Yes Yes Y'all: XS Menswear

I'm about ready to smack myself in the forehead. It never occured to me to look into clothing resources for FTMs in my quest for smaller men's sizes in clothing. I came across Hudson's Guide by accident. I'll keep an eye out for others. Happy fitting!

Wardrobe Yearning: The Double-Breasted Cardigan

More anguish. Always more anguish. This time, I want a sweater (I mean, I always want a sweater but this one in particular). 

Express's Double-Breasted Military Cardigan

I went home to Lafayette (within the Little France region of Louisiana) for Christmas and got to relish in my relatives' company. My favorite part of going home for the holidays is seeing my family get together and being reminded of how oversized we are. I boast almost 30 aunts and uncles, and give/take 50 first-cousins. Seeing them congregate makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Two cousins in particular got me coveting: one wore a double-breasted sweater, the other a wool(!) marching band inspired jacket (it's supposedly military inspired but I don't see it). They were both purchased from Express. Express never impresses me. Never. Their menswear borders on uniforms and their womenswear looks uncomfortable. But now, I must admit, their sweaters and outerwear are singing a little song to me this season. In particular, I want a double-breasted cardigan (with a shawl collar). A girl can and will dream...

DIESEL's 'K-Jack' Double Breasted Cardigan

Trans Thailand

 Some Girls, by Aaron Joel Santos, straddles the line between fantasy and reality and aims to explore the lifestyles of the transgendered community in Thailand, from the daily lives of young women in Bangkok to the sex workers and cabaret stars of Pattaya and beyond.

In the real world, some girls are born boys. The dream is to escape or transcend that body. To flourish and transform into a beautiful and more feminine being. Oftentimes these worlds merge in wonderful and weird ways. Life becomes a stage where the myths and stereotypes of gender are all played out.

Some Girls is a work in progress and as such is constantly growing and transforming, much like the subjects it depicts.

The Next Gender Nation

Documenting the experiences of trans and gender variant youth in the Los Angeles Unified School District, The Next Gender Nation is part of a curriculum for teachers on gender and how gender variance effects students in and out of the classroom.

Guerilla (Queer) Barfare

Guerilla Queer Bar is an activist group who is all about LGBTQ visibility. And if you want to get me excited, start talking about getting a bunch of gays together and going out on the town! That's what GQB is all about and as of last summer, they've started one in Atlanta. The (age-old) idea is we queer folk designate a straight bar and show up unannounced. We then have ourselves a friendly, gay ole time, with a little activism to top it off. Their facebook page seems inactive. I hope they haven't fizzled out...

Gearing Up for 2011

Start doing things you love. Start doing things you love.

Sunni Patterson

She's such an eccentric New Orleani. I love love love her flow and style.

DADT DEAD

'Bout time.

A Little Pep Talk

This is what I really needed right now. Maybe you need it, too. So, I'm sharing with you. Because sharing is caring. 

My Favorite Swede Named Swede of the Year

Courtesy of a friend: 

David Landes/The Local

Swedish pop star Robyn has been named Swede Of The Year by Fokus magazine for reaching "the highest levels of popular music without being shallow."

 "I do things that are important to me, and if that in turn can inspire other people that’s marvellous. It is something nice and something that makes me glad," Robyn, whose given name is Robin Carlsson, told Fokus.

In picking the 31-year-old singer-songwriter, the magazine cited her ability to reach the top of the showbiz world without selling out.

"In her ways and with her conscious artistry she has proven that it is possible to reach the highest levels of popular music without being shallow," Fokus said in its citation.

The magazine also praised Robyn's enterprising efforts to maintain control over her career.

"By releasing her records on her own label, she demonstrates great entrepreneurship, which also enables her to have complete control over her creative process. In all her characteristics, she is a role model to both young girls and boys as well as to men and women," the magazine wrote.

The Stockholm-born artist is finishing up a landmark year in her career, having released three albums known as the Body Talk series.

The first single, Dancing on My Own, released in June, went to number one in Sweden, marking the first time one of her singles made it to the top of the Swedish charts.

Fokus editor-in-chief Martin Ahlquist explained that the six-person jury who selected Robyn was at first sceptical about naming a pop star as Swede Of The Year.

"But the more we talked about it, the more it became obvious that she fulfilled the primary criteria for the reward, which includes doing something extraordinary and changing society for the better," Ahlquist told The Local.

