House indefinitely postpones action on Hawaii civil-unions bill

The state House voted today to indefinitely postpone action on a civil-unions bill this session.The voice vote defers any action on the bill unless two-thirds of lawmakers vote to bring the bill back for consideration.

Several gay activists in the House gallery chanted “roll call!” But the House quickly moved on to other items on the agenda. Some activists screamed “shame!” as they filed out of the gallery, and the House broke for recess.

The state Senate last Friday passed a civil-unions bill that would give same-sex and heterosexual couples the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as marriage under state law.

The state House had voted 33-17 last session for a civil-unions bill that only applied to same-sex couples.

Support for the bill in the House slipped out of concern with taking another vote during an election year.

Now,if we can only vote for the righteous men & women in the state this coming election..perhaps hawaii will make a turn for the better??Praise the Lord for victory in the island among the civil union!

[Via http://akamine2525.wordpress.com]

Adam Lambert: Update

So Adam Lambert on Oprah, eh?!

I love it!  GAYLE!

Adam Lambert, you deserve to be up on the charts.  Smile. Heart.  Yes, you do.  I not going to lie, not the biggest, most fanatic, American Idol fan.  But, my friends kept telling me about this Adam Lambert guy.  Well, if there is anyone that has been a part of that show and deserves a great career, it’s him.  Personally, it’s not his personality, which seems to grab a lot of people.  I could care less what he does or does not do in his personal life.  His vocal range is rather impeccable.  So, with the advent of his Oprah appearance and me running downstairs to catch his video on VH1, when I heard my roomies watching it in the AM…

Adam Lambert “Whataya Want From Me” (the music video)

ps-took the other post down…this one does a little more justice for me.

[Via http://equalitymusicblog.wordpress.com]

Desert Hearts : A Visit With An Old Favorite

Way before the L Word, before The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls In Love, even before Go Fish, there was Desert Hearts. First released in 1986 it has proven to be the most successful lesbian film release EVER. It also has the distinction of being the first lesbian film to ever feature a lesbian relationship without the pitfalls of death, suicides or 180’s into straightsville.

Desert Hearts stars Helen Shaver as Vivian, a soon-to-be divorcee, who travels to a ranch in Reno all the way from New York in order to get quickee divorce decree (all it takes is a six week residency). Once there she meets the step-daughter of the ranch owner, a charming and un-apologetic lesbian named Cay, played by Patricia Charbonneau, whose free spirit entices Vivian to melt some of her icy reserve and to ultimately follow her heart.

I  must have watched Desert Hearts at least a hundred times since I first found it in my hometown’s local video store. I was 13 and overwhelmed to find this mainstream movie that amazingly enough portrayed a touching and honest lesbian love story. Through the years and countless viewings , it’s easy to point out all the reasons why this is such a beloved film. The chemistry between the two characters is palpable and even more so through the love scenes which are credited as being the most erotic in all of lesbian film history. The script was well-written, though sometimes criticized for it’s simple directness, it was also praised for it’s nuanced exploration of not just the lesbian relationship but also of the relationships between friends and between mothers and daughters .  The setting was beautifully displayed, depicting late 1950’s Reno, Nevado. The soundtrack works well against the backdrop and is full of the  melancholy melody and twang of country western favorites from Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and others. All in all, a really good film, period.

Donna Deitch, the producer and director of Desert Hearts has since released a Vintage 2 Disk Special Edition through Wolfe Videos that is filled with never before seen footage and interviews. She has also announced that she is working on a sequel that will introduce new characters and move the backdrop to New York. That was reported as late as 2008 but an internet search hasn’t yielded any updates on it.

Highly recommended if never seen, for anybody (not just lesbians) who enjoys a good love story.

Desert Hearts Trailer

[Via http://queerfresno.com]

Spread thin

So I have a full-time job, a husband, two kids, a boyfriend, and now…..a girlfriend.

We have been on two dates so far and date number three is friday night. We have been taking it slowly which has been perfect. I believe her to be completely enamoured with me. She has described me like dark chocolate that she wants to savour.

I have the full support of my husband and boyfried to persue this. They have all met her and we all get along amazingly well. The thing is, one of the reasons we get along so well is that she also has a husband and boyfriend. It is with such ease that we can talk about our lives since there is no need to explain things.

