GLAAD reports that corporate sponsors of the “Stars on Ice” tour have barred Olympian and three-time US national champion figure skater Johnny Weir from participating in the tour after the skater won an online fan poll asking who should participate. Citing an anonymous source, GLAAD says Smuckers and IMG Entertainment, among others, are calling Weir “not family friendly” enough. Even if that well-worn phrase wasn’t already code for “too queer,” Weir’s extensive support for, and involvement with his family – he’s putting his younger brother through college and also financially supports his family because his father is disabled and unable to work – makes the attack on Weir’s perceived sexuality glaringly obvious. The best part? Weir hasn’t even publicly stated his sexuality.

Elsewhere…

D.C. – Desmond Tutu, retired Anglican Archbishop of South Africa, attacks the wave of homophobia sweeping Africa in a WaPo op-ed.

Politicians who profit from exploiting this hate, from fanning it, must not be tempted by this easy way to profit from fear and misunderstanding. And my fellow clerics, of all faiths, must stand up for the principles of universal dignity and fellowship. Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice.

(Washington Post, via Pam’s House Blend)

Oklahoma – Oklahoma legislators are trying to circumvent the federal Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes Bill. (The Bilerico Project)

Florida – Disney refuses to grant employment protections to ex-gays. (Joe.My.God)

D.C. – Getting married in the Ben and Jerry’s store where you first met: half romantic, half wierd (DC Agenda)

California – Former beauty queen: I hope Care Prejean has gay kids. (The Advocate)

Georgia – Judge dismisses charges against five and acquits three in the Atlanta Eagle Raid case. Police, he said, couldn’t produce evidence that anyone had been stripping without a permit or that the bar owners were “operating an unlicensed adult establishment. The city still faces a federal lawsuit brought by defendants in the case, plus an inquiry into the raid by the police department’s own Citizen Review Board. (The Advocate)

Georgia – CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviews Chaz Bono about his “gender journey.” I bet his producers got a kick out of that alliteration. (The Advocate)

New York – Disgraced former state senator Hiram Monserrate gets booed off the stage in a debate with other candidates for his old seat, which he was kicked out of for slashing his girlfriend in an argument using a broken bottle. Monserrate is also infamous for supporting same-gender marriage legislation until shortly before the New York state legislature voted on the measure late last year (Joe.My.God)

Hundreds of Minnesotan’s went to the State Capitol Building on Wednesday, March 10th to lobby law makers about maintaining important funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and working for comprehensive sex education, and the affect GAMC has on people living with HIV/AIDS.   The Minnesota AIDS Project put together AIDS Action Day to encourage everyone to be an HIV Advocate.

HIV/AIDS remains a major public health issue.  In 2009 Minnesota saw a 13 percent increase in new HIV infections.  A look at the 2009 Summary of New HIV Infections shows that in 2008 we had 326 new infections at a 6.6 rate.  In 2009 we saw that rate increase by 7.5 to become 368 new infections.   In 2008 we had HIV non-AIDS infections at a rate of 4.9 with 243 new infections, where as we saw a 5.7 rate increase in 2009 becoming 279 new infections.  Out of 295 of the new cases of HIV infections, 108 and percent of those were in Minneapolis, while 33 and 11 percent of new infections were in St. Paul. The number of new infections in males from ages 13 to 29 were 122, the number among females ages 13 to 29 was 31 new infections. The Summary of new HIV Infections by race and ethnicity revealed that 57 percent of the new HIV infections were white males and 26 percent were white females.  22 percent of the new HIV Infections were among African American, while only 6 percent were African born individuals.  Compare that number to 27 percent African American females to 30 percent African born females to be newly diagnosed HIV infections in 2009.

With these numbers on the increase it is more important than ever that the LGBT community in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota take active steps to help preserve Minnesota’s budget that cares for people with HIV/AIDS.   The Minnesota State Budget currently provides about $1.4 million for HIV prevention programing to targeted communities.  When a cost benefit analysis was done concerning HIV prevention programs, it was found that the lifetime costs of caring for people living with HIV are far greater than providing funding for prevention messages and programs.  The bottom line is, tax payer dollars are saved when HIV Prevention programs are funded.

