Living: February 2010
Encountr: The Gay/Bi Guyfinder App for Android. [Gay Geeks]
Filed by Nathan Strang | February 28, 2010 7:00 PM |Android has been shuffling along with its modest App Market library of 30K+. I like to say (and oft prove) that there's a comparable and usable app for most things that the iPhone App Store offers. Maybe all my friends...Read More
The Week of HIV+ Serial Infectors
Filed by D Gregory Smith | February 28, 2010 5:30 PM |First it was Tony Perkins, a straight sexual predator, now it's a gay man from Minneapolis. Daniel James Rick was recently charged with raping a man and knowingly exposing him to HIV. After seeing his picture on the news, another...Read More
What if... Reloaded
Filed by Antonia D'orsay | February 26, 2010 4:00 PM |Not too long ago I wrote about the situation with the Dallas Trans gal who had her gender marker changed. There have been been developments and some additional information. To start with, she's post op, and it was after her...Read More
David And Diego - A Classic Story
Filed by Father Tony | February 26, 2010 10:00 AM |Earlier this week I acquired the story of a 70 year old man who has been happily partnered with a younger fellow for thirteen years but whose eyes well up with tears as he describes an earlier lover who was...Read More
Weiner Is a Winner for Telling It like It Is
Filed by Keri Renault | February 25, 2010 4:00 PM |Did you catch Rachel Maddow Wednesday? You won't need your V-8 after this clip. Maddow played a video excerpt from C-SPAN. Business as usual for Capital Hill Congress until irate New York congressman Anthony Weiner took to the podium with...Read More
HIV+ Man Arrested for Intentionally Infecting 100+ Women
Filed by D Gregory Smith | February 25, 2010 10:30 AM |A SWAT team arrested Tony Perkins, 47, of Greenwood, Indiana on Friday, after a tip by a former girlfriend that he was HIV+ and was knowingly infecting women by having unprotected sex. He was charged under Indiana law with "failure...Read More
It's Not God Saying Gays Should Be Put to Death, It's YOU
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 24, 2010 4:00 PM |Alright. Let's get one thing straight, fundie homophobes- you don't get a pass when you "quote" the Leviticus Bible verse saying: If man lies with a man as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an...Read More
Jamie Gillis RIP
Filed by Gloria Brame, Ph.D. | February 23, 2010 4:00 PM |If you've watched enough 70s and 80s porn, you've probably seen at least one film starring the infamously omnisexual porn actor Jamie Gillis, who died this past Friday. Find out much more about this legendary sexual radical in a (NSFW!)...Read More
LBL: Land Based Lesbian
Filed by Kate Clinton | February 23, 2010 3:00 PM |Just washed ashore from the RSVP cruise, and should have my land legs back any day now. I need a Dramamine to go to the Duane Reade. I met up with my 2,200 mateys on the Eurodam in Curacao last...Read More
DADT: It's Showtime
Filed by Sara Whitman | February 23, 2010 2:00 PM |Not such a great start to the week yesterday. I hurt my back. I never hurt my back. As my sister said to me, you getting OLD. OLD. Yes, I am. All that happened was I was horsing around with...Read More
Kentucky might OK the Bible being taught in public schools
Filed by Alex Blaze | February 22, 2010 10:00 AM |The Kentucky Senate Education Committee voted unanimously to put the Bible in schools: The proposal would allow schools the option to offer Bible classes as a social studies credit, according to the Associated Press. Democratic Sen. David Boswell, the chief...Read More
Mobile World Congress 2010 AKA Phone Porn Land [GayGeeks]
Filed by Nathan Strang | February 21, 2010 7:00 PM |Cupertino = Apple porn. Redmond = Microsoft porn (shudder). Barcelona = Phone Porn. This year, the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, was much like CES this year, full of new ideas, new faceplants, and some very sexy mobile devices....Read More
Augusta, GA(Y?)
Filed by Terrance Heath | February 21, 2010 4:00 PM |I admit, I've never had many great things to say about my hometown, Augusta, GA. In fact, when I was in high school, my classmates and I tended to call it "Dis-Gusta." That was probably because it was a very...Read More
What If...
Filed by Antonia D'orsay | February 20, 2010 3:00 PM |What if one day you went into work and your name on everything there is different, your sex on all your records was changed, and you discovered that although you had just gone to the trouble to get everything fixed, you find out that your employer had just gone ahead and changed all of that for you since they didn't agree with the way you went and did it?Read More
WorldNetDaily: Uganda has it Right with Death for Gays
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 19, 2010 2:00 PM |Yes, WorldNetDaily is a insane fundie site, peddling in birthers, birchers, and *fill in the blank*-phobes of every stripe. It's really no wonder they have the nickname WorldNutDaily. Sometimes, however, you have to look at what they are saying, the...Read More
Uganda Be Kidding Me: More Gay Porn from Pastor Ssempa & Dangerous Legal Loopholes
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 18, 2010 5:00 PM |Ugandan Pastor, and Rick Warren's right hand man, Martin Ssempa really hates gay people since he's one of the unapologetic driving forces behind the "Kill the Gays" bill. But he sure seems to love gay porn. I wrote about his...Read More
Love Without Respect?
