Miscellaneous

Marriage Equality Updates

Posted on March 09, 2009
1. Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al.Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) has filed a lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The entire complaint can be found here (PDF). I would encourage people to read it as it spells out the real, tangible harms that same-sex couples experience due to DOMA...

Feminist Friday!

Posted on March 06, 2009
March is women's history month. So today is going to be a Feminist Friday at Fannie's Room.1. What's a Feminist Anyway?Gloria Steinem was recently interviewed by Russia Today. No matter your feelings about Steinem, I think the interview is worth reading, especially because the interviewer is a bit...

"Gender Neutral Masculine" is an Oxymoron

Posted on March 05, 2009

Religion, Science, and Open-Mindedness

Posted on March 04, 2009

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Bizarre Homosex-Obsessed Comic Book

Posted on March 03, 2009

Odds 'N Ends

Posted on March 02, 2009

Nourishment

Posted on February 27, 2009

On Using "Humor" to Shame and Silence Feminists

Posted on February 26, 2009
Yesterday I wrote about some Klassy "humor" by our friend the Playful Walrus. Walrus has written a response complaining that, come on you knew this was coming, "Feminists Have No Sense of Humor" (tm). Accusing feminists of having no sense of humor when they are ridiculed is an expected reaction from someone who has been so clearly called out on his rudeness...

Feminists Are Ugly...... Again

Posted on February 25, 2009
The Townhall blogger who calls himself "The Playful Walrus" has something to say about feminists versus "conservative women": "Thank God! The ACLU is cutting back. Playboy is also in trouble to the point of facing reorganization or a sale. Sure, feminists and unattractive women (or, rather, feminists and other unattractive women) will also cheer at this, but that's okay...

Book Review: The Riddle of Gender

Posted on February 24, 2009
Yesterday I asked what it was that makes us men and women. Many people believe that women and men have inherent differences, and that those differences define what it is to be a woman versus what it means to be a man. While I am willing to concede that men and women (once we know what those two categories of people are) have inherent biological and anatomical differences from each other, I do not think it is accurate to make that claim about all such people...

What Are Women and Men Anyway?

Posted on February 23, 2009
I don't write all that often about transgender issues here. Neither gender theory nor biology are areas in which I have special expertise. Yet, after Seda shared her coming out story here, I decided to explore the concepts of gender, biological sex, and transgenderism further than I previously have...

I'm Back!

Posted on February 20, 2009
Hello everyone. I'm feeling pretty good today, thanks for the well wishes. My tooth extractions were a bit more traumatic than they usually are for people. Apparently, my wisdom teeth had really "deep roots" due to a combination of me being "old" and because I have really strong bones...

Out of Commission For a Day (or Two)

Posted on February 18, 2009
Hello dear readers. Just dropping you a quick note to let you know that I'm not ignoring comments and my daily blog. I had my wisdom teeth "excavated" yesterday afternoon and I promise I will have something to more entertaining to say soon. Like, once I'm feeling a little more human...

Church Killer Gets Life, Manifesto Published

Posted on February 17, 2009
Back in July of 2008, a Tennessee man named Jim David Adkisson with a strong "hatred of the liberal movement" opened fire in a liberal gay-affirming Unitarian church and killed two people. The killer, who was unrepentant and admitted that he committed an ideological hate crime, pled guilty and was recently sentenced to life in prison without parole...

Out From Under More Anti-Gay Propaganda

Posted on February 16, 2009
A few weeks ago, I noticed some "marriage defenders" salivating over a book called Out From Under, by Dawn Stefanowicz. According to the author's website (from which all quotes in this post are taken), this book is the alleged testimonial of a woman raised by a "promiscuous homosexual" man...

Odds 'N Ends

Posted on February 13, 2009
1. Repentant Phelps: "I Made a Mistake"This Phelps.Not this one.Yawn.2. "Yes on 8" Doesn't Mean What She Thought It MeantIn other news, sorry but this made me laugh.Like I said before, sometimes celebrities should just stick to what they do best.3. How Not To Give An ApologyGenerally, an apology is an admission of error coupled with an expression of regret...

Marriage Equality Coming to Illinois?

Posted on February 12, 2009
State Representative Greg Harris (D- Chicago) has introduced the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act which would "provide eligible same-sex and opposite-sex couples with the same treatment as those in a civil marriage." Previously, Harris sponsored the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, which I wrote about here, but it died in committee...

