Chris of TakeMassAction is letting our community know that Boston Pride began with a few dozen lesbians and gay men marching as part of a Vietnam War protest. In his post he laments that Boston Pride has lost its way, and it is important to recapture the spirit of resistance that we come from. Check it out>
Boston Pride: Theme Resistance Growing!
The facebook group of the Ask.Tell.Act. Coalition has grown to over 75 members! Theater Offensive is among the groups pledging to wear hot pink, and rumor has it many other organizations are planning to add pink to their floats and marching contingents in support of the coalition's efforts.
Chris of TakeMassAction is letting our community know that Boston Pride began with a few dozen lesbians and gay men marching as part of a Vietnam War protest. In his post he laments that Boston Pride has lost its way, and it is important to recapture the spirit of resistance that we come from. Check it out>
Sign The Letter Today!
Chris of TakeMassAction is letting our community know that Boston Pride began with a few dozen lesbians and gay men marching as part of a Vietnam War protest. In his post he laments that Boston Pride has lost its way, and it is important to recapture the spirit of resistance that we come from. Check it out>
BayWindows Poll
BayWindows' online poll this week is about the Pride theme. Feel free to vote and have your say!
MassResistance Radio Show CANCELLED!
MassResistance's hatecast has been CANCELLED! They have been broadcasting from WTTT in Salem Ma. Queertoday has requested a official response from the station.
But for now lets ponder some of the reasons it might of been canned:
FILL IN THE BLANK!
Massresistance's radio / hatecast was kicked off the air because ________.
(folks use your imagination)
UPDATE! Boston Pride Committee Changes Pride Theme
>>WARNING: PARODY BELOW! PARODY BELOW! PARODY BELOW!<<
Ask. Tell.
Proud to do what we’re told for our community, our nation, our world
The LGBT community just does what it’s told in all kinds of ways: in our community, our nation and our world. Why we’re so happy to be a cog in a racist, sexist, homophobic machine that we can’t help but whistle "zip-a-dee-doo-dah" while we "serve" you!
Don't forget to check out the Ask.tell.act coalition website and the coalition's letter below.
The LGBT community just does what it’s told in all kinds of ways: in our community, our nation and our world. Why we’re so happy to be a cog in a racist, sexist, homophobic machine that we can’t help but whistle "zip-a-dee-doo-dah" while we "serve" you!
We are your porn stars, your hustlers, your go-go boys, your illegal immigrants living in constant fear of ICE raids, your single moms (and dads) on increasingly scarce public assistance, your low-wage workers working 70 hours a week with no benefits, your soldiers dying for an asinine war for which we will get few benefits and whose partners and loved ones cannot receive those benefits anyway, and your prisoners doing virtual slave labor in a privatized prison. We’re proud to kiss your ass and not rock the boat in any way. Just ask, and we’ll tell!
Or at least that's how it sounds to me.Don't forget to check out the Ask.tell.act coalition website and the coalition's letter below.
Letter To Boston's Queer Community
Visit asktellact.org to show your support!Join the facebook group!
Dear Boston Queer/LGBTQPI… Community Members and Allies, The Boston Pride Committee has chosen a divisive theme (and imagery: see left) for Boston Pride that glorifies militarism and shows a misplaced sense of priorities. In response, concerned organizations and individuals have formed the Ask. Tell. Act. Coalition to encourage our community to think about the issues of militarism, corporitization, transphobia, sexism, and racism that are presented by the theme. We are asking for your support and solidarity in ignoring the Boston Pride Committee's theme by including the messages below on your floats, signs, and other Pride materials, and by wearing something hot pink on the day of Boston Pride.
ASK: Why celebrate militarism? We believe that it is wrong to echo militaristic culture for our queer pride celebration when thousands of lives are being lost due to the bloody and increasingly senseless occupation of Iraq. We believe that it is wrong that billions of dollars are spent funding war and occupation around the world while the needs of our veterans and our society's countless other human needs are left unattended. Furthermore, we stand against the trend of prioritizing the fight against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" at a time when the youth of our community are facing an epidemic of homelessness, and the transgender people of our community are facing violence and discrimination at every level of our society. There is no pride in war and occupation.
TELL the truth about injustice! We believe that the language that the Boston Pride Committee has chosen creates the impression that Pride is a day for LGBT people to put our lives on display for the straight, dominant culture. Not all of us are willing or safely able to answer any question asked of us, as the theme suggests. While, this theme celebrates “our service to society,” we believe that Pride should not be a day in which we celebrate our "service" to the dominant culture, but a day for ourselves to celebrate our pride in being who we are. We reject this language because many of us are not willing or able to proclaim our pride in what we do for an occupation, to make money, or to "serve." We live in a society in which queer immigrants are enduring violent, terrifying raids at work and home. We live in a society in which many transgender people cannot find jobs due to discrimination. We believe it is unfair, offensive, and in some cases dangerous to encourage the most discriminated against members of our community to march in pride of our "service."
ACT to transform our community, country, and the world! We owe it to ourselves and to the many brave queer people who came before us to continue the legacy of proud resistance that accompanies queer pride celebrations. We must embrace a spirit of liberation. We believe that there are countless ways to express pride in our identities without allowing ourselves to become owned by Big Pharma, Airlines, Credit Cards, Liquor Companies, and Banks. Major corporations have no right to exploit and profit off of our community. Our sexualities and genders are shaped by all the identities we carry. We believe that in order to truly celebrate our queerness we must make the choice to stand up against racism, sexism, classism, militarism, assimilation, and all systems of oppression.
Please join us in making a visual impact at Boston Pride by including these messages of resistance and social justice in your signs, floats, and materials. Instead of camo,wear hot pink on Pride day!
In Solidarity, Happy Queer Pride!
The Ask. Tell. Act. Coalition
www.asktellact.org
P.S. Our Coalition meetings are every Sunday at 5PM at Community Church in Copley Square. All are welcome to attend.
Sen. Jarrett Barrios is resigning!
Sen. Jarrett Barrios, is resigning from the state senate to become president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation.
Check out
TakeMassAction
Boston Globe
He will be missed!!!!!!!
Gay Flamingos Celebrate 5 Year Anniversary
A pair of gay flamingos who came out five years ago when they presented a series of complex mating rituals are celebrating their anniversary today. Carlos and Fernando have remained monogamous for the span of their five year relationship, unique for flamingos who typically swap mates yearly. The couple has raised three healthy chicks, and their family is well liked among the other flamingos living at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire. Of course that could be because Carlos and Fernando are total gym bunnies. According to one staff member, they are both "formidable" males. Read more at pinknews>Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth
Last night was the Massachusetts Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth commission meeting that was held at the State House.
(The stalkers will not be able to take any more photos, or video at commission meetings)
Amy Contrada and Brian Camenkey have been OBSESSED with LGBT people and how 
they/we have sex for some time now. They are obsessed with taking pictures of the trans members of the Commission and our community. But now they lowered themselves to plastering the names and where Commission members live, on their shabby looking web site.
they/we have sex for some time now. They are obsessed with taking pictures of the trans members of the Commission and our community. But now they lowered themselves to plastering the names and where Commission members live, on their shabby looking web site.Well, the pictures they have are going to be recycled. Because last night the Commission enforced 'Mass. Gen. Laws Chp 30A section 11A1/2'
"A meeting of a governmental body may be recorded by any person in attendance by means of a tape recorder or any other means of sonic reproduction except when a meeting is held in executive session; provided, that in such recording there is no active interference with the conduct of the meeting."
