Gay Kid Comes Out; Dad Pours Boiling Water On Him

by Discreet Serpent

This headline caught my attention today:

Father poured boiling water over his gay son for coming out as gay.

What made my jaw drop:

1. These Lebanese men were trying to force a 15 year old gay kid into a straight marriage.

2. The kid's dad beat him and poured boiling water on him. One of the uncles doused him in petrol and threatened to set him on fire.

3. The perpetrators were fined 1,350 Euros each.

4. These all happened after the kid came out as gay.

Image courtesy of The Economist

This is very disturbing on so many levels. First, I'm not sure about Lebanese laws against homosexuality but I believe I read an article somewhere stating that the country treats homosexuals better compared to some of their neighboring countries. In any case, it is still a bit extreme for family members to deal with a gay kid with violence and threat to life.

Nobody deserves to be at the receiving end of boiling water and death threats. Let me rephrase that. Maybe criminals of the highest order deserve that kind of treatment (maybe), but certainly not a young kid who just wants to be true to himself. Violence does not solve anything, most certainly not the "problem" of homosexuality (in other words, you can't turn a gay guy straight by washing him off with boiling water).

Then there's the issue about forced marriage. As if getting a gay guy into bed with a woman would somehow magically turn him straight. In reality, an arranged marriage like this would most likely end up in disaster. The gay husband is likely to end up cheating on his poor wife. Things will get worse if they somehow manage to produce offspring.

What irks me the most is how miniscule the penalty is. 1,350 Euros. Is this how little a gay kid's life is valued? I wonder how much the "penalty" would have been if it was the kid who doused these criminals with boiling water?


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Study Shows Support For Gay Rights But Not Guys Kissing In Public

A recent study just revealed what I thought was pretty much obvious for the longest time. It looks like there's an increasing support for gay rights, but no so much love for guys kissing in public.

The survey involved 1,000 respondents, a combination of gay, straight and lesbian individuals. They were instructed to give reactions to hypothetical scenarios pertaining to unmaried couples of varying gender combinations: two men, two women, and man/woman.

image courtesy of alanilagan.com

Sample questions: Should a couple be granted legal benefits like family leave, hospital visitation and inheritance rights? Should they be allowed to marry? Is it cool to display a peck on the cheek in a public place? How about a French kiss in a park?

Here are some of the results:
* 70 percent of straight respondents supported gay couples’ legal benefits, and 95 percent of them thought it was fine for a man and a woman to peck each other on the cheek in public.

* When asked the same question about a gay male couple, that 95 percent support dropped to 55.

* When asked about two women, it jumped back up to 72 percent.

Some people look at these results and say that people are still discriminating against gay people. Why else would they be disgusted with seeing them kissing in public, right?

For me, a passionate kiss should be kept in private. If I see it in public, I would think it's inappropriate regardless of who shared the kiss.


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Colin Farrell Writes About Gay Brother And Appeals For Gay Equality

At first glance, you would think that actor Colin Farrell is the type of guy who wouldn't have anything to do with homosexuality. I don't think I have ever heard the words "Colin Farrell" and "gay" in a sentence together. I love Colin, and I didn't think it was possible for me to love him even more.

He sent out an open letter (published in Sunday World) recently about marriage equality in Ireland, and it's raw, emotional, and sincere. Check it out.

image courtesy of instinct magazine

I think I found out my brother wasn’t grovelling in heterosexual mud like most boys our age when I was around 12. I remember feeling surprised. Intrigued. Curious. Not bi-curious before you start getting ideas.

I was curious because it was different from anything I’d known or heard of and yet it didn’t seem unnatural to me. I had no reference for the existence of homosexuality. I had seen, by that age, no gay couples together. I just knew my brother liked men and, I repeat, it didn’t seem unnatural to me. My brother Eamon didn’t choose to be gay. Yes, he chose to wear eyeliner to school and that probably wasn’t the most pragmatic response to the daily torture he experienced at the hands of school bullies.

But he was always proud of who he was. Proud and defiant and, of course, provocative. Even when others were casting him out with fists and ridicule and the laughter of pure loathsome derision, he maintained an integrity and dignity that flew in the face of the cruelty that befell him.

