Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Homosexuals Unprotected By Brazil’s ‘Tolerance’
But the psychological scars haven’t healed as nicely. A year and a half after the attack, Oliveira ventures out at night only by taxi, and he keeps careful watch of his surroundings. He never wants to be a target again merely because of who he is: a gay man.
Brazil is a country long famed as a Mecca of sensuality and tolerance, so much so that its European colonizers once ob-served, “There is no sin south of the equator.” Yet for all the bare flesh and the drag queens who strut their sequined stuff to wild applause during Carnaval, there remains a dark side for those who do not adhere to the heterosexual norm.
Physical assaults on homosexuals are commonplace in Latin America’s largest nation. In 2004, according to statistics compiled by gay activists, there were 159 reported killings of gays and lesbians in Brazil – an average of three a week. By contrast, the FBI recorded only one such homicide that year in all of the United States.
The slayings and other attacks are the violent outgrowth of the discrimination homosexuals still face in a culture that remains deeply Catholic and socially conservative, despite a well-engrained licentious streak. Although a dynamic gay movement has made some inroads in the last 20 years, protection of homosexuals lags the advances won in the U.S. and other Western countries.
“To be gay or lesbian is still to be vulnerable, owing to the culture of homophobia that is very rooted in people’s minds,” said Marcelo Cerqueira, a prominent activist in Salvador, the capital of Bahia state.
The tide of anti-gay violence seems at odds with signs that society is becoming more accepting of homosexuality.
In Sao Paulo, last year’s gay-pride parade attracted more than 1 million people, making it one of the world’s largest such celebrations of homosexual identity. Rio de Janeiro, that bastion of seaside hedonism, is an increasingly popular destination among gay travelers drawn by the city’s lustrous beaches and its boisterous Carnaval parties.
Many of Brazil’s best-known singers, in a land that worships its music, are openly gay or bisexual. And activists were elated last year when television audiences voted an outspokenly gay man the winner on “Big Brother Brasil,” one of the country’s most-watched reality programs.
The increased awareness can cut both ways, however. “Many things in Brazilian society are contradictory,” said James N. Green, a history professor at Brown University and author of “Beyond Carnival: Male Homosexuality in Twentieth-Century Brazil.”
“I think that gay life, as it becomes more visible and more public, evokes anxiety among a lot of men and their notions of masculinity, and I think that’s one explanation for gay bashing.”
To American visitors, Brazilian men often appear more physically affectionate with one another than their counterparts in the U.S., and stories are legion of sexual experimentation and fluidity among Brazilians of whatever gender or orientation.
At the same time, machismo and traditional concepts of gender roles still run deep. A 2004 survey among young people in three major cities found that, among young men, 49 percent regarded gays as “sick” or “without shame.”
“There are many blurred boundaries (of sexuality), but there’s also a hyper-masculinity,” Green said. “You could not explain all the pejorative and negative attitudes (toward) gay men, effeminate gay men, if you didn’t have that. This is a hyper-masculine society – soccer games are a perfect example.”
With his lissome figure, slicked-down hair, and femininely graceful mannerisms, Sergio Machado, 27, knows he is far from the macho stereotype. Whenever he steps on a bus, strolls through the market or just goes for a walk, he can feel people staring.
Some people are curious, others malevolent. In October, when he came out of a gay bar here in his hometown of Curitiba and exchanged kisses with a friend, two young men nearby scowled and said loudly, “How disgusting.”
A few minutes later, two other men – tipped off, Machado believes, by the first pair – tried to trip and punch him as he continued down the street. Luckily, he said, he was struck only lightly on the side of his mouth, and managed to flee.
Just a few weeks before in Curitiba, on Sept. 18, a young gay man was ambushed by a group of skinheads who allegedly shouted, “Gays must die!” as they stabbed him in the stomach with scissors. The 19-year-old victim survived; police arrested nearly a dozen members of a neo-Nazi gang in connection with the attack.
The swift response by authorities to the stabbing was an exception, brought about by public pressure by gay activists, say members of Grupo Dignidade, a gay-rights organization based in Curitiba.
Activists throughout Brazil say that not only do the country’s notoriously corrupt and violent police habitually ignore complaints of violence against gays, but they themselves perpetrate some of it – for example, in random roundups and abuse of transvestites and transsexuals on the streets.
“If you ask transvestites who’s the most likely to be violent, they’ll say the police. They call them the Taliban,” said Silene Hirata, an attorney who works with Grupo Dignidade organization to uphold homosexuals’ legal rights.
Last year, on average, one or two people came to Hirata every week to report having been the victim of anti-gay aggression. “It’s the tip of the iceberg,” Hirata said, because many others refuse to report such crimes for fear of being “outed” to their families and friends or harassed by unsympathetic police officers.
According to statistics culled from media reports and other sources by Grupo Gay da Bahia, one of Brazil’s most respected gay-rights organizations, 2,218 people were killed because of their homosexuality between 1963 and 2002.
Many of the slayings are particularly gruesome, fueled by hatred and rage, including the killing of a 63-year-old man in Rio de Janeiro state. He was shot in the head, then tied up and set on fire while still alive. Brazilian law allows for stiffer prison sentences for hate crimes, but sexual orientation is not one of the protected categories.
“Everyone knows that the justice system in Brazil is lacking,” Hirata said. At Grupo Dignidade, “We don’t have the wherewithal here to protect anybody. Who should do it is the state, the government, and
they don’t.”
That’s why Oliveira, the man who needed 27 stitches under his eye in June 2004, decided not to pursue a complaint.
A friend warned that the police could cause him more problems. So Oliveira, 36, concentrated instead on recovering from his injuries, which re-quired six months of reconstructive work on his face and his teeth. “I wore sunglasses the whole time,” he said, laughing at the memory.
But tears sprang to his eyes as he recounted the story of the beating that changed his life and brought home to him the potential danger he faces.
“I’ve had a couple of friends who were attacked,” Oliveira said, “but I never thought it would happen to me.”
from The Daily Journal
My Husband's Secret Life
On October 16, 1986, my world turned upside down. I'd been reared in a loving Christian home and had earned a teaching degree at a Christian college where I'd met John*, my husband of 13 years. I'd stayed home with our two children, Anne and Tommy, until 1984 when I returned to the classroom part time at the school where John taught, and where Anne was a now a fifth grader and Tommy was in second grade. We were members of a church, and enjoyed many family activities together. I felt John and I had a good marriage, although I wished we could communicate on a deeper level. Reading my husband's heart was like trying to see the bottom of a deep, murky well.
But over the past several months, I'd noticed he'd grown even quieter and more withdrawn. I knew his childhood had been difficult and that his father was an alcoholic with a violent temper. Understanding that sometimes the past can rear its head and cause depression, I encouraged him to meet with our pastor, Walter. He finally agreed, and they set up weekly sessions.
The morning after their third session, John was waiting for me as I came downstairs. I was shocked to see tears streaming down his ashen face.
"I have something to tell you," he said as he took my hand and led me to the couch. He paused, choosing his words carefully. Finally, he blurted, "I've been involved in homosexual relationships, before and throughout our marriage."
I felt as if the room started to spin and I was dangling upside down. But I also felt as if John had thrust a dagger into my stomach.
