The Boy Scouts compromise decision to discontinue the ban on “openly gay” scouts, but maintain it on adult (18 and over) leaders and parents was described by the BSA’s chief executive as “compassionate, caring and kind,” but some critics are expressing what I think of as “politically right” indignation. Hey, if what I think can [...]
About Joyce Arnold
Liberally Independent, Queer Talk beat, equality activist, writer.Author Archive | Joyce Arnold
Queer Talk: Boy Scouts Vote to End Ban on Gay Scouts
A short time ago, the Boy Scouts of America voted to end the ban on gay scouts. From Think Progress The roughly 1,400 voting members of the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) National Council voted 61-38 percent Thursday to end the ban on gay youth participating in the program, but reaffirmed their policy of mandatory [...]
Shielding Obama from IRS Issue a White House Staff Focus
The Washington Post reports that the White House focused on shielding Obama from the IRS issues raised in a report. As soon as White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler heard about an upcoming inspector general’s report on the Internal Revenue Service, she knew she had a problem. The notice Ruemmler saw on April 24 gave her [...]
House Republicans “Unified,” But For How Long?
Writing at Buzzfeed, Kate Nocera notes that House Republicans are currently “unified,” but asks how long that will last. How Long Can House Republicans Go Before Turning On Each Other? Speaker John Boehner has overseen one of the most bitter and divided conferences in recent memory. Conservatives have consistently, and openly, defied him, while moderates [...]
KXL, the Pipeline Paved With Money
Not that this is unusual, it’s the norm in corporate politics, that the KXL pipeline’s approved construction is paved with money. One of the most recent and entirely obvious examples of the kind of political maneuvering related to TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipe line is another U.S. House vote. At Think Progress: House Attempts To Force [...]
Queer Talk: Don Rumsfeld, Marriage Equality Not a Civil Right [Video]
In an interview with Larry King, former Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld said he did not “equate” marriage equality as a civil right. From Zack Ford at Think Progress: As Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld supported the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ recognizing that the time for open service in the military ‘had arrived.’ [...]
Queer Talk: Leahy Pulls Gay Couples Amend. From Immigration Bill
At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last night, Sen. Leahy withdrew his amendment that would have recognized gay couples and lesbian couples from the immigration bill which seeks comprehensive reform. At the link above, Buzzfeed reports that Patrick Leahy withdrew his amendment … after several Democratic members of the committee stated that they would not [...]
U.S. Deaths by Guns Since Newtown: At Least 4,236
Slate and the Twitter feed @GunDeaths continue their project of collecting data to determine the number of U.S. deaths by guns since the Newtown shooting on December 14, 2012, and as of today, at about 2:30 Central, the total was at 4,236. You can see a graph, a “deaths by city” interactive map, and additional [...]
Queer Talk: FL Teen Kaitlyn Hunt Arrested for Lesbian Relationship
Kaitlyn Hunt, a Florida high school senior, has been expelled, and arrested, as Think Progress reports, charged with a felony for a lesbian relationship. It’s one of several recent reports that make clear that, in spite of all the progress, full equality under the law remains a goal, not a reality, for lesbian, gay, bisexual [...]
Queer Talk: Anti-Gay Words of Lt. Gov. Nominee E.W. Jackson (R-VA)
Buzzfeed has the collection of the “10 most” anti-gay words from Republican nominee for Lt. Governor of Virginia, E.W. Jackson. Jackson will “run alongside Ken Cuccinelli.” Check at the link for more details provided in Andrew Kaczynski’s article. Below are the basics. 1. ‘I believe there is a direct connection’ [between being gay and being [...]
Queer Talk: Sara Bareilles, “I Want to See You Be Brave” [Video]
“I Want to See You Be Brave” is the first single from the third studio album by Sara Bareilles. The Blessed Unrest. GayNet calls it the “uplifting gay anthem you’ve been waiting for.” From the lyrics: You can be amazing. You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug. You can be the [...]
Queer Talk: Riot Against LGBTs at Anti-Homophobia Rally [Video]
Via John Aravosis at America Blog Gay, a video of a riot against LGBTs (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) at a small anti-homophobia, anti-transphobia, anti-biphobia rally. It’s a horrific video. Thousands … of former-Soviet Georgians rioting in the streets of Tbilisi, attacking a small handful of gay rights protesters holding a rally for the International Day [...]
Elizabeth Warren and “Bank on Student Loans Fairness Act”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) has introduced the “Bank on Student Loans Fairness Act,” as reported at, among other places, HuffPo. From Warren’s web site, excerpts from the Fact Sheet for the bill: The interest rate on federal subsidized Stafford loans is set to increase from 3.4 to 6.8 percent on July 1. … Student loan [...]