I don’t know where those bullies are now, the ones who beat him regularly. Maybe some of them have found peace and would rather forget their own part of a painful past. Maybe they’re sitting on bar stools and talking about “birds and faggots” and why one’s the cure and the other the disease.

But I do know where my brother is. He’s at home in Dublin living in peace and love with his husband of some years, Steven. They are about the healthiest and happiest couple I know. They had to travel a little farther than down the aisle to make their vows, though, to Canada, where their marriage was celebrated.

That’s why this is personal to me. The fact that my brother had to leave Ireland to have his dream of being married become real is insane. INSANE.

It’s time to right the scales of justice here. To sign up and register to vote next year so that each individual’s voice can be heard

How often do we get to make history in our lives? Not just personal history. Familial. Social. Communal. Global. The world will be watching. We will lead by example. Let’s lead toward light.

Thank you, Colin. I hope this move helps the cause.


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Will The KKK Rebrand And Allow Gay And Black Members?

We all know what the Ku Klux Klan is all about: supremacy and discrimination. Among other things. But news of a KKK member's recruitment of "diverse" membership caught my attention today.

John Abarr, a Ku Klux Klan member from Montana, made it known that he is recruiting members for an "all-new, all-inclusive KKK, one that will not discriminate against people because of their race, religion or sexual orientation."

image courtesy of newsone.com

Abarr was quoted saying: “The KKK is for a strong America. White supremacy is the old Klan. This is the new Klan.”

The Great Falls Tribune reported that Abarr has dubbed the group as the "Rocky Mountain Knights." It will be a non-discriminatory chapter of the KKK, and will seek to fight against a “new world order.” Members are still required to wear the infamous white robes and hoods. They will also participate in “secret rituals.” What they won't do, however, will be burning down churches or lynching people.

The KKK leadership is reportedly not pleased with Abarr's move. Embracing gay and black people, after all, is tantamount to spitting at the graves of the organization's founding fathers. Bradley Jenkins, KKK Imperial Wizard, said: “That man’s going against everything the bylaws of the constitution of the KKK say. He’s trying to hide behind the KKK to further his political career.”

Even Human Rights leaders are fazed by this move. One such leader, Rachel Carroll-Rivas, said: “They know that their beliefs aren’t popular, so they try to appear moderate. I think it’s just a farce. If John Abarr was actually reformed, he could drop the label of the KKK.”

So what do you think about this sudden change?


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Charmed Actress Rose McGowan Thinks Gay Guys Are Misogynistic

I used to think that Rose McGowan was a cool chick, and I particularly liked her as the badass witch in Charmed. I wouldn't go as far as saying she's a great (or even a good) actress, but there's something about a powerful witch who can get away from imminent danger with a snap of a finger (or in her case, an orb).

As such, her statement during an interview with Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho writer) about gay misogyny (aka hatred for women) caught me off guard. No no no. Not from her...

image courtesy of fanshare

Here's a transcription of what she said:

"Gay men are as misogynistic as straight men, if not more so. I have an indictment of the gay community right now, I'm actually really upset with them."

She went on to explain her decision of holding a defiant party supporting the Brunei-owned Beverly Hills Hotel earlier in the year, despite a boycott over the anti-gay laws of Brunei.

"You wanna talk about the fact that I have heard nobody in the gay community, no gay males, standing up for women on any level?

"There is Sharia law active in Saudi Arabia, there's a woman who's about to be stoned - have not heard [AIDS activist] Cleve Jones discuss her, and nor will he.

"I think it's what happens to you as a group when you are starting to get most of what you fought for. What do you do now?

"What I would hope they would do is extend a hand to women.

"Women, by-and-large, have very much helped the gay community get to where they are today.

"And I have not seen a single peep from these people, who supposedly represent lesbians as well... when the equal pay act was shut down by Republicans in the Senate, not a single man mentioned that.

"I see now people who have basically fought for the right to stand on top of a float wearing an orange speedo and take molly [the drug MDMA].

