Last week I was out walking around the Back Bay-South End area of Boston and I passed one of my favorite people watching venues, the First Church of Christ, Scientist. The architecture and layout of the complex is amazing. The mother church is the large domed structure in the distance. Designed in the 1960s by the firm of renowned architect I.M. Pei, the 14-acre Christian Science Plaza along Huntington Ave houses the offices of the Christian Science Monitor and includes a reflecting pool and fountain that make it one of Boston's most visually recognizable sites and a popular tourist attraction. The elevated reflection pool makes the surrounding edifices appear floating in this sea of architectural tranquility. This reflecting pool is truly an engineering marvel. More under the rainbow...
Congratulations California and welcome to the club! And heartfelt congratulations to all of the happy newlyweds, including our own Killer of Sacred Cows! And special thanks to all those whose hard work and dedication are responsible for making this day finally arrive. Ellen and Portia also announced their plans for a autumn wedding!
Here is a blast from the past, from the tumultuous coming out Episode all those years ago! Well done Ms. but soon to be Mrs. Degeneres!!!! Did you have that extra set of lesbian keys made up yet for Portia?
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Welcome to the second installment of WGLB TV "Leers and Sneers Friday", a weekly news and video magazine presented here at Daily Kos expressly for the GLBT community, and it's family, friends and allies. Our goal is to provide the Daily Kos readership broader exposure to GLBT news, history, events, personalities and perspectives in a light-hearted and snarky environment that will hopefully make all visitors feel welcome and comfortable gabbing about anything and everything gay.
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In one of the more popular sketches on his Comedy Central show, Dave Chappelle played a blind, white supremacist named Clayton Bigsby, who is a member of the KKK, but he doesn't know he is black because no one ever told him. Bigsby states how much he hates blacks, attends white power rallies and yells out the N-word right along with the other sheet-wearing members of the KKK.
The absurd premise of this skit in some ways parallels the controversial outing of gay homophobes, only adding to the absurdity is the fact that the homophobes know they're gay yet continue to bash all the same. If a closeted gay person is publicly attacking gay people's right to fully embrace life, through their words or actions, should the gay community remain silent on their hypocrisy? Some well intentioned bloggers here at DailyKos, on hearing news of virulently homophobic republicans and evangelicals being caught with their pants down, have continued to oppose the practice of outing under any circumstance.
Let me state up-front and apart from this present discussion, I very much oppose the outing of anyone simply because they are a public figure. A handful of very sleazy, gay "journalists" have made careers out of outing public figures and personalities for simply choosing to remain closeted. I think most reasonable people agree on this issue. That aside, there are at least two opinions to this ongoing argument even within the gay community.
First is the opinion I espouse: that any closeted politician, clergyman or public figure of any stripe who actively trumpets the homophobic credo and/or works to keep the gay community closeted and with fewer rights than those afforded straight people, should forfeit his right to privacy and be outed if and when evidence of their active homosexuality is exposed.
On the other hand, there are those think that this is sinking to their level. Outing someone like Reverend Haggard is walking a fine line since it is using one's sexual orientation as a weapon. I blogged about this at MyLeftWing.com a year ago and our liberal vanguard who gather there had roughly 25% of their straight responders opposed to outing in any form. Interestingly, all the gay respondents were in favor of it. (albeit a very small sampling size for that poll.)
While the desire to claim the moral high ground on this issue is a valid perspective, I'm not sure this moral high ground actually does the self-loathing, closet dwellers any favors. When the closeted person has a family whose lives will be impacted by their outing, of course this must also be taken into consideration. But can living with and helping maintain this false reality be a positive for anyone involved? The short term consequences of being outed might be messy, painful and scary, but long term I think everyone involved is better off, and certainly the gay community's hand is strengthened every time this hypocrisy is exposed.
As someone who was outed 20+ years ago to my future colleagues, I can state first hand that the angst of being in and maintaining those closet doors greatly exceeded any negative consequences from being out or outed. I'll admit that I was one of the very lucky ones who was forced out in a tolerant, well educated community (MIT in Cambridge and HMS in Boston). In fact, the outing was very liberating and gave me the courage to come out to family and friends.