When asked how a pop star can change society for the better, Ahlquist highlighted Robyn's "sound principles."

"She stands for something that comes from insider herself and without a political message," he said.

"It's something more powerful, the idea of independence and that being who you are is sufficient. In that way, she is a fantastic role who can have a positive impact on people's lives."

At several points in her career, Robyn could have chosen the easy road to success, but decided not to take any short cuts, Ahlquist explained.

As a result, she has maintained control over her music and the creative process and shown that it’s possible to achieve worldwide fame on one's own terms.

"She is a person with unparalleled integrity that is an inspiration to everyone who feels they may be trapped by the boundaries or stereotypes of others," said Ahlquist.

"Robyn proves we don’t have to follow along with what other people expect for us, but that we can achieve things the way we want to."

Don't Forget!

PUT THIS ON THE MAP is still raising funds to tour the country and start reteaching gender and sexuality. Teenagers speaking to their peers about empowering themselves will do more for our youth than the "It Gets Better" Project could ever hope for (though I do support "It Gets Better" and its mission). So if you have a dollar to spare, please send it their way!

PUT THIS ON THE {MAP} trailer from
PUT THIS ON THE MAP on Vimeo.

Fed up with a lack of queer visibility, twenty-six young people in Seattle’s eastside suburbs weave together this ground-breaking narrative of shifting identities and social change. PUT THIS ON THE {MAP} is the compelling documentary about a generation of young people reteaching gender and sexual identity. From getting beat-up in a schoolyard to being picked up as a runaway, youth profess expertise in an honest evaluation of their schools and families. An interview based documentary where the realities of social isolation and violence are woven together with optimistic portraits of fearlessness and liberation. In an open and honest exploration of education, family, and community, PUT THIS ON THE MAP moves an audience from self-reflection to action.

PUT THIS ON THE {MAP} is decisively instructive for improving schools and communities for queer/transgender young people.

Precious [*****]

Paula Patton as Ms.Rain

I was late seeing Precious. I know a lot of people who couldn't get through it. It is hard on the emotions. Personally, I'm glad I got through it. Precious was somewhat of a gay movie, and after seeing it the first time, I watched it at least once a week, every week, for the entirety of last summer in my homegirl's basement. It's a favorite; one of those favorites I never think of when someone asks me what my favorite movies are. Last summer was definitely peppered with fantasies about Ms. Rain and Jermaine. Between Paula Patton and Amina Robinson, I had not a damn clue what to do with myself. It's a DVD worth paying for, most definitely.

Amina Robinson played the part of Jermaine

Long Island Lesbian Engineer Wins Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

SheWired.com

by Michelle Garcia

A Long Island Rail Road locomotive engineer was awarded $480,000 Friday after a federal jury decided she was wrongfully accused of and arrested for fondling a coworker's breast, New York's Daily News reports.

Engineer Melissa Stampf tapped Angela Trigg's shoulder as a greeting in July 2006, but Trigg accused her of touching one of her breasts. Stampf, 43, was then arrested, but the Manhattan district attorney declined to prosecute.

Stampf sued the railroad and Trigg in Brooklyn federal court, claiming she was treated differently than white males implicated in similar incidents because of her race (she is believed to be the only Asian female locomotive engineer), gender, and sexual orientation — she is a lesbian.

To All My Gays #6

The National Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans Suicide Hotline:  

1-866-4-U-TREVOR

These are women's shoes.

And that makes me (very) happy. Thank you, Pointer. Now, if only I could afford you...

I particularly appreciate the integrity of the interior of these shoes. And by integrity, I mean they're meant to be seen. Here, stalk them with me!

Just Because

I can't find a source for this portrait. But, when I saw it, I had to share it. What a great photo.

Chanel Kennebrew

is really cool. She's the creative force behind Junkprints. And when I say creative force... I mean she is Junkprints. Illustrator, art director, designer. Can we say, "friend crush"? Yes, we can. And yes, I have one on her. 

She's collaborated with the likes of MTV, Macy's, Urbanology Magazine and Clutch Magazine. Her work is wonderfully colored (in every sense of the word). And...

Fuzzy Pussy Illustration

LOL!

