Think of the chillin'...

The neo-cons want you to believe that a child should be raised by its biological parents. It's more than that, actually. They really want you to believe that any alternative, especially if it involves one or more gay persons, is unacceptable.

But let me borrow from Bill Cosby and ask:

Well, what if your parents are assholes?

Let me make this perfectly clear: the ability to ejaculate and conceive a child does NOT qualify you to be that child's parent. Do you know what makes a good parent? I'll tell you: an even temperament, the ability (and willingness) to love the child unconditionally, and the financial wherewithal to survive the experience. Anything beyond that is irrelevant.

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of gay children out there who are homeless, living on the streets, often selling themselves to stay alive, all because their biological parents discovered their sexuality, couldn't accept it and THREW THEM AWAY! If you want to make a difference in a child's life, find these assholes and bitch-slap them.

Seriously, though, if you really want to make a difference, then make it easy for gay couples (or single parents) to foster or adopt these children. If you won't care for them, then let us do it.

Thank you, Mr. President...

Thank you for finally making a statement in support of marriage equality. It was truly an historic event.

That said, there's an expression that comes to mind: "Talk is cheap."

So, I have to ask, with all due respect: what do you plan to do now?

Bill Clinton promised to end discrimination in the military and allow members of the armed forces to serve openly. Instead, he gave us "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", and we know how well that worked out. He always claimed to be an advocate for the LGBT community, but four years later, he gave us the "Defense of Marriage Act". Granted, some argue that the alternatives under consideration at the time would have been far worse, but still, we have to recognize the disparity between his words and his actions.


So, Mr. President, what actions do you plan to take?


I know you've signed federal hate crimes legislation that includes the LGBT community, and you've also helped to repeal DADT, but there's still so much to be done. If you're really serious about ending discrimination, here are some actions you should really consider:

1. Repeal DOMA - this is a vile piece of legislation that allows states to violate the Constitution and makes a complete mockery of the basic tenants of freedom and equality upon which this country was founded
2. Enact ENDA - a meaningful version, that is, that includes transgendered people and protects both gender identity as well as gender expression
3. Encourage the courts to declare the LGBT community a suspect class and apply strict scrutiny to any relevant cases
4. Work toward a constitutional amendment that guarantees the freedom and equality of all LGBT people

We can't change peoples' hearts and minds, so unfortunately prejudice and bigotry will be with us for a long, long time. Perhaps someday we will have evolved past those petty concerns, but in the mean time you have a lot of constituents who need your help and your protection. Will you have the courage to give it?

The Men with the Pink Triangle (reprise)

Okay, so I'm back, but perhaps only briefly...

I've got a question.

The only post that ever really got any attention was this one about the torture of a young gay man, described so graphically in Heinz Heger's book, and after being absent for almost six years, I have to end my silence and ask "Why?"

Why that post, and none of the others? I did a search for the key words "the men with the pink triangle tickle", and I was more than a little surprised (flabbergasted, in fact) to discover that my post was the first hit listed, but I digress.

I've always wanted to ask the visitors to that post why.

Were you, like me, absolutely horrified by account? Horrified by the brutality? Horrified by the complete and utter lack of humanity that these men demonstrated?

Back then, I was right; you can't forget that, the horror of that, ever. You shouldn't, because as much as we'd like to think that, as a species, we've evolved beyond that -- beyond the capacity to perpetrate such a heinous crime, or even stand by and watch it happen -- but the ugly truth is that names like Matthew Shepard and Brandon Teena prove that we really haven't.

Their murderers may have been brought to justice, but names like Phillip Parker and Asher Brown remind us that prejudice and bigotry are still very much alive and just as dangerous and deadly as ever, and any time I drive past Hamilton Middle School, I'm reminded that they live here, practically in my own back yard.

Still, why are you here? Tell me: why is this important to you?