Miscellaneous

Blogcation

Posted on July 15, 2009
Hello all. I'm about to reach a "milestone" birthday and, as a result, will be spending it in The Big Easy possibly trying to forget that fact.I may or may not have access to a computer or the internets while away, but regular blogging will resume next monday...

New York Times Interview With Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Posted on July 14, 2009
As we await the probable(?) confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court, The New York Times recently posted an interview of lone female justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg and former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor are two women in the legal profession who I have enormous respect for...

On "Real" History

Posted on July 13, 2009
Many Americans have a certain mentality that there is this thing called Real History and that the histories of minorities and women is not a part of it. It's not always that such people claim that these "other" histories are false, although they sometimes claim that...

Deep Thoughts: Fun With Old Journal Entries

Posted on July 10, 2009
Sometimes, a blogmistressix should keep things light. After long strings of critical posts, sometimes it is necessary to peruse old journal entries and post random tidbits that you may (or may not) find entertaining:1) In April 2007, I expressed an unusually strong dislike for the word, in either verb or noun form, "upchuck...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Odds 'N Ends

Posted on July 09, 2009
1) Gay Iraqis Fared Better Under Saddam Hussein?Investigating the lives of LGBT people in Iraq, the BBC's Ashley Byrne found that every LGBT person interviewed "maintained that life was easier for them when Saddam Hussein was in power, from 1979 to 2003...

Cultural Cliteracy

Posted on July 08, 2009
It probably comes as no surprise to regular readers here that I took a course in Feminist Jurisprudence when I was in law school and that my interest in the field continues to this day. What I appreciated about the course was that it, like Critical Race Theory and other Critical Legal Studies, was one of the few that questioned longstanding assumptions inherent in our (mostly white) male-created legal system...

Marriage As a Message of Responsible Procreation?

Posted on July 07, 2009
For a slight change of pace, today and tomorrow I'm going to review two interesting academic articles I've read recently regarding marriage equality and feminism. While it can be fun to regularly observe anti-gays prattle on about the ickiness of anal sex and such, sometimes we all need to be reminded that there are far more sophisticated arguments beyond the Homos Will Destroy Our Entire Society and Feminists Are Ugly variety that proliferate on the intertubes...

David Benkof Makes Dangerously Misleading Claims About HIV/AIDS

Posted on July 06, 2009
Whenever I'm reminded of the existence of "marriage defender" David Benkof and his often absurd arguments, I'm always hesitant to give him any more free publicity. Whether he's *dramatically* calling it quits and shutting down his blog, or re-opening it later and renewing his oh so unique status as the Gay Who Defends Marriage, one is left wondering whether his writings are more about defending marriage or more about garnering attention for David Benkof...

Cub Fans Are Bad Like How Gay People Are Bad!

Posted on July 02, 2009
Hey guess what? While we were celebrating GayPride this past weekend, some Chicago White Sox fans were making fun of gay people (and Cubs fans)! Continuing that asinine tradition of creating offensive sports t-shirts, the following shirt has become quite popular among White Sox fans:For my non-sports fan readers, this t-shirt is referring to the fact that the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, the Cubs last won it like a hundred years ago, and thus the only parade Cub fans get is the annual gay pride parade which takes place near Wrigley Field...

Odds 'N Ends

Posted on July 01, 2009
1) Well, um, no. But I've heard it's really bad for kids.Many people are against same-sex couples raising children. Often, however, you will find that those who oppose same-sex parenting don't actually know anyone who has undertaken the endeavor or who was raised by gay and lesbian couples...

Men Need Man Food

Posted on June 30, 2009
I have been living outside of the "traditional" heterosexual male/female household structure for many years now. I am so used to this that I have forgotten much of what it means to live within this framework. Recently, while on vacation, I was in this "traditional" framework and looking through my current perspective shed some light on an annoying, artificial sex distinction...

MassResistance Documents "Transgender Prom"

Posted on June 29, 2009
Anti-gay organization MassResistance is at it again, this time promoting the testimonial of undercover correspondent "Max" who attended a Youth Pride Day* event held at Boston City Hall in May 2009. (*MassResistance erroneously calls the event "Transgender Prom" throughout its article)...

Thoughts On Pride

Posted on June 26, 2009
40 years ago almost to the day, New York City police officers and the Public Morals Squad raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. 40 years ago, raids of gay bars were common and patrons, especially if they were male and wearing dresses, were arrested...

Breaking News: Another Otherwise Really Great Guy Attacks Woman

Posted on June 25, 2009
Now doesn't this just chap your ass?"An off-duty Chicago police officer convicted of pummeling a female bartender half his size was sentenced Tuesday to two years probation and anger management classes for the videotaped attack that appeared worldwide on the Internet and cable news channels...

More Fun Thinking Beyond the Binary

Posted on June 24, 2009
Our anti-equality friend The Playful Walrus recently posted a piece regarding an after-school program that explores gender outside of our culturally-constructed binary. The Walrus is rarely one for depth in his pieces and I don't say that to slight him...

Marriage Equality and the Ideology of Rights

Posted on June 23, 2009
I'd like to think occasional commenter Chuck for passing this article along to me. In it, conservative Rod Dreher explores the issue of marriage equality in a meandering yet thoughtful manner.One of the secular arguments against allowing same-sex marriage is the argument that marriage is about Responsible Procreation...

