From Kate Kelly, Blogging on The Huffington Post

Tonight people from around the world will pack into Times Square in anticipation of being at the "center of the universe" for the countdown to midnight. In addition to the one million people expected to be there in person, an estimated audience of one billion people around the world will be viewing the climactic moment when the ball descends into New York's Times Square to mark the beginning of a new year.

The Party Tradition Begins

The first New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square occurred in 1904, just after the New York Times had relocated to a new building in what had been known as Longacre Square. Publisher Alfred Ochs had successfully pushed for a renaming of the district, and the triangular area where the new building sat at the intersection of 7th Avenue, Broadway, and 42nd Streets has since then been known as Times Square.

That year Ochs sponsored a party to beat all parties to celebrate the new location. An all-day street festival was capped off with a fireworks display, and there were thought to have been 200,000 people in attendance. The Times continued to sponsor a New Year's Eve event in the area, and New Yorkers soon began going to Times Square instead of ringing in the new year at Trinity Church as had been the previous custom.

A few years later the city banned the use of fireworks, and that led to the creation of a new tradition. At first, Ochs' team developed a creative use of lights. At the end of 1905, lights were configured to read "1906" and these electric lights flashed from the tower of the Times building, reportedly visible from miles away. The Times tower was also festooned with electric streamers that lighted the building's four corners.

But the creative thinkers were still at work.

Noting Time with Ball Drops

Everywhere in the world, the problem of synchronizing time was addressed with many forms of creativity. In 1833 The Royal Observatory in Greenwich England had a ball installed, and at 1 p.m. each day, the ball would drop to mark the time and allow the captains of nearby ships to set their chronometers. (When the telegraph was invented, the exact time could be communicated beyond areas that could see the ball drop.) The success of the dropping ball was copied elsewhere in the world, and it is this tradition that is mimicked with the dropping of the ball in Times Square.

The first ball made for Times Square was iron and wood and weighed 700 pounds; it featured light from one hundred 25-watt light bulbs. It was made by an immigrant metalworker whose company, Artkraft Strauss, took responsibility for the creation and dropping of the ball for most of the 20th century.

While the ball must have been on order for many months before December 31, 1907, its introduction was met with little joy and less fanfare. The "Bankers Crisis" had occurred in October of 1907, causing a 50 percent drop in stocks in the New York Stock Exchange and leading to the spread of a nationwide recession. There was no central bank to avert the disaster; times were very hard for people and there was little feeling of optimism. (The following year, Congress undertook a study of the country's financial structure that led to the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank.)

As a result, that fist drop of the Times Square ball was met by a subdued crowd. The New York Times reports: "The dropping of the illuminated ball on the tower of The Times was awaited by an expectant crowd with upturned faces. The square was thronged. As the ball dropped on the stroke of twelve an involuntary cheer arose from many thousands." (NYT 1-2-1908)

During World War II, the United States was adhering to a wartime "dimout" and in 1942 and 1943, there was no ball drop. The tradition was so strong, however, that people still gathered in Times Square. At midnight during those war years, a minute of silence was observed followed by the ringing of chimes from sound trucks parked in Times Square.

Since that time there have been several new versions of the ball, but one thing remains the same: People enjoy gathering in Times Square -- or watching via television or the Internet -- to mark the beginning of a new year.

Happy new year to you all.

If you're interested in reading more about what makes this country great, please visit my website AmericaComesAlive.com, or stop by Facebook.com/AmericaComesAlive.

Follow Kate Kelly on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AboutAmerica

Friday, New Year's Eve, HBO will air Bette Midler - The Showgirl Must Go On. This is the show that Bette ran in Las Vegas for much of last year. I saw it live in Vegas and I highly recommend it...

As we near the official opening of the new, local Gay Central Valley office, we'd like to reach out to the community for items which will help us get our fledgling LGBT Community Center off the ground.

We are seeking donations of...

BOOKS and MEDIA (DVD's, etc) pertinent to the LGBT Community.

POSTERS and ARTWORK

OFFICE SUPPLIES & FURNITURE

ELECTRIC OSCILLATING FANS & HEATERS

DESK CHAIRS

Internet Protocol (IP) PHONES

COMPUTER RELATED SUPPLIES

COFFEE TABLE or other low tables

FLOOR PILLOWS, THROWS, ETC.

SHELVING & STORAGE UNITS

BROCHURE RACKS & OTHER PUBLICATION DISPLAYS

WE ALSO NEED FLYERS, BROCHURES, PAMPHLETS, BUSINESS CARDS AND ANY OTHER PUBLICATIONS FROM LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHICH ARE OF INTEREST TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY.