Minnesota currently provides approximately $1.2 million per fiscal year for insurance premiums and case management support programs.  These include programs to help people living with HIV/AIDS get education about their health condition, receive important medical care and be able to locate services to help find jobs and housing.

Minnesotan’s who are concerned about losing this important funding are urged to contact their legislator and ask them to keep the current governmental financial support for HIV/AIDS prevention and support services.  To look up who your Representatives and Senators are go to The Minnesota Legislature and look up your Senate District.  Remember our legislators are elected by us, therefore they are suppose to be working to help keep the public safe.  Tell our legislators your stories about how HIV/AIDS affects you, your friends and our community.  Let them know that funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, education and awareness programs are important for Minnesota.

Deonta Bebber is 18 years old, and he contracted HIV at the age of 16.  Deonta’s partner Dean Rosette is 22.  He contracted HIV at the age of 18.  Deata and Dean are two very impressive success stories of the Youth AIDS Project (YAP) and relayed their experiences at the 2010 AIDS Action Day at the Minnesota State Capitol. Val Smith, the person Deonta and Dean call “The new Wonder Woman,” is their case manager at YAP.

In a telephone interview Val told me of the courage and determination of Deonta and Dean who met Val at Pride last year.  At the time Deonta and Dean met Val they were living with others in an apartment; they had just moved to Minnesota from Seattle, WA a month before.  Now, thanks to the work of the Youth AIDS Project and Val, Deonta and Dean now live in their own place and Deonta is going to start school in the fall of 2010.  All because of YAP’s commitment to help youth who live with HIV/AIDS find dignity and meaning in their lives.

The Youth AIDS Project began in 1989 and is located in the Loring Business Office Building.  The advocacy and human services agency is part of the Adolescent Health Program of the University of Minnesota.  YAP serves youth from ages 13 to 24 and collaborates with the Minnesota AIDS Project.   Val Smith has been a Case Manager with YAP for the past twelve years.  Yap was severely affected by Gov. Pawlenty’s $1 million budget cut in 2003 and has been struggling to recover.  YAP operated without a budget and cut staff to be able keep up with their case demand for about 3 years.  During that time YAP began to see their case load change from mostly white males to including females and African Americans.  In 2006 YAP received a grant from the Department of Health Services and since has been operating with a budget once again.  Their funding has seen increases so as to provide services

As the number of new HIV infections rose by 13 percent in 2009, YAP saw their case loads include more people of color.  In the Minnesota Health Department’s report about the rise in new HIV infections in 2009, we will see that African born and African American’s make up 34 percent of the overall infections.  Minnesota’s Health Program includes Disease Investigators who assist those affected by HIV to inform their partners to help prevent spread of the disease.

Among the many services that the Youth AIDS Project provides is health care.  Case managers like Val Smith go with their clients to doctor’s appointments and help them understand physician instructions for treating their condition.  YAP’s case managers assist clients to find housing, schools, food shelves and other help services for youth living with HIV. As our interview was ending Val told me that just recently she was with one of her clients who gave birth to a new life in the world, and how privileged she felt to be there for the exciting event.

Those wishing to know more about YAP are encouraged to visit their web site.  Val Smith can be reached at 612-627-6829 or at smith182@umn.edu.

Virginia Governor “Taliban Bob” McDonnell tries to backpedal by issuing an unenforceable “Executive Directive” barring employment discrimination on the basis of sexuality, after mainstream national media finds out that he’d stripped LGBT state employees of employment discrimination protections and his Attorney General is trying to force state colleges and universities to ditch those same protections as well. As Rachel Maddow’s guest explains, he’s trying to walk a fine line between courting GOP crazies (necessary for winning a GOP presidential primary battle), and not looking like one of those crazies when it comes time for the general election. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Pam Spaulding points out the high stakes for Virginia – as one of the three separate governmental entities that make up the Washington, D.C. metro area, moves like this can drive away companies looking to re-locate or open a branch in the D.C. area.

