Retro Post: Culture Change

As various hate groups try to link the Penn State and Syracuse University scandals with the evils of homosexuality, it has become clear that they are right in a sense, just not in the way they think. There is a connection between homosexuality and the sex scandals, and it extends beyond to STD prevention, abortion prevention, teen pregnancies, and sexual education. What is abundantly clear is that this country needs a culture change in the worst way.

Hate Dossier: 'Porno' Peter LaBarbera and AFTAH

I've been developing a hate dossier over the past few months, essentially an excel spreadsheet of organizations big and small that have demonized Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals.  Some of them have national recognition like the National Organization for Marriage, Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, and Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, and some are smaller like the NY Family Research Foundation, Mass. Resistance, and so on.  Usually I lump these guys in together because most are fringe groups with limited support (NOM for example gets most of it's money from 5-6 donors who have been speculated to be high ranking Catholic officials), but I thought it would be good to shine the spotlight on each of them individually.  We begin with AFTAH.

Retro Post: Hypocrisy and Lies of the Anti-Gay Right

Jim Daly is the president of Focus on the Family, the group that was responsible for the Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad and a group that has ties to several Southern Poverty Law Center designated hate organizations.  Recently he wrote a nice little article complaining about how the religious right has been demonized by "hate."

Retro Post: Sex, the Dutch Model

An Older Article Regarding Britain following The Netherlands' lead in teaching sex education.

In a nutshell, the article details the progressive stance the Netherlands has taken regarding sex education and sex in general.  You can read the article yourselves, but a few high points:

• Sex Education begins in Primary (Elementary) School.  We're talking real sex education answering actual questions that kids have, not just "girls have vaginas and boys have penises, the end."  (Note: I can confirm this fact).

• “There is no point in telling children just to say ‘no' - this is a liberal country; you need to tell them why they are saying ‘no' and when to say ‘yes'. --- Dutch school headmaster Siebe Heutzepeter

• At secondary school the sex education is formalized and children are shown how to use various types of contraceptives, how to have “safe and pleasurable sex”, the importance of responsibility and how to recognize the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases.

Update: The Buffalo Sabres and the Salvation Army

Some time ago I decided to send a letter to the Buffalo Sabres organization regarding their affiliation with the Salvation Army using the feedback button on their website.  After a week with no response I went to the contact I acquired when I questioned them about their upcoming anti-bullying PSA, their director of community relations.  We had a conversation today that was (I think) a step in the right direction.  Since nothing in that conversation seemed confidential or damning, I will post it in it's entirety after the jump.  My side of the conversation will be in red.

LGBT Individuals In Sports - We're Getting There

If you've been following either of my Twitter accounts over the last few days, you've noticed I've been nothing short of a major pain in the ass to many hockey media people regarding the recent Krys Barch incident in which the Panthers player allegedly used a racial slur.  My talking point has been the vastly disproportionate responses to Barch's (at this point unconfirmed) transgressions, and those of Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds (who called a player a faggot - 'confirmed' only by video and lip reading) earlier this season, asking the question; "If the NHL punishes Barch after not punishing Simmonds with similar evidence in both cases, does it come off as weak on homophobia versus racism?"

Letter to the NHL Regarding LGBT Treatment

Note: We've seen three ugly incidents this year in the NHL, two racist and one homophobic.  During the preseason a fan threw a banana at black forward Wayne Simmonds.  The fan was arrested and charged with engaging in a prohibited activity.  A few days later Simmonds was caught (video, no audio) uttering the word "faggot" at LGBT-friendly player Sean Avery.  Simmonds was not punished.  Now Krys Barch was ejected from a game for using an ethnic slur (no video or audio) at black defenseman P.K. Subban.  His hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.  If the NHL chooses to punish Barch with evidence similar to the Simmonds incident, it is essentially giving an allowance to homophobia.

Letter after the jump.

Retro Post: It Gets Better by Rebecca Drysdale (Lyrics after the Jump)

Retro Post: Pornography, An Unfair Reputation

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Retro Post: When Will We Get It Right?