This Weekend, Local GLBT Groups Are Hosting Democratic Federal & Statewide Campaign Events & Libertarians On Equality Issues & GLBT Persons (UPDATED)

God-des and She performs 8:30p.m. this Saturday Upstairs @ Columbia Street West

Hip Hop, R&B, Soul Artists Goddes and She (MySpace) from Brooklyn, New York (pic @ right with Jay Brannan), are the special guest headliners for a two day Democrat Making Change Happen campaign event by Fort Wayne PRIDE Committee, HRC Fort Wayne Chapter, and cross sponsored by Reality Magazine. Joining Goddes and She will be The Campaign For Change, and openly gay State Representative Greg Harris of Illinois, along with many other politicians or their staff to answer your questions.

Here is the official video for their hit song LICK IT, aka DO THAT PUSSY RIGHT:



Here are the complete details for Making Change Happen
Location: Columbia Street West Banquet Hall
135 West Columbia St. Ft. Wayne IN 46802
There will be a cash bar. Doors Open 7p; Performance 8:30p Enter off of Harrison Street.
Tickets: Ages 15 and up $15 non-HRC members, $10 HRC members, $5 students w/valid ID.
RSVP please to Linda Bentz via email or phone. All proceeds go directly to HRC.
The fun continues 2p Sunday @ Allen Co. Democrat Party HQ @ 1920 Bluffton Rd, w/dessert.

We all know that life isn’t the way it should be for people who are GLBT. We also know that real change is possible - that it can be better. So now what?

We begin by electing fair-minded, equality candidates to office - from Barack Obama, Jill Long-Thompson, and Michael Montagano, right through to locals Kevin Knuth and Maria Parra - all of whom have reached out to us, fight for us, and who genuinely care about us as human beings. These people have consistently put their beliefs in action, and now it’s time for us to do the same.

~Linda Bentz, HRC FW Lead, (Reality Magazine, volume 2, issue 9, page 3)

Please Notice: in the article/press release excerpt above she listed only Democrats which is not a complete list of candidates for equality up for election this November, just the ones HRC FW & FW PRIDE want to support. That, in my honest opinion, is a violation of their Non Profit status with the State of Indiana.

How Libertarians Handle Equality Issues & Assure The Rights Of GLBT Persons

The problem with the above scenario, which repeats almost every election cycle in some regard, comes into play because, while Libertarians are pro equality, we operate under a different paradigm based on the individual's merit versus a collective privilege. Even though we strive to reach the same goals, it seems like die hard Republicans or Democrats can't handle the philosophical differences/challenges of just treating all persons as individuals, with the self evident truth that they were created equally and entitled to a free life with full liberty and the ability to pursue their own happiness with whomever or however many persons they choose to share it with in common bonds. The Libertarian Party Platform specifically reads in regards to marriage equality,

"government does not have the authority to
define, license or restrict personal relationships."

This self evident truth, of all persons being created equal, was declared by our Founding Fathers in The Declaration of Independence, which is also encased in the very beginning of the United States Code under Organic Laws of the United States, and just needs to be properly interpreted by The Supreme Court, and applied into law by The United States Congress, and enforced by the Executor of the Constitution and Commander In Chief.

The problem wont be solved by new laws but by first cleaning up and throwing out the unconstitutional laws that already exist. Then we can worry about adding new laws to the books. If we don't clean up the books soon, we might find ourselves having to write a new constitution though. That is a process that no one wants to go through and I don't think we have the courage to do so either.

Wouldn't it be better to preserve this nation rather than watch it die slowly and outside of our control?

Take a moment and think about it before you decide which candidate is just the lesser of two evils. Take a moment a think about what a third party candidate can bring to the legislative table and the marketplace of ideas. Diversity for one is for all equality!

RESOURCES: To visit LP of Allen Co. website or blog; or the LP of Indiana website; or the LP National website. To find out more info about OUTright the GLBT Caucus's website or blog. Here is the most current list of all LP Candidates up for election for voters to choose locally.

Take A Moment If You Dont Mind?

