THE STATISTICS OF HATE!

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"What is the good of having the statue without the liberty?"

During the past several months, I've posted story after story about crimes committed against the LGBT community; urging readers to contact their senators to vote for passage of the Hate Crimes Bill.

The statistics in the following article are staggering..... We, as a community must unite, raise our voices and be heard. During this month of PRIDE celebrations, reflect on the men and women who "fought back" during the Stonewall riots and think of where we might be today if we had not finally said, "enough is enough"!

Study: Anti-Gay Hate Crimes Widespread
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Nearly four in 10 gay men and about one in eight lesbians and bisexuals in the United States have been the target of violence or a property crime because of their sexual orientation, according to a new study.

"This is the most reliable estimate to date of the prevalence of anti-gay victimization in the United States," said University of California, Davis, psychology professor Gregory Herek who conducted the study.

"The data demonstrate that crimes against sexual minority adults, especially gay men, are disturbingly widespread."

Herek's findings were based on a survey he conducted in the fall of 2005 with a nationally representative sample of 662 self-identified gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. The study will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Overall, 21 percent of the people in the survey reported being the victim of violence or a property crime -- including physical assault, sexual assault, theft and vandalism -- because of their sexual orientation.

In addition, 49 percent said they had been verbally abused because of their sexual orientation, 23 percent reported being threatened with violence, 12.5 percent reported having objects thrown at them, and 11 percent reported housing or job discrimination.

The total exceeds 100 percent because some individuals reported being the target of multiple attacks.

"These data highlight the continuing need for criminal justice programs to prevent and deter anti-gay crimes, as well as the need for victim services that will help to alleviate the physical, economic, social and psychological consequences of such crimes," Herek said.

The study found significantly different rates of victimization among gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.

More than a third of the gay men said they had experienced violence or property crime because of their sexual orientation, or about three times the proportion of lesbians and bisexuals.

Gay men also reported the highest rates of harassment and verbal abuse. And gay men and lesbians reported two to four times more housing and job discrimination than bisexuals.

The disparities persisted after Herek controlled statistically for age, race, ethnicity and education he said.

"Men are generally more likely than women to be the targets of most kinds of violent crime, and this pattern seems to hold in anti-gay hate crimes as well," Herek said.

"The gay men and lesbians in the study were much more likely than the bisexual men and women to be open about their sexual orientation. Their greater visibility probably also makes them easier targets for discrimination than bisexuals."

Survey respondents were randomly selected from a panel of more than 40,000 U.S. households maintained by Knowledge Networks, a survey research firm.

The firm recruits panel members via standard telephone sampling methods; in return for regularly completing online surveys, the panel members receive free Internet equipment and access.

Previous studies of anti-gay hate crimes have relied on samples that were smaller or not representative of the U.S. population, Herek reported.

In the new study, survey respondents had an average age of 39. Most had attended some college. Two thirds were white, 16 percent black and 12.5 percent Hispanic.

Data collection for the study was supported by a grant from the Gill Foundation, a Denver-based organization that supports equal opportunities for people regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.

Legislation that would add gays and lesbians to the categories included under federal hate crime law is currently before Congress.

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the House last month and is pending in the Senate.

The White House has threatened to veto the measure if it passes.

THE MESSAGE OF ISOLATION, SHAME AND FEAR

Former 'Ex-Gay' Leaders Apologize For 'Bringing Harm'
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(Los Angeles, California) Three former leaders of an international ministry that counsels gays to change their sexual orientation apologized for their efforts, saying that though they acted sincerely, their message had caused isolation, shame and fear.

The former leaders of the interdenominational Christian organization Exodus International said Wednesday they had all, over time, become disillusioned with the group's ideas and concerned about what they described as the wrenching human toll of such gay conversion efforts.

"Some who heard our message were compelled to try to change an integral part of themselves, bringing harm to themselves and their families," the three, including former Exodus co-founder Michael Bussee, said in a joint written statement presented at a news conference in Hollywood. "Although we acted in good faith, we have since witnessed the isolation, shame, fear and loss of faith that this message creates."

The news conference was held in a courtyard outside an office of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. It was timed to coincide with the opening of Exodus' annual conference, which is being held this week at Concordia University in Irvine and expected to draw about 1,000 people.

Exodus' president, Alan Chambers, said he disagreed with its critics and the ministry's methods have helped many people, including him.

"Exodus is here for people who want an alternative to homosexuality," Chambers said by phone. "There are thousands of people like me who have overcome this. I think there's room for more than one opinion on this subject, and giving people options isn't dangerous."

Bussee left Exodus in 1979 after he fell in love with a man who was a fellow ex-gay counselor with the group. He speaks out frequently against ex-gay therapies.

The others speaking at the news conference included Jeremy Marks, former president of Exodus International Europe, and Darlene Bogle, the founder and former director of Paraklete Ministries, an Exodus referral agency based in Hayward, California.

Chambers, who is married and has children, said he and other current Exodus officials are careful to warn those who seek help that such a path is not easy.

Sexual orientation, he said, "isn't a light switch that you can switch on and off."

