Call Your Senators, Help Stop LGBT Bullying NOW!

Call Your Senators, Help Stop LGBT Bullying
from alfranken.com

Join us and help make our schools a safer place for LGBT students. Al's Student Non-Discrimination Act would ban discrimination and harassment in public schools based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and require schools to protect LGBT students when they are threatened.

Even if you live in Cali like me, call anyways they're collecting zip codes and noting that folks are calling.  Let's save some lives!

Neil Gaiman makes statement against racebending

Awhile back I was discussing Neil Gaiman's fantastic book, American Gods with someone.

...a scary, strange, and hallucinogenic road-trip story wrapped around a deep examination of the American spirit. - Amazon.com

During the conversation, I shuddered to think that AG's lead character, Shadow, might be played by a non-biracial character as in the book, Shadow's mom is African American and his dad is Caucasian.
So I posted a query of sorts on Neil Gaiman's Facebook:


Neil himself responded to my concern saying,

I don't know about Vin, but I've asked the people doing the AMERICAN GODS TV/movie project to be very aware of Shadow's race.

This is a win folks, and my many thanks to Neil Gaiman for publicly stating that he as a creator is aware of the importance of inclusivity.  

I'd expect nothing less from the author of American Gods.  If you haven't read it yet, you need to get reading today since it's been announced that HBO is in talks with Tom Hanks production Playtone to bring American Gods to tv sets everywhere!

When I returned to the original post on Neil Gaiman's FB, I was dissapointed to see fans dismissing biracial actors like Vin Diesel or the Rock in favor of White actors like Russel Crowe, Christian Bale, Joe Manganiello, Eric Bane and Viggo Mortensen.  All of them fine White actors, White nonetheless.

Seems that our minds do re-create the realities of the world we live in, and as such any lack of cultural understanding come along for the ride.  It's even more important than ever for creators such as Neil Gaiman to support, and even insist that characters keep their color!

"Racebending" (defined) is still too common; recently Asian American community leaders approached Warner Bros about White actors playing the lead role in AKIRA!  Akira, originally a Japanese manga series originally serialized in the 1980's is set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo.

An OMG moment

“Actors like Robert Pattison and Andrew Garfield have the privilege of playing iconic white characters that Asian American actors would never be considered for...When white actors are also asked to play iconic Asian characters, Asian American actors lose their shot at starring in anything.” - Racebending.com co-founder Marissa Lee


As the plans for American Gods get finalized, I will continue hoping that biracial actors are considered for this amazing role.  I'm not gonna lie, when Vin Diesel's phone number got leaked years ago, I did leave him a voice mail asking him to read American Gods!  I do think he's one of the best fits, seeing as he's a huge fantasy geek with serious acting chops that some might dismiss in preference to traditional actor of color stereotypes such as the "noble negro" or the "angry black man" (See Morgan Freeman as God in Evan Almighty and/or Denzel Washington in John Q).  Don't get me wrong, Samuel L. Jackson has done very well navigating the corridor between these types!  Still, without characters like Shadow correctly cast, we're gonna be stuck on the plane with the motherfrakkin snakes k?

At least give these great biracial actors a ring!

Vin Diesel (discovered by Steven Spielberg)

(Pitch Black, Fast and Furious, Saving Private Ryan)

Wentworth Miller (The Human Stain, Prison Break, screenwriter on upcoming "Stoker")

Jason Momoa (HBO's Game of Thrones, upcoming 2011 Conan the Barbarian)

Boris Kodjoe (Undercovers, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Surrogates)

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Walking Tall, The Other Guys, Faster)

Thanks to BlackFlix.com's List of Multiracial Celebrities: http://www.blackflix.com/articles/multiracial.html

Bisexuality Visible!

The San Francisco Human Rights Commission unanimously adopted a groundbreaking report examining the consequences of rendering bisexuals "invisible" at its meeting last week...

Recent studies have found that bisexuals are the largest population in the LGB community. According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2010, 3.1 percent of individuals self-identify as bisexual, compared to 2.5 percent as gay or lesbian. Yet, Ulrich pointed out bisexuals had poor health outcomes, lived in poverty, faced discrimination from both mainstream society and gay and lesbian, and weren't being served by queer organizations that have "B" in the name. Bisexuals "weren't considered at all" in funding for services or bisexual organizations or even mentioned in annual agency reports, she said.

Read all about it on the Bay Area Reporter! and download the full report today!

Many Congrats to Lindsasusan Ulrich for her hard work in preparing the report!

