Joplin School District Refuses To Take Action Against Homophobe Teacher

A concerned Joplinite passed me this link today and I couldn't help but pass it along to you guys.

One Joplin area teacher is breathing a sigh of relief today after his scandalous Facebook comments in which he callously remarked that gay suicides are the fault of the victim's, responding to a former student's post about 15-year old Jamie Hubley's bullying-related suicide by saying "Moral of the story: don't be gay."

Even more shockingly, when the question was rhetorically asked "How many more kids have to kill themselves before everyone realizes that this is an actual issue?" Whitney responded, "11-13 ought to do it. Somewhere in that vicinity."

Why is he relieved?  Because, of course, the Joplin School District is refusing to take action against him, insisting that his Facebook was hacked.

Right.

Superintendent C.J. Huff said that Jim Whitney’s Facebook account was compromised and that there were no findings that would indicate wrongdoing by Whitney. 

The board of education discussed the matter and was given a report following an investigation into the incident during a closed session at Tuesday night’s meeting

During my week-long visit in Joplin this summer, I discovered a Midwestern town filled with friendly, loving people.  Though Joplin has its quirks and problems, I found the majority of the city to be welcoming and tolerant.  When I stopped to buy my then-fiance a flower at a florist and corrected the clerk on the gender of my intended, she apologized politely and then congratulated me on my engagement.

Not only is the local populace warm and caring, a community which has come together in the aftermath of May's devastating tornado, but the LGBT community is a thriving reality in Joplin.  From the local gay bar (two-for-one drinks on Monday and Tuesday!!  Even shots!) to the small music scene, queer representation is both visible and appreciated.  The school district's decision to not pursue this matter both with transparency and sensitivity is a grave disservice to this fantastic city.

When Anthony Weiner Tweeted photos of his manparts to a ladyfriend, he claimed that his Twitter was hacked, then admitted to having been the perpetrator of the sex scandal.  How is it that this schoolteacher, who appears gleeful at the idea of gay youth killing themselves, can keep his job by pleading "hacked!" in a closed meeting with administrators?

OneAngryDyke: Ron Paul Thinks The Gays Are Okay

Since Ian Awesome is busily running around declaring war on the rich, he is proud to introduce his latest guest writer, Kate West, formerly of the Seattle Lesbian and all-around good gal.  Huzzah!

Apparently Ron Paul thinks the gays aren’t the problem in the military . . . it’s those darn heterosexuals causing “trouble”. The same guy who is avidly anti-choice and a self-avowed Republican now (remember when he was a Libertarian?) told Iowa State Daily today that he thinks the straight soldiers are “causing more trouble than the gays”. He didn’t address the real ongoing problem of sexual assault in the military, presumably the “trouble” he referenced. According to NPR, “In 2003, a survey of female veterans found that 30 percent said they were raped in the military.” 

Thank goodness those queers didn’t start hitting on all the straight soldiers after DADT repeal . . . we can all sleep better at night knowing THAT didn’t happen.

#OccupyOakland Protestor/Iraq War Veteran Critically Injured

In the latest bit of news to emerge from Tuesday's police brutality in downtown Oakland, a 24-year-old Occupy Oakland-er and Iraq war vet, Scott Olsen, has been hospitalized in critical condition. He was hit by a piece of projectile, which witnesses say was from flash-bang grenades launched by police. (Police naturally deny this, but there are videos circulating that suggest otherwise.)



Says a friend and fellow protestor:

"I'm just absolutely devastated that someone who did two tours of Iraq and came home safely is now lying in a US hospital because of the domestic police force."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Healing thoughts go out to Olsen, and let's hope that we don't hear any more of this kind of story. I'm especially thinking of particular army vets I know who are out there occupying at the moment.

Occupy Seattle Marches In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland

Hey guys, I've been on the ground doing some serious organizational work and broadcast reporting for Occupy Seattle, so I've been neglecting the blog.  However, I thought that I would pass it along.  If you live in the Seattle area, feel free to steal this flier and pass it along, print it out, or put it up.  I've got limited resources so can't do it all myself.  

Police Deploy Tear Gas on Occupy Oakland Protestors

Late last night, several scuffles broke out between police and protesters camped out near City Hall in Oakland, California. This followed an early-morning raid by police, disbanding a camp that had been set up for more than two weeks, and resulting in 97 arrests.

The first evening scuffle broke out after several hundred people made their way back to City Hall in an attempt to re-establish a presence in the area of the disbanded camp.

The protesters had gathered at a downtown library, marched toward City Hall and ultimately were met by police officers in riot gear. Several small skirmishes broke out and officers cleared the area by firing tear gas.

The scene has repeated itself several times since. But each time officers move to disperse the crowd, protesters quickly gather again in assemblies that authorities have declared illegal.

