The best part of living in Paris is that there are literally dozens of concerts every night in the city, and tonight I'm going to see the French drag queen electro-punk duo Mauvais Genre! Here's home-made video for their "Chatte" (borderline NSFW).

iPhone users: Click to watch

The video for their "Reines de la Nuit" ("Queens of the Night") is after the jump.

Continue reading "Queer music Friday - Mauvais Genre" »

I said in my post yesterday that I have questions about feminist and transgender issues. I invited other Projectors to throw in their own questions into the comments and we'd use them as community discussions to provide answers. Feel free to keep leaving questions on that thread and we'll use them in other posts. Nothing is too stupid; nothing is unwelcome.

I wanted to grab the first question posted and expand it a bit because it's such a good question. Keep in mind that some Projectors will be writing from their own experience while others will be more academic. That's okay.

By putting this post up late in the day, it should stay on the front page for a while so we all have time to participate. I hope you do.

Question after the jump.

Continue reading "What IS the LGBT community? Who are we?" »

A judge threw out a lawsuit brought by the Alliance Defense Fund to stop the governor's executive order to recognize marriage performed outside of the state.

"The [Paterson's] directive is entirely lawful," Billings wrote. "New York's recognition of same-sex marriages legally solemnized in other jurisdictions is consistent with New York policy regarding recognition of marriages legally solemnized outside New York."

This puts it to rest, and New York will continue to recognize same-sex marriage. Some excerpts from the lawsuit, after the jump.

Continue reading "Anti-same-sex marriage lawsuit in New York dismissed" »

John McCain isn't the only person in his family who can claim to be a maverick. His wife Cindy McCain made statements this week showing her support for abortion and reproductive choice. According to The Guardian:

When asked by CBS news last night whether she wanted to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 supreme court ruling that permitted women to seek abortions in America, Cindy McCain responded: "No, no."

John McCain vowed last year that he does not support Roe v Wade and would work to overturn it if elected. But during his first presidential run eight years ago, he made comments that were supportive of abortion rights, which appears to have led to some confusion on his wife's part.

When the CBS anchor Katie Couric reminded Cindy McCain that "your husband does" want to revoke abortion rights, the aspiring first lady responded, "No, I don't think he does."

Continue reading "Cindy McCain Supports Abortion" »

When did an oil pipeline, the war in Iraq and a sports complex become ordained by God? When Sarah Palin is preaching the gospel of the Almighty Dollar.

iPhone users: Click to watch

My dad is a Pentecostal. We've not spoken much since he converted - and he was the first parent to accept me as gay. Now? Not so much. He's too busy speaking in tongues and rolling around on the floor to be able to sit in the same room and talk with me. Maybe if I had an oil deposit in my backyard, I'd be godly enough for him to associate with me again.

Rest of the "sermon" after the jump.

Continue reading "Sarah Palin preaches the (Republican) gospel" »

John Stewart takes on double-talk of sexism, privacy, and experience when it comes to Sarah Palin.

The Daily Show's airport gay sex bit after the jump. It's good, but NSFW.

Continue reading "The Daily Show on Sarah Palin and airport sex" »

Here's a great piece from Pam's House Blend about the skinny on gender identity discrimination.

It's been a while since I wandered over to Feministing, but here's a piece about Code Pink's demonstrations at the RNCC in favor of reproductive justice.

Apparently Fran Drescher isn't just The Nanny, she's also a fag hag! Poponthepop is reporting that Drescher has been helping to defeat California's Prop 8.

Our very own Buck from What the Buck has been picked up for his own show on HBO.

And finally, here's a story from new Queercents contributor Ashley about the value of transgender money. Be sure to check it out and make her feel welcome at Queercents.

Both Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani mocked Barack Obama in their RNC speeches by saying he is nothing but a "community organizer" and the world needs somebody with more experience.

How did Sarah Palin get through the rehearsal of this speech without realizing how insulting this statement is to anyone who works in community organizing and public outreach? How dare she?

Please notice how the almost all white audience laughs and cheers after this statement. I found the whole speech disgusting and I'm not just saying that because I'm a liberal - I'm saying this because while she was governing the great (?) state of Alaska and while John McCain was relaxing in one of his 6 (?) giant houses, Barack Obama was busy overturning poverty stricken minority neighborhoods and doing something good for this country. I cannot fathom how these efforts are discredited and unappreciated. What a slime ball tactic.

Palin, Giuliani and the rest of the cowboy hat wearing cronies are carefully demonizing the idea of community organizing because the last thing they want is for any individual to stand up and lead. What they want is a bunch of weak American citizens who do nothing for themselves and give all the power to those standing at the podium. That's just the control they're looking for.

Continue reading "Bulldog with Lipstick" »

Now with even more protesters! My God, I love the Code Pink/Iraq Veterans Against the War people. Anyone notice that the guy in balcony was the hot former service member who protested at the Alberto Gonzales congressional hearings with his "I don't recall" scoreboard?

I protested the 1992 Republican National Convention. It was an experience I'll never forget. I got close enough to Barbara Bush to get her autograph on a t-shirt I'd bought outside. I had it folded up so she couldn't see what it said: "Lick Bush in 92."

Cindy McCain's speech and the "Mac the Maverick" video tribute after the jump.

Continue reading "McCain's acceptance speech at the RNC" »

Focus groups conducted this week by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and the Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund have found that the GOP's nomination of Sarah Palin may have the intended effect with women voters. There were only two focus groups involved, so the report is certainly not conclusive.

But in a national survey of 1356 women - 1295 likely women voters - conducted between September 2-3 and focus groups conducted following Palin's acceptance speech by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for WVWVAF, we found mixed results. Overall, while the selection of Palin is seen positively by women voters, it is also the case that her selection has given little lift to the Republican ticket and significant questions remain about her to be answered. Women voters - married and unmarried alike - were impressed with Palin's poise and confidence, but wonder what she stood for and how she would address America's most pressing problems.

Follow me after the jump for a more detailed summary of their findings.

Continue reading "Will Women Support Sarah Palin?" »

iPhone users: Click to watch

Not a joke... A 7.5 million dollar investment by the U.S. Air Force to develop a gay bomb that would transform soldiers - our enemies' soldiers - into lustful homosexuals. Only Margaret can give this story the exposure it deserves... Watch out America!

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Somewhere amidst flipping between the season premiere of America's Next Top Model and the new episode of Project Runway, I stomached my way through what I could of the Republican National Convention. (Republicans always leave me with an upset stomach. Do you think they've curdled? I am lactose intolerant after all.)

Palin's speech definitely hit the marks on being energetic and charismatic. Although, I noticed the Republicans tone was generally cynical and bitter, as opposed to the DNC's themes of hope and renewed faith in the country. Palin took several swipes at the Dems and our nominees for President. While I whole-heartedly believe that the Republicans had every right to criticize the Democratic nominee, I am unsure about all the facts that Palin presented in her speech. Especially considering how adept the Republican spin machine is at fabricating "truth."

I decided to roll up my sleeves and do some research (albeit with the help of much smarter people than I) and fact check some of Ms. Palin's assertions.

Continue reading "Palin Speech: Did Somebody Order a Fact Check?" »