Greetings,
I just signed the following petition addressed to: Union-Scioto Local Schools District Administration and School Board.
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I would like you to take a closer look at your policies as they relate to hate crimes. Work with experts on creating safe schools for students no matter who they are. Everyone should have an opportunity to get educated without emotional or physical harm.
Union-Scioto Local Schools should protect kids and teens from assaults based on color, creed, religion, abilities, sexual orientation and gender identity.
This should never happen again on a Union-Scioto Local Schools campus: http://youtu.be/gPyyqISm8eg
It should never happen anywhere, please help me make that a reality.
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.
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?
This Sunday morning I was proud to be part of history, when the African American LGBT community of Southern California joined forces to bear witness of their existence and need for justice. We started out at The Fountain on the corner of Vernon and Crenshaw, where only a few years ago you wouldn't quite visit for a picnic. I grew up going to the mall in the area, changing buses and even walking the various stretches of Crenshaw. When I came out I did stop visiting as regularly, preferring to come only for the odd event or filming at Lucy Florence. When I want to kick it, I tend to gravitate more southbay or west hollywood -- places where you know you're safe if you mention gay things, where you could kiss a girl and get strange looks vs. getting it in the head with a bottle. Since I grew up in a conservative, country small town, I'm familiar with the anonymous bottle or rock that comes flying from who? You get used to these things, or you only move within circles where they are not. To freely rally and protest against H8 in spots I'd fear'd being out as a kid was beyond liberating AND only possible because we are now MORE than ever before. Determination in our steps and screams no longer strangled made our hearts soar. Hear the toddlers in strollers chanting along, "Eqwal Rights!" and see teens ignore the verbal attacks on their parents, brushing hate off with ingrained nonchalance. Are we real to you yet? Are we re-emerging as missing pieces a whole soul? YES, YES, YES! Even when we wound down and the homophobes crawled out of their hate pits toward us (almost see their shredded souls dragging behind?) They cursed us and our kids, they called their "homies" and said people were coming for us. One attacked my shirt especially, how dare I be wearing a Che shirt to a gay rally. How dare we be here at that fountain, why not give our children a chance to live without sin?. All this they tossed at us, with a bottle in their hand. The police arrived and dragged the brothers to the ground, and all the queers bristled at the police while sighing just a bit in relief. As one organizer told me, I never want a Black man handcuffed because of me. And I could understand, I get followed and profiled like everyone else (certainly less so than the male identified). But how can they tell us they'll shoot us, how can they say guns are coming for the gays and get away? Cops drew down when they arrived and dudes became quite fucking contrite, "oh we didn't say anything. just free speech officer, are the handcuffs necessary?" And I remembered our ancestors who walked before us for different and the same rights. Those who spewed vile hates were not the every day person, they were not the norm but their behavior reflected what society considered "acceptable". A country's heart changed when children were being attacked by dogs, when video and pictures of us fighting insurmountable odds in the south surfaced. Paradigm shifts, and what was inconceivable becomes reality -- with blood, tears, and protesting sweat. I'm young and proud to be an LGBT American, any one want to tell me different?
Check us out on the news tonite, Fox 11 at 10pm (Fox?! Tricia, I'm Faith.)
Official Statement by leading BLACK LGBT organization on this weekend's political action supporting the repeal of Proposition 8
LOS ANGELES, CA – Ron Buckmire, Board President of the Barbara Jordan/ Bayard Rustin Coalition, released the following statement regarding the Black GLBT March and Protest planned for Leimert Park on the morning of Sunday, November 23, 2008.
"African-American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans have something unique to add to the multiple activities attempting to repeal Proposition 8. The Jordan/Rustin Coalition supports, endorses and will participate in any and all peaceful and lawful actions involving our own communities which support this goal. We are excited to announce our participation in the community grassroots organized rally for LGBT rights this Sunday at 11am in Leimert Park (corner of Vernon and Crenshaw).
"The event is organized by 'Love at Work – The Exchange' and Reverend Freda Lanoix. Starting at 11:30am on Sunday, Black LGBT people will march in solidarity in a predominantly African American neighborhood to peacefully protest the passage of Proposition 8. We call on all fair-minded Black people to join us!
"As we await the California Supreme Court's decision on the legal status of same-sex marriages entered into between June 17 and November 4, the Jordan/Rustin Coalition will continue to work in the many communities we are part of to engage in discussion about equal rights for all LGBT Californians. We encourage our many allies in the LGBT and African American communities to join us in grassroots activism in hopes of change."
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ABOUT the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition
The mission of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition (or Jordan Rustin Coalition) is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
Ron Buckmire, Board President of the Jordan/Rustin Coalition is available for interviews by calling his cell phone, 323-314-2949 or email at buckmire@jordanrustincoalition.org
-- The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for the Democratic primary debates, Obama was recorded saying, "I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know, this is a stupid question, but let me ... answer it.' So when Brian Williams is asking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking about personal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f---ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'."