"[Gay misogyny] is a huge problem."

Way to go girl. Because generalization is the way to go. (Insert sarcasm here)


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Gay Dating Apps To Launch HIV/AIDS Outreach Partnership

HIV/AIDS awareness is very important, now more than ever. Different actions and movements have been made in an effort to spread awareness of this disease, and that includes the availability of condoms in more places, as well as ads that give out important information.

The past couple of years brought us the rise of gay social media applications where gay guys are able to interact, connect, and meet. Loosely called "hookup apps," these sites also enable like-minded guys to engage in sexual activities. As such, HIV/AIDS awareness in such social media sites needs to be given extra attention.

As it turns out, there has been a recent meeting between reps from gay oriented apps like Scruff and Grinder, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) and the CDC. They are working on having HIV/AIDS outreach projects via these channels.

According to a report the SFAF, some notable changes will soon come, including:

- App and site owners will push out regularly updated information about HIV testing to their millions of users
- App owners pledge to reduce stigma surrounding HIV positive men, possible including options for profiles like "undetectable" and "poz friendly"
- Grindr CEO Joel Simkhai calls the partnership with SFAF "just an extension of the great work we've already done," which includes not allowing users to promote unsafe sex on their profiles. 

Hopefully, these movements will help reduce the risk of further spreading this dreaded disease. Knowing is half the battle, and information dissemination is truly essential in our battle against AIDS and HIV.


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Which Countries Use Google For Gay Porn The Most?

Would you be interested to know which countries rank way up there in terms of using Google to search for gay porn sites?

image courtesy of instinct magazine

Instinct Magazine has this report:


"Google analyzed its data to report on gay porn search habits. Because SCIENCE. Can you guess which countries found themselves in the top five searchers of gay porn on Google, according to the report? If you answered 'countries that criminalize homosexuality,' you'd be mostly right! Except for South Africa, all of the top five countries that search for gay porn throw their gay people in prison -- or worse. 

Kenya, which took the tiara in the report, criminalizes homosexuality with prison sentences between five and 14 years.  

As it turns out, countries that have more tolerance for LGBT citizens (such as Australia and the US) don't appear until the latter half of the Top 10. This is interesting because it means that the witch hunt for gay guys in this country doesn't really stop people from being who they are. The huge number of searches probably just means that people are generally repressed, and have to resort to other means of "gratification." Or it could mean that repressing homosexuality has an inversely proportional effect on the population, and actually results in more homosexuals.


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"We Reserve The Right To Refuse Service To Homosexuals"

This is so wrong on so many levels. A t-shirt which reads "we reserve the right to refuse service to homosexuals" was donned by quite number of bigots in an anti-gay rally in Houston, Texas. But the most terrible part? The shirts were worn by kids who were probably brainwashed or forced by their irresponsible parents. What decent parent teaches their kids to hate on other people?

image courtesy of image magazine

The rally was organized by anti-gay groups who wanted to stand against openly gay mayor Annise Parker. The Moonie Times has this report:

Thousands showed their support Sunday the five Houston pastors who drew national attention for challenging the city’s now-withdrawn effort to subpoena their sermons. I Stand Sunday, a combination church service and religious-freedom rally, drew an estimated 6,000 congregants to hear a high-profile line-up of speakers at Grace Community Church in Houston. The two-hour event was simulcast to nearly 700 churches and 3,000 home groups. While the pastors were the focus, speakers warned that the Houston subpoenas represent only the latest example of a growing threat to religious liberty in the United States. “This was never really about subpoenas, it was not about sermons or speeches. This was about political intimidation,” said Family Research Council president Tony Perkins. “It was about trying to silence the voices of the churches and the pastors.”

And that, gentlemen, is how we raise future homophobes and criminals.


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Ariana Grande Quits Catholicism Because Of How Her Brother Was Treated

Pop icon and superstar Ariana Grande is overly protective of and loves her gay brother Frankie Grande to death. This is no secret. Even Frankie, who was a house guest in this season's Big Brother, has been very vocal about how close he is with his younger sister. It is not wonder that nothing can get in between their relationship. Not even religion.

image courtesy of instinctmagazine.com

Instinct Magazine reports:

So, when the Catholic Church -- which the siblings were raised following -- told Frankie that "God didn't love him" because he's born that way, Ariana didn't hesitate to drop the rosary beads and pick up the Kabbalah bracelet. 