Take more than a moment and pray for our nation, our fellow citizens, and our leaders, in this time of crisis and chaos. As we have passed the Sabbath of Mabon and the Solemn Triumph of the Cross, and approach the Festival Rosh HaShanah, may we give thanks for the bounty we have been bestowed previously; and have enough humility to ask for mercy. Don't forget to also ask for wisdom, that we make the right decisions. On the 4th of November, make sure your decisions will secure the blessings of liberty for our posterity forever and ever. AMEN!

Reminder: The deadline to register to vote is the 6th of October.

BILERICO: Sending Soap Overseas & Other Stories Of Queers In And Out Of Uniform

To show my support of a pointe of true compassion and queer concern, over @ BILERICO they are having a soap drive for our boys and girls in uniform serving in Afghanistan. You can read more on their site about a lesbian civilian contractor who is working along side them and advocating for the men she serves along side. Here are some of the cooler highlights:

The water here is unbelievably drying (it's loaded with chlorine) so anything super moisturizing would be fantastic. The guys here (it's almost only guys here) are pretty macho (but love having a lesbian around) so I know they wouldn't use "pretty" soaps. Unscented is not a requirement.

What's it like here? Well, first off, I'm a civilian. I volunteered to come here.... I'm the project engineer for projects such as Border Police stations, hospitals, roads, etc. I don't usually get to see the projects because it's too dangerous to travel there. We work 12 hrs/day, 6.5 days/week (Friday is our day off so we only have to work 4 hours).

... They love having a lesbian around but I'm quite sure they would not feel the same about a gay man. Which is a concept I've never understood. For the most part, I'm just one of the guys. In fact, there was one occasion where I heard laughter and said something like, "that sounds like a woman's voice," and someone responded, "fat chance of finding one of those anywhere near here."

As much as people want to bitch about civilian contractors getting paid so much, they work twice as much than most would even imagine being able to do in normal jobs hear in the States in extreme weather and hostile terrain. It is worth every bit of the 80 up to 120 thousand dollars they get per year, and that still doesn't compensate them enough for the support they provide to our troops.

Nor are OUR TROOPS being compensated enough for the work and sacrifice they and their families and their significant others and children are being put through for promoting freedom and assuring our liberty. Whether or not you disagree or agree with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan our young men and women deserve our honor and full support!

No one is making any money off this promotion just the satisfaction that a bunch of fags can help our men in uniform maintain their softer sides too! Here is a breakdown of the details as to how you can help and show them that we fags do care about them:

From today until Sept 25th, if you visit the Just Bubbly website and make a purchase, Mariann will double your order. You won't be charged any shipping and she'll keep all of the soap and other luxury items ordered to ship directly to Jessica in Afghanistan. Just Bubbly will also donate a sizable gift to Jessica's unit when they ship out our order. Just use the coupon code BILERICO when you make your purchase. Check out these reasonably priced items: Goats' Milk, Honey and Oatmeal Lotions $3 - $12, Spa In A Can or Travel Pack $10, Body Butter $4 - $8, Loofa Soap $5

In other news from the military, a 25 year veteran
wins discrimination case against the Library of Congress:

Diane (fka, David) Schroer, a 25 year veteran, male-to-female transgendered, retired Colonel wins her discrimination case against the Library of Congress, based on the current text of Title Seven (commonly referred to as "Being In Compliance With Title Nine"), of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, on sex (aka, gender) "prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin."



The Honorable James Robertson of the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Library of Congress discriminated against Diane Schroer when it rescinded a job offer to her after Schroer disclosed that she was transitioning from male to female." He also stated the following during his ruling:

1. compelling evidence that the Library's hiring decision was infected by sex stereotypes
2. ENDA not passed: Congress believes that Title VII, properly interpreted, solves the problem
3. based on gender transition should be considered a form of discrimination based on sex.

The court further stipulated that "just as discrimination against converts from one to faith to another is still discrimination based on religion, so too discrimination against transgendered persons is still sex discrimination."

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
BILERICO: Nan Hunter|Dr. Jill Weiss|
The Courts Decision (35 pg.) (pdf)
HUNTER OF JUSTICE:
22nd of August|27th of August|
LINKS: TRANSGENDERED:
Local NEITSG|State INTRAA|
National NCTE|Veterans TAVA|
F6 RESOURCES: GAYS IN THE MILITARY:
ARTICLES / POSTS|LINKS PAGE|

Well we're at least halfway there. This case will probably still get appealed. One can only hope the Bush Administration decides not to pursue the case any further, but the likely hood is, well you know, like putting lipstick on a non kosher farm animal. To close out this post I figured a really cool video that I just found from Harvey Katz of Athens Boys Choir (You Tube) (MySpace) would do the trick. Enjoy!

