LGBT WORLD DAILY NEWS

Michael Jackson Tramps It Up in Heels

Sure, we may love the Mark Foley scandal story, but we really love a good Michael Jackon's a big fucking weirdo story.

It seems Jackson's not content being known for his astonishing talent, alleged penchant for little boys, and keeping his children under black veils, now he's adding cross-dresser to his list of tabloid-ready insanity.

We've got nothing against cross-dressing, of course. We've been known to put on a pair of heels and march around with the best of them (one of the Queerty boys once performed "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" in a red-leather dress under his drag identity, Steamy Puddles), but Jackson really should have put a little more thought into this one. Unless, of course, he wants the entire world to continue making fun of him, which at this point must be getting a little old. Although, maybe he's into being punished and all that.

If that's the case, he probably has a huge erection right now. (Ew, did we really just make a reference to Michael Jackson's erect penis? We need to take a shower...)

Reporter Who Outed Foley Knew of Conduct

We know you kids can't get enough of this Mark Foley scandal, so here's link to The Advocate's Q&A with Kurt Wolfe, the reporter who outed Foley in an Advocate article a decade ago.

While the entire thing's a good read, what we find particularly interesting is that one of Wolfe's sources in the story was a congressional page who Foley had sent sexually explicit emails. Wolfe says:

One of our sources for Foley had been a [congressional] page. He was an adult when I was speaking to him, but he was a minor when he was a page. He told me that he had been the recipient of many inappropriate sexual communications from Foley. That changed the whole story. I contacted [Foley’s] offices for comment. I told them that we were running the story and that one of our sources was a former male page. The response was pretty nasty and ended with a hang-up. Now the angle is now “who knew what, when.” I can’t [attest] to the current [GOP] leadership [knowledge], but I can [attest] to Foley’s staff. They were notified.

Kirk Fordham To Testify Today

Today's the day we've all been waiting for: Mark Foley's former employee, Kirk Fordham, will be going before the House Ethics Committee to say, yet again, that he told Speaker Hastert about Foley's inappropriate behavior with Congressional pages.
CNN reports:

A source familiar with his account of events told CNN that Fordham will say he notified Scott Palmer, Hastert's chief of staff, three or four years ago about a report that Foley had shown up drunk at the dormitory that houses the teenage messengers.

We're not really sure why the Ethics Committee has to go through all of this - Fordham's just going to repeat himself, then Hastert will call him a liar and we'll be no closer to the so-called truth. Oh well, anything to make Congress not look like complete buffoons, right?

Gay History Month Madness!

A few weeks ago we made a passing, happy endings related mention to a school in Philadelphia that planned on including gay history in its academic schedule. Of course, the more conservative parents got their panties in a twist and raised a stink. Well, that stink just got way more pungent.

Gathering at Kings High School, a group of concerned citizens got together to discuss the issue. That discussion, however, turned into a full-fledged war of words as people insisted that the move was a blemish on the school's fine educational standards. The Philadelphia Daily News quotes some angry residents:

"I am requesting that you rescind this gay and lesbian pride month. Issue new calendars for October and call this month anti-violence month, reading month," said Ann Martin, a grandparent and ex- school district employee.

"Shame on you. Shame on you," she said, shouting at the school officials. "It's never too late to right a wrong. What were you thinking?"
Robert Gray, of the African American Freedom and Reconstruction League, stood as his wife read his statement: "The children aren't taught to read, write and master life-survival skills. However, our children are being taught gender preference. This is totally unacceptable."

What we can't understand is why people get so fucking bent out of shape about gay history. It could be way worse: it could be serial killer appreciation month or rape that girl right there month, both of which would certainly be worse than a little homo history.

Queer critters on display: Museum exhibits gay animals

ACLU clarifies why selling vacuums is different from protesting other things that suck

A recent incident in Warrenton, VA -- in which a local police officer told volunteers from the pro-gay Commonwealth Coalition to stop going door-to-door campaigning against the state's proposed constitutional marriage ban because, he claimed, they were in violation of a local anti-solicitation ordinance -- has prompted the ACLU to step in and say, "Oh, no, no, no, no, coppers -- political campaigning is not solicitation; it's protected by the First Amendment!"