Founded in 1976, the Orlando, Florida-based Exodus has grown to include more than 120 local ministries in the United States and Canada and over 150 ministries in 17 other countries. The group has monthly newsletters, annual conferences, speaking engagements and Web services. It promotes "freedom from homosexuality" through prayer, counseling and group therapy.

The Associated Press

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER VETO THREAT

President Bush issued a warning to Congress on Wednesday that he will veto budget appropriations for the District of Columbia unless the measure contains language barring the district from using any of the money for its domestic partner registry.

The registry allows same and opposite-sex unmarried couples to register their relationships.

Three quarters of the District of Columbia's budget comes from local revenue - city taxes and fees. But, about $120 million in additional funds comes from the federal government. That money is contained in the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.

Under Republicans the legislation stated that none of the federal money could be used to support the partner registry.

When Democrats took control of Congress the requirement was removed.

In threatening a veto the White House on Wednesday issued a statement saying: "The Administration strongly opposes the bill’s exclusion of a longstanding provision that disallows the use of Federal funds to register unmarried, cohabitating couples in the District, to enable them to qualify for benefits on the same basis as legally married couples.

Under Federal law, legal marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Federal tax dollars are not used to extend employment benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees, and D.C. should not enjoy an exception to this rule."

The Domestic Partner registry includes such partner rights as hospital and nursing home visitations, medical decisions, and inheritance rights.

"With his popularity at an all time low, this President has yet again dipped his cup into the well of anti-gay bigotry," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "He has issued a veto threat on funding for the District of Columbia because long-term, committed couples want to have such basic rights as visiting each other in the hospital and making medical decisions for their partner. The anti-gay zeal of this Administration has reached a new low."

Gay Democrats seized on the veto threat as another example of wedge politics."This is a misleading veto threat designed to parrot the talking points of the anti-gay special interests which control and finance the Republican Party, said National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jo Wyrick, "President Bush would never threaten to withhold federal funds from California because it employs a domestic partnership registry. Yet, Republicans feel that the District of Columbia is their financial playground that they can use to bully local families at the pleasure of their anti-gay agenda. That is wrong.

It is the second time in two months the president has threatened a veto over a gay issue.In May the White House said that if legislation adding gays and lesbians to federal hate crime laws the president would nix it.

PRIDE

North America's Big 4 Celebrate Gay Pride

They danced, they gyrated, they flexed and they showed their political clout a the gay communities in New York, Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco marched to the tune of LGBT liberation on Sunday.

On the sidelines crowds estimated at close to a million watched in New York and Toronto with between 300 and 600 thousand on the streets in Chicago and San Francisco.

For marchers in New York and San Francisco marriage was on everyone's mind.

Legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry has passed the Assemblies in California and New York, but is unlikely to be enacted in either state this year.

In New York the Republican-controlled Senate has vowed not to allow the bill to come to a vote. The bill has the support of Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Gay activists had a message for lawmakers who oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds: Not all faiths oppose gay rights.

The parade down Fifth Avenue was led by Religious groups including Christians, Jews and Buddhists.

"We stand for a progressive religious voice," said Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of New York City's Congregation Beth Simchat Torah. "Those who use religion to advocate an anti-gay agenda I believe are blaspheming God's name."

In California, the sticking point is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who has said he would veto the bill if it passes the state Senate.

The issue of gay marriage is also before California Supreme Court with oral arguments expected later this year.

Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, plaintiffs in the marriage equality lawsuit and leaders of Marriage Equality USA, will appear along with four generations of their family, as Community Grand Marshals for this year’s LGBT Pride Parade in San Francisco.

Prior to the start of Sunday's march in San Francisco, Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential contender John Edwards, was the keynote speaker at a Pride Breakfast for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and announced her support for gay marriage.

"I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me,'' Edwards said at a news conference before the parade. ``I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage.''

That position puts her at odds with her husband. The former North Carolina Senator says he opposes " any form of discrimination,'' and although he supports civil unions opposes same-sex marriage.

In Toronto, where same-sex marriage is legal - as it is across Canada - the city kept its marriage bureau open throughout the weekend. Several dozen couples, many from the US were wed.

With full civil rights achieved the city's pride parade was a festival followed by a street party in the gay village that went on through the evening.

In Chicago one of the biggest highlights of gay pride was the city's new LGBT Community Center.

The $20-million complex, on the city's North Side, near Wrigley Field, will offer educational, recreational and social services along with theater events and social functions.

365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

A LESSON IN HYPOCRISY

Tyler Whitney, is an 18 year old self-professed up-and-coming conservative activist who currently works as a webmaster for the GOP's most rabidly anti-gay presidential candidate Tom Tancredo.

Whitney also reportedly leads an antigay political group on his college campus and has carried a "Go Back in the Closet!" sign at an antigay protest.

Recently, Between the Lines, a gay newspaper in Michigan published a story that noted Whitney has told some friends that he is gay, which was then picked up by loads of national gay bloggers.

Bay Buchanan, an adviser to Tancredo, has said that Whitney's "sexual preference is a personal matter" and that it should have "nothing to do with the campaign."

But Noted gay advice columnist
Dan Savage disagrees:

"Sorry, Bay, but gay-bashing thugs-people like you, your horrible brother Pat, your vile candidate-can't have it both ways.

