I Ain't One To Gossip, But.....

What would a week be without Lohan? Dull, that's what.

Lindsay Lohan, cracktress and wacktress, was back in court this week, sentenced to thirty days, which may become six days, and will more likely be about an hour, behind bars....which is different from being under them, but I digress.

Lohan was given until November 9 to turn herself in because, indeed, she has a job. Or better to call it a do-over. See, Lohan posed nekkid for Playboy as couple of weeks back, but then Hugh Hefner got a look-see at the pictures, vomited a little, realized Lohan had already spent the check on crack and vodka, and demanded a reshoot. 

Lindsay's calling them "additional" photos, but the good people at Playboy having quietly burned all the negatives from the crackled first shoot and are re-deciding on a "theme".

My suggestion? Crack-whore gets nude.
And the world trembles with revulsion.

There's nothing like turning seventeen and facing your first paternity suit, is there?

Star Magazine--that bastion of professional journalism--is reporting that a 20-year-old grown woman named Mariah Yeater is suing The Biebs because he sperminated her in a coat closet at the Staples Center last year, and now she's given birth to a BiebsBaby.

Yeater doesn't want a lot of money, just child support, you know, and demands that Bieber take a paternity test, and says, in a hand-written sworn affidavit, that one of Bieber's bodyguards came up to her during his show asked if she wanted to go backstage: "After waiting for a short period of time with several young women, Justin Bieber appeared and engaged me in conversation. Immediately, it was obvious that we were mutually attracted to one another, and we began to kiss. Shortly thereafter, Justin Bieber suggested that I go with him to a private place where we could be alone. I agreed to go with him and on the walk to a private area, he told me he wanted to make love to me and this was going to be his first time.

After walking away from the other people backstage, Justin Bieber found a place where we could be alone -- a bathroom. We went inside and immediately his personality changed drastically. He began touching me and repeatedly said he wanted to fuck the shit out of me. At the time I asked him to put a condom for protection, but he insisted that he did not want to.

In his own words, he said that because it was his first time he wanted to feel everything. He was on top of me with my legs around him. At the time I was on top of some type of shelf. The sexual intercourse itself was brief, lasting only approximately 30 seconds."

Thirty seconds to make a BabyBiebs?

Hmmm, let's see how this plays out.

It's funny that LeAnn Rimes, who cheated on her husband with another woman's husband, and then dumped her husband so she could marry her adulterous boyfriend when he dumped his wife, is now all enraged that her husband's ex-wife, Brandi Glanville, called LeAnn "overbearing".
Really LeAnn? 
You schtupped her husband while he was married, but her calling you overbearing on a TV show sends you into a TwitRage?
LeAnn said, during her Twitter Hissy Fit: “I am his WIFE & their ‘bonus mom’ and it’s out of line after 3 years to continually discuss. Negativity does not help kids. Go promote your show if that’s what you’re really there to do.”

Then she TwitAdded: "I however will not be lied about. Obviously we are not in a good place like has been claimed and it’s not good for the kids. I’d like to see some resolve, but that doesn’t look like its happening anytime soon. #hopeforthebest.”
Um, LeAnn? there is no such thing as a "bonus" mom. You're a step-mother and will always be a stepmother, at least until, and when, Eddie Cibrian holds true to form and bangs another actress on a movie set and then dumps you.
Karma's a bitch, LeAnn. 
And a bigger bitch than you.

You gotta love it when celebrities try to take the high road and end up shooting themselves in the foot. or, in the case of fame-whore- and liar, Kim Kardashian, they shoot themselves in their large fat ass.
See, even though Kim's marriage to Kris Humphries lasted a few weeks, the duo did have a pre-nuptial agreement, the details of which are now being made public. And it's becoming clear that Kim, and all her k-k-family are a bunch of lying, money-grubbing whores.
Kim and Kris shared no property during their marriage because they scarcely had time to buy a salad before it was over, so there is no need to talk about property settlements. They also share no assets, well, except for a little something called profits made from the wedding. 