(The stalkers will not be able to take any more photos, or video at commission meetings)
The Commission is acting within the 'parameters of the law' and ' applying its rules fairly and uniformly.'
Big Pharma Collects Names & Addresses At Latino Pride
The corporitization of Pride was most sickeningly evident at the Latino Pride Celebrations (which were fabulous otherwise) this weekend. As people entered the Pride event they were approached by cute, young gay men offering free rainbow t-shirts (no company logos on them). All you had to do was fill out a form with your name and address. The form had a small "Gilead" logo at the bottom. Gilead also had a table where they gave away little key chains, and more free t-shirts in exchange for filling out the form. To my knowledge there was no contest or other reason to collect names. They were simply collecting names and addresses for marketing purposes. When asked what kind of company they were, I was shocked to hear them say they were pharmaceutical company. One member of the promotions team said he was not informed what company he would be promoting before until arrived at the event.
Then I noticed the keychain was a promotion for their anti-retroviral HIV drug. The text on the little car attached to the keychain says "Move on with Life," as if to say people with HIV can simply take this drug and move right on with life...yeah, not a care in the world like oh, I don't know...the financial burden of paying for such drugs in this country!
It turns out that Gilead is the biblically named company that Donald Rumsfield was a board member of, and was the co-chair of before he joined the Bush Administration. He currently "owns between USD$5 million and USD$25 million in Gilead stock... The rise in Gilead's share prices from USD$35 to USD$57 per share will have added between USD$2.5 million to USD$15.5 million to Rumsfeld's net worth." In addition to HIV drugs Gilead created the famous Tamiflu. And when the Bush administration was busy terrorizing us about the threat of bird flu, they designated 1billion dollars to purchasing Tamiflu from Roche, the company that Gilead partnered with for "research and marketing" of Tamiflu. Looks like Rumsfeld made some nice cash from the bird flu "scare."
"In a recent meeting of regional health ministers, Dr. Francisco Duque III, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health, accused Roche of "monopolizing" the production and distribution of the drug known as Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu). " -Wikipedia
Gilead also partners with companies such as GlaxoSmith Kline and Merk, both of which have been sued by Prescription Access Litigation, and other individuals and organizations for participating in unethical and illegal operating procedures. Remember the Vioxx scandal anyone?
Do you want Donald Rumsfeld's friends to have your name, address and other demographics?
Gilead's revenue increased almost 50% in 2006, earning ver 3 billion dollars. As they fear Michael Moore's new movie will surely point out, BIG Pharma is an industry that cares about nothing but Profits.
Update: In 2006 Gilead was subpoenaed for its marketing practices of Truvada, the drug they were promoting at Latino Pride.
They are preventing generic drugs from coming onto the market through various illegal tactics, sending doctors on vacations to prescribe their brand-name drugs, and now they are collecting our names and addresses.
It is time to unite in resistance of Big Pharma and the unhealthy corporitization of Boston Pride.
Then I noticed the keychain was a promotion for their anti-retroviral HIV drug. The text on the little car attached to the keychain says "Move on with Life," as if to say people with HIV can simply take this drug and move right on with life...yeah, not a care in the world like oh, I don't know...the financial burden of paying for such drugs in this country!
It turns out that Gilead is the biblically named company that Donald Rumsfield was a board member of, and was the co-chair of before he joined the Bush Administration. He currently "owns between USD$5 million and USD$25 million in Gilead stock... The rise in Gilead's share prices from USD$35 to USD$57 per share will have added between USD$2.5 million to USD$15.5 million to Rumsfeld's net worth." In addition to HIV drugs Gilead created the famous Tamiflu. And when the Bush administration was busy terrorizing us about the threat of bird flu, they designated 1billion dollars to purchasing Tamiflu from Roche, the company that Gilead partnered with for "research and marketing" of Tamiflu. Looks like Rumsfeld made some nice cash from the bird flu "scare."
"In a recent meeting of regional health ministers, Dr. Francisco Duque III, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health, accused Roche of "monopolizing" the production and distribution of the drug known as Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu). " -Wikipedia
Gilead also partners with companies such as GlaxoSmith Kline and Merk, both of which have been sued by Prescription Access Litigation, and other individuals and organizations for participating in unethical and illegal operating procedures. Remember the Vioxx scandal anyone?
Do you want Donald Rumsfeld's friends to have your name, address and other demographics?
Gilead's revenue increased almost 50% in 2006, earning ver 3 billion dollars. As they fear Michael Moore's new movie will surely point out, BIG Pharma is an industry that cares about nothing but Profits.
AdAge.com claims that the pharmaceutical industry is attempting to discredit Moore's film by trying to spin the filmmaker as biased and one-sided. Ken Johnson, senior vice president for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), says America needs a "thoughtful and well-researched" investigation into America's healthcare problems, and insists Moore's film won't provide that.
But consumer health advocate Mike Adams disagrees. "Big Pharma is the king of spin and propaganda," he says. "And drug companies will paint anything as 'biased' if it doesn't bow down to the lies, distortions and fraud being promoted by the industry. Big Pharma is not merely afraid of Michael Moore, they're afraid of anything resembling honest scrutiny or investigative journalism," he added.
Update: In 2006 Gilead was subpoenaed for its marketing practices of Truvada, the drug they were promoting at Latino Pride.
They are preventing generic drugs from coming onto the market through various illegal tactics, sending doctors on vacations to prescribe their brand-name drugs, and now they are collecting our names and addresses.
It is time to unite in resistance of Big Pharma and the unhealthy corporitization of Boston Pride.
Amy Contrada Posts Her Stalkerish Report
Today Amy Contrada of MassResistance finally posted her "report" on Youth Pride. She still claims Deval Patrick did not attend because of MassResistance but we all knew Deval had a prior commitment all along. She also shows a picture of QueerToday blogger Trevor Wright smiling and holding up a peace sign while calling him sick and depraved. And of course she has plenty of photos of drag queens, and transgender folks as predicted. Her video proves our point that she is in fact that creepy adult stalking our youth. Click Here for our full report on Amy's actions that day. Congrats to Captain Gay! Amy loves you!
Gay Britons in the Military - No Big Deal
An article in the New York Times describes how none of the previous fears of harassment or bullying that came with allowing gay Britons to serve in the military in 2000 have materialized.
Some in the military even suggest that the issue of gays in the Armed Forces is now a nonissue, "yesterday's news."
Read more.
Question - With over 24 countries in the world allowing gay soldiers to serve openly in their armed forces, why is the issue of allowing gays in the military such a big deal in the United States?
Some in the military even suggest that the issue of gays in the Armed Forces is now a nonissue, "yesterday's news."
Read more.
Question - With over 24 countries in the world allowing gay soldiers to serve openly in their armed forces, why is the issue of allowing gays in the military such a big deal in the United States?
NPR: Marriage Causes Shift in Gay Culture
Listen to this story by NPR about same-sex marriage and its impact on the community. QueerToday blogger Jason Lydon is interviewed.
Boston Pride Theme: Think About It
Remember to wear something Hot Pink during Pride if you have concerns about the theme. On December 21, 2006 we asked QueerToday readers to write to the Pride Committee and local papers asking questions about the chosen Boston Pride 2007 theme. We'll continue asking.
Ask. Tell. (Who is asking? What are they asking? Who is telling? Why the military imagery and words?)