If Whitney's sexual preference is a personal matter, then so is mine. If Whitney's sexual preference shouldn't have anything to do with the campaign, then neither should mine-nor should the sexual preference of any other American.

But so long as the GOP attacks gay Americans, Whitney's sexuality-and his hypocrisy-has everything to do with the campaign."

Whitney is most likely wishing he could quietly "Go Back in the Closet!"

Talk about hypocrisy!

Dan Savage continues:

Some folks will question the ethics of outing a messed up 18 year-old.

Like lots of young 'mos from conservative backgrounds, Whitney seems to have compensated for his sexuality by going off the anti-gay deep end. What better way to cover up for your homosexuality than working against the rights of gay people?

But by eighteen you're old enough to know better-if you're 18 and gay in America, you're old enough to know that you don't have to live a lie.

If you're 18 and gay and not ready or willing to come out, you're old enough to know that keeping your closeted mouth shut about gay issues is the option that doesn't make you a flaming hypocrite.

And if you're 18 and closeted and gay and politically active, as Whitney was, you're old enough and savvy enough to know that aligning yourself with anti-gay politicians, marching with assholes that carry "Straight Power!" signs at anti-gay rallies, and being best buds with a guy that thinks gays should be imprisoned is as good as painting a bulls eye on your back.

You not only risk being outed, you invite it.

Hell, you've earned it.

STOP THE HATE

This video comes from one of my BLOGMASTERS and dear friend, Connie.

The senate will soon vote on the Matthew Shepard Act, the hate crimes bill. Opponents of civil rights for gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered people in America have drawn a line in the sand and are working 24/7 to stop this important bill. We must counter the voice of the radical right with the voice of the LGBT and allied communities who support human rights for all people.

The irony is that 73% of Americans support this bill’s measures, but the majority of people contacting senators oppose the bill. We can not be silent. The senate and the president must hear from supporters of the Matthew Shepard Act.

Please WATCH THE VIDEO and then click on the link below to send a letter to your senator today!

Time is running out.......... CLICK HERE!

THANKS, DON~

MY BIRTHDAY~

"How many Martini's does it take before a person begins to see the olives dancing on the bar?"......
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THE SISTERS

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They're often seen at Gay Pride parades throughout the country and in many parts of europe. Usually on roller-skates, their outlandish costumes are in no way an indication of the importance of their mission. They are:

THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc., is a leading-edge Order of queer nuns. Since their first apperance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday 1979, the Sisters have devoted themselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those of the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment. The Sisters believe all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty and use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit!

ABOVE: SISTERS OF THE ABBEY OF ST. JOAN, SEATTLE, WA.

TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA
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Soon after the San Francisco Order was founded in 1979, the mission of the Sisters — to promulgate universal joy, expiate stigmatic guilt and serve the community — spread far and wide. Orders can be found across the United States and in several countries around the world.

Although the San Francisco Order is often referred to as the "Mother House", the Sisters have no central seat of power and no single ruling body. Each Order is an autonomous, unique group with its own Habits, culture and rules. Just as the San Francisco Order is a reflection of the culture that surrounds it, so too is each Order a reflection of its own environment.

Below is a list of current organizations. If your lifelong ambition has been to become a nun, by all means contact a convent near you..... for my friends in Portugal and South Korea, you might consider establishing and becoming the Abbess of a convent in your country!

Check out some of their websites.... my favorite is The Las Vegas Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence http://www.sinsitysisters.org/

U.S. Orders

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,
The Abbey Of Saint Joan
Seattle, Washington
Founded: 1996 (1987)

PMB #486
1122 E. Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122-3934
Telephone: (206) 860-3666
http://www.theabbey.org/


Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc.
Los Angeles, California
Founded: 1995

8581 Santa Monica Blvd. # 257
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Telephone: (323) 908-3489
http://www.lasisters.org/


Missionary Order of Perpetual Indulgence
Tennessee, Iowa, Chicago, Philadelphia
Founded: 1996
http://www.mosisters.org/


New York City Sisters
New York, New York
radicalfaeries.net/radicalfaeries/sisters.htm


Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc.
Russian River, California
Founded: 2000

P.O. Box 771
Guerneville, CA 95446
Telephone: (707) 874-0312
Email: info@rrsisters.org
http://www.rrsisters.org/


Las Vegas Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,
Holy Order Sin Sity Sisters
Las Vegas, Nevada
Founded: 2006
http://www.sinsitysisters.org/


Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,
The Order of Benevolent Bliss
Portland, Oregon
Founded: 2006
http://www.portlandsisters.org/


San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,
The Asylum of the Tortured Heart
San Diego, California
Founded: 2006
http://www.sdsisters.org/


Eureka Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,
Abbey of the Big Red Wood
Eureka, California
Founded: 2007

P.O. Box 5625
Eureka, CA 95502-5625
Telephone: (707) 834.4832
Email: sisterfawn@eurekasisters.org
http://www.eurekasisters.org/


Palm Springs Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Palm Springs, California
Founded: 2007


U.S. Missions

The Sisterhood of Our Lady Queen of the Trail
Orlando, Florida
www.myspace.com/theorlandosisterhood

Missionary Order of the Grand Canyon Sisters
Phoenix, Arizona
http://www.azsisters.org/

