My Ex-Bear Life

Stupidly cute kitten

2008-12-18T16:27:00.001-07:00

Stupidly cute kitten.

Letter to Newsweek

2008-12-12T14:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Newsweek editors,

I have many religious friends who accept me for who I am: Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims and believers in Native American spiritual traditions (Navajo) alike.

I also have many friends who are part of these religions, most especially Catholics and Protestants. A large majority of their families accept them for who they are.

It is my personal opinion that a majority of the people in this country (and also the post-industrial world) don't believe that homosexuality is an abomination.

Recently, it was pointed out to me that you published an article (Gay Marriage: Our Mutual Joy) reflecting my opinion when it comes to religion and gayness (particularly gay marriage).

Thank you for that.

I also am aware that you received a bitter reaction to the article from (I assume) members of religious right. Understandably, such a reaction might seem scary to you, to your publishers, and to your corporate sponsors. However, I would like to remind you that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and that such a bulk of mail from one group does not mean that group's views represent a belief per-capita. It just means they hate more effectively.

In fact, the opposite may be true since they have organized themselves against gays on behalf of their own agenda. Their hatred is neither random nor representative, but rather focused. The sun, when focused through a magnifying class, can certainly burn an ant. They want to burn us, Newsweek, and it is your job to stop their childish destruction. You've already spanked them for bad behavior. Now please ignore their temper tantrum and send them to their rooms without dinner.

P.S. -- I quote, "no sensible modern person wants marriage — theirs or anyone else's — to look in its particulars anything like what the Bible describes". I believe some on the religious right would like to have marriage according to the Bible (for instance, Mormons): polygamy, wife-selling, surrogates, slaves, servants and all. Keep that in mind when you rebuff their reactions.

-Me

Lazy Soap Day

2008-11-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

So this morning I was too lazy to actually leave the shower, go to the cabinet and get a new bar of soap. Instead, I used an old bar of SafeGuard that mom had left behind. Normally, I'm very soap-conscious, but today I just felt lazy.

Well. That was a mistake.

When I got to my office this morning I took off my jacket. Much to my chagrin, I smell like a urinal cake.

Why, oh why, would anyone design soap that smells like urinal cake?

La-la-la

2008-11-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Proposition 8 in California passed. Gay people are now constitutionally discriminated against. I never thought, of all places, California would be a hate state. Never. Arkansas, yes. Missouri, yes. Arizona, maybe. But California? Isn't that the gay state? I mean, I think it's their official state motto or something.

Anyway, I'm happy Obama got himself elected. Could you imagine Palin in office? Wow.

I'm also happy that my state went back to 100% liberal. All 5 of our national representatives (2 senators, 3 house members) are now Dems. Good for us. We're not as backward as people think!

Hmm. What else? I went to the podiatrist. He gave me a new foot wrap and some injected steroids. I have plantar fasciitis. Yay! Or, not really. It sucks and will take months to heal. I probably got it by walking around Las Vegas for 72 hours. Those freaking casinos are huge.

Anyway, what else? Not much of public interest. Semi-private thoughts are reserved for the Livejournal blog.

Early Voting at University of New Mexico (UNM)

2008-10-20T10:01:00.001-06:00

We can vote early at UNM this year.

Donate to Stop Proposition 8 - Keep Marriage Legal

2008-10-20T09:43:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I've not posted in over a year. I guess I got burned out on the blogging thing.

Lately, the bug to write and to be active again hit me.

California legalized gay marriage, and the social conservatives are trying to take that right away. Proposition 8 in California will take away that right.

I live in New Mexico, so the only thing I could do was to donate money.

As a poor graduate student, I don't have much to give, but I did it anyway.

And so should you.

Donate here. Give $25. That's a night of movies and popcorn. There are an estimated 15-30 million gay men and women in this nation. If a fraction of those give $25, the EQCA (Equality California) will have enough money to buy enough ads to stop proposition 8 and make equality legal in California (at least until the next election, when the opposition will no doubt sink their money into the pit again).