Filed by Father Tony | February 18, 2010 10:30 AM |In a recent festive gathering of gay men, some complained about their partners' foibles. He doesn't recycle. He doesn't read. He's lazy. He eats junk. He watches TV. He is a really bad driver (He texts, he tailgates and he...Read More
Vancouver Report: Gays, Crashes, National Debts and Other Issues
Filed by Patricia Nell Warren | February 18, 2010 9:30 AM |As usual, any gay noises at the Winter Olympics are kept firmly focused around figure skating. Johnny Weir continues to stay mum about his sexual orientation, verbally anyway -- though he gayed it up as he worked the crowd during...Read More
Colorado Springs: Conservatism's Shining City
Filed by Terrance Heath | February 17, 2010 11:30 AM |If you've ever wondered where conservative economic policies like permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, slashed social services and government spending are supposed to lead us, look no further than Colorado Springs. David Sirota's description of what's happening to that...Read More
Rep. Nancy 'Anal Sex in Schools' Elliott: Liar, Liar...
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 17, 2010 10:30 AM |New Hampshire Representative Nancy Elliott became youtube/Sally Kern famous last week when she gave a detailed rant on gay male sex and made the ridiculous claim that a fifth grade class had been instructed to draw two men having anal...Read More
TransParent: At My Son's Wedding
Filed by Michele O'Mara | February 16, 2010 7:00 PM |Michele, My son and his fiancée are getting married in June. I'm an MTF transsexual whose been living full-time for nearly 5 years. Both my son and his fiancée are generally accepting and often invite me to social occasions...Read More
NYC Grand Marshals Announced
Filed by Father Tony | February 16, 2010 5:00 PM |Heritage of Pride (HOP) has this week, in two separate statements, announced the names of its grand marshals for the 2010 New York City Pride march. One name caused a dust up, the other none at all....Read More
Why I don't trust the DSM about sex
Filed by Gloria Brame, Ph.D. | February 16, 2010 4:00 PM |I usually stick with visuals here but queries from various people asking my take on the the new DSM revisions, both as a sexologist and a BDSMer myself, prompts me to indulge in a bit of textualization. I have long...Read More
Recklessly diagnosing
Filed by Alex Blaze | February 16, 2010 2:00 PM |Did you know that many states collect DNA samples of newborns and store them indefinitely? Well, these parents didn't: When Annie Brown's daughter, Isabel, was a month old, her pediatrician asked Brown and her husband to sit down because he...Read More
Creating Change with a Kid
Filed by Paige Schilt | February 14, 2010 5:30 PM |Long before my son was born, my dear mother turned to me and said, "your kids are going to turn out so conservative." I think this was her special way of saying that 1) my activist lifestyle is a little...Read More
Who Is Demetrius Anderson and Why Should You Give a Shit? (Updated)
Filed by D Gregory Smith | February 14, 2010 2:30 PM |Demetrius Anderson is the African-American, gay, HIV+ man I wrote about who is suing the Blue Island, IL Police Department, alleging excessive force, malicious prosecution and hate crime-worthy verbal assault referring to his (supposed) religion, sexuality, mental health state and...Read More
Lawrence King Killed Two Years Ago: Looking Back and Lessons Learned
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 12, 2010 10:00 AM |Editor's Note: I commented on the effects of Lawrence King's murder on the one year anniversary of his death last year. I wanted to repost the bulk of it with more thoughts on this sad day, as well as a...Read More
Would the World be Better Off Without Any Trans People?
Filed by Guest Blogger | February 11, 2010 6:00 PM |Editors' note: Alice Kalafarski is a law school graduate and transgender activist. She volunteers with Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), SpeakOUT Boston, and spent a month with Maine's No on One campaign. Of all the places she helps out,...Read More
May I Please Beam for a Moment?
Filed by Sara Whitman | February 11, 2010 2:00 PM |My Big Fat Gay Family with President Obama....Read More
Video Interview: Charles Robbins, Executive Director of the Trevor Project
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 11, 2010 12:00 PM |I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Charles Robbins, Executive Director of the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project runs the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. It's an...Read More
Interview: Queer youth issues with Greg Varnum from NYAC
Filed by Bil Browning | February 11, 2010 11:30 AM |One of the most interesting parts of my interview with Greg Varnum, Executive Director of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC), is the work they're starting to do around social media and innovative fundraising to keep the doors open. We...Read More
Married to Tickle-Me-Elmo?