If you would like to donate anything to Gay Central Valley to help us get our office off the ground, please contact Chris Jarvis at ckjarvis@pacbell.net or by phone at 559-225-1008. We can pick up donations at your convenience.

Our office address is 1055 N Van Ness Avenue Suite C, Fresno CA. We will be opening our office the first week in January and will have an official Grand Opening Ceremony in early February. Any publications can also be mailed to us at the above address.

Why oh why do we have to hear from so many in the LGBT community who aren't even close to understanding any of the issues?

Okay, let's get this straight, people. I know the general public always jumps on the current trendy terms and applies it to everything. That's common. But you'd think that the LGBT Community would be a little more politically astute.

"Bullying" is the term I'm referring to. A whole parade of thin skinned and unthinking LGBT citizens are now taking this very serious term (as it applies to children and teens in school) and use it to fight back against normal criticism coming from any one of a variety of sources.

The latest I found was this outrageous quote from Reichen Lehmkuhl, one of the stars of the ludicrous and brain killing TV series, "The A List", a show revolving around a bunch of empty headed, self absorbed gay men who couldn't find their way out of a simple maze with a bottle of poppers at the exit. By the way, on this show, "The A List" the stars regularly criticize and condemn other people for being "fatties" and other such delicate terms of endearment.

Lehmkuhl is responding to an editor, writing in New York's NEXT MAGAZINE, who said that Lehmkuhl and his boyfriend were "vapid queens".

Lehmkuhl responded...

“I don't appreciate your bullying words. You can save your 'vapid queens' comment for, well, no one. I can't even imagine speaking this way about other human beings. That you would reduce my existence to someone who is a 'vapid queen' says more about what you don't know about me, along with the kind of person you must be. Is this seriously how a 'senior editor' at a magazine talks about people?”

READ MORE HERE

Recently on one of my own Facebook postings someone went after me for pointing out the overwhelming evidence not that someone else was gay (well known) or mean (well known) but was an idiot (more than well known). She labeled it as "bullying". Opinion, well based in fact, is not bullying, not to an adult.

I have to admit that I'm sick to death of thin skinned, pie in the sky idealists who want to ban the word "fag" without paying attention to any of the other million or so offensive words out there, or people who label the civil rights battle for marriage as a battle for "love".  At some point in recent years, during the LGBT battle for civil rights, a whole new hybrid of activists popped up. Those who say we should "respect" all opinions and all work together in harmony. Are you serious? Why do we criticize those who get it wrong? So we can weed out the crop. Do we want to turn into a mass of passionless lumps of harmony, or do we want to get rid of those who are mis-using their positions of voice to mutate a message until it's meaningless? There are things to get angry about, and there are a whole lot of things to NOT get angry about. Why can't we tell the difference anymore?

Not all people deserve respect for certain opinions. I'm certainly not going to respect anyone in America who says that the bible says gays don't deserve equal rights. We don't live in a country ruled by the bible, we're ruled by the constitution. If I call out a Christian for that completely misguided opinion, am I bullying them? Of course not! There are not necessarily TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY. Sometimes there's only one. Anyone subscribing to the idea that all opinions are just as valid as all others is useless to any cause, in my opinion. All opinions are allowed to be expressed in America, but all opinions are not, at their core, valid. 

Most of all, I'm tired of those who now work to censor writing and speech everywhere by capitalizing and trivializing the very real issue of bullying as it pertains to children and teens.

You don't strengthen the work against the bullying of children by pretending that honest criticism of adults, even if it's sarcastic and biting and cynical, is the same as bullying. In fact, you weaken everything we fight for and more importantly, maybe, just maybe you're too weak to know the differences between free speech and hate speech. Maybe, just maybe, you should grow up.

Mickey Rourke has confirmed he's set to star in a film biography of gay rugby player Gareth Thomas.

Thomas came out of the closet in 2009, stating, "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost I am a man", adding, "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby".

Rourke confirmed the sentiment, attesting to portraying man who happens to be gay... “When I met the rugby player, Gareth Thomas, this is one thing that he and I talked about. This is something that’s really important: We’re doing a movie about a man who plays rugby who is gay."

READ MORE HERE 

South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, who's long been suspected of being gay, is back on the radar. His recent objections to the repeal of DADT has once again brought his sexuality into the spotlight.

