- New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law – NYTimes.com – “Lawmakers voted late Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born. “
- Thousands Cheer Same-Sex Marriage Law in Euphoric Pride Parade – NYTimes.com – “They came to shout, dance, cheer, strut, hug and shed tears of joy, knowing that on July 24, when the law takes effect, the season for tears will begin in earnest…The focus of much of the cheering was Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, who made legalization of same-sex marriage part of his election campaign and visibly led the fight for its approval in the Republican-led State Senate. Mr. Cuomo marched with several local politicians, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the New York City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, who is openly gay. But there was little question that the governor was the parade’s rock star, eliciting shrieks as he made his way down Fifth Avenue. “
- Gail Dines, SlutWalk, Saudi Arabia and The Place of Porn in a “Just Society” | violet blue ® :: open source sex – A professor of sociology and women’s studies, Dines shows a shocking disregard for women’s experience. She infantilizes “sluts” and women who consume porn (about whom I’ve never seen her make more than a passing reference) as women making not their own choices, but choices dictated exclusively by the pressures of men. Meanwhile, men make choices based exclusively on the pressures of porn. Which are driven by the desires of men. It’s a classic circular argument that places the responsibility for men who behave reprehensibly on the shoulders of women who self-identify as sluts, and of men who don’t always feel like making eye contact with their girlfriends during sex…But Dines is far more dangerous than that, because after decades teaching women’s studies, she doesn’t seem to have learned the explosive danger of the term “normal.”
- Sexual Orientation and the Law: A Research Bibliography – A research bibliography of legal literature discussing gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual persons, their rights and their families. Edited by law librarians from the American Association of Law Libraries Standing Committee on Lesbian and Gay Issues.
- Thanks, but no thanks! | Fearless Press – Keep in mind that you do not need to have a reason to say no – you are entitled to say no for any reason (or even no reason) at all. It’s YOUR decision whether to play or engage in sex. You also do not need to give them a “rain check” or tell them maybe another time unless you want to – in fact, in my experience it’s been worse for me to tell them “maybe” instead of just saying no and leaving it alone.
Tagged as:
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gay,
gay+marriage,
law,
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lgbt,
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porn,
pride,
queer,
research,
samesex,
sex,
sexuality,
slutwalk,
thomas+roche,
transgender
Friday morning, the last program I watched on my about to be replaced Tivo was the documentary “Stonewall Uprising”, about the Stonewall riots. (You can watch it online here). The thing that got me was the head of the Mattachine Society, denying that gays would ever want to marry or adopt.
During the voting of the amendment, we headed downtown, because we wanted to be at the Stonewall, where it all started. Some pics from that night are below. The full photoset is here, including a video of the crowd singing “New York New York.”
Tagged as:
gay+marriage,
marriagequality,
ny4m,
samesex
- Prop 8 Panel Deeply Skeptical of Standing | The Recorder – Proposition 8 proponents faced tough questions from all three of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals judges today hearing the constitutionality of Prop 8, with the court focusing on the question of whether voters took away a right that previously existed in California…A good chunk of the two-hour arguments in the gay-marriage cases focused on the application of Romer v. Evans , the 1996 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a law aimed at repealing various gay-rights statutes in Colorado.
- Bullies Aren’t Just Other Kids: LGB Teens Get Harsher Treatment | Charlie Glickman –
- Digital Self-Harm and Other Acts of Self-Harassment | DMLcentral – As they started looking into specific cases of teens answering "anonymous" harassing questions, they started realizing that a number of vicious questions were posted by the Formspring account owners themselves. They appeared on Formspring as anonymous but they were written by the owner while logged into their own account.[1] In other words, there are teens out there who are self-harassing by "anonymously" writing mean questions to themselves and then publicly answering them.
- Assange’s Interpol Warrant Is for Having Sex Without a Condom – The Slatest – Slate Magazine | Slate – While the "consent of both women to sex with Assange has been confirmed by prosecutors," as a former attorney wrote in an impassioned op-ed, Assange has been charged with something called "sex by surprise," which reportedly carries a $715 fine.
