WE’RE JUST REALLY GOOD FRIENDS: “A recent Harris poll conducted with Out & Equal and Witeck-Combs Communications indicated that 44% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) participants feel unable to talk freely to co-workers about their partners, and up to 78% don’t feel comfortable bringing their partners to corporate social functions.” (@wsj) Do you?
MADDOW: “Trust me when I say there is nothing new is this book. If you’ve ever watched MSNBC; Googled Maddow or her partner Susan Mikula; or read any magazine article about either of them, you’ve read this book … It’s pretty clear that [the] author … is out to make some cash off of Maddow’s fame without having to do any of the leg work.” (@windy city times)
TROOP CREATIONISM: The Girl Scouts of America has bestowed its highest honor, the Gold Award, on a Wisconsin teen for amassing a library of creation literature for her church, building a model of Noah’s ark, and teaching creationism to elementary schoolers. She called her project “Alternate Universe.” (@mother jones)
THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND: San Jose gay center will have to close its doors unless it raises $50,000 before September. (@mercury news)
BOOKS: Also! While you’ve got your checkbook out — the country’s first gay bookstore, Giovanni’s Room, in Philadelphia, also needs $50,000 or it will close. (@philadelphia business today)
SO YOU THINK ELLEN CAN DANCE: Ellen DeGeneres was on So You Think You Can Dance last night. A collision of everything we love about the world has not happened since the muppets were on 30 Rock.
IT’S MY PARTY I CAN AVOID YOU IF I WANT TO: Creepy Straight Men Banned From Dubiously-Named Lesbian Party – An Australian party-planning company, Pinkalicious, specializing in dances “for lesbian and bisexual women” has won the right to ban men from their ‘dos – “because they might pester women for sex.” (@jezebel)
DUDES: Two dudes are gonna make out on the teevee on a soap opera called “One Life to Live.”
WATCH: My heart was totally warmed by this — Prayers for Bobby is the story of a gay man who committed suicide because his family refused to reconcile his sexuality with their church’s stance on it. His mother is now a major crusader for gay rights, she’s like Debbie Navatni played by Sigourney Weaver.
ASSHOLES + ASSHOLES = MORE ASSHOLES: Why Is a Right-Wing Organization Representing Lesbian Mothers in Court? – This case of strange bedfellows has come about because Liberty Counsel is interested in doing everything it can to deny all forms of legal recognition to the families of LGBT people. And the organization’s lesbian clients are interested in securing judicial rulings denying their former female partners any parental rights over their children. (@huffpo)
DON’T FUCK WITH MY DEEP V-NECKS: American Apparel responds to those who destroyed Legalize Gay window – Not only are they not going to prevent us from speaking out on an issue that is important to this company and our employees but we’ll continue to run Legalize Gay advertisements in papers across the DC-Metro area. … We don’t find this kind of thing funny and we definitely don’t find it intimidating. (@americanapparel)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND: It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the unveiling of the trailer for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. It’s cool ’til the end when you find out it’s not coming out ’til MARCH! WTF.
WE ARE FAMILY: Price: NAACP and Gays Can Work Together: “The phrase ‘brother and sister’ has a special cultural meaning. We need the NAACP out there saying, ‘LGBT rights are civil rights,’ and saying it because we who are LGBT and black are part of the black family.” (@advocate)
MARIE CLARITY, PLEASE: Marie Claire‘s terrible advice for women stumped on gay weddings. (@queerty)
FIFTH SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE: A creationist Girl-Scout is honored: “Her winning accomplishments: amassing a library of creation literature for her church, building a model of Noah’s ark, and teaching creationism to elementary schoolers. She called her project Alternate Universe.” It’s the ‘teaching to elementary schoolers’ part that scares me the most.
As a magazine junkie, I can waste hours and hours of the best most beautiful years of my life looking at old magazine covers … and by “old” I sometimes mean “from 1970.” Here’s a plethora of what I’ve uncovered — from when Out still paid attention to lesbians, The Advocate, Girlfriends, and more! Click the thumbnail for a bigger version.
Also, check out this old school Rachel Maddow piece from VelvetPark (#alternativelifestylebuzzcut):
Auto-Straddler of the Day
from Stef:
Hypebot did a rad music industry nerd interview with Amanda Palmer about how unique approach to getting her music out there – and how it’s better than that of her label. If you’re a fan, you’ll read it, agree and nerd out, and if you’re a music industry nerd, you’ll read it, agree and nerd out.
from Alex:
omg I love infographics! And here are 50 great examples.
Thanks for the reminder of Rosie’s Advocate cover featuring her Alternative Lifestyle Haircut. Wow.
I think a round table for being out at work would be interesting.
Just based on the different fields / whereabouts of the A.S. team there would be plenty of ground to cover.
And I used to like Marie Claire. Friendship terminated.
Out at work:Yes
Easy in Seattle I guess. I am never afraid to be out unless I know I’m walking into a super religious place or a place filled with men who may think its “hot”. Luckily my office is all girls and one guy who is old (and wonderful) and no one cares. I would definitely, and have, brought my gf to functions. Mostly I get a surprised look because of my long hair…the ole “but you aren’t GAY! Look at your long hair! Frilly tops! Makeup!”
I like giggling inside while their puzzled looks contort their faces.
I like Rachel’s current glasses better.
omigod, RACHEL!
yes, I’m out at work, but then I work in San Francisco, and 50% of the lawyers I work for are gay (dudes, natch). I did bring my gf to a work party once… it was kinda awk, but I think mostly because all the lawyers are like 30 years older than me and don’t quite know what to do with 20-something scenester dykes.
even here in SF, though, it was kinda tricky figuring out whether/how to come out at work.
giovanni’s room is cute. let’s save it.
the girl scout creationist makes me nervous
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watching prayers for bobby will make me cry all over myself
league of their own reference!
FAVORITE MOVIE ALL CAPS
i sit in my little cubby hole (aka cubicle) and mind my own business when i’m at work. so i’m not out, but i’m surprised when people know my name there, so it’s no like i’m hiding something either. can we tell how much i care about my work?
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infographics are awesome.
right, so…i tend to have typos or leave letters off the end of words. above should say it’s ‘noT like i’m hiding something either.’ the errors can be explained by: a) i type too fast b) i’ve had a lot to drink c) both.
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hint: the answer is 99.9% ‘c’
I grew up learning about creationism until 6th grade, when I was kicked out of my Christian school because my parents (after a year of therapy) were getting a divorce. I went to public school after that and remember learning, for the first time, about evolution in 10th grade. I was aware of the teachings and of the concept, but always told it was a lie. I never had it in my face before. I was raised in a Born-Again family, so you can see how this threw my world out of whack….
Last time I went to the girl-on-girl themed night here in Seattle, Girl4Girl, we watched 2 guys get turned away. They thought the biker bar they always frequented was running as usual that night, but it was hosting our monthly lesbian get-together. They were pissed they weren’t allowed in, and called the woman who runs it a “raging bitch”.
She knew what was best for us.
i swear to tegan and sara, out magazine is run by straight people now.
I work for municipal govt in a field revolving around children, which makes the subject very sensitive/dangerous/taboo, even though I don’t work with kids directly. My previous boss is a big time closet case, we only talked about it once, when I got super drunk at her birthday party and she drove me home. (Worst employee ever.)
None of my current coworkers know, but I think my new boss has his suspicions. I’ve never brought any girlfriends to a function, nor do I mention that part of my life to other staff members.
I feel like I waited too long, I should have said something when I started, not eight years later.