The Worsening Situation in Russia

Protest against the banning of Moscow Gay Pride (S)

The Russian Federation’s lower house (the State Duma) recently passed a law banning the provision of “homosexual propaganda” to anyone under eighteen, and holding gay pride rallies. Fines are in place for anyone who breaks these laws – including media organisations, foreign citizens, and schools. The State Duma also passed a bill that makes offending religious feelings a crime, punishable by up to three years in prison.

In theory (at least to Putin and his government) the new laws are mean to promote traditional Russian values and reduce the spread of “Western liberalism”, which they believe to be corrupting Russia’s youth and contributing to the protests against Putin’s rule, to which I have to say: Putin, dear, this one’s all on you, believe me.

Why People Don't Listen to Silence

IDAHOBIT involves a minute of noise rather than silence (S)

IDAHO (also known as IDAHAT and IDAHOBIT) is the International Day Against Homophobia. It is set on May 17th every year, and its main aim is to raise awareness of bigotry that is often experienced by QUILTBAG people all around the globe. May 17th was the date that the World Health Organisation declassified homosexuality as a disease.

They Found Out

Yeah, so I made these. Glad I can wear these all the time now.

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, you are probably wondering where I've been these past few weeks. You must have been frustrated, enraged, cursing my pretty face as you mash the refresh button, praying for a new post from me. I can hardly forgive myself for keeping you in such a state, dear readers. So let me tell you why I've been so long away.

They found out.

Another Take on the Restroom Thing

Something my husband ran across in Orlando Florida last week caught my eye. Especially after Kal’s post this week:

This was posted in the NASPA Conference in Orlando earlier this month.

I love gender neutral restrooms, so does husband. I would go further to remark that I also prefer gender neutral locker rooms--but that is another post.

Yes, I am cis-gendered, but I am also a mom.  What strictly gendered restrooms mean to me is that I have had to hover outside the men’s room while waiting for my six or seven year old son uses the restroom. Or take him to the ladies room and have said ladies glare at me.

The same thing happened to my husband when he took daughter out.  Worse yet, when she was tiny, he discovered that most men’s rooms didn’t have things like changing tables,so he would be stuck changing daughter on precarious counter or filthy floor.

Law with Ginsburg, Breyer, and Thomas: What the Court Means to the LGBT Community

 Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, the day is upon us. For months the LGBT community has been preparing for this week. The Supreme Court of the United States has heard its first oral arguments in the case of Hollingsworth v Perry, the case that challenges Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage. While the decision will have far ranging impacts, the real show begins tomorrow with United States v. Windsor, the case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act which forbids married gay couples from recieving federal benefits. Implications of both these cases after the break

In Praise of Philial and Filial Love

 From the 2011 SF Gay Pride Parade

My sister recently had one of those disturbing situations that pretty much gets to the heart of why ace visibility is important and why aces might feel a teeny bit dismissed and invisible.

She is being treated for a severe illness that she’s had for a very long time. It is a grueling, time consuming treatment and she is also in law school, so she really has very little time for anything else.

The treatment has been working well, but last time she saw her doctor, she called me sounding rather disturbed. Apparently the doctor was worried because even with the return of her health, she has not changed in her orientation. That is to say, she is still asexual.

Why I Don't Say the Pledge of Allegiance

Warning: I'm about to go full 'MURICA. International readers beware.

This article is a bit of a break from what I usually have to offer. While it is definitely pertinent to the LGBT community (of America at least), it also concerns the rest of my country and its relationship with the world at large.

Stop Complaining so I Can Still Feel Good About Myself

Yes apparently this is a legitimate fear for some (S)

 "It’s all political correctness gone mad! Yes, that’s right, ensuring that minority groups in the community don’t feel alienated by other groups is completely wrong. In fact, it’s infringing on my rights as a person! But I'm not bigoted I promise."

"Well, ok, I'll admit, it's not stopping me from having any rights I had before. And, yes, it's not exactly hard to not say something that offends someone, but I've said it all my life without being told to stop, and since I don't actually mean it the way you're taking it, then you can't get offended."

Ah, yes, do excuse me. I forget that this concept is so difficult for people to understand.

At the Intersection of Race and Orientation

Disillusioned Face? I need you again!

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, the honeymoon period is over. I say this with a heavy heart, but the inevitable has happened. My bleeding leftist heart is quick to attach itself to various causes and is just as easily disillusioned with every transgression my new comrades commit. I thought I'd learned after Julian Assange was accused of rape that no movement is perfect. Evidently I have not learned well enough. Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, the LGBT movement has a race problem. It's here. It's queer. And we are not going to get used to it.

"I'm 26 years old and the only thing I haven't got is my other mother's surname"

Myriam Blanc and Astrid Boekholtavec were two of the parents present at the conference

FRANCE -- "I'm 26 years old and the only thing I haven't got is my other mother's surname" says Celine before silently breaking down in tears. Sadly, an estimated 300,000 other children of gay couples in France share her story according to a study by APGL (the Association of Gay and Lesbian Parents, France).

Recently I attended a conference on adoption and same-sex parenthood in Bordeaux, France. It was an emotional evening with same-sex couples giving accounts of their experiences and the hell they have been through to have children because of the French system. The conference was also attended by other representatives of local LGBT associations, and the director of interim President, François Hollande's online election campaign, Vincent Feltesse, now the county deputy who described himself on the night as "very close to Mr. Hollande".

Bully For You

Because it's never like this in real life

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, today the student body at my Texas high school shared a common experience, the trauma of which bonded us more closely. Class relationships were strengthened through the laughter, anger, shame, and confusion that this experience evoked in us. Together we suffered, and together we prevailed. Yes, my friends, today the administrators of my high school showed the school their anti-bullying presentation through the morning announcements. Of course, this being Texas and they being school administrators, I have my critiques about this undertaking. You already know the big one. There was absolutely no mention of LGBT bullying.