Local authorities do seem pretty open to the ACLU's clarification, with Police Chief Connie Novak telling the AP:

"The average person doesn't know the difference in the law, and a lot of times they don't want people knocking on their door talking about politics," she said. "If it's a matter of clarifying to my officers, I will certainly do that."

To which we respond: "Hell, ACLU -- seeing how responsive the local authorities are, maybe you guys should take the time to explain to them why the kinds of bias and discrimination that the state's marriage ban would validate are the local elements truly worthy of arrest."

ACLU Asks Virginia Police Chiefs to Educate Personnel on the Rights of Political Canvassers [ACLU]
ACLU tells police chiefs that canvassing is protected [AP via Daily Press]

FOF #406 - Ask Miss Ronnie Anything - 10.12.06

Hello there babies! The "bomba atomica" of podcasting, Miss Ronnie and me the "chupacabra" of podcasting Fausto Fernós answer your very important questions about life, love and the nature of the universe.

How do you pick up guys at the gym? Do you practice santeria? Do you belive in reincarnation? Why are nerds so hot? Listen as we answer every single question honestly and truthfully. EVERYTHING.

We taped this show spontaneously as the good people of the world instant message them as we taped the show! Put us in your buddy list:
feastoffools4u
[If you have Yahoo Instant Messenger, it's also feastoffools4u]

If you ever see us online and we're taping a show, be sure to pose a question!

Don't hold back and take a big bite of the Feast of Fools podcast.

Put the FOF on your MYSPACE page, homepage or blog and we'll give you a shoutout:
•Buzz
•Pup Don
•Rochelle
(Be sure to send us an email to let us know.)

Featured Music:
Baby Teeth - The Baby Teeth Album: iTunes | Amazon
Linda Clifford: iTunes | Amazon | MySpace

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CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Page: Foley touched page on House floor
Michigan Daily (Univ. of Mich.) | Oct. 12 at 11:37 AM ...

10/12/2006 10:37:00 AM [Washington Blade BladeWire]

HIV-positive man accused of trying to infect 16 men
Sydney Star Observer | Oct. 12 at 11:24 AM ...

10/12/2006 10:24:00 AM [Washington Blade BladeWire]

Birds and bees may be gay - museum exhibition
Reuters | Oct. 12 at 10:15 AM ...

10/12/2006 9:15:00 AM [Washington Blade BladeWire]

ABC News: Gay Power in the Election
ABC News: Gay Power in the Election
10/12/2006 8:49:57 AM [PageOneQ.com Latest]

Fracas: Gay History Month in PA schools
text
10/12/2006 8:49:57 AM [PageOneQ.com Latest]

Sup. Ct. tosses marriage case back
text
10/12/2006 8:49:57 AM [PageOneQ.com Latest]

These birds & bees are not so straight
text
10/12/2006 8:49:57 AM [PageOneQ.com Latest]

Committee: Did Hastert staff know?
House Ethics Committee to focus on what three Hastert staffers knew and when they knew it.
10/12/2006 8:49:57 AM [PageOneQ.com Latest]

3 robbery suspects face charges
Three face hate crime charges after gay-targeted robbery attempt results in severe injury.
10/12/2006 8:49:57 AM [PageOneQ.com Latest]

Black Gay Man Severely Beaten in NYC

DEVELOPING STORY - New York police have arrested a suspect in the hate crime attack on 28-year-old Michael Sandy. Sandy was reportedly lured to the location where he was attacked by an Internet scheme targeting gay men. Once he arrived at the location, he was attacked by a group of four white men. Sandy escaped from his attackers and fled to the street, where he was struck by a car Sunday evening.

In the latest developments, police now consider the attack to be an anti-gay hate crime, although some see it more as a robbery. It's also not entirely clear what role the victim's race played in the attack. At many as four white suspects have been held in custody involving the attack. Sandy is reportedly close to death and unable to breathe on his own, and the family may decide as early as today whether to remove the life support that is preventing him from dying. If he were to die, that would potentially change the charges filed against the suspects. Some reports indicate that Sandy is currently brain dead.

The sad irony of all this is that Thursday will be Sandy's birthday, according to one news report. It's all too much to take at once.