Liar say what? Fame-whore say what?
A source--and by source you know it's she-male Khloe....who told wedding guests during the reception that the marriage would last six months--says, “Anything earned during the marriage, [Kim] keeps. Kris does not receive any of Kim’s money” as part of the divorce settlement.
However, the source, er, Khloe, does say that the pre-nup allows Humphries to “hefty profits from [the couple’s] E! wedding special,” which is bringing he and Kim a major windfall. The happy heteros got 30% of the revenue from every commercial that aired when the show was broadcast around the world to fifty some-odd countries.

Odd, isn't it, that the couple had it written to their pre-nuptial agreement in advance that they’d split profits from the wedding, but absolutely none of the k-k-family will own up to it.
It was a sham from beginning to end, for ratings and publicity and cash, and anyone who thinks otherwise might as well just cut a check to the Kardashian's now.
Sidenote: after announcing her intention to divorce her hubby, Kim jetted off to Australia to promote her handbags....you know make some money. But the laughable part was when she was asked why she didn't cancel the trip, this moron said she wanted to keep her commitment to her fans.
She didn't want to keep a commitment to her husband, but to her fans. That speaks volumes about what matters most to that whole family.
$$$$$$$$$$

Just A Thought

One month at a time, please!!

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Musical Interlude: Sting

One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
"They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" is actually a protest song written by Sting that refers to Chilean women, mourning the "disappearances" of their loved ones, their sons, fathers, husbands, brothers.
The women would take to the streets, to dance the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, while holding photographs of their disappeared loved ones in their hands or pinned to their skirts. 
This song as a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. 
At an Amnesty International concert I attended in Los Angeles, while Sting sang this song, nearly 50 Chilean women came onstage with photos of their lost husbands and sons in their hands or pinned in their clothing, and they danced alone.

Asshat Of The Week: Kathleen McKinley

Houston Chronicle columnist Kathleen McKinley is the latest addition to a long-line of ISBL asshats. And Ms. McKinley deserves the honor for her stance that gay kids should stay closeted so they don't get bullied, and that parents tell their LGBTQ children to stay in the the closet for their own safety:

Am I mad at the hateful mean kids who bully and tease these teens? You bet I am. But I am just as mad at the idiotic adults who force our adult views on kids, and pull them into our adult world long before they are mature enough to handle it. The 13 year old that killed himself told his Mom he was gay. She said she already knew and hugged him. She said she just assumed that everyone else would be as accepting as she was.Really? Have you been around teenagers? They are cruel and mean. They constantly tear each other down. It was bad when I was a teenager, I can only imagine what it’s like now. No, I don’t have to imagine how it is now. This is how it is now. Why in the world would you give teenagers a REASON to tease you? Oh, yes, because the adults tell you to embrace who you are, the only problem? Kids that age are just discovering who they are. They really have no idea yet.  The adults tell you to “come out,” when what we should be telling them is that sex is for adults, and there is plenty of time for figuring out that later.

Kathleen McKinley? 
You are a moron.
Blaming the victim and letting the aggressor off the hook? Telling someone to hide who they are because they are unrepentant bullies and asshats, such as yourself, out there.
How about writing to the parents of bullies and asking them to deal with their own children? To educate their children? To make sure their children grow up knowing that being gay is not a reason to physically, verbally or emotionally bully anyone?
For you blatant stupidity and ignoramce, Kathleen McKinley, you are hereby inducted to the ISBL Asshat Hall of Fame.
You can sit between Buchanan and Bachmann. Should be a cozy spot for you.

I Didn't Say It........

Justin Amash, the only Republican congressman to vote against yesterday's bill, which passed 396-9:
"The fear that unless 'In God We Trust' is displayed throughout the government, Americans will somehow lose their faith in God, is a dim view of the profound religious convictions many citizens have. The faith that inspired many of the Founders of this country—the faith I practice—is stronger than that. Trying to score political points with unnecessary resolutions should not be Congress's priority. I voted no."