[Via http://ruminationsofanevolvingsoul.wordpress.com]

How San Diego mayor shifted on gay marriage

from SFGate.com:

SAN FRANCISCO — San Diego’s Republican mayor testified emotionally Tuesday about his transformation from a foe to a friend of same-sex marriage and spotlighted a central issue in the Proposition 8 case – whether the law can be based on prejudice against lesbians and gays if many supporters harbor no anti-gay bias.

With his daughter and her newlywed wife in the gallery, Jerry Sanders’ voice quavered as he described his turnabout in 2007 that led him to sign a City Council resolution supporting San Francisco’s lawsuit that sought marital rights for gays and lesbians. As a declared supporter of civil unions and an opponent of same-sex marriage, he had planned to veto the measure.

“I think the decisions I made were grounded in prejudice,” Sanders testified in federal court in San Francisco at the start of the second week of trial on the constitutionality of Prop. 8, the November 2008 ballot measure that limited marriage to opposite-sex couples. “I was discriminating even against my own daughter.”

Sanders said he witnessed similar discrimination in the 1970s, early in his 26-year career as a police officer, when he saw a gay sergeant driven off the force.

He said he felt “overwhelming love” as well as parental fears for his daughter Lisa, now 26, when she told him in 2003 that she was lesbian.

What tipped the scales in 2007, he said, was a meeting with gays and lesbians the day before his intended veto of the marriage resolution. They reminded him that they, too, had families with children, and “I was shocked at the depth of (their) hurt,” he said.

In cross-examination, Brian Raum of the Alliance Defense Fund, a lawyer for Prop. 8’s sponsors, grilled Sanders about his assertion that he bore no ill will toward gays and lesbians during the years he opposed their right to marry.

Isn’t it true, Raum asked, that many people “voted for Proposition 8 because they believed civil unions were a fair and reasonable alternative to marriage,” the view Sanders formerly espoused? Weren’t there “sincere religious beliefs on both sides?” Does a voter, Raum asked, have to be a bigot to favor the traditional concept of marriage?

Sanders replied that some of Prop. 8’s supporters fit Raum’s description, but the cause they backed was ultimately based on prejudice.

“I don’t think that makes them a bigot,” he said, “but I believe they were saying an entire class of people doesn’t deserve the same treatment in their relationships.”

The plaintiffs, two same-sex couples and the city of San Francisco, claim Prop. 8 discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation and gender. They hope to persuade Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that the initiative, promoted as a restoration of the historic definition of marriage, was actually an appeal to anti-gay prejudice and thus unconstitutional.

[Via http://nealbinnyc.wordpress.com]

The Freedom to be Yourself or freedom to be naked

I found this entry in Wikipedia the other day and I am still confused. The article was about Vincent Bethell who founded The Freedom to be Yourself campaign (TFTBY) in 1999 to fight against the irrational prejudice towards the unclothed human body. He was also imprisoned for “Public Nuisance” and stood trial naked in a UK court in 2001.

I support most of the “to be yourself” rights but I am not sure if I would be thrilled to meet a naked guy on the street in the middle of the night.  Of course, prejudice against people should never be taken slightly but there are a few things that we as Society have accepted as a norm.  I know, this is a slippery slope and it can open doors to many discussions on many different topics.

Prejudice against human body – um…I don’t know what to think of that as if somebody likes to be naked and other people around them don’t have objections, then it is okay, but I personally would not feel comfortable with a naked person in front of me either that happens on the street or in the office.  No offence, but the moment I see a naked guy walking towards me (not on the beach), I feel threatened and definitely really uncomfortable.  And..To be honest, it has nothing to do with prejudice towards unclothed human body…it has everything to do with intentions this person might have.  Would that be any different if a woman would do her errands naked and happen to pass me? I would definitely feel less threatened but still quiet uncomfortable.

So..here we are…I am confused about my own stand on this issue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Freedom_to_be_Yourself

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1314226/Buff-justice-as-naked-artist-is-cleared-by-jury.html

[Via http://mywaytotruth.wordpress.com]

Sacred Space - Tuesday 7.30pm - Holy Communion

Dear Friends,

Our fortnightly Sacred Space service takes place on Tuesday at 7.30pm in church.

There is a common theme to each of the four types of Sacred Space Service: time for quiet reflection, gentle music, prayers led gently, a time to pause, meditate and enjoy God’s presence, all providing a form of worship different to what we offer on Sunday afternoons.

