8000 (more) Hotties in Chicago This July

Gay Games VII, set for July 15-22 in Chicago, now has 8000 registered participants from more than 30 countries (including Sir Elton). You can keep up on all the news about the games at Gaygameschicago.org.

"We get our gay card punched on the way out"

The quote in this posts title is attributed to comic Kate Clinton, who claims homosexuals are mandated to see Brokeback Mountain. The line is in this article from USATODAY.com which has examples of the "culture of gay cowboy jokes". Note: there is a pop-up on the site.

The needed are still being lost

Early last year the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, estimated it cost the Pentagon nearly $200 million to recruit and train replacements for the nearly 9,500 troops that had to leave the military because of [it's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"] policy. The losses included hundreds of highly skilled troops, including translators, between 1994 through 2003. Opponents of the policy on gays acknowledge that the number of those discharged is small. But they say the policy exacerbates a shortage of medical specialists in the military when they are needed the most. The article from the Associated Press is at MSNBC.com.

De-gaying

Mark Hadrak, at his "My Gay Nerve..." blog has this thoughtful opinion on those who would "de-gay" us.

Cruise ‘South Park’ Show Censored

Tom Cruise has reportedly stopped an episode of South Park that mocks him from being aired in Britain. Here's the story from Hollywood.com. Last time we looked, the entire video was still here on YouTube.

AZ wants your money - VA apparently doesn't

Two stories seen on the online edition of the WASHINGTON BLADE this week illustrate the varying attitudes of humans vs. politicians. In this one titled Arizona wants gay dollars, the Associated Press says "Conservatives may be working to add a gay marriage ban on the ballot, but Arizona cities are working to welcome more gay tourists into the state." Phoenix leaders are planing to discuss ways to strengthen the city's gay tourism plan. In this other one, titled "Va. Senate panel passes severe marriage amendment", the Blade's ELIZABETH WEILL-GREENBERG outlines Virginia's proposed constitutional amendment. The article includes the text of the amendment.

"...demand equality and risk being clobbered."

Tom Scharbach of PurpleScarf has a post from January 11th entitled "Civil Unions Unmasked" in which he states that "...the idea that abandoning the push for civil marriage and instead pushing for civil unions would defuse social conservative backlash against gay and lesbian equality" is wrong. "The idea that gays and lesbians can somehow move to civil marriage in "increments" by appearing to give up the fight for full equality is an idea that has been tested, now, and proven false." In his opinion, "It is this simple: If gays and lesbians want be "tolerated", then gays and lesbians should be "sensible" and ask to be "tolerated", accepting something less than full citizenship. If, on the other hand, gays and lesbians want to be treated as every other American citizen is treated, then gays and lesbians have no choice but to demand equality and risk being clobbered." A thoughtful read at his PurpleScarf blog.

APQC Red Ribbon Dinner & Auction

Just a reminder that Aids Project Quad Cities Red Ribbon Dinner and Great Art Auction is Sunday, January 15th. Last year the event raised over $100,000. You can view some of the art for this year's auction by following the link above.

"God is punishing this evil, sodomite nation"

You probably won't be a bit surprised to learn that that quote is from Rev. Fred Phelps. "They served in a fag army for a fag nation. America has sinned against God. Its days of grace are over". Also Phelps. Both quotes are contained in a story by Scott Reeder and posted on the Quad-Cities Online site today. The story actually is about Illinois' Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn's proposal to prohibit demonstrations of any kind within 300 feet of a place in which a funeral service is being conducted. Phelps and his group showed up in Galesburg, Illinois, two months ago when the Rev. Peter Wehrly laid his 28-year-old son, Kyle, to rest.

"constitutional right to ban gays"?

A private Christian school in Loganville, Ga., claims it had the constitutional right to expel a student after administrators learned she shared a lesbian kiss with a student at a slumber party and was also involved in a sexual relationship with another female student. The Covenant Christian Academy states in court records it is protected by the First Amendment and "ecclesiastical abstention" that prohibits courts from forcing a religious organization to define its beliefs. The Washington Blade has the full story.

Va. bill would halt lesbian insemination

A bill in the Virginia state legislature would prevent unmarried women from using assisted reproductive technology, including lesbians who frequently use donor insemination to have children. The measure would also prevent gay men from having children “through unmarried surrogate mothers”. Here's the story from the Washington Blade.

Illinois bans gay, trans discrimination

From the washingtonblade.com, a follow-up to our earlier post. The new law, three decades in the making, went into effect January 1st. And the Washington Blade has named the Pope "Anti-Gay Person of the Year".