Elsewhere…

On TV – ABC’s Nightline shows a special segment about Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, including shots of Martin Ssempa’s infamous gay-porn-screening-in-a-church. It’s good national media exposure, and the reporter treats the bill as the human rights abomination it is, but the segment doesn’t engage with Ssempa and other evangelicals’ canard crying “racism” and “neocolonialism” when the media points out that US evangelicals had a hand in inspiring the bill. As Jim Burroway has pointed out in the past (and as Andrew Sullivan mentions today), homophobia in Africa is nothing new, and in some ways this bill and the violence in Kenya and Malawi are responding to a flowering LGBT rights movement. However, there is a difference between saying Ugandans are doing this at the behest of a white American, and pointing out that Ssempa, Scott Lively, and others, tapped into a set of pre-existing prejudices among some Ugandans when they used the US evangelicals’ prestige to scare up support for the bill.

(Joe.My.God, Daily Dish)

Dept. of Fun – Make Glenn Beck cry. I did. Here’s how. (Politics in Minnesota)

Mississippi – School cancels prom because a (rather ballsy) lesbian student wants to bring her girlfriend. The School Board then calls for a private prom to be organized so the student can legally be banned from attending. Since that statement is now a matter of public record, I wonder if the Board is now on the hook for promoting discrimination? (Pam’s House Blend)

D.C. – The Servicemembers’ Legal Defense Network is bringing lots of retired soldiers, sailors, and airmen to a DADT repeal hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing next Thursday, including the former commander of all US and NATO forces in Europe, the same post held by 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark. (The Advocate)

D.C. – Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is hesitant to promise Senator Joe Lieberman’s (I-CT) DADT repeal bill will be included in the must-pass 2011 defense spending bill. He did say he would try, however. John Aravosis still isn’t satisfied. (AmericaBlog)

D.C. – Leave it to former Navy officer/disgraced New York Representative Eric Massa to choose aquatic metaphors for attempted sexual assault. (Joe.My.God)

California – The Episcopal Church affirms its second LGBT bishop. So far, no fireworks. (On Top Magazine)

Dept. of You Didn’t, Did You?- Anna Nicole Smith to be immortalized in opera. For serious. I think I hear great composers retching in their graves. (The Advocate)

A Virgina state Representative (called “Delegates” in local parlance) takes a really brave stand and tries to force a floor vote on a law banning discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Why ‘brave’? First, GOP Governor Bob McDonnell did not renew an executive order barring such employment discrimination in the state workforce and right-wing state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recently ordered state colleges and universities to stop considering gays, bisexuals, and lesbians a “protected class” under their non-discrimination policies (below, Jon Stewart points out the “circlejerk of responsibility” whereby both governor and AG can claim they’re “just following the law”). Second, the measure had languished in committee, showing the legislative leadership was dead-set against it, and a similar bill was killed earlier this year, following McDonnell’s refusal to renew employment protections. Delegate Ken Plum, you are today’s Hero Of The Day for fighting back when it would earn you zero political points.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Gaywatch – Virginia Edition
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

Elsewhere…

D.C. – Former New York Representative Eric Massa implodes on Glenn Beck’s TV show:

“Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe and four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday and it was kill the old guy.”

The Advocate has the video, The Washington Post has a post-mortem on Massa’s career plus details on allegations that he created a “hostile work environment” for male staffers, and Towleroad has video of Massa blowing up on CNN’s Larry King Live when King asks Massa if he’s gay. (The Advocate, Washington Post, Towleroad)

D.C. – Are military men opposed to a DADT repeal afraid they will be sexually assaulted and raped as regularly as their female counterparts are if the law is repealed, because no-one is addressing this monstrous, well-known issue? In other news, Servicemembers United announces an open forum on repeal strategy, an army chaplain fights a DADT inquiry, and the repeal measure picks up nine more co-sponsors, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 22. Most of these guys are well-known progressive figures like Russ Feingold (D-WI), though, so it’s not horribly significant. (Time/via Pam’s House Blend, The Advocate)