Protesters and police offered up different versions of the story; police cited violence in the crowd directed at police, while organizers simply reminded the officers of the goal of the movement- "people trying to have their rights to basic services." Let's hope this sort of police involvement doesn't become a trend at these widespread, largely peaceful demonstrations nationwide.

#OccupySeattle will be marching in support of Occupy Oakland - check out Ian Awesome's twitter #OneAngryQueer for more updates.

New Hampshire To Repeal Gay Marriage Act?

Just over a year ago, New Hampshire governor John Lynch signed into law an act which allowed gay marriage. Yesterday, lawmakers in the Republican-dominated legislature got one step closer to repealing that act, as the state House Judiciary Committee moved forward on a bill that would eliminate gay marriages, replacing them with a foggy version of civil unions (which New Hampshire had allowed since 2007, prior to the gay marriage act):

The bill would not enact the same civil unions law that was in effect before gays were allowed to marry. That law granted gays all the rights and responsibilities of marriage except in name. The proposed civil unions law would be open to any two adults and would let anyone refuse to recognize the unions. It also would allow anyone to discriminate against the couples in employment, housing and public accommodations based on religious or moral beliefs.

I'm David Bates and I command you to have children!

Right, because if we let them, gay people will just marry willy-nilly, so we may as well open it up to "any two adults" - even relatives, perhaps? Some lady I happen to pass on the street? Sponsors of the bill condemn such same-sex couplings, citing the state's need to "[promote] stable and committed marital unions between opposite-sex couples so as to increase the likelihood that children will be born to and raised by both of their natural parents." Last I checked they weren't campaigning against divorce, separation, or single parenthood in the state of New Hampshire, though please stop me if I'm wrong. The statement that marriage exists solely to produce a child is an egregious one and a blow to civil rights, not to mention all that advocates, gay and straight, have fought for in the state over the past few years.

Legislators say that gay marriages already on the books will continue to be recognized, and opponents of the bill say there is little likelihood that it will pass. Still, stay tuned for more news from New Hampshire, or better yet, contact those assholes: rep.bates@live.com.

--submitted by OneAngryAlly while Ian Awesome continues to be off saving the world!

OneAngryAlly: Screwy Voting Laws in Ohio Continue

Greetings, OAQ readers! While Ian Awesome is busily holding down the activism fort, I'm going to try to toss up a few news stories. First, I'll begin with typical OneAngryAlly fare - ridiculous things that could only happen in the great state which I currently call home.

After the 2010 census, Ohio had to eliminate two Congressional districts (why people wouldn't want to move here is beyond me). Naturally, something like this has the potential to be upsetting, at least to the two representatives whose districts were squished, but the resulting map, drawn by Republican leaders in the state, has left many Ohioans scratching their heads.


The map divides major cities, such as Toledo, as well as carving chunks out of smaller counties, seemingly without reason. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (one of my personal favorites) now has a district spanning a few hundred miles along the northern edge of Ohio (see that green thing that looks like pond scum creeping along the bottom of Lake Erie? That's his district).

Anyway, state Democratic leaders have begun to fight this, seeking to implement changes or put a referendum on the ballot. Turns out, though, that trying to change Congressional districts that have already been changed, and in an election year, isn't quite so simple.

State law mandates that elections for U.S. senate and most state and local offices be held during the March primary. However, should the re-re-districting succeed, the candidates also, by law, still need 90 days prior to the election to file. To allow time for this, and also for further debate, the election for U.S. House was postponed until June 12. Guess what came with it? The presidential primary.

Yes. Ohio is now having two primaries. And the, dare I say, really important one (as Ohio has long been a battleground state in elections) is not until June. Iowa and New Hampshire are having a "who can have the first primary" contest, Ohio does them one better in having more primaries than anyone else; as the date of the first primary moves ever earlier, Ohioans could select their party choice for president SIX MONTHS following the first primary. Not to mention that Ohio voters, famous for being disenfranchised/confused at every turn by our darling state's government, now have to remember to vote not once, but twice, and in June?! Something tells me that voter turnout is going to be extremely low for both.

I don't know about you all, but the thought that the primaries, any way you stack it, are so close fills me with a shiver of excitement and quite a bit of stone-cold fear. Who else is ready to celebrate New Year's by voting in primary elections?

#Occupy Seattle, Pics and Video from 10/15/2011

Hey guys!  I've been busily occupying Westlake Park in solidarity with the excellent folks demonstrating for the 99%.  Thanks to Michael, our own OneAngryCultist, for his continued assistance with news coverage.

I know that OAQ has been all Occupy all the time, and I'm working on getting other coverage up, but my time has been limited by connectivity and battery issues down here at the park.  I will try to get guest writers to put up more coverage, and thank you guys for reading.

If you want to watch our Livestream feed, feel free to click here.  I'm sometimes the broadcaster and you can catch my cute punim answering questions on that stream.