I glanced down at our intertwined hands, then looked into the face of a stranger. I yanked my hand away.
"I was sexually abused between the ages of 9 and 15 by a male relative, and I've been struggling with these desires since high school," he said. "Even though I became a Christian when I was 17, I never lost the lust. Instead, I just dealt with the guilt.
"When I met you, I honestly fell in love with you and I thought marriage would solve my problem. But the yearning was too strong, and I fell. I'm so ashamed. I know I've sinned against God and broken my marriage vows." He started to cry again.
I sat on the couch trying to detach myself from his confession, wishing this were a bad dream. Throughout our marriage I never once had questioned John's faithfulness; trying to comprehend that he had a secret sexual identity was impossible. Thoughts started to creep in: When did he do this? How did he meet these people? How could I not have known? I feel like a fool. What if he gave me a disease?
Once John regained some composure, he continued, "Three weeks ago I decided just to end it all. I was tired of living a double life. So after you and the children were sleeping, I went into the garage determined to gas myself to death.
"I dropped the keys, but instead of picking them up, I laid my head on the steering wheel and cried out to God to help me."
The next day he had decided to contact Walter and confess his struggles. During the first two sessions, Walter had listened patiently, helped him seek forgiveness from God, and began to disciple him. Yesterday Walter had encouraged him to tell me.
"When I came home," John said, "I saw a quote on our desk calendar that read, 'The worst of times is the best of times if the Lord is leading' and I knew I had to tell you."
He watched me, apparently waiting for me to forgive him and say everything was okay. But everything isn't okay, I thought numbly.
Finally, John walked into the kitchen and made a phone call.
Within five minutes Walter and his wife, Sarah, walked into the room. Silently, Sarah wrapped her arms around me while I wept.
I was filled with so many different emotions—anger, disgust, betrayal, mistrust, grief, rejection, disbelief. And through it all, I kept thinking, I don't understand!
Although John had repented of his sin and asked me to forgive him, I didn't care. All I wanted was a divorce. I wished that he had died in our garage, because then at least I'd have happy memories of our years together. While I couldn't bear the thought of continuing our marriage, at the same time I dreaded becoming a single parent. And what would I tell our children?
John and I agreed to an immediate separation to avoid scenes and words we'd later regret. Before he left to stay with a family from our church, he explained to Anne and Tommy that he was the cause of the separation and that I wasn't to blame.
A difficult decision
Over the next several days, John and I met with Walter together and separately. During a private counseling session, Walter told me that although I had a biblical reason for divorce, I still needed to forgive John. I became unglued.
"You tell me where it says in the Bible that I have to forgive John!"
Gently Walter responded with Jesus' teaching about the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18. He explained that I'd been forgiven by the "king" (God) for a huge debt I could never repay, and now I needed to extend forgiveness to a "fellow servant." Walter also explained that forgiving someone involved three decisions: choosing (1) not to remind the offender of his offenses; (2) not to gossip about the offenses to others; and (3) not to rehash the offenses over and over to myself.
I spent the next day alone in my bedroom studying everything I could find in the Bible about forgiveness and crying out to God to show me his truth. But deep down I wasn't sure I wanted to find the truth.
I flipped through verse after verse. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him" (Luke 17:4-5). "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:12, 14-15).
I knew that as a Christian who believed in the truth of the Bible, I had to obey it. I wanted to argue with God, to tell him he was wrong. That my case was too painful. But God's Holy Spirit seeped into my soul, whispering that God had forgiven John—how could I, then, withhold my forgiveness?
Finally, I knew what I had to do.
The next day I told John that because of Christ's sacrificial death for me, God had forgiven my sin and accepted me as his child. And even though I didn't feel like it, through God's strength alone, I forgave him. As I said the words, I felt the anger, hatred, and bitterness that had consumed me begin to diminish.
John began to cry. "You don't know how much that means to me," he said. "Thank you."
And the surprising thought occurred to me that possibly our relationship could be restored.
So many questions
Although I'd forgiven John, I still had questions: Why didn't I realize what was going on? Why wasn't our physical relationship enough? How could I ever trust him again?
My emotions were on a roller coaster. Some days I found comfort by reading the Bible, as well as from friends and family. On other days despair and hopelessness overwhelmed me.
Being betrayed by someone who promised to love, be faithful, protect, and cherish me for the rest of my life was the worst agony.
I still wasn't ready for John to move back into our house. I needed him to show me the fruits of his repentance, and we both needed more time for counseling and healing. We set up times for John to be with the children, taking them to piano lessons or buying groceries together. And we set up "dates" to talk. He'd tell me how he was memorizing Scripture verses to bring him strength and encouragement. "Philippians 4:13 has become my motto," he told me one day. "I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength."
John was working hard to prove his commitment to me and our family. Early in the mornings he'd drive to our house and shovel snow from the walks and driveway. During Thanksgiving vacation while I took the kids and visited relatives, John caulked windows in the house.
I knew he was lonely and missed us. Hearing Anne and Tommy pray every night, "God, help Mom and Dad get back together again" was heartbreaking. Because of them, I decided to do everything possible to save our marriage.
We continued counseling and I began to respect how John had obeyed God even though he risked losing his family and friends. I also began to realize that the qualities that had first attracted me to John were still there. Throughout our marriage, I'd seen his patience and concern for each of his young students, and I couldn't have asked for a better father for our children. I could see his repentance was sincere, and on New Year's Day John moved back home.
Deeper glimpses
My struggle wasn't over. If John came home late from work, or his errands took longer than I expected, I'd meet him at the door with a barrage of accusing questions: "Where have you been? Why didn't you call me?" He'd answer my questions and then ask, "Why can't you trust me? Don't you realize I don't want to go back to that old lifestyle?"
I became increasingly consumed with distrust and fear that he'd slip back into that lifestyle. In late May, we learned Exodus International, an organization that offers hope and healing to people who want to leave the homosexual lifestyle, was having a conference the next month. We decided to attend.
As I waited while John stood in the registration line, a woman sat beside me and introduced herself. She and her husband were the founders of an ex-gay ministry. She asked why I'd come to the conference, and I told her everything. She listened patiently, then said, "Lucille, your husband's struggle has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with a little boy crying out for the love of his father." I sat stunned as I realized I'd just received my first glimpse to the bottom of my husband's heart.
At the conference, we learned that homosexual behavior is an attempt to fulfill normal, legitimate needs for love, acceptance, and identity through sexual intimacy with someone of the same gender. These needs, when unfulfilled in childhood, combine with other negative experiences (including sexual abuse) to cause a destructive pattern of hurt, anger, rebellion, and low self-image. We discovered that in almost every instance, the attraction for the same sex begins before the age of 10, which leads victims to believe erroneously that they were born homosexual. At first, this attraction is emotional, non-sexual, and involuntary. This brings confusion, fear, and guilt on a young person already feeling rejected and unworthy, and sets up a great need for affirmation as a worthwhile person.
John learned that for his healing he needed to go to each member of his family, including his abuser, and tell them he forgave them. My love and respect grew for him when I watched him confront his family and forgive them. It was as if I watched another heavy weight lift from his body.
