Lez Keep It Real

I just love how some people in our government, you know the ones who “make the rules that govern our society,” act as though they live holy and just lives, abide by every rule (written or otherwise) in the good book and speak out on the sanctity of marriage … only to be exposed, in some way, shape or form - for the hypocrite that they truly are.

Case in point:

Voted To Ban Gay Marriage Christian Conservative GOP Senator Linked To DC Madam

(Washington) Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), whose telephone number was disclosed by the so-called “D.C. Madam” accused of running a prostitution ring, says he is sorry for a “serious sin” and that he has already made peace with his wife.

“This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,” Vitter said Monday in a printed statement. “Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there - with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.”

Vitter’s spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement Monday evening in an e-mail to The Associated Press after a statement purported to be from Vitter was received by to the AP bureau in New Orleans.

It said his telephone number was on old phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates before he ran for the Senate.

Deborah Jeane Palfrey is accused by federal prosecutors of racketeering by running a prostitution ring that netted more than $2 million over 13 years, beginning in 1993. She contends that her escort service, Pamela Martin and Associates, was a legitimate business.

A Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar, the 46-year-old Vitter was elected to his current office in 2004, becoming the first Republican from Louisiana elected to the Senate since Reconstruction. He represented Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District in the House from 1999 to 2004. ~ Gay365.com

READ MORE

Why is it that these so-called purest and defenders of marriage always turn out to be the worst offenders when it comes to adultery, porn and other sexual escapades. Yet, somehow, they continue to speak out against a union that they see as below their marital standards. Are you kidding me?? I mean seriously, how do people like this sleep at night?

Of course, the fact that he has reconciled with God makes it alright. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve reconciled with God along time ago. We’re buds. We talk occasionally and he’s perfectly content, as am I, with the fact that I’m gay. I mean, he created me after all. So, since the big guy upstairs and I are cool, shouldn’t that count for something? I mean, if this poor excuse for a government official can wipe his slate clean simply by stating that he apologized for his actions and God has forgiven him, can’t we all?

These kinds of stories only prove the case, time and time again, that it’s not the “sanctity of marriage” the Christian right and other extremists are defending. What they end up defending are the countless mistakes, lies and closet skeletons that find there way into the public eye. They say, “Oh, that was before I found God.” Then, a few years down the road, after another extramarital affair, they say, “Oh, that’s because I strayed from God.”

Here’s a suggestion … make your peace with God in any way you need to. Don’t sit there and act like your actions are excusable, or use the name of God to excuse them. And don’t say that gay marriage would ruin an institution that straight people are constantly defaming on a regular basis. More importantly, don’t pin your sins up against my so-called sins and say one is worse than the other. I’ve never committed adultery, pal, and just because I’m gay doesn’t mean that I’m going to either.

What this is, is an old argument that has run it’s course. And, quite frankly, I’m sick of it.

gay marriage, d.c. madam, david vitter, deborah jeane palfrey

Tempe, Arizona— Media Out Loud, LLC owners Eric Carlyle and David Riach launched the new, first-of-its-kind Gay Sports Magazine – Sports Out Loud on June 9th. The first issue features amateur athletes from Dallas in a swim suit layout. The studio shoot was conducted by celebrated photographer Sean Northcutt. “Sports Out Loud is Men’s Health meets Sports Illustrated with just a hint of The Advocate thrown in,” says Carlyle. “We hope to serve a healthy dose of sports and fun for both the gay spectator and gay athlete.”

The need is there. In the past year, a growing number of gay sporting events received national and international exposure. New York City hosted gay rugby’s premier tournament, The Bingham Cup. And in the summer, thousands of gay athletes from around the world descended upon Chicago and Montreal for the Gay Games and the World Outgames.

What was missing from these monumental events? No coverage by a leading gay sports magazine. Arizona-based Media Out Loud, LLC hopes to fill that void with its new entry into the gay publishing world.

Leading the editorial team is Echo Magazine’s (Arizona’s most widely read GLBT magazine) former assistant editor Ted Rybka. Rybka was also the former associate editor for a nationally-ranked top ten radio show whose work appeared nationwide in the Gannett Newspapers and on USA Today’s Web site. Rybka brings a master’s degree in mass media to his job and years of experience covering gay culture. But he is also an avid sportsman and athlete.

“To put it simply, I love journalism and I love sports. I feel very fortunate to be able to combine those two worlds,” said Rybka.

Rounding out the magazine’s creative team is Art Director, Phill Barber. Barber, a nationally recognized graphic artist brings his skills to his newest media—publishing.

A gay sports magazine modeled after Sports Illustrated? Where do I sign up??

gay sports, sports out loud, sports illustrated, gay athlete, gay games, world out games, media out loud

This week’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

I grew up with Degrassi. Well, not the Degrassi of today, but the older version from the 80s.

It was such a classic and ground-breaking show because it portrayed real, every day kids going through real-life problems. There weren’t all these beautiful actors or actresses playing these characters. These characters were actually played by average looking kids, making the show all the more identifiable. Story lines touched on drugs, rape, teen pregnancy, anorexia, gay and lesbian issues, divorce, etc. You name it, they covered it.