The Gay Agenda: Found! (Again)

Posted on June 22, 2009
From time to time, those opposed to LGBT rights come across "proof" of The Gay Agenda. This evidence, which they usually find on the world wide web and then present to their like-minded readers as though it is a startling top secret revelation, usually consists of some sort of compilation of policy priorities that such-and-such LGBT organization has produced...

Friday Flasher Poll

Posted on June 19, 2009
So, two days ago whilst walking downtown in a major US city, a man flashed his naked penis at me. This isn't the first time a man unknown to me has felt the need to show me his cock and balls and, if you're a woman reading this, I'd be willing to bet that a man has done the same to you...

Tropes, Buffy, and Annoying Commercials

Posted on June 18, 2009
1. You Too Can Be Depicted!I recently came across a (sort-of) wiki called TV Tropes that is quite entertaining in its exploration of many television (and movie, literary, and comic book) devices and conventions. Some of these tropes include, for gays, the usually male character of Gay Best Friend (think "George" in My Best Friend's Wedding) and for black people, those trusty roles of Black Best Friend (think "Dionne" in Clueless) and Magical Negro (think "Morpheus" and "the Oracle" in The Matrix)? I know, coming the day after a post in which I criticized an anti-gay person for taking issue with a "normal" lesbian character, you might be thinking that I'm implacable...

And Normalizing Others is a Bad Thing?

Posted on June 17, 2009
I have written before about my appreciation for literature that includes LGBT characters. LGBT people exist in the real world and, given the extent to which those who oppose homosexuality tend to demonize us and deny us a history, I think fiction can go a long way in helping to reflect our common humanity...

Obama's DOMA Fail

Posted on June 16, 2009
Given Barack Obama's impotence on LGBT rights thus far into his presidency and the duty of the Department of Justice to enforce current US law, it comes as no surprise that Obama's Department of Justice (DOJ) is defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law that prevents same-sex couples from receiving any of the federal benefits, rights, and privileges of marriage...

Odds 'N Ends

Posted on June 15, 2009
1. How Does God Feel About Abuse?Nathan Phelps, son of Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" Notoriety, recently addressed the American Atheists Convention. In his speech, he recounts his abusive childhood, his father's theological beliefs, and his evolution from Christianity to atheism...

"Marriage Defenders" Continue Promoting Dishonesty

Posted on June 12, 2009
As we have seen numerous times, some of those who take up the righteous cause of "marriage defense" have serious problems when it comes to accuracy and honesty.Previously, I have debunked a few of the many erroneuous and/or misleading claims that anti-gay organization Mass Resistance has made regarding the so-called "harms" of legal same-sex marriage in Massachusetts...

Another Act of Rightwing Domestic Terrorism?

Posted on June 11, 2009
Perhaps encouraged by a recent act of alleged politically-motivated terrorism, a man with ties to white supremacist groups allegedly engaged in an act of deadly violence yesterday at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. Police have identified James von Brunn, who decries Jews and blacks on a "rambling, racist and bitterly anti-Semitic website," as the shooter...

A Photo Montage of Andro-Centrism in Abortion Rights Law

Posted on June 10, 2009
Ever since the recent act of anti-choice terrorism that closed the doors of the slain Dr. Tiller's clinic, abortion has been on my mind. I don't often write about the issue here. It's a lightning rod for, ahem, "interesting" comments and although I support a woman's right to choose, I'm not comfortable with idea of ending human life...

Alleged Gay Basher Otherwise a "Good Kid" (Other Than That Time He Allegedly Attacked That Woman Of Course)

Posted on June 09, 2009
Previously, I wrote about how a 23-year-old college man allegedly attacked a lesbian woman coming out of a gay bar in Provincetown while calling her anti-gay slurs. Well, The Boston Herald is now reporting that friends and family from the alleged attacker's "well-heeled, waterfront neighborhood" are simply ShOcKeD by the charges because he's otherwise a "very good kid...

Odds 'N Ends

Posted on June 08, 2009
1) Same-Sex Parenting In AnimalsIn News of the Cute, a pair of male penguins in a German zoo have hatched an egg, and are now raising a chick, that was abandoned by its biological parents. From the article:"In the case of Z and Vielpunkt, two penguins at the zoo in Bremerhaven, the pair had been observed attempting to hatch a stone...

Today's Bits of Random Information

Posted on June 05, 2009
1) The Case of the Missing Tomato PlantI simply have no idea who could have possibly eaten my tomato plants while I was away.Would a cat do this?Probably. Which makes this latest incident a wash, bringing my running tally to Dogs 3, Cats 6. 2) I Have Many SkillsIn other "news," I recently read an old journal entry from a few years ago and in it I wrote:"Last night I had a dream that I was stripper...

Radio Hosts Condone Violence Against Transgender Children

Posted on June 04, 2009
Via The Huffington Post:"Even by the flexible moral, ethical, and professional standards of American talk radio, the May 28th segment of KRXQ 98.5 FM Sacramento's Rob, Arnie, & Dawn in the Morning radio talk show makes for a sickening half-hour of ugliness and cruelty...

Sex With Ducks

Posted on June 03, 2009
I used to wonder why some people automatically equate same-sex relationships with having sex with little kids, animals, and amputated limbs. Now I understand that many of these folks, imbued as they are with notions of heterosexual superiority, are utterly incapable of making important distinctions...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.