Growing on
In the last 19 years, our relationship has continued to grow and mature. Even though we have issues to work on like any couple, we've never lost sight of God's amazing love, grace, and forgiveness. My doubts and mistrust are gone, and John's struggles have disappeared. We're convinced that God's Word, the Bible, contains everything we need to live a successful and joy-filled life.
Together we've witnessed and celebrated many happy milestones, including our children's marriages to God-honoring partners and the birth of our first grandchild. We believe that God has used all of the events in our lives for good, and that he never wastes pain in the lives of his children.
On our son's wedding day, our daughter-in-law wrote us a letter including the following: "I really admire the way you've stayed committed to your marriage through some difficult challenges. I truly believe that your faithfulness had a profound impact on Tommy's view of a marriage commitment. While I know we'll face struggles, I also know that he'll walk through them with me."
During Jesus' first public message, he chose a passage from the Old Testament book of Isaiah to talk about his ministry. Christ came to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1). John and I will never stop thanking and praising him for all he's done in, with, and through our marriage.
from Christianity Today
Online Game World Of Warcraft Cites A Gamer For Harassment For Using The Term 'GLBT'
Andrews had posted that she was recruiting for a "GLBT friendly" guild in a general chat channel within the game.
Believing that her notice had been accidentally flagged, she e-mailed Blizzard to correct the problem. Blizzard, to Andrews' surprise, upheld the decision.
Other gay guilds have been alerted and are planning to request clarification on the policy from Blizzard.
Blizzard's policy on "Harassment - Sexual Orientation," which is set forth in the games' "Terms of Use" and cited in the e-mail to Andrews reads, "This category includes both clear and masked language which insultingly refers to any aspect of sexual orientation pertaining to themselves or other players."
A series of e-mails back and forth concerning the incident, seems to make it clear that Blizzard may be inadvertently using a policy meant to protect GLBT people as a way to discriminate against them.
In Newsweekly obtained all of Andrews' e-mails between herself and Blizzard. Numerous requests for comment from Blizzard were not returned. Here's the sequence of events:
Andrews' original posting read: "OZ [the name of her guild] is recruiting all levels ¦ We are not 'GLBT only,' but we are 'GLBT friendly'! (guilduniverse.com/oz)"
In her follow-up letter to the company, Andrews explained that there was an obvious misunderstanding and that she was not insulting anyone, but merely recruiting for a "GLBT friendly" guild.
The response from Blizzard was, "While we appreciate and understand your point of view, we do feel that the advertisement of a 'GLBT friendly' guild is very likely to result in harassment for players that may not have existed otherwise. If you will look at our policy, you will notice the suggested penalty for violating the Sexual Orientation Harassment Policy is to 'be temporarily suspended from the game.' However, as there was clearly no malicious intent on your part, this penalty was reduced to a warning."
Blizzard's stance was clear that recruiting for a guild using "GLBT" was inappropriate as, the company said, it may "incite certain responses in other players that will allow for discussion that we feel has no place in our game."
Gamer John Blatzheim, who heard of Andrews' situation, e-mailed Blizzard to express his concern of a double standard that game masters would send her a warning that she could not use "GLBT" as an advertisement to express a safe place for gay gamers after an incident a few months ago where a plague occurred within the game and players yelled in general chat, "Don't get the AIDS!"
"Many people are insulted just at the word 'homosexual' or any other word referring to sexual orientation," Blizzard responded to Blatzheim in an e-mail. "Also to discriminate against other players, such as not allowing any heterosexuals into the guild simply because of their sexual orientation, could cause extreme offense to a large percentage of our players and should be avoided."
Stonewall Champions and The Spreading Taint, two large gay guilds are currently formulating a letter they plan to submit to Blizzard requesting a more detailed explanation as to the intent of this reinterpretation and execution of the sexual harassment rule. As the spirit of the harassment rule seems to have been reinterpreted from protecting GLBT players, to keeping them silent.
There are various types of servers that players can experience the game on. One of the options is to play on a role-playing server where players actually play as their characters, rather than through their characters. "We have determined that advertising sexual orientation is not appropriate for the high fantasy setting of the World of Warcraft and is therefore not permitted" was another of Blizzard's responses. Does this mean that if a player has a character on a role-playing server that they play as gay that would be violating the policy?
Sara Andrews has stated that she will not be renewing her World of Warcraft account due to Blizzards lack of support for a GLBT friendly environment, "It seems to be OK for general chat to be flooded with, 'That's so gay!' and 'I just got ganked! What a fag!' yet advertising for a GLBT friendly environment where we don't have to deal with such language is deemed inappropriate."
Is the player's character an extension of themselves in the game world or an entirely new character? Although Blizzard has made their policy regarding recruiting based on a player's real world orientation clear, what does it mean for in-game orientations within a role playing environment? Should men only play as males in the game? Should gender identity be enforced as sexual orientation is?
from In Newsweekly
Oscar Nominations List
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
78th Annual Academy Awards Nominations
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CAPOTE
Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOW
Heath Ledger - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney - SYRIANA
Matt Dillon - CRASH
Paul Giamatti - CINDERELLA MAN
Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Judi Dench - MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA
Keira Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY
Reese Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams - JUNEBUG
Catherine Keener - CAPOTE
Frances McDormand - NORTH COUNTRY
Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE
WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
BATMAN BEGINS
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
THE NEW WORLD
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTSPRIDE & PREJUDICE
WALK THE LINE
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
MURDERBALL
STREET FIGHT
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
THE DEATH OF KEVIN CARTER: CASUALTY OF THE BANG BANG CLUB
GOD SLEEPS IN RWANDA
THE MUSHROOM CLUB
A NOTE OF TRIUMPH: THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORMAN CORWIN
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
CINDERELLA MAN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
CRASH
MUNICH
WALK THE LINE
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
DON'T TELL
JOYEUX NOèL
PARADISE NOW
SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS
TSOTSI
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
CINDERELLA MAN
STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SCORE)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MUNICH
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SONG)
"In the Deep" - CRASH
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" - HUSTLE & FLOW
"Travelin' Thru" - TRANSAMERICA
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
BADGERED
THE MOON AND THE SON: AN IMAGINED CONVERSATION
THE MYSTERIOUS GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS OF JASPER MORELLO
9
ONE MAN BAND
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
AUSREISSER (THE RUNAWAY)
CASHBACK
THE LAST FARM
OUR TIME IS UP
SIX SHOOTER
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WAR OF THE WORLDS
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WALK THE LINE
WAR OF THE WORLDS
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
WAR OF THE WORLDS
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
MUNICH
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MATCH POINT
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
SYRIANA
from Oscar.com
Monday, January 30, 2006
Senator Brownback Says 'Fruits' Comment Not A Gay Joke
In a lengthy profile titled "God's Senator," the magazine quotes the Kansas Republican as criticizing countries like Sweden that have legalized gay marriage.
"You'll know them by their fruits," Brownback said, quoting a biblical passage from Matthew 7:19.
Rolling Stone writer Jeff Sharlet said in the story, appearing in the magazine's current issue, that Brownback appeared to be calling gay Swedes fruits.
After gay and lesbian advocacy groups denounced the comments last week, Brownback issued a statement Monday saying his quote "was in no way referring to sexual orientation."
"While this biblical passage was pertinent to our overall conversation about faith and deeds, it apparently led the writer to believe I was making a joke," said Brownback, a frequent critic of gay marriage who is pushing a Constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
"I was not and would never do so with such a personal and sensitive issue," Brownback said.
