Trafalgar Square vigil

There was a vigil yesterday in Trafalgar Square, Brighton, Liverpool and San Francisco against the homophobic hate that has cost far too many lives

I wasn't going to go due to distance and work, but on the spur of the moment I made the drive. I've very glad I did

It was beautiful, there were an incredible number there. And it was painfully, awfully sad. Incredibly emotional and powerful

I'm glad I went and I'm glad so many showed up for it. I'm glad so many came to say, without doubt, that the hate must stop.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/31/crowds-gather-in-trafalgar-square-to-say-no-to-hate/

*hopes for Maine*

To everyone in Maine - I dearly dearly hope that there will be another step forwards.

Every step towards justice and equality is a victory for GBLT people everywhere - please give us that extra step and bring marriage equality to Maine

http://www.protectmaineequality.org/page.cfm?ID=151&CFID=32572756&CFTOKEN=23380995

A word on Hallowe’en

I’ve been following a few blogs and something has hit me in the face with sheer obviousness which really really really should be a no brainer for all - but every year it happens.

Racist costumes. Really really offensive, insensitive and down right ridiculous costumes. Every shop has them this time of year - you can be a Mexican bandito! A Japanese Geisha (or Ninja or Samurai)! A Native American brave/squaw/princess. Never mind that they’re grossly inaccurate stereotypes. Never mind that their portrayals are ridiculously offensive. It’s Hallowe’en, why shouldn’t you appropriate the culture and identity of often marginalised people?

Frankly, it reeks of white privilege. To take someone’s identity, someone’s culture and turn it into a hollow, fake costume for shits and giggles is so self absorbed that it should be stunning if it weren’t so typical. Really, would people blackface for Hallowe’en (actually, don’t answer that, because I’m pretty sure some ignorant, self-centred fools would and those “Tighty Whitey” costumes come damned close)? Scrap that, apparent;y people WOULD blackface for Hallowe’en. *headdesk*

Get a clue. Go dress up as an elf or superhero or playboy bunny (though, again, there’s another rant about how 90% of every costume for women out there can be summed up as “stripper-dressed-as” which is fine if they want to dress so - but where’s the choice?), go dress up as Nixon or Blair or your favourite cartoon character. But don’t appropriate, diminish and assume the identity of a culture or people for a night of lols. Really.

Some other people talking about the same thing. Clicky and see, some of these costumes boggle me in their vileness. (ETA: Oh look a blackface costume. Ye gods.)
http://whebrhotub.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-identity-is-not-costume-for-you-to.html
http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/10/29/racist-halloween-costumes/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114199552&sc=emaf
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/politically-incorrect-halloween-costumes/
(Oh dear gods. Hitler, KKK, blackface, Illegal Alien, 9/11, Wigger, Gaylien? WHAT THE HELL WORLD?)
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/11/18/us-immigration-enforcement-finally-preaches-what-it-practices/
http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/2009/10/suddenly-get-interested-in-non-white.html
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/10/before_you_wear_that_racist_ha_1.html
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/10/28/how-to-inform-a-friend-their-halloween-costume-is-racist/
http://www.parentdish.com/2006/10/23/outrageous-halloween-costumes-arab-suicide-bomber/

I would not consider this "fierce advocacy"

I’ve had mixed feelings about Obama - actually more on his rather wishy-washy, ‘let’s just forget about it’ stance on torture than his stance on gay rights, but the latter has certainly been annoying. Certainly he’s better than any alternative presented, I firmly believe that. But I don’t think he’s necessarily due all the praise that is heaped on him. He may be one day but so far I’m not seeing it.

And repeatedly I have seen several extremely vehement Obama supporters basically saying that he had to be given a chance, that he needs time, that gays should get to the back of the queue, that Obama has more important things to deal with than homos and, most irritatingly, that gays are “whining,” “Bitching” being “selfish” or that gays are “spoilt brats.” That equal rights for GBLT people can wait. That travesties like that which happened to Ms Pond and so many others are unimportant (and singing his praises for not vetoing the new wonderful legislation extending hate crime laws to GBLT people. This is a wonderful victory - most certainly - but framing it as Obama’s victory is disingenuous to say the least)

The Obama administration, in response to a Massachusetts fighting against DOMA has again actively defended it. Of course, this will also be ignored by the “gay people are whining, selfish, spoiled brats” crowd.

At least it‘s better than the last defence of DOMA from the Obama administration that made comparisons with paedophilia and incest (though the ‘defend Obama at all cost’ group seems utterly blind to this one even when it‘s shoved under their noses. Seriously, every time I‘ve mentioned it to a “gay people should shut up and wait“ person they‘ve pretended I didn‘t say anything at all). But still, it’s depressing to see.