New York – In Brooklyn, New York Citiy, five men severely beat a 22-year-old man while shouting anti-gay slurs. It’s being treated by police as a probable hate crime – the young man had just left an LGBT event at a local pizzeria. (Towleroad)

Connecticut – Jury in an internet date murder case hears video confession from the accused, and it sounds like he’s claiming a little “gay panic.” One wonders, if he told police he’s not gay or bi, why did he set the date up in the first place? (Towleroad)

South Carolina – File in the Department of What The F*ck: legislators condemn 3,000 people to misery and early death by axing state assistance to HIV/AIDS patients. (The Advocate)

Teh Interwebs – File in the Dept. of Over My Dead Body: Christianist leaders pray for control of the national media. (Towleroad)

California – File in the Dept. of I Was Five When He Was Hot: Actor Corey Haim OD’s, dies. Haim had struggled with crippling dual addictions for his entire adult life – to drugs and bad hairstyles. (Joe.My.God)

Uganda – ABC’s Nightline to focus on Uganda’s “Kill Gays” bill in tonight’s show. Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI did not raise the issue with Ugandan Catholic officials when he met with them last Friday. Andrew Sullivan gives him the benefit of the doubt, but forgets to note that an ascendant faction in the Church holds teh gays in utter contempt, to the point of denying communion to the openly homosexual – a message of strong condemnation in the Church. (Box Turtle Bulletin, Daily Dish, BBC)

Via Shawyn Lee of the U of M’s GLBTA Programs Office comes this rather cool-looking talent show, cooked up by them and Shades of Yellow, the Hmong LGBT group. Facebook event here.

Txuj Ci Showcase; An evening of Queer and Ally Hmong Talents
Wed, March 10, 6:30-9:00 PM
Coffman Union 3rd floor, Mississippi Room

The GLBTA Programs Office and Shades of Yellow present an evening of queer and ally Hmong talents! Join us for free food, live performances, and more! Hosted by the Queer Student Cultural Center and sponsored by the Hmong Minnesota Student Association, and Asian Sorority Interest Group. Promotions by Center For Hmong Arts and Talents(CHAT) and Multi-cultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE). Contact glbta@umn.edu for more information.

Same-gender marriages began today in Washington D.C. Meet the happy couple in this profile in the Washington Post. (via AmericaBlog)

Elsewhere…

D.C. – The Supreme Court takes up whether the Westboro Baptist Church’s “Got Hates Fags” pickets of soldiers’ funerals represents distasteful but protected free speech, or an improper invasion of privacy. (Towleroad)

California -Senator Roy Ashburn (surprisingly) admits he’s gay during a live interview on a local AM radio station. (Towleroad)

Florida – Florida legislators have proposed a bill that would deny tax breaks to films featuring gay characters, in an attempt to censor movies and TV shows. (Towleroad)

New York – Hiram Monserrate goes from ally to bitter enemy of the state’s LGBT community in just three months. Fighting to regain his seat (he was kicked out of the legislature for slashing his girlfriend), he’s begun to run ads calling his opponent a “leading spokesperson for the gay community” who “voted 3 times for the gay marriage bill.” (Joe.My.God)

Virginia – The backlash against the new state Attorney General’s attempts to eliminate employment protections for LGBT state employees is growing in Virginia’s colleges and universities. (AmericaBlog)

Uganda, Kenya – Time Magazine has a touching profile of one of Uganda’s most prominent LGBT activists, and what life is like for her and her partner. Meanwhile, a Kenyan radio station implicated in organizing last month’s pogrom near Mombassa is again threatening the same HIV/AIDS clinic targeted by rioters claiming it was a haven for gays and lesbians, and was helping “spread” homosexuality in the area. (Box Turtle Bulletin, Time Magazine)

Karl Rove whines: “But that’s politics — our view in political issues, on issues of public policy can and should be divorced from our families. And our families shouldn’t be used as convenient targets to shoot at in order to get at people in politics.”

