Helen Boyd Kramer's journal on gender and stuff
Red Hot is the organization that raises funds for HIV/AIDS, and has been doing so for a long while – Red Hot + Blue was the first of the compilation CDs & celebrated the songs of Cole Porter. This week, the 2nd Brazilian-inspirted Red Hot CD is out. The first one, Red Hot + Rio
This new one, Red Hot + Rio 2
Here’s a list of the best Tropicalia albums, but do get Red Hot + Rio 2
(& Yes, I know I’m a day late. Monday holidays screw me up.)
What an amazing story: a Brazilian volleyball player was heckled with the chant “faggot” during an uber-important match and was shaken by the incident. He came out – acknowledging that he was gay, & that everyone knew it – and the rest of him team showed support by wearing pink shirts, rainbow shirts, and unfurling a huge banner that said “Volleyball against prejudice” and fans brought thundersticks that had the player’s name on them.
Here, we pretend this is all about Kobe Bryant – as if no one else in sports uses these kinds of slurs! Please.: the whole “I didn’t mean gay people when I used ‘fag’ as an insult” is so 1994. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to use words that have been used to oppress, intimidate and threaten people of whatever minority group anymore.
(h/to to SS!)
A 22 year old woman named Priscila was murdered execution style in Brazil. Too many LGBT people in Brazil – particularly trans people – are killed. A local group, All Out, is seeking a hate crimes law to help prevent these murders, and have an online petition you can sign.
I didn’t embed the video here because it’s too triggery for too many of us who have lost people to transphobic violence. Do watch, because it’s important – and a lovely chance to see this young woman alive and optimistic about her life – but I thought people needed to ready to watch.