Plus, um, why take so much time and effort in doing this like there aren't bigger problems facing us.
Unemployment.
Walll Street.
The economoy.
Idiotic GOP poresidential candidates.
Nope. In "god"we trust, and if that's the case, who needs politicians at all?

Rick Perry, on the "sanctity of marriage:
"As conservatives we believe in the sanctity of life. We believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage. And I applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and a father."


So, um, Rick? If a couple has children and they divorce, what should we do about those children since their "loving" home is no more?
And what about the case of families where one parent has died, leaving one parent to raise those children? I guess we should legislate against that, too.
Have another drink, asshat.

Peter Tatchell, gay activist, defends a Christian housing worker who was demoted over remarks about same-sex marriage: 
"In a democratic society, he has a right to express his point of view, even if it is misguided and wrong. Freedom of speech should only be limited or penalised in extreme circumstances, such as when a person incites violence against others. Mr Smith's words did not cross this threshold."


I agree that people should be allowed to speak their minds, even if what they believe is decidedly anti-gay.
What they cannot do, is use their own "Christian" beliefs as part of their job requirements.
If this Christian housing worker was just speaking his mid, good for him. if he was acting on his beliefs, then bad for him.

Shirley Maclaine offers a WTF explanation for homosexuality: 
"One of the explanations for homosexuality and transgenderism could, I believe, be a profound identification with a recent incarnation as a member of the opposite sex. I believe each one of us has had both male and female lifetimes."


So, um, I was a woman in a former life and that's why I'm gay now?
But, Shirley, then everyone would be gay today is our lives now are based on our gender in previous existences. unless this is our first go-round at reincarnation.
Plus, for someone so enlightened to compare being gay to wanting to be, or having been, another gender, is kinda stupid.
I love that one of your books was called 'Out On a limb' because that's where you are right now.

Rick Mercer, Canadian TV personality, demanding that police be called in to deal with bullies, and that gay public figures take action:
"It’s no longer good enough for us to tell kids who are different that it's going to get better. We have to make it better now. So If you're gay and you're in public life, I’m sorry, you don't have to run around with a Pride flag and bore the hell out of everyone, but you can't be invisible. Not anymore."


Totally right.
We can make videos and tape messages and blog and Tweet about how it gets better, but are we really making it better?
That's where we need to focus.

David Barton, dominionist and "historian", who says the Bible should be the basis of all school courses:
"If you want education you better include the fear of God, if you want to be a good scientist you better include the fear of God, if you want to be a good musician—1962, ’63, the U.S. Supreme Court in three decisions said no more fear of God in education, we want education to be secular. All right, that’s a theological issue. How’s that working out? In 1962, ’63, America was number one in the world in literacy, we are now number sixty-five in the world in literacy. We don’t have the fear of the Lord, because guess what, we don’t have knowledge, it goes down."


Oh yes, no God in schools has caused a decline in education.
But, um, Dave? Asshat? What of religions that don't identify as Christian? Where do they go to school? What of people who are atheist or agnostic? Where can they get an education?
Taikng God out of the schools doesn't hurt anyone. If you want to study God we have things called churches. If you believe a faith-based education is best, send your child to a faith-based school.

Joel Osteen, megachurch "pastor", on how heterosexuals should "love" the gay away:
"Somebody that maybe had this certain difficulty now, maybe in five years they’re not if we will love them. You know, I think one of the messages I speak on sometimes is, you know, we can love people back into wholeness. But sometimes we want to beat them down — you got this addiction and you shouldn’t have that, or you did this — I just don’t think that’s the best way."


Or, Joel, you try and sound so inclusive, but your "loving the gay away" is the same as "praying the gay away".
It don't work.
But, and I'm just guessing here, you wouldn't mind loving a little gay yourself, would you?
This is just hate speech in a nice pretty bow.