Proud to Serve Our Community, Our Country, Our World. (Are all of us proud to serve our country right now? Can we all proclaim our pride to "serve?" Who are we serving?)
The LGBT community is an integral part of society at every level of organization: community, country, and the world. We are your doctors, lawyers, teachers, leaders, engineers, custodians, bankers, and bakers. We are proud of our service and we are happy to share our lives with you. (Not all of us are happy or able to share our lives with "you." Who is "you?" Is Pride for us, or a show and tell for the dominant culture?) Just ask, and we'll tell! (I think my trans friends are rather sick of being asked about their body parts for one thing. Note to straight folks, contrary to what the committee says, we might not want to "just tell.")
In addition to this wording the Pride Committee is using dog tags in all of their promotional materials. And the closing party is called the "Military Ball."
See Also: Just Ask & We Won't Tell, reject the boston pride theme, innewsweekly: new coalition forms to oppose theme
In addition to this wording the Pride Committee is using dog tags in all of their promotional materials. And the closing party is called the "Military Ball."
See Also: Just Ask & We Won't Tell, reject the boston pride theme, innewsweekly: new coalition forms to oppose theme
Cynthia Stead: The Next Amy Contrada?
The Live Love & Learn blog has done an excellent job exposing another right-wing nutbag (as Trevor likes to call them). She posts anti-gay comments on BlueMassGroup and her own blog, and is an avid Bush and Romney supporter. After seeing her silly official web site, I have a feeling it will not be long until she is stalking queer youth at Pride celebrations. She may be a better writer than Amy (and that is not saying much) but she is clearly just as disturbed.
NY Times Covers Queer Youth Homelessness
Click Here for the article.
But gathered at Ruth’s House, a 10-bed emergency shelter for gay homeless youths here in east Detroit, they all said that for the first time they felt safe.
Ruth’s House is one of a small number of shelters for gay youths that have opened around the nation in the past four years, reflecting an increasing awareness among child welfare advocates of the disproportionately high number of gay youths in the homeless population and the special problems they face.... Read The Article Here>
May 17th
On May 17th, 2004 I graduated from college. A group of us stayed up late the night before making hundreds of little rainbow ribbons, and on the day of graduation we distributed all of them to the class. The president of our college mentioned in her speech the victorious day to loud cheers and applause.
Later that day I spoke a few words at a rally celebrating the marriage decision. These are the words that I had quickly jotted down on the back of my graduation program to say that day:
Four years ago, as a freshmen in college, I first walked through the doors of the Boston Alliance of LGBT Youth. In that short amount of time I have seen the transformation of countless young peoples' lives. I've seen suicidal youth become leaders in our community. I've seen youth organize protests, fundraisers, and proms. But recently I've seen something more special occur. Young people are actively taking part in our political process again. At BAGLY we are working to transform our culture into one that is anti-racist and founded in social justice. And BAGLY youth have spent countless days, weeks - at the State House these past few months.
Earlier today I graduated from college, celebrated Brown Vs. Board of Ed. and same-sex marriage became legal. This is one of the most joyous days in my life and in our history.
Yet at each celebration I can't help but acknowledge our anger. We are still angry that LGBT youth are 4 times more likely to commit suicide. Angry that AIDS research funding has been cut. Angry that our peers are fighting in an unjust war. Angry that women's reproductive rights are under attack. Angry that institutionalized racism is still keeping people down.
So today, as we celebrate, enjoy it. But remember why you're here and what is left to be done. If there is one thing I've learned in the past four years, it is that young people are not the future of this broad progressive movement, we are the movement. We are the here and now, and we demand change.
Later that day I spoke a few words at a rally celebrating the marriage decision. These are the words that I had quickly jotted down on the back of my graduation program to say that day:
Four years ago, as a freshmen in college, I first walked through the doors of the Boston Alliance of LGBT Youth. In that short amount of time I have seen the transformation of countless young peoples' lives. I've seen suicidal youth become leaders in our community. I've seen youth organize protests, fundraisers, and proms. But recently I've seen something more special occur. Young people are actively taking part in our political process again. At BAGLY we are working to transform our culture into one that is anti-racist and founded in social justice. And BAGLY youth have spent countless days, weeks - at the State House these past few months.
Earlier today I graduated from college, celebrated Brown Vs. Board of Ed. and same-sex marriage became legal. This is one of the most joyous days in my life and in our history.
Yet at each celebration I can't help but acknowledge our anger. We are still angry that LGBT youth are 4 times more likely to commit suicide. Angry that AIDS research funding has been cut. Angry that our peers are fighting in an unjust war. Angry that women's reproductive rights are under attack. Angry that institutionalized racism is still keeping people down.
So today, as we celebrate, enjoy it. But remember why you're here and what is left to be done. If there is one thing I've learned in the past four years, it is that young people are not the future of this broad progressive movement, we are the movement. We are the here and now, and we demand change.
Whatever Happened to Radicalism?
Living Well Presents: Whatever Happened to Radicalism?
Club Cafe, Moonshine Room, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston
SAVE THE DATE for a very exciting season finale of Fenway Community Health's Living Well Series!
Thursday May 31st, 6:30-9pm
"Whatever Happened to Radicalism?"
A conversation with national leaders in the gay and bi men's health movement, and the new radicals who will carry the flag into the future.
Thursday May 31st, 6:30-9pm Club Cafe, Moonshine Room, 209 Columbus Avenue in Boston's Historic South End. Food will served and there will be an entertainment portion of the program. As always, this Living Well event is free and open to the public.
The 2007-2008 Living Well season will kick-off in September. Feel free to let us know what topics you'd like us to address.
"Living Well is the best revenge." -George Herbert
For more information, please call J.T. Vincent at 617-927-6218 or email livingwell@fenwayhealth.org
Club Cafe, Moonshine Room, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston
SAVE THE DATE for a very exciting season finale of Fenway Community Health's Living Well Series!
Thursday May 31st, 6:30-9pm
"Whatever Happened to Radicalism?"
A conversation with national leaders in the gay and bi men's health movement, and the new radicals who will carry the flag into the future.
Thursday May 31st, 6:30-9pm Club Cafe, Moonshine Room, 209 Columbus Avenue in Boston's Historic South End. Food will served and there will be an entertainment portion of the program. As always, this Living Well event is free and open to the public.
The 2007-2008 Living Well season will kick-off in September. Feel free to let us know what topics you'd like us to address.
"Living Well is the best revenge." -George Herbert
For more information, please call J.T. Vincent at 617-927-6218 or email livingwell@fenwayhealth.org
Honoring Yolanda King
Yolanda Denise King, daughter and eldest child of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has died today after giving a speech. Yolanda, like her mother Coretta, was an active ally to the LGBT community. We will miss her.
queer youth homelessness
Check out this great post over at the fabulous blog - quenchzine - for a look at a new documentary on the epidemic of queer youth homelessness.
Transgender Lobby Day Success!
The first ever Transgender Lobby Day here in Massachusetts, not just made history but had overwhelming support from the community.
Over 100 people showed up to lobby for House Bill 1722!!!! There were so many people we had to move to another room! (Alex, Kasey and myself were there from queertoday)
House Bill 1722 sends a clear message that no one should face violence or experience discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, or public education simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. This legislation strengthens the Commonwealth's commitment to ensuring that all people, including transgender people, are treated fairly under the law and given an equal chance to contribute to our communities and economy.