I will fight for your right to remain in the closet, if that is your choice, for whatever reason. But while you are in there, do not throw roadblocks in our way as we fight to make the world a less hostile place for you and others to come out to, when or if you ever choose to take that first step.
If you are extremely lucky, like Katherine Patrick, daughter of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, you come out to a warm, supportive reception by your parents and friends. Governor Patrick and his daughter went public with her sexual orientation in the weekly Boston newspaper Bay Windows, which is published for the gay community. In the interview, the governor said he is proud of his daughter.
"I'll always remember the first thing my dad did," Katherine told Bay Windows, "wrapped me in a bear hug and said, 'Well, we love you no matter what.'"
Unfortunately, most kids don't have it that lucky.
(If you know someone who is having difficulty accepting their children's sexual orientation on religious grounds, please suggest they view the film Anyone and Everyone. It is also being shown on progressive PBS channels throughout the country during Pride month and beyond.)
Then, unfortunately, there is the other end of the spectrum where kids coming out find themselves sent to "ex-gay" programs like Exodus, where many minors are sent for brainwashing and aversion therapy. This is a mainstream religious version of cult indoctrination.
And they have the nerve to call themselves Christians... This video seemed appropriate inserted here.
And lastly you have those truly masochistic individuals, who when forced out of their closets through their own hypocrisy, choose to chase that elusive homosexual "cure" of their own volition. In January of 2007, Reverend Ted Haggard voluntarily agreed to enter a process of "spiritual restoration".
Late Monday, Brady Boyd, the pastor at New Life Church, sent a letter to parishioners updating them on Haggard. New Life said that "the process of restoring Ted Haggard is incomplete and (New Life) maintains its original stance that he should not return to vocational ministry."
Haggard and his family moved to Phoenix last year. Let's hope the family is coming to terms with some reality-based perspective on sexual orientation issues rather than burrowing further into the intolerant dogma lined closet he was yanked out of.
Barney, would you care to interject something here?
(Bill Maher, who is usually both funny and articulate, comes across looking really lame in that clip.)
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Which brings us to interestingly both this week's "Biggest Dick on the Planet Award" AND this week's horticultural segment. The titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum (from Ancient Greek amorphos, "without form, misshapen" + phallos, "penis", and titan, "giant") is among the largest flowering plants in the world. Due to its fragrance, which is reminiscent of the smell of a rotting flesh, the titan arum is also known as the "Carrion Flower" and the "Corpse Flower".
And now I give you this week's giant misshapen penis-
Just this week, a group of Republican senators re-introduced the Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, which, as we know, would ban gay marriage. This isn't especially surprising. Republicans are looking at the political landscape, and they're feeling awfully discouraged. The polls look bad, the base looks depressed, and fundraising looks iffy. Rallying the far-right troops with an anti-gay amendment to the Constitution -- even though it has no chance at even getting so much as a hearing -- might be helpful to the conservative movement. But the funny part is looking over the list of the 10 original sponsors. Most of the names are predictable -- Brownback and Inhofe, for example -- but there are two others whose names stand out: Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho).
Instead of thanking everyone for "coming out" today, maybe you should follow their example you hypocrite! Senator Craig has a 100% pro-"family" voting record, (as defined by the Christian Coalition) and also has a 0% rating in Human Rights Campaign's 2006 Congressional Scorecard. Three Big Sneers for U.S. Senator Larry Craig, who apparently put the 'ho' in Idaho!?! (Is da ho from Idaho?)(Sorry, couldn't help myself with that one!) Senator Craig has agreed to resign from the senate, then decided to serve out his term, then decided to fight the charges in MN, a challenge he has since lost. Still hiding behind that 'wife and kid' fort you built Senator? Come out, come out, where ever you are, or shut your hateful piehole you obnoxious prick!
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This weeks nature segment is dedicated to Katherine Patrick and all the beautiful souls who are finding the courage to emerge from their cocoons and chrysalises this Pride season. May you find joy and fulfillment in the journey you are beginning with these brave first steps. And as you take wing, reach for the moon and the stars but remember to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground.