Oliver Callan, an Irish satirist, responding to a newspaper columnist who accused him of being a homophobe:

"This column was intended to reveal to the world that I'm a hate-filled homophobe out to get the gays. Let's get one thing straight, I'm not homophobic, I'm gay....I've been called a fag, a daisy, a fairy, a pansy, a queer, all of that down through the years. I'm from a very small part of Co Monaghan and coming out probably made me literally the only gay in the village. Obviously everybody says you're born that way, but in all honesty when I was 11 or 12 I just knew I was different. I felt like a Protestant on the Falls and I knew I was different to my older brother who started driving the tractor when he was eight. I'm not singing I'm gay and proud. I'm saying I'm gay and I don't give a s**t and neither should anyone else."


As it should be.
Welcome out, Oliver, welcome out.

Maggie Gallagher, on Kim Kardashian's 72-day marriage:
"I'm reluctant to criticize any given individual who divorces because moral judgments are hard without more information that it is my business to know – and celebrity divorces are too common to warrant special notice. Hollywood in general and Kim Kardashian in particular support gay marriage. Perhaps that makes sense, if the speed of her divorce reflects a reduced commitment to the marriage."


Basically what this delusional wingnut is saying, is that if you're heterosexual, and a celebrity, you don't need to believe in, or stay true to, your commitment, or the sanctity of marriage.
You can get married, twice if you're Kim, and divorce your husband--after letting the internet tell him you want a divorce--after a matter of weeks, but gay folks--like Carlos and me, who have been together 56-times longer than Kim and her husband--are not allowed to marry.
This alone speaks volumes about NOM and how they aren't trying to "protect" marriage, they're simply trying to keep gay folks from doing it.

Update 3 On That Videotaped Beating Of A Gay Student

Levi Sever has been identified as the 15-year-old assailant of a gay student, now identified as Zachary Huston, at Unioto High School. And now, Levi Sever is being charged with a delinquency count of assault. Sever will appear in juvenile court later today to answer the charge.

Levi Sever is accused of assaulting  Zachary Huston at the high school two weeks ago, while his cousin videotaped the attack, and then posted the footage online.

The case gained national attention when the video went viral and shocked many people who watched as Zachary was attacked by Levi Sever and other students simply stood by and did nothing to help. In light of that videotaped beating, more than 6,000 people joined a campaign on Change.org to urge the Union-Scioto school district in Ross County to change its anti-bullying policy to address sexual orientation and gender identity, and the district’s Facebook page was overrun with comments from people who object to the district’s handling of the incident.

According to a sheriff’s office report, deputies were called to Unioto High School after a Levi Sever repeatedly punched Zachary Huston, and then threw him to the ground. Another student, as yet unidentified, though she is said to be Levi Sever's cousin, made a cell-phone video of the attack.

Rebecca Collins, Zachary's mother,  told investigators that the attack is “a hate crime” because her son is gay; she provided numerous Facebook messages that had been posted about her son before the attack..

The school principal, who says he spoke to witnesses after the attack, claims no one heard any anti-gay slurs during the attack, but should we believe these "witnesses" who stood by and watched a fellow student being brutalized, and said and did nothing, to help?

Union-Scioto schools Superintendent Dwight Garrett said his district has a zero-tolerance approach toward any form of harassment: “We had a bad situation happen. We’re doing the best we can. We want all children to be protected. There’s a problem nationwide with things like this.”

We're not talking about the nation, right now, Mr. Garrett. We're talking about a school in your district.

And when you say you're doing the best you can, then how do you explain that Zachary's mother had previously reported what she called nonphysical bullying of her son and nothing seemed to have come of that? And how do you explain a "three day suspension" for beating another student? And how do you explain your "revisiting" that suspension in the days following the attack? Garrett declined to detail what suspension or punishment the student received.

This was a failure on all levels to protect a child, any child, and should not be allowed to happen ever again. Anywhere.

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Random Musings

Celebrities are just like regular folk, right?
Well, not if you're John Travolta, who had one of his representatives call a KFC in England and ask to reserve a table at the restaurant for her client.
The KFC employee, who turned down the request, did so because, well, it's KFC, for crying out loud, and he thought he was being pranked. He didn't realize that over-indulged stars think they deserve special, fast-food, treatment. 


