Oregon's pregnant man will be on Oprah

The media coverage of Thomas Beatie, the transgender man from Oregon who claims to be pregnant, has been plentiful, but Beatie himself hasn't given an interview yet (besides the initial one he gave to The Advocate). Beatle still has his female reproductive organs, though he has been transitioning for ten years with hormone therapy.

This Thursday, Beatie will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He also says he'll appear the next issue of People Magazine.

'Killing Fields' survivor Dith Pran dies at 65

Years ago I remember watching “The Killing Fields”. Words cannot describe the way that movie touched me.

Followed by Spalding Gray's (an actor who was also in "The Killing Fields") monologue "Swimming to Cambodia" put my emotions "over the top". Spalding Gray's body was pulled from New York's east river in 2004, apparently a suicide.

So when I read about Dith Pran’s death I shed more than one tear.

While reading the article I noticed the actor Haing S Ngor, who won an academy award portraying Dith Pran, was murdered in Los Angeles (1996).

Dith Pran and Haing Ngor, not to mention their families, suffered greatly at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. More aptly referred to as the Cambodian Holocaust!

I also linked to a photo exhibit and saw a recent picture of Dith Pran provided by Jane Freiman Schanberg. Thank you Mrs. Schanberg for that wonderful picture.

These men were true heroes.

Teaching acceptance

ON TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney accompanied his class to the computer lab at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard. He was supposed to complete an English project.
Instead, he approached his classmate Lawrence King and shot him in the head.

"In Ventura County, we've never had a violent shooting like this," Senior Deputy District Attorney Marve Fox said.

And so, the tragedy is repeated.

Another community — believing it was somehow different, wholesome, safe — learned too late that ignoring the cruel harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, as well as the simmering homophobia of those perpetrating it, can lead to catastrophe.

It's happened so many times before, the most famous being Matthew Shepherd's 1998 murder in Laramie, Wyo.; the 1999 Columbine massacre in Jefferson County, Colo. (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had endured constant insults such as "faggot" and "homo"); and Gwen Araujo's 2002 slaying in our own Newark.

Each time, as with Fox, school and elected officials claim they are shocked, even though the plight of homosexual youth has been extremely well-documented. For example, 84 percent of gay teens report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation and that school staff only rarely intervene.

Assembly Bill 537, The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in California public schools.

Nonetheless, most districts ignore the law, fearing a backlash from conservative parents, who argue that to even mention the existence of homosexual students, much less protect them, would be to "advance the gay agenda."

Or, more correctly, most districts ignore AB537 until they are sued for negligence, or somebody dies.

Last year, Mission San Jose High School hosted San Francisco's New Conservatory Theater's production of "The Other Side of the Closet," a play dealing specifically with the experience of gay kids. And on April 21, the school will present to its sophomoresthe conservatory theater's newest play, "OutSpoken," which explores the broader theme of bullying in general, since gay and lesbian kids aren't the only ones who face it.

To assuage their fears and to motivate other schools to consider the production, the local chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays will sponsor a preview of "OutSpoken," two weeks ahead of Mission San Jose's performance.

PFLAG's preview performance of "OutSpoken" will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church, 35660 Newark Blvd., Newark.

full article

Exposing the Gay Agenda

I know that many good Christians have heard about it. But how many of you have actually read the Gay Agenda?

Well, I am one of the few outside the homosexual underground to have actually read this shocking plan for world domination. And although doing so puts me in great jeopardy, I have stepped forward to expose these perverse radicals to the Christian world.

The Gay Agenda is a 100-year plan to recruit and convert the entire world population to homosexuality. It was written in 1958 by Liberace, Rock Hudson, Joan Crawford and over 30 other secret homosexual activists. So, the plan is already 50 years old and has progressed toward the halfway mark.

full article

Grandmother; understand the gay teen

It is imperative in modern society to teach our children about alternative sexual orientations and tolerance of those differences.

Gay teens are one of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in society, facing the pressure and dangers of gay bashing’ and other forms of homophobic bullying. There is a threefold likelihood of lesbian or gay teens being bullied than other youth.

These pressures in turn lead to a higher incidence of social isolation, alcohol and drug abuse, family problems, and low self esteem than their peers.

There is a relatively common belief that someone who is gay must have suffered some sexual trauma or has been influenced to make this decision by a gay adult. This is a myth as neither of these things influences sexuality.