There is a lot of great video circulating, and this clip below are citizens collectively cutting up their bank cards.  I would like to urge patrons of big banks like Bank of America and Chase (horrible institutions who are continuing to rob the 99% of their wealth while laying off employees) to join a credit union.

Andrew Johnson, a fabulous (and adorable) visitor and photographer from Australia has set up a Tumblr for OccupySeattle and has given me permission to put photos up here.  Take a gander.  

OneAngryQueer: Photos from Yesterday

A very big shout-out and special thanks for bystander and donator of coffee, Casey E., who took these amazing photos yesterday at the #OccupySeattle demonstrations.

OneAngryQueer: Sunday Occupy Report

OneAngryCultist filling in for Ian Awesome who is still down in Westlake this morning.

Yesterday OccupySeattle experienced a number of successes, not the least of these being the largest turnout of demonstrators for the afternoon march down to Pike's Place Public Market. Q13 Fox reports:

"Thousands of protesters took to the streets downtown Saturday afternoon as part of the continuing Occupy Seattle movement. At three p.m. the protesters marched peacefully from Westlake Park to Pike Place Market, and then back to Westlake for a concert and rally. When protesters returned to Westlake Park, some protesters burned and cut up their debit and credit cards from Chase and Bank of America. The crowd has spilled out of the confines of the park."

Turnout estimates approximately 3,000 at the peak of the demonstration, but no official estimates have been released by OccupySeattle or affiliated groups at this time.

Around 5PM demonstrators started setting up tents in preparation for the Occupy "Global Day of Action + Night of 500 Tents!"which was advertised throughout the city through leaflets, posters and social media.

Demonstrations were peaceful and SPD presence was reduced in comparison to previous nights to around thirty officers around midnight who were very proactive about not allowing demonstrators to sleep in accordance with orders from Mayor McGinn's office and keeping with policies of Seattle Parks and Recreation which was also on standby to help with waste removal.

As of this morning, no arrests have been reported and occupiers were allowed to stay overnight in Westlake Center under the condition that tents were to be taken down by 7AM. Demonstrations are expected to continue throughout the day. Pictures and updates will be available later in the day.

Donations are still being accepted by OccupySeattle for the benefit of demonstrators.

Urgent Needs:

• PEOPLE!!!
• Sleeping bags
• Water
• Extra large ziploc bags
• Maalox
• Blankets!
• Canned tomatoes
• Heavy socks!
• Eye wash
• Paper bowls
• Snack foods
• Hot water deliveries late at night
• Hand warmers
• Portal Power Source - Sherpa 50 Adventure Kit

  http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/57//1:1/

• Charging equipment
• Deep Cycle Batteries

Also, other food items and bottled water can be delivered near the south side of the plaza at Pike and 4th Avenue.

OneAngryCultist: Religion and the 99%

In the past three and a half weeks the Occupy movement has spread from Wall Street across the nation to over one-hundred cities and seems to be growing by the day despite arrests and threats of eviction. The 99% represents a smorgasbord of different groups representing different political and social perspectives, but little has been mentioned about the religious aspects of the protests.

Last night, your very own OneAngryCultist joined Ian Awesome at the downtown Seattle Occupy Demonstration where he witnessed the dismantling of a Sukkot booth and the subsequent arrest of ten Occupy demonstrators in what amounts to an act of religious discrimination in addition to the growing intolerance Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has toward protestors.

Sukkot tent being, not occupied, dismantled by Seattle Parks and Recreation

As a member of the minority religious philosophy of Thelema started by Aleister Crowley following the revelations of the central holy text, The Book of the Law, witnessing the destruction of a very clearly religious gathering place affected me deeply and viscerally. As I wrote in my own personal blog, The Digital Enchiridion:

“At the time of writing this essay, we have seen in our world one hundred and seven years of non-stop global conflict: entire civilizations rise and fall in a single generation; countries, states, cities, civil and municipal governments, religions, communities, and families torn asunder cruelly and mercilessly; the rise of the nuclear age and all the anxiety that came with the mastering of the atom; economies have taken on monstrous forms, strangulating countless millions under harsh labor and new slavery of debt; and, in short, the threat of the entire collapse of “the way things were”. Not a comforting image, to be sure, but a real one and one not without hope.”

Religion and spirituality play an important role in people’s lives giving them strength in difficult times and guiding them in their individual causes. I’m reminded of the central role it played in the protests of the Civil Rights Movement led by Rev. Martin Luther King, the protests against British imperialism in India led by Mohandas Gandhi and the responses to LGBTQ bullying led by the nominally non-religious but none-the-less spiritual Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (Note from the editor: the Sisters plan to demonstrate with #OccupySeattle tonight-- IA).

