Sexual Orientation

iO Tillett Wright: Fifty shades of gay.

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A must-watch TEDx by iO Wright:

Artist iO Tillett Wright has photographed 2,000 people who consider themselves somewhere on the LBGTQ spectrum and asked many of them: Can you assign a percentage to how gay or straight you are? Most people, it turns out, consider themselves to exist in the gray areas of sexuality, not 100% gay or straight. Which presents a real problem when it comes to discrimination: Where do you draw the line? (Filmed at TEDxWomen.)

As a child actor, iO Tillett Wright turned her shoes around in the bathroom stall so that people would think she was a boy. As a teenager, she fell in love with both women and men. Her life in the grey areas of gender and sexuality deeply inform her work as an artist.

Photographer iO Tillett Wright grew up between genders and sexualities. She's shot 2,000 people who consider themselves somewhere on the LBGTQ spectrum and asked many: can they assign a percentage to how gay or straight they are? Most people consider themselves to exist in the grey areas of sexuality, which presents a real problem when it comes to discrimination.

NoHomophobes.

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(click image to make larger)

Passed along by Sherrine (thanks!) - I can't believe it's taken me this long to post.

NoHomophobes is a site that tracks homophobic language by Twitter users in real time. It's displays the word frequencies as well as the actual tweets. The tweets move so quickly (i.e., there are so many of them) that it's impossible to read them before they are replaced by new ones (the site displays 10 at a time). Here's a completely random sample (click to make larger):

Watch the feed here. It's depressing.

Documentary: The Homosexuals.

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From 1967! Shows you just how far we have come (or not): 

"The Homosexuals" is a 1967 episode of the documentary television series CBS Reports. The hour-long broadcast featured a discussion of a number of topics related to homosexuality and homosexuals. Mike Wallace anchored the episode, which aired on March 7, 1967.

Pure awesomeness.

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This clip has been around for a while and has been posted before, but I figured it would be worth bumping again. Thanks to whoever mentioned the clip in the replies this week. Take it away Zach:

Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa.


Summary of social science research on same-sex parenting.

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In 2008, the people of California narrowly voted in favour of Proposition 8, which led to a state constitution amendment reaffirming the original definition of marriage as only between a man and woman. Previously in California, marriage had been legally redefined to include same-sex couples. Immediately, there was a legal challenge and Prop 8 was eventually overturned. This decision was later appealed by the anti-gay-marriage folks and is still in the process of working it's way through US Supreme Court. How this case turns out could influence marriage law across the States. In cases like these, outside interest groups (intervenors) are able to submit input to be considered by the courts. Typically this is in the form of an amicus brief, or report to the court. The American Sociological Association recently submitted the amicus linked below. It is a fantastic review of the research on same-sex parenting and demolishes the claims that stable, same-sex parent families are unhealthy for children. Here's a particularly poignant quote:

The social science consensus is both conclusive and clear: children fare just as well when they are raised by same-sex parents as when they are raised by opposite sex parents. This consensus holds true across a wide range of child outcome indicators and is supported by numerous nationally representative studies. Accordingly, assuming that either DOMA or Proposition 8 has any effect on whether children are raised by opposite-sex or same-sex parents, there is no basis to prefer opposite-sex parents over same-sex parents and neither DOMA nor Proposition 8 is justified. The research supports the conclusion that extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples has the potential to improve child wellbeing insofar as the institution of marriage may provide social and legal support to families and enhances family stability, key drivers of positive child outcomes.

Read the whole report here.

Short: Kids React to Gay Marriage.

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Resource links below for more information: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation.aspx Marriage Equality Links/Information: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/ http://www.hrc.org/resources/category/marriage To find information and resources on coming out visit: http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ http://community.pflag.org/ http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ Matthew Shepard photo copyright 1998 Gina van Hoof http://www.ginavanhoof.com Watch the Videos Featured in this Episode: Spencer's Home Depot Marriage Proposal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4HpWQmEXrM Seattle+The Washington Bus+Jeanne+Alissa = wedding proposal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umdepNP5yVw Link to subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/TheFineBros Link to all episodes of React: http://goo.gl/4iDVa ---------------------------------------------------------------- This episode featured the following amazing children.

The Straight Girl's Guide to Gay Sex.

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I'm not sure why, but it seems like straight women are more interested in gay sex than gay men are. So I've decided to answer five of the most common questions I've been asked about gay sex by straight women.

And an important comment from the comment section:

The subject of this video is NOT gay sex - its gay ANAL sex. If people think anal sex is all gay men do sexually they are totally misinformed. It's not even the most dominant form of sexual intercourse among gay men. Many gay men, including myself, prefer other things. Anal intercourse is just one of the menu items, and as with any menu item some people only order that, some like it often, some like it once in a while to change things up, and some really don't like it at all.

Porn-watching straight men more likely to support gay marriage.

