HIV denialist Christine Maggiore, 52 died on
the Dec. 27th. Maggiore was a
Italian-American woman who founded Alive &
Well AIDS Alternatives, a nonprofit group
that questions whether or not HIV causes
AIDS.
For years, the research that showed SSRI
antidepressants (selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors) were dangerous and
practically useless was kept hidden.
Over the past 30-odd years, there have been
numerous initiatives launched to address the
massive health care snowball that's been
careening down the mountain, crushing
primarily children and the poor under its
weight. What's different now is that
everyone else is being flattened.
Rosie O'Donnell has offered a steady stream
of juicy tidbits for the gossip press through her personal
blog over the last few years but now it seems to be coming
to an end
Fox allowed at least one racist message
directed toward President-elect Obama to be broadcast. The
message referenced Rush Limbaugh’s “Barack the Magic Negro”
song:
Collectively punishing the mothers and children of Gaza does
not just violate international law, it does not just kill
the people of Gaza, it kills any chance of a future peace.
So here we are, in a dangerous escalatory cycle that is
already sweeping the region, with scores of Palestinian
dead, horrific images, a highly-charged blame-game and no
obvious exit-strategy.
As the global economy sinks,
more of the spontaneous, senseless violence will be acted
out upon categories that are (to the perpetrators)
convenient categories for their personal frustration and
aggression. We’re staring at a perfect storm, a bloodbath
that will especially hit transwomen of color.
An intense discussion is being played out over the film
Milk and whether or not it offers a sanitized version
of Harvey Milk’s life and gay movement history.
I was probably sleeping at 1:20 a.m. on June, 28, 1969, when
police raided the Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village,
setting off several days and nights of riots now credited
with launching the modern gay rights movement.
First the U.S. Army was allowing more people with felony
convictions "moral waivers" to join the ranks, now the
Army is allowing more significantly overweight people to
join.
On Dec. 18, 2008, 66
nations signed the UN Statement that
affirms human rights for all, regardless of sexual
orientation or gender identity, and demands
decriminalization of sexual minorities. Theocracies,
dictatorships and the US refused to sign.
Listening to the confession clips
of Dan White and ravings of Sally Kern of Oklahoma and her
other Kern Krew members, they have a single uniting fear:
fear of change, be it social, legal, environmental, or
scientific. Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: The
Rise of Christian Nationalism, has written, "Modernity is
the enemy of fundamentalist religion and gender-bending is
the hallmark of modernity."
Whew. From California to Connecticut,
from Lawrence King to Katherine Patrick, from Mitt Romney’s
downfall to Del Martin’s death, it’s been a roller coaster
ride of a year for LGBT people near and far. Here’s our
annual round-up of the year’s more memorable moments.
As 2008 stumbles to the finish line like the last member of
"The Wild Bunch" to eat the dirt, it's time to pause and
reflect on the
past 12 months. Yet, how to do so without using George
Carlin's famous "Seven Words" a thousand times in five
minutes? There's only one course to take. It's time for the
"2008 'WTF?' Awards!
To my fellow LGBT friends and our straight allies, to those
who raised money and gave money. To those of us who have
dedicated time and energy to the visibility of the second
class citizenship of gay and lesbian Americans -- Let's use
the Rick Warren choice as an opportunity to be impatient. I
for one plan to be impatient constructively.
Sexism is the ‘gateway ‘ism”, that makes all other ‘isms’
possible. It precedes all other forms of discrimination,
setting the example that there are some people that view
others as inferior and they use brutality upon them.
Against the backdrop of Proposition 8 passing in California
and Rick Warren's presence at Obama's inauguration, opposing
same-sex marriage has become just the latest and greatest
misplaced moral fight.
Bush's effort to shore up his legacy suffered another blow today with
claims by senior aides that Bush was in control of his administration all
along. White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and national security
advisor Stephen Hadley said the notion that Bush was kept out of the loop on
important matters was "hooey" and "bunk," thus destroying any of the
president's efforts to blame the last eight years on Rove or Cheney.
The aides painted a picture of Bush being briefed every morning at 7 AM on
all pressing matters, including specifics about Iraq war casualties and
major foreign policy strategies. The two aides appeared sympathetic to Bush,
making it unclear why they strove to blame the Bush administration on him.
They must be aware that Bush's best shot at being remembered fondly is if
most people assume he had nothing to do with the decisions made during his
presidency.
So why would Bolton and Hadley, two longtime Bush loyalists, try to assert
that Bush was involved in the decisions that led to the Iraq invasion, Abu
Ghraib, the drowning of New Orleans after Katrina, and the current economic
crisis threatening to destroy our nation's economy? Are they protecting
Cheney? Rove? Or is there a more shadowy figure who exists even deeper
behind the scenes, so deep that not even Bush or his senior aides know that
he's been playing them all along?
Whatever the reason, it is expected that Bush will respond soon, denying
that he had any say whatsoever in the events that took place during his
presidency, and voicing the hope that history will remember him as nothing
but a guy who just did what they told him to do.
To
gain a
true
sense
of
Bush's
legacy,
we
survey
the
systematic
and
politically
motivated
ways
he
undermined
the
federal
government,
tracing
how
each
strategy
was
pursued
in
different
agencies
and
departments.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas says it has
filed a lawsuit to strike down a new law banning unmarried
couples from becoming foster or adoptive parents. Read
more Arkansas LGBT news.
Last year a lesbian couple sued after a church group in
Ocean Grove, New Jersey refused to let them hold their
wedding at a beach pavilion that they had regularly been
renting to the public. Read more
New Jersey LGBT news.
Bush signed into law the Worker, Retiree and Employer
Recovery Act of 2008 (WRERA), requiring employers to allow
employees to roll their retirement plans over to non-spouse
partners.
Lambda Legal has won a ruling requiring Louisiana officials
to issue a new birth certificate for a Louisiana-born child
who was adopted by a gay male couple now living in San
Diego. Read more
Louisiana LGBT news.
The
platform
on
which
Bush
entered
the
presidency
eight
years
ago
comes
from a
lost
world,
in
which
even
the
party
out of
power
saw an
America
of
unthreatened
prosperity
and
security.
Portland:
about
40
people
-
including
the
mother
and
partner
of Sam
Adams
were
on
hand
as the
first
openly
gay
mayor
of a
major
U.S.
city
was
officially
sworn
in.
After
recounting
2.4
million
ballots
cast
in the
state’s
Senatorial
election,
Minnesota
officials
are
ready
to
name
Al
Franken
the
winner
by a
mere
225
votes.
Lesbian
Grandmothers From Mars!
Bush's effort to shore up his legacy suffered another blow today with
