kids who are still speaking to him dot com."

The reason Ireland is now the object of Freddy's vitriol is that civil partnership legislation is being introduced there, with the full backing of the Prime minister. Read the story at 365gay.com.

via Pam's House Blend

Barack Obama ringtones

2007-07-23T12:51:00.000-05:00

Dumbest marketing idea since--oh, probably since about 5 minutes ago. Have your cell phone advertise your favorite candidate every time it rings , because the kids just love those ringtones. Check 'em out. As HuffPo points out, the first one's the only one that even sounds like a ringtone.

What kind of liberal are you?

2007-07-02T00:12:00.000-05:00

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Social Justice Crusader, also known as a rights activist. You believe in equality, fairness, and preventing neo-Confederate conservative troglodytes from rolling back fifty years of civil rights gains.

Take the quiz at www.fightconservatives.com

Via Shakesville/Shakespeare's Sister--and when are they getting their domain back, anyway?

Edit: Shakesville has returned!

Why kick someone while she's down...

2007-07-01T14:13:00.000-05:00

When you can just jump on her with both feet?

I've been thinking about taking up crochet again. I used to do it when I was a kid and may have a achieved granny-square proficiency. This time, I could get past that point, and one day, who knows, maybe even learn to knit.

So, in searching around knitting and crochet-related sites, I came upon Warm Up America, and remembered one of my friends was looking for some sort of crafty venture for people at church to do together. Great, I thought, and set out to see if I could find some additional possible recipients for our hand-crafted donations.

And then I happened on a link to Gifts for the Unborn. I tried to figure out what the name of this group might mean (teeny little hats and booties that a fetus wears inside the womb?) but when I got to the site, I realized that I while may be imaginative, but I never could've thought this up:

Gifts for the Unborn offers small gifts to mothers when they first test positive in a crisis pregnancy. The special gift package consists of a newborn infant's picture frame plus a care product (like a baby washcloth, bib, soap, lotion or shampoo) and a pair of baby booties or socks.

By placing all three gift items in a transparent plastic bag and presenting them to the women, we hope the moms might turn away from any thoughts of abortion after being touched by this simple, affirmative pro-life message.

So the whole point of this organization is to dissuade pregnant women from having abortions by giving them cute wee booties for cute wee little baby feet. How do they find these pregnant women and distribute these "gifts"? "[T]hrough more than 428 crisis pregnancy agencies." Of course--what better setting for an underhanded strategy like this? The website has the nerve to refer to this as a "subtle, positive approach."

As I found out from my research, there are organizations of knitters and crocheters (and sewers) who send scarves and hats and blankets and all manner of things to babies who've actually been born, and people having chemo, and homeless people, and kids in foster care... and the list goes on. Surely this type of cruel emotional manipulation is not the best way in which these folks can indulge their impulse to share their needlework with the less fortunate. Perhaps it might be helpful to sending these items to people who actually need and want them.

Ex-gay-o-rama

2007-06-28T22:41:00.001-05:00

There's some very interesting stuff about ex-gays and ex-ex-gays over at Pam's House Blend. If you want a good laugh, trust me--you must watch the video clip from Fish don't Fly.

Reading this post put me in mind of an experience one of my college friends had back in, oh, this would've been around 1980. This friend--let's call him Dick, whose hatband he equaled in gayness--had gotten a job in the mailroom at CBS headquarters in New York. The job made him nervous. It was a hotbed of guy culture, and what's more macho than mocking anyone who's different? Dick lived in fear that his queerness would be discovered and he'd be the next target of his coworkers' jokes.

One evening, though, Dick called me, breathless with excitement. For once, he told me, he was enjoying the tendency of the mailroom boys to stereotype and pigeonhole people. That day, they came into the mailroom from lunch laughing their heads off and talking about all the "faggots" outside the building. Why? It seems 60 Minutes had run a story on the possibility of changing one's sexual orientation which included an interview with a psychologist (or psychiatrist--sue me, I don't remember, it was over 20 years ago) who said essentially you are what you are, it's a waste of time to try to change homo- to heterosexual or vice versa. This got the panties of the ex-gay folks in a bunch, and they (I believe it was Exodus) organized a demonstration outside Black Rock to proclaim their success in converting to heterosexuality. As my friend described it, a line of men marched past the building, limp-wristedly holding picket signs and lisping the chant: "I changed! I changed!" Well, he had a tendency to exaggerate. Still, the point is, these so-called ex-gays weren't fooling anyone but themselves.

