I don't watch TV, partly because I never have the time and partly because, well..... TV just sucks nowadays. I think I will give this one a shot. Who's family isn't dysfunctional? It also promotes and features a gay couple who adopts (yeah, so I'm partial to the whole adoption thing and might be a little bias). I'm at least going to support ABC for airing a show with a gay couple. I'm sure it will sit in my DVR forever along with everything else "I'm going to watch", but dammit I'm gonna try. You can use the link below for a sneak preview.
Once in awhile, something comes along that really stands out. For ABC, that’s our new Wednesday comedy MODERN FAMILY, one of the most talked-about new shows on any network this fall. The much-anticipated premiere is Wednesday, September 23rd at 9/8c, but ABC wants you to have the opportunity to see it now.
MODERN FAMILY is a new comedy about three unique households who all make up one big happy family. The relatable situations, big personalities, and contemporary themes will make you laugh out loud and want to come back for more.
Click here to go to ABC.com now to watch. Your password to launch the screening is w5e4aquy. But act quickly – the code expires on Sunday, September 20th at 12:00pm PT.
Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello calls MODERN FAMILY “the funniest show I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” See for yourself what everyone is talking about, and tell your friends to watch the premiere Wednesday, September 23rd at 9/8c on ABC.
I just wanted to thank everyone who came out last night for the Dinner & Derby social. I met a lot of new people and had a wonderful time. A special thanks to Donald who was the only man brave enough to come out and mingle with 13 lesbians and one undecided (you know who you are). Under different circumstances that would have been every man's dream. I just hope it wasn't too much of a nightmare for you!
So, I had never watched roller derby before. It was fun! Once I understood the rules and how the teams scored it was more enjoyable. I must say I was a little disappointed because there weren't any brawls, one can only hope for next time (bad Brooke). The V-Town Derby Dames will hold their next bout on October 10th for those of you who will not be in DC or SF. They will be competing against Fresno which should make for a nice local match. Doors open at 6:00 and the bout starts at 7:00. I hear the after party can get a little crazy so you can participate in that as well. All in all we had a good time and will definitely go again. We might even have one of our "own" trying out for the team, all the more reason to get involved!
Stay tuned for many more social events to come. Don't forget Family Fest is October 4th, maybe I can get some of the Derby Dames to come out to mingle. Hint, hint. Wink, wink
The
Advocate
has learned that Democratic representatives Jerrold Nadler of New York, Tammy
Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Jared Polis of Colorado will be introducing
legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act next Tuesday. A Democratic
aide confirmed that a press conference to announce the bill will be held
September 15 at 11 a.m. at the House Triangle.
The source said the bill currently has just over 50 cosponsors, but Congressman
Nadler’s office has not yet officially circulated a letter to his fellow House
members.
Nadler told the Bay Area Reporter in July that the bill would amount to
a full repeal of DOMA, including Section 2, which advises states to disregard
same-sex marriages that have been legally performed in other states, and
Section 3, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex
marriages.
President Barack Obama supported full repeal of the legislation as a candidate
and has reiterated that support in the White House. “I believe it's
discriminatory, I think it interferes with states' rights, and we will work
with Congress to overturn it,” Obama said of the 1996 law during an Oval Office
signing ceremony in June.
Eleveld
is The Advocate's Washington correspondent.
The following is what Maine is dealing with right now from NOM who's posing as Standing for Marriage Maine. Get involved if you can, this is our Prop 8 happening there. We will be holding phone banks soon with the possibility to help in other ways. Contact me for more info. Thanks for sending this email out Brock.
NOM's Email:
For many of us, this week marks the start of the new school year. So in honor of back-to-school season, let's try a little pop quiz. Which of the following does not belong in the same group as the others:
(A) History
(B) Mathematics
(C) English
(D) Homosexual Marriage
If you guessed ''D'' - you're right! Mainers firmly believe homosexual instruction has no place in the classroom. Maine's public schools should focus on reading and writing, not mandatory gay sex education.
There's only one problem: an irresponsible piece of legislation known as LD1020. If allowed to take effect this law would throw to the trash heap our decades-old interest in promoting traditional marriage. It would legalize homosexual, genderless marriage. And if marriage is redefined to be genderless, then same-sex marriage must be taught as being the same as traditional marriage. This has profound consequences for your child's classroom education.
We need your immediate contribution of $100 or even $50 to keep homosexual education out of Maine's classrooms.