In many of the Occupy cities, there are varying degrees of religiously identified groups in attendance offering their support and the support for demonstrators. Both HuffPo and USAToday have coverage of some of the religious goings on and at the Jesuit run weekly, America Magazine, Tom Beaudoin observes:

“there seems to be fairly wide latitude for people to find their way into the economic focus from many different political (and I would presume religious) commitments. (No doubt some are serving as chaplains or spiritual advisors, formally or informally, for this movement, and if so, I would be interested to hear from you.)”

Personally, I too would be interested in and like to hear from more religious groups in my city as a show of unity among people of faith, without sectarian squabble. It is this OneAngryCultist’s belief that the more people come together, the greater chance there will be for dialogue and greater understanding to be gleaned from various perspectives. I would like to see a greater religious voice in the public squares hosting these events, as a show of support and representation of the diversity that makes up the Occupy movement.

Pics From #OccupyWallStreet, 10/13/2011

Thanks to Michael Sebastian Lux for the images.  I apologize for the poor picture quality, there was very little light in the park.

 10 protesters circle the Sukkah (the right half of the frame) while 5 huddle inside, waiting for police.

 The bright lights are the police moving in on their bikes, which were used as a barricade.  

100-150 demonstrators surround the barricaded arrests.  I am somewhere in that crowd, pointing my laptop at the arrests and giving running commentary to 2500 people who were watching the Livestream of events.

 The police await arrestees.

 An arrestee being loaded, limp and unresisting, into the police vehicle.

 The Sukkah, after being demolished by Park Rangers, is loaded into an official vehicle to be taken away.

I watch the jubilant celebration that erupts once the police leave.

I completely lost my voice in last night's events and am feeling tired and run-down.  I may stay home tonight but wild horses couldn't keep me away from Saturday's events.

Last Night's Toll: 150 Protesters, 80 Police, 10 Arrested, One Very Jubilant Santa

Last night's events at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle marked an emotional evening of arrests, outrage, and support for the peaceful demonstrators that camped in the park.

I was on-scene with the rest of the #OccupySeattle demonstrators and actually lent my laptop and reporting to the Livestream effort to document the events that occurred.  At the peak of our viewership, 2500 people from around the world were watching our Livestream.

Much like the night before, the Transit Station closed at 10:00 PM and 20 minutes later the police moved in to make arrests.  Their target was a Sukkah (a Jewish religious structure in observance of Sukkot) that had been erected in defiance of direction from City Hall and the SPD.  Circling the tent with linked arms were 10 protesters attempting to prevent police from removing their Sukkah, while inside the structure 5 people were also circled, linking their arms.

The crowd erupted into chants of "This is what oppression looks like!" as the police erected a barricade of bicycles and bodies between the main group of protesters and the Sukkah.  The outer ring of linked protesters were removed and arrested by the SPD while the Park Rangers tore down the Sukkot tent with demonstrators still inside.  


The crowd waited for another half an hour for the police to decide whether they were arresting the interior occupants of the tent, and in the video below (which is somewhat dark), you can see the five protesters remaining in the center of a ring of police officers, linked tight, smiling and laughing.  One was wearing a Santa cap (I believe his name is Santos?  Not sure).  You can hear me in the background narrating for the Livestream.


Thanks to Sven Straatveit for video.  

Finally, the police gave up, at approximately 11:30 PM.  They left without arresting the remaining five, and Protester Santa led the crowd in jubilant shouts of triumph as #OccupySeattle declared victory.

Last night's media effort on the part of the Livestream crew and citizen journalists was hampered by difficulties related to limited power sources (the police turn off the power in the square before beginning their raid) and spotty internet coverage.  There will likely be more actions tonight, and anyone with a Wi-Fi Hotspot or other resources that can help our documentation of events is much appreciated.

This Fool Just Doesn't Know When To Stop

Because he hasn't taken enough of a beating from the LGBT community over his anti-gay ridiculousness, failed Senator and Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum suggested Tuesday that gays were at fault for the destruction of the US economy.

In remarks during Tuesday's Bloomberg debate on the economy, Santorum said the economy suffers when the family is in trouble. 

“[T]he biggest problem with poverty in America, and we don't talk about here, because it's an economic discussion – and that is the breakdown of the American family,” said Santorum. 

“You want to look at the poverty rate among families that have two – that have a husband and wife working in them? It's 5 percent today. A family that's headed by one person? It's 30 percent today. We need to do something, we need to talk about economics. The home – the word 'home' in Greek is the basis of the word 'economy.' It is the foundation of our country. We need to have a policy that supports families, that encourages marriage.” 

In the spin room after the debate, Santorum told a small scrum of reporters: “As I said, economy … starts at the home, starts with the family, it is the first economy, and if that economy breaks down the overall economy can't succeed.”

I'm headed down to talk with the 99% at Westlake Park in a few.  I'm sure they'll be VERY interested to hear that my love of manflesh is what is preventing them from getting a job and having a quality, affordable education.  

Also:  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.