Harper's Announcement

It has probably become terribly obvious by now that I simply don't have the time to keep this blog going. I'm a pre-med, and my days are filled with physics, orgo, and biology.

I don't regret having started this blog. I'm thankful for what happened here; I loved putting out ideas and opinions and having new thoughts returned to me from others out there in the world wide web.

I'm not going to take Dyke Squad down. Also, I am not speaking for the other contributers - Ion, Cass, and the roommate. They may still post from time to time - it's up to them. And maybe some day I will have time to come back here.

Thank you for reading. I'm thankful for all the readers and those who commented.


Down with the patriarchy!

Return of the gay sheep

Here's an update (from Crooks and Liars) on that gay sheep thing, if you're interested.

Me? I just like the term "gay sheep." Makes me giggle. I like to giggle - it makes me feel good.

Gay Jews

The committee on Jewish Law and Standards for the Conservative movement of Judaism, the highest legal body, ruled to allow commitment ceremonies for gays and ordination of gay rabbis. General acceptance/removal all bans is basically still under debate. There was a motion to remove all bans, and it was defeated [for now, I hope]
This is is still good news. Here is my cheap and lacking explanation of Judaism's groups: There are 3 main branches of Judaism, Reform, traditionally the most open, least strict to laws one, Orthodox, the most, and Conservative, in between. If I belong to a branch, I am conservative. So say I want to marry a woman-I can't. But I can get my conservative rabbi to perform a commitment ceremony (of course, individual rabbis can choose not to) and I can after that happens go become a rabbi. The latter part is better than the former, but it is acceptance and a recognition of rights. And the more open gays go become rabbis, the more that will help. So, I see this as good news. Feel free to disagree.

Harmless wreath ... or instrument of SATAN?

Ow. Reading news sometimes hurts my head.

A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.

Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said. [source]

Ah, the Christmas season....

Say it proud

Can I take a moment and say how glad I am that these young and popular stars are coming out? A few weeks ago it was T.R. Knight from Grey's Anatomy, and just yesterday I heard about Doogie freakin' Howser (who has a real name too, I know).

I was very excited when George Takei came out and I applaud his courage. But I'm also very aware he did it years after he stopped being a regular face on TV. And I'm not saying it isn't understandable he decided to wait until after the millenium to come out. (Although it should be noted that those involved in the Trekkie world considered this the world's worst kept secret. But many, many of us not in that world did not know). Given the choice between coming out in the sixties and 2005, I'd choose the latter. At the same time, if no one has the courage to do something while it's difficult, how can the world change?

Yet, I want to make it clear that I still support George Takei and I'm very proud of him. I mean, come on. It's Sulu, people!

But I digress. What I'm trying to say is that while I'm proud of George Takei and glad for him, I can barely express how excited I was when T.R. Knight came out. Grey's Anatomy is an Emmy winning show, and whether you watch it or not, you can't deny that it's enjoying some spectacular popularity right now. And here's a young actor from said show, who is in the prime of his life and enjoying the success of his show, and he also has the courage to come out!

Plus, just look at his press release:

"I guess there have been a few questions about my sexuality, and I'd like to quiet any unnecessary rumors that may be out there. While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me." [source]

Now that is how one comes out.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any more exciting, Neil Patrick Harris comes out, too. He too did it with pride:

"(I) am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest," Harris tells People magazine's Web site. [source]

In this day when the big coming out stories follow men who are attracted to 16 year olds (Foley) or others who preach hatred while buying meth and maybe/maybe not having sex with gay escorts (Haggard), I think it's more and more necessary for these brave and cool young men and women to come out. No scandal surrounds Knight and Harris - just pride.

(And on the Foly note, this is an excellent article I just read in The Advocate discussing the price of Foley's scandal).

Tax dollars = no more gay sheep

Sweet monkeys, sometimes those crazy heterosexuals crack me up.

Openly gay tennis icon Martina Navratilova is condemning hormone-altering experiments on “gay sheep” at Oregon State University (OSU) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) that seek to manipulate sheep’s sexual preferences and make them heterosexual.


OHSU experimenter Charles Roselli is drugging pregnant sheep to prevent the actions of hormones in their fetuses’ brains and cutting open the brains of rams he calls “male-oriented” (homosexual) in an attempt to find the hormonal mechanisms behind homosexual tendencies so that they can subsequently be changed. Roselli’s cohort, Frederick Stormshak of OSU, has surgically installed an estrogen device in rams’ bodies in an effort to alter “gay sheep’s” sexual preferences and make them heterosexual. According to the grant applications, the experimenters plan to extrapolate the test results to humans—with the insidious implication that homosexuality in people can be “cured.” The tests are funded by taxpayers through the year 2008. [source]

Well done, people. Well done.

(Found via PageOneQ).

Gay Bibles

So Condoleezza Rice recently swore in Mark Dybul as our new global AIDS coordinator, and during the ceremony she refered to Dybul's partner's mother as Dybul's "mother-in-law."

“I am truly honored and delighted to have the opportunity to swear in Mark Dybul as our next Global AIDS Coordinator,” Rice said. “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,” she said.

“You have a wonderful family to support you, Mark, and I know that’s always important to us. Welcome,” Rice said. [source]

A few people have mentioned that despite Rice's mistakes (and there are many), this was pretty cool of her. I agree - pretty darn cool.

Okay, so here's the fun part. So AMERICAblog pointed out this article from The American Family Association. It's insulting for, like, fifty-billion reasons (check out the quotes about letting a gay man head an AIDS program is like letting foxes in the henhouse - I'd be more offended if these people didn't make me laugh out loud).

This is my favorite part, though:

Dybul, who was confirmed by the Senate two months ago but was just sworn in due to scheduling conflicts with Secretary Rice and Mrs. Bush, is the nation's third openly homosexual ambassador. The other two no longer hold their positions. According to news reports, in all three cases the men's homosexual partners held the Bible on which the oath of office was sworn.

Oh, yeah, that's right: the AFA went there.

The government has allowed gays to hold Bibles.

Oh noes! THE QUEERS HAVE CONTAMINATED OUR HOLY BOOKS! TO THE HILLS, PEOPLE!