And of course, the minute anyone mentions Exodus and similar organizations, I think of Overcome, and this brilliant bit from Mr. Show:

Fat hatred: the game

2007-06-28T11:14:00.000-05:00

I just read about a new game called Fatworld over at Wired. The "obesity epidemic"--it's fun for the whole family!

I'm sure the creator of this game thinks it's all about "healthy choices." I appreciate the acknowledgment that high-quality food and fancy gyms are more readily available to the wealthy, but we all know (or I hope we do by now) there are people who eat healthy food and work out and yet--hold onto your hats, folks!--are still fat.

Besides, if you're gonna have characters named things like "Gordita," it's pretty clear where you're coming from.

This blog is rated NC-17

2007-06-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

... at least according to a silly test over at Mingle²

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

* queer (12x)
* gay (3x)
* vagina (2x)
* dead (1x)

Among other things, the word bisexual is apparently not as "adult" as gay or queer. Well, either that, or it doesn't exist at all for this test's purposes.

Hey, I just realized it mentioned vagina, but not penis or dick, both of which I've used. For that matter, what about lesbian and dyke? You know, if they expanded their list a bit, I might make it all the way to an X! (Does that even exist any more?)

Via Pandagon

Unconscious Mutterings, week 229

2007-06-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

The old free association game. She gives the starter word, you give the response.

Compulsion :: Sexual

Spiritual :: Journal

Spray :: Water

Compatibility :: Test

Pursuit :: Happiness

Fake :: Tan

Mobile :: Home

Ceremony :: Wedding

Ribbons :: Streamers

Mozart :: Salieri

You can play too, if you wish. Just be sure to comment or track back at Luna Niña.

Attack of the smooching baby dykes continues in the PNW

2007-06-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Two fourteen-year-old girls,
Maika Rich and Jocelyn O'Neal, were kicked off a bus in Portland, Oregon for kissing. Radical Russ has the story at Pam's House Blend.

The good news is the driver will be punished for violating the bus company policies against a) putting minors off a bus,and b) ejecting anyone from a bus without providing other means of transport. What the punishment will be is not clear yet.

The real question is: what the heck is going on in the Pacific Northwest with the extreme reaction to kissing teen lesbians? First, that incident in Gig Harbor, Washington when the school released the videotaped kiss to the parents of one of the kids, and now this. I've never been up that way, so I don't have a clue. Anyone?

Update from Fight OUT Loud via Russ at the Blend:

Fight OUT Loud has been in contact with the girls and their families. We have been guiding and assisting them in getting some sort of resolution. We have also issued an "action email alert" to our over 1000 members, which has resulted in flooding the offices of Trimet, the mayor's office, and the tourism board.

I have been in constant contact with the Portland Mayor's office as well, which has no direct control over TriMet or discipling the bus driver. While they cannot directly affect TriMet, I feel they have a duty and obligation to pressure the bus company to do the right thing and (a) fire the driver, (b) at the very least remove the driver from the route so the GLBT youth will not have to come in contact with him on the way to the Sexual Minority Youth Recreation Center, a safe haven for gay youth, and (c) make the punishment of the driver public to help put to rest the concerns of the girls and the community as a whole.

I would greatly appreciate if you could help spread the word about our efforts. To see how exactly what our efforts are and the services we provide, go to our webpage (www.fightoutloud.org) and check out our "action alerts". We really need to lend our voices to these girls and express our outrage at the whole situation.

-Waymon Hudson
President of Fight OUT Loud
www.fightoutloud.org

Please stand by for more bloggy goodness

2007-06-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

I've had no access to teh innarwebs at home for a few days now. I hope it will be fixed by tomorrow night. I hope.

What have we learned today, class?

2007-06-08T19:04:00.001-05:00

Trace Adkins doesn't do it for the money, the glory or the free whiskey. He does it for the badonkadonk.

Inspirational verse: "Lord have mercy, how's she even get them britches on?"

Unconscious Mutterings, Week 226

2007-06-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

The old free association game. She gives the starter word, you give the response.

Savage :: Breast

Warrior :: Spear

Daisy :: Fresh

Schedule :: Calendar

Rock, paper, scissors :: Shoot

Medical :: Examination

Jade :: Pendant

Elevator :: Button

Drain :: Board

Goldfish :: Cracker

Can you play? Certainly, it's lots of fun. Just be sure to comment or track back at Luna Niña.