He was responding, of course, to long-standing charges that his late, adopted father was gay, making his strong opposition to LGBT rights a rather smelly piece of hypocrisy. So I suppose he’s taking a strong stand within his party to end the gay-baiting campaign tactics that are a hallmark of many GOP election battles, right? And he was just following orders, albeit reluctantly, when he orchestrated the race-baiting attacks on McCain during the 2000 Republican presidential primaries.

Elsewhere…

New York – New York City bigwigs honored the Queens St Patrick’s Day Parade with their presence. The Queens parade is an LGBT-inclusive rival to the super-catholic Manhattan St Patrick’s Day Parade that bans queer marchers, under the protection of a 1995 Supreme Court ruling. (Joe.My.God)

D.C. – The DC Agenda follows up with the HRC on the 4 things it says it will get passed this year (DADT repeal, Early Treatment for HIV Act, ending taxes on domestic partner health benefits, and benefits for the domestic partners of federal employees). They’re given bland assurances that ENDA, DADT repeal, and domestic partner benefits are on track, but that ETHA and ending the DP tax are entirely dependent on how healthcare reform shakes out. (DC Agenda)

D.C. – Gen. David Petraeus, possibly the second-most powerful general in the Army, supports a DADT repeal, the Pentagon’s review of how to implement a repeal, and thinks fears over a repeal are overblown. To the head of the Army, who’s been railing against a repeal, he says “Calm down, Fluffy.” (The Advocate)

D.C. – NY Rep. Eric Massa details the sexual harassment allegations against him. (Roll Call)

Virginia – Parts of the state university system are revolting against the state Attorney General’s order to ditch all employment protections for LGB individuals. (The Bilerico Project)

New Jersey – The state is split in its support for same-gender marriage and has been for a long time. (Towleroad)

Teh Interwebs – Don’t these couples look cute?! Don’t they make you want to drop your support for DOMA?! (Joe.My.God)

Can’t get enough of the movies? Then this weekend is a perfect time to rush out and catch a few you’ve not yet seen before the winner is decided! I have seen both Avatar and The Hurt Locker;  distinctly different films competing for the same prize.  The best thing is they were directed by exes James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow.  Who says marriage is the way to go!? 

No matter who wins the big prize for Best Picture a number of great opportunities for viewing the ceremonies with others exist around town.  Tickles Bar is hosting an Oscar night party in their still relatively new location.  Featuring the Avatar cocktail and an opportunity to win a $50 bar tab for picking the correct winners, it sounds like a fun opportunity to grab a nosh and maybe have the bar cover the drinks!  If you are looking for a way to celebrate Hollywood and give back to the community at the same time consider attending the Aegis Foundation event at The Hotel Ivy.

Tonight the only recommendation I have is march on down to Rumours/Innuendo for Mama Stevie’s Blowout Birthday Bash (god that Grrl’s gettin OLD!)   Love ya Stevie!  Whatever you do this weekend – make it safe and put some Spring in your step.

Ciao

Margie

Since long before Harvey Milk first allied with San Francisco Teamsters to help them get a better contract, LGBT groups have teamed up with others in need, giving our time and energy to help address their issues. Last week, the new Bemidji LGBT group The Hospitality Initiative of Servant’s Hearts helped the local United Way and Kids Against Hunger pack a huge number of packaged meals (each pouch feeds 8 people) at the local Boys and Girls Club. The Hospitality Initiative is doing some great work up north by tackling the problem of homophobia head-on, working with GSAs at the local high school and University, and organizing a seminar aimed at social service agencies, employers, and health care providers, to be held in mid-April. By seeking allies among these groups, they hope to begin building a chorus of voices who can speak out against the sometimes-overwhelming homophobia in the area.

