No on 1 Ad in Maine

No on 1, the organization currently fighting Question 1, the November ballot measure to repeal the recent legalization of gay marriage in Maine, released an advert opposing Yes on 1's ad. The Yes ad used the same family that was used in Prop. 8's campaign ad, claiming that gay marriage's significance would be taught in schools, and that would be traumatizing to students.

I wish I could meet the head of Yes on 1. I'd punch him/her in the face. Solve that problem right there. Ignorance is intolerable to me. Intolerable.

No Difference Between Gay and Straight Couples? What?

A new study published in Adoption Quarterly says that there is "no significant difference" between children raised by gay couples and straight couples. Both parents and children were asked a variety of questions, from family structures, child history pre-adoption, family interactions, to the child's current emotional state.


The study found that the most emotionally harmful factors to an adopted child are age and pre-adoption sexual abuse. Surprise, suprise on that second one.

Sometimes I can't believe that people really believe have two mommies or two daddies is worse than having none. People are so fucking stupid (forgive the expletive; it's necessary in my opinion).

Pink news Article

Vigil in NC to Support Hate Crime

Last week, a student at the Guilford Community College in Greensboro, NC received 2 letters on two separate days, threatening his life because of his sexual orientation. The bigot has not yet been identified, and the harassed student's identity is being kept private by the media.

In response, the entire student body held a candlelight vigil showing their support for the attacked student and distaste for the hate crime. They plan to initiate a movement to speak to their congressional representatives and legislature about getting hate crime defined with "sexual orientation" throughout the state. Let's hope something comes of this; it'd be very good.

Advocate article

Coming Out in Middle School

Coming out in middle school would seem like a really horrible thing, but there are some kids out there who are having a good time with it.

This article, courtesy of the New York Times, is really really really long, but its SUPER GREAT! You have to take 10 minutes out of your day to read it. I love that these kids are growing up in a society where they can openly be themselves.

Prop 8 Repeal Has Been Filed

This week, the repeal for Prop 8 was officially filed in the state of California. It is scheduled to appear on the 2010 ballot. It will have the following language:

"Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion."

It also states this concerning religious freedom:

"Section 1. To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. The refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any religious denomination, church, or other religious institution."

This looks like a great amendment, especially the part mentioning religion. I feel like a lot more people will be receptive to it because of Section 1.

Advocate article

Celebrate Bisexuality Today!

Today is Bisexuality day, so give a shout out to all your friends who more than happily go both ways!

Bisexual Pride Flag

A Day in Hand is This Saturday

A Day in Hand, an online rally to call LGBT people to hold hands with one another, is holding it's first Shhh! Day this Saturday, Sep. 26.

The basic idea is to silently protest the inability for LGBT people to be able to show PDA in public by photographing themselves holding hands with people. They are not talking about PDA as in making out in public, but simply being able to hold hands with worry of stigma.

In celebration of this day, Lambda is holding a Photoshoot party at my apartment where everyone is going to gather for a good time and take photos. We're going to take as many photos as possible of people who participate holding hands, and then we're going to submit them to the website. It's going to such a good cause.

If you'd like to participate wherever you are, go to this link.

If you'd like to participate with Lambda this Friday (we're holding the party the day before to get the photos ready), email me at mitcharp@gmail.com

FABULOUS post -5 super hot dance videos

You know you're FABULOUS when...you make a dance music video lip-singing to a popular song. That's what these 5 groups did, and I absolutely love ALL of them. They're each definitely taking a look at; they all have something special about them.

I LOVE Beyonce, and this video is by far the best remake i've seen of her famous song, Single Ladies. Loves it!

Another beautiful beyonce song, with some excellent dance moves thrown in. Very cool to watch.

"He Wolf." You know what this is gonna be.

This one is just flat out gay (as in hilarious!)

Spice Girls- the boy version! Very adorable

Out at Work? Most aren't

Survey says that 51% of homosexuals are not out at work, and I don't blame them. It's one thing to be out and proud in public; it's quite another to wave that great big rainbow flag in the office where your boss passes out paychecks.

I personally have never been "out" at work. I've worked with people who knew I was gay, and they were always okay with it, but having friends know isn't the same thing. I'd be very afraid of someone who didn't approve of my life, especially a superior, and treating me differently because of it, whether that involves ignoring me, punishing me, or working me more or less because of it.

