Pride Flag Defaced 5 Times, Police do Nothing!

A married lesbian couple in Solano county in California have had their rainbow pride flag defaced 5 times. The first attack on the flag was with coffee, and has escalated to motor oil. The police have not responded to the couples complaints about this hate crime. The couple has installed security cameras on their property and they and their neighbors are fearful for any possible escalation.

Contact the Vallejo Investigations Division and tell them to find the perpetrators of this hate crime

Word of the Gay: "Gold Star Lesbian"

A "Gold Star Lesbian" is a lesbian who has never had sexual relations with a man and does not intend to.

Blog Spotlight: Some Notes on Living

Today's shout and blog spotlight goes to Some Notes on Living. You'll find topics ranging from "social and political change, consciousness raising , and education. Some of the authors, are gay, lesbian, TG (androgynous, Transsexual or cisgendered."

http://somenotesonliving.wordpress.com/

Word of the Gay: "Turner Syndrome"

"Turner Syndrome" is one of the causes of intersexuality. It occurs in one out of every 2,500 female births and is when instead of two XX chromosomes only one X chromosome is present. In rarer cases if the other X chromosome is present it is not functioning properly.

Please Wrap it Before you Tap It!

Obama's Letter to the Family Equality Council

Barack Obama on LGBT families:

"In light of the recent and offensive statements by McCain on the right of same-sex couples to adopt, Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council, wrote the following to the Obama campaign:

"As a lesbian mother and the executive director of Family Equality Council, the national organization working to ensure equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families by building community, changing hearts and minds and advancing social justice for all families, I know how hard parents work to raise happy, healthy children. Regardless of their sexual orientations and gender identities, regardless of how many parents or caregivers are present in a family, all parents begin each day with their children at the forefront of their thoughts. On behalf of diverse families, I ask for your plan to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all of the loving families you seek to represent... These families want to know how your administration will address their needs. What policies and positions will you take to make sure that all loving families are recognized, respected, protected and celebrated? How will you lead all families to a brighter future?"

This afternoon the Obama campaign posted excerpts from a response from Barack Obama himself which reads as follows:

"While we live in a nation that is enriched by a vast array of diverse traditions, cultures and histories, it is our commonality that most defines us. The desire to build a life with a loved one, to provide for a family and to have children who will grow and thrive -- these are desires that all people share, regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. My own experience has taught me this lesson well. I was born to a single mother, my devoted grandparents helped raise me, and then I married the woman of my dreams and had two beautiful daughters.

We know that the cost of the American dream must never come at the expense of the American family. For decades we’ve had politicians in Washington who talk about family values, but we haven’t had policies that value families. Instead, it’s harder for working parents to make a living while raising their kids. It's even harder to get a break.

That's why I'll double spending on quality after-school programs - so that you can know your kids are safe and secure. And that's why I'll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; to let parents participate in school activities with their kids; and to cover elderly care. And we'll finally put federal support behind state efforts to provide paid family and medical leave. We'll require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We'll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination. And we'll encourage flexible work schedules to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers. That's the change that working families need.

We have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it's about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.

I’ll be a president that stands up for American families – all of them."

Crossposted from Blabbeando

LGBTQIA Social Networking Sites

It's Sunday and a slow news day so I decided to list some (FREE) LGBT social networking sites I have come across that I like. The following sites are good for dating, making friends, sharing a common interest, and business networking. They are sort of like the queer myspaces of the world.

I know there are many communities specific to individual orientations/identities but I figured I would just list the ones that are most inclusive.

Feel free to list any social networking/dating sites you are part of and like...

http://www.glee.com - Gay, Lesbian, and Everyone Else (GLEE) is a great resource for finding your love, friends, or a new job! The website has forums, videos, music and more... (Another thing I like about (GLEE) is it is asexual & trans friendly).

http://www.gayster.com - Gayster is a new queer take on myspace and has just launched, it seeks to unite the LGBT community and offers member search, videos, groups, photo's, blogs, event listings and more.

http://www.connexion.org - Connexion lets you find dates and friends, get LGBT news, and find the latest party near you.

http://www.downelink.com - Downelink was created as a play on the word down low "DL" and caters mostly to African American and Latino LGBTQ populations, but is open to everyone. DowneLink offers an array of features, such as social networking, blogs, internal emails, bulletins, forums, video/audio chat and instant messaging, and video profile.

http://mogenic.com/ - Mogenic is for queer youth to connect. It offers articles, news, blogs, people search, and so much more.

http://www.thingbox.com - Mostly U.K. centered but open to the planet at large Thingbox offers popular forums, chat, groups, events, people search and more.