A rumor circulated last week stating that Mike Rogers at blogactive.com ( Mike Rogers @BlogActive )

intended on outing Graham. According to Roger's statements, however, he not only never said he was outing Graham, but is offering a $250 reward to anyone who can find a place online where he actually said it (so he must not have said it). Rogers does admit though, to having photos of a man leaving Graham's residence whom he claims was there to have sex with Graham. Rogers has sent a letter to Graham but as of yet there is no response.

Rumors about the senator’s private life have swirled for years, but Graham, who is unmarried, maintains that he is not gay. In one video blogger’s recording of a short interview with Graham, the senator was asked about his support for then-Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor; the interviewer asked obliquely about rumors regarding Graham’s own sexuality, but the senator re-focused the conversation on Sotomayor’s "temperament" and her overcall judicial record.

The interviewer attempted to broach the subject of Graham’s sexuality once more, saying, "I’m guessing after a long career in the military, you’re not going to dignify any of these rumors with any kind of response?"

Graham, looking unsure about what the interviewer is referencing, replied, "Right."

READ MORE HERE 

Elton John and his partner David Furnish have become parents. A surrogate mother in the state of California helped make the event possible for the couple. John is 63 years old and Furnish is 48.

The child, a boy weighing 7 pounds 15 ounces, comes after John and Furnish were refused as adoptive parents for a 14 month old HIV positive child when Ukrainian officials stated that John was "too old" and that the civil union between John and Furnish was not recognized.

READ MORE HERE

Teena Marie called herself "a black artist with white skin", as well as the "Ivory Queen of Soul". In the early morning hours of December 27th, 2010, Marie, at the age of 54, died in her sleep. So far, authorities have concluded the death to be of natural causes.

I've listened to and adored Marie's music my whole life. My favorite was "I Need Your Lovin", while my husband James' fave was "Square Biz". As the DJ at the North Tower Circle, James and I have an ongoing joke when he visits me in the booth.  If I'm having a frustrated moment I'll say to him, "I don't know what to play next,"..."Play some Teena Marie", he tells me.

Teena was a groundbreaking and unique singer, teaming up early in her career, and often, with Rick James. She was funky and charged as a performer, and reached not just a club or urban audience, but garnered national and international success as a singer. Long before rapping became mainstream, Marie was one of the first female artists to include a rap in her songs.

We'll miss you Teena...

Read More Here

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Every year of "Oprah's Favorite Things" I've said the very things Maher talks about in this video. I found this year's entry to be the worst and most disturbing. This year's audience members were supposedly "people who give back", meaning people who volunteer and help others. That makes their display of ultimate greed all the more shameful. Go ahead, take your gifts, but stop crying like you just were cured of cancer...

To all of you who believe in BOYCOTTS, and who truly believe they work, click on the link at the end of this article.

 

LGBT Americans need to WAKE UP. Corporations are in business for ONE REASON and one reason only, to MAKE MONEY. They don't have political leanings. They don't THINK about how they treat their employees, that is, not outside of current LAWS. Corporations DON'T CARE how you feel about them, they only care about PROFITS.

And if any LGBT American believes for a second that LGBT Americans add up to a voice loud enough or financially representative enough to have an impact on any MAJOR corporation in the United States, they simply aren't good at math.

The ONLY ISSUE left that any of us should be concerned about is HOW MANY PEOPLE vote. If more of us don't get out and vote against the politicians these corporations are supporting, then it gets a whole lot uglier from here, and those of you under 30 have NO CONCEPT of just how ugly it can get...BOYCOTTS are easy, they take NO THOUGHT, but the TRUTH is tougher, and it takes a LOT MORE WORK...

READ THE RESULT OF YOUR TARGET BOYCOTT HERE

Click on the name of the club to visit their OFFICIAL WEBSITES to get details on their New Year's Eve Events... click on the images to enlarge for viewing...

THE FRESNO EXPRESS 

 

CLUB LEGENDS

 

THE NORTH TOWER CIRCLE 

 

THE RED LANTERN

 

MEDIA MATTERS, an organization which monitors truth in media, has started up a new website dedicated to the support of gay equality...

 

EqualityMatters.org is a new media and communications initiative in support of gay equality. Through strategic communications, research, training and media monitoring we strengthen efforts for full LGBT rights and correct anti-gay misinformation. Our goal is to enhance advocacy and activism across all platforms and to leverage our expertise in support of others who are working to make full equality a national imperative.