Once again, it's all about the dick

2007-06-02T17:26:00.000-05:00

I've been following the story of Shumail Raj and Shahzina Tariq in various online news sources. The short version: the Pakistan married couple was sentenced to three years in jail for perjury because the husband, Raj, who is transgendered, was deemed female by the court. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Pakistan, as is sex reassignment surgery, but what they were convicted of was lying about the gender of Raj.

When I first read the story, it said that Tariq claimed she married Raj so she wouldn't be forced into a marriage with someone else, apparently a man to whom her uncle owed money. Since then, the couple have recanted that story, and say they married for love.

In a country where SRS is illegal, what happens with a person who's had it? How does does one decide this person's gender? At first I thought it was gonna be the old "you popped out of the womb looking female, therefore you're a woman.*" Nope, that wasn't it. I read story after story before it dawned on me how the court came to decision. What I discovered was that Shumail Raj doesn't have breasts or a uterus (they were surgically removed) or a vagina (sewn up), and does have--I'm sure this wasn't taken into account at all--a male self-identity. Sounds like a guy, don't you think? Well, no.

A couple of the stories I read referred to "problems with the surgery." And then it hit me--Raj doesn't have a penis! After all, what girlie parts you have or don't have is pretty meaningless in this world. How many times have we heard the difference between men's and women's genitalia explained as what men have and women don't? Yup, when you come down to it, the almighty 3-piece set (or lack thereof) determines all.

To demonstrate just how unimportant other (non-phallic) body parts are in the grand scheme of things, a doctor said Raj is a woman because, although it would take some special medical procedures, he could conceive and give birth to a child. This wasn't just any doctor, folks--this is the guy who removed Raj's uterus in the first place. Hmm, so maybe the surgeon didn't remove the ovaries when he did the hysterectomy, and I guess the vagina could be opened up to allow birth, and there's always the oh-so-popular C-section, but where exactly is this alleged fetus supposed to hang out while it's coming to term?

When is SRS not SRS? When you're the doctor who did it and you're under investigation, apparently.

The couple has been sent to jail in seperate women's prisons, but say the three-year sentence is no matter, because they are in love, and will be together eventually. Their lawyers plan to appeal is. The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission is involved, along with other human rights organizations. There is information on how to take action, and to offer moral and financial support at the IGLHRC website.

*This approach is the one taken by American writer Debra Dickerson, who wrote her reaction to the story at the time the press was still working the forced marriage angle.

OK, being jailed for being transsexual is, like, bad, but half a planet full of women who so fear marriage that they leap to marry transsexuals (i.e. women) to escape their fate also seems relevant.

So not only is this transsexual man a woman, says Ms. Dickerson, but objecting to being forced to marry against one's will to settle a debt--and not even one's own debt, mind you--means one fears marriage? I don't even know what to say to that.

I hope you're sitting down for this one, folks

2007-06-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

David Hyde Pierce is gay.

via Joe.My.God.

And the third thing I said was...

2007-06-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

Not only did they put a wrong letter, they also transposed two of them. After all that effort making my big funny joke, it said "Lipinska." I can't pick up those glasses too soon, can I?

For the second time this month, Tinky Winky breathes a sigh of relief

2007-05-30T13:03:00.001-05:00

According to Pink News, Ewa Sowinska is dropping her investigation of whether Teletubbies turns kiddies teh ghey. If you recall, the Polish ombudsman for children's affairs was concerned about--yawn--the fact that the male character Tinky Winky carries a purse. When I read the article in a rather cursory fashion, I realized they aren't likely to say a television program with a big ol' fuh-laming queen might just be innocuous, or even beneficial, to early childhood development. That's fine, I'm just as happy with them admitting that television (and this show in particular) is fantasy, and that it shouldn't all be taken so damn seriously.

Then I looked at the article again, and this quote from Sowinska's spokeswoman caught my eye:

"They are fictional characters, they have nothing to do with reality, and the bag and scissors and other props the fictional characters use are there to create a fictional world that speaks to children," Ms Lipinska said.

My second thought was "Obviously, these folks aren't so hostile to The Homosexual Agenda™ after all." My first thought, of course, was "They spelled her name wrong."