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From Instinct (and all over the web):

Study: Straight Guys Who Watch Porn Are More Likely To Support Same-Sex Marriage

Do straight men need to watch more porn? Sure, if you want them to support marriage equality, according to a new study published in the Communication Research Journal.

The study suggests that watching porn opens up the mind of men to be more accepting of "non traditional sexual situations" and therefore more accepting of the gay community.

“Our study suggests that the more heterosexual men, especially less educated heterosexual men, watch pornography, the more supportive they become of same-sex marriage,” said Indiana University Assistant Professor Paul Wright.

"Pornography adopts an individualistic, nonjudgmental stance on all kinds of nontraditional sexual behaviors and same-sex marriage attitudes are strongly linked to attitudes about same-sex sex," he added. “If people think individuals should be able to decide for themselves whether to have same-sex sex, they will also think that individuals should be able to decide for themselves whether to get married to a partner of the same-sex.”

"Since a portion of individuals’ sexual attitudes come from the media they consume, it makes sense that pornography viewers would have more positive attitudes towards same-sex marriage.”

Separate prom with no gays.

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This story has been making the rounds the last few days. From the Huffington Post:

Sullivan High School's Students, Staff Distance Themselves From Anti-Gay Prom Plan Frenzy

Students and staff at an Indiana-based high school are trying to quickly distance themselves from the international media frenzy over one local group's plea for an "traditional" prom that would ban gay teens.

In an interview with local NBC affiliate WTWO, Sullivan High School Principal David Springer clarified that officials had no involvement with the group calling for the gay-free prom and that all students will be welcome at the school-officiated event in May.

"Anybody can go to the prom," he said. "Of course, a girl could go out with another girl if they didn't have a date or that was their choice."

Echoing Springer's sentiments was Dale Wise, senior minister at Sullivan First Christian Church where the anti-gay prom group met. "Our church has no involvement in this whatsoever," he is quoted as saying. "It's a community thing where people have met here."

As it turns out, the teacher who caused the most controversy after she equated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens to those with special needs in an earlier news report isn't even affiliated with Sullivan High School. The report notes that Diana Medley, who was among the students and parents present at a Feb. 10 meeting demanding that gay students be barred from attending the alternate dance, actually teaches special education at North Central Junior/Senior High School in nearby Farmersburg, Ind.

Among those to condemn Medley's comments was outspoken LGBT rights advocate Dan Savage, who marked that the teacher "should be fired." A petition calling for Medley's dismissal sprang up in the wake of the report and currently has over 10,000 supporters.

And the video clip to go along with the story:

A special education teacher from Sullivan Indiana is joining a groupof students parents and other Christians in the community who are calling for a prom that bans LGBT people because she says they have no purpose in life.

And a parody:

Bigoted Indiana teacher, Diana Medley, who wants a "straight prom" gets the Billy Madison treatment. Thanks to everyone for watching the video. This is the YouTube page for a cover band I play in, if you like hard rock check out some of our other videos.


How to identify a gay Russian soldier.

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From The St. Petersburg Times:

Sexual Orientation Of Soldiers To Be Checked By Tattoos, Says Report

MOSCOW – The Defense Ministry's central administration on work with military personnel has developed a technical guide that urges leaders of military units involved in work with the troops to check the sexual orientation of conscripts and contract soldiers entering the military, a news report said Thursday.

The new guidelines, based on a psychology textbook published by a military university in 2005, call for carrying out a physical examination and recommend checking for tattoos in intimate places on the new recruits' bodies, Izvestia reported, citing a copy of the guidelines that it obtained.

Special attention is recommended for tattoos near the face, sexual organs and buttocks, as the author believes that such tattoos reveal possible sexual deviations.

"The reason for getting tattoos could indicate a low cultural or educational level. If an influence by external factors is determined, for example, persuasion or direct coercion, this indicates the malleability of the young man, his disposition to submit to another's will," the text says.

The guidelines also include a wide range of warning signs indicative of mental instability, including early sexual experience and 'uncontrolled sexual behavior,' both of which are included in the same category as alcohol abuse, running away from home, suicidal tendencies and theft.

Read the rest here.

Mini documentary: Gospel of Intolerance.

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I've posted several times before about the plight of the LGBT in Uganda: here, here, here, here, and here. A new documentary about Uganda from the New York Times:

Raised in Pennsylvania, I grew up in the black church. My father was a religious leader in the community, and my sister is a pastor. I went to church every Sunday and sang in the choir. But for all that the church gave me — for all that it represented belonging, love and community — it also shut its doors to me as a gay person. That experience left me with the lifelong desire to explore the power of religion to transform lives or destroy them. I became interested in Uganda, an intensely religious country that attracts many American missionaries and much funding from United States faith-based organizations. The American evangelical movement in Africa does valuable work in helping the poor. But as you’ll see in this Op-Doc video, some of their efforts and money feed a dangerous ideology that seeks to demonize L.G.B.T. people and intensifies religious rhetoric until it results in violence. It is important for American congregations to hold their churches accountable for what their money does in Africa.