According to a 67 page plan filed last month, as far as the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell goes, gay and lesbian soldiers are to treated the same as everyone else. Sweeping changes which have been rampantly spun throughout the media, simply are not the reality of the changeover during the enactment of repeal. There are no plans to construct separate barracks or facilities in order separate soldiers who may be uncomfortable with each other. That's not to say that those options are off the table.

 

Throughout the recommendations, it's clear that the first step of any conflict will be counseling. The military will make every attempt to try to settle any disputes that come up, whether it be a soldier complaining that a military minister is preaching against homosexuality, or soldiers who don't feel comfortable sharing sleeping space with an out soldier.

Courtesy the Associated Press...

(Defense Secretary Robert) Gates has said the military will not drag out the implementation process, but it will move carefully and deliberately.

A new study by the Palm Center, a research institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said only three steps are needed to assure a smooth and quick transition: an executive order suspending all gay discharges, a few weeks to put new regulations in place and immediate certification to Congress that the new law will work. And it says that the military often implements new policies as it begins training, rather than waiting for the training to be finished.

Aaron Belkin, center director, said it took just 40 days to train the force when the don't ask, don't tell policy was implemented under President Bill Clinton in 1993-94. The Pentagon, Belkin said, can train the entire force rapidly, even those in combat zones.

READ MORE HERE

 

President Obama is expected to sign into the law the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell this coming Wednesday, December 22nd. Implementation of the new policy, however, does not take effect immediately. It's unsure just how long it will take, but officials have promised swift implemention.

READ MORE HERE 

From President Barack Obama...

Moments ago, the Senate voted to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

When that bill reaches my desk, I will sign it, and this discriminatory law will be repealed.

Gay and lesbian service members -- brave Americans who enable our freedoms -- will no longer have to hide who they are.

The fight for civil rights, a struggle that continues, will no longer include this one.

This victory belongs to you. Without your commitment, the promise I made as a candidate would have remained just that.

Instead, you helped prove again that no one should underestimate this movement. Every phone call to a senator on the fence, every letter to the editor in a local paper, and every message in a congressional inbox makes it clear to those who would stand in the way of justice: We will not quit.

This victory also belongs to Senator Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and our many allies in Congress who refused to let politics get in the way of what was right.

Like you, they never gave up, and I want them to know how grateful we are for that commitment.

I will make sure these messages are delivered -- you can also add a comment about what the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" means to you.

As Commander in Chief, I fought to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because it weakens our national security and military readiness. It violates the fundamental American principles of equality and fairness.

But this victory is also personal.

I will never know what it feels like to be discriminated against because of my sexual orientation.

But I know my story would not be possible without the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before me -- many I will never meet, and can never thank.

I know this repeal is a crucial step for civil rights, and that it strengthens our military and national security. I know it is the right thing to do.

But the rightness of our cause does not guarantee success, and today, celebration of this historic step forward is tempered by the defeat of another -- the DREAM Act. I am incredibly disappointed that a minority of senators refused to move forward on this important, commonsense reform that most Americans understand is the right thing for our country. On this issue, our work must continue.

Today, I'm proud that we took these fights on.

Please join me in thanking those in Congress who helped make "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal possible:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/DADTrepealed

Thank you,

Barack

 

The Senate voted 65-31 today to end Don't Ask Don't Tell, which, after the President signs off, will end the 17 year old discriminatory policy against gays and lesbians serving in the military.

Five Republicans crossed the aisle to vote against the policy: Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio).

The Senate vote is a vindication of Obama's decision to push for congressional repeal as opposed to unilateral executive action, though activists note he could have done both. The Senate will make a final vote on ending the policy at 3 p.m.

"The important thing today is that 63 senators were on the right side of history," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told HuffPost, adding he sees the bill as a "stepping stone to further advances for the gay and lesbian community."

READ MORE HERE

There seems to be a reason the wealthier and more conservative Americans aren't as sympathetic to the plights of others, they can't seem to recognize emotions or empathize with others. So says the latest study from Psychological Science.

The wealthy don't need to rely on others for help, the study determined, and so their people skills have atrophied.

 

"They're less concerned and less perceptive of other people's needs and wishes," said study co-author Michael Kraus, according to MSNBC. "They show a deficit in empathic accuracy."

In the study, people with more education and from wealthier backgrounds had more difficulty interpreting pictures of faces. While "lower-class" people tended to correctly identify emotions, "upper-class" people had trouble.

