Santorum: Gay Is Not Black Or Something... Uh, Napkins

Ol' Frothy Mix, in his last presidential debate, got his ass handed to him for his remarks stating that the military should not be conducting social experiments-- by uh, not firing gay people-- so you would think that he would have a statement prepared when a similar quote stemming from the era of desegregation was tossed in his face:


But no. Santorum is still busy telling us what gay rights are or are not.  He should probably be thinking up a new strategy-- like, oh, not opening his mouth-- since his "moral values" platform is bombing in the polls.

I've Been In Boca! Sunning Myself!

Sorry I've been out. I wish I could say that I have been sunning in Mexico while being doted on by cabana boys, but it just hasn't been the case. School started and I had a nasty breakup (that's the last you'll ever hear about Adam on here. GRADE-A JERK. Uh, except for that) so I've been couchsurfing (bleh!) while re-learning how to be a student. Blogging every day ain't exactly easy when you're not sure where you can find a wireless connection...

So that's been eating up my time, but I've managed to keep up with various activist-y things. Notably, I and a hero of the movement, Miriam Ben-Shalom, have elected to vacate our guilty pleas in the matter of our arrests with Dan Choi in light of allegations that have come up in his trial, which was written about by the Blade.

You can't walk two steps in college without tripping over a protest or activist event, and Seattle Central Community College is no exception. The Occupy Seattle protest happening currently in front of Westlake Mall is gripping the Emerald City's attention, and I joined a march on Friday that trooped from SCCC down Pine to join the "99%". It was a lot of fun. I love a good march.

So I'm going to try to delve back into blogging. Thanks so much for your patience, guys, it's been a long couple of weeks.

Interruption In Service

I lost a couple blog posts due to the foul circumstance of a bad internet connection at home, which means I'm probably going to have to start blogging at school (oh, I started school and am now a real-life college student.  Isn't that neat?).  This just means I probably won't be able to post as often.  Apologies.

George Takei Reassures The World

George, I love you.  I love you so much.  If I weren't engaged and you weren't already married...



Plus: John DeLancy is totally a homo, amirite?

Occupy Wall Street: Vile Police Tactics And How You Can Help

Things are intensifying in the continuing occupation of Wall Street, where protests are entering their tenth day tomorrow.  This footage was captured on the scene this weekend, depicting penned-in protesters who were pepper-sprayed without provocation in what appears to be a purely retributive assault on people making use of their First Amendment right to free speech.  The video might disturb some of you, as the female protester's agonized screaming touched a horrified chord for me:




This is heinous.  Not only were these women doing nothing more dangerous than shouting slogans, they were clearly penned in and controlled in a manner that rendered them essentially harmless.  They were clearly no danger to any of the police officers present.

The culprit, one Deputy Inspector Bologna, has been identified, thanks to a photographer on the scene.  However, the NYPD is defending Bologna's actions, as reported by The Atlantic:

According to the NYT, the chief police spokesman, Paul Browne, said that the policeman used pepper spray "appropriately." Great. On the video we can't hear what either side is saying. But at face value, the casualness of the officer who saunters over, sprays right in the women's eyes, and then slinks away without a backward glance, as if he'd just put down an animal, does not match my sense of "appropriate" behavior by officers of the law in a free society.

This is insane.  These women are victims of violent crime at the hands of the New York City Police Department, it's quite clear.  However, the Department's spokesperson has now accused activists of editing the video in order to paint the act as criminal behavior.  Camera people on-site have submitted multiple videos to make it quite clear that no editing has taken place, but still no action has been taken against Deputy Investigator Bologna.

In other Wall Street protest news, Noam Chomsky, a renowned philosopher and scholar in political fields, issued a statement of support for the protests, as found on the Occupy Wall Street website:

Anyone with eyes open knows that the gangsterism of Wall Street -- financial institutions generally -- has caused severe damage to the people of the United States (and the world). And should also know that it has been doing so increasingly for over 30 years, as their power in the economy has radically increased, and with it their political power. That has set in motion a vicious cycle that has concentrated immense wealth, and with it political power, in a tiny sector of the population, a fraction of 1%, while the rest increasingly become what is sometimes called "a precariat" -- seeking to survive in a precarious existence. They also carry out these ugly activities with almost complete impunity -- not only too big to fail, but also "too big to jail." 