We change the format of the service sometimes resting in the presence of Jesus, sometimes sacramental anointing, sometimes a reflection and, like this week, a celebration of Holy Communion.  We meet the Lord Jesus in this simple celebration of Holy Communion which is quieter and more gentle than our Sunday celebrations.

We have a short time for refreshments afterwards too.  I hope to see you on Tuesday as we enjoy His Presence together.

With much love,

Andy

Andy Braunston

Pastor

Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester

www.mccmanchester.co.uk

[Via http://mccmanchester.wordpress.com]

Lesbian Democrat legislator carrying baby for two gay men

Story here in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Excerpt:

A 41-year-old lesbian Utah legislator is pregnant with a baby she says she is carrying for two gay men, the intended parents.

Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake, who has a 17-year-old daughter of her own with an ex-husband, is 16 weeks pregnant after have been inseminated with the sperm from one of the men, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Friday.

“I can very much empathize with their desire to become parents and share their lives with and open their hearts to a child. I’m immeasurably grateful to be a mother,” Johnson said.

A Democrat colleague has another idea:

Johson’s colleague, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake, a mother of two, said she is trying to get through a bill that would amend Utah adoption law allowing second-parent adoptions, in which a child’s biological parent designates an unmarried partner to be the second, adoptive parent.

My previous post on why people favor traditional marriage.

Comments will be strictly monitored in order to take Obama’s hate crimes law into account.

[Via http://winteryknight.wordpress.com]

Perfect words...(Part One)

This is the first in a series of blogs I intend to post, where I can share some of my favourites words written by other people. As a writer, I am fascinated by words and the uses they are put to. Inspirational, arousing, convincing, shocking, moving, profound…Words touch us all in different ways. There are certain words, whether it be quotations, sayings, passages from literature, or song lyrics that I find especially wonderful and which I sometimes call to mind as I write. I want to share them.

My first quotation is from a short story, ‘Carmilla’, written by J. Sheridan Le Fanu in 1872 and published in a collection of Gothic stories called ‘In A Glass Darkly.’ It is the story of a female vampire, Carmilla, and her victim, Laura. Despite the dubious equation of lesbianism with female hysteria and vampirism (this is a Victorian story after all), the story contains some particularly well written passages, which convey very evocatively the love that is growing between Carmilla and Laura, without shying away from the darker undertones, which only serve to increase the passion. To me, as a lesbian reader, they seemed especially meaningful, but they are such perfect words, that I think everyone should read them.

I think the line “I live in your warm life, and you shall die—die, sweetly die—into mine” is one of the most beautiful in literature. Yes, on a literal level, they are the words of a vampire. But as a metaphor for the process of falling in love, these words are evocative and wonderful.

From Chapter 4 of ’Carmilla’ by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872.

She used to place her pretty arms about my neck, draw me to her, and laying her cheek to mine, murmur with her lips near my ear, “Dearest, your little heart is wounded; think me not cruel because I obey the irresistible law of my strength and weakness; if your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours. In the rapture of my enormous humiliation I live in your warm life, and you shall die—die, sweetly die—into mine. I cannot help it; as I draw near to you, you, in your turn, will draw near to others, and learn the rapture of that cruelty, which yet is love; so, for a while, seek to know no more of me and mine, but trust me with all your loving spirit.”

And when she had spoken such a rhapsody, she would press me more closely in her trembling embrace, and her lips in soft kisses gently glow upon my cheek.

(You can read the whole of ‘Carmilla’ online here)

[Via http://rebeccasb.wordpress.com]

Janet-Part 1

I became friends with Janet when she was in her late 20s. Like many women around that age, she was stressed. Raising her children and doing household chores took a lot of time and energy. Her husband worked long hours, and their sex life had dropped off drastically.

Janet and I talked frankly about all kinds of topics. (I have always believed in being frank with everything I say or write.) She told me she no longer felt pretty or sexy. I tried to dissuade her by affirming how attractive she was, but it didn’t seem to sink in.

After several tries at verbal persuasion, I decided to take a different approach. The next time she was at my house for a visit, I sat beside her on the sofa. With no warning, I pulled her to me and kissed her. Not a peck on the lips, but a full-mouth kiss with lots of tongue.

Her little whimpers were muffled by our lips. When I finally pulled away, Janet was flushed and breathing hard. She asked what brought that on. I told her that I found her sexy and wanted to demonstrate it. She started to protest that she wasn’t, but I took her again with another kiss. This time I inserted my hand inside her shirt. My fingers slipped inside her left bra cup and played with her hardening nipple.