READ MORE HERE 

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The FAIR (Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful) Education Act is a bill that, if passed, will bring Gay History into the classrooms of California. The idea is that bringing LGBT history into school classrooms will help alleviate the bullying crisis that permeates school everywhere. The bill would also add sexual orientation to the anti discrimination laws for schools in California.

Matt Mazzei, of the local Rainbow Delegation, is interviewed in the piece, as well as Jim Franklin, who for some strange reason, local news affiliates continue to consult on every issue facing the LGBT community. Maybe it's about time local news had an LGBT voice attached to every story about Christianity, or religion in general, as well as a myriad of other topics. As open and welcoming the local news affiliates have been to us in the LGBT Community, getting our voices and issues out there on a regular basis, isn't it time they ran just ONE STORY concerning our rights without Franklin in the mix to bash us, and worse, to continually perpetuate lies and misinformation. Do they even realize they're doing it at this point, or is it just a matter of a rolodex call to Franklin every time an issue that concerns the LGBT Community comes up? Religion is not a FACTUAL institution, it's one based on mythology. What exactly is he doing in this story??

Watch the video below.

I've been extremely disappointed in people like Whoopi Goldberg and especially Jodie Foster in their defense of Mel Gibson and his recent actions. It reminds me of a statement Joy Behar made years ago about another person (I can't remember now who it was) who'd been revealed to be racist. She was asked if she would throw a long time friend away if she found out they were racist, or homophobic, etc. She said yes.

I'd waited years to hear someone say that on national TV. I don't care how close you are to me. If I find out that you have some hideous character trait such as blatant racism or homophobia, yes, you're not only off the Christmas list, but you're off the contact list. I've had the experience of finding out a long time friend is, in fact, an a**hole, and I no longer speak to them.

It's disgraceful that Whoopi recently said about Mel that she'd been a personal friend for years and he didn't display that behavior around her. I guess if someone rapes someone while they're out of town it's okay to attend their New Year's Eve  party. It's equally disgraceful that Foster, a lesbian, not only ignores Mel's rants, but continues to work with him.

 

Winona Ryder has now commented on the Gibson saga...

"I remember, like, fifteen years ago, I was at one of those big Hollywood parties. And he was really drunk," she recalls to the magazine. I was with my friend, who's gay. He made a really horrible gay joke. And somehow it came up that I was Jewish. He said something about 'oven dodgers,' but I didn't get it.

"I'd never heard that before," Ryder continues. It was just this weird, weird moment. I was like, 'He's anti-Semitic and he's homophobic.' No one believed me!"

Read the whole story here 

Courtesy HIVPLUSMAG.COM

A drug company has been given approval by the Food and Drug Administration to market an HIV test that provides results in 60 seconds.

BioLytical Laboratories’ test will allow results in one minute; most rapid tests take about 15 to 30 minutes. 

“We believe the speed, accuracy, and unique technology of our 60-second HIV test will make the testing and early treatment of HIV/AIDS more efficient in all patient settings, including hospital emergency rooms and public health clinics,” said bioLytical Laboratories president Philip Bligh in a press release. “Additionally, our high-volume, automated manufacturing capability makes INSTI one of the most cost-effective solutions available for providers of HIV rapid testing.”

I opened my eyes.  5:30pm.

I hadn't slept after school, just rested my eyes. The butterflies in my stomach needed calming. I had no intention of falling on my face in front of Paul. Beautiful Paul.

I reached for the now lukewarm, left over 7-Up on my bedside table and downed it, thinking only during the last gulp that there was no caffeine in 7-Up, and that I would probably need some of that. I heard voices and a television. It was the football game dad was watching with a few of his friends in the family room.

I welcomed a hot shower. With the small, window over the stall open, the cool, early evening air was just enough to counter the steam and pulsing water from the shower head.  I closed my eyes and concentrated on the hot water flowing over my head, my shoulders, my arms, torso, stomach and legs. It was so hot my chest and shoulders were turning red. But it was exactly what I needed, relaxing my tense body so I'd be ready to connect with Paul when he came to pick me up.

 

My stomach turned.  I couldn't believe I'd asked Paul to the prom, let alone that he'd accepted my invitation. I looked over the suit I'd chosen, wondering again if I'd made the right choice of color, lapels, of shoes. Paul was different, beautiful. As far as I was concerned, he didn't have those worries. He didn't even have to try. No matter what he showed up in, he'd be the focus of the room, and the simple truth was that, at least for tonight, I'd be on his arm.