Oh, look, Kim Kardashian is getting a divorce.
Color me surprised.
I mean, this fame-whore, and her fame-whoring family, sold themselves a wedding for millions, so why would anyone expect that they actually believed in marriage?
And, while the The Gays can't get married because that would just ruin marriage for everyone, the heteros can do it time and again, and sometimes just do it for the publicity and the cash. See, try as they might, playing the "I didn't make money on my wedding" bullshiz, when you get paid $17 million to sell your wedding to TV, you are making money.
Sidenote: Instead of returning the wedding gifts, Kim will donate them to charity. Nice? or tax write-off?
Fame.Whore.


First he had no idea what the talk was about. Then he said he never paid off any women in response to allegations of sexual harassment. Then he said, well, maybe he remembered the allegations that he might have sexually harassed two women while head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. Then he remembered, maybe, paying off the two women with packages “in the five-figure range.”

And now he, sort of, remembers one of the incidents, but, as far as the agreement with his accuser, Herman Cain, Mister Well-I-Never, Mister Well-Maybe, Mister I-Think, Mister I-Guess-I-Did, now says: "No. I don't recall signing it. Now, the fact that I say I don't recall signing it doesn't mean that I didn't sign it, but I simply don't recall if I signed it."
Yeah, real presidential.

After last week's non-suspenseful, planned by the producers finale of Project Runway, I stuck around--because apparently I'm a glutton for punishment--to watch Project Accessory.
Now, I simply cannot wait for it's sister show, the infinitely more exciting Project Watching Paint Dry,


That wacky GOP. They don't want to work with Obama on one single thing--quick, think of one thing the GOP has done since taking control of the House....I'll wait....time's up....No economic plans. No jobs bill. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Oh, but wait....The GOP controlled House is set to vote on a bill to make sure that the phrase “In God We Trust" stays put. 
Sponsored by Republican, of course, Representative Randy Forbes of Virginia, the measure would encourage public buildings, schools and government facilities to display the phrase.
Wow, that should employ millions, eh?

Overheard At Work

Me [calling to a co-worker down the hall]: Jorge? Jorge?
Co-worker: Who are you talking to? There's no Jorge here.
Me: I was talking to you. Whore! Hey?


It's a wonder I'm not in the same boat as Herman Cain.

Don't Ask Carlos For Directions

A few weeks back our thirty-five-year-old, original to the house, Jennair range sparked, smoked, flashed some bright lights and then passed away. Since we've long wanted a gas range, we took it upon ourselves to have a gas line run to the house, and then to the kitchen, where we would install a new stove.

Last weekend we went out to buy said stove and found a lovely 5-burner model, with a gas convection oven, so shiny and purty that, if I could handle the weight, I'd attach to a silver chain and wear around my neck.

But this story isn't about me, it's about Carlos and his style of giving directions. 

As we purchased the range, the salesman asked for directions from the store to our house so it could be delivered. Carlos said--and these are not the real directions so don't try them:

"You start out by going out of the parking lot and then head south on this road until you get to the interstate, and then you head\east, for about twenty miles till you get to Exit 98. Take that exit and it wraps around, and goes under the freeway, and then you head north on Highway 402 until it merges about four miles later with US 54. You take that through the town, down past the factory and across the river, where you'll see a Lowes. Right after the Lowes is a traffic light for Bob-and-Carlos Drive. Turn left, well, you can only turn left, because the street dead-ends, but then you stay on Bob-and-Carlos Drive for, oh, maybe a mile-and-a-half, until you come to our house at #____, where you'll see a red mailbox. Our driveway is real narrow, with a lot of trees so they may have to park the truck on the street, but that's our house with the red front porch."

The salesman typed in:

"Interstate 77, to Exit 98. 402 north to US 54 east. Left at Bob-and-Carlos Drive to #____"

Bless that Carlos, he does love to talk!!

Shorter University...Where Being Gay Will Get You Fired

Shorter University, a Christian Baptist university in Rome, Georgia, is requiring its employees to sign a statement saying they are not gay. Or else they get fired.