The courageous and honorable protests underway in Wall Street should serve to bring this calamity to public attention, and to lead to dedicated efforts to overcome it and set the society on a more healthy course.

If you, like me, support the Wall Street protesters, I'm going to ask you to click here and donate to the cause.  You can choose which fund to give to from a variety of options, to include their media fund and their food fund.  You can even order pizzas for them online, as local pizzeria Liberatos has created an "occu-pie" for the occasion (please order vegan or vegetarian pizzas only).

Remember, they may be in New York City, but they're standing up for all of our rights across America.

I was going to ask for original footage if any of my readers are in New York, and it would honestly be great if I could run some original stuff on OAQ, but if you live in NYC and do decide to attend the protests, please be very very careful to not run awry of the local authorities.  Things are getting dangerous.

I really.  Really.  Wish I was in New York.

Advertising Bigotry

Today in dumb billboards:

This billboard popped up in Toledo Ohio, and is a response to another billboard that appeared earlier this year:

The creator of the hate-y billboard has been receiving "hate mail" from gay and lesbian residents of Toledo and had this to say about the controversy his church has generated:

“I love everyone. There’s nothing on that billboard about hate. ... I’m getting hate mail from lesbian and gay people, but my point is that I love them too much to let someone believe a lie. I love this city too much to let a lie be sown.”

Right.  I have a suggestion for the Rev. Tony Scott: if you loved your town, you'd stop using tithe money to advertise oppression for gay people and put it to use-- say, with a homeless shelter.  That probably wouldn't gain you parishioners or additional tithing, unfortunately, as your billboard likely will.  Nothing says "come to our church!" in Ohio like "We hate gays old-fashioned style!"

Obama Slams Republicans (Sorta) Over Booing Of Gay Soldier

The President took the Republican party to task for its actions this weekend in a stern denunciation (well, stern for him anyway) at a San Jose fundraiser, the first of his campaign.  His remarks (via AMERICAblog Gay):

At his first fundraiser in San Jose, President Obama took aim at Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, without naming the Texas governor by name, and was critical of the recent GOP debates. He said the 2012 election will be "a contest of values." 

"Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republicans but are puzzled by what's happened to that party, are puzzled by what's happening to that party. I mean, has anybody been watching the debates lately? You've got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change," he said, to applause. "It's true. You've got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay. 

"That's not reflective of who we are," Mr. Obama said. "This is a choice about the fundamental direction of our country. 2008 was an important direction. 2012 is a more important election."

While eloquently put and extremely accurate, I worry that Barack Obama's rhetoric on the intractability and intrinsic insanity of the GOP's recent stances (and tacit approval of the rabidity of their supporters) is too little, too late.  Of course these remarks were made at his first fundraiser.  Campaigning has officially begun for the White House, and that's when he needs to be seen as a strong opponent to the ridiculous politics of the right.  However, remarks like this would perhaps have been more useful (and better for his campaign) if he had made them, oh, when policy was being decided.

Calling for an end to Republican craziness is great!  How about we do so when, for example, they're holding the country's economy hostage and threatening shutdowns in order to avoid generating revenue with which to repay our debt?  Strong rhetoric isn't just needed on the campaign trail, but also in the day-to-day operations of our nation.  It's something that's needed, and it isn't necessarily something we've seen.

Interview: There's An Elephant In The Room

One thing that I rarely get to do while blogging is comment on the less dire aspects of gay culture, to include music.  I, frankly, have terrible taste in music and you probably wouldn't want to hear my thoughts on it for that reason.  Additionally, I haven't particularly ever been a fan of "gay music," vastly preferring Nine Inch Nails (yay!) to Lady Gaga (shudder).

However, every now and then I come across a musical group or experience that I find fascinating.  One of those unique experiments in queer culture is gay rap, a genre which has been vastly underrepresented by musical artists or uncovered by the media.  Until now, hip hop on the queer scene has mostly been supported by artists like Cazwell.