I was following Paul to college, both of us enrolled at Fresno State. I would major in psychology and Paul in business. We'd be living separately, but the fact that I'd secured his hand for the senior prom had to give me some leg up on any kind of future relationship, didn't it? Paul could be with anyone. And without a doubt, everyone wanted to be with him. It was just a stroke of luck that we'd been partnered in chemistry, and that we'd hit it off. I'd spoken to him briefly before, but Paul was, in my mind, in a different league. He was class President, beyond popular, and to look at him was to gaze on beauty.

 

Click on images to enlarge for viewing...

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, with the tally being 250 for repeal and 175 against. This is half the battle, however, and a vote must be taken and won in the Senate for the repeal to take place.

 

Some are assuring the public that a vote in the Senate will take place before the end of the year, however conservative Republicans are also stating there are more important issues to tackle. If the Senate doesn't vote on repeal before the end of the year, the battle becomes even more difficult, as more Republicans move into Senate seats after the new year.

READ MORE HERE

Doctors believe that a patient who has undergone stem cell transplants as a treatment for leukemia, has in fact been cured of his HIV infection. It's believed that genetically engineered stem cells may lead to a cure for the disease.

 

Another recent finding indicates that healthy people taking antiretrovirals, medicines used to treat HIV, may have as much as a 73% better chance of not contracting the disease.

READ MORE HERE

Will the Scientologists go after Carrie Fisher for OUTING John Travolta??

Check out video from this year's WORLD AIDS DAY in Fresno...We're still uploading and processing videos, all should be uploaded by Wednesday, December 15th.

To view all videos from World AIDS Day in Fresno, as well as all Gay Central Valley videos, check out our YouTube Page.

 

Check out a great slideshow of those effected by Don't Ask Don't Tell by CLICKING HERE

You want to read something really insightful? Check out Frank Rich's recent New York Times article, GAY BASHING AT THE SMITHSONIAN.

Not only does it deal bluntly with the recent controversy at the Smithsonian over an art exhibit that was pulled by the museum, which they claimed was offending patrons (patrons never complained, only Bill Donahue, of The Catholic League...one man who isn't even affiliated with the Catholic Church).

The piece in question is by David Wojnarowicz, a painter, author and filmmaker. "A Fire In My Belly" was yanked because Donahue called the images of Christ included in the piece "hideously grisly", which morphed into "pornographic images of gay men". And this happened not because patrons complained, because they didn't, but because one conservative website and Donahue stirred the pot.

 

Rich's column is brilliant in its comparison of this recent travesty against the insane position of Senator John "I'm Crazy" McCain on the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal. The message is that homophobia has become so accepted and watered down in America that it's becoming accepted at the highest levels in the land.

Don't miss reading this piece.

I love Carrie Fisher.

Not for what most people love her for, the STAR WARS films, although I love those films and love her in them, but, no, I love her for her writing and her dead on, acid tongued sarcasm.

 

Carrie, whose parents are Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, earned the highest possible respect in my mind with her book POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, made into an hilarious film starring Meryl Streep and Shirley Maclaine. The writing is precise, funny and insightful, all within the world of self realization and self deprecation that is Fisher's actual life. Carrie doesn't shy away from anything in her past or present, discussing at length her somewhat sordid Hollywood family history, only to turn to the topics of her addictions, electro shock therapy and the man she married who left her for another man.

Quite by accident, I just came across WISHFUL DRINKING,  which started out as a book, then became a play, which can now be seen on HBO in its filmed incarnation. (Catch a trailer for the HBO show below...) The HBO One Woman show was my introduction to this piece but I intend to buy the book and read it as well. If you have HBO I urge you to check out this brilliantly funny piece of work that brings a movie star born into Hollywood royalty directly down to earth with the rest of us.

Fisher was also just interviewed by The Advocate.

Courtesy JoeMyGod.com

Over the last seven days....