The university sent this "personal lifestyle pledge" to its 200 employees  just last month, and employees who sign are agreeing to "reject" homosexuality, in addition to premarital sex, adultery and other behavior the school says violates the Bible's teaching.

Don Dowless, the school's president, says teachers and administrators who don't sign the pledge could lose their jobs: "I think that anybody that adheres to a lifestyle outside of what the biblical mandate is would not be allowed to continue here....Anything that is not biblical, we do not accept."

One employee, who obviously wants to remain nameless, says it's akin to a witch hunt: "We now will live in fear that someone who doesn't like us personally or someone who has had a bad day will report that we've been drinking or that we are suspected of being gay."

Because that's so wrong. My view? If you're gay, gay friendly, or simply believe that God is love and wouldn't take too kindly to this kind of pledge, get away from Shorter. Take your tuition, your skills, your jobs, anywhere else. Leave it an empty campus.

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Architecture Wednesday

What is it about Italy that makes me want to move there and buy a villa? perhaps it's my Diane Lane fetish? Perhaps it's my love of rusticity/
Actually, it's the wine.
I love Italian wines, and to be able to drink Italian wines in the garden of my Italian villa while trying to speak Italian, would be lovely.
Like this place.

This beautiful and harmonious home is located in Italy, on heels of Umbria and Tuscany. Casali di Monticchio is a luxury space with its own winter garden, pool, library and billiard room. 
The atmosphere remained antique; rough wooden beams, stone, traditional fireplaces and restored floor give this special feeling of something old and stylish. The furniture is also traditional and of light colors not to distract attention from the antique surroundings but to frame it beautifully. 
Beautiful, peaceful nature of Italy and exquisite antique interior with sophisticated details – what can be better for a rest? Or calm life in the country? 
With a lovely Sangiovese.

via DigsDigs

Chick-fil-A Donated Nearly $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2009

Chick-fil-A has long been mentioned as one of the most anti-gay companies out there, even though company president, Dan Cathy denies having an “agenda against anyone.” But last year an Equality Matters investigation has revealed that Chick-fil-A had donated more than $1 million to anti-gay causes between 2003 and 2008, and now they are reporting that the company donated $1.7 million to anti-gay groups in 2009 alone. But they don't have an "agenda against anyone."

WinShape, Chick-fil-A's charitable arm, which was created by company founder and chairman, S. Truett Cathy, received more than $7 million in funding from Chick-fil-A, and then turned around and gave nearly $2 million of that money to anti-gay groups like:

• Marriage & Family Legacy Fund: $994,199
• Fellowship Of Christian Athletes: $480,000
• National Christian Foundation: $240,000
• Focus On The Family: $12,500
• Eagle Forum: $5,000
• Exodus International: $1,000
• Family Research Council: $1,000

I'm sure most people remember that, in January 2011, a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Pennsylvania donated food to the group Family Life to put on an event called the "Art Of Marriage". Both Chick-fil-A and co-sponsor, the   Pennsylvania Family Institute [PFI], were initially listed as sponsors of the event, although Chick-fil-A had it's name removed from event ads after the story broke.

Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan Cathy released a statement denying that Chick-fil-A's donation was an endorsement of traditional marriage, arguing that Chick-fil-A has "no agenda against anyone," and that the company would not "champion any political agendas" relating to marriages or families.

And yet they spent $1.7 million in 2009 for groups to do the hate work for them. I recently posted about LGBT-friendly companies, and how we, as a community, should support those businesses [Home Depot, Macy's, Subaru, Absolut, American Airlines] but we should also make sure that companies that fund anti-gay causes, anti-equality causes, anti-marriage causes, not receive one dime from the LGBT community and our allies.

See, you wanna have a chicken sandwich and you stop in at Chick-fil-A, a portion of the money you spend goes to fight against you. And I don't think anyone wants that.

via EqualityMatters

Rebeca is King! Haleigh is Queen!

At last week's pep rally at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, Rebeca Arellano was named the school's homecoming king, and at the dance the following night, Rebecca's girlfriend, Haleigh Adams, was declared Homecoming Queen. And that sits very well with the students and the school.