However, I found this gay group, Elephant, quite recently and got the chance to speak with them.  They're twin brothers from Oklahoma, Jackson and Coleman, and the first thing you'll notice about these 26 year-old rappers is they certainly are not Cazwell.  I watched their first video, below, and was struck immediately with their ability to comment on far more serious topics than other forays into gay hip hop without sacrificing humor or playfulness.  Watch (language is NSFW):

Jackson and Coleman were kind enough to do an e-mail interview with me, and we discussed their difference from previous forays into gay rap, HIV, and the stigma of growing up in a small town.

OAQ: The group name Elephant brings to mind certain phallic imagery both on the initial experience with your music and, of course, upon perusing your lyrics. Why Elephant, and what message are you trying to convey?

J&C:  We always feel eyes on us when walking down the street together, and un-suspecting crowds tend to look at us like a freakshow as we're walking out on stage, other events, etc. The name Elephant really did come from the proverbial one on the room, saying things people are too afraid to, being impossible to ignore. It seems natural to us.

 
OAQ: You guys are certainly not the first queer men to attempt to break into the world of rap or hip-hop. Notably, of course, Cazwell has been involved with producing tongue-in-cheek hip-hop for years, however, his style is decidedly different, being a sort of candy-coated commentary on gay culture. You guys certainly don't appear to candy-coat a thing. What inspired you to take this heavier edge? Do you consider yourself a throwback to more traditional gangsta and if so, what in that genre appealed to you?

J&C: We can't really get excited about something unless it's urgent and focused, has a message, etc. Even in our daily lives it's hard for us to candy-coat things. That gangsta throwback sound we have in some our music totally holds true to the way we naturally write, I think. There's something about the attitude and humor of that kind of sound; it makes people instantly listen to you in a different way. It makes people ask more questions than they ordinarily would, and they automatically assume you're not going to take it easy on them, which we don't.

OAQ: Your lyrics are rife with drug references, which some of the more staid, picket fence queers will undoubtedly object to as an unfortunate stereotype of gay culture. I'm a former meth user myself, so I know that it's not necessarily a stereotype, but a very real component to modern gay youth. Why do you incorporate drug themes in your music? Do you consider these references to be central to some of your message, or is it ancillary to a larger one?

J&C:  The drug references are a reflection of us. We've both had plenty of problems with drugs when we were younger and even though we have our shit together now, we're the same people we were back then. Drugs consume a lot of people; even the thought of drugs consume people long after they stop taking them. I think poking fun at yourself--or even being self-deprecating--can give your points more impact; it tells someone that you don't hide from anything and you're not afraid to be yourself.

OAQ:  While your lyrics have a touch of humor to them, I picked up a strong current of underlying anger and resentment towards what I could classify "haters," which I specifically read as homophobes. Do you think that is accurate? If so, what experiences have you dealt with that inspired this playful rancor towards your detractors?

J&C:  Yes, it's completely accurate. Simply growing up in rural America exposed us to homophobia on some level everyday. The general belief among most of our peers in high school, as well as most middle-aged friends of the family, was that gay people are morally beneath and worth less as individuals than that of their heterosexual counterparts. When we came out at the age of 14, we were major targets in school. The specific stories have all been heard before, but I don't think the details remain important anyway.

OAQ:  Queer Nation is a song describing (this is how I read it anyway) strength in the queer community through rather explicit discussions of sexual domination. Can you expand on that at all? What IS the Queer Nation?

J&C:  You're right, but Queer Nation is really our threat to dominate what the world sees as cool. To inspire people to assume any position or title that they feel rights to, whether the general population can imagine it or not.

OAQ:  I listened to your track The Notorious H.I.V.  I'm poz, and many of my readers are as well, so a safe-sex message while still giving an impression that safer sex can be hot is a valuable one that I think many people can appreciate. Have you ever had a personal experience related to HIV that inspired this missive?

J&C:  Honestly, we've both had experiences with men simply not caring about using protection and assuming that one's word is enough to ward off an STD, and that's never been something we've been careless about. It just seemed like an effortless message to piece together, so we tried to keep the song as simple and stripped as possible. Like you said before, we don't get exposed to messages that sexualize people with HIV very often, as well.

You can find their website by clicking here, where they have additional music to this video, to include The Notorious H.I.V., which we discuss in the interview.  While I've never before been much for rap, I'm excited and interested to see what the future holds for Elephant.  