I didn’t want to push Janet too far that day, so when I broke that kiss, we chatted for a little while, and then she left. I had started her thinking about her own sexuality, though. I thought she would come back for more, and she did. I’ll tell you about that in a future post.

[Via http://ltlez.wordpress.com]

Lynn and Cathy

In August 2009, actress/vlogger/therapist Cathy DeBuono invited her mother, Lynn, to talk about her experience dealing with Cathy’s sexuality on her live vlog “What’s Your Problem?” When Cathy first came out to her mother, she did not receive the reaction she thought she would get. Lynn was surprised, confused, and angry. She moved through many different stages of grief including feelings of confusion, guilt, and mourning the loss of the child she thought she knew. Though it took her a few years to fully accept and understand Cathy’s life, she is now one of her daughter’s biggest fans! Lynn urges young people to be patient with their families but to never tolerate living in the closet. She believes that everyone should come out and live full, honest lives. Lynn is the perfect example of a parent struggling with their own “coming out” experience: coming out to support and accept their LGBTQ son or daughter. Lynn, you are a true inspiration for everyone! You can watch Cathy’s coming out story here.

[Via http://iwanttheworldtoknow.org]

This Tuesday!

From the Tuesday Evening Dinner Group:

After much begging, favor asking, whining and sad puppy dog eyes, the good people at:

HONG KONG – 417 E. Center St., Visalia CA

(Center & Santa Fe, across from Santa Fe Station)

have opened up on a Tuesday night ESPECIALLY for TEDG! We hope to see you and many others there in appreciation of them opening up and working on their usual day off.

Please come by for dinner, and use the Lum Lum’s Market entrance. Charlie will be there at the entrance in his CHONIES!!!!

I don’t know who Charlie is but anyone willing to stand outside in the middle of January in their briefs is a braver man than I.

[Via http://queervisalia.com]

The most hilarious anti-gay and pro-gay signs!!

If there is one thing you can depend on in protest marches and demonstrations – are the signs. Some good, some ignorant and some downright hilarious. Here are a handful of signs found throughout the internet that goes to show you can have a sense of humor while protesting.

[Via http://planetqtv.wordpress.com]

New Jersey Gay Marriage Vote Will Happen!!

In a shocking release just moments ago, New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey announced that he will push the New Jersey Gay Marriage Vote to this Thursday, the 7th.

This is a huge boon to equal marriage supporters, if passed it still falls under current NJ Governor Corzine who has pledged to sign the bill into law. From www.nj.com:

“Given the intensely personal nature of this issue, I think the people of this state deserve the right to a formal debate on the Senate floor,” said Codey, in a statement.

Many legislators have refused to say publicly where they stand on the matter and how they would vote. Legislators who are in favor of the measure have said support for the bill won’t be known until the votes are tallied.

[Via http://prideinutah.com]

Oh, really...I thought you were gay.

This was the response to a comment I made while having a conversation with a friend from my past who I recently reconnected with 3 days ago on Facebook. The conversation went something like this:

• Friend: You know I have been married 15 years now…
• Me: Oh really…I knew it had been a long time. Is marriage all you dreamed it would be?
• Friend: Marriage is good, but I am getting that 15 yr itch. My husband is too.
• Me: 15 year itch? I didn’t know there was such a thing. Are you bored with your marriage
• Friend: Not bored, just tired of the same old thing all the time. People grow and change.
• Me: Well that kinda equals bored to me. I personally knew that I wouldn’t ever go the traditional marriage route.
• Friend: Oh really? I thought you were gay. I hope I’m not getting to personal.
• Me: Oh no, you aren’t getting to personal…people have been speculating on my sexuality for years

I chose not to divulge details about my sexuality to this person mainly because we don’t have a personal relationship. My information to her would have been turned into gossip for the masses and I refuse to partake in ignorance. If you want to know who I am sleeping with, how bout you just ask and not throw it out there in some round about sort of way. It amazes me that people can become so interested in who someone is sleeping with when it is suspected that they are gay. I don’t make a habit of making an announcement of my sexuality. “Good Morning how are you doing…Oh, by the way, I’m a lesbian.”

Sometimes I really wish I could tell people that their ignorance is showing…your stupidity is falling out of your back pocket. *Just Saying*

[Via http://aquariussoul.wordpress.com]