The Silver Surfer Goes Surfing

2007-08-14T10:32:00.000-06:00

Bunnies

2007-08-13T23:32:00.000-06:00

Rugby Players Kissing

2007-07-28T12:38:00.000-06:00

I like rugby. It's one of the coolest contact sports. The men are beefy and they don't wear gigantic pads like American Footballers. Plus, they're not so self-involved as US athlethes.

Oh. And did I mention. They kiss? Yeah.

Via Jockohomo:

Following last year’s campaign to attract Londoners to Paris, the Regional Tourism Committee of Paris Ile-de-France has once again called upon a French agency, to launch a new ad campaign in Britain’s capital. The campaign uses the offbeat wit of players kissing and the Rugby World Cup to show the world that Paris is also the capital of humour. The Paris region will be hosting several World Cup matches in September, including the final at the Stade de France. Kissing rugby player wallpaper here. Thanks Ben!

Washington State Domestic Partner Law Takes Effect

2007-07-24T21:30:00.001-06:00

Neat! Hey, it's not marriage, but it's a start. Via Towleroad:

News outlets are reporting that "dozens" of couples are lining up at government offices around Washington state today to register as domestic partners under a law that took effect over the weekend.

According to The Olympian, "Couples registered as domestic partners will get enhanced rights, including hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will. But domestic partners aren't getting all the rights that traditionally married couples have, and the registry is not the same as civil unions offered to gay couples in other states. To be registered, couples must share a home, not be married or in a domestic relationship with someone else, and be at least 18."

Now, I wonder if Dan Savage is signed up to get hitched?

Papua Considering Chip Implants for HIV Carriers

2007-07-24T21:28:00.001-06:00

Yikes! Don't you just love the idiots in charge of governments? Why not a triangle patch? Or a barcode? Oh. That's why. Yeah... via Towleroad:

A doctor involved in the preparation of a healthcare regulation bill in the Indonesian province of Papua cited dangerous behavior among some infected with the HIV as the reason lawmakers are considering the use of microchip implants in tracking some HIV carriers.

Said Dr. John Manangsang: "We in the government in Papua have to think hard on ways to provide protection to people from the spread of the disease. Some of the infected people experience a change of behaviour and can turn more aggressive and would not think twice of infecting others. Among one of the means being considered is the monitoring of those infected people who can pose a danger to others. The use of chip implants is one of the ways to do so, but only for those few who turn aggressive and clearly continue to disregard what they know about the disease and spread the virus to others."

What a great idea!

Fla. State Representative Accused Of Soliciting Sex In Men's Room

2007-07-12T23:25:00.001-06:00

Florida state Rep. Robert "Bob" Allen, R-Merritt Island, was arrested Wednesday and charged with soliciting an undercover male officer for sex at a park in Central Florida, according to police.Investigators said Allen was acting suspicious and went in and out of the men's restroom at Veteran's Memorial Park, located on East Broad Street.

read more | digg story

Howard Stern regular Joey Boots comes out of the closet

2007-06-29T19:29:00.001-06:00

I don't watch/listen to Howard Stern -- I don't think he was ever in Albuquerque when he was on radio. But when I saw this picture, I figured, what the hell? This Joey Boots guy is bearish. Why not post the news? Okay, so here it is. Joey Boots is gay:

This week Howard Stern regular Joey Boots came out of the closet as a gay man live on the air. Of course, a Howard Stern revelation wouldn’t be complete without the trash factor. According to HowardStern.com, “Boots then confessed that he was gay, saying he's been going out to gay clubs ‘on the sly’ to ... and otherwise ‘hook up'.” Boots went onto describe the many men he is attracted to — none of which were Howard. Comedian and producer of the Howard Stern radio show, Bob Levy, argued that Boots was only gay because he slept with Lisa Lampanelli — that’s a story I’m afraid to hear!

Cute Cubs on Jerry Springer

2007-06-29T19:09:00.000-06:00

This is a great clip from the Springer show! A guest tricked his way onto the show so that he could profess his love for the Producer. Cute!