13 is the number of states that have enacted legal protections for freedom of gender identity or expression in employment, education, housing, accommodations, credit, and/or hate crimes.
Massachusetts
(visit the MTPC web site, for information on how to lobby)
THANK YOU MTPC!!!
Over 100 people showed up to lobby for House Bill 1722!!!! There were so many people we had to move to another room! (Alex, Kasey and myself were there from queertoday)
House Bill 1722 sends a clear message that no one should face violence or experience discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, or public education simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. This legislation strengthens the Commonwealth's commitment to ensuring that all people, including transgender people, are treated fairly under the law and given an equal chance to contribute to our communities and economy.
13 is the number of states that have enacted legal protections for freedom of gender identity or expression in employment, education, housing, accommodations, credit, and/or hate crimes.
(visit the MTPC web site, for information on how to lobby)
THANK YOU MTPC!!!
Death of a Reactionary Preacher
Jerry Falwell, one of the most influential and hateful religious leaders in the United States, died today. I never celebrate someone's death. But what we do need to be clear about is his legacy.
Falwell has been a voice of racism, sexism, homophobia, and imperialism for decades. He opposed integration in the late 1950s and early 1960s (something the mainstream media has yet to mention in their recaps of his life). He founded the so-called "Moral Majority" in the late 1970s to counteract the feminist and gay rights movements. Falwell was also instrumental in mobilizing right-wing Christians to bring the Reagan Administration to power. As is well known, the Reagan Administration oversaw a variety of immoral policies, such as funding right-wing regimes and terrorists in Latin America, reversing the gains of the Civil Rights Movement, criminal indifference to the AIDS crisis, undoing the social safety net, and the list goes on.
The idolatrous theology he espoused was one of American dominionism, rooted in the idea that the United States is some kind of "chosen nation," which was ordained by God to rule the world. In his mind, as God's chosen nation, the United States had a responsibility to be ruled by fundamentalist Christian principles.
I won't say where Falwell's spirit is now; that's for God to decide. What will certainly live on for us in the here and now is his spirit of right-wing bigotry.
MassResistance Targets Youth Pride
We knew it was coming: Amy Contrada's lies and exaggerations about Youth Pride. But this year we beat her to the punch. Click Here for our freshly updated report on this deranged and obsessed woman. Amy Contrada and Brian Camenker may seem like two people who are so disturbed that no one should pay attention to them. Amy and her Bush donor husband Michael even moved from town to town because she was unhappy with the "homosexuality" in schools. However, they do have a small and dangerous national cult following. Staff members of Lexington Schools are still receiving harassing phone calls and death threats from their cronies. They have several hateful bills in the Statehouse right now. They got billboards pulled, mannequins removed from Macys, and Bay Windows Newspaper removed from stores. Yes they are silly and disturbed, but we can not take them lightly. At QueerToday we will continue expose them, dispel their lies, and aggressively fight back against their intimidation. For more coverage of the insanity that is MassResistance check out MassResistance Watch - a blog dedicated solely to dispelling their lies.
Trans Lobby Day
May 15, 2007
Lobby Day for Transgender Equality - Support HB 1722, An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes Part of Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality
Massachusetts State House
Room 350
10 am -12 noon
House Bill 1722 sends a clear message that no one should face violence or experience discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, or public education simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. This legislation strengthens the Commonwealth's commitment to ensuring that all people, including transgender people, are treated fairly under the law and given an equal chance to contribute to our communities and economy.
Please come educate your legislators and ask them to support HB 1722. MTPC will provide a short lobbying training and all necessary materials.
Sponsoring Organizations: Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), The Gay and Lesbian Labor Activist Network (GALLAN), and Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality. For more information visit www.masstpc.org or www.gallan.org.
To get to RM 350
Enter the State House through the General Hooker entrance. Go through security, and then go left. Walk down the hallway. There will be a set of elevators on the left. DO NOT take those. Walk to the second sets of elevators. Take them to the third floor. When you get out of the third floor, make a left and walk down the corridor. Room 350 is on the left. It's the first door on the left after walking into the "Members Only" section (or through the first set of doors).
Lobby Day for Transgender Equality - Support HB 1722, An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes Part of Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality
Massachusetts State House
Room 350
10 am -12 noon
House Bill 1722 sends a clear message that no one should face violence or experience discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, or public education simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. This legislation strengthens the Commonwealth's commitment to ensuring that all people, including transgender people, are treated fairly under the law and given an equal chance to contribute to our communities and economy.
Please come educate your legislators and ask them to support HB 1722. MTPC will provide a short lobbying training and all necessary materials.
Sponsoring Organizations: Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), The Gay and Lesbian Labor Activist Network (GALLAN), and Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality. For more information visit www.masstpc.org or www.gallan.org.
To get to RM 350
Enter the State House through the General Hooker entrance. Go through security, and then go left. Walk down the hallway. There will be a set of elevators on the left. DO NOT take those. Walk to the second sets of elevators. Take them to the third floor. When you get out of the third floor, make a left and walk down the corridor. Room 350 is on the left. It's the first door on the left after walking into the "Members Only" section (or through the first set of doors).
Reject The Boston Pride Theme
On Sunday, May 14th a group of concerned queer people gathered at the Community Church in Boston to discuss possible actions to counteract the theme chosen for the Boston Pride celebrations this year. We have decided to create a coalition called the Ask. Tell. Act. Coalition. We have chosen our own theme for pride, and we Will be encouraging everyone who finds the Boston Pride theme offensive to use our messages when designing their floats, signs, and other materials for Pride. We will be launching a web site, publishing a letter, and speaking to like-minded organizations to ensure visibility on Pride Day. Stay tuned for updates and more information! We are also asking everyone who will be marching in the parade who opposes the theme to wear pink in a showing of solidarity.
OUR THEME:
The Gross Boston Pride Committee Theme: (Careful not to throw-up in your mouth. The more your read it and think about it - the more offensive it is!)
The LGBT community is an integral part of society at every level of organization: community, country, and the world. We are your doctors, lawyers, teachers, leaders, engineers, custodians, bankers, and bakers. We are proud of our service and we are happy to share our lives with you. Just ask, and we'll tell! Please consider this theme when building your float and organizing your parade contingent -- an award will be given to the group that adapts this theme best in the parade!
We Encourage You to THINK ABOUT IT!
Is Pride a show for straight people to ask us questions? Can all of us be proud of our jobs/ways of making money? Can all of us safely proclaim our pride in what we do? Should we be celebrating our service to the dominate culture or celebrating our queer identities? Should the fight against don't ask don't tell be our community's next priority considering the epidemic of homelessness among our youth and violence against trans/gender-variant people?
JOIN US at our next meeting on Sunday, May 20th at 5pm at Community Church in Copley Square.
OUR THEME:
Ask: Why celebrate militarism?! (Beneath this heading we will discuss why the militaristic aspect of the theme is repulsive.)
Tell the truth about injustice! (Beneath this heading we will discuss why the language the Boston Pride Committee has chosen about "serving" is offensive.)
Act to transform our community, country, and the world! (Here we will encourage people to speak up and act up.)
The Gross Boston Pride Committee Theme: (Careful not to throw-up in your mouth. The more your read it and think about it - the more offensive it is!)
Ask. Tell.
Proud to Serve Our Community, Our Country, Our World.
Proud to Serve Our Community, Our Country, Our World.
We Encourage You to THINK ABOUT IT!