Talking to parents about their sexuality can sometimes be difficult, if not seemingly impossible. In some situations, these youth run away from home because they feel that they cannot deal with the reaction of their parents.

There are also many gay teens that are forced out of their homes by parents who are unable to deal with their teen’s sexuality. This resistance may be particularly high in parents who have been raised with the conviction that homosexuality is always wrong.

Often, the teen is already having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he or she is homosexual and is already fearful of peoples’ intolerance of them. The ultimate rejection by their parents on the basis of gender issues leaves the person feeling totally confused and isolated.

The incidence of suicide among gay teens is around three times that of their heterosexual counterparts though sexuality and gender issues are not in themselves, seen as a risk factor for suicide. However, the feelings of isolation and of being different can drive many to suicidal behaviour.

Perhaps the difference in acceptance of homosexuals could begin in what we teach children in earlier years. After all, bigotry is something that is learned from a young age.

When discussing sexuality with your children, explain that homosexuals have no choice and that they need to be respected as people just as anyone else does.

Becoming a teenager is a huge milestone for both teenagers and parents and it is particularly so when the teenager is gay. As parents, it is important to reassure the teenager that being gay really is okay and that, regardless of their sexual identity, you love them anyway.

full article

Traveling exhibit explores Nazi persecution of gays

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. - In Nazi Germany, some gay men were castrated and prosecuted under draconian laws prohibiting homosexuality. Others were subjected to crude medical experiments designed to "correct" their sexual orientation. Gay men in concentration camps were singled out with distinctive pink triangle badges and assigned backbreaking labor that often killed them.

A traveling exhibit from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum uses photographs, documents and artwork to chronicle the Nazis' arrests and persecution of tens of thousands of gay men from 1933 to 1945.

The exhibit, which is on display through the end of the month at the University of Rhode Island, gives voice to what its curator describes as "one of the lesser-known stories of the Nazi era."

full article

Launching a new generation

"It's a good time to be a gay filmmaker," said Jonah Markowitz, whose debut movie, "Shelter," opened at the Kendall Square Cinema Friday.

The first-time writer-director and 1999 Emerson College graduate said he's thankful for movies like "Brokeback Mountain," which proved that films with homosexual content can appeal to the mainstream - and clean up at the box office, too. He cited "Milk," Gus Van Sant's forthcoming biopic about Harvey Milk, starring Sean Penn, as further evidence that America has widely accepted gay-themed cinema.

full article

Get moving on staffing hate crime panel

Sometimes hate doesn't stay harbored in the heart. It is released by bigots who strike out cruelly and violently against those different from them in color, culture, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

An increased number of such incidents in recent years throughout the country warranted the creation of a new category in criminal law -- hate crime.

To its credit, the state of Illinois in 1999 took a leadership role in finding ways to fight hate crime and promote tolerance by creating the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.

But of late, the commission has been nothing but a bunch of empty chairs.

full article

Hong Kong Is Homo Hub

Gay saunas and karaoke bars await in the neon-lit streets of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.

Hong Kong is one of the Pacific Rim’s hottest destinations for gays and lesbians, fans of fashion and gourmet dining, freewheeling investors and entrepreneurs, and devotees of luxury hotels.

From 1842 through 1997, Hong Kong was a British colony. In the decade since the United Kingdom handed this prosperous territory back to China, Hong Kong has continued to enjoy great popularity as a center of business and trade as well as retaining its status as a major tourist destination.

In comparison with other Asian cities, Hong Kong has a fairly visible and well-organized gay community, with an LGBT social and cultural scene that has grown steadily in recent years. This is in part because the city is such an international business and leisure hub, but also because attitudes toward gays and lesbians are steadily becoming more favorable throughout the Pacific Rim. Still, the traditional attitudes of China and even old-school Britain largely prevail. In this sense, gays and lesbians in Hong Kong tend to be more discreet and, in many cases, closeted, than in most major Western cities.

full article

Georgia Equality taps Graham as new executive director

Georgia Equality, the state’s largest gay rights group, tapped veteran Atlanta activist Jeff Graham to serve as the organization’s next executive director beginning April 14.Graham, 43, was selected from about 30 candidates who participated in the nationwide search for a new executive director. Graham currently works as the director of advancement for Positive Impact, and formerly served as executive director of AIDS Survival Project for more than a decade.

full article

Sen. Martinez Gets Help from Latina Lesbians

With the 2008 Illinois primaries a thing of the past, local activist Marilyn Morales is proud of the unprecedented mobilization of Latina lesbians in the 31st Ward that was sparked by the fear that State Sen. Iris Martinez would lose her legislative seat.

