News and Commentary About My Gay World
Friday, December 24, 2010
Chico State Choir - Acapella - The Twelve Days After Christmas
I sang this in middle school many, many, many moons ago and had not heard it since. Thank goodness for you tube. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
On Feeling A Little More Human
by: Keori
Wed Dec 22, 2010 at 20:28:59 PM EST
It's not over.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not quite dead. Not yet. But today was the critical blow to it. All that remains is for it to thrash its way into that dark night where the past injustices and disgrace of this country go to die. And that will happen soon.
Today was an amazing day. I was privileged to be in the audience at the DADT repeal Presidential signing ceremony. I am eternally grateful to Alex Nicholson and Jarrod Chlapowski of Servicemembers United for making that happen.
By far, the most personally important moment for me came after the ceremony was over. I actually managed to stop ADM Mullen on his way out. I shook his hand, identified myself by name and rank, and told him who I represented today. I told him about Beloved, about the Servicemembers United Military Partners group, and how much today means to the LGB military families. He thanked me for my service, and for the service and sacrifice of everyone in the Partners group. Then he looked me in the eye and said, "This will happen quickly."
I'm not quite ready to believe President Obama when he said that implementation would be done "swiftly and efficiently." But I absolutely trust my Admiral when he tells me how it's going to be. No questions.
It means a lot to me, this bill, and not just because this is a major marker on the road to equality for LGBT people. For so many years our government has told us, "You are expendable. You are nothing." It is still legal at the Federal level to deny us housing. It is still legal at the Federal level to deny us jobs. It is still legal at the Federal level to deny us marriage and families. It is still legal at the Federal level to deny us equal immigration rights.
But soon, it will be illegal to deny us LGBs the honor of serving our country.
When the House and Senate voted for DADT repeal, they didn't just vote for civil rights, or for equality. They spoke out in a voice that cannot but be understood, and they said, "Your lives matter. You are just as American, just as human, as we are, and you are welcomed among us."
It is a liberating feeling to be freed of the burden of mandatory secrecy and shame. It is an affirming feeling to be welcomed. I cannot help but think of the people I know and love who have suffered under this law, myself included, and I wonder how this will change all of us. I can only imagine the growth and blossoming that will happen. As my friend Dave said today, "We've all internalized this so much. It's not just everyone else's attitudes that will change, but our own attitudes about ourselves." He's right.
For myself, I am feeling a bit more human than I did a week ago.
There is much work still to be done, particularly for our trans brothers and sisters. This law does nothing to help them, yet they were there alongside us LGBs, working and pushing and sacrificing. We must not fail. We dare not fail. It's not just our rights we are fighting for. It's our lives, and the lives of our families.
And today, we celebrate as our lives matter a little more.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Warhol Foundation to withhold Smithsonian money
David J. Hoffman | Dec 16, 2010 | Comments 1
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, a major funder of the “Hide/Seek” exhibit about the presence of same-sex desire in American art, has decided to withhold all future funding for all Smithsonian Institution museums in the wake of the decision by Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough to pull down a video about AIDS from the exhibit.
The decision was announced on Monday in a letter from Joel Wachs, the foundation’s president, in a letter to Clough demanding that “you restore the censored work immediately,” an action that Wachs said was decided unanimously by the foundation board of directors last week.
In the letter, made public by Wachs, he told Clough that the action to remove a video artwork from the exhibit, a four-minute video titled “A Fire in the Belly,” by painter, filmmaker and performance artist David Wojnarowicz, was “blatant censorship” and “unconscionable” and “inimical to everything the Smithsonian Institution should stand for.”
After noting that the foundation has previously donated more than $375.000 over the past three years to fund several exhibits at various Smithsonian museums, including $100,000 to help stage “Hide/Seek,” Wachs told Clough: “we cannot stand by and watch the Smithsonian bow to the demands of bigots who have attacked the exhibition out of ignorance, hatred and fear.”
In early December, the Catholic League complained over several seconds in the short silent video which ants are shown crawling on a crucifix — a familiar use of the insects in the artist’s work, in this case to represent the agony of HIV/AIDS. Wojnarowicz, prominent in the New York City art world in the 1980s, died of AIDS-related complications in 1992 at the age of 37. But the Catholic League claimed the work to be offensive to Roman Catholics and was anti-Catholic “hate speech,” a theme quickly taken up by two Republican House leaders including incoming Speaker John Boehner.
After these complaints, Clough consulted with National Portrait Gallery director Martin Sullivan and Smithsonian art historian David Ward, co-curator of the exhibit, but not with the other curator, Jonathan D. Katz, who was then in London lecturing at the Tate Modern. The decision to remove the video was made by Clough over the objections of Ward and late also from Katz.
Ward told the Washington Post that the video “is not anti-religion or sacriligious. It is a powerful use of imagery.” He said the action was reminiscent of the Corcoran gallery of Art decision in 1989 to cancel an exhibit of Robert Maplethorpe’s photography — ironically, Maplethorpe is featured in the current NPG exhibit. “Once again,” said Ward, that same weapon” — to halt federal funding of the arts — “is being brandished, and once again we cower.”