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In GLBT Sporting News this week, we report on an ongoing controversy from Seattle's Safeco Field, where I guess the song "Take me Out to the Ball Game" doesn't apply to lesbian couples. An usher apparently took issue with a public display of affection (kiss) shared between Ms. Sirbrina Guerrero and her girlfriend. They were approached in the third inning by an usher who told them their kissing was "inappropriate". Guerrero and her friend stopped, but then proceeded to photograph straight couples pecking away in the stands without any hassle.
After the story broke, the Mariners were blasted by the sex-advice columnist Dan Savage, who wrote about the incident on the blog of the Stranger, an alternative weekly paper. "They go out of their way to say it's a quote-unquote family setting," Savage said. "As a gay season-ticket holder, we've never been quite sure what that means exactly. I constantly see people making out. My son has noticed and asked, 'Do they show the ballgame on women's foreheads?'" Savage called for a "kiss-in" to protest against the Mariners.
We'll bring you a follow-up report when/if the kiss-in takes place...
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This week's Rainbow Recipe comes from bigoven.com
Rainbow Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
4 sm (to med.) Bell peppers;
1.5 c cooked rice
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/8 c chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c diced red onions
1 ts garlic powder
1 cn (16-oz.) refried beans
1/4 ts chili powder
1 cn (8.5-oz.) whole kernel corn
1/4 ts ground cumin
3/4 c green tomatillo
Salt, to taste
Cut bell peppers in half from top of stem to bottom; discard seeds and membranes. In large pot of boiling water, blanch peppers for 3 minutes; invert to drain. In medium skillet, brown turkey with onions. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until mixture is hot and bubbly. Place peppers in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish; stuff peppers with bean mixture. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with salsa. (serves 4-6)
(I'd throw in a handful of raisins to give it a bit of a Cuban twist.)
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An Inconspicuous Outing:
There once was a postdoc from SUNY, whose closet door didn't quite suit he. His boss was quite wise as he hit "Paradise" but his gesture of kindness eludes me.
The year was 1987. The place was Cambridge, Massachusetts. I had just finished my dissertation at SUNY Albany and was interviewing at MIT for a postdoctoral position... -to be continued
Newsflash: Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is outed by author J. K. Rowling.
2,000 lucky fans had the opportunity to interact with JK Rowling this evening at Carnegie Hall. The reading was rather eventful, as Jo revealed a lot of new information previously unknown about the series. The most notable news of the night was the revelation of Dumbledore's sexuality. Jo says Dumbledore was gay and in love with Gellert Grindelwald. JK, in response to the audience's reaction, said "If I had known this would have made you so happy, I would have told you years ago."
For those of you out of the loop and/or offended by the Hogwarts clip, that is Matt Lucas and David Walliams of the BBC's outragious comedy show Little Britain doing the singing. The recurring character Daffyd plays "The Only Gay in the Village". These two do more really bad drag each show than Monty Python's Flying Circus ever did.
Newsflash: Diabolical Baby Genius Stewie outed by creator Seth McFarlane, sort of.
The Advocate cornered Seth MacFarlane, the multi-talented creator of venerable envelope-nudging Fox animated hit The Family Guy, for an off-the-velvet-cuff conversation about how homosexuality figures into his own brand of flashback-reliant comedy. Despite an affection for musical numbers that would suggest otherwise, MacFarlane is straight. Still, he's had the opportunity to explore his same-sex-loving side through his voicing of Family favorite Stewie, who's evolved in recent seasons from a nefarious infant hellbent on world domination, into perhaps the only TV diaper-pooper grappling with his own sexual identity. Some highlights from the highly entertaining exchange follow, including a graphic proposition for frequently outraged Family-monitors, The Parents Television Council:
The Advocate: The Parents Television Council voted the episode, along with many others, "Worst TV Show of the Week." Do you appreciate that honor?
Seth MacFarlane: Oh, yeah. That's like getting hate mail from Hitler. They're literally terrible human beings. I've read their newsletter, I've visited their website, and they're just rotten to the core. For an organization that prides itself on Christian values—I mean, I'm an atheist, so what do I know?—they spend their entire day hating people. They can all suck my dick as far as I'm concerned.
Which character do gay fans respond to the most?
