Tags: video, youth

( Attention Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid + Queer-identified Youth (25 and under) Robyn Ochs, Editor of the quarterly newsletter 'Bi Women' invites you to submit pieces for the Spring 2010 issue )


yes please DO X-Post

Tags: academia, bi pride, college, feminism, high school, lesbian, school, students' rights, teenage sexuality, teens, women's issues, youth
Current Location: at my writing desk
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga

The first legal same-sex marriage in Latin America took place yesterday in Argentina in the remote city of Ushuaia.

Argentine law leaves marriage rules to provincial and local governments. The province of Tierra del Fuego became the first to legalize same-sex marriage when Governor María Fabiana Ríos (who is, by the way, the first woman elected governor of an Argentine province without first succeeding to the job) authorized it. Mauricio Macri, the conservative mayor of Buenos Aires (which is an autonomous city that acts pretty much like a province of its own) effectively authorized same-sex marriage by refusing to appeal a court order striking down the city's law against same-sex marriage, but marriage opponents got that order stayed until the Supreme Court of Argentina hears the case, so it's tied up in the courts for a little while.

Civil unions are recognized in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, the province of Río Negro and the cities of Río Cuarto and Villa Carlos Paz (both in the province of Córdoba). Marriages from one jurisdiction are recognized nationwide, so any Argentine couple willing to buy a plane ticket to Ushuaia can be legally married wherever they live in the country. Ushuaia is known for having lots of penguins around (and seriously, what's a wedding without penguins?) but there's no word on how the government plans to handle gay penguins.

Mexico City's legislature voted to legalize same-sex marriage, but that won't go into effect until the mayor signs it (he's expected to) so Argentina gets to be first on this.

There's a bill in the Argentine federal legislature which would mandate same-sex marriage nationwide. Even though leading politicians from all the major factions of Argentine politics (right, center, pro-Kirchner left, anti-Kirchner left) support same-sex marriage, the bill hasn't gone anywhere.

Same-sex marriage and civil unions are a very big topic of debate in Latin America right now, especially in South America. Chile is currently in the middle of a presidential runoff in which both candidates are promising to approve civil unions and end other discriminatory laws, and running TV commercials loudly proclaiming their support for gays. For the last several years, Brazil has recognized civil unions nationwide. Last year, Uruguay approved civil unions. This year, Colombia's courts ordered that same-sex couples be treated as married couples under the law and Ecuador's first civil unions went into effect.

Every country in South America except Guyana (a South American country, but English-speaking and therefore not part of Latin America) has repealed laws against homosexual sex.

Tags: equality, gay marriage, government, latin america, politics

Back in the 2000 United States Census, same sex couples reporting their partner as a "husband" or "wife" were automatically counted as "unmarried partners", actively suppressing information on how many same sex couples in the country consider themselves married.

For the upcoming 2010 Census, the Census will no longer do this. Look at the 2010 Census Form Here. For every person after the first, question 2 asks what their relationship to "Person 1" is, if they consider yourselves married, and check the "Husband or Wife" box, that information will now be accurately recorded and tallied in the Census statistics, even if they are the same sex as "Person 1".

We don't have to be invisible, spread this info around.

More detail in this interview from last month. And here's the website of the Our Families Count organization: http://ourfamiliescount.org/

Yes, the Census form is still far perfect. It uses loaded terms when there is no need. Why not say "Spouse" rather than "Husband or Wife", or even "Spouse (Husband or Wife)" if they're afraid some people won't know the word. It miscounts marriages when two or more married couples share a home.

It also still miscounts people who don't fit cleanly into "male"/"female" (trans folks, check the box for whatever you identify as, whether or not you have transitioned legally, the census seeks your understanding of the truth, not your understanding of the municipal records).

Plenty to gripe about, plenty to still work on for 2020, but at least they aren't suppressing marriages by same sex couples anymore.

[Edited: Sorry for the confusing earlier edit, I had gotten apparently conflicting information, but the conflict has been resolved]

Tags: acceptance, coming out, demographics, gay marriage, government

As it is evident from the facts of reality and from the analysis of Pacific Unity League, the ruling groups of Oceania are not interested in development on the basis of economic self-sufficiency and real progress. They are interested in the preservation of a dead-end economic model since their true social nature is comprador i.e. they are intermediaries between national market and owners of foreign capital, which penetrating this market. The path in which they are pushing their own people is the path of eternal underdevelopment and neo-colonial dependence. The unenviable fate of low-wage lackeys of rich Western tourists and unhappy lot to become guest workers in Australia and New Zealand are in store for the peoples on this path. It is the path of destruction all national traditions and culture with transforming them into exotic entertainment for the wealthy Western tourists. And the only way out that letting the Oceania peoples to avoid this sad future is path to socialism.

It is possible.

Experience shows that bursting through the front of imperialism and neocolonialism is not a simple task even for the larger countries than the small island states. So, why the victory of socialism is possible in Oceania? To answer this question,

In recent weeks, several posts have been made about openly gay politicians being elected to public office. Including in states that are believed to be anti-gay.

Some political scientists are saying that the spike in out politicians being elected to office is a better barometer of social acceptance and progress being made for gay rights than whether an anti-gay marriage amendment passes. (another link)

Eight years ago, there were 257 openly gay elected officials across the United States. Today there are 445. We've come a long way since Harvey Milk.

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So what do you think? Should gay marriage be the yard stick by which we measure progress? What importance should we give to the fact that progress may be made in other facets of gay political and social life?

Tags: acceptance, discussion, gay rights, homosexuality, progress, society

A long shot, perennial candidate running for the U.S. Senate is spreading rumors that GOP front runner (for the party's nomination) is gay. A quote from the ad:

“Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser says there is a ‘solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual.' Roeser suggests that Kirk is part of a Republican Party homosexual club. Lake County Illinois Republican leader Ray True says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals. Mark Kirk should tell Republican voters the truth.”

The Illinois GOP and the Kirk campaign have lambasted the ad, saying it's degrading to the political process and hate mongering. That doesn't necessarily mean they're condemning it for the blatant homophobia, but at least it's being disavowed. Apparently this guy has a history of hateful statements, bizarre fixations, and some borderline mental health issues.

Does every state have crazy wannabe politicians who end up on the ballot every election?

Tags: pandering, politics, religious right, wtf

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