Safe Sex Is Hot Sex Campaign continues with several installments

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Nationally Republicans continue to screw the pooch and get away scott free

They continue to live their fantasy while telling us queers and fags that we are the immoral ones. How self righteous and "holy" can you get without shooting your self for hypocrisy? I have been holding off on posting this until I read the following via TowleRoad:

Bet you almost forgot about him. An investigation has been ongoing since Foley stepped down over his inappropriate online communications with underage pages, and two federal law enforcement officials told the AP they were expecting no charges:

"The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, said the results of a state investigation would be announced Friday. They said neither state nor federal charges were expected, although an FBI investigation has not been closed yet."

As a refresher, the Mark Foley scandal in seven minutes, click here.

Now for the rest of the post regarding the Republicans versus GLBT people at their National Convention:

Gay Sex At The Republican Convention
DNA Magazine, Australia

Those conservative Republican folks are winding up their convention, having nominated a man 7 years past retirement age as their presidential candidate, and a moose-hunting, ex-beauty queen as the vice presidential candidate. As this hilarious video from Jon Stewart's The Daily Show likes to point out, a lot of these Republican types are hypocritical closet-cases...

A new deck of cards portraying hypocritical US Republican politicians caught in gay trysts, one being in a public toilet, is bringing a whole new meaning to having a 'straight flush' or a 'queens full'. Some of the prominent hypocrites featured in the deck include Congressman Mark Foley, Senator Larry Craig and Washington State senator James West. Larry Craig was famously caught tapping toes with an undercover officer in a public toilet at a US airport terminal. Mark Foley brought disgrace to himself and his party when he was found to have had an improper relationship with an underage male page. All these men have in one way or another spoken out and voted against gay rights and pro-gay legislation, whilst hiding and even after (in Craig's case) having been discovered to have their own homosexual tendencies. You can buy a deck of the cards here.

GOP axes delegate guide over gay listings
PageOneQ

The Virginia delegation canceled an order of a publication it planned to hand out to visitors at the upcoming Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, because it included a six-page section for gays and lesbians, KSTP reported. 150 copies of the "Secrets of the City" guide, printed by The Rake, http://rakemag.com/ were ordered by the campaign for Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling to hand out to delegates as gifts on arrival at the convention, which starts on September 1.

"I am so terribly sorry to do this," Bolling's political director Melissa Busse wrote to The Rake, "especially when the both of you have been so 'out of your way' helpful, generous and easy to work with. But, we need to cancel the order for 150 of the 'Secrets of the City' guidebooks...having a section dedicated solely to GLBT (sic) will be a BIG problem for many of our folks. We simply can't hand them out."

A PDF copy of the guide in question can be viewed at this link, courtesy of KSTP.

Now aside from the fact that unequivocally I feel that they made the wrong decision by both McCain and Palin and while I am on record as saying if I were left with only two choices I would have to vote for them over Obama and Biden hands down. Fortunately I am not tied soley to those statements. Because we do have a third option, the best option, and that is Libertarians Robert Barr and Wayne Allyn Root our Party's candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. Unlike their traditional two party opponents, they are even willing to meet the gay community half way. I ask each of you, my courageous readers, to take an honest look as well.

Bob Barr is for the repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell:

Dont Ask Dont Tell refers towards Gays and Lesbians serving openly in the military. He wrote an opinion editorial in the Wall Street Journal back on 13th of June regarding this exact subject following the widely broadcast Republican debates. Here is an excerpt:

First, true conservative political philosophy respects the principles of individual freedom and personal privacy, particularly when it comes to what people do in private. The invasive investigations required to discharge a service member are an unconscionable intrusion into the private lives of American citizens.... Second, and on a more practical level, the ban on gays openly serving in our armed forces is hurting a military that is stretched thin, putting further strain on an institution conservatives claim to love. The U.S. has fired over 11,000 people under the current policy, and in the process has lost over 1,000 service members with "mission-critical skills," including 58 Arabic linguists.... Third, the gay ban wastes money. According to a Blue Ribbon Commission made up of academics and prominent defense leaders including former Defense Secretary William Perry, the gay ban has cost taxpayers over $360 million, and even this figure did not include many of the actual costs of rounding up gays and lesbians, firing them and training their replacements....