Indiana: Father Byron Canada sentenced to 11 years in prison in $2.7M real estate scam.
Arkansas: Pastor Robert Burnham resigns after bust in prostitution sting.
Indiana: Pastor Vaughn Reeves sentenced to 54 years in prison for embezzling over $13M from church construction investors.
New York: Rabbi Victor Koltun charged two counts of murder in the killings of a police officer and the officer's nephew.
Wisconsin: Father Thomas Marr pleads guilty to embezzling over $600K from parishioners.
Indiana: Pastor Jerry Hillenburg sued for sexual harassment by church preschool teacher.
Illinois: Father Donald McQuire loses appeal over conviction for molesting four boys.
Netherlands: New report reveals almost 2000 accusations of sexual molestation covered up by Dutch Catholic Church.
Illinois: Pastor James French charged with sexual abuse of underage girl.
Missouri: Pastor Glenn Baldridge sentenced to five years probation for $100K check forgery scheme.
New York: Sister Marie Thornton arrested for embezzling $850K from Iona College, where she was CFO. Thornton reportedly blew the money in Atlantic City.
California: Will Lynch pleads not guilty to beating the Jesuit priest he claims molested him and and his brother when they were seven and five years old. Lynch wants a public trial since the priest cannot be charged under the statue of limitations.
Illinois: Archdiocese of Chicago sued for covering up the sexual abuse of a high school freshman. In 2007 Father Daniel McCormack pleaded guilty to molesting multiple boys and is serving five years in prison.

This Week's Winner
Pennsylvania: Herbert and Catherine Schaible have been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment for relying on the power of prayer rather than seek medical treatment for their two year-old son, who died of a common bacterial infection that would have been easily cured by antibiotics. The Schaibles, who say they and none of their six children have never been treated by doctors, face up to ten years in prison.

Derrick Burts began work in the porn industry in Los Angeles in June of 2010. He then became the center of controversy when his HIV positive status was released and in turn shut down several adult film sets due to fears of contracting HIV.

 

Courtesy AP: The boyishly handsome 24-year-old, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, broke down in tears while recalling the frustration he felt after his diagnosis.

There have been contradicting stories about whether Burts contracted HIV from sex on the job or within his personal life. Burts says a clinic traced the source of his infection back to a performer he'd shared scenes with, but the clinic states it was his personal encounters that brought about the infection.

Burts said he used condoms during his performances but that "aren't foolproof". Condoms are standard in the industry, although there has been a huge rise in the popularity of "bareback" adult films in recent years.

Burts said he became worried about the business after contracting chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes in only the first month of work, but that others convinced him to keep working. He is now speaking up publically for the first time in an effort to revise the way adult films are run.

Before you consider having unsafe sex, read his story.

READ MORE HERE

Just keep your eyes on Sherri Shepard as she sits next to Prince on a recent episode of THE VIEW...hilarious...

It's difficult to write this. I've been angry before at politicians, many, many times. What's difficult is that this feels different. Seeing the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell fail again seemed impossible. I mean, the data is in, isn't it? We hated seeing the study take place, but it came back in our favor. Even many of the military's top brass told Congress that the law should be repealed.

Still, it failed again. READ MORE HERE

I'm not one of the many voices in the LGBT community to lay this on Obama. Yes, I wish he'd been tougher on Congress, but after his recent extension of tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans, I'm beginning to think Obama is a lost cause on just about everything. That joy the night he was elected, of witnessing the first black President in US history has been all but dashed at this point.

The real criminals here? The American people. Not even a majority of us vote, despite the fact that voting by absentee ballot makes the process easy and simple. I've been doing it for years. Knowing that any American can vote from the comfort of their own home and then just mail it in, against the knowledge of how few of us actually vote, is pathetic.

Harry Reid has sworn to keep this going until January 4th, but how are any of us supposed to have any belief in any of these career politicians any more?

Really? This is a "controversy"? A talented comedienne taking down a talented actress within the frames of a comedy routine? Wow people, how very "on the edge" (that is, if you discount ALL comedy done prior to this)...

According to the Den's website things have changed...So far, according to their CURRENT STATUS PAGE they've simply been working towards rebuilding, but more recent posts have indicated the ownership will soon be transferred and that a new club will be rising from the ashes, that club being called The Phoenix.

The Den has issued the following statement...

The Den opened in January 2002 and in September 2010 a fire forced it to close. During those years, The Den was a lot of different things to a lot of different people—yes, some more different than others. It was a place to come after work for a few drinks or to have a wild night out that you wouldn't dream of telling your mother about. It was a place to form lasting relationships—some lasting a few minutes and others lasting years. Above all, it was a place to feel welcomed and comfortable.

The bar itself seemed to be in a near constant state of flux for much of the time it was open. Do you remember enjoying only beer and wine under the parachute (which still exists in some Google Earth images)? The fence didn't always have "The Den" carved in it (thank you David!). For a brief summer, you could enjoy drinks at the "patio bar". And who could forget the the many incarnations of the Full Moon Contest?

But, there comes a time for all things to end. And that time for The Den is near.