- Melissa Petro Call Girl Turned Teacher – Melissa Petro Interview on Selling Sex on Craiglist – Marie Claire – In college, she stripped. In graduate school, she sold sex on Craigslist. Then Melissa Petro became a popular grade-school teacher, known for inspiring her students. Her secret past could have stayed that way — until she blogged about it.
- The porn supremacy | The Age – It's a dirty little secret, the thing they don't tell you, and they don't talk about – how every wave of technological advance has been fuelled by pornography. ("The Erotic Engine" by Patchen Barss.)
Tagged as:
Formspring,
lgbt,
marriage,
porn,
prop8,
proposition+8,
samesex,
sex,
sexwork,
socialmedia,
technology,
wikileaks,
youth
- Craigslist Censored: Adult Section Comes Down | TechCrunch –
- Court won’t force state to defend Prop. 8 | SFGate – The outlook for the legal defense of Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage, grew cloudier Thursday as a state appellate court refused to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to appeal a federal judge's ruling overturning the measure.
- Conservative Group Foiled in Attempt to Mandate Defense of Prop. 8 – Law Blog – WSJ – On Thursday, a state appellate court in Sacramento without comment refused to order Schwarzenegger and Brown to appeal a federal judge’s ruling overturning the measure.
- Bering in Mind: Polyamory chic, gay jealousy and the evolution of a broken heart | Jesse Bering | Scientific American – Unless you have the unfortunate luck of being coupled with a psychopath, or have the good fortune of being one yourself, broken hearts are not easily experienced at either end, nor are they easily mended by reason or waved off by all the evolutionary logic in the world. And because we’re designed by nature to be not only moderately promiscuous but also to become selfish when that natural promiscuity rears its head—again, naturally—in our partners, “reasonable people” are far from immune to getting hurt by their partner’s open and agreed-upon sex with other parties. Monogamy may not be natural, but neither is indifference to our partners’ sex lives or tolerance for polyamory. In fact, for many people, especially those naively taking guidance from evolutionary theorists without thinking deeply enough about these issues, polyamory can lead to devastating effects.
- American Academy of Pediatrics: ‘The media have become one of the leading sex educators in the U.S.’ – National Sex education | Examiner.com – In a policy statement released yesterday, the American Academy of Pediatrics weighs in on Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media, calls for a national task force on children, adolescents, and the media, and advocates for comprehensive sex education, noting that "It is unwise to promote 'abstinence-only' sex education when it has been shown to be ineffective and when the media have become such an important source of information about 'nonabstinence.'"
- One Woman Explains Her Journey From Anti-Porn to Pro-Porn | Our Porn, Ourselves – After working with her former boss and mentor for an unspecified amount of time, female research intern Beth Brigham completely disagrees and now openly disputes with Gail Dines anti-porn claims. Brigham and has since worked in porn and so now can speak firsthand about what’s true in Dines’ porn statements about porn and its performers, and what is not.
Tagged as:
adult,
censorship,
craigslist,
empathy,
gail+dines,
jealousy,
kinkontap,
legal,
lgbt,
marriage,
polyamory,
porn,
prop8,
relationship,
relationships,
samesex,
sexwork
- Will The Right Sacrifice California to Save Marriage Amendments Elsewhere? | Right Wing Watch – there is some talk on the Right of not appealing or fighting the Prop 8 ruling and letting California have gay marriage in order to keep the case away from the Supreme Court and thereby saving the marriage amendments in all the other states:
- Gay Protest Signs: The Greatest Hits | gay.com –
- Appeals Court Asked To Block Start Of Gay Weddings : NPR – The judge said he's not sure the proponents have the authority to appeal since they would not be affected by or responsible for implementing his ruling. By contrast, he said, same-sex couples are being denied their constitutional rights every day they are prohibited from marrying…Proposition 8 supporters "point to harm resulting from a 'cloud of uncertainty' surrounding the validity of marriages performed after judgment is entered but before proponents' appeal is resolved," he said. "Proponents have not, however, argued that any of them seek to wed a same-sex spouse."
