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 [...]
About Joyce Arnold
Liberally Independent, Queer Talk beat, equality activist, writer.Author Archive | Joyce Arnold
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 [...]
Results of West, Texas Investigation
Late this afternoon federal authorities announced the results of their West, Texas investigation, to this point. The Texas fire and explosion of the West Fertilizer Company plant happened on April 17th. Local station KCEN TV carried the press conference that included representatives of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms spoke. As expected, the origin of the [...]
Queer Talk: Marriage Equality Support in AZ, MI, VA
A recent Gallup Poll shows that support for marriage equality continues to increase across the nation, while state polls also show growing support, including in AZ, MI, VA, (Arizona, Michigan and Virginia). While not alone, those three states show significant swings. In general, as the Gallup Poll report headlines, “Same-Sex Marriage Support Solidifies Above 50% [...]
Food Stamp Cuts Approved by House Agriculture Committee
Yesterday the House Agricultural Committee approved a farm bill that included, according to NPR, cutting the food stamp program by $2.5 billion a year. Both those supporting this cut (primarily Republicans) and those opposing (primarily Democrats) quoted the Christian Bible, including from the New Testament book of Matthew, “When I was hungry you gave me [...]
Tornadoes In Texas Kill 6 [Video]
According to the Dallas Morning News, tornadoes kill at least six people in North Texas, with fatalities occurring in Granbury. One video of the Granbury tornado is below. (You might want to turn your volume down.) Granbury, where the deaths occurred, also saw dozens of injuries and significant property destruction. At a press conference Thursday [...]
Queer Talk: “Selling Homosexuality to Kids”
Linda Harvey of Mission America recently claimed that various entities are selling homosexuality to kids, or as Right Wing Watch put it, identifying one of the “sellers” of homosexuality, “Gay news sites trick kids into becoming gay.” I thought I should warn you about that in particular, since Harvey includes other websites “sympathetic to the [...]
Queer Talk: UN Anti-Homophobia Video
From the Human Rights Office of the UN, a new anti-homophobia message, by way of a video. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) represents the world’s commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. We have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights. [...]
Queer Talk: Minnesota Senate Approves Marriage Equality, Governor to Sign
As expected, and via the live feed at The Uptake, this afternoon the Minnesota Senate (37-30) joined the House (75 to 59) in approving marriage equality. Governor Mark Dayton has said he’ll sign tomorrow. Minnesota thus becomes the 12th state, plus the District of Columbia, to provide marriage equality. Same-sex couples can begin marrying in [...]
Guns Don’t Kill Kids, Kids Kill Kids? [Video]
Reading “A Rifle Designed for Kids” at The Daily Banter made me wonder: Can the often used, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” line be reworded to reflect one subheading of such killing – “Guns don’t kill kids, kids kill kids”? That feels as if I may be going “too far,” that maybe it’s [...]
Queer Talk: Full Equality is the Goal
Marriage equality is the current enormous focus of the bigger goal of full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and via TPM, one response from Thursday’s pro-marriage equality vote in Minnesota reveals something about why the goal of equality is broader than marriage. After the bill passed, state Rep. Peggy Scott (R) said: [...]
Joe Biden and Al Gore on KXL
VP Joe Biden (at Buzzfeed) and former VP Al Gore (at Price of Oil) have both recently opposed KXL, TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline. Biden’s comment was to a Sierra Club member on a ropeline in South Carolina. His office quickly said his position really hasn’t changed, and he awaits the results of the State Department [...]
Ted Cruz: “Republican Crush,” Democrat’s “Face” of Opposition Choice
At Taking Points Memo, Brian Beutler writes, “Meet Democrats’ Newest Republican Crush: Ted Cruz?!?!” At the Dallas Morning News, Wayne Slater writes that Obama’s trip to Texas today is to “make Ted Cruz-Republicans the face of Washington opposition.” Both, I’d guess, are accurate. From Beutler, at TPM: (Democrats) distaste for his (Cruz) antics and his [...]
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.
Recent Comments