Via email, Cathy Perry, who leads the group along with Tandy Bowman, passed along some pictues from the event on February 27th:

We helped pack approximately 64,000 meals on our shift from 12:00 – 1:30pm. There were 3 shifts, 200 community volunteers per shift at 20 packing stations. The meal was a 5″x7″ sealed baggie weighing just under 400 grams, and included soy meal, dehydrated vegetables, chicken base flavoring with vitamins, and white long grain rice.

The layman who served as one of the Vatican’s elite ushers, it turns out, quite the lay-man. Former papal public works executive Angelo Balducci employed Ghinedu Ehiem, a singer in the men’s choir that sings in St Peter’s Basilica, to procure young male seminarians and choir singers for Balducci’s romps, some of which even took place in the Chigi Palace, home of the Italian prime minister. After Italy’s center-left newspaper La Repubblica reported on the allegations, unearthed in wiretaps from a broad corruption investigation by police into the way public works contracts were issued by Italy’s Civil Protection Agency, Ehiem was dismissed from the Cappella Giulia choir. The Vatican is circling the wagons, denying the involvement of either priests or seminarians in Ehiem’s prostitution ring. From Gay News Watch:

In one wiretap from last December, [Ehiem's assistant Lorenzo] Renzi is heard explaining the rules of engagement: “You’ll get up to 2,000 euros … Do not touch his balls. You need the money. Put on some music, take out the [inaudible], swallow the Viagra, and adelante!”

The big news, of course, is that we can now expand the traditional repertoire of “priest jokes.”

Elsewhere…

California – California newspapers are pointing out that the initial report that state Sen. Roy Ashburn was at a huge Sacramento gay club before being pulled over for a DUI has no sources backing it up. Still, that hasn’t stopped many, including West Sacramento’s openly gay mayor, from coming forward and saying they ‘knew all along.’ Maybe a reporter decided to take Ashburn down by faking a situation so he could reveal an open secret? (The Advocate, Joe.My.God)

D.C. – The heads of various services are lining up against a DADT repeal, potentially spelling trouble for the legislation when the US Congress has, in recent years, made a habit of abdicating practical civilian control of the military on important issues. (The Advocate, DC Agenda)

D.C. – An adoption anti-discrimination bill gets a re-boot. (DC Agenda)

California – Plan: 1) Find a homo, 2) shoot him in the face with the BB gun in a drive-by, 3) videotape the whole thing to make it so much easier to convict us of what amounts to low-grade terrorism. (Joe.My.God)

California – More details emerge in a horrendous kidnapping-rape-murder case in San Diego. (The Advocate)

Poland – The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Poland cannot discriminate against a same-gender couples, despite the country’s constitution declaration that marriage is the “union of a man and a woman.” (Towleroad)

Red Card Production is hosting a multimedia interpretation of the seven deadly sins at Jetset on Thursday evening. Called “Little Monsters in My Bed,” the presentation is a collaboration with some of Janzen’s favorite local artists and each artist will present their own modern version of the seven deadly sins.

“I have so many creative and talented people in my life. I’ve been looking for ways to collaborate with them. When we came up with the concept for “Little Monsters,” I created the entire concept with them in mind,” said Janzen.

The event at Jetset is open to the public and ages 21 and up. For those that attended Janzen’s “Stories from Exile,” the format is similar.

“Instead of printing out each photo, we’re projecting them on the wall. Aside from the obvious price difference, I prefer this style. In a normal photography exhibition, only 4 or 5 people can experience each image at the same time. At little Monsters, the entire room will experience the piece together. That common shared experience is important to me.”

The event runs from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, March 4 at Jeset, 115 1st Street North in Minneapolis

A California state Senator who voted against a resolution condemning Prop 8 and who has largely made a career out of rhetorical gay-bashing was arrested on a DUI charge yesterday after leaving a popular Sacramento gay bar with an “unidentified male passenger.” The kind of internalized homophobia that leads you organize rallies for the Traditional Values Coalition and vote against every single gay-rights bill during your tenure is very sad, but how many lives (including those of his wife and four children) has he hurt in the process? Joe.My.God has more details.