Is Pride a show for straight people to ask us questions? Can all of us be proud of our jobs/ways of making money? Can all of us safely proclaim our pride in what we do? Should we be celebrating our service to the dominate culture or celebrating our queer identities? Should the fight against don't ask don't tell be our community's next priority considering the epidemic of homelessness among our youth and violence against trans/gender-variant people?
JOIN US at our next meeting on Sunday, May 20th at 5pm at Community Church in Copley Square.
MA Youth Pride & BAGLY Prom Report
Massachusetts Youth Pride 2007 was a fabulous success. The "Make A Statement" theme was a wise choice that the Boston Pride Committee should take note of! Youth Pride knows how to celebrate individuality, protest, and be proud. The day was made complete when a rainbow appeared over the celebration!
Later that evening the BAGLY Prom drew over 1200 LGBTQ Youth and their Allies from around the state. The youth had a wonderful time as usual. In addition to the music, dancing, and drag shows, the Mayor's liaison read a proclamation from Mayor Menino declaring his support, and Randy Price of WHDH was the usual celebrity MC. Of course our friend Amy Contrada was creepily lurking around these events throughout the day. Click Here for our full report on Amy's sick and depraved obsession with LGBT Youth. Warning! This report is SHOCKING and TERRIFYING!
On behalf of the bloggers and activists of QueerToday.com we wish our friends a Happy Youth Pride and BAGLY Prom!
Once Again: By Any Means Necessary
Is it just me, or do you also sense that when it comes to the same-sex marriage front, we’re in deep shit? I have always advocated killing the marriage amendment through procedural maneuvers, and have argued that we should make no apologies about doing so. But the strategy of the same-sex marriage movement seems to have shifted squarely towards defeating the amendment on its “merits.” In a Boston Globe article, Arlene Issacson of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus is quoted as saying that “our goal is to win on the merits of the issue.”
In addition, pro-marriage equality lobbyist groups need to give queers a free hand to operate on the ideological front, if we so choose. I have heard too many stories of people who have been silenced by MassEquality activists and others because their statements or signs were too "radical." This has got to stop now. We cannot wage an effective campaign with our hands tied behind our back due to fear of looking too "negative" or "radical."
Why this shift in direction when all indications are that we clearly do not have the votes to defeat the amendment on its merits? Why are we pursuing this strategy when it seems as though getting the right amount of votes is highly unlikely? What happens if we don’t get the votes by June 14? Do we just resign ourselves to defeat?
What we do have is an overwhelming majority of legislators who see the fundamental unfairness of subjecting queer rights to a vote. If the legislators agree with that position, I cannot understand why the idea of killing this amendment through procedural maneuvers is so far-fetched. If they agree with same-sex marriage, we have a basis by which to tell them if they really care about queer people, they will do whatever it takes to squash the amendment.
I think that the strategy of lobbying to defeat the amendment on its merits would be a good one so long as there is also a strategy to kill the amendment procedurally as well. I have no access to what is going on behind closed doors at the State House, nor do I have inside information about the lobby effort. I can only hope that MassEquality and the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus are trying to do both. In an ideal situation, they would be getting the votes to defeat the amendment on its merits, but also getting legislators ready to kill the amendment if necessary. This may be a secret strategy that they’re not public about because of perceived repercussions (which, if so, is in and of itself a sign of the weakness of our side), but I doubt it.
Regardless of what strategy the lobbyists use, it is clear that our ideological strategy is broken. I know I’ve been saying this so much that I sound like a broken record, but it’s true. That Senate President Therese Murray says that she will have an up-or-down vote on the amendment—a rightward shift of her position, by the way—is a very ominous sign. If our political hand were stronger, the State Legislature would have no qualms about killing this amendment (as they did the health care amendment).
Therefore, I think we need to be clearer with legislators: A position that is not committed to defeating this amendment by (and I will say it again) any means necessary is unacceptable. Everyone who claims to care about queer people’s rights needs to be on board with this argument.Allowing this amendment to go through will be devastating to the psyche of the queer community in this state (which is why the bigots want to see it passed). Any legislator not committed to destroying this amendment by any means at their disposal is necessarily and unequivocally putting the queer community of Massachusetts in the crosshairs of a homophobic campaign. And when the hate crimes go up because of the heightened climate of homophobia (which they will), the blood will be on their hands. I hate to be so blunt about it, but these are the stakes. Massachusetts state legislators, it is time to make a choice. You can side with bigotry or with the community you claim to support. Sometimes, there is no mushy-middle and there is no compromise—only right and wrong. And we need to present the argument to the people of Massachusetts in this light as well, though not as harshly. Nonetheless we also need to say to the people that for them too it is time to make a choice. It is not a choice between “democracy” and “judicial activism.” That ruse collapsed in front of God and everybody when the State Legislature killed the health care amendment and VoteonMarriage.org did not even bother to feign crocodile tears! In fact, they proclaimed that “democracy” had won, thereby showing their true priorities and selective concern for “democracy.” I wonder what the people of Massachusetts will think if they found out VoteonMarriage people whined and cried like spoiled brats this week when the State Legislature dared to put things like budgets before their vendetta against queer people? No, this is a choice between bigotry and justice. We need to plaster the despicable, homophobic comments of the leaders of VoteonMarriage.org all around this state. Each comment should implicitly ask the question: Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of someone who compares gays to September 11 terrorists, as Roberto Miranda, VoteonMarriage.org’s chairperson did? Do you want to be an accomplice of someone who calls queer people “demonic forces” as Black Ministerial Alliance President Gilbert Thompson did?The motivation for this amendment is clearly homophobia; the “democracy” rhetoric is a rather transparent farce. I sincerely believe that the most effective ideological strategy over the next month will be one that shifts from the sing-songy rallies and instead works to expose this reality. As Mel White, director of Soulforce put it, “what they say in private, we have to shout from the rooftops.”In addition, pro-marriage equality lobbyist groups need to give queers a free hand to operate on the ideological front, if we so choose. I have heard too many stories of people who have been silenced by MassEquality activists and others because their statements or signs were too "radical." This has got to stop now. We cannot wage an effective campaign with our hands tied behind our back due to fear of looking too "negative" or "radical."
why we LOVE the boston dyke march!
Boston Dyke March, June 8th 6PM
For the past 12 years, the Boston Dyke March has remained committed to offering a non-commercial, fundamentally grass-roots alternative to Boston's Pride celebration. We provide an ever-improving venue for influential speakers and artists, high-quality performances and a growing number of community-based organizations.....Our top priority is to provide a dynamic and welcoming space for participants of all sexualities, genders, races, ages, ethnicities, sizes, economic backgrounds, and physical abilities. We strive to create a place where political and social change can be expressed and inspired.
Everyone is invited and welcome to march. No registration is necessary. Bring banners, noise makers, puppets, friends, fun. - BostonDykeMarch.com
continued from discussion below
i apologize for making another post... but blogger wouldn't let me post
this in the comments section for some reason...to see the full
conversation, click on the comments from the last post...
Hm.
A lot of different issues going on here... I think what I'll focus on
is the relationship between the LGBT rights movement and the black
civil rights movement.
Some people seem to think
it's perfectly okay to co-opt the words and history of another group
and us them to their advantage. Some people think using the words of
past leaders is dangerous, hypocritical, and antithetical to the goals
we are trying to accomplish.
These are more or less
the two extremes of the argument (and, as you can probably guess
already, you can see which side I lean towards).