Jordin Sparks weighs in on the burning issue of the day

2007-05-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

That whole MeMe Roth thing got me so furious I decided not to blog about it. As belledame222 pointed out in her comment about my Ann Coulter post, the real question is why the hell these hateful individuals keep getting air time, and on so-called news programs, yet. If for some reason you have not already seen the video, go to Feministe and check it out.

So why do I bring it up now? Because the AP put out a story about Jordin Sparks and the runner up dude, which contained the following grafs:

How will she stay grounded, resisting entertainment industry pressures that can include an extreme emphasis on weight?

"Oh, that super-thin stuff — Hollywood needs to get over it," she said lightly.

Well, that seems pretty level-headed, doesn't it? I hope she manages to keep that attitude in her further adventures in the entertainment industry.

Speaking of American Idol, I keep seeing the runner-up referred to as a "beatboxer." I haven't seen any of his performances, but I'm guessing they also include him putting down a piece of corrugated cardboard and spinning on his head. You know, they've just come out with Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean 3--I wonder if Ice-T is available to be in Breakin' 3? And what the heck would the subtitle be? However could you top Electric Boogaloo?

I don't know how to tell you this, but Charles Nelson Reilly is (blank)

2007-05-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Boy put it well: "...and the world is that much less flamboyant."

An afternoon of escapism

2007-05-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

I've been spending a lot of time lately reading blogs. The blogs I like tend to deal with racism, sexism, homophobia, issues of class, and the always lovely intersection of those in various combinations. And you know what? Sometimes this stuff upsets me. Gives me a headache, even.

So, today, I gave myself a little break, and watched some old TV. To be perfectly honest, most of the television I watch is old TV. But today, I watched with an agenda. My plan was to put politics, race hatred, misogyny and the like out of my mind, and what better way to do so than with The Jeffersons, ST:TOS and the Sunday afternoon block of "family" programs on MeTV?

As it turns out, this was not only a diverting but an educational afternoon. First off, I learned a lot about how things are for biracial Americans by watching an episode of The Jeffersons that featured Jenny and Allan, the children of Tom and Helen Willis. According to Allan, the "white" child--yes, I've seen the character referred to in this way in several places--all black folk wonder what it would be like to be white, or at least what it would be like to enjoy white skin privilege. Okay, I'll admit that it has occurred to me to wonder what it's like to not be viewed as other by the majority of folks the minute one walks into, well, just about anywhere. Apparently, though, when a darker-skinned sibling has a lighter skinned one, it's also natural for that person to think "Why me? Why am I not the one who's perceived as white?" Imagine, all these years being an American of mixed race (and one who had a sister who was fairer complected, and often assumed to be Caucasian by strangers), and I never realized that's what I was supposed to think. Of course, Allan Willis' answer to all the stress of Americans' need to put everyone they meet in a racial box was to leave the country and pass for white, and that's completely understandable, or so the folks on The Jeffersons seemed to think. The most important lesson I learned from this show is one I wish I'd know years ago, because it sure would have come in handy on many occasions--if you encounter folks who think you're not authentically black enough, as George Jefferson thought of Allan, you can always win them over by demonstrating your proficiency in playing the dozens. Now they tell me! It'll even win over any darker-skinned (and naturally, jealous of you) sibling you may have hanging around. That's right--Jenny sighed, awestruck, "I didn't know he could do that!"

And to further help me with my deepening understanding of racial issues, there was the very heavy Facts of Life episode called "Who am I?" in which Tootie discovers that she is--gasp--a Negro. This fact is revealed to her by her new friend, the black and very race-conscious Fred. Her association with this young man leads her to question the fact that she's in a small minority at her fancy-pants boarding school. She seeks out the camaraderie of her African-American sisters in the student body and--guess what?--she turns out to have just about nothing in common with any of the girls! Then Tootie decides that new pal Fred would be a more appropriate partner for the annual dance contest than Carl, the white kid with whom she won last year. She changes her mind, however, when she realizes that she has a better chance of winning with Carl. Luckily, she reassures Fred (and all of us in the audience) that although she'll be dancing with Carl, she'll be celebrating with him. Whew, that's a relief! I was afraid Eastland Academy was offering a degree in miscegenation.

You may have noticed I didn't say anything about the Star Trek episode I saw today. It was "Patterns of Force". What the heck can one say about that ep?

Fred Phelps--irrefragably evil

2007-05-26T18:40:00.000-05:00

I've figured it out: Fred Phelps has a bet on with someone that he can use the word "irrefragable" in a speech every single day.