Oh Heather Graham, We <3 We <3

(Does Bradley Cooper look bored or embarrassed? Either way, cute, yes?)Uber cute, I can't wait to see this Hangover film, wish I hadn't taken in Up last weekend. Great visual art and thank goodness for the hilarious talking dogs...but The Hangover looks like a lot of fun and this shameless but hot photo is only further evidence.

Why Marriage Matters: Gay Seniors

Sorry folks, been away too long.  Moved back to LA, and am settling in nicely.  Gosh, the weather's great.  What was also great?  Same sex marriage being legal in California!  That is until those nasty, bitter conservo wackos decided to propose de-legalizing same sex marriage.  I consider this akin to George Wallace standing on the steps of an Arkansas school declaring, Over my dead body!  

Read this article on LGBT seniors, and tell me why their social security isn't in place, why they are taxed on death and in life unfairly, why, why why?!

It ain't right.

For those who can afford it, there are gay-specific retirement communities and free service centers dotted around the nation, mostly in urban areas. But most regular nursing homes give shared-room preference to their married clients, and only a few states require employers to give leave for employees caring for same-sex partners. Inside care centers, advocates tell stories of social workers using gloves to treat only their gay patients, or those patients being shuffled around from room to room to avoid harassment from other residents. In rare cases, social workers say that couples have gone to the extent of agreeing not to visit each other, for fear the staff will treat them differently. And many patients revert back into the closet to protect themselves. "If you can imagine a situation where you're 80 years old, with no kids, a partner passed, no cousins or relatives and not one service that will provide you help with an emoticon of respect, that's what most LGBT seniors in this country face right now," says Michael Adams, SAGE's executive director. - http://www.newsweek.com/id/159509/

Congrats to the pregnant man Thomas and his wife!

The transgender man who made worldwide headlines dubbed as “The Pregnant Man,” Thomas Beattie just became a father to the baby girl he carried, according to ABC News.

A source told ABC News the birth was natural, despite earlier reports Beatie had gone in for a scheduled C-section. The baby was born at a hospital in Bend, Oregon. - ABC News via Gaywire

Best Use of Fatigues

Hallelujah!

Takes Longer Than a Dr Who Episode: The 4chan Mystery Continues

Internet, what the hell are you doing? Or is it all anonymous?

1) Recent emergence of the smoth, or re-emergence if you ever watched late night tv...

A recent wholly image-based meme that's been flooding /b/, it typically involves a shoop of a random celebrity/notable person wherein the eyes and mouth of the subject are dwarfed. And, of course, a tiny mouth speaks different now doesn't it? Hence "Will Smoth" - the original incarnation of the meme. Unfortunately it has also spawned a new monor of spoking thut os unbolovobly rutordud. To create one of these wacky new likenesses it requires about 10 minutes of free time, about a day's worth of experience with Photoshop, and no fucking life.

(OH ED HOW I LOVE THEE - http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Woll_Smoth)

2) Anon scares the crap outta people at Wimbledon?!
(DListed--->ONTD)

All Related to 4chan?

This post might be Rick approved, but I don't give a frak what the kittens think.

YAY! Margaret Cho Reality Show!

I got the G-shot as part of my new VH1 show, "The Cho Show," which I am filming right now and it is so fucking awesome you are going to just scream when you see it – I am so excited! Anyway, the G-Shot is an injection of collagen into your G-Spot that is supposed to enhance any kind of stimulation there. It is for women who have limited sensation in their vagina, which is me. My puss is more clitoral than vaginal. I am more into the outside than the inside. I am more about display than content. Whenever I go to a party, I tend to hang out on the steps rather than in the house and I never go into the backyard. And to keep the party analogy going, I don’t even have a G-Spot, per say, one place where the party is all centered, but there are lots of smaller events happening all over the area. Mine isn’t a G-Spot. More like a G-Block Party. My pussy is a lot like Coachella. There are a lot of bands hanging around waiting to play. - Read the rest @ ONTD

Fabulous news, VH1's doing a Margaret Cho show woohoo. Cho just published a blog on myspace about it. Myspace promptly pulled its blog service due to this overwhelming demand for Cho service. (Seriously though, lot of downtime over there these days right?)

Transformers Sequel?

Transformers and Harry Potter for me this weekend I do hope. Heard a lot of people weren't jazzed about HP5, I've got low expectations cause the book was kinda eghk/move it along as well...but it's just a warm up for book 7 ya know?

Finishing 4 now with the help of Blackberry. Mostly read it on the train, autoscroll means I can read all 7 in this month of July, 2007.