The Degrassi of today is much like the 80s version, only geared towards today’s teens. Filmed in Toronto, it leaves no stone unturned when uncovering the latest in adolescent angst. Of course, they air the un-cut version in Canada. Even today, some scenes are considered too racy for the American audience. You gotta hand it to them Canadians, never afraid to talk about the kinds of subjects that some Americans hush upon.

Regardless, it’s a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube. Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

This is Marco’s story part 1:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the second part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Notable Lesbian is:

Gertrude Stein
February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946

Gertrude Stein was an American writer and is considered to have acted as a catalyst in the development of modern art and literature. After moving to Paris in 1903 she started to write in earnest: novels, plays, stories, libretti and poems. Increasingly, she developed her own highly idiosyncratic, playful, sometimes repetitive and sometimes humorous style. Stein met her lifelong partner, Alice B. Toklas in 1907.

Interesting tid bit:
Stein spent most of her life in France. Her salon at 27 Rue de Fleurus, with walls covered by avant-garde paintings, attracted many of the great artists and writers including Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Henri Matisse, Thornton Wilder, Sherwood Anderson, and Guillaume Apollinaire. She coined the term “Lost Generation” for some of these expatriate American writers. Several of Stein’s writings have been set by composers.

“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” ~ Gertrude Stein.

If you have a suggestion for a Notable Lesbian, e-mail me at lyndsey.darcangelo@451press.net or use the contact form above and I’ll highlight her in an upcoming post.

gertrude stein, alice b. toklas, rose is a rose, avant garde, paris, lost generation

Yes, that’s right. I’m giving myself the day off from blogging, seeing as how it’s a holiday and all. I did want to stop in at the “office” to say a nice and sincere, “Happy 4th of July” to everyone. Despite our country’s wayard stance on so many issues and the perplexing decisions made day in and day out by our government, I still feel a sense of pride for the place in which I call home. 

For those of you looking for a good post, perhaps in the 451 community, I would highly suggest  dropping by Adri’s blog. He’s my fellow GLBT blogger, only a tid bit more humorously cynical. I sent him an article yesterday that knocked the wind from my sails so drastically, I couldn’t bring myself to actually sit down, contemplate and write about it. Instead, I threw it in Adri’s lap - knowing he’d have the ability to stomach what I couldn’t.  As usually, he did a fantabulous (yes, it’s a real word!) job saying exactly what I wanted to say and more. I caution you though, this particular subject isn’t for the gay faint of heart.

 Hugs, fireworks, sparklers, picnic food and red, white and blue tablecloths to you all!

There were two things I wanted to tackle with my pen today (or keyboard as the case may be) and I couldn’t decide which topic tickled my fancy more. So, I decided to comment on both.

First, CNN. I rarely check the top news media sites such as CNN or Fox unless I’m insanely bored or there’s a certain event occurring that I need to gain a little more insight about. Otherwise, I think both media outlets have gone a little awry. However! What I happened upon while perusing CNN’s website made me say, “Hey, look at this! Go CNN!”

CNN has a feature called I-Report, where they explore a certain topic or issue as a special report. The thing that made me say, “Neato!” though, was the fact that they often use the public eye as the source of information. Hence the clever name, I-Report.

The I-Report that interested me the most was the one called, “Fighting for Acceptance”

The feature focuses on the GLBT community, highlighting coming out stories, pictures and e-mails, polls, articles and video clips about gay and lesbian life. The brilliant producers of this special I-Report even break down the major issues concerning the GLBT community. which will most certainly weigh heavily in the upcoming election.

CNN –

THE ISSUES

Job discrimination:
While a growing number of companies in the United States provide benefits and protections for their LGBT employees, it is still legal in 33 states for an employer to fire employees based on their sexual orientation, according to the Human Rights Campaign, and legal in 42 states to do so based on gender identity. Several members of Congress in April introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007, the latest version of some three decades of federal legislative efforts to address the issue, none successful.

Hate crimes:
There have been more than 113,000 hate crimes since 1991, according to the F.B.I., which says that 14 percent of them were motivated by a bias against sexual orientation. The House of Representatives voted in May to add gender, sexual orientation, and disability to the categories already covered by federal hate crimes law. President George W. Bush has promised to veto.

Military service:
In the two recent CNN-sponsored debates, all eight Democratic presidential contenders indicated they wanted to change the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy so that gays and lesbians could serve openly in the military; all 10 Republican contenders said they did not.

I would just like to personally give CNN a pat on the back for doing something that most other media outlets would be afraid to touch. Could you imagine a feature like this on Fox News? I doubt it. The heads over there would rather focus on big, scary lesbian gangs and fostering the fear of homosexuality in as many middle Americans as they can. I have never, ever (and I do watch both CNN and Fox News from time to time so that I can have an unbiased view of the same news report being one station leans more liberal while the other leans more conservative) seen one single news broadcast on Fox that shows a homosexual or a homosexual organization in a positive light.

I was so impressed with CNN that I even participated in the I-Report feature by sending in a photo of my own. It’s up on their website, let me know if you find it!

For more on CNN’s I-Report, go here.

Second, Rosie O.