It's a shame that these types of hate crimes are still taking place in 2006. And for all its diversity and liberal policies, New York is no safer than anywhere else it seems. This is a serious crime and it deserves serious attention. Even if it was a robbery attempt, the fact that it targeted gay men would suggest that it was also a hate crime. It's encouraging that police seem to have charged at least one suspect with a bias attack, but it's disturbing to hear an unnamed police official say that it wasn't a hate crime simply because it was a robbery.

Meanwhile, State Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) said he would push to have the park's closing time moved to dusk. The park's closing time had previously been moved to 9 p.m. in 2002, following the stabbing death of a voyeur who wanted to watch another man's girlfriend perform a sex act. "It was originally intended to be a family gathering place, a recreational facility for the community," Kruger said. "Through the years it evolved into nothing more than a snakepit of illegal activity." He also called for installing video surveillance cameras in the park. "We'll do whatever we have to to return it back to the community," he said.

No matter what happens to the park in the future, prosecutors have a responsibility to push for the highest possible charge against the defendants. Many people in the community will be watching closely.

Source: Keithboykin.com

[jasmynecannick.com]

For Nat'l Coming Out Day

The homobigots behind the Wisconsin marriage amendment


That's Julaine Appling above. She's executive director of the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin ("preserving marriage and family, life and liberty"), and serves as president of Vote Yes for Marriage.

I guess we could call her Wisconsin's Daddy D (would that make her "Momma A"?). She's the queen of the homobigot soundbite, as she works the final stretch to try to pass a marriage amendment in her state. Her organization is affiliated with Focus on the Anus, the Family Research Council and the Alliance Defense Fund, so these folks are part of the machine.

All of these organizations know that Wisconsin is a battleground. It has the best chance of being the first state to turn away a marriage amendment at the ballot box. Current polls show 51% back the amendment barring same-sex marriage and civil unions, 42% are opposed -- 7% are undecided. Turnout will be key.

Fair Wisconsin has put together a page of Appling's "Greatest Hits," and they are as unhinged as the best of the AmTaliban (the site includes audio clips). Here's a taste from Behind the Ban:

"We're no Missouri; we're no Mississippi; we're not Alabama and Georgia... we live in the shadow of Madison. With heavy pockets of people engaged in the behavior of homosexuality in Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse, and other major population areas as well."

"What they're telling us is they are really much more interested in destroying marriage than in redefining it to include their perversion."

"I think we've been extremely tolerant in allowing [homosexuals] to live wherever they choose."

Small Plane Crashes Into NY Bldg.
A small plane reportedly crashed into a Manhattan residential building this afternoon. The plane crashed some time around 3 p.m. today into a 50-story apartment building on East 72nd Street. CNN reported that the FAA closed down LaGuardia Airport and NORAD scrambled fighter jets over various American cities. However, the White House reports no evidence of terrorism related to the crash. The New York City Fire Department reports at least one fatality from the accident. As of 3:50 p.m., the fire appeared to be mostly contained. At 4:45 p.m., CNN reported that the plane was registered to New York...[keithboykin.com]

links for 2006-10-11

• The Second Coming (TV serial) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Just saw this last night. Magnificent ending
  (tags: movies)

Aircraft crashes into Manhattan building

(AP Photo/Courtesy WCBS-TV)

How could the pilot be so far off course? The plane plowed into the 20th floor. (AP):

A small plane crashed into an Upper East Side high-rise Wednesday, shooting flames out the windows, raining debris on the sidewalks below and rattling New Yorkers' nerves exactly one month after the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. Police confirmed 2 people are dead.

Christine Monaco, a New York spokeswoman for FBI, said there was no indication of terrorism, but that officials "have been sent to the scene as a routine." FAA spokesman Jim Peters said all three New York City-area airports were operating normally.

Condi recognizes partner of new AIDS Coordinator at swearing-in ceremony

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"I am truly honored and delighted to have the opportunity to swear in Mark Dybul as our next Global AIDS Coordinator. I am pleased to do that in the presence of Mark's parents, Claire and Richard, his partner, Jason, and his mother-in-law, Marilyn...You have a wonderful family to support you, Mark, and I know that's always important to us. Welcome.
-- Condi, in remarks as she administered the oath of office to openly gay physician Mark Dybul, the new U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

"I know you'll bring great skill and enthusiasm to the fight against AIDS," Laura Bush said. "Congratulations, ambassador."