Zanele Muholi: A Visual History of Black Lesbians in post-Apartheid South Africa

Today, I ran across a post by theGAQ about Zanele Muholi, a South African lesbian artist. I haven't heard of her before but she definitely reminds me of an artist I first stumbled upon in Juxtapoz, Kehinde Wiley (and as GAQ points out as well). Wiley uses the old master painting style to paint portraits of black men. In "Faces and Phases," Muholi photographs black lesbians in black and white, which sometimes brings to mind early photography.

"In Faces and Phases, I continue to document and explore black lesbian identities through portraiture, where the participants are photographed in their various domiciles. One of our collective painful experiences as a community is the loss of friends and acquaintances through disease or hate crimes. Some of these participated in my visual projects. What is left behind now is the individuals' portraits that works as a site of memory for us, as a trace of 'who and what existed' in a particular space at this particular moment when our black lesbian and South African histories intersect."

You can read her artist's statement here.

Creepy South African Ad

Courtesy of copyranter:

Campaign, via South African alcohol company Brandhouse, is for some initiative called Drive Dry (Firefox and Safari both say the website in the ad is suspicious.) There are white men in the campaign, but only in less scary "They" group shots; these two ads are the lead executions. Ad agency: FoxP2, Capetown. Click images to enlarge.

Australia's First Openly Lesbian Senator Finally Stepping Up

The Australian

Senator Penny Wong, Australia's first openly lesbian and Asia-born cabinet member, today backed a motion passed at the ALP conference in South Australia for a federal policy change in favour of gay marriage. The openly gay senator from South Australia seconded an amended motion by the Florey sub-branch at today's conference. In doing so, she broke her silence over the national debate on equal marriage rights with a deeply personal speech about the need for the Labor Party to respect the principles of equality. [...]

Senator Wong, a Left factional ally of the Prime Minister, shifted her public position by announcing she would advocate at national conference for a policy change "to support equality including in relation to marriage for same sex couples."

"Like many in this room, I do know what it is like to be a subject of prejudice," Senator Wong said, noting she joined the ALP because it stood for equality and had historically worked against discrimination. "There has been some commentary which has confused my position of not commenting publicly on this issue with my position on the actual issue itself. I have been privileged and honoured, not only of being a member of our party, but an elected member of the federal parliament and of the federal Labor cabinet. I have had the opportunity to advocate for equality at the highest levels of our party and within our party processes, as I do today. And I will do so again at the next national conference. Talking about change is not the same as delivering it," Senator Wong said. "This state was the first state in this nation to decriminalise homosexuality, why should we now resile from expressing our views, our support for the principles of equality here today?"

UO Getting Cray

Urban Outfitters used to be that place with a satisfactory selection in womenswear, covetable menswear, groovy apartment amenities and funny, sometimes inappropriate books. Now, Urban Outfitters is starting to look like Hipster Depot. They sell, in addition to the things mentioned above, bikes and vintage clothing and hair care and skin care and beauty products and... Was I asleep or did this all happen more or less fairly recently? The downside is that Urban Outfitters is losing focus. The last thing they want to be is a depot. If you're too big, it's hard to make everything great, because there's that whole you're-not-specialized-anymore thing. Complaints aside, on my most recent visit, UO was on point in the shoe, scarf and sweater departments. But then again, so are a lot of stores right now. (It seems Native textiles are in this season... I don't know how I feel about that.) But if there was anything that took my breath away it was this bag:

  

And magically, I'm into rucksacks. The bag is made by The Brothers Bray and Co., a UO+Billykirk collaboration. And let me tell you... all I want to do now is craft leather.

I AM: Trans People Speak

I AM: Trans People Speak is a multi-media campaign aimed at raising awareness about diverse communities of trans individuals, families and allies. Check them out! They even provide Trans 101 for those who want to educate themselves. This is Tre'Andre's I AM video:

GOP Santa

Adam Zyglis is the staff cartoonist for The Buffalo News.

Nicki Minaj: Tellin It Like It Is

Nicki Minaj will not drink pickle juice... This woman is hard not to love. She's weird but approachable, outspoken and does not abuse the power she has. Or rather, she doesn't waste the power she has. We've all heard this shit before: men get applauded for doing things that if women were to do, we'd be labled bitches or whores or both. And Nicki has recently taken a moment to say it, too. Word. She almost apologized at the end. I'm glad she didn't.