Generally they respond to Stewie, because he's arguably the most complex character. He originally began as this diabolical villain, but then we delved into the idea of his confused sexuality. We all feel that Stewie is almost certainly gay, and he's in the process of figuring it out for himself. We haven't ever really locked into it because we get a lot of good jokes from both sides, but we treat him oftentimes as if we were writing a gay character.
Weekly Rant from Under the Rainbow-
"I have clearly stated my belief that gays and lesbians are our brothers and sisters and should be provided the respect, dignity, and rights of all other citizens. I have consistently spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts of our community so that we can confront issues like HIV/AIDS and broaden the reach of equal rights in this country.
I strongly believe that African Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin's views and will continue to fight for these rights as President of the United States to ensure that America is a country that spreads tolerance instead of division."
Even though Senator Obama has offered this statement, there are still those in our community who remain unhappy and disillusioned that gay/ex-gay/gay(?) Donnie McClurkin was a part of the "Embrace the Change Tour". They complain that this was offering a platform to a man who refers to homosexuality as a "curse". To these folks I say- take off your blinders and look at the big picture. Our opponents continue to heap scorn on Senator Obama for his stated willingness to meet with the enemies of America. Why then are any of us surprised at his willingness to reach out to non-traditional Democratic voting blocks for support in November, while also gently chiding them for their "Christian/Family values" which have frequently included the distinctly un-Christian values of homophobia and hate? It is the GOP who regularly injects this venom into any discussion of gay rights, not the real Christians. The "Family Values" Televangelists like Falwell and Robertson were among the first to get in bed with the GOP and are nothing more than snake oil salesmen peddling their brand of hateful and judgemental Jesus to the masses while looking to gain influence and make a few quick bucks... AND finally, did you hear Senator Obama speak those all important words "You don't poll whether people get treated equally"? This is the strategy we employed in Massachusetts to deliver the knockout blow in our battle for marriage equality. This was the argument we put forth to win over the necessary legislative votes to keep the anti-gay amendment off the ballot! You don't vote on people's rights!!! Well said Mr. President err I mean Senator! Very well Said!! We'll sit down in the oval office and discuss separate but equal after the inauguration.
And on the other side of this coin we have-
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Let's wrap up this week's edition back in Boston's Back Bay and the First Church of Christ, Scientist's reflection pool. World renowned architect I.M. Pei and his firm introduced state of the art technology to insure that the pool's marble edges were exactly level, employing MIT scientists and laser beams during its construction. On that fateful day when the pool's construction was finally completed and water pumped in, the architects were dismayed to find water steadily lapping over the marble barrier at the pool's midsection, suggesting that the laser technology had somehow failed.
Well after weeks of analysis, those MIT scientists came to the conclusion that their technology had worked exactly as intended, creating a straight, level marble barrier surrounding the giant pool. What the architects failed to consider was that, amazingly, at that size, the curvature of the earth results in the ends of the pool being slightly higher than the pool's mid-section. -The take home lesson here being that no matter how straight you think you're constructing your church or your family or your lifestyle, sometimes life throws you a curve, so learn to go with the flow! Vive la différence!
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How about an encore montage from the "Puppy Episode" of Ellen?
(his own ≠ my own? from Gloria's confused, "born again" phase no doubt.)
For those who don't remember, the show was allowed to end unceremoniously and with a whimper thanks to pressure applied by the Falwells, Robertsons and their ilk. May those two, and all their virulent disciples, soon be sharing the sauna in Hotel Hades, way down south of the border! BREAKING! Jessie Helms has just checked in at Hotel Hades South, representing "their ilk".
...after the initial coming out frenzy the show's ratings declined somewhat and ABC began feeling the pain of an organized backlash from religious conservative groups regarding the "gay content" being exhibited. While the final episodes of Ellen were also widely criticized for focusing too much on gay issues -- a criticism begun in anti-gay circles but which spread to the mainstream media.
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....This week's morning music selection to help close us out comes from E. G. Daily and is dedicated to Senator Larry Craig. BiPM will be back with C&J later this evening, and as always, bright and early monday AM. See y'all there. Cheers and thanks for stopping by!