In fact, I've even lied about my orientation. Not so much ever to the point where I've specifically stated that I'm straight, but more so to agree with coworkers' statements. Most of them will talk about girls they want to get with or think are hot, and I'll very nonchalantly agree with them, quickly trying to change the subject. About 47% of LGBT people are supposedly guilty of this, according to that same survey.

It's going to be difficult getting people to feel comfortable coming out at work. Having an anti-discrimination clause for sexual orientation/gender identity/anything LGBT is one thing; getting people to be okay with it is quite another. I hope one day I'm comfortable being out at work.

Advocate article

Somebody's a Dumb@$$

The Iowa Family Policy Council was asked about their reasoning behind denying gay couples the right to marry based on the idea that two same-sex individuals cannot procreate. Here's what they had to say.

SERIOUSLY???!!!! Do people actually hear themselves when they talk?

We're "Married," Even If Not Technically

Numbers released by the US Census in recent years show that gay couples are claiming to be married, even if they're legally not. I'm not going to bore you with all the statistics, but since 2005, more and more couples have been using the word "marriage" to describe their relationship.

It's around 30% of all same-sex relationships right now that boast such a title, but the numbers show a growing pattern. It all started in 2005, when around 300,000+ couples out of 700,000+ known same-sex couples used the word "marriage," and in that year only 11,000 marriage licenses were issued. In years to follow, marriage become legal in multiple states, so actual gay marriages boomed. Still, many more couples claim to be married that, legally, are not.

The idea, to me, has its ups and downs. It shows that gay couples don't care what everyone else thinks; they're going to get married anyways and love it. But it also shows that gay couples don't care what everyone else thinks, which isn't necessarily good. We want everyone to want us to get married, and if we give off the impression that we'll settle for just calling ourselves "married," then conservative bigots are going to sneer at us, saying, "Well, those gays can just pretend to be married. That's good enough for them."

I'm not saying every same-sex couple who calls themselves "married" when they're legally not is settling for just using the term, but it certainly could give off that impression. We need to keep fighting for our rights, not just pretending that we're "married."

365 article

Charlize Theron Again Exclaims Her Pro-Gay Marriage Stance

I've always liked Charlize Theron. I won't say that I love her because I don't think about her nearly as much as say Beyonce or Rachel McAdams, but I have always seen Charlize in movies and thought, "Now there is a good actress."

Again, Ms. Theron makes me smile when she appeared on the View recently. When asked about her relationship with her bf and whether they will tie the knot after 8 years of dating, Charlize replied without missing a beat that she will not get married because the whole institution "feels very one-sided," and she is waiting until marriage rights are all equal. She went on to mention that she has many gay and lesbian friends who would love to get married, and she wouldn't be able to sleep at night if she got married when they couldn't.

Yay for Charlize and her continued publicity for gay rights!

Check out the interview below.

"That's So Gay!" Is It Okay for a Gay to Say?

I had to throw all those rhymes in there, sorry.

Anywho, I read this article about some gay comedian I've never heard of who left the realm of the PC (surprise, surprise--he is a comedian, after all) and made a bunch of gay jokes about the lottery and other various topics. The writer of the article, among other things, addressed the concept of gay people possibly making too much fun of the gay community. I don't think this is true, especially for comedians.

I am ALL for globalization of PC, but let's get real--if we can't make fun of who we are, what fun are we? I don't get mad or offended when I hear some black guy--forgive me--African-American call another African-American a "nigga," implying the use of a very derogatory word, even in casual converation. I don't like the word, but I don't mind hearing it coming from a person of the ethnicity it is historically associated with. It would be completely different if I heard any other ethnicity shouting out that word at anyone, African-American or not, even in a positive connotation. It's not right for them to use it.

The same goes for the words "gay (as in stupid or silly or whatever)" or "faggot." I particularly don't like the word "faggot" and personally only to use it in a derogatory manner (only to describe myself when I'm angry with something I've done), but if I hear a LGBT person using the word for another LGBT person, especially in casual conversation, it's not such a bad thing to me.

This may sound childish, but "stupid" or "idiot" are technically just as offensive as "nigga" or "fag." They are all just words; it all depends on how you use them. Each person is entitled to his/her own opinion and use of those words. If you don't like hearing it, hang out with different people and move on with your life.

I think comedians especially should be allowed to use these kinds of words. It makes making fun of people funnier because of the stigma that comes with the words. Same rules apply: only African-Americans can say "nigga;" only gays can say "fag."

Moral: Wanda Sykes is set to make fun of whomever she so desires.