The Gateway Sisters of Indulgence
St. Louis, Missouri
http://www.gsoi-stl.org/

Missionary Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Tampa Bay, Florida
http://www.flsisters.org/


Australia

The Order of Perpetual Indulgence
Sydney, Australia
Founded: 1982
http://www.universaljoy.com.au/


The Order of Perpetual Indulgence in Australia, Inc
Adelaide, Australia
Founded: 1992


Colombia

Hermanitas de la Perpetua Indulgencia
Seccional, Colombia
hermanitas.8m.com


France

Les Soeurs de Perpétuelle Indulgence, Couvent de Paris
Paris, France
Founded: 1989
http://www.lessoeurs.org/


Les Soeurs de Perpétuelle Indulgence, Couvent de As
Atlantique sud, near Bordeaux, France
Founded: 1994


Les Soeurs de Perpétuelle Indulgence, Couvent de Paname
Paris, France
Founded: 1996
spi.paname.free.fr


Les Soeurs de Perpétuelle Indulgence, Couvent des Chenaies
Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Nice; France

SPI / Couvent des Chenaies
c/o Didier Pugliese
2695 avenue du Colonel Maurice Bellec
13540 PUYRICARD
FRANCE
www.20six.fr/spi-chenaies


Germany

Der Orden der Schwestern der Perpetuellen Indulgenz in Deutschland
Deutsches Gründungs-Mutterhaus Erzabtei Sancta Perpetua Indulgentia
Berlin, Germany
Founded: 1991

O.S.P.I. Deutschland
Hanseatenweg 6
D-10557 Berlin
Germany


Die Schwestern der Perpetuellen Indulgenz zu Hamburg, Haus Notre Dame Sainte Diana
Hamburg, Germany
Founded: 1996

S.P.I. Hamburg
c/o Hein & Fiete
Pulverteich 21
D-20099
Hamburg, Germany
info@spihamburg.de
http://www.spihamburg.de/


Die Schwestern der Perpetuellen Indulgenz e.V., Haus Sancta Maria Penetrantia
Köln, Germany
Founded: 1997

S.P.I. e.V. Köln
Adam - Stegerwald - Strasse 32
51063 Köln
Germany
Telephone: +49 221 - 88 74 314
info@spicologne.de
http://www.spicologne.de/


Die Schwestern der Perpetuellen Indulgenz, Haus Sancta Melitta Ivenis
Berlin, Germany
Founded: 1998

S.P.I. Berlin
c/o Fabian
Potsdamer Str. 118
D-10785 Berlin
Germany
info@die-schwestern.de
http://www.die-schwestern.de/


Orden der Perpetuellen Indulgenz, e.V., Haus Sancta Trinitatis Berolinum
Berlin, Germany
Founded: 2003

O.P.I. e.V. Berlin
Hasenheide 13
D-10967 Berlin
Germany
Telephone: +49-30-213 79 45
mutterhaus@derorden.de
http://www.derorden.de/


Die freien Schwestern der Perpetuellen Indulgenz®
Berlin, Germany
Founded: 2005

F.S.P.I. , Berlin
c/o Matthies
Warthe Str. 17
D - 12051 Berlin
Germany
inter@dieschwestern.de
http://www.dieschwestern.de/


Scotland

The Order of Perpetual Indulgence, Convent of Dunn Eideann
Edinburgh, Scotland

P.O. Box 666
Edinburgh
EH7 5YW
www.thesisters.org.uk/


The Order of Perpetual Indulgence, Convent of Moravia
Elgin, Scotland

2-4 Lamb Street
Elgin
IV30 2DG
www.thesisters.org.uk/


Switzerland

Der Orden der Perpetuellen Indulgenz
Zürich, Switzerland
http://www.derorden.ch/


the United Kingdom

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Manchester
Manchester, United Kingdom
http://www.thesisters.demon.co.uk/


The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Sussex
Sussex, United Kingdom


The Abbey of the Dreaming Spires
Oxford, United Kingdom
http://www.oxfordsisters.org.uk/


The Sanctuary of the Sisters of Perepetual Contumaciousness
Rockall, United Kingdom


Uruguay

Hermanas de la Perpetua Indulgencia
San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo, Uruguay
www.geocities.com/perpetuaindulgencia/

FRIDAY EYE CANDY ~ TIMES TWO

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TWINS ~ Joseph and Jason Barbera
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A GAY BOMB?

It can't possibly be true, right? The military studied a cockamamie scheme to develop a chemical bomb that would somehow turn enemy soldiers gay so they would give up fighting? (Read it and weep.)
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There are many things that make us proud to be Americans. The Constitution. The moon landing. The Simpsons. Now there's a new entry in the national-pride pantheon: the gay bomb.

Yes, the military that brought us Don't Ask, Don't Tell also had the brilliant idea for trying to undermine the enemy by using bombs as instant disco balls. According to an Air Force lab's 1994 proposal for nonlethal weapons, obtained by a California watchdog group, "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior."

"The Ohio Air Force lab proposed that a bomb be developed that contained a chemical that would cause enemy soldiers to become gay, and to have their units break down because all their soldiers became irresistibly attractive to one another," Edward Hammond of the Sunshine Project told KPIX-TV, a San Francisco CBS station.

