Category: news

News

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Milwaukee

I’m heart-broken to hear this news. Milwaukee, for the record, is a very cool little city, & the county is progressive. My heart is with the county’s residents, many of whom are no doubt horrified by this expression of hate in their community, but especially with the loved ones of those murdered, including the police officer’s family, and all of the people who will live in more fear because of this shooting.

And honestly? White people need fucking mental help in this country. Don’t tell me it’s not all white people. Of course it isn’t. But the consistency of race of the people who commit these horrible acts of slaughter – of innocents – is becoming pretty apparent. (My favorite website for good anti-racist ideas is Abagond. Go check it out.)

Oak Creek is a city near Milwaukee, by the way, & part of the same county (Milwaukee County), but is considered part of the the larger metropolitan Milwaukee area.

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Scout’s Dishonor

I was interviewed for a local newspaper article about the Boy Scouts of America decision to keep the ban on gays in place.


Lawrence University professor Helen Boyd, author of two books about her relationship with a transgender partner, said the situation with the Boy Scouts is an example of “people trying to hold on to traditions that are unequal and unfair.”

She thinks the group eventually will overturn its policy, but said it would take some time.

“Policies like this are exactly the kind of things that young kids pay attention to,” said Boyd, who worries the Boy Scouts policy may lead gay youth to believe there’s something wrong with who they are.

In how many years are we going to look back & think, “what exactly was the problem?”

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Orlando Arrests People Feeding the Hungry

It’s not an Onion headline; it’s the despicable results of a city ordinance in Orlando that makes it illegal to deliver or serve food in such a way that will attract 25 people or more within an area of Orlando within 2 miles of City Hall – without a permit.

But the organization Food Not Bombs has been feeding people in these areas years before this ordinance was passed in 2006, and has applied for, and been rejected for, a permit.

The arrests of people attempting to serve food as they have in the past have been primarily members of the group Food Not Bombs, who have been sharing food in these areas since 2005.

 

What the hell is this country coming to when volunteers, on their own dime, want to feed hungry people and are arrested for it?

Here’s a list of Orlando officials to contact about these heartless arrests. Whatever happened to the right to free assembly? Does it say anything about the Constitution about people not being allowed to assemble if there is food involved?

Honestly, my mind is blown by this news. We have got our heads up our asses in this country in ways that make me ashamed.

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Institute of Medicine Recommends Studying LGBT Health Needs

& That’s not an April Fool’s joke! Honestly, you’d expect it would be, but it’s not: the IOM released a report that in order to address LGBT health disparities, LGBT health issues need to be studied further.

Seems nutty, right, to find out what people need in order to provide it.

Tammy Baldwin will be introducing an Act (the Ending LGBT Health Disparities Act) based on the IOM’s findings.

Continue reading “Institute of Medicine Recommends Studying LGBT Health Needs”

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ENDA Returns

As if my days aren’t heady enough living in Wisconsin, it turns out that ENDA is about to be introduced in DC. It’s not expected to pass, however.

But the general consensus among Capitol Hill observers is that passage of any pro-LGBT legislation, including ENDA, will be a significant challenge for at least two years with Republicans in control of the U.S. House. Last year, Frank told the Blade there would be “zero chance” for the passage of any legislation that would directly benefit the LGBT community.

Still, Frank said introduction of the legislation is important to educate the public and members of Congress, especially on the transgender protections included in the bill.

“It’s important to introduce it to give people a chance to lobby their members on it,” Frank said. “Having a bill there encourages people to lobby their members. Particularly, we need people to do more lobbying and educating on the transgender issue, and so having a bill there is a very important part of getting the votes ultimately to be able to pass it.”

(boldface mine)

Honestly, I never expected Rep. Frank to be behind a version that included trans protections; like many (but not all) gay men of his age, he really didn’t seem to get the trans thing at all. (I have no doubt that Diego Sanchez has been educating him from the elbow these past couple of years, either.)

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#2

What is there I could possibly say about Japan? There are reports of a 2nd tsunami now, and I can’t even get my head around some of the footage of the 1st. Those poor people.

Love to them, & to all of those all over the world who can’t yet even get a hold of their loved ones there.

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Can You Believe These Guys?

The Republican Senators of Wisconsin pulled an unprecedented and undeniably shitty move tonight:


In a surprise move late Wednesday, Senate Republicans used a series of parliamentary maneuvers to overcome a three-week stalemate with Democrats and pass an amended version of the governor’s controversial budget repair bill.

With a crowd of protesters chanting outside their chambers, Senators approved Gov. Scott Walker’s bill, which would strip most collective bargaining rights from public employees. The new bill removes fiscal elements of the proposal but still curbs collective bargaining and increases employee payments in pension and health benefits. The changes would amount to an approximate 8 percent pay cut for public workers.

We’ll be in Madison on Saturday, no doubt.

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Admirer in the News

Why does anyone care who this Congressman is having sex with?

I am forever at a loss as to why on earth I should care what anyone does sexually. It’s one thing if it’s illegal, but otherwise, really? Grownups worrying about what other consenting adults do with their bodies? Is that any of my business or anyone else’s? If it effects his job in some way – as in he’s too busy dealing with his sex life to do this work – then, maybe. But there’s no evidence of that.

That said, King voted *against* the repeal of DADT so he can suck eggs. I really don’t like hypocrites with power. However: liking trans women as dates/spouses is not kinky, perverted, or weird. It just is. Anyway, I think it’s lovely that he admires and prefers to date trans women.

Next?

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Go Wisconsin!

I’m wearing red today in support of Wisconsin’s public school teachers, specifically, but also in support of its many other public employees. You know, those pesky firemen and paramedics, the diversity coordinators, the mayor’s support staff, the everybody that keeps civic society going.

Our new governor is a tight-minded, tight-fisted and logicially-challenged egomaniac who has decided that he will not negotiate with the unions of WI, that he wants the right to alter the state’s healthcare plan, also without negotiation. Sadly, he ran on a platform of being this much of a jerk and he won.

So we could use your support.

Ron Johnson & Herb Kohl are our Senators. (That has to be the saddest sentence in the world, since one of those names should be Russ Feingold’s.) Contact them & tell them you’re in support of the public employees of Wisconsin.

If we don’t win this one, you can count on this bullshit’s coming to your state.