That's What She Said [****]

Oh, the lesbian webseries! The easiest window into media within your own community. If it weren't for the LNF Show (now in its fourth season), I would not have heard the likes of Khaos Da Rapper or Charmain Johnson. And now a new series has hit the ground running in 2010. Pearl Girls Productions brings us its first major production, a new webseries with an all Asian-American cast. Groovy. Quirky. A bit awkward, but absolutely endearing. That's What She Said is about a midwestern lez named Nicole "Nic" Tran who relocates to L.A. after being caught kissing her best friend and shunned by her family. In L.A. she meets a diverse group of friends (Rae-Anne "Rae" Constantino, Babette "Baby" Liu, Leslie Park, and Shin Tanaka), gets thrown into the gay scene there and (you know) drama ensues. So far there are 13 webisodes averaging about 5 minutes each. What I like most about this series is that it boasts women from various ethnic backgrounds, including those from southeast Asia. While she waits for more episodes, Lady gives That's What She Said 4 stars out of 5.

Shout-out: Southern Poverty Law Center

I'm in the process of disenchantment with American society. I don't think it's because things are getting worse overall. If anything, it's because nothing overall has gotten any better or worse. Sure, we've had some huge strides (Thank you, Dr. King, but let's be real, the way we dwell on what he accomplished and kind of "stopped working" after he passed and just went back to accepting things as they newly are is... disenchanting. The civil rights movement in my mind stood still right then and there, and no leader since has tackled the challenge of getting the ball rolling again). And now it seems we're back to square one but instead of Black-Americans, America has decided to share some old-fashioned hate with the queer community. The parallels are alarming. Note: some of us are both gay and black. Yet, I can always rely on some fleeting glimmer of hope. In a land where information is twisted for personal gain, there are a handful of ethical institutions out there worth applauding. Southern Poverty Law Center is one such institution (See! The south isn't so bad! I admit, we're a living, breathing paradox). SPLC is known for calling folks out on hate. They have even gone so far as to map them out for you. I was surprised to find one in my hometown of Lafayette, LA and not so surprised to see that Florida out-hated Louisiana by almost double. Anyway, the news has recently been buzzing about a new hate-list: 18 Anti-gay hate groups. And I wanted to say thanks. So, thanks, SPLC. I appreciate you.

Coupon Shoebox

Yes. Coupon Shoebox. They hunt. We save.


And since we're on the subject... Zen Habits.

{THIS}

When I saw this video, my heart exploded. It exploded! And my soul ached. This is the most beautiful thing I've seen in the queer/trans community in a long time. And it's made me realize how severely disconnected from youth I am right now. I mentioned before that the "It Gets Better" project is great! But not enough. Not immediate enough. Not tangible enough. And that bullying is NOT the underlying issue. Queer/trans youth are finally getting together and speaking to US, not just to the people and institutions that are the problem, about what they need. They need this...

Reteaching Gender and Sexuality from Sid Jordan on Vimeo.

[*Squeal* to the "We will not be silent" shirt.]

ALSO! Put This on the Map is raising funds to tour the country and to start RETEACHING! Their goal is $10,000. So far they've reached $770. Every little bit counts. It would only take 10,000 of us at $1 each to reach this goal. So if you can, please lend a helping hand... or you know... dollar. 

The National Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans Suicide Hotline:  

1-866-4-U-TREVOR

Laylah Ali

Laylah Ali is not just one of my favorite artists; she's one who has influenced me for years (she single-handedly turned me onto gouache). 


Laylah Ali was born in Buffalo, New York in 1968, and lives and works in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She received a BA from Williams College and an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. In style, her paintings resemble comic-book serials, but they also contain stylistic references to hieroglyphs and American folk-art traditions. Ali often achieves a high level of emotional tension in her work as a result of juxtaposing brightly colored scenes with dark, often violent subject matter that speaks of political resistance, social relationships, and betrayal. Her most famous and longest-running series of paintings depicts the brown-skinned and gender-neutral Greenheads, while her most recent works include portraits as well as more abstract biomorphic images. Ali endows the characters and scenes in her paintings with everyday attributes like dodge balls, sneakers, and band-aids as well as historically- and culturally-loaded signs such as nooses, hoods, robes, masks, and military-style uniforms.

You can view more of her work here: Miller Block and 303.

Femcee: THEESatisfaction

Yelle

I'm a fan of Yelle; I thought I'd share. Sharing is caring. Yelle is a band comprised of Yelle (Julie Budet), Tepr, and GrandMarnier.