“I adored and worshipped my brother, Frankie, as a little girl – everything he did was cool,” Ariana told The Telegraph. “When my brother was told that God didn’t love him I was like, ‘OK, that’s not cool.’ They were building a Kabbalah centre in Florida so we both checked it out and really had a connection with it.”

But the waning Catholic war on gays isn't the the only Vatican decree that turned off Ariana. 

“[The church] said Spongebob Squarepants is gay and he’s a sinner and he should burn in hell. And Harry Potter was a sin. And working women. I was like ‘Enough! First the gays, then Spongebob and now Harry Potter? Get out my house!’” Ariana said in a 2013 interview. "I was not having it. And the working woman thing? It was a moment for me. I needed something else to believe in.”

What a big move from the superstar! I wouldn't say that I totally agree with everything she has done, but I could not argue with the fact that she was willing to do leaps and bounds just to protect her loved ones from bullies and discrimination.

I personally believe that the Church should not be judged because of the acts of a few. The Church is a community, and just like every other community, there are good seeds and bad seeds. But that's a topic for another day.


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President Obama On TheConstitutional Right To Marriage Equality

Ever wondered what US President Obama's stance on marriage equality is? The New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin had the chance to interview him, and the conversation dwelled into the direction of the marriage equality movement. Obama also expressed his belief that the U.S. Constitution requires all states to allow same-sex marriage.

image courtesy of communities.washingtontimes.com

The interview went on like this:

“In some ways, the decision that was just handed down to not do anything about what states are doing on same-sex marriage may end up being as consequential—from my perspective, a positive sense—as anything that’s been done. Because I think it really signals that although the Court was not quite ready—it didn’t have sufficient votes to follow Loving v. Virginia (where the Court held that states could no longer ban racial intermarriage) and go ahead and indicate an equal-protection right across the board—it was a consequential and powerful signal of the changes that have taken place in society and that the law is having to catch up.”

While Obama opposed marriage equality until May of 2012, he said in the interview that he now believes the Constitution requires all states to allow same-sex marriage. It is an argument that his Administration has not yet made before the Supreme Court.

He continues by saying:

“Ultimately, I think the Equal Protection Clause does guarantee same-sex marriage in all fifty states. But, as you know, courts have always been strategic. There have been times where the stars were aligned and the Court, like a thunderbolt, issues a ruling like Brown v. Board of Education, but that’s pretty rare. And, given the direction of society, for the Court to have allowed the process to play out the way it has may make the shift less controversial and more lasting."

Interesting. I wonder how this statement would impact equality movements not just in the US but across the globe?


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Did The Vatican Take Back The Support It Gave To The LGBT Community?

Not a day has gone by and we already hear strong objections from the conservatives!

​We recently heard from Vatican sources that there appears to be a "softening" of the Catholic Church's stance towards homosexuality. A Vatican statement was reportedly released, mentioning the "gifts" that gays and lesbians can provide to the Catholic community. It was praised by the liberals, happy of the movement of the Church in a more accepting direction.

We are now, however, hearing a different tune. As it turns out, this statement was not welcomed by the conservative Catholics, who expressed their dissatisfaction.

image courtesy of bbc.com

CNN reports:

But many conservatives complained that the statement watered down church teaching and did not accurately reflect their discussions here, where nearly 200 Catholic leaders are meeting to debate pastoral approaches to modern family life.

One South African cardinal called Monday's statement, which also included positive language about unmarried couples who cohabitate, "irredeemable."

"The message has gone out that this is what the synod is saying, this is what the Catholic Church is saying," said Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, referring to the special meeting of Catholic clergy gathered here through Saturday.

"It's not what we're saying at all."

In response to such reactions, the Vatican backtracked a bit Tuesday. In a statement, it said the report on gays and lesbians was a "working document," not the final word from Rome.