Martinez kept her seat, no doubt in part because of a passionate group of Latina lesbians who organized and oversaw between eight and nine precincts ( nearly half of the precincts in the 31st Ward ) in the 20th District. The group won all but one precinct.

Not only did the women help Martinez keep her seat, but also felt they received “renewed respect,” Morales said. It provided much-needed visibility and recognition of gays and lesbians within the Latino community, where homophobia is still very prevalent.

full article

Doctor suggest HIV was man-made

There is no doubt that AIDS erupted in the U.S. shortly after government-sponsored hepatitis B vaccine experiments (1978-1981) using gay men as guinea pigs. The epidemic was caused by the "introduction" of a new retrovirus (the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV for short); and the introduction of a new herpes-8 virus, the virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma, widely known as the "gay cancer" of AIDS.

Researchers who claim AIDS is a man-made disease believe it is much more likely that these two primate viruses were introduced and spread during the government's recruitment of thousands of male homosexuals beginning in 1974.

The early 1970s was a time when large numbers of gays come out of the closet and identified themselves as homosexuals at government-sponsored health clinics. Organizations such as the Gay Men's Health Project were formed at this time. Promiscuous gays were avidly sought as volunteers to test the efficacy of a newly-developed hepatitis B vaccine manufactured by Merck and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

By 1977 over 13,000 Manhattan gays were screened to secure the final 1083 men who would serve as guinea pigs to test the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine was manufactured from the combined plasma of 30 highly selected gay men who carried the hepatitis B virus in their blood. Developed over a period of 65 weeks during 1977-1978 and tested for six months in chimpanzees (the primate in which HIV is thought to have originated), the first group of gay men were inoculated at the New York Blood Center in November 1978.

The first cases of AIDS appeared shortly after the experiment began in Manhattan. In June 1981 the epidemic became official and was quickly labelled the "gay ­related immune deficiency syndrome", later known as AIDS.

When Robert Gallo's blood test for HIV became available in the mid-1980s, the New York Blood Center's stored gay blood specimens were re-examined. Most astonishing is the fact that 20% of the gay men who volunteered for the hepatitis B experiment in Manhattan were discovered to be HIV-positive in 1980 (one year before the AIDS epidemic became "official" in 1981). This signifies that Manhattan gays in 1980 had the highest incidence of HIV anywhere in the world, including Africa, the supposed birthplace of HIV and AIDS. In addition, we now know that one out of five gay men (20%) tested positive for the new KS herpes-8 virus in 1982 when stored blood samples from an AIDS trial in New York City were re-examined by epidemiologists at the NCI in 1999.

The fate of all the men who participated in the hepatitis B vaccine trials in six U.S cities has never been revealed. However, it is likely from the statistics presented in JAMA in 1986 that many, if not most, of the men eventually died of AIDS. The actual number of AIDS deaths has never been revealed, nor have the individual medical records been studied. Attempts to secure this information have been rebuffed by the Blood Center, due to the "confidential" nature of the experiment.

full article

Seattle: Did GLBT art trigger vandalism?

Benham Gallery's windows smashed, smeared with feces during display of Trans photographs.

Two acts of vandalism hit the downtown Benham Gallery over the Easter weekend during its Erotic Beauty exhibition, timed to coincide with the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival. Gallery owner Marita Holdaway believes the acts - a midday smearing with feces and a late-night broken window - were a violent reaction to the subject matter of the exhibit, which included photographs of Transgender people.

full article

GSAnetwork.org connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs)

In their mission statement the Gay-Straight Alliance network says:

Gay-Straight Alliance Network is a youth leadership organization that connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and community resources. Through peer support, leadership development, and training, GSA Network supports young people in starting, strengthening, and sustaining GSAs and builds the capacity of GSAs to:

1. create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppressions,

2. educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues, and

3. fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools

If you have any questions about Gay-Straight Alliances or need support organizing against homophobia and transphobia in your school, contact Gay-Straight Alliance Network

Syracuse students hear LGBT speakers share stories, experiences

More than 300 students crowded into Grant Auditorium Wednesday night and another 350 late Thursday afternoon to join a panel of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender guest speakers discussing sexuality diversity.