To hear what the hateful old bastard has to say about the new grandchild of another hateful old bastard, proceed to Pam's House Blend. You can even see his comments. I've transcribed them and put them in comments over there.

Honest to God, I'd like to go one fucking day without having to read about something like this. Just one. Is that too much to ask? I guess I could not read any blogs (or newspapers, or magazines), or turn on the TV, and live under a damn rock. Sometimes that rock seems pretty inviting.

Oh, that this were true!

2007-05-25T15:27:00.001-05:00

I spent the day on the net yesterday reading stuff that infuriated and upset me. I wanted to talk about some of it, but I simply couldn't deal with it. Thank goodness I found this to distract me.

I must admit that I am not a fan of AI--I have only seen the preliminary weeks, and I didn't see it at all this year--but even I know who Sanjaya Malakar is. Wouldn't it be cool if "Sanjaya" were just an artistic construct?

All Falwell, all the time

2007-05-23T13:10:00.000-05:00

Several posts ago, I said I wouldn't blog any more about Falwell's death. Then the Westboro Baptist Church wingnuts got involved. "Okay, one more post," I thought, "then I'm finished." Then Ann Coulter put her oar in. After that, I thought, okay, this story has gotten as interesting (or bizarre) as it's going to, so there's no need to give it a lick of attention. Right?

Well, it seems that was just wishful thinking on my part. Now it seems a student at Liberty University decided that the best way to discourage WBC protests of Falwell's would be to set off a bomb or two. Here's the story on CNN.

I won't say I won't ever mention Falwell here again--who knows what further wackiness will ensue.

On an odd but positive note, people have been finding me because The Bisexualist is the #1 Google hit for "cause of Falwell's death."

Ann Coulter is a vicious bitch

2007-05-18T22:22:00.000-05:00

Ugh. That is all. As you were.

Yo, Orlando--represent!

2007-05-17T07:57:00.000-05:00

Remember when people made fun of Jimmy Carter for quoting Dylan? Not nearly as funny as a Republican congressman quoting LL Cool J. Go to Think Progress to see Representative Ric Keller, uh, represent. It could be worse--at least he didn't quote the part about pulling out his jammy and making it go "blaw."

Cause of Falwell's death revealed

2007-05-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

I speculated in a previous post that a recent visit from the Equality bus may have caused Jerry Falwell to kick the bucket. Apparently, I was wrong. Bilerico has the press release from the Lesbian Death Avengers, a group of lesbian witches who hexed the ol' boy into the grave. Well, he certainly asked for it.

Speaking of "weenie groups like Soulforce," here's what Soulforce founder, Rev Dr. Mel White had to say: "It breaks my heart to think that Jerry died without ever discovering the truth about God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children. I sincerely hope that one day his school and his church will have a change of heart." (from the article from Ekklesia, "a think-tank that promotes transformative theological ideas in public life." Just what I needed, another interesting news website.

Are we in bizarro world?

2007-05-15T23:56:00.000-05:00

The Westboro Baptist Church--you know, Fred Phelps and friends--are going to "preach" at Jerry Falwell's funeral. Why? Among other things, it seems they didn't like Rev. Falwell's "God loves everyone" doctrine.
I get it--they're talking about the other Jerry Falwell, the nice one, not the one who said feminists, pagans and homosexuals are the reason the WTC isn't there anymore. Besides, he was apparently an Arminian*, and you know how they are.

Pam's House Blend has an image of the press release. Go there if you must read this sort of bullshit for yourself. Go ahead, you know you want to, and this way you don't actually have to go to the WBC site.

*No, he didn't change his name from Falwellian. Seriously, I have read this Arminian/Calvinist thing before, as well as other seeming minor doctrinal differences between various schools of thought and frankly, I have never figured out what the heck the big deal is. That's what happens when you don't have a good grounding in Christian theology. That's just one more thing that makes me a prime example of the type of person Rev. Falwell (the nice one) said makes this country great.

Falwell is dead

2007-05-15T16:59:00.000-05:00

For years, Jerry Falwell has been there, in the media, spewing hate left and right. He's become such a part of the political landscape, it's hard to believe he won't be around anymore. Unfortunately,with all the other hatemongers around, and new ones popping up daily, there will be someone along momentarily to pick up the mantle.