Queer Talk: FOX News on Marriage Equality, and on Hiring Allen West
In a Media Matters report about an analysis by Equality Matters, we learn that “Fox News Spent One Minute Covering Marriage Equality In Three States.” It’s also been announced that FOX has hired Allen West as a contributor. I don’t know if the latter means there will be more reporting on marriage equality, but given [...]
Queer Talk: Homophobia, Transphobia and the “Hall of Shame” *Updated*
(UPDATE: I’ve removed the link in the first paragraph for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The event is for real, but they are obviously having problems with the web site.) Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and also the day Human Rights Watch released their annual LGBT Rights: The 2013 [...]
TM Must Reads
THE 21st century world offers ways to tweak your appearance, or alter it altogether, with women finally able to combat directly the comparison that’s always been around. Men look distinguished as they age, while women look old, unattractive, or to use Rush Limbaugh’s favorite comment, who wants to look at a woman with wrinkles? The 2012 plastic surgery statistics are out and the American Society of Plastic Surgery tells the story.
The real question about Hillary is this: When people take a new look at her in the coming years, will they see the past or the future — Mrs. Clinton or Madam President? – Maureen Dowd IT’S A classic front page from Huffington Post, coupled with a post by Jason Linkins, which details what’s been going on.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy “Here’s what nobody is telling you: Find a husband on campus before you graduate. Yes, I went there.
“Norma Rae is a survivor and for the first time in her life she’s got a chance to become something more… a winner.” – Promo for “Norma Rae” CRITICS like Anne-Marie Slaughter, but especially Maureen I-Love-My-Pearls Dowd, and others [most of whom didn't read the book or do their homework] who are blaming Sheryl Sandberg for being a billionaire Ivy League graduate, while accusing her of letting corporations and government off the hook, are missing a major point.
Great sex doesn’t always just happen. Sometimes, it takes a little planning, especially if — like many Americans — you’ve been in a bit of a sex rut. Do some prep work by turning your bedroom into a love nest: Make the bed (with new, or at least clean, sheets), tidy up, light a candle or two, and queue up a sexy playlist on your iPod.
“You Don’t Own Me” PSA -Official from You Don't Own Me on Vimeo. WHO DOESN’T know the song “You Don’t Own Me,” sung by Leslie Gore? The movie First Wives Club helped to reignite the relevancy of the song.
“Last night I interviewed Jill Stein the presidential candidate for the Green Party on this show. And I confess right now, I should have asked her to just get out of the race.” – Jennifer Granholm, “The War Room” [Current TV] THE ARGUMENT Jennifer Granholm makes above is a tactic that no longer fits the times.
“With that drum magazine, he could have gotten off 50, 60 rounds, even if it was semiautomatic, within one minute,” Chief Oates said. [New York Times] IN THE GAPING MAW of our leadership vacuum stands Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates, whose resolve, vulnerability and humility inside the vortex of a man made hell revealed what nobody in Congress or either political party has shown in decades. Leadership without regard to anything but his own duty to the people, which included the cops in the eye of volcanic carnage.
“Rick Doblin has done a lot for the field, but he is more of a populist,” Grob says. “We need careful and controlled scientific studies showing the efficacy of these drugs so funding can continue.” Broader awareness of these sorts of end-of-life psychedelic studies could be good for everyone, the researchers say.
*updated below* So much for keep calm and carry on, what Joe Scarborough proclaims to be his motto. It was the weirdest one-on-one back and forth with a high profile talking head imaginable. It makes high school look mature.
**UPDATED** Would we be any worse off with Stephen Colbert as president? I doubt it. Politifact has watched the video “(repeatedly!
Despite rising public concern about the federal budget deficit, Americans favor keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are rather than taking steps to reduce the budget deficit (by 60% vs. 32%). – Public Wants Changes in Entitlements, Not Changes in Benefits This is starting early, so it’s time to revisit the facts.
“If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked us, then all bets are off.” – Sect. Hillary Clinton Women can do it, too.
The interview with Obama by George Stephanopoulos wasn’t nearly as contentious as the interview with the Edwardses. No Republican talking points from Stephanopoulos yesterday, like when he accused Edwards of abandoning the troops with this beauty: “Do you think the Democrats should be saddled with the idea of completely cutting off funding for the troops?” Or this one: “You know, a lot of Democrats still in the Senate think that your position here is cynical political theater.
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