Olbermann Covers The Occupation Of Wall Street

Former MSNBC talk show host Keith Olbermann, whose popular show Countdown now running on Current TV, is taking advantage of the mainstream media blackout on the occupation of Wall Street by running a segment on the protest.  Watch the video below, he refers to the arrest of protesters under a 166-year-old statute banning masks as "crap" and questions why major newspapers are refusing to print news about the event.

Favorite quote:  "You'd think it would at least have made it into the traffic reports."

I think his guest's analysis is correct to a point.  I can't help but feeling that the news blackout is more about the corporate interests in the mainstream media, however, than about any sort of disinterest in liberal protests.  Both are probably true.

Confused About "Class Warfare?" Let Elizabeth Warren Break It Down For You

Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the nomination in the Massachusetts Senate campaign against Scott Brown, elucidating the fallacies at the heart of the protections Congress is currently extending to the super-rich:

Maggie's New Gig: Supporting "Victims" Of Marriage Equality

One of the powerful and most often repeated memes of the opposition to marriage equality is the idea that gay citizens fighting for their rights are somehow victimizing people who want to oppress LGBTs.  NOM has tried to hide their donor list for years while repeating this line, insisting that by exposing who their supporters are they'll be left open to harassment and violence by "homofascists."  I'm of the opinion that they simply don't want that sort of transparency because something is fishy in their books, thus inventing this clever myth in order to protect their BS, but it's one the right has latched onto with fervor.

Continuing that myth, the newly-stepped-down former NOM chairwoman Maggie Gallagher has announced, just one day after her resignation, that she has a new project: heading up a support network for people who feel afraid or victimized due to LGBT activism:

If you have been threatened, harassed, or made to feel afraid because you believe in the great, foundational truth of Genesis –we are born male and female and called to come together in love to give children mothers and fathers—Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is here to help you: you are not alone. 

We want to hear your story, connect you with others who share your deepest beliefs, with legal and other practical help, and with other Americans of good will, who (regardless of their views on marriage) want to put a stop to the shaming and the fearmongering of our fellow citizens. 

The goal of the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is to create a supportive community for those who have been threatened for standing for marriage, to nip the climate of fear being created in the bud, to expose for fair-minded Americans on both sides of the debate the threats being made, to conduct high-quality qualitative and quantitative research documenting the extent of the harm, to develop legislative and community proposal to protect Americans right to engage in the core civil rights: to organize, to vote, to speak, to donate, and to write for marriage. 

Isolated and alone, we can be suppressed and intimidated. Together we are too many to be treated as second-class citizens.

This idea that conservative Christians are being treated as second-class citizens is insane.  I recommend to anyone that feels like this group speaks to them instead seek out psychiatric care.  Delusions of victimization are regularly characterized in paranoid disorders and can be treated.

Rick Santorum Condemns Booing, Contradicts Self

Rick Santorum gave an interview to Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who is shaping up to be quite an advocate (in weak Faux News terms) for the gay community.  In that interview, he addressed the booing of openly gay soldier Stephen Hill, condemning the act and the people that did it:

I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier. That soldier is serving our country. I thank him for his service to our country. I'm sure he is doing an excellent job. I hope he is safe. I hope he returns safely, and does his mission well. I have to admit I seriously did not hear those boos. Had I heard them, I certainly would have commented on them.

I kind of think his condemnation is a bit contradictory to the issues he stands for.  If that soldier is doing an excellent job and is worth thanking for his service, why should he not be allowed to serve?  Isn't the act of coming out, according to Santorum, in of itself destructive to the military mission?  This only serves to illustrate the fallacies of his argument.

And, Rick?  I suggest you get a hearing aid.

"If I Get Back Alive"

This touched me a little bit, and is a sweet response to some of the ridiculous hatred we saw on the GOP debate tonight.

Video: Santorum's Remarks On DADT

Video from tonight's GOP debate in which Santorum threatens to reinstate Don't Ask, Don't Tell and, well, incurs the wrath of myself and my readers (video includes audience booing):



If you want to tell Rick Santorum that his remarks were wrong, click here and sign this petition.  Thus far we've dumped 200 e-mails in his campaign headquarters' inbox.  Let's make it 2,000.

Thanks to reader Brad C. and ThinkProgress for video.