True Colors Tour Benefiting HRC (Human Rights Campaign)

2007-06-20T12:50:00.000-06:00

I got this letter from HRC. If you are able to show support by watching the video and perhaps sending a letter to your congressional representative, then please do.

Dear Keith,

When you've been fighting discrimination for as long as I have, you develop a fairly thick skin. But I'll admit, the first time I saw this video, I got chills. It was produced for Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour benefiting HRC, and it's now showing at concerts across the country.

Please watch the video, and share it with everyone you know.

This stirring video has the power to motivate THOUSANDS MORE people to take action for the Matthew Shepard Act.

And that's exactly what we need to do. As I write this, angry radical right-wing leaders are using scare tactics to fire up their base against the Matthew Shepard Act. They're saying it could "send pastors to prison for simply reading a part of the Bible." It's absurd.

Even worse: despite our House victory, we're hearing from Senate staffers that opponents of the Matthew Shepard Act are still beating us five to one in emails, calls, and letters.

Five to one. With the vote approaching and many senators still undecided, we simply cannot allow this to continue. So I'm asking you to turn that ratio around.

Watch the video - and share it with at least FIVE friends.

The vast majority of Americans support the Matthew Shepard Act. There are, quite simply, more of us. But our senators are hearing from more of them.

If every one of us tells five friends to watch the video and take action, we'll make sure they get the message: hate will not win.

Warmly,
Joe Solmonese
President

"Gay Bomb"

2007-06-11T12:28:00.000-06:00

Wow! This is all kinds of fucked up. The military tried to build a "gay bomb" to actually make soldiers want to have sex on the battlefield. HAHAHAHAH!!!!

(CBS 5) BERKELEY A Berkeley watchdog organization that tracks military spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in sex than fighting.

Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS 5 that military leaders had considered, and then subsquently rejected, building the so-called "Gay Bomb."

Millions at Brazil's Gay Pride

2007-06-11T12:23:00.000-06:00

There are some pretty big pride celebrations (except, strangely, in this country -- as the article quotes "tens of thousands" for cities like NYC and San Fran, but hundreds of thousands elsewhere in the world), but I don't know if anything compares to this one in Brazil which attracted 3 million people:

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Millions of people packed the streets of Sao Paulo for what organizers said was the world's largest gay pride parade, dancing and waving rainbow flags in a carnival-like atmosphere to condemn homophobia, racism and sexism.

At least 3 million people filled the canyonlike Paulista Avenue, organizers said, surpassing last year's count of 2.5 million. The larger count was confirmed by a police spokesman who is not authorized to be quoted by name under department rules.

'98 Homosexual-Recruitment Drive Nearing Goal

2007-05-31T10:08:00.001-06:00

This is about as old as it gets (1998 for crying out loud) but still funny as hell. Read it!

"When I was a family man, I constantly had to worry about things like taking the kids to Little League practice, paying for their braces, and remembering my wife's birthday. But now that I'm gay, I'm finally free to focus all my energy on having non-stop, mind-blowing anal sex."

David Hyde Pierce: Sorta kinda out?

2007-05-31T09:55:00.000-06:00

AfterElton Reports that David Hyde Pierce is officially out.

The site claims that the guy who played Niles for a billion years on Frasier has finally come out. I guess?! He didn't really come out. His publicist "confirmed" that he's got a life partner. Mr. Pierce, as far as I can tell, has not released a personal statement.

Well, David, apparently everyone in Hollywood knows you are gay. Of course, everyone in Hollywood knows everyone in Hollywood is gay, but that's another story for another day.

A publicist for David Hyde Pierce yesterday confirmed for AfterElton.com that Pierce is gay and in a long term relationship with Brian Hargrove, a writer/producer/director in Hollywood. Speculation had long swirled around the actor who found fame playing Niles Crane for twelve years on the long running sitcom Frasier.
Pierce had frequently been asked about his private life, but always declined to discuss it. In an interview in the fall of 1993, a reporter for Emmy Magazine asked Pierce about the issue and was told, "Basically, I don't talk about my personal life." That was the stance he continued to adhere to over the years.
Photograph by : TVtropolis.