Elsewhere

New York – Not satisfied with blaming the gays for not standing by Gov. David Paterson as he goes down in flames for abusing his office, Sen. Ruben Diaz is also blocking trans rights from his seat on a committee of the NY state legislature that’s reviewing the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act, just passed by the state Assembly. (Joe.My.God, Queerty, The Advocate)

D.C. – Cancer or groping a junior male staffer? Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY), married with two children, is stepping down after just one term amid allegations he made unwanted advances on a staff member. (Politico)

D.C. – More deets emerge about Sen. Joe Lieberman’s version of the DADT repeal bill. It would use Servicemembers United’s “Set End Date/Delayed Implementation” (PDF) strategy, where the Pentagon would have to start implementing changes 60 days after they complete their review, and all changes must kick in 60 days after that. However, Lieberman says he hasn’t even spoken to President Barack Obama about attaching his bill to the President’s 2011 defense budget request, the only sure-fire way to avoid a filibuster on the repeal bill. PHB says that, nonetheless, Congress seems to have lit a fire under their butts. Meanwhile, the Palm Center warns that legislators excessive deference to military leaders on this issue threatens civilian control of the military. They have a point, but this issue is not new. Remember the debate over the efficacy of “the surge” in 2007, where congresscritters fawned over Gen. David Petreaus? (DC Agenda, Queerty, Pam’s House Blend, Palm Center, Stars and Stripes)

D.C. – Queer the census. This time, they’re actually paying attention to some parts of the community. (The Bilerico Project)

D.C. – The State Department is taking a closer look at LGBT rights in Africa, and what the US can do to help. (Box Turtle Bulletin, Pam’s House Blend)

D.C. (last time, I swear) – ENDA to get a vote this month? (Bay Area Reporter)

California – Prop 8 repeal is DOA, says newly-elected (gay) speaker of the state Assembly. (Bay Area Reporter)

California – The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking a hard look at anti-LGBT housing discrimination. I wish they’d look beyond NYC, San Francisco, and Chicago, though. In rural parts of the country, it’s hard to have a potent group like the Mission Economic Development Agency that one attendee championed as a model for the LGBT community. (Bay Area Reporter)

Teh Interwebs – Encountr is getting paned – my boyfriend says that you can’t even search by who’s online, and the geo-location is imprecise – but there are plenty of fun apps for your Android phone. Meet “Dildroid.” You might want to invest in a full silicone case for the phone, though.

I felt like it was never supposed to happen. It wasn’t me. It was a mistake in the evolutionary chain. I was not meant to bear children and that, my friends, is the only thing a period is good for. Not only was it embarrassing, wrong and shameful it hurt and made me, well, bitchy. I tried for the longest time to ignore it but, like most horrible things, it’s awfully difficult to ignore.

Garrett Hoffman is blogging his transition at transformgarret.blogspot.com. You can read the rest of his columns here.

Beyond the bleeding and the feminine products and the cramps and the irritability there was something that bothered me much more. The Goddess* spoke to me on a monthly basis.

Wait, what?! Who is the Goddess? I might be crazy, but the Goddess is the thing that kept me in tune with my womyn-ness.

Let me explain. I would lose track of when I last got my period because I would try so hard to forget about it whenever it wasn’t actually happening. I would lose track of when it was supposed to come but always, without fail, there would be the one morning that I would wake up and just think, “I’m going to get my period today”. No physical symptoms. No realization that it had been about a month since my last one. Nope. I would just KNOW and that’s because the GODDESS told me about it. I HATED the Goddess. Basically, she always told me things that I didn’t want to hear, that made me feel gross, that made me feel wrong. Sometimes she would present me with emotions, most notably sadness. She would tell me to smell the flowers. She would remind me to be FEMININE.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I see femininity as very attractive, strong, self-sufficient, amazing, independent, wonderful and so many other good things. I love feminine people. They are the ones I am most attracted to for many reasons. Before my transition** however, it was something against which I was fighting with all I had. And then there was that constant reminder from the Goddess. Very frustrating.