His explanation was greeted with skepticism by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization.
"It's nice to know that Senator Brownback doesn't resort to name-calling from the 1970s, but unfortunately his anti-gay agenda continues to speak for itself," said spokesman Brad Luna.
from Seattle PI
Mark Feehily Says Let The Gays Marry
Dismissing rumours that he and his partner, Kevin McDaid would be tying the knot in the UK, Feehily added, “I absolutely think gay marriage should be legal in Ireland.”
The singer doesn’t rule out matrimony in the future, he said, “but for now, though, I can’t see it happening. It’s not something I would even think about.”
Feehily came out last year, having lived in the closet since Westlife became famous in 1998. At the time he said,”I am gay and I’m very proud of who I am. I’m not asking to be a role model to anyone else.”
from Gay Community News
Heath Ledger's Strange SAG Behavior
At the podium with Jake Gyllenhaal to introduce a clip from "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger kept putting his hands on his cocked hip as he read the teleprompter, acting like he was auditioning for the role of Carmen Ghia, the flamboyantly gay choreographer in “The Producers.”
“It was insulting,” said one Hollywood insider after the show. “Heath lost a lot of support from the Hollywood gay community after that bizarre performance.”
No one can figure out what Ledger could have been thinking or why he behaved so bizarrely onstage.
Which makes it a real shame that the Directors Guild Awards, held the night before, weren’t televised. Then viewers would have seen Ledger’s heartfelt and sincere expression of gratitude to director Ang Lee, who won the DGA’s top filmmaker award that night.
Paying tribute to Lee, Ledger thanked the director for “introducing us to these delicate characters. It took a delicate man to tell this story and that’s you.” To which, Lee then joked, “I don’t know about you, but that feels a little gay to me.”
Maybe Ledger’s frankly fey SAG performance simply followed Lee’s DGA gay joke lead? Maybe he thought he was being really funny? Hey, it’s a theory. What's yours?
from Los Angeles Times
Military Should Allow Homosexual Soldiers
I really don't. It just doesn't make sense to me. I can't empathize with someone who is attracted to the same sex, and I never will be able to. But although I can't understand the feelings related to homosexuality, I do understand that gay people can be just as intelligent and capable and hard-working as anyone else.
That brings me to another thing I don't fully understand: Why, when our nation is at war, does the military continue to enforce its policy that bars openly gay people from the armed forces?
That really doesn't make sense to me.
A recent congressional study which focused on the impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy estimates that this rule has cost the military nearly $200 million between 1994 and 2003.
This is the estimated amount it would cost to recruit and train replacements for the 9,488 troops who have been discharged from the armed forces due to the policy.
That's a lot of money.
And many of the homosexual military men and women who were discharged held very critical positions, such as translators, technicians and doctors. Those doctors had their medical school paid for with our tax dollars, yet most of them spent very little time actually serving our country simply because of their sexual orientation!
During this time of war, the United States military cannot afford to lose highly skilled workers. The people who fill these critical positions use their skills to help protect our soldiers. I don't think it's justifiable to deny some soldiers much-needed healthcare simply because their doctor is gay.
However, there are a few occasions when I must agree that certain behavior does warrant a discharge.
For example, the military is now questioning several members of the 82nd Airborne Division about their alleged involvement in a gay pornography Web site. As many as seven paratroopers are suspected of participating in the military-themed Web site.
If these troops are found guilty of being involved in gay pornography, I hope they will be immediately discharged from the military.
And if some other soldiers were guilty of participating in heterosexual pornography, I also think they should be discharged for such disgraceful and embarrassing behavior.
But to fire a soldier just because he admits to being gay? No, that doesn't seem right to me.
Like I said, I don't understand homosexuality. I'll even admit that it can make me uncomfortable. I'm not rushing to the movie theater to buy tickets for "Brokeback Mountain," and I would rather have not been in Disney World that one week when all the gay couples came.
But even though I'm not really comfortable with homosexuality, I realize that gay people should be given the opportunity to fight for their country.
In my opinion, few people are braver than those men and women in the military.
But it's also my opinion that gay people can be brave soldiers, too.
from The Exponent by Liz Aipiger
Man Sentenced To 200 Years For Drugging & Raping Young Men
Two of the victims of Steven Lorenzo ended up dead, and he is likely to face murder charges in state court later.
"I hope that he never sees the light of day again,'' said U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara after the sentencing.
Police in South Florida also investigated Lorenzo after three men disappeared from their condos in Fort Lauderdale. Lorenzo, 46, of Tampa, or a family member, owned a Hidden Harbor condo on the 1700 block of North Andrews Avenue since 1986. It is across the street from the Drake Tower Condominium, where three gay men have gone missing since 1988. Missing are Drake resident Mark Jackson, who disappeared June 27, 2004, and in June 1988, residents Barry A. Block and David George Rhodes vanished. Lorenzo has not been charged in those disappearances.
A jury in November found Lorenzo, 46, guilty of slipping the date rape drug, GHB, into the drinks of all nine victims and then sexually torturing them at his home.
Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse, both 26, were killed. The other seven victims all testified about meeting Lorenzo at bars and either losing track of their drinks or having Lorenzo serve them drinks before they lost consciousness.
The men woke up naked and in pain, some remembering bondage or forced sex, and others having almost no memory of what happened.
Lorenzo's attorney argued that the sex acts were consensual.
Prosecutors said Lorenzo teamed up with Scott Schweickert, a Chicago man he met online, to fulfill their ultimate fantasy by killing Wachholtz and Galehouse.
Galehouse was killed and dismembered by Schweickert and Lorenzo on Dec. 19, 2003, after the three engaged in sex, an indictment said. Schweickert told federal agents he and Lorenzo cut up the body, put the pieces in garbage bags and scattered them in trash bins throughout the city.
The next night, Lorenzo and Schweickert allegedly drugged, raped and killed Wachholtz, wrapping him a bed sheet and leaving him in his Jeep, according to the indictment. The vehicle was discovered Jan. 6, 2004.
Investigators found on Lorenzo's computer hundreds of thousands of images, including photographs of Wachholtz's dead body taken at Lorenzo's house hours after he was last seen.
Galehouse's DNA was found in a large pool of blood in the dirt beneath the cobblestone floor of Lorenzo's garage. Schweickert will face a federal trial later.
from Sun-Sentinel
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Homosexuality And Its Enemies
Before I discuss the arguments of those who support the government on the matter, it is useful to examine, albeit briefly, the scientific aspects of homosexuality and lesbianism first, so that one can have concrete understanding of the psychobiological factors relevant to the problem. Every embryologist knows that at the initial stages of the development of a human embryo, the one that will eventually become a female can hardly be differentiated from the one that will develop into a male child. Consequently, at the embryonic level, human beings, irrespective of gender, are remarkably alike. It is after millions of cell divisions that the cells of the foetus differentiate and specialize. Of course, the XY chromosome leads to the production of a male while XX chromosome means that a female child is on the way. It is, thus the sex cells that make the critical difference in determining the sex of the child at the early stages of fetal development.