I asked a question, in desperation. Like sand skipping unnaturally back into the sea, bisexuality is disappearing. A famous celeb declares love for a woman, as she has for men before and a biological reality isn't even broached. Tila Tequila cements bisexuality as a culture, as a way of living and not a life. Words Matter and I'm screaming them from the proverbial rooftops.
I'm really thankful Ted C. of E! Online posted my question in the first place and sparked up a conversation, kicking some folks into gear within our own bisexual community. To me that is the work of an ally. An ally is not necessarily me, they don't always say it the way I would want but they help get us closer. Use the chance to educate and invigorate! Sure, we attack ourselves and allies before rushing out the door in the right way, but eventually righteous fire finds it's true mark. Perhaps some saw the poll as a last straw, but I think that's an unconscious way to look at it. The poll represents reality, what are you doing to change someone's mind about that if you disagree? Folks, including Ted C. I might add, worked years to help change opinion on same sex marriage and the need for visibility (have you forgotten Toothy Tile?)
Bisexuals have to and are doing the same, and we must keep trying.
In response to the poll, and with great love I sent this to Ted:
Sorry that my half hearted attempt to question the lack of "bisexual option" for La Lohan turned some bisexuals on the wrong way. "or as "out & proud" Sheela Lambert notes ". . . there is one for haters and two for heteroflexible girls. I dont want to sign up as either an experimenter or dating a girl until I meet the right guy. I have been out as bi for over 30 years and have dated both guys, women and transgender people" - Bialogue
So how about it Ted, feel like adding a button? There's No and Maybe, but no definitive Yes is there? Remember we're not exactly a highway from one orientation to the next, but more of a welcome mat of goodness. Step gently?
He replied in the affirmative, respectfully and warmly so. Folks out there may not know E!, may not have spent the years chilling with Talk Soup, adoring Anna Nicole, or incorporating a good amount of TEDSPEAK into their vocabulary. Personally, I'm proud that Ted is one of my biggest influences as a writer, all that casual wit and sarcastic sweetness in a shiny hunk of a package to boot. He's like the Douglas Adams of Gossip and lucky for US, he came out years and years ago. He got married and has held the queer flag in high profile for plenty a day. I think that should count for a damn lot.
Me, myself, I consider myself a bisexual activist -- I reclaim the word, and see myself as two and whole at the same time. STILL I'VE NEVER BEEN ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO ENTER A CHURCH THAT DON'T LIKE QUEERS, HAVE YOU?
This is some horrid stuff, cants believe it would happen in October of 2008. Wait, I can.
The Director of Safety from Palm Beach Atlantic University read a statement as we gathered outside the school's chapel on Monday, October 13, 2008. "You are unwanted guests." Fully aware that handcuffs were waiting, six of us then stepped forward, persisting in our intention to attend the morning service there. Arris and Lindsay, two students whom we'd spoken with extensively the day before, had been so certain we would be allowed in that they even promised to sit with us. Tears streamed down their faces as the police slipped zip-ties around our wrists and loaded us into their van. Our fellow Riders held hands and tried to hold back their own tears as they sung, "Just As I Am."
What are you doing today? When's the last time you made a stand? Sent an email, took action, let someone know how you feel and/or made a ruckus?
2008 USA Olympic Team "Spiritual and Social Leader" (wikipedia) Has Some Punch! Props to ONTD's winniecooper SEE ALICIA SACRAMONE ROCK IT LIKE SHE KNOWS HOW, USA FTW!
(Free Tibet tho, yo. Roll like Jesse Owens did. Power to the people)
I saw Brandi Carlile perform a few weeks ago w/Indigo Girls in Long Beach. It was an amazing show which words could not possibly describe. Great time was had celebrating my friends same sex wedding anniversary and soon to be "legal" marriage, so good I didn't scan the crowd. Would have seen a favorite cousin in the audience with her partner, so cool! The stupid foul atm's broke at the theater so I had nothing for Brandi to sign when she came out and was horrified. I excused myself to the back of the lobby, all stormy inside when she happened to walk by after. Shocked, all I could muster was, "You're cool, great" and a giant smile. She said thanks, smiled and kept going before the crowd turned collective heads to follow. I wanted to ask her if she wanted to watch some tv, but it seemed a bit forward. :D
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
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.
With feigned indifference I've noticed steampunk as a next big mainstream thing, seems the NY Times agrees. No, the NY Times does not = cultural death, why ever would you think that?
It's fascinating to see people of color involved in the retooling of historical eras, previously we weren't so transparent in the paradigm. Sure, there's some who might scoff and deign to call the subculture a natural extension of mainstream rejection e.g. goth/alt/metal/the pierced. When did this youth dismissive culture forget they were once young? Perhaps people get sick of asking for the same things, they see the rock remain a mountain instead of handfuls of sand. I see each expression as a tick tock on the clock of positive evolution.