Rebeca was stunned by the sheers that came along with the announcement that she would be king of the dance, and was even more thrilled that Haleigh would be Queen, writing on Facebook: "I was happier than when I won, my little Haleigh has just been announced Homecoming queen and I couldn't feel happier! Thanks to every single one of you! You guys made this happen and we are all part of something huge. I can't fully express how grateful I am. I am in completely shocked that this happen."

This is a story of hope, and I hope that every LGBT student around the world hears it, and realizes that it can get better, it does get better. I like that we see a new openness in at least one high school, and can show other LGBT students that there is a place for them, where they can be themselves and succeed, without bullying, without taunts, without fear.

One day, I hope, gay students can be Homecoming King and Queen at every high school, and it won't make the news, and it won't be Tweeted or be a status update. It'll just be.

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Seriously..........

Stolen from Tivo Mom who borrowed it from NYC Pride

If I Had A Motto This Would Be It.....

Blatantly stolen from Kevin at The Lisp

Brazilian Court Legalizes A Gay Marriage

Down South America way, Brazil’s top appeals court has ruled that two women can legally be married, making it the highest court in Brazil to uphold a gay marriage.
It was last May when Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that gay civil unions could be recognized. But it stopped short of recognizing full marriages. But then in June, a state court judge ruled that tow men, who had been joined in a civil union, could simply change their status to that of being legally married.
Ad now other couples have petitioned the courts to have their civil unions recognized as legal marriage; some have been approved by lower courts, and others have been blocked, but Tuesday's ruling by the Supreme Appeals Court overturned two lower court’s ruling against the women.
It's a big step up for Brazil, and the idea of marriage equality in Latin American countries. Right now gay marriage is legal in Argentina and Mexico City, but Brazil is on the move. 


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Musical Interlude: Shawn Colvin

Update 2: Videotaped Beating Of A Gay Student

More news on that story of the gay student and the videotaped beating he endured at the hands of a school bully. See original posts HERE and HERE.

While there are potential criminal charges that could be pending against the attacker, the Unioto High School administrators have reviewed their initial disciplinary measures--they suspended the attacker for a mere three days--after seeing new information revealed in the cellphone video.

Principal Jim Osborne said the discipline would have been reviewed sooner, but the mother of the student, who was seen violently attacking another student for being gay, had taken her son out of town because of the media attention. Or, maybe because she was trying to hide her son from authorities.

“The discipline has been revisited," said Osborne, "based on the ongoing investigation and in light of the new evidence.” But the altered disciplinary actions were not released by the district, citing student privacy concerns. Or, maybe to protect the school for not protecting a student.

Osborne did confirm the student who filmed the fight with her cell phone--who was allegedly the cousin of the attacker--was also disciplined, and has yet to return to school at the decision of her mother. See, when you shine the light on bullies and their videotaping allies, their scurry into the dark like rats.

Ross County Prosecutor Matt Schmidt has asked the sheriff’s office to investigate further and get medical records for the victim if they exist. “Because of all the stuff that has come to light, I’ve asked for more information,” Schmidt said.

Sheriff George Lavender said his deputy went to Unioto to conduct additional interviews and was checking to see if the victim had been sent for medical attention because the initial report indicated there had been some visible injuries, but they appeared to be minor. The gay student sustained a knot behind his ear, a black eye, a chipped tooth and a possible concussion.

The extent of the injury and the medical records are needed for Schmidt to determine if the assault meets the criteria to be considered a felony. His office is waiting on charging the juvenile until the additional investigation is completed because, if a lesser charge is filed, and then additional evidence comes to light later, that shows that a higher-degree charge could have been pursued, Schmidt said they could not go back and change it. 

I say wait for, look for it, find, and then punish the attacker and his camera-cousin to the fullest extent of the law.

That might send a message that this will not be tolerated; that what starts out as name-calling and shoving and "teasing" often ends up with someone bruised and battered, or dead.

via The Chillicothe Gazette