Process of evolution
As the fertilized egg undergoes cell division and as the cells specialize into the various organs, tissues and orgnelles of the human person, mutations, errors and mistranscriptions of the information contained in the genetic code can occur, and do occur, in the process. Evolution took billions of years to fashion the first human beings, but in spite of that very long period of time, the process of evolution, though efficient in generating species that ensure the survival of their own gene pool in future generations, is far from perfect.
This implies that an embryo with an XX chromosome may eventually develop into a female child with strong masculine characteristics owing, perhaps, to glandular defects leading to an abnormally high concentration of the male hormone called testosterone. It can also happen that an XY chromosome leads to the birth of a male child which has a concentration of the female hormone oestrogen beyond the critical level for male human beings. In the first scenario, the female child grows into an adult and manifests masculine characteristics which are uncharacteristic for female human beings, especially in their sexual preferences; in the second, the male child exhibits strong effeminate sexual preferences as an adult.
Scientific studies of the sex factor in humans indicate that at the early stages of embryogenesis, the sex chromosomes through the gonads, influence the early development of the sex organs, and determine which of the sex organs will be produced. But the combination of chromosomal and hormonal factors in sex determination can go awry: at times the chromosomes or the hormones become unbalanced and various degrees of sex intergrades result. All these point to one conclusion: that homosexuality and lesbianism could be the result of biochemical imbalance in the individual, and may have nothing to do with habits or culture.
Taking the biological factor as a foundation, it is not difficult to infer the psychological corollaries. If a man presents definite sexual desire for another man, it is very likely that the person is suffering from the multiplier effects of hormonal imbalance. The same goes for a lesbian. It is also possible that the home environment in which a child is brought up may reinforce either homosexual or lesbianic tendency in a child, especially in boderline cases where the biological substrate either way is not that strong. I conjecture that an “effeminate environment” for a male child in which masculine tendencies are not very pronounced would encourage such a child to tend towards feminine characteristics whilst a particularly “masculine family ambience” tends to encourage young female children to behave in a more or less masculine manner. Therefore, the strength of the psychological factor in specific cases or instances of homosexuality and lesbianism is a function of the biological factor in each case. The more the hormonal cum chromosomal imbalance, the stronger the psychological tendency towards being a homosexual or a lesbian, as the case may be.
Those who criticize marriages by lesbians and homosexuals do so mainly from religious grounds. They argue that marriage is a sacred institution founded by god and intended by him to bring a man and a women together for a life-long partnership. However, facts emerging from anthropology and other relevant disciplines strongly suggest that marriage is a human institution created by human beings to meet certain basic needs, including procreation and companionship.
The type of marriage adopted in different cultures of the world at any given point in time is determined by the complex interaction of economic, social, environmental, religious and idiosyncratic variables, interactions that have both intended and unintended consequences for the human beings involved. The kinds of marriages that have been invented and practised by human beings are legion, and negate the idea of divine origin of marriage. I do not see any good reason to believe that a supernatural being founded marriage. The institution is well within the inventive productive powers of humankind, and must have evolved in tandem with other socio-cultural traditions and institutions that make human society possible. Criticizing homosexuality etc as contrary to God’s intentions for human beings is tendentious because there is no objective reliable scientific method of establishing what exactly God is, let alone discerning with exactitude what he intended marriage to be. The easy resort to divine regulations concerning issues that can be investigated scientifically is a sign of intellectual constipation which seeks ready-made answers to the difficult problems of human existence.
Sometimes, it is held that homosexuality and lesbianism are “unnatural”; here an appeal is made to the idea that sex is intended by nature for procreation, although other biological functions such as the release of sexual tension (Freud) have also been cited as the “natural” ends which “normal” heterosexual relations, but not homosexual ones, serve. Anyone acquainted with philosophical discussions of the concept of “nature” and cognate notions must be aware of the large difficulties confronting any claims about discovering the “natural” or “normal” functions or relations proper to human beings. Obviously, unless blinded by theological and religious scales, human nature is extremely variable, according to idiosyncratic, economic, socio-cultural and educational circumstances. In general, when someone says that a particular action or behaviour is contrary to nature, what he means is that either his religion condemns it, or that he finds it distasteful or that he is not used to seeing people act or behave that way.
Those who condemn homosexuality forget that a large proportion of the behaviour they accept as natural were at one time or another deemed unnatural. For instance, in remote antiquity, covering one’s body, lighting a fire, planting of seeds etc. must have seemed “unnatural” to these who were not used to such activities. The study of anthropology reveals the dynamic processes by which particular behavioural patterns emerge and, over time, come to be seen as natural. St. Thomas Aquinas thought that sex not intended for procreation is unnatural, which means that even married people who copulate for pleasure and companionship are acting unnaturally! No well-informed person at this time can seriously defend Aquinas’ position.
Marquis de Sade had argued vigorously that any possible human sensuous activity can be reasonably defended as being “natural”. As an illustration, de Sade argued against the “natural design” arguments for genital heterosexual intercourse by stating that the relative sizes of the various apertures and protrusion’s of the human body could only have been so fittingly designed in order to be employed accordingly; which means that the so-called design of the human body allows for the possibility of experimentation in sex. Robert Solomon summarized de Sade’s point well by arguing that any act humanly possible is as natural, or as unnatural, as any other.
from Vanguard
John Brown University Issues Response To Gay Former Student
In the statement, JBU said, "Recent reports related to John Brown University’s dismissal of Michael Guinn included misleading statements about the case and JBU’s general disciplinary policy. It is our desire to explain the heart of JBU’s policy and to correct misconceptions."
Guinn, 22, was dismissed Jan. 13 from the private, Christian, liberal arts university for violating campus lifestyle guidelines related to his sexual orientation and material found in his online journals. JBU’s lifestyle guidelines and rules are outlined to students in a community covenant, which is signed by all students.
JBU officials said they cannot speak about the specifics of student disciplinary cases as a matter of school policy and legal obligation. "We can say in general, however, that Guinn’s repeated and knowing violation of the standards laid out in the community covenant that he signed warranted our disciplinary decision, which is consistent with other cases of student discipline in the past," according to Friday’s statement. "Our community covenant helps foster a positive Christian environment by describing the common biblical values of our Christian community. Students who desire to be a part of JBU come into our campus community knowing about our community covenant and agreeing to respect it," said Andrea Phillips, director of university communications.
JBU said that, just as a hospital would ask someone who is smoking to leave the premises, or an airport will remove someone for making threats of violence, the university has the right to dismiss a student for violating university policy. "As a Christian university we believe that scripture sets our standards for the ways in which we should live our lives. We articulate those standards for our undergraduates in our community covenant. We do not have separate covenants for different undergraduates on campus, and we discipline on the basis of behavior, not on the basis of identity," according to the statement.
Although Guinn said JBU asked him to adhere to behavioral policies separate from those given to other students, Phillips said Guinn was not given requirements that extended beyond what would normally be expected from any student desiring to live within the spirit of the community covenant. "JBU development staff works personally with individual students who struggle with any one of a number of issues," Phillips said. "The students may need help understanding the spirit of JBU’s covenant and how to properly apply its principles to their lives. That student may be given examples of inappropriate behavior, suggestions for how to avoid challenging situations and/or requirements for accountability depending on the student’s individual needs."