The event was hosted by the Human Sexuality courses, CFS 388. Joseph Fanelli, professor of the classes, introduced the six guest speakers, all of whom were welcomed with roaring applause.

The audience was a mix of straight and LGBT individuals, and that was part of the message given to nearly 700 Syracuse students this week; it's not "what" someone is that defines them, but who they are and what experiences make them those people.

The first speaker, Marc Mario, told the students about his journey as a transgender in a homophobic and intolerant society.

Denise Rhone continued the discussion with a story of her rejection from her family and fighting her inner demons while maintaining her faith. Denise was asked to leave her church when her desire to transform from a man into a woman was discovered.

Ashley Kessler, a senior from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, spoke on behalf of the bisexual community and the troubles she faced while coming out.

Nikki Lynk spoke about being a lesbian mother in America, followed by William Knodel, who spoke about being a member of the gay community and being a father.

"It's not OK to say the N-word in class, but teachers are light on you if you say 'fag' or 'queer'," Lynk said.

Roslyn Rasberry, a panel speaker, walked onto stage singing gospel song, encouraging students to find their own "corner in the sky." She described her personal and spiritual journey as a lesbian, describing it as both confusing and rewarding.

The speakers offered resources to LGBT and questioning students, assuring them they were not alone in their journey.

Alex Adelson, a sophomore communication and rhetorical studies major, said the lecture was enlightening and inspiring. "I feel like there's no better way to understand different people's lives and lifestyles except by hearing from people who have those stories," Adelson said. "I think there's a general consensus on campus that this class is not only the most useful, but most rewarding class SU offers - for reasons like tonight's lecture".

full article

Activist won asylum after threats from Islamic fundamentalists

A large blue-and-white poster with the word “peace” written across it covers the front window of Korab Zuka’s Washington DC apartment.

The 23-year-old said he created the poster and decorated it with the word “peace” because, “if people believed in a little more peace, then I wouldn’t have had to go through all the crap that I went through.”

Zuka fled to the United States last year after an Islamic fundamentalist group in Kosovo threatened to kill him for being gay and for leading a gay advocacy group. The State Department granted him asylum Feb. 29.

In April 2005, Zuka set up the Center for Social Emancipation, an organization aimed at helping Kosovo gays. The center organized social gatherings and distributed information to keep the community better informed.

The group had about 200 members, but none of them were registered by name because they were afraid of being outed, Zuka said. He said he didn’t know half of the members’ names and instead had to refer to them by nicknames or by letters like X or B.

Zuka said the police there had a history of hostility to gays even when they were victims of crimes. Police would often call victims “faggots” and other gay slurs even after their “limbs were broken or their eyes had been smashed out,” Zuka said.

He received death threats and his car was vandalized. Zuka went to the police, but their response was “if they want to kill you, they’ll just kill you, so we cannot protect you,” he said.

full article

UTAH: PTA meeting cancelled due to anti-gay speaker

AMERICAN FORK, UTAH: The American Fork High School PTSA cancelled a Thursday night meeting after the Utah Pride Center and some Utah County residents alleged a presentation on the meeting agenda would have stigmatized and vilified gays and lesbians.

The meeting was to have included one presentation on pornography and another on gays and lesbians by Stephen Graham of Standard of Liberty, "an LDS-oriented educational corporation which exists to raise awareness of sexual activist movements overrunning America's Christian-moral-cultural life," according to its Web site.

He said his organization doesn't hate gays and lesbians, but rather stands against "homosexuality as an activity and accepted mind-set." "This was going to be a ground-breaking opportunity to have family-oriented values honored," he said. "It's a big disappointment that it was cancelled."

Walton said rather than viewing gays and lesbians as a social problem, schools should view the marginalization of gays and lesbians as problematic because it can lead to depression, drug abuse and suicide.

"It's the job of school administrators and PTA members to create an affirming space for everyone," she said.

full article

Reggae singer Bounty Killer gets axed

Homophobic Jamaican reggae singer Bounty Killer has had two of his three UK concerts cancelled in the last week, following a campaign by the gay human rights group OutRage!

Bounty Killer has performed murder music songs and has ridiculed other singers who have agreed to halt their encouragement of queer-bashing attacks.

Bounty Killer bragged that he was invincible. He vowed his concerts would go ahead and boasted that no gays could stop him. Look who's crying now.

He has released songs inciting the killing of gay people and defended his right to demand death to queers.