The Vatican also said that it wanted to welcome gays and lesbians in the church, but not create "the impression of a positive evaluation" of same-sex relationships, or, for that matter, of unmarried couples who live together.

image courtesy of bbc.com

Some people, however, do not agree that the Vatican is taking back the support it has given the LGBT community.

"I actually don't think this is as much of a backtrack as we usually see!" said Marianne Duddy-Burke, head of the gay rights group Dignity USA.

"I think that response to this report was swift and intense, and I'm sure many bishops want to be sure people aren't reading more into it than is there," she continued. "However, it is undeniable that there has never been any Vatican document that made positive, respectful statements about same-sex relationships, so that is an undeniable breakthrough."

I'm still excited to see where this development is headed. We can not expect things to drastically change overnight, but significant steps like these will help propel our cause to the right direction.


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Transgender Woman Found Dead In Hotel, With Head In The Toilet

Police have identified the suspect for a murdered transgender woman in a Philippine hotel. Private First Class Scott Pemberton, US Marine, will reportedly be formally charged with murder according to a source from the Philippine National Police.

Pemberton is being held on a warship after 26-year-old Jeffrey Laude, also known as Jennifer, was found dead in an Olangapo hotel room (Celzone Lodge). Her naked body was found with her head in the toilet after midnight Sunday. Her lower body was covered partially with a blanket. The body also showed signs of strangulation.

image courtesy of rappler.com

A witness said that Laude entered the hotel with an “unidentified male white foreigner” at around 10:55 pm last Ocober 11. He also said that the foreigner had a marine “style of hair cut,” and is presumably between 25 and 30 years old. Another witness told police the two had been seen together at a nearby disco club.



CNN reports:

Because no charges have yet been filed, U.S. officials have not identified the Marine, who is assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

"The Marine Corps is working closely and cooperating fully with the Philippine National Police to ensure a thorough investigation is completed and due process of law is followed," Col. Brad Bartelt, spokesman with the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, said in a statement.

Three other Marines from the same unit have been identified as potential witnesses, the Marine Corps Times newspaper reported, citing an internal Navy memo on the incident. They are being held.

image courtesy of cnn.com

The United States Embassy in the Philippines has this to say: “We are aware of the situation and express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. We are also aware that there are allegations that a foreigner, including possibly a US national, was involved in the incident. We are currently looking into these allegations and working closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to take all necessary steps to help identify the suspects.”

The news report made waves in the country as well as online. Speculations have also surfaced as to the possible reasons behind the crime. Some people say that there was theft involved, and that the victim tried to steal from the suspect. Others assumed that the victim was strangled after the suspect "discovered" that he wasn't with a "real woman." These assumptions, however, are baseless and homophobic.


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Vatican Softens Stance on Homosexuality

Great news for the LGBT community! The Vatican released a document called "Relatio" urging the Catholic Church to treat gay catholics with respect, promising a huge change to how they have approached the issue of homosexuality in the past! This statement resulted from a conference on the contemporary family attended by 200 bishops and Pope Francis himself.

The statement calls on the church to recognize the gifts and qualities that gay people can contribute, making it possible to make a "fraternal space" for homosexuals without compromising on basic doctrine.

image courtesy of diversitychronicle.wordpress.com

The document states in part: “[A]re we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a further space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home.” 

The Vatican statement does not really make a formal change in policy or theology as it continues to view homosexual sex as sin. It should, however, have the effect of discouraging discrimination especially among the parishoners. It is noteworthy that the bishops asserted that homosexual committed relationships “cannot be considered on the same footing as matrimony between man and woman.”


Overall, I think that this is a great move in the right direction. It is not perfect, and it is far from ideal. The Church basically still condemns gay marriage and gay sex, so we are all still on the way to hell as far as they are concerned. But I do believe that this form of acceptance is a big step towards full integration. Kudos to Pope Francis for being wise enough to know that change is imminent.


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Estonia Is First Ex Soviet Nation To Approve Gay Unions!

Exciting news for Estonia!