Just look at what's already happened in nearby Massachusetts. An eighth-grade teacher in Boston told National Public Radio that she teaches about gay sex ''thoroughly and explicitly.'' When asked if parents complained about their children learning such explicit material, this teacher said, "Give me a break. It's legal now.".
It gets worse. Children as young as second graders have been taught in public schools that same-sex marriage and traditional marriage are simply different expressions of the same thing. Massachusetts schools have used books such as ''King and King'' to instruct second graders about homosexual marriage. This is the story of how a prince married another prince and went on to rule the Kingdom. When parents objected to this instruction and sued, the federal courts ruled they had no right to notice or to pull their children out of class..
Is this what you want for your children? Do you want your hard earned tax dollars to fund ''explicit'' homosexual instruction in the classroom? It doesn't have to be this way.
You may have seen recent headlines about the remarkable 100,000 grassroots signatures in support of Question 1 - the People's Veto of homosexual marriage. Hard work and dedication helped deliver these 100,000 signatures in support of putting the People's Veto of LD1020 on the November ballot. In the next few weeks, we'll need to build a sizable treasury to get the message out about this campaign. This is the fundamental issue of Question 1: if the People's Veto fails, books like "Heather has Two Mommies" will become standard elementary school fare in Maine's public schools.
We need your immediate contribution of $100 or even $50 to keep homosexual education out of Maine's classrooms.
Make no mistake, if Question 1 fails and LD 1020 takes effect, there will be profound consequences for Maine families. Most troubling is the impact on children, particularly as the public schools begin the process of indoctrinating them on the subject of homosexual marriage. Help us prevent this from becoming a reality in this school year.
Sincerely,
Marc Mutty
Chairman
Stand For Marriage Maine
P.S. We are at a crucial point in the campaign as we need to make ad buys this week. So please make your generous contribution of $100 or even $50 to fund the People's Veto today!
SAN FRANCISCO: Marriage Equality USA believes in the power of a personal story and the courage of the people that tell it. This Veteran's Day, we would like to share the stories of active service members and veterans, both LGBT and straight, and their family members to illustrate the commitment of our LGBT community serving our country and the harm of discriminatory policies like Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). From now until October 16th, individuals who are interested in sharing their personal stories are asked to complete an on-line survey that can be found on Marriage Equality USA’s home page (http://www.marriageequality.org/) or directly at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=E3XloyMhoh0ZlWU1ccCl9w_3d_3d
Marriage Equality USA recognizes that because of DADT and DOMA policies, some respondents take a risk in sharing your personal stories and we will respect your need to remain anonymous. For others who are free to speak out, we ask you provide your contact information at the end of the survey so we can contact you for future media interviews.
Founded in 1998, Marriage Equality USA is a national grassroots organization whose mission is to secure legally recognized civil marriage equality for all, at the federal and state level, without regard to gender identity or sexual orientation. For more information, go to www.marriageequality.org.
Gay Visalia is hosting Dinner & Dames, a social gathering. We will meet at Colima restaurant in front of Roller Towne for dinner and then walk across the way and watch the V-Town Derby Dames take on their competition. Derby tickets are $10.00 in advance or $12.00 at the door, kids 10 and under are free! If you can't make it for dinner then at least join us for some roller derby action. See you there!
I just wanted to put a little change in movie selection.Why not cross dressing teenagers? I have seen the 80’s version and this one; both are out to make a point to the female capabilities. This is quite funnier than 80’s version. Amanda Bynes (Penny Pingleton of Hairspray) could be the future “Lucille Ball” if she sticks with comedy. She made this character come to life and made it her own. Channing Tatum is HOT as ever, many topless scenes. (Excuse me while I clean the drool off my chin.)
Amanda Bynes proves that girls can do anything guys can do in She’s The Man. The laughs are non-stop when Viola (Bynes), disguised as her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk), joins the high school boy’s soccer team and helps win the big game while unexpectedly falling for Duke (Channing Tatum), the hot star forward. Viola discovers that dealing with high school politics and twisted love triangles is a major challenge when you’re a guy who’s really a girl!
Duke wants Olivia who likes Sebastian- who is really Viola whose brother is dating Monique- so she hates Olivia- who is with Duke to make Sebastian jealous- who is really Viola who is crushing on Duke- who thinks she’s a guy.
“Mean Girls gets a classic twist”—Bill Bregoli, Westwood One
I had read this book and somehow would get lost in text. In some parts I would read 2-3 times just to make sure I had read it right to get it to connect with the next topic matter. A small book but if you get side tracked, you’re lost. With that in mind, it took me a little longer than normal to read 201 pages. Unless you’re a very avid and focused reader then I’d say go for broke; but if not, try a different one.