The JBU statement notes, "Our belief in grace is intimately linked to our belief in truth, and our standard disciplinary process seeks to embody truth. Unfortunately and regretfully, as we live out those beliefs it is sometimes necessary to ask a student to leave the university. Even in those cases, we offer ways for students to return to the university if they can live by the community standards. We never take those decisions lightly, but we do see them as part of our responsibility."
The Threefold Advocate, the JBU campus newspaper, reported Wednesday that Vice President of Enrollment Don Crandall said, to his knowledge, Guinn was the first student admitted to the university to be open about his homosexuality during the admissions process. Steve Beers, vice president of student development, was reported by The Threefold Advocate as having said, in his eight years at JBU he has worked with a student who has "struggled with homosexuality" every year. He said he asked homosexual students to agree not to "promote a homosexual lifestyle" or "create inappropriate unrest" through their actions or discussions. Describing JBU’s disciplinary process, JBU President Charles Pollard said, "We seek to develop students who are mature Christian men and women with discerning judgment about life, not simply people who follow the letter of a rule while ignoring the spirit of the standard."
from Northwest Arkansa News
previous post Gay Student Ousted From John Brown University
The Black Gay Dollar: Ignored and Overlooked
Currently this segment is experiencing an explosion of black gay themed books, magazines, movies and television shows; hence, America's black gay presence is beginning to make waves within the world of advertising and beyond.
All Gays Are Not The Same
Far too often the estimated $610 billion U.S. gay/lesbian market is tracked without significant regard to race or ethnicity while vast assumptions are made that all gays are basically the same, having similar interests and needs. Hence, one of the major challenges gay African Americans and other gays of color have, not being recognized as a viable marketing niche.
So who's to blame, for such a vast oversight of gay people of color? Are racist marketers really at fault? In actuality the answer is a bit more complicated and two-fold in nature. Ironically, this situation lies parallel to what exists today within the mainstream community where there's a lack of ethnic diversity and outreach to communities of color. Further, when everyone sitting at the gay advertising decision table all look the same, what usually occurs is more of the same type of gay advertising and marketing directives.
“Strategic marketing to the gay community is still young, and arguably less than ten years old. Segmenting a very hard to reach population will take some time and expertise to map given the tools available to market researchers” stresses Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., an advertising firm specializing in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) marketplace.
The Commercial Closet, a non-profit organization which seeks to educate and influence corporate advertisers on LGBT inclusion and stereotypes stated in an online commentary that “few advertisers are yet at a point of being sophisticated enough about the market to begin worrying about anything other than medium-aged white men. Lesbians are widely left out of marketing plans, let alone sub-demographics such as people of color, youth, mature gays, couples, gay-parent families, and more.”
Another reason for such a dearth of ethnic gay marketing is the fact that gay minority populations are not nearly as open about their sexual orientation as their white counterparts, hence making it more difficult to track and market to them directly.
Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr., President/CEO of the International Federation of Black Prides, agrees and compares it to the “duality of race/ethnicity and sexual identify much like the duality of being Black and American that W.E.B. DuBois wrote about one hundred years ago in his book, The Soul of Black Folks. Oftentimes we feel that we have to choose between being either Black or LGBT just like many of us felt that we had to choose to be Black or American. Only during the past few years have many Black LGBT people realized that we can be both Black and LGBT, and celebrate as well as acknowledge both which explains part of the growth of Black Pride over the past ten years.”
Having to overcome racism and historical disadvantage is hard enough, but to also self-identify as gay/lesbian carries with it a double challenged existence, triple challenged if you count gay women of color.
Witeck concurs, stating “anecdotally we see and understand that self-labels are more problematic for many gay black males, and prefer to avoid the identity as gay when seeking sexual intimacy. The 'down low' lifestyle certainly suggests there are identity and community issues that African-Americans address that many white people do not. However, closet behaviors are certainly not isolated to any population or race.”
The 2005 HIM (Hyperion Interactive Media) guide, which tracks the gay/lesbian marketplace confirms the difficulty of self-identifying as a gay person of color stating that “the mix of family pressure, machismo, and other cultural influences each have played their role in keeping these groups more tightly in the closet.”
Hence, the face and voice of gay activism seen and heard most often on the evening news is almost exclusively that of gay white men who ironically still experience “white privilege” despite their challenged status as gay. Often to be gay and white still brings with it a level of access that gay ethnic minorities have never experienced.
Find a Way or Create One
Ironically, the lack of advertising/marketing attention towards the black gay/lesbian community and other gay communities of color has in several ways helped to bolster their own abilities to serve themselves.
Back during the days of racial segregation when Jim Crow laws kept black people out of many public establishments, black communities across the country were forced to ban together in order to create their own economic centers. The more racially segregated the city, the more vibrant the black economic community, hence the creation of thriving black city districts such as Wall Street of Oklahoma City and the bustling corridor of Atlanta's Auburn Avenue.
In an eerily parallel fashion, the same thing has now occurred within the black gay/lesbian community and in other gay communities of color who feel shut out by their white gay counterpart initiatives.
As a result, this has given birth and rise to numerous black gay themed books, magazines, movies and television shows that now proliferate the internet other venues across the country. Publications such as Clikque Magazine, TV shows such as Noah's Arc, and movies such as Brother to Brother, and Ski Trip, and the thousands of black gay/lesbian themed books published over several years now appear through word searches on Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles, and Yahoo search engines websites.
These dramatic facts definitely reflect a community of consumers of black gay themed products and services. In fact, savvy black gay entrepreneurs already realize this and are standing to fill in the gap.
From the black gay owned BB, The Bates House in Oakland, to the black gay focused Matais bookstore in Long Beach, CA, to Atlanta's black gay/lesbian focused business networking organization, Affair With Flair, and several black gay travel companies which provide excursions from exotic cruises to backpacking adventures; the black gay community has managed to quietly thrive under the advertising radar of Madison Avenue.
“We are a huge community with great spending power,” states Dwight Powell, editor of the glossy, nationally distributed, Clikque Magazine. Powell adds: “all year long I come in contact with tens of thousands of people at various events. These are people with great jobs, education and healthy relationships. These are people that own houses and purchase expensive cars. They are frequent travelers, extremely concerned about grooming and fashion, and are avid fans of music. This is an untapped market that much be included in marketing plans.”
In fact, probably the most visible signs of a thriving black gay economic community is the over 30-city Black gay pride circuit which occurs every year in large and mid-sized cities across the country and Canada. Entire weekends and partial weeks are filled with completely black gay focused events from literary salons, empowerment workshops, film screenings, and social gatherings at night clubs, restaurants and in private homes.
According to Fowlkes, of the International Federation of Black Prides, in 2004 alone, “175,000 people attended 30 Black Prides events in the US and Toronto. Atlanta and DC had the largest prides with 35,000 and 25,000 attendees respectively” and the number is estimated to have increased dramatically in 2005.
But despite the impressive numbers, getting advertisers/sponsors on board is still a major challenge. Fowlkes explains, “I was usually shuttled between the LGBT marketing person -- who was usually a white gay man or the Black community marketing person -- who usually heterosexual when I used to solicit sponsorship from companies for DC Black Pride.”