Tagged as:
gay+marriage,
humor,
legal,
lgbt,
marriage,
prop8,
samesex,
SCOTUS
- Judge Allows, but Delays, Gay Marriage in California – NYTimes.com – Just a week after ruling that Proposition 8 — a 2008 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage — was unconstitutional, a federal district judge lifted a stay on his decision on Thursday, opening the door for untold numbers of gay couples to marry in the nation’s most populous state. But he delayed implementation of the order to lift his stay until Aug. 18.
- Who I Am: A Cadet Leaves West Point | Pam’s House Blend – In her own words, here is a video of Cadet Katie Miller discussing her decision to resign from West Point because of life under DADT.
- Dissecting Decontextualization: Donna M. Hughes’ Happy Endings? | Maybe Maimed but Never Harmed › – Having examined how the sex-negative “scare” tactic is perpetuated, let’s look at the pernicious “confuse” tactic. This tactic relies on an audience not to fact-check, as it includes outright lying, omitting important facts (“de-contextualizing”), and even creating false contexts. In this way, the tactic is identical to Andrew Breitbart’s famous example: take the facts, strip them of context, and present them in as emotionally charged a way as possible.
Tagged as:
DADT,
gay,
legal,
lgbt,
marriage,
military,
politics,
prop8,
samesex,
sex,
sexwork
Tagged as:
argentina,
etiquette,
gay,
john+stagliano,
legal,
legislation,
obscenity,
porn,
Russia,
samesex,
sex,
Twitter
- Making a Hot Mess out of “Feminist” TV | where is your line? – My experience in the hot seat of Hot Mess reminded me – like a slap in the face- a few basic media principles. As a filmmaker and producer, respect your subjects. They are not objects or props to be used or humiliated. Honor them. And as a subject and author of your life, remember – your story is your story. It is sacred, precious and individually yours. Find and maintain your boundaries about how and with whom you share your story. Call the shots and don’t forget you’re in control.
- Federal Judge In Boston Rules Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional – The federal law banning gay marriage is unconstitutional because it interferes with the right of a state to define the institution and therefore denies married gay couples some federal benefits, a federal judge ruled Thursday in Boston.
- Sex and Infertility – How infertility makes sex more difficult | Cory Silverberg – The impact of infertility (real or suspected) on your sex life can be enormous. Sex that is timed and filled with anxiety about the outcome quickly becomes mechanical and forced. What was once an intense expression of love, desire, and commitment can feel like an obligation, an expectation — and practically coercive.
Tagged as:
feminism,
fertility,
gay,
gender,
legal,
marriage,
media,
rape,
samesex,
sex
- Newark archbishop questions plan for Seton Hall University gay marriage class | – NJ.com – The course is scheduled to begin next fall for upperclassmen in any major on the South Orange campus, university officials said. It is designed to explore the controversial issue without advocating for either side.
- Chimpanzees Use Tools to Help Their Sex Lives – NYTimes.com – Leaf-clipping, meanwhile, has remained a local fetish among chimpanzees. The sexual strategy has been spotted at a colony in Tanzania but not in most other groups. There has been nothing comparable to the evolution observed in distributors of human sex tools: from XXX stores to chains of cutely named boutiques (Pleasure Chest, Good Vibrations) to mass merchants like CVS and Wal-Mart.
- State’s Highest Court Unanimously Recognizes that Non-Biological Mother in Lesbian Couple is Parent | New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) – American Civil Liberties Union of New York State – In its ruling today, the court unanimously held that because Debra would be considered a parent under Vermont law, where the couple entered into a civil union, she should be considered a parent under New York Law as well.
- Matchmaking Site Brings Romance to British University Libraries – Wired Campus – The Chronicle of Higher Education – The site, Fitfinder, allows students to post messages broadcasting their attraction to others they've spotted in the stacks.
- Duncan Charles Designs to Back Chilldils « Chilldil – Chilldils Sex Toy Sleeves are pleased to announce that they have been approached with an offer from Duncan Charles Designs, which they have happily accepted.
- Facebook Users Like Sex | Mashable – As the chart below depicts, Facebook users are extremely fascinated with sex, as sex links are 90% more likely to be shared than other types of content. Links that are positive in nature and/or related to learning rank second and third in terms of shares, respectively.