History was made last Thursday when Estonia legalized gay partnerships -- a first for former Soviet nations! Lawmakers voted 40-38 in favor of approving the partnership act that recognizes civil unions regardless of gender. In essence, all couples in civil unions (including gay couples) are given similar rights to married couples. This includes social, health and financial benefits. Legal protection for children is also granted. For instance, the law allows for one partner to adopt the biological child of the other partner!

image courtesy of neurope.eu

The Estonian Human Rights Center director Kari Kasper had this to say: "Estonia (has) made a leap toward a society that is freer, more equal and values human rights for all."

A few kilometers away, however, something entirely different is also happening. Lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan began discussion on a bill making gay "propaganda" punishable by a prison for up to one year. Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly Muslim nation on China's mountainous western border. It has cultivated close ties with Russia and wants to be a member of a Moscow-led economic bloc. The anti-gay movement was described as necessary for "traditional family values."

These moves reflect how different the paths were taken by the nations that used to be parts of the Soviet empire.


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Pope Francis Gets A Lecture On Homosexual Couples And The Joys Of Sex

An Australian couple explained the joys of sex to senior members of the Catholic Church and to Pope Francis himself. Married for 55 years, the couple also called for the inclusion of homosexual couples within the faith.

Ron and Mavis Pirola are former members of the Pontifical Council for the Family. They are also directors of the Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council. Together with five other couples, they have been tasked to address 200 bishops  at the Vatican's Synod on the Family.

image courtesy of smh.com.au

What the group of priests dis not expect was how progressive the theme of the speech would be. The Pirolas said that sex is an essential foundation for marriage. They also mentioned that their relationship and spirituality as sexual attraction brought them together and has sustained their marriage for more than half a century. In part: "That attraction that we first felt and the continued bonding force between us was basically sexual. The little things we did for each other, the telephone calls and love notes, the way we planned our day around each other and the things we shared were outward expressions of our longing to be intimate with each other."

More importantly, they said that the inclusion of gay couples in church would be a model of evangelization across the globe: "Friends of ours were planning their Christmas family gathering when their gay son said he wanted to bring his partner home too. They fully believed in the church's teachings and they knew their grandchildren would see them welcome the son and his partner into the family. Their response could be summed up in four words, 'He is our son'."

Here are some of the other things that they said in their speech:

"Occasionally we looked at church documents, but they seemed to be from another planet with difficult language and not terribly relevant to our own experiences." 

"We need new ways and relatable language to touch people's hearts."

The audience was of course speechless. British Cardinal Vincent Nichols had this to say afterwards: "That's not what we bishops talk about mostly, quite honestly. But to hear that as the opening contribution did, I think, open an area ... and it was a recognition that that is central to the wellbeing of marriage often."

The synod was an initiative of Pope Francis for the church to workshop how traditional teachings on a range of family issues such as marriage, divorce and homosexuality can be made more relevant to today's Catholics. The pontiff is expected to issue a final document with recommendations offered by the synod next year.


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Student Accuses University Fraternity of Discrimination

A fraternity called Lambda Phi Epsilon was given temporary suspension (and is under investigation) after a student was allegedly denied membership due to his sexual orientation. Diwu Zhou, a Civil Engineering senior, said he tried to join the fraternity but was asked a "derogatory" question during the initial interview process. He believes that he did not receive a bit because he is openly gay.

After receiving the sad news, Zhou said that a fraternity member approached him and told him explicitly that he was not accepted because he is gay. In a statement he said: “I feel like more people should know that stuff like this happens on campus.”

Zhou apparently reached out to the national chapter of the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity and reported that the UT chapter unfairly denied his bid. He then received a call from a certain Charles Andrean who said that the board is looking into the matter. Andrean had this to say: “We have received a complaint about the undergraduate chapter, and our priority right now is a full investigation and finding out everything that potentially could have occurred here.” 

image courtesy of queerty.com

On the flipside, I found this comment made by someone who claims to be a member of the fraternity. He simply wanted to air out their side of the story, which he felt was not included in most news reports.

Hi, actual member of the fraternity here. This story is full of half-truths and flat out lies.