...Dybul, a nationally recognized expert on AIDS care and prevention, had been serving as acting Global AIDS Coordinator since January, when Bush appointed his predecessor, pharmaceutical industry executive Randall Tobias, as head of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Rice's public recognition of Jason Claire as Dybul's domestic partner and her reference to Claire's mother as Dybul's "mother-in-law" is certain to delight gay activists while raising the eyebrows of conservative Christian leaders.

How not to do it, perv
Barenaked Joe's post, Mark Foley: Worst Coming Out Story Ever, hits the mark (no pun intended). A snippet:

Dear Mark Foley,

It really is a shame that as an out gay man you are spending your first National Coming Out Day today in "rehab" (wink, wink). But really, Mark, perhaps it's best that you stay out of the limelight for now, because besides the fact that gays don't want to claim you, your coming out story is a tragic tale.

...The ultimate point is you used the government page program that asks parents to entrust their kids' well being in congress as your own personal farming operation to find underage guys you perceived to be gay, hot, or interested. Then you contacted them once they got home and hoped to hook up with them when the became "legal." While it's still a question whether you've done anything illegal, it's pretty creepy, man, and certainly conduct unbecoming anyone who uses the word "The Honorable" in his title. (I mean I knew there were chickenhawks in congress, but still.)

Mark, THAT ISN'T HEALTHY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR. You must have been begging to get caught. That amount of hubris either comes from a feeling of absolute power or self-destruction. Were you crying out to be able to be out? Were you so desperate to not disrupt your Republican Lifestyle on the surface that you had to unconsciously risk everything in order to be who you really are?

Because uptight fundamentalists are bugged by actually acknowledging reality, they've manipulated their religion into an oppressive weapon. Along the way, Republicans like yourself sold out their conservative party to these fundamentalists and have risked turning America into a theocracy during one of our most trying times as a country. It must have been getting tough on you, Mark, to pick up that gay-bashing weapon to win votes. Was that weapon getting so heavy on your shoulders that you were willing to get caught in a scandal that will end up being the nails in the Coffin of Republican Congressional Rule? Wow! Talk about self-destructive behavior. You've brought the whole government down with you!

It was when you started to be called "disgraced" and "a pedophile" that you were willing to say, through your lawyer, that you are "a gay man." Well, Mark, I guess it's a start. It's a horrible start following possibly the worst gay coming out story ever, but it's a start.

Beyond Repair, Reprised

Good as you has a great rant posted about the “ex-gay” fallacy, and I can’t resist getting in on it, mainly because the part about the “countless folks who have left” the “ex-gay” lifestyle reminded me of a previous post titled “Beyond Repair,” that got lost in a database crash (thats what I get for not backing up my database regularly). In that post I linked to a few more such stories, as well as some articles from “reparative therapy” groups that have themselves abandoned the idea that they can change anyone’s sexual orientation

For what it’s worth, I’ve rescued the code from the Google cache and posted it in full here, just so I don’t have to go looking for it again. And because it seems like too good of a rant to let disappear, especially if it can be added to another great rant.

§§§

Note: The discussion of homosexuality in black communities at The Black Informant continued today with an entire post dedicated to the question of whether anyone is “Born Gay.” Basically, he eschews scientific studies or opinions, and presents “testimonies” of “ex-gays” while declaring them “factual” proof of his belief that gays can change their sexual orientation. My last couple of comments seem to have been swallowed up by the internet, so I thought I’d post one of them here and at least trackback there. If nothing else, perhaps some discussion will break out here as well.

During the discussions on that post and a previous one, I’ve noticed some strange responses to some of my comments, that were just so weird that they leave me thinking that for all the discussion, Duane — as well as some of the commenters — aren’t even speaking the same language. First, a remark I made in response to the near obsession with “reproduction” to the effect that, thanks to the mystery of modern science, being gay doesn’t mean I can’t reproduce. I meant artificial insemination/surrogacy. Duane thought I wanted to get pregnant.