A white racist singer who advocated killing black people would not be allowed to perform anywhere in London, even if he agreed to not incite the killing of black people at his concert. The police would argue that any stage performance would threaten public order and community relations. They would ban the singer, full stop.

Yet when it comes to straight homophobic singers who urge the murder of gay people, the police adopt a softer stance. They let the concert go ahead. Why the double standards?

full article

Reactions mixed when parents find out children are gay

When teenage sons and daughters summon the nerve to come out to their parents, the usual first reactions include anger, denial - and a profound sense of loss.

The best thing they can do is to love them, understand them and give them the dignity to lead their own life.

When the shock wears off, parents must turn pro-active, supporting their children, and realizing they're the priority.

It's important to be strong for your kids because it's taking every drop of courage they have to reveal their sexual orientation.

The fatal shooting Feb. 12 of 15-year-old Lawrence King illustrates the need for parents to make sure their children, once they come out, are safe from bullying.

Parents need to realize there's inherent danger for kids who are coming out.

Parents' goals for their children should be the same, gay or straight - to help them achieve a happy and healthy life.

It makes such a difference when a family stands along with the child.

That's a successful parent.

full article

Call to Boycott San Diego Marriott, Hyatt

UPDATE:Gay rights group leaves Manchester Hyatt event

view backstory here
Developer Doug Manchester and other prominent San Diego County businessmen have given significant financial support to an initiative that would ban same-sex marriage targeted for the November statewide ballot.

In addition to Manchester, Mission Valley developer Terry Caster has donated $162,500; Robert Hoehn, owner of Hoehn Motors in Carlsbad, has given $25,000; and La Jolla businessman Roger Benson has given $50,000, state records show.
Manchester said he was motivated by his strong Catholic faith.

“I personally believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman,” he said.

Caster, who heads Caster Cos., which owns A-1 Self-Storage and other commercial properties, said he believes that marriage between a man and a woman is fundamental to society.

“Without solid marriage, you are going to have a sick society,” he said.

full article

FOLLOWUP: Hate crime training for Ptown police

original article

Followup:

Barry Scott, the openly gay DJ arrested last July while DJing at a private house party in Provincetown, is going back to court April 11 to ask Orleans District Court Judge Therese Wright to grant him access to an internal police investigation into his arrest.

Scott’s attorney, William Korman, said that Barnstable County District Attorney Michael O’Keefe’s office has indicated it will try to block the release of the internal investigation.

"We are attempting to get those internal review documents as well. It’s our allegation that there was a pattern of conduct that was engaged in by these officers, and we want to be able to bring it to the attention of the jury when this case comes to trial," said Korman.

Scott’s arrest was one of at least two major incidents in P’Town last year, along with police response to the alleged gay-bashing of Richard Hall in September, that prompted critics to claim that the Provincetown Police were ill-equipped to respond to hate crimes. In response to those incidents the department brought in the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) last month to do a hate crimes training for officers.

Acting Chief of Police Warren Tobias told Bay Windows that the department is currently finalizing the hiring of 10 summer officers to augment the department during tourist season, and the ADL will be coming back down in late May to train those officers about hate crimes, as well.

full article

TIDBIT: Security and the 4th ammendment

While wandering today I ran across a bit the cynical queer had written.

Evidently security increases in Washington DC have upset him.

But the irony in this statement, he made, stands out:

Are they denying you the protections of the 4th amendement to the US constitution just so you can see the original copy of the constitution? You now have to endure an unreasonable search and seizure just so you can view the original document that says the government can’t do this to you.

I have experienced a similar frustration at our countries border crossings. Not so much when leaving our country but when returning! Obviously I have stopped visiting Canada.

Peterson Toscano going on tour

For awhile now my keyword hits keep sending me over to Peterson Toscano's blog. I've even crossposted some of his articles.

One mere website would not be sufficient for Peterson, so here's his homepage.

On his blog he describes himself as "a theatrical, performance, artist, a very queer and quirky Quaker, and an ex-gay survivor. I've lived on four continents in my life and currently live in North America in Connecticut. Que mas? Just read the blog baby and all will be revealed."

Conversion therapy/Reparative therapy is a dangerous thing.

Peterson has experienced it and shares those experiences with us.

Now Peterson Toscano is going on tour. Here is the tour schedule.

One of his productions is Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House.

Osseo School District uses tax dollars to fight GSA

Minnesota: In a public forum at Maple Grove High School the former students, Natalie Durivage and Heather Woodson explained to current students and community members why they sued. They claim the Osseo School District violated the equal access act when the district would not allow their group, straights and gays for equality, or SAGE, to meet as a curricular school organization. That means meeting on school time and using bulletin boards and the PA system to announce their activities.