Pink News Article

You Know You're Fabulous When...

You can create a comedy act of Larry King Live, because that's what Kathy Griffin did.

In promotion of her new book, A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, Kathy jumped onto Larry's show and made at least 20 minutes worth of jokes with the LK himself, talking about various subjects from plastic surgery, Oprah, to even Jesus and Michael Jackson.

Only Kathy Griffin could pull it off, and that's why I love her (she loves the gays too). I can't wait to read her book; it's gonna be great.

Larry King Youtube clips Towleroad.com

Good News for Gays Against DOMA

Democratic rep. Jerrold Nadler is set to introduce a bill to repeal the DOMA, and he's doing it next week! The proposed bill, which already has 50 cosponsors but has not been introduced to other house members yet, would repeal the entire Defense of Marriage Act, including section 2, which lets states disregard same sex marriage, and section 3, which does the same for the country as a whole.

I really hope this bill gets somewhere. The kind of impact this would have on our lives is practically unimaginable. What a HUGE leap forward it would be!

Ellen on Idol

In case you haven't already heard, it was announced yesterday that the lovely and talented Ellen Degeneres will be replacing Paula Abdul on American in the coming season. What wonderful news! I love Ellen so much; they couldn't have picked a better person for the job.


Critics of the decision look to Ellen's lack of musical experience, saying that the role should be filled by a musician or someone with strong musical background. They think that Ellen was brought on as a comedic role, and I don't disagree with them.

Of course she was brought on as a comedic role; Ellen is comedic person. She makes everything funny and laughable and enjoyable for audience members. While she may not have musical experience under her belt, she can view each contestant from one of the most important perspectives of all; an audience member. She's been watching Idol since it first aired in '02 from the tube in her room, so she's developed just as good of an opinion on she'd want to buy on iTunes as any other person could.

Good choice in my opinion. Go Ellen...and now, go Idol!

Gay Budapest Pride March a "Media" Success

More than 2,000 people showed up to participate in the Gay Pride Parade in Budapest this weekend. HOORAY!!! What an awesome success for the city to have such a successful event.

The event, marked in years passed with violence and gay-bashing, was 100% violence free this year, thanks to the security detail. There were reports of some guards being attacked for their protection of the march, but nothing serious happened and several people were arrested for their bigoted attacks. The march went off without a hitch.

The only downside to the security detail was that, while there were no haters and rock-throwers at the event, there were also no supporters either. All guards kept anyone not participating in the march at least one block away from the event, including the people who love the gays. It would've been nice to see some support from the community, especially since I'm sure there was a lot.

The event instead became mostly a media frenzy. Many reporters came out and interviewed, took pictures, and made video reports, which is certainly a good thing. Obviously it worked because here I am, a local in Knoxville, TN, talking with you about what happened.

Maybe next year, less potential violent people will enable more spectators to support their local LGBT friends in the parade.

Advocate article

Gross AIDS PSA Doesn't Do Much Good

A German HIV prevention organization recently created this ad to help encourage people to practice safer sex to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

I do NOT like this video for several reasons. First, it's just plain gross and scary. Sex with Hitler? Yuck! Second, as many HIV/AIDS prevention charities are also pointing, it stigmatizes the idea of people who have HIV and AIDS into seeming like they're evil or something. Yes, AIDS is a killer, but the people who have the virus aren't out there trying to infect others. 3 out of 4 people often don't know they have the virus to begin with. This ad would also make those people less eager to get tested and find out if they have it for fear of the social stigma created by the same advert.

All around, this ad just ain't a good idea. German fail.

PinkNews article

Whoopi Speak to Budapest

Budapest recently held a gay pride parade. In years passed, the event has been marked by violence, but this year there was a guard troop stationed in the city specifically for protecting the parade.

In lieu of the parade and its shaky past, Whoopi Goldberg released this moving video to the people of Budapest to reassure them and congratulate them on what they're accomplishing. She also delivers a very powerful message that would benefit many people hearing it.

Gay Marriage is a 'Defense of Marriage Act'

Rachel Maddow is god with boobs. For sure.

In this most recent video posting I found of her, she lists off some marriage/divorce statistics from Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriages. According to the stats, the divorce rates have gone from 2.8 divorces per thousand marriages before gay marriages were legalized to 2.0 dpm's. This rate is currently the lowest divorce rate in the country.

How exciting is that?!?!?! Gay people can get married for love and stay together. Who'd a thunk it?