- Amy Jo Goddard | CarnalNation – Abby Ehmann's profile of Amy Jo Goddard and her Women's Sexuality Empowerment Apprenticeship workshop.
Tagged as:
dating,
entrepreneur,
facebook,
legal,
lgbt,
libraries,
marriage,
online,
same-sex,
samesex,
sex,
sextoys,
sexuality,
women
- Facebook’s “Privacy Fiasco” Reaches New Milestone With FTC Complaint – Unfortunately for Facbeook, a group of ten privacy and consumer groups announced today that they have filed a complaint with the FTC, alleging that the the privacy-policy changes violate federal law.
- Facebook | Updates on Your New Privacy Tools –
- Project ‘Gaydar’: An MIT experiment raises new questions about online privacy – The Boston Globe –
- Facebook’s Privacy Move Violates Contract With Users | ReadWriteWeb – Your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, Friends List, and all the pages you subscribe to are now publicly available information on Facebook. This means everyone on the web can see it; it is searchable.
- Dark Odyssey Winter Fire 2010: Presenters list – Since its inception, Dark Odyssey events have featured over one hundred different presenters from all over the United States and Canada as well as Germany, Switzerland, and South Korea. We have confirmed our line up of nationally acclaimed authors, award-winning educators, and incredible presenters from all over the United States. We are proud to feature these new folks who will present at Dark Odyssey for the very first time.
- D.C. Council approves same-sex marriage bill – The analysis, created in the weeks leading up to Tuesday's historic council vote, estimates that 2,000 gay couples who live in the District will marry shortly after the law takes effect. But the bulk of the weddings, which could pump millions of dollars into the regional economy, would probably be out-of-state couples unable to marry in their own states, according to the analysis, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. It concludes that at least $5 million, and perhaps as much as $22 million, would be generated by same-sex weddings in the District over the next three years.
Tagged as:
bdsm,
bondage,
culture,
Dark Odyssey,
Events,
facebook,
gaydar,
kink,
marriage,
privacy,
samesex,
sex,
socialmedia
- The Sex Doctor Is Out / Violet Blue: Talk to your doctor about sex? You’re better off asking Twitter – Picking out a new doctor that you'll feel comfortable talking to — and hope to get accurate answers from — is a challenge with a health care system that is not consumer friendly, nor awake to the concept of sex-positivity.
- YouTube – NYS Senator Diane Savino speaks on the Marriage Equality bill –
- 13-Year-Old Girl Commits Suicide After Classmates Spread Nude Photos : The Curvature – Hope Witsell made the decision to end her own life. A whole lot of other people seemingly decided that keeping women in their place was a lot more important than protecting a 13-year-old girl, and than stamping out sexual misconduct. A whole society backed that second decision up.
- Female Sexologist Awaits Pawtucket Zoning Board | Womens eNews – A sexologist in Rhode Island is trying to open an adult-ed center focused in part on the female pleasure principle. Her battle has been complicated by the recent passage of a ban on indoor prostitution, which she opposed.
- The Hunt for Porn-Virgins | Carnal San Francisco – A study that set out to examine male subjects who had never been exposed to pornography was foiled by a lack of porn-virgins.
- Good Vibrations Magazine » Blog » Sex-Positivity and Judgment – When I started putting these two simple and elegant concepts together, I came to see just how much I was letting my judgments come out. As I learned to pay attention to how my reactions arise, I began to be able to own them and take responsibility for them. When I learned to use language that reflected the fact that my emotions were internal feelings rather than statements of identity or descriptions of the world around me, they became much less likely to take over my experiences…I think that this has major ramifications for sex-positivity. Speaking from a sex-positive place means that we can take responsibility for our judgments.
- Speaking to Las Vegas in the Language of Las Vegas — Kickstarter – This is going to be an art installation that combines sculptural elements, performance, audio, video, photo documentation, and illustrated portraits of Las Vegas sex workers. The purpose of this show is to investigate the connections between the Las Vegas economy & the legal & illegal sex work that happens there.
- Hand Holding vs. Hand Held – All Tech Considered : NPR – Can you love your partner and your cell phone?
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art,
health,
IloveNewYorkequality,
judgment,
marriage,
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zoning
Gallery Carre