The district fought back, saying SAGE is a non-curricular group, meaning its mission is not related to school curriculum.

"We need to control who can talk to students and how they can talk to them because we could have groups like the KKK come in then and if we no longer have any right to decide if that is an appropriate curricular or not, that is where we run into trouble," Osseo District spokesman Pat Brink said.

note: The KKK is recruiting High School students now? I think the school has a bigger problem if there are enough students to warrant a KKK student group!

The former student's legal team is working pro bono but the district, already in financial difficulty, is paying its lawyers. So far, the district admits, hundreds of thousands of dollars. All of that in the midst of announcing last week that two elementary schools will close, and 200 staff, district wide, will be laid off because of budget problems.

For instance, synchronized swimming and cheerleading were deemed curricular and it can be argued those aren't clubs that lend themselves to the curriculum, much like SAGE. Right now, SAGE can meet as a curricular group because a federal judge has sided with them.

The district is appealing that decision.

full article

Racist Oregon senator tells gays to shut up

State senator Gary George’s advice to the gay community? “Shut up!”

In his first media interview since coming forward as co-sponsor of the initiative to repeal the recently enacted Oregon Equality Act – an anti-discrimination law for sexual minorities – George railed against gay activists and affirmative action, and warned that if gays continued to be “oppressive toward straights,” they were in danger of “violent backlash.”

Some of his answers:

I’ve had people approach me for special rights for homosexuals and I don’t believe anyone should have special rights.

As an employer, I don’t wanna hear about it. This workplace is for work purposes. My advice to the gay community is SHUT UP, just don’t talk about it. If you walk around talking about what you do in the bedroom, you should be on the pervert channel.

If you do feel like you’ve been discriminated against as a gay, you have hard feelings. I remember when I was heavy and wore glasses as a child and I was picked on. We all know the gay person that nobody notices – I think that is where we need to head.

I have dear dear friends in the legislature who are black but sometimes I really get tired of hearing about their color.

full article

ALABAMA: Abstinence Spending Up, Health Down

The Alabama state motto is "We Dare Maintain Our Rights." Reading this, I thought about the disproportionately high teenage birth rate in Alabama (according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the teen birth rate is 52.4 per 1,000 teenagers in Alabama, versus 41.1 per 1,000 nationwide), the outrageous number of STD cases in the state (a 2006 CDC report shows that Alabama ranks second, fourth, and fifth in the nation for syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia, respectively), and also about the rate and demographics of HIV infection (the ADPH reported that African Americans represented 72 percent of new cases of HIV in Alabama, and individuals under the age of 34 represented 43 percent of new HIV/ AIDS cases). Thinking about these staggering numbers, the question naturally arises: exactly which rights are being maintained in Alabama?

One thing is clear: it is certainly not the right to comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education. In 2007, over $4.75 million in federal dollars for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs flowed into the state through three separate federal funding streams. Since 1998, these programs in Alabama have received more than $33 million. Nationally, Congress has funneled over $1.5 billion to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs since 1996.

Advocates across Alabama are working hard to maintain the right to comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education for all youth and fight against these failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. On April 1, the folks at AIDS Alabama are hosting a media day in Montgomery to honor activists and legislative champions fighting the HIV epidemic in the state, and to draw attention to lack of funds and resources badly needed in the state for HIV prevention and education. The Alabama Report composed by AIDS Alabama and SIECUS will be released the same day and available here.

full article

Families; gay children and honesty

As a gay man born in the 50’s I’ve witnessed many families forsaking their gay children.

Being from South Texas with a large Hispanic community I witnessed the Hispanic “machismo” first hand.

Young gay men, who were sexually abused by machismo family members, were disowned when the “came out”. After all, it can’t be acceptable because then all the dirty truths would come out. So they discredit and dismiss the gay child in order to hide the truth.

I remember one such case. The boy was 16 when his parents threw him out. He resorted to prostitution in order to feed himself. Of course, he ended up HIV+ and died.

But I would always say, “wow, I’m so lucky to have a understanding family”. But after time I realized, my family wasn’t so perfect. I would learn they weren’t as accepting as I thought.

