May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, sometimes called IDAHO or IDAHOT. This day is the perfect example of how I view all social progress: we have come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. Come a long way: yesterday at the
Continue readingTag: lgbt stuff
wmtc: read dave kopay’s open letter to michael sam
Did I celebrate Michael Sam’s coming out on Facebook and Twitter, and forget to mention it on wmtc?? Ack! Social media run amok! The news that a top NFL prospect has come out as gay in advance of the draft is electrifying. The support for Sam among NFL players is
Continue readingwmtc: an olympics for every protestor, and rainbow flags from canada… but not from rob ford
I started compiling my usual “why I can’t watch the Olympics” post, when I read Dave Zirin… and stopped writing. At every Olympics, you can cue the complaints, getting in the way when all we’re trying to do is enjoy a good luge. Yet it took a visionary like Vladimir
Continue readingwmtc: her name is chelsea and she is a hero – and a scapegoat
A while back, I saw a blog post angrily asking why everyone referred to Bradley Manning as a man when it is “known” that he is trans. The answer is simple: out of respect. That’s how Manning was identifying. Period. Anything else was rumour. Now that Manning’s court martial (fake
Continue readingwmtc: dimanno: let’s make sochi the gay games
When I read Stephen Fry’s open letter to the IOC, and the continued calls to boycott or move the Sochi Games because of the horrendous and institutionalized homophobic violence within Russia, I couldn’t help but think of the Beijing Games. I absolutely understand the uproar over Russia’s anti-gay laws, and
Continue readingwmtc: a kiss on the wrist: the absence of same-sex love on star trek as a measure of how far we’ve come
Earlier this year, I re-watched the original “Star Trek” series end-to-end on Netflix – a thoroughly entertaining experience – then decided to watch “Star Trek: The Next Generation” for the first time. It wasn’t long before I was completely hooked. The show has a lot to recommend it: compelling story lines,
Continue readingwmtc: thank you, jason collins!
It has finally happened. A professional male athlete in one of the big US team sports has come out as gay. Someone had to be first, and that person is Jason Collins of the NBA. Thank you, Mr. Collins, for your courage and your honesty! From the Sports Illustrated cover
Continue readingwmtc: dyke duo dupes fox news
The wingnut media continues to redefine irony. Yesterday Fox News ran a piece called “To be happy, we must admit women and men aren’t ‘equal’”. (Sorry, no link. Linking to bigots is a violation of wmtc policy.) To illustrate their homophobic, anti-woman twaddle, they used a picture of a wedding
Continue readingwmtc: first they came for pride: city of toronto vs free speech
Last week, I blogged about the ongoing pattern of harassment and discrimination against people who express solidarity with the Palestinian people. This isn’t in the same universe as the oppression endured by Palestine every day; nonetheless, it’s a violation of our own civil liberties and rights, and raises a huge
Continue readingwmtc: homophobic much? queer man challenges blood donation law, is arrested
Someone check the calendar. What century is this again? Are queer men still denied the right and responsibility of blood donation in 2012? Do we think a response on a questionnaire is adequate protection against the HIV virus entering the blood supply? Of course not. All the damn blood has
Continue readingwmtc: truth to power and pride in truth
Seen at San Francisco Pride Parade, June 24, 2012
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: the fight for queer liberation today
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * The Fight for Queer Liberation TodayTim McCaskell and Michelle Robidoux (Michelle not present)May 29, 2011 In this context, “today” means the political juncture we’re living in. The use of the word
Continue readingwmtc: barney frank’s radical homosexual agenda and other greatest hits
We can say two things about Congress in the wake of the news that Rep. Barney Frank is retiring after this term: It’s about to get a little dumber, and a lot duller. So here, in appreciation for his years of service and entertainment, are some of Frank’s best YouTube-accessible
Continue readingwmtc: men of the stacks: busting stereotypes one hunk at a time
If you like men, and you like libraries, you’re sure to love Men of the Stacks. Proceeds from calendar sales support It Gets Better. Here’s a good story on Men of the Stacks in The Guardian. Plus I’m pretty sure Mr. June was my TA in Intro to Reference last
Continue readingwmtc: today in new york: joy, normalcy, equality
Today in New York City, some families will celebrate their love and commitment, because the law has finally caught up with reality. 2 Dads, 2 Daughters, 1 Big Dayby Frank BruniEven in a city as diverse as New York and a neighborhood as progressive as t…
Continue readingwmtc: red sox "it gets better" video
“Once you make it through the hard parts, the rest of life is so much more fantastic than anything you can imagine.” I agree. The hard parts don’t go away, but they’re the same hard parts everyone goes through, not a punishment inflicted especially on …
Continue readingwmtc: thank you, new york!!! marriage equality comes to my home state
New York State, thank you for doing the right thing! Forty-two years after Stonewall, same-sex couples have the legal right to marry in New York State. Whoo-hoo!New York is the state of birth, of my parents’ birth and even one grandparent’s, my home fo…
Continue readingwmtc: former nfl star michael strahan joins the fight for marriage equality
This is reaching whole new levels of awesomeoness. Go go go!
Continue readingwmtc: major league baseball teams say: it gets better
The San Francisco Giants are the first major sports team to make an It Gets Better video in support of LGBT youth and the anti-bullying campaign. The Giants produced the video in response to a request from a long-time fan on Change.org.
Sean Chapin, a…
wmtc: another (canadian) athlete speaks out for equal marriage
It comes as no surprise that NBA great – and peace-loving Canadian – Steve Nash supports same-sex marriage. But it’s damn great to hear him say it. Does anyone know of a list or compilation of all the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality videos? Human Rig…
Continue reading