Hammond used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a copy of the proposal from the Air Force's Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio. Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to the TV station that military leaders had considered, and subsequently rejected, the gay bomb project.

The lab also proposed developing chemicals "that attract annoying creatures to the enemy position and make the creatures aggressive and annoying. Stinging and biting bugs, rodents, and larger animals would be candidates to be drawn to the enemy positions." (Read the proposal at tinyurl.com/5gkyv.)

How serious was Wright Lab about all this? They wanted $7.5-million for the project. Now that's American entrepreneurship, know-how, and idiocy at their best!

CBS5.COM
Washington Post
Tampa Bay Times

INSANITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE

THE GEORGE W. BUSH BULLSHIT METER........

There is no doubt in my mind that George Bush knew exactly what he was doing when he nominated Dr. James Holsinger to serve as U.S. Surgeon General.

Log Cabin Republicans have urged the Senate to reject Dr. James Holsinger's nomination to serve as The United States Surgeon General.

"Dr. Holsinger's professional views about sexual orientation fall far outside the scientific mainstream, and call into question his ability to fairly deal with critical medical issues," said Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon. "While the President should ordinarily receive the benefit of the doubt in his appointments, the post of U.S. Surgeon General requires a nominee who relies on science and fact."

Holsinger's professional opinion on gays and lesbians is contained in an eight-page report that he wrote in 1991 for the United Methodist Church, entitled, "Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality."

The report, which goes into graphic detail about sexuality, has received harsh criticism from medical experts for its ideological overtones and false statements about the nature of gays and lesbians. He argued in the report that homosexuality is biologically unnatural.

Holsinger was a founder of Hope Springs Community Church in Lexington, Kentucky. The church operates a so-called "ex-gay" ministry, which seeks to change a person's sexual orientation-a concept that has been debunked by every major medical and psychological association and mainstream researcher who has studied this issue.

"The medical community has long rejected the notion that sexual orientation can be changed," said Sammon. "The fact that Dr. Holsinger advocates this type of junk science is troubling and represents a wholesale rejection of accepted and mainstream scientific opinion."

"During the Senate confirmation hearings, we expect a thorough examination of Holsinger's professional views," said Sammon. "Absent a full and complete explanation from him, one that makes it clear that he rejects the junk science he once embraced, the Senate should reject his nomination."

This is my second post on this nomination. I believe it's important to inform the GLBT community, families and friends of this outrageous "slap in the face" by the Bush administration, and urge all readers to contact your senators today to vote against this nomination!

Thanks~

SAO PAULO BRAZIL GAY PRIDE 2007

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) - An estimated 3 million gays, lesbians and transvestites paraded down the main avenue of Brazil's business capital Sao Paulo on Sunday, showing their pride in a blaze of colour and festive music.

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"We want people to address machismo, racism and homophobia ... which still exists in Brazil," Nelson Matias Pereira, president of the parade told the official news agency Agencia Brasil, adding that many families took part.

The Sao Paulo Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transvestites (GLBT) Parade Association said balmy temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) helped draw more than last year's 2.5 million marchers and that the turnout would be a world record.

A police estimate was unavailable, but nearly 900 officers were on duty to help maintain order.

On a five-day visit to Brazil, the world's most populous Catholic country, Pope Benedict attracted less than 1 million to listen to his calls to reinforce traditional family values.

During Sunday's parade, bands played on 23 "trios eletricos," or huge trucks, with their music blasted from massive loudspeakers.

For their 11th parade, the gays received official backing for the first time.

Brazil's ministers for Tourism and Sport, Marta Suplicy and Orlando Silva, attended the parade. The governor of Sao Paulo state, Jose Serra, and city mayor Gilberto Kassab were also there.

Sponsors included Brazil's state energy company Petrobras and the state-owned Caixa Economica Federal bank.

GEMINI ~ THE TWINS ~ EYE CANDY

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- Twins Ryan and Justin Wood
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Gemini go everywhere together, hand-in-hand, symbolizing a dual nature. Their world comes in pairs: good and evil, in and out, yin and yang - Geminis are living proof.

Some might say Gemini are an entanglement of paradoxes, but the truth is that Gemini have an easy acceptance of opposites. Gemini world is one of duality. Gemini can like this and that, one thing and its opposite. It's like you see your world through a radio and Gemini can tune experiences and points of view in and out as interests change.

Geminis are curious, talkative, versatile and mentally active. The mind can bounce around from one topic to another with great ease, making Gemini the champion of cocktail party chatter and lighthearted social encounters. Others will think that Gemini are fun to be with, but their ability to change with the changing winds can also lead others to see Gemini as shallow.

Gemini are the eternally youthful child, no matter their chronological age. A razor-sharp wit can have them verbally dueling with the very best of opponents, who moments later become their best of friends.

As Genini flies through life, they musn't forget to take time to smell the flowers.

I am a Gemini ...... my family, friends, co-workers; anyone who knows me will tell you that the above is a true representation of my personality [ies].

BARACK OBAMA SPEAKS OUT!