Filed by Father Tony | February 11, 2010 10:30 AM |Dear Father Tony, I'm going to tell you about something that I have never heard talked about before. After my long-time-partner (male) comes, his stomach gets really tight like he is trying to hold something back, and then, when...Read More
Is "Gender Incongruence" the Cure for What Ails?
Filed by Keri Renault | February 11, 2010 9:30 AM |The American Psychiatric Association has released a draft of proposed diagnostic criteria for its Diagnostic & Statistical Manual-V (DSM-V). A 90-day review period is now underway with feedback solicited prior to creation of a final draft which will be published...Read More
Snowplow of Love
Filed by Kate Clinton | February 11, 2010 8:00 AM |The Superbowl, Sarah Palin, Creating Change and a huge blizzard... What a week!...Read More
More Problems at Notre Dame: Ex-Gay Speaker Invited to Talk About "Authenticity"
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 10, 2010 6:00 PM |It seems that the outrage over the publishing of a pro gay-bashing cartoon in the student newspaper, along with the continued refusal of the administration to allow an LGBT group on campus or include non-discrimination protections for LGBT students, hasn't...Read More
More Problems at Notre Dame: Ex-Gay Speaker Invited to Talk About "Authenticity"
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 10, 2010 6:00 PM |It seems that the outrage over the publishing of a pro gay-bashing cartoon in the student newspaper, along with the continued refusal of the administration to allow an LGBT group on campus or include non-discrimination protections for LGBT students, hasn't...Read More
Simply Be a Mom
Filed by Sara Whitman | February 10, 2010 4:00 PM |I know. I've been quiet for a while. Part of me had to go lick my wounds for a while. Naked frat boy, horrible Supreme Court ruling. I didn't want to read or think or do anything. So I didn't....Read More
CNN Money's 100 Best Companies to Work For includes LGBT rights
Filed by Joe Mirabella | February 10, 2010 2:30 PM |CNN Money included criteria for how companies treat their LGBT employees in their rating system for the best companies to work for list. They included two categories that are important to LGBT employees, an LGBT inclusive non-discrimination policy and domestic...Read More
DSM-V Task Force Releases Proposed Diagnostic Criteria
Filed by Kelley Winters | February 10, 2010 2:00 PM |After months of delay, the American Psychiatric Association released proposed diagnostic criteria for the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). A period of public review and comment begins today and ends April 20th. Readers...Read More
Birthright
Filed by Antonia D'orsay | February 10, 2010 11:00 AM |Let's pause for a moment and look at one thing, though. One thing that reaches outside that, so that people know why it is that I note, casually and consistently, the importance of our recognizing the kinship we have with each other within the LGBT. It starts when we are kids.Read More
A Call for Inclusive Immigration Reform
Filed by Steve Ralls | February 09, 2010 4:00 PM |The drum beat for an immigration reform measure that includes LGBT families just got much louder. Earlier today, 60 Members of Congress - led by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) - released a letter calling on Congressional leaders, and the White...Read More
PA Rep John Murtha dies
Filed by Bil Browning | February 09, 2010 12:00 PM |Condolences to the family of Representative John Murtha. The Pennsylvania congressman died Monday after complications after surgery. He was 77. Representative Murtha was an outspoken critic of the War on Iraq. Murtha was initially hospitalized in December and had to...Read More
Sore Toes and "Angry Trannies"
Filed by Antonia D'orsay | February 09, 2010 10:30 AM |Such a politically incorrect title for this post, but let's not let that detract from the article... I'm often called an "Angry Tranny." I count among my friends some of the most vocal and verbally aggressive trans folks online. I...Read More
When Will African Descended Trans People Get To Tell Our Stories On HBCU Campuses?
Filed by Monica Roberts | February 08, 2010 5:00 PM |One of the things I and other transsisters enjoy doing is telling the story of African descended trans people to college students around the nation. Since only one side of the story has been told for the last 50 plus...Read More
On Health Care, Vegas-Style, Or, Figure It Out In The Ambulance, Chump
Filed by Don Davis | February 08, 2010 4:00 PM |I was supposed to begin the long-delayed series of PTSD stories I've been planning, but before we begin, I need to tell y'all about something that just happened in my house. For us it wasn't a matter of life or...Read More
A Taxing Question of Medical Necessity
Filed by Kelley Winters | February 08, 2010 2:00 PM |Many trans and especially transsexual Americans were relieved this week by the U.S. Tax Court decision to reverse earlier IRS positions and allow costs of hormonal and surgical transition care to be deducted as medical expenses. The ruling concluded: Petitioner...Read More
Green penis veins, oral sex pregnancy, and other sex questions
Filed by Gloria Brame, Ph.D. | February 08, 2010 11:30 AM |Actual questions and answers from a sex advice column in the Pune Mirror (India). I got married a month ago and we have unprotected sex everyday. I have one bad habit, which is that I eat paper. Is this harmful?...Read More
'He set me free...'