The day I started Testosterone the Goddess shut up. Not a peep. There were so many new things happening and she was just gone. Amazing. I was so happy. That was my very favorite effect of T. I didn’t get my period. Nothing. No fertility. No worrying about whether I had a tampon with me. NOTHING! Until last week. I awoke one morning and thought, “oh shit, the Goddess visited me last night.” I knew I was going to get my period that day. But wait, that’s impossible, right? Ha! Count this under “Things the Doctor Forgot to Tell Me about Testosterone”. It doesn’t really stop them for good. The Goddess was back, and I was pissed. In fact, I had to ask a friend of mine to confirm my masculinity for me because I was feeling so down in the dumps about the whole thing. She was great and made me feel very manly but still, my mind was like, “what is happening?! You’re a boy! Boys don’t do this!” But it turns out, we do.

The Goddess has been stifled once again by the all-powerful Testosterone but there is no doubt that she will return. Maybe she’s with me, and all other woman-born people, for the rest of our lives. Maybe she will leave one day. At this point, her presence is not welcome but I am not closing my mind off to her just yet. Maybe there will come a day when I can embrace her.

*I realize this makes me sound like a new age woo woo hippie. I’m not. Honestly.

**As I progress further in my transition I find myself becoming more and more in tune with my feminine side. It’s nice to be able to embrace it without feeling too girly. Turns out, I’m a pretty faggy boy.

After the Supreme Court refused to block DC’s same-gender marriage (a move which offers a tantilizing opportunity to speculate on any potential Supreme Court challenge to Perry v. Schwarzenegger), jubilant couples file for marriage (Is it just me, or do the lesbian couples almost always seem to get in line first? Or maybe news photographers just like to shoot them more…).

In less-happy-but-still-good news, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to the Senate. This is the same bill that’s been kicking around in the House under the stewardship of Iraq War vet Rep. Patrick Murphey (D-PA) and 188 co-sponsors, and looks pretty darn close to getting the 218 votes needed to pass the House. The future of the Senate bill is still very much up in the air, however, since it’s not currently attached to the must-pass-or-you’re-politically-dead 2011 defense budget, and it’s not clear how the White House, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Lieberman plan to reconcile the military’s demand that they be given time to study how to implement a repeal, the need to pass this before mid-term elections further reduce Democrat’s numbers in the Senate. The future may not be quite as bleak as John Aravosis would have you believe: the HRC has committed to getting DADT passed this year, and John Aravosis claims the DNC got spooked by his and others’ call to withhold donations to the party until substantive action is taken on LGBT rights at the federal level. And remember that famous letter from 1,100 former admirals and generals that John McCain likes to waive around as proof that the military opposes a DADT repeal? Many of those officers were involved in career-ending scandals, according to an investigation by the DC Agenda.

Elsewhere…

Maryland – Maryland’s Attorney General Douglas Gansler is fighting conservative calls for his impeachment after issuing an opinion letting the state recognize same-gender marriages performed out-of-state (read: in Washington D.C.). His response is, in essence, “bring it.” (Towleroad)

Virginia – After the new Republican governor nixed anti-discrimination provisions for LGBT state employees, some legislators tried to save protections with last-ditch bills, but the lower house of Virginia’s legislature killed them yesterday. (The Advocate)

Oregon – Oregon gets a gay senate candidate, running for the “Libertarian Party.” (The Advocate)

D.C. – Ever been discriminated against on the basis of your sexual orientation or gender identity? The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force wants to know! (NGLTF)

Canada – Canadian imigration minister doesn’t want to teach new immigrants about the country’s extensive LGBT rights laws. (Joe.My.God)

Uganda, Malawi – Hypocrisy in foreign aid grants. Uganda’s is in jeopardy, but Malawi’s are not threatened. (The Box Turtle Bulletin)

Teh Interwebs – None on Record is a new sound documentary project that collects the stories of queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (QLGBT) Africans from the continent and the diaspora. (h/t @Nekessa)