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BARACK OBAMA IS THE FIRST TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE ANTI-GAY BIAS OF BUSH NOMINEE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL~

"America’s top doctor should be a doctor for all Americans, and so I have serious reservations about nominating someone who would inject his own anti-gay ideology into critical decisions about the health and well-being of our nation. As with other nominees, I will listen to the testimony of Dr. James Holsinger, but this Administration must know that the United States Surgeon General's office is no place for bigotry or ideology that would trump sound science and good judgment."


Surgeon General Nominee Holsinger Has Broad Anti-gay Bias

George Bush's nomination for U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. James Holsinger

Holsinger's anti-gay bias has come under closer scrutiny in the past couple of days with the release of a paper he wrote in 1991 on the dangers of "anal eroticism" in which he concluded that gay sex is "intuitively" unnatural. Here's a bit of it:

"In fact, the logical complementarity of the human sexes has been so recognized in our culture that it has entered our vocabulary in the form of naming various pipe fittings either the male fitting or the female fitting depending upon which one interlocks within the other. When the complementarity of the sexes is breached, injuries and diseases may occur..."

Holsinger also voted to oust a lesbian pastor from the United Methodist Church, the NYT reports:

"As president of the Methodist Church's national Judicial Council, Holsinger voted last year to support a pastor who blocked a gay man from joining a congregation. In 2004, he voted to expel a lesbian from the clergy. The majority of the panel voted to keep the lesbian associate pastor in place, citing questions about whether she had openly declared her homosexuality, but Holsinger dissented."

The congregation Holsinger helped establish, Hope Springs Community Church, as I noted earlier, advocates "curing" gays and lesbians.

EYE CANDY SATURDAY ~ DOUBLE VISION

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I was reminded by my good friend QEK that I had neglected to post Eye Candy Friday this week..... to make amends, I present Double Vision Saturday with Brazilian twins, Flavio and Gustavo Mendonca..... I began the New Year by posting one photo of these handsome twins.... here are more!
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DOUBLE VISION IN BLACK AND WHITE

THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO *&^%$^%$!

U.S. Compromise on Global Warming Plan Averts Impasse at Group of 8 Meeting
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HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 7 - The United States agreed Thursday to "consider seriously" a European plan to combat global warming by cutting in half worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, averting a trans-Atlantic deadlock at a meeting here of the world's richest industrial nations.

The compromise, worked out in tough negotiations between the United States and Germany, also endorses President Bush's recent proposal to bring together the world's largest emitting countries, including China and India, to set their own national goals for reducing emissions.

The agreement reached Thursday does not include a mandatory 50 percent reduction in global emissions by 2050, a key provision sought by Chancellor Angela Merkel, nor does it commit the United States or Russia to specific reductions.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Merkel, the host of the Group of 8 meeting, proclaimed it a major victory. She had placed climate change at the top of the agenda for the gathering, and put heavy pressure on Mr. Bush in recent days to relax his opposition to mandatory cuts in emissions, though he ultimately did not. "If you think of where we were a few weeks ago, and where we have reached today, this is a big success," a visibly relieved Mrs. Merkel told reporters in this Baltic Sea resort.

By MARK LANDLER and JUDY DEMPSEY
Published: June 8, 2007

AND THIS BIT OF REPUBLICAN TRASH....

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Last week, NPR (National Public Radio) asked NASA administrator Michael Griffin, "Are you concerned about global warming?"

His answer: "I'm aware that global warming exists" but "[w]hether that is a longterm concern or not, I can’t say." Griffin added that he is "not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we must wrestle with."

Griffin's remarks were stunning, coming just days after his own agency released a report warning of the "disastrous effects" of climate change. NASA quickly tried to avert some of the criticism of Griffin's remarks by lamely blaming NPR for asking questions that were too tough:

NASA spokesman David Mould said the NPR interviewer was trying to push Griffin into saying something about global warming. NASA’s position is that it provides scientific data on the issue, but policymakers decide, he said.

The White House's science adviser Jack Marburger also tried to dismiss Griffin's ignorance, insisting the NASA administrator was joking:


"It's pretty obvious that the NASA administrator was speaking about his own personal views and by no means representing or attempting to represent the administration's views or broader policy," Marburger said. "He's got a very wry sense of humor and is very outspoken."

But scientists are not taking lightly the fact that Griffin, the head of NASA doesn't understand the seriousness of global warming, with some calling on him to resign.



Some reactions:



James Hansen, NASA's top climate scientist: "It's an incredibly arrogant and ignorant statement. It indicates a complete ignorance of understanding the implications of climate change."

Also, scientific consensus does not hold that today's climate is the "best climate." We are already seeing melting glaciers, higher temperatures, and stronger natural disasters. The most recent assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated, "Changes in climate are now affecting physical and biological systems on every continent."

Michael Oppenheimer, Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University: "It"s astounding that the head of a major U.S. science agency could hold such attitudes - basically ignorance about the global warming problem. It's so astonishing that I think he should resign."

Gavin Schmidt, NASA climate scientist: "Griffin's comments seem surprisingly naive. We are not in a situation where we are shopping around for an ideal climate, but that we have adapted to the climate we have, and that therefore large changes to it are not likely to be beneficial."