Filed by Matt Comer | February 08, 2010 9:30 AM |Over the weekend Towleroad posted the video of an "ex-gay" teenager and his testimony at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. If you're reading this and thinking, "That place sounds familiar," you should be reminded of Lou Engle...Read More
The can of worms that the iPad opened
Filed by Nathan Strang | February 07, 2010 7:30 PM |I'm very much torn with the iPad. I don't know whether to qualify it as a superpowered iPod Touch on growth hormones, or to call it an underdeveloped tablet trying to be the next best thing. In either case, the...Read More
Cardinal George: New Ways Ministry (to gays) Not Catholic
Filed by D Gregory Smith | February 07, 2010 4:00 PM |Cardinal Francis George, President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops has "issued a clarification" late on Friday afternoon regarding the standing of New Ways Ministry, "a gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation...Read More
All eyes on disordered taxes
Filed by Austen Crowder | February 07, 2010 1:00 PM |Above all else, I always try to be a practical woman. Maybe it's my Hoosier upbringing; maybe it's my family's small-business, by-the-bootstraps mentality; or maybe it's just my interactions with money in a time of recession; but I have always...Read More
Want to Create Change? Take a Look in the Mirror
Filed by Waymon Hudson | February 05, 2010 6:00 PM |I was having a chat with a friend at the Creating Change Conference where we were catching up, talking about our current projects, and chatting about the community in general. We got into the topic of what we both agreed...Read More
President Obama: Uganda Kill-the-Gays Bill 'Odious'
Filed by David Castillo | February 05, 2010 9:30 AM |While President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton addressed the invite-only ticketed National Prayer Breakfast, Americans gathered in cities around the country to protest the event. The American Prayer Hour was organized to protest the involvement of American politicians and...Read More
A Tax Break Isn't Worth Having the Government Treat Being Trans as a Disease
Filed by Guest Blogger | February 04, 2010 4:00 PM |Editors' note: Alice Kalafarski is a law school graduate and transgender activist. She volunteers with Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), SpeakOUT Boston, and spent a month with Maine's No on One campaign. Of all the places she helps out,...Read More
Go Saints
Filed by Father Tony | February 04, 2010 10:30 AM |Hey FT, I know you will tell me the truth even if I won't like it. Is it possible to be a part-time gay? I read all the gay stuff I can find so that's why I'm here. I'm...Read More
Lady Haha Does Missouri
Filed by Kate Clinton | February 04, 2010 10:00 AM |"It's never like this," everyone said about the torrential rains for five days in LA. After they proudly announced, "We don't know how to drive in the rain." As they were driving. We were on our way to the 60th...Read More
Community Responds to Vandalism Hate Crime
Filed by Tobi Hill-Meyer | February 03, 2010 5:00 PM |On Monday morning February 1st, janitorial staff at the University of Oregon discovered the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Alliance had been broken into; computer screens and the TV were spray painted over and a swastika had been spray painted...Read More
I doubt this is just Republicans...
Filed by Alex Blaze | February 03, 2010 2:00 PM |I've been saying for a while on this site that education is either the most or among the most homophobic sectors of the workforce, something that generally gets ignored since people don't really know what to do with it or...Read More
St. Louis officer killed in the line of duty, life long partner left in the cold
Filed by Joe Mirabella | February 03, 2010 1:00 PM |The AP reports: Kelly Glossip and Dennis Engelhard shared love, a life together for 15 years and a modest ranch home in Robertsville. But in a state that doesn't recognize gay marriage, the two men didn't have a legal document...Read More
Wacky Quacky Virility Product: Von Graef's penis pills
Filed by Gloria Brame, Ph.D. | February 03, 2010 12:30 PM |German doctor Carl von Graef was one of the most successful 19th century quacks to exploit public naivete about sexual health. This is an advertising tract for his wildly popular herbal virility medicine (made mostly of Yerba Santa and Yerba...Read More
Supporters of Anti-gay Legislation in Uganda Hosting President Obama Thursday
Filed by David Castillo | February 03, 2010 9:30 AM |Heads of state and other dignitaries will gather this week to attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast. A highly secretive Christian fundamentalist organization called The Family hosts the event each year. The Family has ties to major players in our...Read More
Eunuch Cohesion
Filed by Kate Clinton | February 03, 2010 8:00 AM |Creating change, tossing Charmin', asking, telling, superbowling......Read More
HIV+ Smokers- Part 2
Filed by D Gregory Smith | February 02, 2010 4:00 PM |You may remember the essay I wrote about HIV and smoking Poz Smokers and the Facts. You may also remember that the report I cited mentioned that there is evidence that smoking negates some of the effects of antiretroviral medications....Read More