First, Albert did not receive a bid in the first place (which pretty much discredits half, if not this entire article).

Secondly, many rushees did not receive bids for various reasons, that's just how rushing for a fraternity works (in other words, get over yourself).

Lastly, our chapter has many respected alumni who are openly gay. He was denied a bid not because of his sexual orientation, but because of glaring personality flaws - exemplified by the existence of this article.

So instead of undergoing soul-searching to realize why he did not receive a bid, he immediately assumes it is tied to his sexual orientation and attempts to bring down the organization by going to the media with fallacious claims and fabricated statements. This actually clearly illustrates some of the EXACT reasons of why he did not receive a bid in the first place.

The TEMPORARY (I like how this was purposely left out) suspension of the chapter by the national organization is actually a simple formality undertaken because of the actions of YOU the MEDIA and your incessant harassment for details to stitch together a story, so we have you to thank for that.

And the plot thickens.


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Ellen Forces A "Facebook VP" To Apologize To Drag Queens

Ellen spent a few minutes on her show to call out Facebook for the "real name policy" that they enforced, which particularly affected the drag queen community. This was after members of the LGBT community fought the social networking giant when it required all its users to provide (and use) their legal names on their accounts. This did not go well with a group because fictitious names sometimes mean the members' security and livelihood.

True to form, Ellen held Facebook "accountable" in a humorous fashion. She had one of her employees pose as a Facebook VP, apologize, and read out a list of made up names of drag queens. Names like Lucielle Balles and Wilma Fingerdoo.

The names are hilarious and the fake VP could barely contain his laughter while reading through the list. The audience members found it funny, too. I'm just glad it was a made up apology. If the actual Facebook VP apologized in that manner, I'm pretty sure that all hell will break loose.

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Nicholas Sparks Accused of Homophobia And Racism

Nicholas Sparks, best-selling author of books like "The Notebook," is facing accusations of homophobia and racism from a former headmaster of his school. Saul Hillel Benjamin, former headmaster of the Epiphany School of Global Studies, is seeking punitive damages against the author as well as the other members of the school board.

image courtesy of sheknows.com

Racism
Benjamin claims that Sparks and co were "hostile towards non-white and non-Christian students and faculty." Sparks was allegedly dismissive towards complaints of unlawful employment practices, which included the failure to hire and recruit African-American staff. Sparks also allegedly said: "Black students are too poor and can't do the academic work."

Anti-Semitism

The complaint also mentions that Sparks and and the other defendants "displayed contempt for Mr. Benjamin's Jewish heritage and Quaker faith." Sparks even told Benjamin that parents at the school will not trust him because of who he is.

Homophobia
The complaint also mentioned that Sparks "supported those who bullied gay students." The lawsuit says in part: "...Defendant Sparks endorsed and lent support to a group of students --which included the children of key Epiphany administrators and other influential parents-- who viciously bullied and sought to enact a "Homo-caust" against a group of gay students. Defendant Sparks derisively referred to the bullied students as the 'Gay Club.'" Sparks also allegedly told Benjamin not to include homosexuality or sexual identity during school general diversity discussions.

Termination
Benjamin was terminated from his position on November 21, 2013. He was allegedly threatened and intimidated while "trapped in a room for hours." He was denied the request to consult a lawyer, and was reportedly fired without cause and in violation of his employment contract. Sparks even defamed Benjamin by telling people that he (Benjamin) had Alzheimer's.



The complaint says in part: "When Mr. Benjamin arrived and attempted to bring real diversity and inclusiveness to Epiphany, defendant Sparks and the members of the school's Board of Trustees were enraged and threatened by his efforts. What is more, defendant Sparks and members of the board unapologetically marginalized, bullied and harassed members of the school community, including Mr. Benjamin, whose religious views and/or identities did not conform to their religiously driven, bigoted preconceptions."

Reaction From Spark's Camp
Rick Pinto, Spark's layer, had this to say about the whole fiasco:  "We knew of the allegations and  strongly disagree with them... we will defend the lawsuit."  "They're fortunate to have someone like Mr. Sparks who would start a school like that, and as far as the allegations, let's just wait until the facts come out."