To All My Gays #5

The National Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans Suicide Hotline:  

1-866-4-U-TREVOR

N.E.R.D.'s Life as a Fish

Forever 21: Guilt Trip

There's something not right about Forever 21. Something is seriously off. I can walk through that store, hate 90% of their clothes and love the other 10%. There's no middle ground. And all the while I'm asking myself questions like... why are these pants $14? Why is this sweater $5 more expensive than those pants? And why is this winter coat the same price as that sweater?? It's stores like this one that make me feel taken advantage of (as someone with an inadequate income). And... well... they've taken things a step farther. I don't know how long Heritage 1981 has been around, but I experienced them for the first time here in Atlanta. I sit here in front of my computer screen, lounging in my $22 pull-over sweater which is almost twice the amount I paid for a pair of cream corduroys from them. It's the type of store that makes me want to start a cardigan collection... I'm pretty sure I don't like cardigans. Maybe I should give them a chance.

Femcee: Kin4Life

Much love to the 80's babies. Word. Kin4Life.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

Femcee: Lady L.U.S.T.

Oakland based femcee Lady Lust. I dig it.

"You the reason that I hope that they overturn the proposition. So I was wonderin..."

DADT. An Act of Congress. Literally.

America's First Transgender Trial Judge

As a Louisiana native, this story excites me because California's newly elected MTF trial judge, Victoria Kolakowski, is originally from Louisiana. In particular, she's from my neck of the woods, the southeast. 

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A California judge with big ties to Louisiana is making history because she was once a man.

Judge Victoria Kolakowski is the first transgender person ever to be elected as a trial judge.

Kolakowski previously served as an administrative law judge before winning her election in California.

The judge's website touts her election as one that made history.

Kolakowski has several degrees.

She's a graduate of UNO, Tulane and LSU Law and actually had to sue to take the bar exam in Louisiana after declaring herself a transsexual.

Copyright 2010 WAFB. All rights reserved.

Femcee: Back to Jwahari for...

... a revisit.

Learning a Lezzin'?

So, the New York Post is trying to be cute. Trying. Because being cute is appropriate when someone receives a death threat, right? Founding Principal of the Academy for Social Action, Crystal Simmons, had an affair with Assistant Principal Candy Jones. After having had an affair and it ended, Candy threatened to kill Principal Simmons upon receiving a poor performance evaluation. Simmons, concerned for her safety, reported the threat to the Department of Education and the police. However, the case was closed because police did not witness the harassment, the report said. And of course, both women are getting fired for having a romance--nevermind a school employee is threatening to kill people. All of this stinks of sexism and homophobia because apparently abusive behavior between two women isn't as much of an issue as two women who work together having sex. To top it all off, Crystal Simmons founded the Academy for Social Action "to cultivate, educate, and graduate tomorrow's leaders while inspiring them to shape the many communities in which they reside," and to inspire students to become "college-bound family and community leaders who are concerned for the rights and welfare of others, socially responsible, and confident in their capacity to make a difference." The score? Politics 1, students 0.

More at NY Daily News

Andrew Sullivan Making Sense

Andrew Sullivan is a conservative political gay blogger who's been around the blogging sphere for 10 years. And right now, he's making a lot of sense. I have yet to watch the full interview (given by Big Think), but here's a snippet for you...

Know Your Herstory: Karine Jean-Pierre

One of the highest-ranking out lesbians in American politics, Karine Jean-Pierre is a Regional Director in the White House Office of Political Affairs, and previously served as the White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Labor. “I am a part of multiple communities,” says this Haitian-American. “I fell into politics by accident while making a documentary on Haiti during grad school. Through that experience and counsel from mentors, including former NYC Mayor David Dinkins, I became inspired to make an impact in the world by getting involved in politics.” Jean-Pierre also served as Southeast Political Director in the Chicago Headquarters for the Obama presidential campaign and in the Political Department of the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Committee. “It wasn’t until recently that I realized my impact in the gay community,” she adds. “I am currently mentoring two young queer women of color who have both said to me, individually, that they didn’t know someone like me existed: a black, Haitian lesbian working at the White House.”

GO! Magazine

Queer Arts Now

Ks Stevens brings us some queer arts! And she's reppin' QWOC, too. Check it out!