But, that
does not mean that we cannot quote people like
under any circumstances. If white queers only draw on a white queer
past, we participate in the erasure of a history that would illuminate
the past of (queer) people color. This history is already invisible,
and as peoples looking for a usable past, we must not collude in this
erasure.
With this said, I don't think it's okay to be doing what MEQ
and other marriage activists are doing, as described by Mark above. I
think it is possible to draw on the history of other social movements
in our contemporary struggles for justice (which I don't think marriage
should be epicenter of) in a way that is not simple co
and exploitation. The problem, as Mark points out, is that many of
these people who draw on African-American history to advance the
position of gays and lesbians (note: they are not working for anybody
else, so the linguistic exclusion here is intentional) are detestable
hypocrite is that they are working against racial justice. By
simultaneously invoking the spirit of the (arguably) the most famous
African-American activist in U.S. history while participating in and
benefiting from id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">institutionalized racism is
not okay.
So,
if white people (and I include myself in that category, for the record)
are going to be drawing on the historical narratives of people of
color, we must do so in a way that does not simply allow "oppression"
to collapse the differences that exist among us. Yes, there are some
similarities between the struggle to desegregate and the struggle for
marriage equality. There will always be some similarities when you're
talking about justice movements. The important thing to remember is
that there are significant differences that exist between the movements
as well, and to think otherwise is to create a false equation of
experiences that is simply harmful to all parties (except for those who
want to keep us all down).
Lastly, I want to comment on a comment Sandouri made above.
"It
should also be noted that a great many of Boston’s African-American
clergy—a group with tremendous influence—do not want Queer activists
making the connection between our struggle and the struggle against
racism."
True. This is true. However, there are also
a hell of a lot of white id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">clergyfolk who don't want that
connection made either, which is (in part) why they insist that our
sexual orientations are a chosen, as opposed to "immutable
characteristics" like "race." Black communities should not be held
fully responsible for the id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">religious, or secular,
heterosexism that queer people face. While homophobia in all
communities should be confronted, we must remember that it is white
clergy in the U.S. (and in the Vatican, Jerusalem, etc.) who hold the
lion's share of religious power that is being used for
And,
in the spirit of the dialogue, I'll end with a quotation from Audre
Lorde. Here, Lorde
is speaking to white women, and while not the same, I believe we must
ask white queers this question as well.
is inviting (imploring? demanding?) those of us with privilege to not
only see our own oppression, but also see the ways in which were
complicit in the oppression of others, and so I feel that this is an
appropriate way to draw on the words of people of color in a queer,
anti-racist way. Hopefully this doesn't fuck up my entire argument...
"What
woman here is so enamored of her own oppression that she cannot see her
heelprint
upon another woman's face? What woman's terms of oppression have become
precious and necessary to her as a ticket into the fold of the
righteous, away from the cold winds of self-scrutiny?" -Audre
this in the comments section for some reason...to see the full
conversation, click on the comments from the last post...
Hm.
A lot of different issues going on here... I think what I'll focus on
is the relationship between the LGBT rights movement and the black
civil rights movement.
Some people seem to think
it's perfectly okay to co-opt the words and history of another group
and us them to their advantage. Some people think using the words of
past leaders is dangerous, hypocritical, and antithetical to the goals
we are trying to accomplish.
These are more or less
the two extremes of the argument (and, as you can probably guess
already, you can see which side I lean towards).
But, that
does not mean that we cannot quote people like
under any circumstances. If white queers only draw on a white queer
past, we participate in the erasure of a history that would illuminate
the past of (queer) people color. This history is already invisible,
and as peoples looking for a usable past, we must not collude in this
erasure.
With this said, I don't think it's okay to be doing what MEQ
and other marriage activists are doing, as described by Mark above. I
think it is possible to draw on the history of other social movements
in our contemporary struggles for justice (which I don't think marriage
should be epicenter of) in a way that is not simple co
and exploitation. The problem, as Mark points out, is that many of
these people who draw on African-American history to advance the
position of gays and lesbians (note: they are not working for anybody
else, so the linguistic exclusion here is intentional) are detestable
hypocrite is that they are working against racial justice. By
simultaneously invoking the spirit of the (arguably) the most famous
African-American activist in U.S. history while participating in and
benefiting from id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">institutionalized racism is
not okay.
So,
if white people (and I include myself in that category, for the record)
are going to be drawing on the historical narratives of people of
color, we must do so in a way that does not simply allow "oppression"
to collapse the differences that exist among us. Yes, there are some
similarities between the struggle to desegregate and the struggle for
marriage equality. There will always be some similarities when you're
talking about justice movements. The important thing to remember is
that there are significant differences that exist between the movements
as well, and to think otherwise is to create a false equation of
experiences that is simply harmful to all parties (except for those who
want to keep us all down).
Lastly, I want to comment on a comment Sandouri made above.
"It
should also be noted that a great many of Boston’s African-American
clergy—a group with tremendous influence—do not want Queer activists
making the connection between our struggle and the struggle against
racism."
True. This is true. However, there are also
a hell of a lot of white id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">clergyfolk who don't want that
connection made either, which is (in part) why they insist that our
sexual orientations are a chosen, as opposed to "immutable
characteristics" like "race." Black communities should not be held
fully responsible for the id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">religious, or secular,
heterosexism that queer people face. While homophobia in all
communities should be confronted, we must remember that it is white
clergy in the U.S. (and in the Vatican, Jerusalem, etc.) who hold the
lion's share of religious power that is being used for
And,
in the spirit of the dialogue, I'll end with a quotation from Audre
Lorde. Here, Lorde
is speaking to white women, and while not the same, I believe we must
ask white queers this question as well.
is inviting (imploring? demanding?) those of us with privilege to not
only see our own oppression, but also see the ways in which were
complicit in the oppression of others, and so I feel that this is an
appropriate way to draw on the words of people of color in a queer,
anti-racist way. Hopefully this doesn't fuck up my entire argument...
"What
woman here is so enamored of her own oppression that she cannot see her
heelprint
upon another woman's face? What woman's terms of oppression have become
precious and necessary to her as a ticket into the fold of the
righteous, away from the cold winds of self-scrutiny?" -Audre
A Call to Arms
The revolution is upon us. Our opportunity to ensure our freedom to marry who we choose, and to live our lives as we wish is at hand. We, the gay community must rise up and show the world we will not be identified as a stereotype of fear and malevolence. We will not tolerate others trying to infringe upon our civil rights while the covet their own. Here is the word-for-word post from Massachusetts Family Institute today:
"With over 400 activists demonstrating in front of the Statehouse in support of the Marriage Amendment, members of the Legislature took all of 6 minutes to reschedule the Constitutional Convention and a vote on the Marriage Amendment to next month. While supporters of homosexual marriage were also in front of the Statehouse, their numbers paled in comparison to VoteOnMarriage.org numbering around 30.
The Legislature will now meet on Thursday, June 14th to take up constitutional amendments. The Marriage Amendment is the first item of business. Senate President Therese Murray gaveled the convention open at about 1:02 pm, and quickly recognized Rep. Joan Menard who made the motion to recess, which was approved without objection.
"Senate President Murray gave her word that a vote would be taken on the Marriage Amendment after the state budget deliberations were concluded, and we take her at her word," said MFI President Kris Mineau. "We are confident that when a vote does take place, the Legislature will vote to place the Marriage Amendment on the ballot and before the people."