Bob Barr is for repeal of the second part of the horrible Defense Of Marriage Act:

Even though he originally coauthored it, he stated the following during his acceptance speech at our National Convention "Standing before you, looking you in the eye, the Defense of Marriage Act, insofar as it provided the federal government a club to club down the rights of law-abiding, American citizens, has been abused, misused and should be repealed," (Source: SOUTHERN VOICE). In other words, the way it has been utilized is not the way it was intended by Congress. Bob Barr continued this thought process in another venue and as part of his official platform:

"The federal government should neither regulate personal relationships nor discriminate against individuals for their personal preferences. Laws regulating marriage should be left to the states, precisely where the Constitution places the issue. Regardless of whether one supports or opposes same sex marriage, the decision to recognize such unions ought to be made by each state rather than imposed as a one-size-fits-all mandate by the federal government. Any federal laws that prevent states from determining their own standards for marriage should be repealed; the federal government should not define marriage, whether by statute or constitutional amendment. In this way, every state would remain free to determine for its citizens the basis on which marriage would be recognized within its borders, and would not be forced to adopt a contrary determination legislated by another state."

I have stated this before and I will state this again: As a Gay American and a local Religious Leader, if former Congress member Bob Barr of Georgia is truthfully willing to meet my people half way, then I will do the same. That is the least I can ask from a candidate compared to the the other two saps on the political stump who aren't even willing to keep their answers, to my Community members' questions, straight.

To visit the OUTright Libertarians our (GLBT) Caucus Website or Blog, Click on the links.

What The Fuck Is That All About! & What Is Really In Our 3 Rivers?

So I have been extremely busy for the last couple of days which is why Saturdays two post are being published late and I do apologize for that. As I slowly catch up with Saturdays intended post there will be two to follow this one. Thank you all for reading.

The life of a semi retired pastor and active community organizer is never dull. Even though I look better than Biden or Obama without lipstick, no, that was not a quip towards them or Palin, but the local idiotic bloggers bitching back and forth at each other like teenagers, because you didn't ask their best friend out on a date or something ... whatever ... such dorks!

I want to take a moment and give a great shout out to all those whom dropped their pants and put on shorts and swim trunks and braved the contaminated Combined Sewer Overflow waters of the St. Mary's River by participating in Save Maumee's Canoe River Clean Up today and all the companies and organizations who contributed resources to the efforts of improving our waterways and environmental damage by the ton of debris pulled from our river.

Thanks also to Council Member Mitch Harper for having Abigail Frost, the Founder of SMGO, on his live City Council Public Access show last week.

There will be more details on Wednesday.

Topher Time: The Grass, Is It Always Greener On The Other Side?

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Click the image with your right mouse button into a new tab to see the full strip in all of its glorious angst.

The Color Of Envy
by Ethan Gray

They say grass is always greener on the other side. Greener when you're single, greener when you're married. Thing is, no one tells you how much work it takes to get it that green, not to mention the stench of the manure needed to keep it that way.

After five long, entirely inexplicable years of bachelorhood, I can say there’s nothing about being single that’s enviable. Not the meaningless sex, not the deafening quiet of an empty house or the constant worry of catching something, even when using extra-strength condoms. Beige should be the color of envy, not green.

But every once in a while comes a moment that reminds you of why colors like fuchsia exist. When you realize it's nice where you are, on your side of the fence, having no one to answer to but your conscience. A moment of fun that lingers in your mind like a teenager outside a convenience store....

.... Almost everything in life has a color. Red's for warning, fear is yellow. Death, black and white's pure. Why is envy green, I don’t know. Maybe it’s ‘cause they say the grass is always greener on the other side. Maybe it's 'cause beige sometimes don't work. Maybe it’s ‘cause hot pink is just too gay. (Shades of Gray 29 Sept 06)

The True Story Behind Superman & Cain And Abel

Who would have thought that the movies 300 and the Spartans mock tribute about the Battle of Thermopylae in A.D. 480 would have garnered straight men into considering wearing makeup and a dress with style and enough class to handle the nice cut up the legs revealing just enough of their waist line to make straight women fizzle and gay men croon in agony?