“One would think an event that brings 25,000+ people into a city would be an easy sell. No way! The LGBT person would tell me that they give money to the 'other' pride event despite the fact that most of the attendees of the Black Prides do not participate in the 'regular' pride events. They would send me to the Black community marketing person where I would have to explain the event over and over as well as deal with their homophobia. Sometimes they got it and sometimes they didn't.”
Surprising Trends
In a ground breaking study released in October 2004 by the National Lesbian Gay Task Force, titled “Black Same-Sex Households in the United States: A Report from the 2000 Census,” researchers found that black lesbian couples are raising children at almost the same rate as black married couples, and that black same-gender couples in general are raising children at twice the rate of white same-gender couples although Black same-sex households represent 14% of all same-gender couples in the US.
The Future
As more gay/lesbian African-Americans come out the closet and begin to publicly self-identify as gay, the face and voice of the gay dollar will soon begin to transform. Therein lies the distinct possibility of black gays not only being consumers of gay focused products and services but instead becoming leaders of the direction of gay focused products and services.
Just as white suburban youth now make up substantial sales of hip-hop music in an arena dominated by black faces and voices, the same potential lies for black gay artists in music, fashion, and entertainment within America's gay/lesbian circles.
As we forge further into 2006, the possibilities of the potential power of the black gay dollar appear to just now be awakening and emerging into a new day of opportunity for a previously invisible and untrackable community.
from Dissident Voice
Brokeback Mountain's Ang Lee Wins Filmmaker Of The Year From Directors Guild Of America
The win affirms Lee's position as favorite for best director at the Academy Awards on March 5. He has captured more than 10 honors for his work on the film, which follows a 20-year forbidden love affair between two Wyoming ranch hands. Oscar nominations will be announced Tuesday.
The Directors Guild award is one of Hollywood's best barometers for the Academy Awards. Only six times in the 57-year history of the Guild honors has the winner failed to go on to win the directing Oscar.
Lee was one of them. He won the guild prize in 2001 for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," but Stephen Soderbergh took home the best director Oscar for "Traffic."
This year, Lee bested fellow guild nominees Steven Spielberg ("Munich"), Paul Haggis ("Crash"), Bennett Miller ("Capote") and George Clooney ("Good Night, and Good Luck).
"There's no winner," Lee said before earning the night's top prize. "I think we're all winners because we're blessed. We're filmmakers. What a life."
Based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx, "Brokeback" stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as roughneck sheepherding pals who conceal their homosexual relationship from their families. Ledger and Gyllenhaal have garnered acting nods for their performances from critics groups and the Screen Actors Guild, which will present its awards Sunday.
"Ang Lee is fierce in his timidity, his humbleness and his respect for everyone around him," Gyllenhaal said as he presented the diminutive director with a medallion in honor of his nomination. "He's frustrating and so damn wise."
Ledger was equally generous with praise, thanking Lee for "introducing us to these delicate characters."
"It took a delicate man to tell this story, and that's you," Ledger said.
"I don't know about you," Lee said with a laugh, "but that feels a little gay to me."
The guild prize is particularly meaningful because it's decided by fellow directors, Lee said.
"This is like winning at home," he said. "This is professional approval."
Lee was also nominated for a DGA prize in 1995 for "Sense and Sensibility."
Spielberg, who has earned 10 guild nominations, characterized the year's nominated feature films as "the most courageous" of any he's competed against.
The DGA awards, presented at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel, honored directorial achievements in 10 categories.
Veteran director Clint Eastwood was presented with the guild's lifetime achievement award.
from The Baltimore Sun
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Bar Owners Say Board Blocked Beer Sales Out Of Anti-Gay Bias
The Jackson Board of Zoning Appeals on Monday made no motion to award Medina residents Chris Sullivan and Gene Stewart an exception to the zoning for their property, at 166 Airways Blvd., that would have allowed the owners to serve alcohol.
By not making a motion for approval for the second time in two months, board members effectively killed Sullivan's request for the zoning exception. The exception was needed because the bar is within 500 feet of residential property.
Sullivan said that since the city already had issued him a business and beer license, he felt the exception was denied because of bar's customer base.
"That is about the only thing that it could be," he said. "They say it is because of the residential housing (behind the bar), but there have been places put in near residential areas before."
Board member Max Hart said the board's decision was not based on sexual orientation.
"Nobody's ever brought that up before," he said. "I took the stance that because it was so close to those residents, I would have voted against it even if there was a motion."
Stewart said he and Sullivan are undecided about suing the city to try and recoup the nearly $240,000 it cost to purchase the property and make renovations. He said the city planning department, which recommended the exception be granted, showed that neither extra traffic nor noise from the bar would affect neighbors.
"Paul George (principal planner with the Jackson Planning Department) kept telling them the noise and the traffic (from the bar) would not be a problem," Sullivan said. "That is why I think it is a gay issue."
The appeals board did grant two exceptions in 2005 to bars that were within 500 feet of residential property, according to George.
While no residents living near the bar attended Monday's appeals meeting in protest, an attorney for Dement Construction Co., which has an office next door, did.
He could not be reached Friday for comment.
Board member John Glaze also said he did not know that the bar would cater to gay patrons when he did not make a motion to approve the exception, and that it would not have mattered if he did.
"I do not see where that is applicable to what they are applying for," Glaze said.
from The Jackson Sun
Cut-'Em-Up Killer Sentenced To Two Life Terms
But Richard Rogers, 55, a former surgical nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, refused to explain what drove him to kill.
"You are an evil human being," New Jersey Supreme Court Judge James Citta told Rodgers as he handed him the maximum penalty in Toms River, N.J.
The judge said he hoped "that you die in some hole in some prison without ever having freedom again."
Rogers was convicted of killing Thomas Mulcahy, 56, of Sudbury, Mass., and Anthony Marrero, 44.
"He did it because he could, and because he wanted to," said Tracey Mulcahy, 32, Mulcahy's daughter, her voice breaking as she stood about 10 feet from Rogers in court.
Rogers was caught in 2001 after investigators matched fingerprints taken from the plastic bags containing the remains.
Mulcahy disappeared July 8, 1992, while in New York for a business meeting. One of the last places he was seen was the Townhouse, a gay bar Rogers frequented.
His remains were found a month later - some at a state Department of Transportation maintenance yard in Burlington County, others in a trash barrel at a Garden State Parkway rest stop.
The remains of Marreo, a gay prostitute, were found the next year near a road in Manchester, N.J., also in double-knotted plastic bags.
"We're done. Take him out of here," a visibly upset Citta told sheriff's deputies.
from The Daily News
Anti-Gay Group Is A No-Show At Naval Academy
Members of a Kansas church notorious for its graphic anti-gay rhetoric pulled a no-show at the Naval Academy yesterday, despite getting a protest permit from the city.
The absence of the Westboro Baptist Church and its leader, the Rev. Fred Phelps, was a pleasant surprise to religious and civil rights leaders who denounced the extremists in a scheduled City Hall news conference anyway.
"Quite candidly, we've had enough of bigots coming into the city," said Carl O. Snowden, a civil rights activist and aide to County Executive Janet S. Owens.
The city first learned of the Topeka-based church's travel plans a week and a half ago, when Mayor Ellen O. Moyer got a warning letter from Topeka's mayor.
