Friday, September 28, 2012

'Why Same Sex Marriage Affects My Marriage' - Riley Balling Tries to Sound Smart, Fails

Early this morning the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis Minnesota, posted a commentary by Riley Balling about how Marriage Equality would affect his marriage.  Balling tries desperately to sound like he's coming from a position of intellectualism and science.  He is not, and thus fails quite handily.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Anti-LGBT Bingo

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Peter Sprigg is a Lying Sack of Shit

But you probably already knew that.  And to be fair, I don't know how much of a hand the FRC's Senior Fellow for Policy Studies had in writing their latest release, but he was the one to tweet it and so my ire will focus on him.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Oddest Conversation I Think I've Ever Had

Earlier today at the dog park I frequent daily in Washington State, I happened across a man in his 50s or 60s.  I'd run into him once before and made it a point to avoid him.  He seemed like the awkwardly chatty type that introverts like me tend to loathe so I kept my distance.  It's a 40 acre park, there are plenty of other places to go.  Little did I know I'd underestimated him.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Off Topic - Farewell Brian Moorman

Editor's Note: Most of the entries here deal with the LGBT community and the issues that affect us as a group.  However, from time to time Adam and I will want to share things from our personal lives. 

Earlier today the Buffalo Bills released my favorite player, longtime punter Brian Moorman.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

The CDC, HIV, and LGBT: A New Response To An Old Argument

Earlier tonight I had a conversation with someone who tweeted an infographic at me out of the blue about the horrors of STDs (HIV particularly) among youth.  Also mentioned in the tweet was Chris Kluwe, the relatively widely known pro-LGBT punter for the Minnesota Vikings.  Yes, the tweeter's motivations were anti-LGBT.  You can read my feed yourselves and see how I proved that the tweeter: is anti-LGBT, did not read any of the referenced infographic's cited sources and thus could not verify their accuracy, does not think that footnotes matter on infographics, does not care about heterosexuals with HIV, does not know or is willfully ignorant that the CDC specifically mentions factors other than risk when researching STDs, and is the kind of religious that makes its money hating gays.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Chick-fil-A Reversal

Chick-fil-A decided to change its tune.  In a letter to Joe Moreno, Alderman of Chicago's First Ward, the company vowed not only to cease giving money to anti-LGBT organizations, but also to uphold a company policy of non-discrimination.  (Whether this will be useless like the Salvation Army's officially policy of non-discrimination remains to be seen.)

The Other Washington's Transgender Respect Ad Campaign

Washington DC's Office of Human Rights has recently unveiled a series of ads promoting respect for transgender individuals (which, it's kind of sad that such things are even necessary, but I digress).  The spot is set to feature several transgender members of the DC community with statements like "Some think I should dress more like a man," and pleas to show respect for transgender community members.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Lazy Sunday Links

Always remember the Sabbath is for sharing gay links, not working.  It's in the bible, I promise.  Here are a few:

Washington Newspapers Show Support for Referendum 74
Referendum 74 or R74 is the ballot initiative that would bring the right to marry to LGBT couples of Washington State.  The Spokesman-Review, The Columbian, and The Seattle Times have all published editorials supporting the measure.  Credit: Pam Spaulding.

NOM's Bid To Oust The Republican Senators That Voted In Favor Of Marriage Equality Last Year Is A Flop
What does two million hate dollars buy you these days?  Not much apparently as Mark Grisanti held on to win handily and Stephen Saland and Roy McDonald are awaiting the counting of absentee ballots in their respective races (Saland is barely up, McDonald is barely down).  Credit: Jeremy Hooper.

Tony Perkins Acts Like Tony Perkins
Family Research Council head Tony Perkins encouraged parents of children that come out as gay to 'express disapproval.'  As author Alvin McEwen notes, Perkins has no educational background to justify making such a statement, and as Dan Savage further notes, LGBT youth are four times as likely to commit suicide as non-LGBT youth, and eight times as likely if their home environment is hostile.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Gayyy - The Power of Words

As a writer, and to some extent, as an athlete, I have an odd relationship with words.  On one hand, I recognize the power they have, the things that even just a few of them can do.  On the other, it is the recipient or the reader that gives them their power.  Words directed at us have exactly the impact we choose to allow them to.  It's why Twilight is the most meaningful thing in the world to some, and to the rest of us it's hot garbage.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Chris Kluwe Might Be My New Favorite NFL Player

Granted Kluwe is a punter and no one generally gives a fuck about them...but come on.  In case you missed it, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has been very vocal in his support of marriage equality.  This didn't sit well with Emmett C. Burns, he of the old west villain name.  Burns wrote a letter to the owner of the Baltimore Ravens complaining that Ayanbadejo should shut the fuck up and play football.

Look, there is no way I'm going to touch Kluwe's Hindenburg level torching of Burns so I won't even try.  I will point out something Kluwe missed though.

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What an embarrassment.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Off Topic (OT) - The Big Move

Editor's Note: Most of the entries here deal with the LGBT community and the issues that affect us as a group.  However, from time to time Adam and I will want to share things from our personal lives.

For those of you that know us personally, this is old hat to you.  For those that don't - we moved from New York (technically Maryland to New York first for Adam) to Washington state.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Lazy Sunday Links

I don't know whether this will become a recurring item or not.  On some rare occasions, an individual will sum up a topic so perfectly that I have little else to add.  These are those occasions:

Non Monogamy and Cheating by Queer Ramblings
Being polyamorous individuals in an open relationship, we are often prone to some misconceptions. This tackles them as well as I ever could and probably better.

Tony Perkins's File in the GLAAD Commentator Accountability Project
Wondering why the Family Research Council has long come under fire from a number of LGBT groups?  GLAAD sums it up nicely.

Get Informed - The Southern Poverty Law Center's Map of Hate Groups in the United States
Note that the SPLC doesn't give a hate group designation based on beliefs.  To earn the distinction, a group must spread false propaganda, lie about, or demonize a class of people.  To put it in other words, groups that simply oppose Marriage Equality on Religious Grounds (i.e. the Boy Scouts) are not listed as hate groups.  Groups that spread false information and discredited research (i.e. the Family Research Council) are.