Katz also denounced the decision, adding that it’s unfortunate that “the exhibition itself is being lost in the mudslinging” and that “homophobia and raw politics” were at the root of the action.” However, said Katz, the show itself, “by remaining up, continues to resist the politics.”
On Dec. 9, NPG commissioner James T. Bartlett resigned in protest. Earlier, on Dec. 2, activists marched from the Transformer Gallery, which showed the video briefly following its removal from the exhibit, to the Portrait Gallery, and on Dec. 5 two protesters were detained by police and barred from the gallery for holding leaflets while one of men, Mike Blasenstein, was wearing an iPad running the Wojnarowicz video, an action forbidden by Smithsonian policy.
Wachs told Clough that the Warhol Foundation action was necessary because “the decision to censor this important work” put the donors in this position.
The decision was announced on Monday in a letter from Joel Wachs, the foundation’s president, in a letter to Clough demanding that “you restore the censored work immediately,” an action that Wachs said was decided unanimously by the foundation board of directors last week.
In the letter, made public by Wachs, he told Clough that the action to remove a video artwork from the exhibit, a four-minute video titled “A Fire in the Belly,” by painter, filmmaker and performance artist David Wojnarowicz, was “blatant censorship” and “unconscionable” and “inimical to everything the Smithsonian Institution should stand for.”
After noting that the foundation has previously donated more than $375.000 over the past three years to fund several exhibits at various Smithsonian museums, including $100,000 to help stage “Hide/Seek,” Wachs told Clough: “we cannot stand by and watch the Smithsonian bow to the demands of bigots who have attacked the exhibition out of ignorance, hatred and fear.”
In early December, the Catholic League complained over several seconds in the short silent video which ants are shown crawling on a crucifix — a familiar use of the insects in the artist’s work, in this case to represent the agony of HIV/AIDS. Wojnarowicz, prominent in the New York City art world in the 1980s, died of AIDS-related complications in 1992 at the age of 37. But the Catholic League claimed the work to be offensive to Roman Catholics and was anti-Catholic “hate speech,” a theme quickly taken up by two Republican House leaders including incoming Speaker John Boehner.
After these complaints, Clough consulted with National Portrait Gallery director Martin Sullivan and Smithsonian art historian David Ward, co-curator of the exhibit, but not with the other curator, Jonathan D. Katz, who was then in London lecturing at the Tate Modern. The decision to remove the video was made by Clough over the objections of Ward and late also from Katz.
Ward told the Washington Post that the video “is not anti-religion or sacriligious. It is a powerful use of imagery.” He said the action was reminiscent of the Corcoran gallery of Art decision in 1989 to cancel an exhibit of Robert Maplethorpe’s photography — ironically, Maplethorpe is featured in the current NPG exhibit. “Once again,” said Ward, that same weapon” — to halt federal funding of the arts — “is being brandished, and once again we cower.”
Katz also denounced the decision, adding that it’s unfortunate that “the exhibition itself is being lost in the mudslinging” and that “homophobia and raw politics” were at the root of the action.” However, said Katz, the show itself, “by remaining up, continues to resist the politics.”
On Dec. 9, NPG commissioner James T. Bartlett resigned in protest. Earlier, on Dec. 2, activists marched from the Transformer Gallery, which showed the video briefly following its removal from the exhibit, to the Portrait Gallery, and on Dec. 5 two protesters were detained by police and barred from the gallery for holding leaflets while one of men, Mike Blasenstein, was wearing an iPad running the Wojnarowicz video, an action forbidden by Smithsonian policy.
Wachs told Clough that the Warhol Foundation action was necessary because “the decision to censor this important work” put the donors in this position.
Barny Frank on DADT and showers.
This is too funny. Barny Frank (D-MA) made this reporter look stupid. The reporter is from the right-wing Media Research Center-owned website CNSNews.com who is opposed to the repeal of DADT.
'Porno' Pete LaBarbera and his hate group gets called out by Chicago news station report
The local media in Chicago, Fox Chicago News, recently presented an excellent report about our friend, (and Paul Cameron enabler) Peter LaBarbera and his hate group, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality. Words can't do this report justice but I will try. The report is clear, concise, and gets to the heart of the matter. Just watch it and spread it around online.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Anderson Cooper's "Ridiculist"
The people at NOM want to take back the rainbow. I wish these people would channel their time, energy, and huge amounts of money into something constructive.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
WE WON !!!!
WE WON !!!
THE FINAL VOTE WAS 65 TO 31
Now the bill has to go to the president to be signed.
It a press letter from the President;
THE FINAL VOTE WAS 65 TO 31
Now the bill has to go to the president to be signed.
It a press letter from the President;
Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell, no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.
As Commander-in-Chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known. And I join the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the overwhelming majority of service members asked by the Pentagon, in knowing that we can responsibly transition to a new policy while ensuring our military strength and readiness.
I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Senators Lieberman and Collins and the countless others who have worked so hard to get this done. It is time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)