Shameless Self Promotion Sunday

Please feel free to share any links to Queer or Queer related topics of interest. You can post a blog entry you made, a website you found interesting. Anything goes as long as it is Queer in nature.

Open Forum: Sexual Re-Orientation?

The topic is critical and complex at the same time. All comments and thoughts are pure speculations, but nonetheless we must prepare for the future of our movement as genetic modifications and eugenics are becoming a reality.

Scientists are working tirelessly to find the root of sexual orientation and desire as well as gender identity and are looking into areas such as genes, hormones, and psychology and how they all intertwine in identity formation. We reported a while back about federally funded experiments to alter the sexual orientation of homosexual rams.

This research is in its early stages but there is much talk about the possibility of knowing the future with regards to a child's sexual orientation and gender identity. There are also indications that scientists will be capable of chemically altering a child to "straighten" them out.

This research proves to be a double edged sword for queers, as many of us find solace in the fact that our identities are biological, but at the same token the research also indicates the real threat that we can eventually somehow be "cured" and have non hetero-normative identities eliminated from the species.

Where do you stand on this issue? Would you go through sexual re-orientation? Would you alter your childs orientation/identity knowing the difficulties of growing up in a non-queer friendly world? Is sexual re-Orientation an ethical and valid field or is this junk science and dangerous?

The North American Convocation of Pro-LGBT Christians

"Designed as a leadership development event, this conference offers rich Bible study, challenging and profound worship and praise, genuine relationship-building across and amidst our differences, concrete skills-building, reflective and incisive theological analysis, and strategic action."

Sept 4-7 2008, Sign up and learn more at: http://www.manystoriesonevoice.org/

Word of the Gay: "Breeder"

"Breeder" is a slang or joking term to describe heterosexuals. It is based on the fact that homosexual relations do not lead to reproduction but heterosexual sex does. Although few in number, there have been some hate crimes done by gays on straights that have coupled the word "Breeder" in their violent and/or verbal attack on straight people.

Grossmont Union H.S. District Endorses Proposition 8

"The Grossmont Union High School District went on record yesterday supporting a November initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California.

The board voted 4-0 to pass a resolution endorsing Proposition 8, which would amend the state Constitution to recognize marriage only between a man and a woman." (San Diego Tribune)

This bigoted move by the school district has zero to do with education and sends a message intolerance and bigotry to students, faculty, and the community.

Click here to contact the governing board, and superintendent.

Protest at Crews Inn Bar in Dallas Texas

"Dallas Transgender advocates and allies have committed to a continuing a protest at Crews Inn, a Gay bar in Dallas Texas, in response to the expulsion of a transgender woman from the bar on Tuesday July 15, 2008."

Contact Kelli Busey
Tel. 214.226.7080
kellibusey@yahoo.com

Protest
Tuesday evenings at 10:00 pm
Crews Inn
3215 N Fitzhugh Ave
Dallas, TX 75204
(214) 443-9350

For more on the story and info on the protest goto (Planet Transgender)

Blog Spotlight: Cracker Lilo's Front Porch

Today's blog spotlight and shout goes to our friend who frequently visits here. Cracker Lilo's Front Porch is a great blog that addresses activism, NASCAR, paganism, LGBT, as well as political issues. So whether you are a straight witch, or a queer racer, or just like me someone who enjoys reading interesting material, head on over...

http://crackerlilo.blogspot.com/

French Government Unveils EDVIGE database

The government of France is planning on using a new database called EDVIGE which brings into serious question of whether this violates the civil liberties and privacy of citizens within the nation. The program is to be used by the French intelligence as well as police, however a great deal of personal information is being recorded by the database including but not limited to sexual orientation, HIV status, political identification, physical characteristics, ethnicity, moral/religious affiliation, employment, and location.

A large mobilization effort has begun calling for a withdrawal of the file. Thousands of people have signed online as well as in person petitions and 170 organizations, trade unions, and political parties have signed on demanding a stop to this program.

Below is an online petition from the Associative & Trade Union Network asking the French government to stop EDVIGE. The petition is in French, for our readers who are proficient go ahead and click.
EDVIGE petition (En Francais)

Otherwise you can fill out the petition via babelfish's website translater page below.
English Translated - EDVIGE Petition