Nike Native-Textile Inspired High Top

Wardrobe Yearning: The Popover

Beaten Twill

J.Crew speaks to me on a level that kinda took me by surprise. I like their women's clothing and dislike their men's. That's quite a feat, for real. Malls tend to leave me desiring. It's a lot of aaaaaalllmoooostt! It often goes something like... Lady spots potential purchase! Lady sweeps in for a closer look! Lady finds herself disappointed... And while it's true that J.Crew leaves me desiring, too. It's definitely more of an I-can't-afford-this type desire. There is a time in my life when this won't be an issue. And not because I'll be able to afford J.Crew. I'll just be making my own clothing (well). My brother was talking to me a while back about a watch by Romain Jerome that costs $300,000. This watch didn't tell time; it just told you if it was day or night. It sold out within 48 hours of its release. He then asked me if I would buy a $300,000 watch if I could afford it. Let's be real. If I can afford to drop $300,000 on a watch, I won't be buying one. I'll be designing one. Anyway, one J.Crew item that I just can't seem to shake is the popover. Anything that involves popping-over just makes me happy. They used to sell a beaten twill popover. But those sold fast. Luckily, JC had the good sense to explore the design more since people loved it so much. And now, as a result, they give us the chambray popover (potentially, and rightfully, even better than the first). Chambray is the shit. And I can't afford this one either. I suppose I'll get over it. Maybe.

Chambray

Jay-Z and Cornel West @ NYPL Tomorrow Night

New York Public Library is holding a book discussion on Jay-Z's DECODED. The discussion will involve the author, Cornel West and Paul Holdengräber. And to top it all off, there will be a booksigning at the end of the event. Tickets are unfortunately sold out (which included a copy of the book if purchased through Showclix) but luckily, the event will be streamed on FORA.TV at 7 PM EST Monday night. 

There will be a live telecast event from the New York Public Library, tonight Monday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the Central Branch of the Fulton County Library, Atlanta.

Gay Rights Protest. Albany, NY 1971

 

NYPL digital archives

The Black Multiracial Experience (one of them)

Kirya Traber

Lady Tragik

I was clicking my way through GO! Magazine's "100 Women We Love Class of 2010" and ran across San Francisco-based, former spoken-word artist Lady Tragik. She seemed coo', so I delved deeper. And I soon discovered that she is indeed coo'. Most importantly, she's a creative with great taste in music who makes music (among a lot of other things). I thought I'd share. Check her out! There's sure to be plenty of lomography and electronica involved. She kinda makes me want to buy some American Apparel... I don't know how I feel about that...

Courtesy of the Associated Press: America Still Acting the Ass

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Pentagon to continue preventing openly gay people from serving in the military while a federal appeals court reviews the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The court did not comment in denying a request from the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, to step into the ongoing federal court review of "don't ask, don't tell." The Obama administration urged the high court not to get involved at this point.

Last month, a federal judge ruled that the policy violates the civil rights of gay Americans and she issued an injunction barring the Pentagon from applying it. But the San Francisco-based appeals court said the policy could remain in effect while it considers the administration's appeal.

"Log Cabin Republicans are disappointed that the Supreme Court decided to maintain the status quo with regards to 'don't ask, don't tell,' but we are not surprised," said R. Clarke Cooper, the group's executive director. "We are committed to pursuing every avenue in the fight against this failed and unconstitutional policy."

President Barack Obama has pledged to push lawmakers to repeal the law in the lame-duck session before a new Congress is sworn in. But administration lawyers have in the meantime defended "don't ask, don't tell" in court.

The policy, which prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, was lifted for eight days in October after U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that it is unconstitutional. The Obama administration asked the appeals court to reinstate the ban until it could hear arguments on the broader constitutional issues next year.

Justice Elena Kagan did not take part in the court's consideration of the issue. Kagan served as the administration's chief Supreme Court lawyer before she became a justice in August.

Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Tracy's BEEN Talkin Bout a Revolution... Can It Happen, Please? Thanks.

#1 I hope Tracy is right.

#2 This video super-gayed this song for me and I might have to bust out my record player right now. (No joke. I'm serious about my vinyls.)

#3 What a cutie!