Berrien Moore, Director of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space at the University of New Hampshire: "I don't understand it. I'm really stunned he would say something like that. I mean, I just really find it shocking."

On the same day that Griffin, a Bush appointee, made his remarks, the President claimed that his administration "takes this issue (global warming) seriously." (

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!

As we approach the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots I found this article to be both sad and amusing.....

Homo Nest Raided, Queen Bees Are Stinging Mad
Reprinted from "The New York Daily News," July 6, 1969
By JERRY LISKER

She sat there with her legs crossed, the lashes of her mascara-coated eyes beating like the wings of a hummingbird. She was angry. She was so upset she hadn't bothered to shave. A day old stubble was beginning to push through the pancake makeup. She was a he. A queen of Christopher Street.

Last weekend the queens had turned commandos and stood bra strap to bra strap against an invasion of the helmeted Tactical Patrol Force. The elite police squad had shut down one of their private gay clubs, the Stonewall Inn at 57 Christopher St., in the heart of a three-block homosexual community in Greenwich Village. Queen Power reared its bleached blonde head in revolt. New York City experienced its first homosexual riot. "We may have lost the battle, sweets, but the war is far from over," lisped an unofficial lady-in-waiting from the court of the Queens.

"We've had all we can take from the Gestapo," the spokesman, or spokeswoman, continued. "We're putting our foot down once and for all." The foot wore a spiked heel. According to reports, the Stonewall Inn, a two-story structure with a sand painted brick and opaque glass facade, was a mecca for the homosexual element in the village who wanted nothing but a private little place where they could congregate, drink, dance and do whatever little girls do when they get together.

The thick glass shut out the outside world of the street. Inside, the Stonewall bathed in wild, bright psychedelic lights, while the patrons writhed to the sounds of a juke box on a square dance floor surrounded by booths and tables. The bar did a good business and the waiters, or waitresses, were always kept busy, as they snaked their way around the dancing customers to the booths and tables. For nearly two years, peace and tranquility reigned supreme for the Alice in Wonderland clientele.

The Raid Last Friday

Last Friday the privacy of the Stonewall was invaded by police from the First Division. It was a raid. They had a warrant. After two years, police said they had been informed that liquor was being served on the premises. Since the Stonewall was without a license, the place was being closed. It was the law.
All hell broke loose when the police entered the Stonewall. The girls instinctively reached for each other. Others stood frozen, locked in an embrace of fear.

Only a handful of police were on hand for the initial landing in the homosexual beachhead. They ushered the patrons out onto Christopher Street, just off Sheridan Square. A crowd had formed in front of the Stonewall and the customers were greeted with cheers of encouragement from the gallery.

The whole proceeding took on the aura of a homosexual Academy Awards Night. The Queens pranced out to the street blowing kisses and waving to the crowd. A beauty of a specimen named Stella wailed uncontrollably while being led to the sidewalk in front of the Stonewall by a cop. She later confessed that she didn't protest the manhandling by the officer, it was just that her hair was in curlers and she was afraid her new beau might be in the crowd and spot her. She didn't want him to see her this way, she wept.

Queen Power

The crowd began to get out of hand, eye witnesses said. Then, without warning, Queen Power exploded with all the fury of a gay atomic bomb. Queens, princesses and ladies-in-waiting began hurling anything they could get their polished, manicured fingernails on. Bobby pins, compacts, curlers, lipstick tubes and other femme fatale missiles were flying in the direction of the cops. The war was on. The lilies of the valley had become carnivorous jungle plants.

Urged on by cries of "C'mon girls, lets go get'em," the defenders of Stonewall launched an attack. The cops called for assistance. To the rescue came the Tactical Patrol Force.

Flushed with the excitement of battle, a fellow called Gloria pranced around like Wonder Woman, while several Florence Nightingales administered first aid to the fallen warriors. There were some assorted scratches and bruises, but nothing serious was suffered by the honeys turned Madwoman of Chaillot.

Official reports listed four injured policemen with 13 arrests. The War of the Roses lasted about 2 hours from about midnight to 2 a.m. There was a return bout Wednesday night.

Two veterans recently recalled the battle and issued a warning to the cops. "If they close up all the gay joints in this area, there is going to be all out war."

Bruce and Nan

Both said they were refugees from Indiana and had come to New York where they could live together happily ever after. They were in their early 20's. They preferred to be called by their married names, Bruce and Nan.
"I don't like your paper," Nan lisped matter-of-factly. "It's anti-fag and pro-cop."

"I'll bet you didn't see what they did to the Stonewall. Did the pigs tell you that they smashed everything in sight? Did you ask them why they stole money out of the cash register and then smashed it with a sledge hammer? Did you ask them why it took them two years to discover that the Stonewall didn't have a liquor license."

Bruce nodded in agreement and reached over for Nan's trembling hands.

"Calm down, doll," he said. "Your face is getting all flushed."

Nan wiped her face with a tissue.

"This would have to happen right before the wedding. The reception was going to be held at the Stonewall, too," Nan said, tossing her ashen-tinted hair over her shoulder.

"What wedding?," the bystander asked.

Nan frowned with a how-could-anybody-be-so-stupid look. "Eric and Jack's wedding, of course. They're finally tieing the knot. I thought they'd never get together."