In mid-November 2010, an agreement for the sale of the bar was made between Paul Moore, the owner of The Den, and Bryan Beckstrand. Bryan and his partner, Karl Jensen, will be taking over the rebuilding of the bar and reopening as The Phoenix. The transition should be smooth and nearly transparent; Bryan and Karl have been working closely with Paul since the fire to get the bar reopened.

Finally, while change is inevitible, you shouldn't notice many differences between The Den and The Phoenix but the changes you do notice should be for the better.

Keep checking back here on our Fire Rebuilding Status page until the sale is finalized. Afterwards, the updates will be posted on www.fresnophoenix.com.

Thank you all for making The Den what it was these past almost 9 years! We were nothing without you!

We leave you now with a few memories of The Den...

Today, a panel of three federal judges heard arguments in the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the Proposition 8 (or the California Marriage Protection Act) case. The 9th Circuit heard an appeal of an August ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who presided over a trial that found the ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional. The first hour of the hearing lawyers addressed issues of legal authority, or standing. The second hour addressed the merits of the appeal. There is a brief break in the live programming in which the opening testimony was replayed.

 

WATCH THE COURTROOM HEARING HERE

On top of all the recent attention on the bullying LGBT kids face every day in school, a recent study has found that LGBT students receive harsher punishments in school than their heterosexual counterparts.

 

The report states...

Non heterosexual youth suffer disproportionate educational and criminal-justice punishments that are not explained by greater engagement in illegal or transgressive behaviors.

READ MORE HERE

These are reduced pictures from NAUGHTY OR NICE, Gay Central Valley's Annual Holiday Fundraiser at the North Tower Circle. If you'd like a full size copy of a picture emailed to you, send your request to ckjarvis@pacbell.net. (click on images to enlarge for viewing...right click on the photo you'd like sent, save a copy and send it in the email request so we'll know which photo you'd like a copy of)

 

It is with a very real sense of gratitude for all you are doing to advance equality that I am writing to you this morning. Today I informed our Board of Directors that I will be stepping down from my position as Executive Director of Equality California at the end of my ninth year. I will formally step aside on March 31, 2011. However, I will never forget our milestones together nor put aside our unfinished mission.

It has been a true honor and a privilege to lead Equality California and serve the state’s LGBT community. When you think back to how far we have come in less than a decade, it is breathtaking.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California

Read the full letter HERE

The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
Rated R
Director Stephan Elliot
Cast: Terrence Stamp - Hugo Weaving - Guy Pearce - Bill Hunter
Reviewed By: Leon Velasco
Rating: Two Snaps Up

I may have done a review on this movie years ago, but this is one of those films that never gets tiresome. I have heard o few wise cracks and puns that are still are funny today as the first day I saw it. Such as “Cock in a frock on a rock.” Imagine buying beauty products titled, “WO-MAN; make up for the rugged woman.” I hadn’t noticed before but the actor Terrence Stamp also had played on “Superman II” He played the character “General ZOD” The drag costumes are great. They’re so imaginative and creative. There are a lot of sequins, feathers and other flashy things. It’s not your, “Plain Jane” drag. What I got out of the story is; “When everything has failed to go your way; all you need is some good friends, great music, FAAAAB-ulous outfits and tons of alcohol with an audience to shake your groove thang to get happy.”

Hello Friends,

Today is WORLD AIDS DAY...the first World AIDS Day began on December 1,1988...today marks the 22nd year since being found to help raise AIDS awareness, fight prejudice and improve education. 
We can thank, James Bunn and Thomas Netter who came up with the idea...they shared their idea in late 1987 with the Director for the Global Program on AIDS, Dr. Jonathan Mann and because of their vision, heart & persistence that is how we have WORLD AIDS Day!

World AIDS Day is an important reminder to us all that HIV has not gone away...there are still many things to be done & many people to serve!

I send this E to you my friends not just as a reminder for World AIDS Day...but also as a Thank You for your amazing support & friendship through the past 20 years so that All About Care / Camp Care  may offer assistance for our women, children & families infected & affected with HIV/AIDS.

Please know I continue to be humbled & grateful by your support.....without it we couldn't bring the kindness & care we bring to our families!

Wishing you God's richest Blessings on your life this Holiday Season!
Much love & many hugs,
Cynthia
All About Care / Camp Care
559-222-9471

DADT report

What does it mean to live with HIV? Click on the following link to view a slideshow put together by Positively Aware magazine. The magazine collected pictures from all kinds of people living with HIV & AIDS.

A DAY WITH HIV IN AMERICA Slideshow