I admit it. I check Rosie’s blog. I find her amusing, smart, courageous, overbearing, clever, risky, and sometimes sad. The thing is that she is real. Even when she’s saying stuff that most of us would put a foot in our mouths before we ever got it out, she’s being real. Whether I agree with her or not, I admire her spirit. I wanted to share with you all a little haiku she wrote about the President’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s jail sentence.

When I found out that good, ol’ G-Dub decided to spare his comrade, I almost puked. I think that Rosie sums it up pretty well here:

PARDON ME

only commutation
of obstruction of justice sentence
by a president
ever

so basically
they can do whatever they want
blatant disregard
for everything our country is about

cheney is an evil man
baby bush a horror

armitage takes the fall
thinking it would end it all
scare the truth away
out the wife

but then fitzy showed up

holy shit
what to do about patrick
ask libby
he’ll do anything

dick says do it
i will get u out
scooter says ok
guilty

and like cheney promised
ka boom
libby is free
lil georgie said he can go

that smug smirk
privileged pampered fool
this is like a bad movie
really pathetic

THE GUYS IN CHARGE R CRIMINALS
IMPEACH CHENEY THEN BUSH
ASAP

In the words of Forest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about thaaatt.”

cnn, rosie, i-report, gay issues, scooter libby, president’s commutation, impeach cheney, forest gump, fighting for acceptance

My father loves Bill O’Reilly. Hey, we all have our flaws.

Seriously though, I don’t mind O’Reilly that much. He doesn’t affect me because I don’t watch him nor do I really care about what he has to say on a daily basis. I don’t blindly judge him either, as some people do who have never even watched his show. I have watched it before, and therefore can make an honest, balanced assessment of him. I think that sometimes he makes some good points and other times he’s talking out of his ass. To me he’s like an old I Love Lucy rerun. If absolutely nothing else is on and it’s a pretty good episode, I’ll watch it, which happens maybe once a year. Otherwise, I could care less if I miss it.

Last weekend my father was visiting and stayed with my girlfriend and I. My father and I ended up relaxing on the couch after a happy hour stint at his favorite hang out, and of course he wanted to catch O’Reilly. So, I humored him. It just so happened to be the episode in which the king of the “no spin zone” brought up the topic of lesbian gangs. (Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?) I watched it thinking … huh? Is this for real?

Then I thought, no wonder a lot of conservatives have poor or stereotypical prejudices about gay people. This is what they see on the news. This is what is shown to them. Forget the mainstream gays who make up most of the gay and lesbian population like myself, who live a relatively boring and simple life. No, the media wants middle America to see the 1 percent of the gay population that are apart of lesbian gangs, wear leather chaps at gay pride festivals and make a living in the gay porn industry.

This is what aggravates me the most. I think that there wouldn’t be all these preconceived notions about gay and lesbian people if more people like me were visible. But, I’ve gone off on a little tangent here. Let’s get back to the task at hand - regarding lesbian gangs.

Unfortunately, gangs like this do exist. But it isn’t as widespread as O’Reilly or the media wants us to believe. This isn’t a rising epidemic. Gangs and groups such as this have been around for ages.

I never touched upon the subject of lesbian gangs because: A. I thought it was ridiculous and there were plenty of other important things to write about. And B., so many other GLTB blogs did a pretty good job of analyzing it anyway.

This isn’t a recent issue, either. I stumbled upon a gay conservative blogger that had written about gay and lesbian gangs in August of last year.

The writer makes a solid point, being that a group of lesbians beating up a straight guy could be seen as a hate crime as well. What it comes down to, basically, is that violence doesn’t solve a damn thing - from either side of the coin.

By now you might be wondering, so what’s the deal with lesbian gangs? Are they a real threat or just a right-wing spin on a few isolated incidents?

Well, as far as being a real threat - that’s just silly. Going to war with Iran, that’s a real threat. This is just a group of gay individuals using violence as an outlet and the gang atmosphere to feel a part of something, to belong. Are lesbian gangs as widespread as the vicious gangs of Compton, LA? Hardly.

As for being right-wing spin, I don’t think there’s a conspiracy going on here either. News is news, and when something like a physical beating of an individual by a group of lesbians comes into the spotlight, the news is going to want to report on it. Where I think O’Reilly went overboard however, is having a so-called criminal analyst on his show to embelish the incident and cast a shadow of fear in the hearts of the 40 to 60-age middle Americans that make up most of his audience.

Here’s the news segment:

What I would prefer to see as a “back of the book” segment, is a report on a gay or lesbian group or individual that is making a positive impact in society. There are plenty of them out there doing wonderful things day in and day out. Yet, middle America doesn’t hear about them. Instead, they are being spoon fed fear in the form of such reports as “lesbian gangs” and “perverted pride events.”

Thankfully, my father has a real live lesbian daughter who’s relatively laid back, moderate in her political views, and has a keen sense of humor to form a solid opinion from. Otherwise, he’d have to form his opinion from the likes of O’Reilly and Ann Coulter.

Is it any wonder that gay and lesbian stereotypes, prejudice and hate crimes still exist?

lesbian gangs, bill oreilly, prejudice, hate crime