Another commenter thought I wanted heterosexuals to wear t-shirts declaring their orienation. Completely missing the reality that heterosexuals declare their orientation in myriad ways, on a daily basis, without the need of a t-shirt. Meanwhile, Duane doesn’t get the distinction that by simply going about my life as openly as the average heterosexual I’m not announcing what I do in the bedroom any more than the average heterosexual guy does by simply going about his life. Somehow the standard is different, and my family and I are either supposed to hide out in a cave somewhere, or just accept the consequences of discrimination or hostility.

To say the least, it’s been an adventure. Educational at times, and mystifying at other times. But It seems pretty clear that some of the participants in the discussion are as immovable in their positions as I probably am in mine.

So, what follows is my last contribution. I figured it should see the light of day here if not there.

On the first point, I’m aware that I’m in the minority (again) when it comes to sexual orientation. However, I disagree that being openly gay equates advertising what I do in the bedroom. It makes it clear who I’m with in the bedroom, same as for heterosexuals. If you’re married, and you introduce me to your wife, I know you share a bed. But that’s all I know. I don’t know who does what to whom in bed unless you specifically tell me.

If I introduce you to my partner, you know who I share a bed with, but not what we do in bed. I’m not sure why you can’t see or refuse to see the distinction since it applies both ways. The way you put it sounds like the best thing for me to do would be to go back into the closet and stay there. Sorry, been there, done that, hated it, not going back.

On the testimonies you mention in the post, if I don’t know any of those individuals, how can I prove them wrong? By the same token I can post similar testimonials from ex-”ex-gays” (they do exist) who say that it didn’t work for them; that all it did at the most was make them change their behavior without removing the desire, and thus setting up a impossible psychological conflict for them.

You mention Anne Paulk, but fail to mention her spouse John Paulk and his “slip” in a D.C. gay bar a while back, which got him spanked by Exodus Int’l. The Paulk’s may still be married, but he’s not the ex-gay poster boy he used to be.

And there are “testimonies” from ex-ex-gays too; people like Ron Poindexter, who was involved in “reparative therapy” from high school until the age of 31 and found it didn’t work for him.

There’s John Evans, a founder of an “ex-gay” therapy group who wrote a letter to the effect that it doesn’t work and that he’s seen “shattered lives, depression and even suicide” among some participants in those groups.

There’s Jeremy Marks, founder of another “ex-gay” therapy group who says “we learned this ministry policy was ruinous to the lives of people we were there to help.”

There’s Janet Rix, whose observation of cult-like tendencies in her “ex-gay” group led her to distance herself from it.

Within the group - and within myself as a member of the group - I recognized the unhealthy signs of addiction. The group fostered conformity and dependency rather than personal maturity and responsibility. I’d set an unrealistic goal, then work toward it until I felt exhausted, then feel like a failure because there were no results. I’d feel guilty as if I wasn’t trying hard enough and then start the whole process over again.

Wade Richards was another “poster boy” who spoke at national “ex-gay” conferences and gave media interviews, but realized after going through the whole program he was still gay.

Peter Toscano is another “ex-gay survivor” who’s created a performance piece about his experience in the “ex-gay” movement (soon to be a book). Toscano spent years in one of those programs and decribes a “mock funeral” for one participant and a suicide attempt by another during that time. He also maintains a blog.

And there are more stories like those out there. There’s even a booklet about some of them.

Just last year there was a series of articles in Salon.Com stating that the very therapy you recommend failed some people and even left them suicidal.

Duane, you seem to disdain scientific studies and instead rely on “testimonies” like the ones you presented, and declare them “factual” proof of your point. But there are also personal “testimonies” from the opposite view, from people for whom “reparative therapy” not only didn’t work, but did more harm than good. What to make of those “testimonies”?

The same principle you mentioned for your testimonies would seem to apply: you can’t prove they’re not true, so you’d have to take them at their word too, as you say you have with those of us who have commented here. The only difference is who gets the blame when it doesn’t work, and typically “reparative therapy” advocates blame the individual for “not trying” hard enough, not “praying hard enough” or “not having enough faith,” etc., even after spending years and years in these programs.