With his neon-colored signs and offensive language, the Rev. Phelps has drawn outrage for his protests nationwide. At the 1998 funeral of gay lynching victim Matthew Shepard, the Rev. Phelps led protesters who held signs reading "Matt in Hell."
More recently, the church has picketed the funerals of West Virginia coal miners and soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On its Web site, the church links American military losses, Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
Last October, gay and lesbian activists entered the academy grounds to try to talk to midshipmen. And a group of gay and lesbian academy graduates has been stymied in its efforts to form an alumni association chapter.
Under the federal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, service members are barred from coming out or engaging in same-sex acts, and authorities aren't allowed to ask about their sexual orientation.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, the church's lawyer and the Rev. Phelps' daughter, said Thursday the church was coming to Annapolis to protest the academy's acceptance of gays.
"There are only two kinds of people in the Navy ranks today: gays and their enablers," she said.
Church representatives could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon. The Annapolis protest was to be part of a series of pickets this weekend of Loyola College in Baltimore and Baltimore-area churches.
Yesterday's news conference was timed to take place before the protest, which was to be from 12:30 to 1 p.m. in front of Gate 1 at King George and Randall streets.
Michael J. Keller, chairman of the city Human Relations Commission, said it was important for the community to take a vocal stand against hate.
"If these people do show up here, they should know that they are not welcome and never will be welcome in Annapolis," he said.
Clergy at the news conference accused the Rev. Phelps of twisting Christianity to suit his hateful purposes.
"Whenever Christianity is used as a weapon to hurt others, it is not Christianity," said the Rev. Chris Holmes, district superintendent of the Annapolis District of the United Methodist Church.
from The Capital
Martin Lawrence's Penis Pain
The Big Momma's House star grew up in Germany, but had to wait until he moved to America before the circumcision - which is normally carried out at birth - was performed.
He says, "I guess we didn't trust the Germans with the knife. I had it done in America, just past the second grade.
"They had to get that extra meat off so I wouldn't be getting lint and particles up in there.
"I remember afterward I looked down and I wasn't as well-endowed. I went around showing the nurses."
from Contact Music
GLAAD Announces Spanish Language Media Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING NOVELA
Los Sánchez (Azteca América)
Señora del Destino (Telemundo)
La Tormenta (Telemundo)
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL EPISODE (in a series without a regular gay character)
"Los Colores del Arcoiris" Lo Que Callamos las Mujeres (Azteca América)
"Identidad Sexual" Mujer Casos de la Vida Real (Univision)
"La Reina de la Noche" Decisiones (Telemundo)
"La Soledad de Soledad" Lo Que Callamos las Mujeres (Azteca América)
"Todo sea por..." Decisiones (Telemundo)
GLAAD's Spanish-language initiatives are important because of the overwhelming homophobia that exists on Spanish-language television. Their pioneering "People of Color Media Program" has been responsible for the pulling of Fortune 500 advertisers' commercials from programs that express homophobic views on Spanish language networks.
In addition to GLAAD's work in the Latino community, the organization has its base in mainstream media, where it has championed the accurate representation of LGBT characters for over a decade, recognizing media professionals with the GLAAD media awards every year in a start-studded three city event. This year, for the first time ever, the show will air on TV on cable networks LOGO (April 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT) and VH1 (April 16 at 11 p.m. ET/PT).
from VivirLatino
Friday, January 27, 2006
Army Investigates Allegations Involving Gay Porn Web Site
Authorities at Fort Bragg have begun an inquiry into whether the paratroopers' actions violated the military conduct code.
Division spokeswoman Maj. Amy Hannah declined to say how many paratroopers are involved or identify their unit within the division. A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity said up to seven soldiers are involved.
Hannah said soldiers questioned will be allowed to seek legal assistance, but she declined to say if any one had been charged.
"Once the investigation is complete, the chain of command will take appropriate action," Hannah said.
The military-themed Web site does not appear to make any direct reference to the 82nd Airborne or Fort Bragg. The registered owner of the Web site's domain name lists an address in Fayetteville, the city that adjoins Fort Bragg.
E-mails to the registered owner were returned Friday as undeliverable, and the phone number listed on the domain-name registration is no longer in service.
The Web site includes a disclaimer, asking users to agree that they are not agents of the U.S. government, Department of Defense, members of law enforcement or reporters.
Martha Rudd, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon, said soldiers accused of homosexual activity might be removed from their units, although she did not have specific information about the investigation of the 82nd. When asked if the soldiers involved had been moved out of barracks, Hannah declined to comment.
"We are concerned about the privacy and rights of each trooper involved and that they are treated with dignity and respect," Hannah said.
Maj. Todd Vician, a Defense Department spokesman in Washington, said the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy states that "homosexual orientation alone is not a bar to service, but homosexual conduct is incompatible with military service."
"We define homosexual conduct as homosexual acts or verbal or nonverbal communication that a member is homosexual," Vician said.
The 82nd Airborne is one of the most celebrated units in the military. Its 15,000 troops are trained to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
Soldiers from the division have served extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan, and several thousand troops remain overseas.
from Winston-Salem Journal
Gay Colombian Man Who Is HIV-Positive Seeks U.S. Asylum
Luis Fabriciano Rico's initial asylum request was rejected by an immigration judge in 2003, a decision that was upheld by appellate judges. Now, Rico is asking the Board of Immigration to reopen his case, arguing that the persecution of gays in Colombia has shot up in recent years.
The 38-year-old hails from Barrancabermeja, Colombia, which has been under the control of right-wing paramilitary groups in recent years.
His attorney, Leon Fresco, said that since 2003, the groups have targeted anyone perceived to be gay.
"As they drive around, they see you on the road, they think you're gay, and they kill you,'' Fresco said.
Rico filed the appeal Jan. 13. The Board of Immigration Appeals could decide at any time whether to send the case back to an immigration judge or simply deport Rico, Fresco said.
Rico, who worked as an accountant in Colombia, now washes dishes in Orlando and lives with his longtime partner, Juan Carlos Rodriguez.
The couple began dating in Colombia in 1996, where they were both gay activists, Fresco said.
A different judge granted asylum to Rodriguez, who did not mention he was gay.
Rico, 38, first asked for asylum in 2001 for political reasons. He later amended his request to add his fears about specific homophobic threats from the paramilitary groups.
Immigration Judge Rex J. Ford denied that request in 2003. He questioned Rico's credibility because Rico did not include claims related to his sexual orientation in his initial application.
Ford also noted that Rico traveled to Colombia during the time he said he was being persecuted.
Fresco said Rico had suffered from "post-traumatic stress syndrome'' and was afraid to make public his sexuality.
Fresco also said Rico returned to Colombia twice to visit his young daughter, who is being raised by his parents.
The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to rehear the case, saying it could not revisit the facts of the case.
U.S. Reps. Debbi Wasserman Schultz, D-Pembroke Pines, and Corrine Brown, D-Orlando, have sent letters on Rico's behalf.
Professor James D. Wilets, who heads Nova Southeastern University's Inter-American Center for Human Rights, also filed an expert affidavit, noting that attacks on homosexuals in Colombia are significantly on the rise and come from police, military and paramilitary groups connected with the government.
"In the case of Mr. Rico, it is precisely these groups, or groups affiliated with them, that have posed the greatest threat,'' Wilets wrote.
from Sun-Sentinel