VoteOnMarriage.org will continue to take the lead in supporting the Marriage Amendment and would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who took time away from their jobs and lives to come to the Statehouse today to support the people's right to vote on marriage. Chanel Prunier, campaign director for VoteOnMarriage.org, is encouraging you to mark June 14th on your calendar and plan to be in Boston for the Constitutional Convention.
"Today, our supporters made it loud and clear once again that the people want to vote on the definition of marriage and will continue to keep legislators' feet to the fire," said Prunier."
I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live. -Martin Luther King Jr., Speech in Detroit, June 23, 1963
Answer this slap in the face on June 14th. Be at the State House, and bring everyone you know. You cannot expect the moderates to stand up for what is right when we will not stand up for ourselves. Be there, or don't be surprised when you can no longer exercise your freedom of self expression, and live by your own terms. We get the government we deserve. Inaction is still a course of action, with ramifications and consequences of its own. Nothing worth having is free, even freedom.
Constitutional Convention 07- Round 1
The Massachusetts joint session of House and Senate went into session at 1pm and by 1:07 we were told they had recessed. The next convention will take place on June 14th at noon.
Rumor: There are reps and senators that are willing to vote against the amendment because they ‘believe’ in it but are holding out till the days before in hopes of quid pro quo (higher ranking seats on committees, or better parking spots, who knows?) Dirty Dirty Dirty
We will have to see who gets bumped up in committees when the votes are in…
Rumor: There are reps and senators that are willing to vote against the amendment because they ‘believe’ in it but are holding out till the days before in hopes of quid pro quo (higher ranking seats on committees, or better parking spots, who knows?) Dirty Dirty Dirty
We will have to see who gets bumped up in committees when the votes are in…
Stop Grabbing Me
Sexism in the queer community needs to stop.
Gentleman, let’s make a deal. You don’t touch my body without asking, and I won’t assume that you are the authority on hair, fashion, figure skating, and other things stereotypically gay.
I love that queer boys run the entire spectrum of the rainbow: from hippie pot heads to queens to bears to an infinite number of beautifully blended identities. Guess what? Queer women are equally diverse. I am not your hag, I am not a hag. I am a queer femme. Don’t make me feel invisible or oppressed by dismissing my identity and grabbing my body. In fact, don’t reduce me or any other woman to a body part.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like the attention. I like dancing, grinding, and cruising with the boys. Who wouldn’t like to feel like Madonna with a harem of hot queer boys surrounding you, fawning over you? At times, it’s heaven and I feel like the Material Girl herself. But guess what’s not flattering: you touching my breasts, asking me to bend over to get a better look at my ass, or referencing parts of my body in degrading ways.
It doesn’t matter that you are not sexually attracted to me; it’s oppressive. When I go out dancing, I go to queer clubs because I want to be with my community. Usually, it’s where the boys are, and I’m often one of the only women, but none of that matters. I want to dance, feel safe, be myself, and let’s face it: no one mixes pop icons and divas like a queer club. But I don’t want to feel like I’m being man handled.
Compliments? Yes please, keep them coming. Care to dance? Why yes I would love to. But I’m not a buffet, you don’t get to walk by, see something you like and grab it.
Memo to French Left: Don't Swallow a Thing
After some clashes with police following the victory of right-wing nut Nicholas Sarkozy, François Hollande, the Secretary of the (losing) Socialist Party told supporters to "swallow your anger, your frustration, [and] your fear to channel that energy into another vote [and] into a movement that must conduct itself within the confines of the republic and democracy..." In other words: Don't get angry, don't do anything radical; just vote for us next time. This should sound very familiar to people in the US. With wimpy rhetoric like this, why does anyone wonder why the Socialists got beaten again?
I say, "N'avalez rien." We are counting on you, France, to continue to be a main point of resistance to neo-liberalism and the cuts in social services and labor rights that everyone else has "swallowed." That will require taking to the streets and standing up to Sarkozy. It will also require taking more radical action besides electoral politics. But I don't need to lecture the French about this, they're better about it than we are.
I personally, am not too panicked about Sarkozy's victory. To be sure, it's a victory for the Right internationally, but either way, France was going to have a fight on its hands. There has been heavy pressure for the country to fall in line with the neo-liberal agenda, and the talk from some Socialist Party leaders after their defeat about how the left needs to "modernize" sounds a lot like the rhetoric of the "New Democrats" and "New Labour." Ségolène Royal seems to have been playing to the right anyway and may have actually been able to get away with more attacks on the social welfare state precisely because she was a nominal "socialist." Perhaps Sarkozy's ham-handed, belligerent tactics will provoke a reaction from the French population. As Jean Bricmont and Diane Johnstone put it:
But the Sarkozy conversion, if it happens, will be only a surface event on a highly unstable and volatile social reality. The rebellious nature of the population makes it unlikely that any president will be able to impose his will, short of establishing a real dictatorship.What's more important than the election is what the French people do in social movements that take to the streets. Movements resisting the EU Constitution and a law that would have allowed businesses to fire people under 26 with no cause during a two-year trial period were largely successful. Let's hope the trend continues.
Sad Day In France
It is a sad day in France for queers, women, immigrants, and those who favor social justice. Segolene Royal will not become the first female socialist president of France according to exit polls.
DIE-IN and RALLY AGAINST THE BIOTERRORISM LAB
WHEN: Monday, May 7th
WHERE: Institute for Contemporary Art (directions, Courthouse Station info)
TIME: Meet at 6:00 pm at the Courthouse Station, T Silver Line
On Monday evening, Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick are hosting a fancy party at the Institute for Contemporary Art for the Biotech Industry. Join the Stop the Biolab Coalition and the Biojustice mobilization in reminding Mayor Menino that Boston does not want a Bioterror Lab!
WE WILL BRING: biohazards suits, signs, and banners!
YOU BRING: yourself and your friends
For more information or questions about the die-in, call 617-686-7469 or email endtheoccupation@myway.com.
WHERE: Institute for Contemporary Art (directions, Courthouse Station info)
TIME: Meet at 6:00 pm at the Courthouse Station, T Silver Line
On Monday evening, Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick are hosting a fancy party at the Institute for Contemporary Art for the Biotech Industry. Join the Stop the Biolab Coalition and the Biojustice mobilization in reminding Mayor Menino that Boston does not want a Bioterror Lab!
WE WILL BRING: biohazards suits, signs, and banners!
YOU BRING: yourself and your friends
For more information or questions about the die-in, call 617-686-7469 or email endtheoccupation@myway.com.
BULLY
As you might of read this week in BayWindows, Brian Camenker was up to his old tactics. He argued that anti-violence/bullying programs didn’t work and that it was human nature.
Well Brian, come up with something that would work instead of trying to stand in the way of a solution.
WHAT A NUT BAG!
Sign The Petition To Lift Under-21 Ban!
Please sign this petition to lift the ban on under-21 clubs in Boston. We will hand deliver this petition to the Mayor's office and all parties involved in the decision making. Spread the word using your myspace pages, facebook pages, e-mail contacts, and any other way you can think of.
Outrage continues to grow, particularly among LGBT youth, in reaction to the ban on under-21 nights in Boston. We must keep the pressure on.
Outrage continues to grow, particularly among LGBT youth, in reaction to the ban on under-21 nights in Boston. We must keep the pressure on.