Anyway, good for him. Another gay actor admits he's gay. Now all we have to do is convince the other 4,999,994 to come out.

Kitty!

2007-05-30T09:31:00.000-06:00

Kitty!

Most cats do not like getting wet - as anyone who has tried to bathe a moggie will know.

But as these pictures show, there's always the exception to the rule. For the cat in question is a large male white Bengal tiger called Odin.

Six years old, and at the prime of his life, Odin lives at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Zoo in Vallejo, near San Francisco. He is about 10ft long from nose to tail, and is an excellent swimmer.

(photo by Westley Hargrave)

Gay Flamingos Adopt Abandoned Chick in Britain

2007-05-23T08:59:00.001-06:00

This is so cute. There are also Gay Penguins (Roy and Silo) in New York City, but they haven't chosen to adopt yet. Originally from Towleroad:

LONDON (AFP) - A pair of gay flamingos have adopted an abandoned chick, becoming parents after being together for six years, a British conservation organisation said Monday.
Carlos and Fernando had been desperate to start a family, even chasing other flamingos from their nests to take over their eggs at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge near Bristol.

When you're talking about birds and the "nesting" instinct, it takes a little bit more than gender identity to overcome mother nature! What would Jerry Fallwell say about this?

Gay British Couple Plan Wedding on UK's Big Brother

2007-05-18T11:04:00.001-06:00

This cute couple of comedians from Britain is claiming that they're going to get married on UK's Big Brother. If it's not a total prank, that would be cute and cool. From Towleroad:

James Joell and Stephen Ireland, a gay comedy duo and couple from Eastleigh, England say they've been added as housemates for the next edition of the UK's Big Brother. Friends of the couple say they plan to marry on the show, which starts May 30th.

...

The show's producers are remaining silent on the couple's inclusion, saying housemates are only confirmed when they pull up to the house in their cars on the program.

When Leading Men Prefer Men

2007-05-16T17:15:00.000-06:00

Apparently all those hundreds of gay leading men in Hollywood movies aren't really gay. They just like getting their butts rubbed by large penises for therapeutic reasons.

People in dark movie theaters will believe just about anything. A boy magically becoming "Big" overnight, the Terminator recast as a pregnant woman…and "Bennifer" in an unconventional romantic comedy. Okay, that last one didn't quite work out, but at least Hollywood took a shot.

But some people say that one thing Hollywood, and audiences, won't believe in, is an openly gay actor playing a leading man.

Yeah, Hollywood. Gay town. Seriously. Try visiting there sometime. Actors. Gay. Gay gay gay. Gay. Gay. Okay. Maybe Jack Nicholson really likes women. But the rest are gay.

Roosevelt prom queen a transgender pioneer

2007-05-16T17:06:00.000-06:00

This is interesting news from the Fresno Bee.

The silver tiara matched his silver stilettos when Johnny Vera was named prom queen Saturday night at Roosevelt High School.

He's the first transgender prom queen in Fresno -- and possibly anywhere.

Vera's win probably didn't surprise anyone who had seen the prom queen candidates' speeches Friday in the quad during lunch. Vera, effeminate and towering in heels, had wrapped his manicured nails around the microphone.

Photo: Mark Crosse / The Fresno Bee

Sexual orientation questions keep Roommates.com from Safe Harbor berth

2007-05-16T15:19:00.001-06:00

From Ars Technica :

Roommates.com found itself on the wrong end of a judicial ruling yesterday as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that asking questions about applicants' gender and sexual orientation removed the site's Safe Harbor protection under the Communications Decency Act.

...

So much for the question portion of the Roommates.com sign-up process. But there's also a free-form answer area at the end of the questions in which users can post anything that they want. The Judge notes in a series of footnotes that past responses have included, "The female we are looking for hopefully wont [sic] mind having a little sexual incounter [sic] with my boyfriend and I [very sic]" and "I am looking for asian/spanish persons to share the apartment." Some of the qualifications that appear in this section might also violate the Fair Housing Act, but the Court found that Roommates.com was not responsible for responses left on an open-ended form (one judge dissented from this part of the ruling).