I understand the impulse to say bad things about the man. Hell, I did so when he was alive, and I've never been one to believe that death automatically transforms an unlovable person into some kind of unassailable saint. Falwell's kicking the bucket doesn't change the fact that he spent his whole life using his considerable influence for evil. That said, the so-called "antimemorial" that's being planned in San Francisco is reprehensible. And let's face it, when it comes to pithy slogans aimed at the recently dead, you can't beat the Phelps clan at its own vitriolic game.

Falwell said so many disgusting, venomous, and just plain batshit crazy things over the course of his career, it was easy to lose track of them. The Carpetbagger has quite a list of his, ahem, accomplishments. I also found a list of some of Falwell's more memorable quotes at Pam's House Blend, with links to Media Matters articles, some with video.

As an antidote to all the anti-gay crap from Falwell, check out Soulforce, an organization founded by Mel White (yes, that Mel White) and his partner. Soulforce seeks to combat anti-GLBT hatred in Christian churches and other institutions. One of the actions Soulforce sponsors is the Equality Ride, modeled on the freedom rides. Every year, a busload of young activists tours Christian colleges and universities, seeking to raise awareness of their discriminatory policies. The Equality Ride bus was just at Liberty University a few weeks ago. Say, I wonder if that's what brought about the demise of its founder.

Fun fact: Mel White (before he came out) was the ghost writer of Jerry Falwell's autobiography.

Holy discontent, Batman!

2007-05-11T22:49:00.001-05:00

For some reason, I didn't see this PSA when it was originally on TV, but luckily Feministing and Bitch, Ph.D. brought it to my attention. Enjoy.

Bisexual Judge In Sex Case Asked To Step Down

2007-05-10T07:24:00.000-05:00

I saw this headline pop up on my site today, and of course I looked the story up. There's no further reference to the judge's sexual orientation, either as a source of the alleged bias or otherwise. I searched a bit on the judges name and "bias," and found no other accounts of this story. So, what the heck does this have to do with bisexuality? Anyone?

Klein Sexual Orientation Grid

2007-05-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

Holy cow, I'm bisexual! Go figure.

I scored an average of 3.14

Heterosexual

Bisexual

Homosexual

Meaning

This result can also be related to the Kinsey Scale:

0 = exclusively heterosexual
1 = predominantly heterosexual, incidentally homosexual
2 = predominantly heterosexual, but more
than incidentally homosexual
3 = equally heterosexual and homosexual
4 = predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally
heterosexual
5 = predominantly homosexual, incidentally heterosexual
6 = exclusively homosexual

Summary

The idea of this exercise is to understand exactly how dynamic a person's sexual orientation can be, as well as how fluid it can be over a person's lifespan. While a person's number of actual homo/heterosexual encounters may be easy to categorize, their actual orientation may be completely different. Simple labels like "homosexual", "heterosexual", and "bisexual" need not be the only three options available to us.

Take the quiz

Roommates

2007-05-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

It's so nice to see these pictures from the good old days when two young, handsome bachelors could innocently share a home. They couldn't do it nowadays without some dirty-minded pervert trying to make a wholesome, manly friendship into something sexual.

Is kissing a girl "unusual behavior?"

2007-05-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

Gig Harbor High School in Washington has changed the way in which it uses security cameras, and now says it will only use them for things like, you know, security. It caused quite a flap when someone from the school sent a video that showed two female students kissing to the parents of one of the girls because they had asked to be informed if their daughter engaged in any "unusual behavior." She was transferred to another school outside the district as a result, and the other girl says her privacy was invaded.
Not to get all legalistic, but these days, there's no way a reasonable person can have an expectation of privacy in the hallway of a high school. That being said, what the hell were the people in this school thinking when they sent to video off school premises to that kid's parents? And does anyone really believe they'd have done the same thing if the incident had involved a boy and a girl?
The story from the AP, here. The local TV news story (with audio of the transferred student's father, complete with the word "abomination") here.

First post

2007-05-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

I'm making a first post because that's what you you when you blog, right? I'm not sure what this little blog will end up being. I'll be posting stuff that I find interesting, amusing, thought-provoking--and if my friends (or, dare I say it, people who don't know me) find it worth reading, I will be thrilled.

I haven't made any firm decisions on whether to moderate comments, or how often to post here, or even on the look of the thing, so don't be surprised if things change a great deal as I figure out exactly what I'm doing.

Well, as they say in Italian, in bocca al lupo--I'll just jump into the first real post, shall I?