In a house trailer in rural Mississippi, Gary, a married Vietnam veteran, addicted to drugs, haunted by memories of the past, is on the brink of collapse. Just when he thinks the dream of another life is over, the unspeakable happens. He falls in love with a frail, ghostly younger man who reminds him of youth, beauty, and the possibility of a life beyond the prison he has created for himself. A Scarecrow’s Bible is about what happens when love occurs at the most unexpected moment. It is the story of how working-class men and women in a small town adapt to changes that somehow seem impossible. It is a novel of hope and transformation that challenges our ideas about diversity and social change, breaking your heart all the way.
“The writing is so skillful it’s hard to believe that this is a debut. If this is a gay novel, it’s unlike any other I’ve ever read.” – Edmund White, author of A Boy’s Own Story
“The characters in A Scarecrow’s Bible are the kind of people novelists too often discard as insignificant and unworthy of our Notice. In Martin Hyatt’s compassionate hands they come fully to life in all their haunting despair.” – Jaime Manrique, author of Latin Moon in Manhattan
I just signed a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein from the Courage Campaign, Democracy for America and CREDO Mobile urging her to make a strong public statement now supporting a public option that will provide health care coverage to millions of Americans.
In the wake of Senator Kennedy's passing, we need Senator Feinstein to carry on his legacy. The most significant tribute to Sen. Kennedy's life will be the passage of universal health care reform, including a strong public option.
As the Senate prepares to reconvene after the August recess, will you join me in signing this short letter to Sen. Feinstein? Here's the link. Once you click it, it only takes a few seconds to add your name:
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A same-sex
marriage lawsuit that created a public rift between President Barack Obama and
his gay supporters was dismissed Monday on a technicality.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled the case - the first of several
pending challenges to the federal Defense of Marriage Act - must be refiled in
federal court.
Carter said the suit had been improperly filed in state court before it was
transferred to his jurisdiction. As a result, the judge said, he would not
entertain arguments on its merits, at least not yet.
"There is no point for us to go down the line of decision-making and
waste time," he said during the hearing in Santa Ana.
Earlier this month, President Obama posthumously honored Milk with the Medal of Freedom. Yet, the Governor’s Secretary of Education says that Milk’s contributions should only be recognized locally, indicating a possible veto by the Governor.
The Governor’s Secretary of Education recently sent a letter opposing the bill that reads:
"As you know, the Governor vetoed a substantially similar bill last year. The veto message stated that Harvey Milk's contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level by those who were most impacted by his contributions. Since this bill is nearly identical, the veto message remains applicable."
The Secretary of Education is wrong. Last year’s veto message is no longer applicable. Earlier this month, President Obama posthumously honored Milk with the Medal of Freedom, our country’s highest civilian honor—a testament to the fact that Harvey Milk is a national and international hero. And earlier this year the Governor acknowledged that Harvey’s contributions impacted all Californians when his administration honored him for his work in fighting discrimination in the State of California.
Please, call one of the Governor’s discrtict offices, and express support for SB 572, the Harvey Milk Day Bill.
Harvey Milk is a true inspiration to the millions of people who believe in equality, and he deserves to be recognized by the state he helped transform.
=== PARTICIPANTS NEEDED ===
For a dissertation research study www.genderstudy.info
I’m interested in finding out more about views on gender
If you are:
At least 18 years of age,
A California resident, and
Self-identify as non-transgender heterosexual, non-transgender gay/lesbian, or transgender (or are a parent of someone who identifies in one of the above groups)
I would like to invite you to participate in a research study
The purpose of the study:
The study will examine gender ideologies among individuals with various sexual and gender orientations, and parents of those who identify with various sexual and gender orientations. (It is not necessary that individuals have their parents participate, or vice versa.)
There have been very few studies examining the transgender population. Sadly, many of the studies conducted pathologize gender variant individuals. Gender ideologies seem like a big part of transgender identification. No previous study has compared gender ideologies among these groups.
We believe the knowledge gained from this study will help therapists in addressing issues related to sexual and gender orientation. We also hope that this study will contribute to further understanding of the understudied and underserved transgender population.
The survey is available online at: www.genderstudy.info
It should take approximately 30 minutes to complete
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns
THANK YOU
Jennifer Mato, M.A., Doctoral Candidate
Alliant International University (San Diego, CA) jmato@alliant.edu
Dissertation Chair: Narumi Taniguchi, Ph.D.