Bullying
Trevor Wright, activist and blogger for QueerToday.com, was featured in Bay Windows today:
"...But the most powerful LGBT-related testimony at the hearing came from Trevor Wright, coordinator of the BAGLY Prom. Wright, who is 22, explained that during his years at Weymouth High School he was repeatedly targeted for harassment and physical assaults because he is gay. He said when he would visit the men’s room other students would taunt him and ask him to perform oral sex on them.
“They would call me a faggot, and the whole room would laugh at me,” said Wright.
One student named Randall regularly targeted him, he said. Wright said Randall wrote the words “cock-sucking faggot” on his locker, and when Wright confronted him Randall punched him and threw him to the floor.
Wright said when he went to administrators for help, he was told to “tone it down a bit.” To cope he said he would go home and cut his arms with razor blades.
“My wounds might have healed, but my scars are still visible,” said Wright."
Queertoday Vs. MassNutBags
Based on a quick google search, here are the numbers.
GOOGLE HITS:
MassNutBags.org- 748
MassNutBags.net- 253
QueerToday.com- 3,810 !
We don't cover the news, we are the news.
GOOGLE HITS:
MassNutBags.org- 748
MassNutBags.net- 253
QueerToday.com- 3,810 !
We don't cover the news, we are the news.
Sponsor Alex for the AIDS Walk!
QueerToday does not have a contingent organized for the AIDS Walk this year, but QT activist and blogger Alex Weissman has it together! Click Here to support his efforts - every single dollar counts. Skip your coffee shop visit today and tomorrow and throw some money towards the fight to prevent and cure AIDS.
Would Jesus Discriminate?
In Indiana, an ad campaign suggesting that Jesus was gay positive and that the Bible has some passages that are sympathetic to queer people has sparked controversy and ruffled some fundamentalist feathers. Some good Christian decided to vandalize the billboards, spraying "Lie Lie Lie" across it.
What the billboard says: “David loved Jonathan more than women. II Samuel 1:26”
How the verse reads: “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” (New International Version)
Miner’s [pro-queer] view: “As the story is told it becomes one of the greatest love stories in the Bible and it is clear that these two men had a deep romantic connection.” He adds: “When is the last time you heard a man say I love you more than anyone else in the world?”
Hunt’s [anti-queer] view: “Biblically, love is always defined in three classes — brotherly love, erotic love and the highest of loves, agape love, or Godly love. What he said here is that his love for Jonathan is godly love, which surpasses erotic love — a love of loyalty and selfless devotion.”
My response: 2 Samuel was written before the Greek (philia, agape, eros) differentiations between loves that Hunt is reading into the Hebrew Bible. The language in 2 Samuel
The issue here is why David would make a comparison with women in the first place. The "love of women" obviously has sexual connotations (2 Sam. 13:1,4,14; 1 Kgs 11:1; Prov.
Not necessarily. Usually, in covenant language, when you make a comparison, you make a comparison between two relationships of the same type. So in Jer 2:2 the love of
But there is something jarring about 2 Sam 1:26. It shares the structure of these comparison formulations, but it differs by comparing not the love of a treaty partner to one of the same class. It does not compare Jonathan's love to the "covenant love" of another covenant relationship. Instead it compares Jonathan's love to the love of women (as a class--NOT as a "wife")--which is especially jarring in a covenant of equals.
The author sets up the language of covenant in the 2 Sam. 1 (the use of "brother," for instance) and when we get to verse 26, we expect a typical ancient near eastern formulation for love comparisons. Instead, we get a comparison of Jonathan's love to that of women. If the comparison between Jonathan's love and the love of women is not covenant fidelity, something else must drive the comparison because as we have seen, in covenant formulation, for this to make sense, Jonathan's love for David must then be analogous to "the love of women" (i.e. sexual love). The best option seems to be that Jonathan's "erotic love" for David was wonderful, surpassing the "erotic love" of women (Special thanks to Saul Olyan of Brown University's Judaic Studies program for pointing this out to me).
What the billboard says: “The early church welcomed a gay man. Acts
What the passage says: To paraphrase, a disciple of Christ named Philip shares the gospel with a eunuch, a castrated man who served in the treasury of the queen of
Miner’s [pro-queer] view: “Introducing yourself as a eunuch in the ancient world is kind of like today introducing yourself as a hairdresser from
Hunt’s [anti-queer] view: Eunuchs were castrated to keep them from having relationships with women in royal courts, as in cases where they were employed to protect or serve a king’s wives. There is no Biblical or extra-Biblical evidence to show eunuchs were considered homosexuals.
My response: Hunt is technically right. There is no extrabiblical evidence that eunuchs were "homosexuals" because the category "homosexual" did not exist in antiquity. Those we would consider "gay" today were incorporated into other categories and labels.
However, there is plenty of evidence to show that eunuchs were not considered chaste and were a symbol of sexual transgression and disruption in the Greco-Roman world. I will not cite the evidence here, but will refer the reader to J. David Hester's "Eunuchs and the Postgender Jesus: Matthew 19.12 and Transgressive Sexualities" in Journal for the Study of the New Testament 28.1 (2005). There is also evidence that eunuchs were associated with "passive" men (men who acted non-penetratively during sex)--see Historia
Note to the billboard makers: While this passage in Acts works, I think that Matthew 19.12, is a much better passage for your purposes. I also think saying that eunuch equals gay is extremely problematic from a historical perspective. Queer Christians can and should identify symbolically with classical eunuchs because they represent transgressive sexuality in much Greco-Roman literature, but they cannot be equated to our modern categories of "gay, lesbian and bisexual."
That said, I cannot be too hard on the pro-queer interpreters. After all, they're just giving the anti-gay theologians a taste of their own exegetical medicine. When queers today want to identify with eunuchs, theologians are quick to scream that there is no evidence that the word has anything to do with "homosexuals."
But some of these same interpreters are more than happy to associate modern homosexuals with obscure Greek terms despite the fact that there is no "extrabiblical evidence" to suggest an association (i.e. arsenokoites in 1 Cor. 6:9-10). Many modern theologians also have no problems associating "homosexuals" with ancient Israelite cultic taboos that prohibit a specific, defiling act, not a phenomenon of "homosexuality" or all "homosexual acts" (i.e. Lev. 18:22; 20:13). So the sanctimonious lectures about cultural context and what Greek and Hebrew words meant what when are really disingenuous. Anti-gay theologians don't really care about that at all.
What the billboard says: “Jesus affirmed a gay couple. Matthew 8:5-13”What the passage says: To paraphrase, Jesus offers to come and heal the paralyzed servant of a Roman centurion. But the centurion said a visit is not necessary and asks Jesus only to speak words of healing. Jesus praises the centurion’s faith and heals the servant.
Miner’s view: The Greek word used here for “servant” was used in the ancient world to refer to one’s same-sex partner. Jesus encountered this gay centurion, healed his partner, praised him for his faith and assured him of a place in heaven.
Hunt’s view: The Greek word in question refers only to a servant or slave, without any gay connotation. “The only place where this word is interpreted as gay servant is on homosexual Web sites. It doesn’t come from any Greek scholar. It doesn’t have any basis at all.”
My response: The use of Matthew 8:5-13 bothers me as well, but for different reasons than Hunt. According to the "pro-queer" reading, this passage is a reference to a "boy-lover" in a possibly exploitative relationship (master-slave). All kinds of ugly power issues are raised here--which Miner and the billboard try to avoid by saying it is simply a "gay couple". No, it is not simply a gay couple; they are in a relationship of domination and submission. I would strongly counsel against using this passage in any queer theology.
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