Meet Shirley

"We'll have to find another place, that's all there is to it," Bruce sighed. "But every time we start a place, the cops break it up sooner or later."
"They let us operate just as long as the payoff is regular," Nan said bitterly. "I believe they closed up the Stonewall because there was some trouble with the payoff to the cops. I think that's the real reason. It's a shame. It was such a lovely place. We never bothered anybody. Why couldn't they leave us alone?"

Shirley Evans, a neighbor with two children, agrees that the Stonewall was not a rowdy place and the persons who frequented the club were never troublesome. She lives at 45 Christopher St.

"Up until the night of the police raid there was never any trouble there," she said. "The homosexuals minded their own business and never bothered a soul. There were never any fights or hollering, or anything like that. They just wanted to be left alone. I don't know what they did inside, but that's their business. I was never in there myself. It was just awful when the police came. It was like a swarm of hornets attacking a bunch of butterflies."

A reporter visited the now closed Stonewall and it indeed looked like a cyclone had struck the premisses.

Police said there were over 200 people in the Stonewall when they entered with a warrant. The crowd outside was estimated at 500 to 1,000. According to police, the Stonewall had been under observation for some time. Being a private club, plain clothesmen were refused entrance to the inside when they periodically tried to check the place. "They had the tightest security in the Village," a First Division officer said, "We could never get near the place without a warrant."

Police Talk

The men of the First Division were unable to find any humor in the situation, despite the comical overtones of the raid.
"They were throwing more than lace hankies," one inspector said. "I was almost decapitated by a slab of thick glass. It was thrown like a discus and just missed my throat by inches. The beer can didn't miss, though, "it hit me right above the temple."

Police also believe the club was operated by Mafia connected owners. The police did confiscate the Stonewall's cash register as proceeds from an illegal operation. The receipts were counted and are on file at the division headquarters. The warrant was served and the establishment closed on the grounds it was an illegal membership club with no license, and no license to serve liquor.

The police are sure of one thing. They haven't heard the last from the Girls of Christopher Street.

2-Spirited People

On my previous blog, I posted several Gay Pride 2007 posters including a Pride poster from Toronto, Canada.

At the bottom of this poster, after the term transgendered, is the term 2-spirited. I paid no attention to this until Pobble Thoughts, in the comment section asked what the term meant.

It was time to add legitimacy to my post.

I went to the Toronto web site where I did a word search for 2 spirited which brought me to the 2-Spirited Nation telephone number. I telephoned and explained to the receptionist my reason for calling and was then connected to Art, The Executive Director of the 2-Spirited Nation. A conversation with this wonderful gentleman proved to be a delightfully informative learning experience.

The Canadian branches of the 2-Spirited Nation are exclusive to persons of Aboriginal descent and native North American Indians.

Two-Spirit People, or one called a 'Berdache', or even one of the 'third gender', are individuals no longer categorized as either gay or lesbian, transgendered or bisexual, but instead now placed into the 2-spirited category. Those who, in many Aboriginal and Native American Cultures, are respected and looked apon as people who are both male and female, making them more complete, more balanced than simply a man or a woman. Before those from Europe came from across the waters, and took over their land, these people were part of the 'norm', connected with the very heartbeat of the life force we are all part of.

People who were two-spirited were considered to have a great gift of vision that went beyond most people's abilities. Because of the nature of the two-spirited person, it was believed that they could understand and help solve problems that both women and men have individually or between each other. They possessed the ability to see an issue from both perceptions. Two-Spirited people were not only considered normal, but a vital and much needed part of the natural world and of the community as a whole."

As I was posting this, Blogzie was leaving a comment to my previous post, also explaining from personal experience, the 2-spirited tradition. Thank You, Blogzie..... and Thank You Pobble..... for further enriching my life.


2-Spirit Nations flag raising on Pride Day.... Toronto, Ontario Canada City Hall

GAY PRIDE ~ 2007

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On the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, CHRISTOPHER STREET GAY LIBERATION DAY was celebrated in New York City. The following year, more than 20 cities celebrated what has now come to be recognized as GAY PRIDE.

Pride celebrations today have evolved into an annual ritual and have mushroomed to encompass hundreds of thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender participants throughout the entire world ...

and this does not include the countless spectators.

Gay Pride is a reminder to the world that we deserve and are entitled to the exact same rights as other citizens, and should enjoy the freedom to live our own lifestyles without others passing judgment and spewing hatred.

As important, the celebrations are a symbol of unity and solidarity, and provide a vehicle to demonstrate the unique personality and characteristics that make up the very diverse GLBT populations of the world.

Gay Pride also allows the community to establish a presence, and create an awareness that hopefully stimulates intelligent discussions.

For many it is their very first step out of the proverbial closet. And for all it is an opportunity to participate in some of the biggest events of the year and to share their experiences.

I reluctantly attended my first pride celebration in the early 80's. I was gay, I was out, I was proud; just not proud enough to expose myself to the world as a gay man.

I was unfomfortable and left early. I would not attend another pride celebration until the mid 90's in New Orleans.

I now attend Gay Pride functions in New Orleans as well as in St. Petersburg, Florida, surrounded by friends, family, and co-workers.