One day I was on a vacation and planned to visit my Uncle. When I told my mother she became unglued and asked me not to. She continued by saying “I don’t want them to know I have a gay son. They wouldn’t accept it”. In honor of my mother’s wishes I didn’t go see my Uncle. It felt like someone pulled the rug out from under me.

The day would come when my older brother told me I should move to Washington state. My brother and his wife invited me to stay with them. So I’ve been up here a few years and feel much more comfortable. My opinion of my mother was substantially reduced.

But yesterday my brother and I went to lunch at a local café. He knew the people that worked there. The cook came out to talk with him and overheard me ordering breakfast. He made a comment “Real men don’t eat breakfast after noon”. I replied with “guess I’m not a real man”. He replied with “well I got some quiche in the back and I can put on some appropriate music”.

I kept my mouth shut to avoid confrontation. But I felt my heart rate rise, my blood pressure go up and my face turn red. I was angry. So I told the waitress to cancel my food order (she had not yet given the order to the cook). She refused so I ended up walking out. My brother followed me and I was about to discover my brother wasn’t much better then mother. We “discussed” it for the rest of the day. He ended up telling me he didn’t want to hear anymore about anything gay.

I ended up asking my brother if he thought I was born gay. He laughed and refused to answer.

Needless to say, I’ll soon be moving.

I wish my family wasn’t so deceptive. I’d rather have honesty than dishonesty.

Don't people realize lying to someone is one of the most disrespectful things you can do? Especially in issues like this.

A family relationship based on lies is not a family at all.

I've seen families disown gay children. I deffinately don't have a problem disowning my family!

INDIA: Hijra; the two spirited people

P. Abhijith (pictured) is a photographer who visited the Hijra people of India.

He is now displaying photographs in a museum exhibition.

The Hijra Photo Exhibition attempts to depict the secluded world of transgenders, mired in myths and taboos. Abhijith captured the frames during his expeditions to the hijra colonies of Tamil Nadu and Bangalore in 2006-07. ``I was told by one of my friends about the Koovagam festival of hijras in Tamil Nadu. That is how my tryst with the hijras began,’’ he said.

It takes a lot of guts to enter this close-knit community of human beings who prefer to live in their own world in order to save themselves from the prejudices of the real world.

``The hijras are a very tight community and outsiders are not normally welcome. When I approached them first, I was straightaway told that I would be beaten to death if I dared to click my camera. I had to take them into confidence before taking their pictures,’’ said Abhijith.

Besides pictures of the Koovagam festival, Abhijith has also managed to capture images of the secret rituals of hijras from Bangalore like the Jalsa - the ceremony in which a person is conferred the title of hijra. ``Hijras are either intersexuals or women caught in the body of men. The latter group usually undergo castration to become hijras. In either way, their sexual inclination will be towards men.

``People mostly consider hijras either as sex workers or beggars. But during these expeditions, I met many hijras who are involved in creative activities like art, acting and even modelling,’’ he said. Abhijith’s exhibition also has a series of frames on aged hijras who are the most vulnerable of the lot. ``The hijras develop acute physical ailments due to their condition as they age. Relatives mostly don’t accept them back home and so most of the time, the end of a hijra is tragic,’’ he said. Abhijith said that he wanted the public to come to his exhibition so that they realised the plight of the hijra commune.

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Gay Irish not allowed in parade again

( New York City) There were no pink shamrocks again this year at New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Members of an Irish gay organization remained barred from taking part in the annual parade down Fifth Avenue.

As in past years gays were relegated to a barricaded area along the route where they were allowed to protest against the Ancient Order of Hibernians which organizes the parade.

The Hibernians claim the parade is a private, religious procession in order to to justify keeping LGBT groups out.

In the early 1990s, the parade committee used the argument to defeat a discrimination claim brought by the NYC Human Rights Commission.

"We’re sick of hearing city officials say they can’t intercede in the homophobia because it’s a religious march. If it’s a religious anti-gay parade, and uniformed cops and firefighters have to be pulled out,” said Tierney Gleason of Irish Queers.

"It can’t be both privately religious and publicly Irish. It’s time for the city to pull the plug on this bait-and-switch game."

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HRC Action Alert against Sally Kern

Take action against Sally Kern's hateful comments.

Hateful speech by elected officials must not be tolerated – especially when hate crimes based on religion and sexual orientation are on the rise.

Tell Oklahoma's Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President Pro Tempore to publicly condemn Rep. Kern's statements.

Click Here to access the HRC Action Alert form which will automatically send the emails to the appropriate individuals.