Lip Service BBC

There is little that I won't put up with for the sake of LET (lesbian entertainment television). Afterall, I hate reality TV but adore Gimme Sugar. It's two-fold. One side of me is a super-lezzy who supports anything of a truly homogay nature. And the other side is like a child without a role model; I burn holes into the TV screen in search of color. I can't help myself. I need affirmation. I need to be represented. I HAVE NEEDS! And if the show is international, particularly from a country with better race relations than the USA (I'm looking at you, Britain), I have certain expectations. I've recently started watching Lip Service, and I'm hoping they'll meet my expectations. After the first four episodes, I'm already slightly tired of the relentless drama. But I think I'll be able to hang in there. Especially since the endearing Tessa, in search of love and affection, is having fateful interactions with a mysterious lezbo of color (who'd be 10 times sexier with natural hair #justsaying). Lip Service will probably be short lived. The Brits don't drag on television shows like we 'Muhricans. Their lives don't revolve around it. Seasons have a few episodes and run for a few years. No Law & Order: SVU's over there. And that's just the way it is.

Students Who Wore 'Straight Pride' T-Shirts Will Not Be Punished

GET ONE TODAY!

Three students at St. Charles North High School wore T-shirts that say "Straight Pride" with a Bible quote during Ally Week at both St. Charles high schools in St. Charles, Illinois. The Bible quote referenced putting gay people to death, and yet these students will not face disciplinary action, according to school district officials on Tuesday.

The students told school administrators that the T-shirts were not meant to indicate a desire to cause harm, but to convey pride in being straight. The Bible quote came from Leviticus 20:13, "If a man lay with a male as those who lay with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination and shall surely be put to death."

Sounds like white supremacy with a new face to me. I guess it really puts a picture to "gay is the new black."

Yes... just two sides to the issue. Only two. Let's not get greedy.

Adapting to the Recession

We have all this time on our hands due to un-/underemployment. The American people are too busy fighting the funk to be proactive about anything other than finding a job. We all know that it will be a very long time before we recover… if we recover. And we also know that what the future job market holds for us will look incredibly different from the present. And so what’s the point? What’s the point of anything? There’s a word for how this nation collectively feels right now; we are depressed. And if it’s true that jobs won’t return for many years… what in the world will become of us as a nation if we are too depressed (and tired) to take life by the reigns?

And to make it all worse, we have grown exasperatingly hopeless when it comes to standing up for ourselves. It’s as if we’ve taken on this attitude of futility and cynicism. Sure, we were pretty angry when we bailed out Wall Street and the banks. But we were also scared. So, we let it slide. It was probably a good decision in the short run. Yet, where was the outrage when CEOs, after we hand our money over to them, continued to pay lavish bonuses to their employees and themselves? To me, there should have been some arson going on. That’s disrespect. At what point will we be driven to madness enough to do something drastic on our own behalf? Because blatant greed and rich people hoarding at a time when our pockets are empty isn’t it… 

Note:

Percentage growth in real after-tax income (according to TIME Magazine vol. 176 no. 18) is as follows:

   The bottom 20% had a 16% growth from 1979 to 2007

   The top 20% had a 95% growth from 1979 to 2007

   The top 1% had a 281% growth from 1979 to 2007

Aaron McGruder pointed out years ago that marching as a form of protest no longer works. All you have to do is look at undocumented immigrants, see how well they march (how organized, numerous and united they are) and then see how much it accomplishes (or doesn’t). Our government no longer fears us, and we have failed to evolve as citizens of a democracy to counter this. At the time McGruder couldn’t think of an alternative to marching that would put the government in its place. He suggested we do nothing. This suggestion would be quite powerful today because of the recession, and the fact that there are things the government needs us to do. Everyone knows money is power. And so with the little money we have, it would be wise for us to do nothing. Nevertheless, there are necessities. And leisure-spending does help with morale. And so I say, support strictly small and/or local businesses. Do your best to eradicate corporate America from taking hold of your income. Buy food from local farmer’s markets. Avoid chain grocery stores. Cancel your insurance and join a co-op (if you even have insurance). Boycott buying products distributed by large corporations (over 80% of Coca-Cola’s employees are in other countries. Car manufacturers are growing wise to cheaper labor elsewhere). Roll your own cigarettes and buy from smoke shops (better yet, switch to something that doesn't cause cancer). Drink coffee from independent cafes. Be shameless! You and I both know you have the time. While you're at it, create your own damn job. Start a home-based small business. What skills do you have that your community needs? Get together with your un-/underemployed friends, combine your resources and do something together. How cheap can you do it for? It will at least give you something to focus on.

It's bound to get someone's attention, and I'm ready to be ridiculous. That's my vote.