Put the two points of view together and it’s not a question of “It didn’t happen or work for ME, so they must be lying.” At best it’s a matter of “It may work for some people but not for others.” Human sexuality isn’t black and white, with everyone on one side of the line or another. It’s more of a continuum, with two extremes at either end and a lot of people at various points between. There are people who are somewhere between exclusive homosexuality (where I happen to be on the continuum) and exclusive heterosexuality, with stronger leanings in one direction than the other. Even then, attempting “reparative therapy” may not work for them.

Even christian organizations and publications have begun to make a shift towards that view, signaling a change in the conventional wisdom on the subject. The Catholic organization founded by Jeremy Marks, mentioned above, has stopped trying to change sexual orientation and shifted to encouraging those who come to them to simply “lead chaste lives”.

A 2000 article, “The Opening of the Evangelical Mind” notes what two Fuller Seminary Theological seminary sociologists a while back wrote:

We acknowledge that some gay Christians may choose to commit themselves to a lifelong, monogamous homosexual union, believing this is God’s best for them. They believe that this reflects an authentic sexuality that is congruent for them and their view of Scripture. Even though we hold to the model of a heterosexual, lifelong, monogamous union, our compassion brings us to support all persons as they move in the direction of God’s ideal for their lives.

Fuller’s culture of inclusion, though reluctant to endorse homosexuality, has no problem condemning homophobia. “It is important for Christians to understand the great pain many homosexuals have experienced and to be compassionate to them,” the Balswicks write, and many at Fuller agree. “Did God make gay people gay?” I was asked by Lewis Smedes, perhaps Fuller’s most famous theologian, who is now a professor emeritus. Obviously not, he said, for God created human sexuality to make children. But, he continued, God also did not ask mothers to give up their children — yet because they do, Smedes and his wife were able to adopt children of their own. “We have to do the best with what we have” is the lesson Smedes takes from his own life, and he sees no reason why gays and lesbians cannot be just as Christian as he is.

That same year, even Christianity Today wrote:

Too often our idea of such community begins and ends with referring people to a chapter of an “ex-gay” ministry like Exodus International and bidding them Godspeed. Evangelicals have much to learn from the Roman Catholic ministry known as Courage, which measures success more by chaste lives than by changed orientations. We affirm that God does heal wounded sexual identities, but we recognize that such healing often involves some of the most difficult psychological work imaginable. In a fallen world, insisting that all homosexual Christians must change their orientation is as reckless as the sexual Left’s stubborn denial that anybody can make such changes.

They’re all a long way from waving rainbow flags, but these statements suggest that even among people of christian faith, there’s at least some consideration on the subject of whether sexual orientation can be changed or not, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus.

If nothing else, the jury is out. There isn’t any definitive prove that sexual orientation is or isn’t genetically determined, or that it can or can’t be changed; even you count personal “testimonies” as factual evidence. We don’t know what makes some people gay and some people not. We have beliefs, and personal stories on both sides of the question, but we don’t know concretely.

And at the end of the day, if you ask me, it doesn’t matter why I am or anyone else is gay. What matters is that we’re treated equally before the law and as human beings.

§§§

Of course, that was from a discussion that went nowhere fast and probably shouldn’t have been joined in the first place. But it did offer a glimpse of the depth of delusion we’re dealing with. I mean, what I said as a reference to surrogacy was taken to mean that I wanted to get pregnant. And I’m not sure where the idea that I wanted heterosexuals to advertise their sexual orientations on daily basis (don’t they already?) came from.

There’s more evidence of that lately. Ex-Gay watch notes that an Exodus International spokesman recently said on the radio that gays don’t exist. Meanwhile, Queerty that the president of Exodus International says most gays don’t care about discrimination. But, wait. For most gays to not care about discrimination, and even there to be any discrimination for gays to not care about, gays would have to exist first. After all, a non-exisant group of people can’t be concerned about anything, because they don’t exist, and thus nothing could happen to them for them to be concerned about. Because they don’t exist.

These guys are in the same organization. Maybe next time they pass each other in the hall they can compare notes on this one, and get their stories, um. Straight?