Probably the same amount of people that think that the story and legend of Superman is just about American superiority during the Great Depression and World War Two. The original movie was made back in 1962 and was the driving force behind Frank Miller's career path and vocational dreams. Much in the same manner so was the events surrounding Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster's creation of the Man of Steel in a ramshackle house in Cleveland Ohio.

The story of Superman is not just about Truth, Justice, and The American Way.

Sadly most people don't realize that the true history of Superman is not in the corn fields of Lowell County, Kansas but the urban jungle of Cleveland, Ohio. The Man of Steel was all the answer that one young man had to the loss of his father by fatal gunshot wounds to the chest during a robbery. It is about a young man who by all outward appearance is weak and unsure of himself to have the courage to rip open his shirt and try to help people by stepping out of his own mediocrity and not becoming egotistical but exceptional!

That is why every boy in at least one point in their life dreams of wearing a cape, blue tights, and red bikini underwear. The story of Kalel/Clark Kent is also one of an orphaned child forced to figure out the meaning of his life without full guidance from his parents or the world around him because they just don't understand what he is going through. That is why gay boys love their superheroes and science fiction characters because they give us the example of stepping outside of our realm of oppressive security and allows us to shine the light of freedom and liberty in the midst of every adversity and find ourselves in the midst of the adventure. Much like the Spartans (who by the way commonly practiced and encouraged at the time homosexuality, especially within the military ranks), and like Kalel, whom offered up everything for the land and people they loved against mighty forces who wanted to oppress and enslave, we gay men should and do take courage by the true, whole meaning and message of Superman both then and today.

Are we our brothers keeper? Whom is our brother?

Author and Producer Brad Meltzer in the midst of preparation for his latest release The Book Of Lies, went in search of the history of Superman and found much his dismay and absolute horror that the house Superman was created in, is in shambles and is not being preserved as the monument to American Culture that it should be. Together with other artist and authors and fanatics for, the Krown Prince of Krypton, have associated themselves as The Siegel & Shuster Society to save the house that Jerome and Joe fostered our affection for ordinary men becoming heroes of our childhood and mentors in our adult life.

The Book Of Lies which draws the connection between Biblical recorded murder of Abel by his brother Cain (Genesis 4, NAB co/USCCB) (WKPD) into an interweave story of the modern era tragedy of Mitchell Siegel's own death back in the 1930's and how the resulting success of hero versus villain archetype has unfolded over the millenniums. TBOL, tells the story of Ellis/Eddie as he seeks out is own birthright which has come down through the ages from Father to Son and so forth. What is that birthright that is marked with the seal of Cain? Is it Immortality? You will have to read The Book Of Lies to find out. You can do so while listening to, a first ever experiment with a novel, the full length Companion Soundtrack, specifically mastered for this project with original works, all for a combined thirty dollar purchase on Amazon


EDITOR'S NOTES:

1. As a complete aside to this post I found this interesting:
a. The names Cain and Abel are gay English renderings of the Hebrew names faggot and queef/r. The original text did not provide vowels ....
b. Abel's name has the same three consonants as a root thought to have originally meant "butsexx", but is known from the Bible primarily as a metaphor for what is "elusive", especially the "homosexuality" of human enterprise.

2. After writing all this out and cross referencing everything twice, I found another review for The Book Of Lies by Geoff Boucher @ Hero Complex courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

I did this review for free, out of my love for the genre and the particular stories involved! He got a steak dinner out of it! All I am hoping for is a signed (even a used copy) of the book and soundtrack, please? ....so we will see what transpires.

3. And as always on F6 you can read other stories and reviews of Comics/Animation or Science Fiction or visit our resources on this by right clicking the appropriate previous links into a new tab or window.

4. Author Brad Metzler: Website|MySpace|YouTube|WKPD|

5. F6 supporter Stephen Rader whom writes @ Are You There, Blog? It's Me, Stephen and co hosts Windy City Queer Cast (MySpace) also reviewed THE BOOK OF LIES on his forum

I know that I am probably forgetting something. I am going to take a nap and try to remember.