Holiday Edition!

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, I come to you refreshed from a strange American ritual celebrating the decimation of native peoples and the national vice of gluttony. Thanksgiving is seen among my people as all of these things and more. It’s a week off of school. It’s passing out from a food coma. It’s giving thanks that Native Americans were the victims of mass genocide by white settlers, allowing the United States of America to be. But above all things, it’s time for the awkward and forced interaction between people who share little more than a few more gene sequences than the mean. Yes, Thanksgiving is family time. But many of us in the LGBT community don’t have family to speak of. How do we celebrate the holidays?

YOU GUYS THEY'RE ON TO US

Pictured: The author with the Gay Illuminati

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof and none of the above, I am writing to you in dire circumstances. Our candidate, the puppet president Barack Obama may have won (or stolen) this election from the righteous god-fearing challenger Mitt Romney, but I tell you that our people are in danger. The breeders are getting wise, my friends, and if we don't do something, our plan to subvert the Constitution and bring about the reign of the Antichrist may be brought to nothing yet. It's almost too horrible to say, yet it is my duty to inform you that...they know. They know everyone's born straight and that we turn them gay. What's more, they have discovered our sleeper cells in their schools, slowly turning their children gay. We could yet lose the Culture War.

No Time to Back Down

Time to (wo)man the barricades. (Artist: Kathe Kollwitz)

Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, it doesn't take me a lot to make me actively angry. I threw the remote at my TV and started screaming during a 40 minute anime that failed to live up to my exacting artistic standards. The rendering was awful, the voice acting was stale, and the inconsistencies in the incredibly simplistic plot almost made me flip a table. Here's the thing, though: It only lasted 40 minutes. Those feelings of rage, helplessness, and injustice were only valid for less than an hour. If worst comes to worst tomorrow, I could be feeling like that for the next four years. Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, welcome to The Day Before the End. Welcome to the Day Before Election Day.

Why You Shouldn't Vote Romney

 “Oh, I’m not voting for Obama, I’m going to vote for Romney. No, I don’t agree with Romney’s social policies, but at the same time his economic plans are more considered. Obama’s just not working for us right now.” 

No, this isn't the GOP's new logo

That’s right, dear readers, election time is almost upon us! I can guarantee that you’ve heard some variation of the above quote recently – everyone is thinking that Romney’s economics are stronger, so he’ll be the best bet to bring the US out of its slump. 

Well, let me tell you exactly why voting GOP of November 6th is a bad idea. Yes, I know I‘m a British person living in the UK, so I’m not exactly the authority on the issues in the US, but I can still have a look at the policies of the candidates involved. That’s where it all gets a bit worrying, you see. 

In my eyes, Obama is the sensible choice. He’s a centrist candidate (actually by British standards he’s a bit right wing, despite the amount of people calling him a liberal), he’s mostly got a good head for international relations, and he’s a charming man. All in all, he’s a pretty decent candidate. Maybe that's just what we see of him over here, but still.

In Memory of Matthew Shepard

(S)

I’m warning you now, dear readers, that if you have a problem with hearing about senseless hate crimes, this post may not be for you. 

Imagine for a moment that you were a young man, out for the night with a good friend of yours. You’re having a drink together at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming, and it is a little past midnight. Another young guy walks into the room, and he looks fairly cool, so you invite him over to join you and your friend. You find out interesting facts about him – he’s 21, he’s a student of the University of Wyoming, and he’s also gay. Oh. 

New Totally Scientific Facts as Told by the ACL

(S)

News just in – homosexuality (or more specifically gay marriage) is now unhealthier than smoking! Well, it was quite a shock to the system when I first found out about the latest in scientific studies. Many people I know are at risk, I realised! Even I might be at risk - although there has not yet been any word on the relative health problems associated bit being panromantic, I eagerly await the results. I was just amazed that I, with my romantic attraction to people of all genders, could be less healthy than, say, the gentleman to the left, but who am I to say otherwise?

Don’t question the facts, dear readers, this was said by the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, who I’m sure researched his point thoroughly before saying anything. Isn't that the norm when people speak publicly? 

Gay Pastivists

Ever heard of gay pastivists? Do you know what a pastivist is? No? Well that makes sense, because it's what I call them.

Some people in the gay community do not support gay activism, at all. It sounds completely ridiculous, doesn't it? Why would you choose to settle for less in the hope that it gets better some day in the future?

I'm not talking about the gays who don't take part in activism (it's up to you whether you do or not), but the gays who oppose the fight for equal rights and cannot begin to fathom why some gays - like me - are outspoken. However, these people still want equal rights, but just expect them to turn up. This is where my term 'pastivist' comes from.

Chick-Fil-A Goes Cold Turkey

Some protests against Chick-Fil-A (S)

Well, we’ve done it. A certain Chick-Fil-A was in the news a few months ago when it came to light that some of its donations gone to anti-gay organisations such as Focus on the Family or the National Organisation for Marriage, along with several smaller groups. It has now said that the not-for-profit organisation it funds, WinShape Foundation, is reconsidering the organisations it gives its funds to. 

Patriotism, nationalism, and freedom

Keep driveway free.
Freedom for all driveways! (by christophheinrich)

To me, patriotism while being a transgender person is something like religion is for other LGBT people. Those aren't exactly the most compatible things. Obviously, I have a difficult time with it. If you would ask the people that know me to describe me, words like "patriotic" probably wouldn't make the list. "Good student", "talented", "smart", "friendly"... Heck, maybe even "fun"? But "patriotic"? No, not me... They'd probably say that I'm simply too queer forward-thinking to be into such "conservative and traditionalist" things like patriotism. Well, it's just who I am!