Now the funny shit. And if you like Al Gore, he's all up on it in a good way. Fuck him being president, better that he just control our hearts and souls...or attention to the planet, right? Green THIS! I want that as a t-shirt. If you have it for sale let me know!

Bisexual Wins NY State Office

(PHOTO FROM JUSTJARED.COM, SUPPORT ANOTHER BISEXUAL AND PICK UP ANGELINA JOLIE ON THE COVER OF MARIE CLAIRE!)

With 100 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Micah Kellner was declared the new state Assemblyman for the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island. Kellner, a Democrat, beat out Republican Greg Camp with 64.36 percent of the votes to fill the 65th District seat left vacant by former Assemblyman Alexander "Pete" Grannis. Grannis served for more than 30 years before leaving to become the state's environmental conservation commissioner.

A former congressional aide, Kellner was endorsed by Senator Hillary Clinton and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund...The 28-year old Kellner is the first openly bisexual member of the state Legislature to be elected.

YES! Every day it gets better and better for us bi's, good for him! And a disabled rights activist, hot good goddamn - - Where's the Michah Kellner Fan Club, can I be a member?





MORE QUEER NEWS OF NOTE, CHECK OUT SMART BRIEF YO!

SmartBrief Headlines

• How will gay play in Dallas mayoral election?
• Groups line up against surgeon general candidate
• Philadelphia closer to ending Scout discount because of gay policy
• Colorado shows the difference a decade, activism can make
• Conservative gays find foes on left and right
• Challenges of being a transgender cop
• Murder victim remembered
• Coalition calls on clergy to accept gay, trans flock

MORE ANGELINA?
Read the thoughts of her partner (along with his buddy George Clooney) on their new film, Ocean's Thirteen

I'm curious what you think of the state of the male movie star in Hollywood right now.

PITT: I'm actually a woman trapped in a man's body. We're going to be doing something about that soon.

Is Angelina aware of this?
PITT: Yeah, she's all for it. Kinda into it, actually.

OR READ THIS LOVELY QUOTE FROM HER:

"I love women and men equally and I see people and love as love, so I think it makes sense that a woman would know I'd appreciate and love her as much as I would a man."

OR LEARN SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T KNOW BY WATCHING


FROM WIKIPEDIA

• Angelina Jolie's Refugee Journals, Jolie's journals (2002-2004) at UNHCR.org
• Journey Through Eastern Congo, multimedia journal, narrated by Jolie
• What's Going On? - Child Refugees in Tanzania, 30 minute video, featuring Jolie in Tanzania

Bisexual is different from gay, different from straight. Gay is different from straight, and different from bi. Equally so. - Faith

Borat Steals Pam from Kid Rock

Pamela Anderson
Originally uploaded by MangaloreCity.com.

From the NyPost's Page 6

..."Ron Meyer held a screening of 'Borat' at his house for a bunch of people, including Pam and Bob," says an Anderson pal. "It was the first time Bob had seen the movie, and, well, he didn't like it."

The hugely popular film shows Sasha Baron Cohen - in character as Borat Sagdiyev - falling in love with Anderson after seeing her in a "Baywatch" rerun, then driving across America in order to propose marriage to her.

Her friend tells Page Six, "Bob started screaming at Pam, saying she had humiliated herself and telling her, 'You're nothing but a whore! You're a slut! How could you do that movie?' - in front of everyone. It was very embarrassing.

"Pam thought he could have a sense of humor about the movie. She was in on the gag from the very beginning and loved doing the movie. And on the eve of what was supposed to be a very positive thing, he made it an awful night.

"Ever since that night, it has been icicles between them," the friend relates. "Bob is just a very unhappy and angry man. Pam is very disenchanted and sad. You know, there are reasons why she never married him before. Those reasons disappeared while they were together on a boat in St. Tropez, but she knows now that they never went away. The reality is he is an insecure, angry man."

McKellen 'sad' at Hobbit decision

Thursday, 23 November 2006, 08:37 GMT
from da BBC


Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films, has voiced dismay over the decision to drop Peter Jackson as director of The Hobbit.

"I'm very sad as I should have relished revisiting Middle Earth with Peter again," the actor wrote on his website.

"It's hard to imagine any other director matching his achievement in Tolkien country."

Jackson refused to discuss working on the Hobbit until a DVD royalty dispute with New Line Cinema was settled.

But New Line said it had only "limited time" to make the film and was proceeding without the Oscar-winning director.

Read The Rest


LINKS-TO-A-DEGREE

Boycott New Line, for what it's worth/which is not much

Halo film also shelved