The Patriarchy's Romance With the Bromance

Posted on February 11, 2009
Do the powerful-yet-non-sexual bonds that men form with other men in society work to maintain male domination in public arenas?Heart, at Women's Space, writes:"Evangelical men, in my experience ? for all their apparent devotion to and defenses of wives and families and the traditional family as an institution ? are, for the most part, emotionally homosexual...

9th Circuit Court Rejects DOMA

Posted on February 10, 2009
Two federal employees have utilized a federal court's administrative dispute process to seek spousal benefits that they have been denied based because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In separate decisions, two 9th Circuit judges have found in favor of the employees and, while their decisions do not extend beyond these two cases, have cast doubt on the constitutionality of DOMA...

Walking Away From Aggression

Posted on February 09, 2009
Familiar dramatics from those who believe they are my prosecutor, judge, and jury begin here.While I went to Pearl's place looking for a good conversation, some familiar faces appeared for some familiar treatment. I know that over the years the "marriage defenders" at Opine Editorials and I have exchanged unkind words...

Friday Random Fun!

Posted on February 06, 2009
Sometimes, I think celebrities should just stick to what they do best and not try to get all political. Kelly Clarkson, for instance, recently made an unfortunate statement about feminism and succeeded mostly in displaying her ignorance.Via feministing, observe Clarkson knock feminism for being outdated and unnecessary while simultaneously lamenting that the record industry is a boys' club straight from "the 1950s...

Rightwing Roundup: Fun in the Townhall Echo Chamber

Posted on February 05, 2009
Sit back and relax, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a Townhall.com edition of Rightwing Roundup.1. "Deep Thoughts" With Professor AdamsHow does one know that one is preaching to an anti-gay choir?When one can "write" an article by merely posting the job description for a LGBTQQ Community Coordinator, with little commentary of one's own, because the inanity of it all supposedly just speaks for itself...

Conservapedia: Bringing New Meaning to "Trustworthy"

Posted on February 04, 2009
The other day, I took a little time to browse Conservapedia. In case you aren't aware, this site, founded by Phylis Schlafly's son, regards itself as the conservative right's "answer" to Wikipedia and touts itself as a "Trustworthy Encyclopedia." Wikipedia, meanwhile, regards Conservapedia as "an English-language wiki-based web encyclopedia project written from a young Earth creationist, Americentric, right-wing and Conservative Christian point of view...

Anger, Humanity, and Compassion

Posted on February 03, 2009
Is anger a problem unique to the so-called "Angry Gay Mobs" or is anger a fundamental part of the human condition?As absurd as it sounds to propose that anger is a problem unique to the LGBT community, that is precisely what some so-called marriage defenders have been suggesting with respect to the aftermath of Proposition 8...

Redecoration!

Posted on February 03, 2009
It's the middle of winter. I know you all live all over the place, but where I live it's been a cold, dark winter and I think it's time to bring a little goldenrod into our lives.Fun times.

Monday Good News: A Telling Comparison and a Victory for Transparency

Posted on February 02, 2009
1. Epic ComparisonLaws tend to be different when women have a say in them.2. Victory For GovernmentAs I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a lawsuit arguing that campaign finance disclosure laws should not apply to those who contribute to campaigns seeking to deny marriage to same-sex couples...

Website Review: Opposing Views

Posted on January 30, 2009
I recently came across a very cool and intriguing new site called Opposing Views. One of the editors of the site emailed me requesting a link exchange for its "Gay Issues" page. This site basically serves as a forum for experts to debate various issues relevant to politics, society, health, religion, and money...

Lesbian Head of Government! ...Eh, So Vhat?

Posted on January 29, 2009
Iceland is set to become the first nation with a lesbian head of government. Johanna Sigurðardottir is the current Social Affairs Minister, but with Iceland in economic and political turmoil, she is expected to become prime minister.The best part about this is that in her country, Sigurðardottir's sexual orientation is a non-issue...

Going Beyond Empty Claims

Posted on January 28, 2009
[With UPDATE below]Some of those who oppose same-sex marriage simultaneously claim to support reciprocal beneficiary laws which grant same-sex couples some of the rights and benefits of marriage. For instance, after its instrumental role in the passage of California's Propostition 8, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) claimed:"The Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches...

Study About Suicidality of Gay Kids Hurts Feelings of Intolerant Parents

Posted on January 27, 2009
A study published in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, has found "a clear link between specific parental and caregiver rejecting behaviors and negative health problems in young lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults." In other words, lesbian, gay, and bisexual children whose parents reject them are also more likely to experience negative health problems...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.