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Should The Ban On Blood Donations From Gay Men Be Lifted?

by Discreet Serpent

I am not a fan of needles, and I can count the number of times I donated blood with a couple of fingers. Hence, it came as a surprise to me when I found out that in some countries gay men (who have sex) are not eligible to donate blood. It was a "wow" moment for me, and not in a good way. Why on earth would such a discriminatory exclusion be put in place?

image courtesy of abcnews.go.com

As it turns out, "men who have sex with men" or MSMs have been prohibited from donating blood since around 1977 because of the mysterious virus that seemed to only affect gay guys: HIV.  MSMs had to be excluded from the possible donors' list because there was limited information about the virus. There was no way to measure or diagnose the agent, and there were no tests available. It made sense that the group of people believed to be exclusively carrying the virus be prevented from spreading it around, in a manner of speaking.

The FDA has since classified gay men as "high risk donors," no matter how "safe" they were. Note that the ban was put in place before HIV testing was made available.

Now, certain medical and LGBT groups are questioning this ban. The American Red Cross, the American Medical Association and the American Association of Blood Banks even called the FDA ban "discriminatory and not based on sound science." Given that the HIV virus can now be easily tested, would it make sense to just lift the ban altogether?

According to reports, lifting the blood donation ban from homosexual men would dramatically increase the amount of blood available for transfusion, and could literally save millions of lives. Roughly 291,145 liters of additional blood can be collected annually if gay men were allowed to donate. Even if the rule was just slightly relaxed to allow donations from guys who haven't had a sexual partner for at least year, this would still yield an estimated 150,000 liters.

image courtesy of nyulocal.com

So why is it no longer reasonable to keep the ban?

1. New Testing Methods
Diagnostic tests can now detect the nucleic acids corresponding to the HIV virus. It is now possible to identify an early infection within two weeks. If somebody gets a negative result over two weeks they are not likely to carry the virus at all.

2. Celibacy
If they are looking for gay donors who haven't had sex since 1977, then it sets an unreasonable expectation of celibacy. The numbers go higher if you include bisexuals, bi-curious, and straight guys who just "tried it out."

3. International Standards
Some countries have changed their standards in terms of accepting blood donations from MSMs. Canada, for instance, has lowered the "deferral period," or the period of time without man on man sex, to 5 years. Other countries no longer have such a deferral period (they are free to donate as long as they are clean).

4. Discriminatory
It is weird that men who have sex with other men are banned form donating forever, while men who have sex with women of "unknown status" or "HIV- positive status" are only banned for a year.

5. We Can Just Lie
What's to stop guys from lying about their sexual history anyway?

image courtesy of thecircular.org

I'm no expert on this field, but I do agree that changes could be made if the risk is no longer present or critical. We always hear about people who are desperate for donors' blood, and the blood banks sometimes have limited supply. This could potentially solve (or at least improve) the situation. If the risks are still high, then perhaps it's time to present a clearer (and less discriminatory) policy on blood donation eligibility.

I mentioned earlier that I have previously donated blood. I don't think I have ever encountered such a restriction here in the Philippines. Back in college, it was mandatory to donate blood (unless you're not medically qualified), and I've seen gay and straight guys line up with no issue. It makes me wonder if there are no such restrictions here (I asked a couple of people and they don't seem to know about this restriction), or if it's just not enforced (after all, Wikipedia classified the Philippines as having "indefinite" deferral for MSM).


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"Until We Could" - If There's One Video You Should Watch Today, This Is It!

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If there is one video that you should watch today, this is most certainly it.

It has been a decade since the first US State enacted marriage equality in law, and since then the direction has been to move forward with recognizing gay marriage. It's a slow process, and we have a long, long way to go. But at the same time, we have taken huge successes in our journey.

Richard Blanco, a poet involved in Barack Obama's inauguration in 2013, was tasked to write a poem to commemorate the decade. This video was the result. "Until We Could."

 

Here's the poem in its entirety. If it makes you cry, rest assured that you are not alone in the experience.

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