The filmmaker Roger Ross Williams reveals how money donated by American evangelicals helps to finance a violent antigay movement in Uganda. Read the story here: http://nyti.ms/ViOpN7 Subscribe to the Times Video newsletter for free and get a handpicked selection of the best videos from The New York Times every week: http://bit.ly/timesvideonewsletter Subscribe on YouTube: http://bit.ly/U8Ys7n Watch more videos at: http://nytimes.com/video --------------------------------------------------------------- Want more from The New York Times?


Coming out cake.

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Reported at The Frisky:

Girl Comes Out To Parents With An “I’m Gay!” Cake

Any difficult conversation is made easier with cake, and in this picture that I’ve seen floating around the Interwebs, a girl named Laurel comes out to her mom and dad via baked goods. (Although cupcakes probably would have been gayer. C’mon, Laurel.)

Good morning parents,

I’m gay. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. I thought doing it this way would be a piece of cake. I hope you still love me. I mean, it’s hard not to love someone who baked you a cake.

All my friends know and still love me. Your acceptance would be the icing on the cake.

I hope you, much like this cake, are not in tiers.

I hope we can look back on this and say “Boy, this one really takes the cake.”

It gets better batter.

Love, Laurel (sorry for so many puns)

And then I would like to think Laurel dropped the mic … er, the frosting spoon.

The Laurel in question is Tumblr user Ellende-Generes and she says, “My mom saw it and cried of happiness. We hugged and cried together. Then we all ate the cake and talked.” A happy ending!

Davey Wavey: Gay Things Straight Guys Do.

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Straight guys do a lot of things that are really, really gay. These are those things. Davey's pink "kween" tank top and other Davey Wavey apparel: http://daveywavey.acmeprints.com/ Like Davey Wavey on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DaveyWaveyOfficial Davey Wavey tumblr: http://www.thedaveywaveyofficial.tumblr.com Davey on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/OfficialDaveyWavey Davey's Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TheDaveyWavey Davey's second YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/DaveyWaveyRaw Davey's Fitness YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/DaveyWaveyFitness Davey's fitness blog: http://www.daveywaveyfitness.com Davey's Website: http://www.daveywavey.tv Mail me: Davey Wavey, Inc.

From one of your peers.

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As I'm sure many of you already know, a Facebook page called UBC Compliments sprung up last fall. There are similar pages for colleges and universities across North America (and probably across the pond, too). The idea is simple - anybody can submit anonymous compliments about anything UBC-related. I was alerted about one submission in particular, which is long, but is a must-read. It's an extraordinary story of transformation, and how environment can have a profound effect on one's sense of self:

To my friends, colleagues, and the UBC community - thank you:

Much of my life has been a struggle over accepting my sexual identity, that I am a gay male. This post is more of an retrospect on how much my life has changed since entering UBC, and I'm very thankful for all the people I've met and the community for changing my life around. My life at UBC is a huge contrast from the life I had before.

I am currently in my final year completing a double major. I came to UBC in 2008 in pretty bad shape, I had been struggling with my gay sexual identity since grade 8 when I first realized I was gay. I was always depressed. And it was particularly difficult as I was attending an all-boys private Catholic school in Vancouver. Yes, you can <insert> the gay jokes here of how being in an all-boys school must have been paradise for any gay guy. Not quite exactly.

There was this tense homophobic atmosphere throughout the school. It was a jock-filled, testosterone-fuelled high school. Students were homophobic, teachers were homophobic. Well, for the most part anyway. I recall homosexuality being discussed in class. Well, it wasn't "discussed." My teachers were straight up telling us it was just plain wrong and evil. In one of my classes, my teacher asked us to raise our hands if they thought homosexuality was wrong. Everyone in our class of 30 did, including myself...gotta follow the crowd. A close friend of mine, who had transferred from public school (and is straight), said it was opposite from where he came from: the same question was asked, and every student had no issue with homosexuality.

Please go read the rest here.

On love and family.

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Via the SLOG: 

Support the award-winning show daring listeners to view the world a whole new way. Donate to the Snap Judgment Kickstarter: http://ht.ly/BRU7D After watching Noah's amazing performance, experience more storytelling magic @ www.SnapJudgment.org Exploding onto the performance scene by grabbing the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Championship, watch as 15-year-old Noah St.

Holy epic music.

Exodus International changes position on conversion therapy.

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Exodus International is one of the most prominent organizations in the conversion therapy world. Among the many things they're know for, perhaps the two projects that have received the most attention are their app, which is intended to help people extinguish their same-sex sexual attraction, and their involvement in shaping Uganda's extremely severe laws against homosexuality. It's now considered one of the worst places to live, on the entire planet, if you're a homosexual.

Recently, Exodus have started to change their tune. From the New York Times:

Rift Forms in Movement as Belief in Gay ‘Cure’ Is Renounced
For more than three decades, Exodus International has been the leading force in the so-called ex-gay movement, which holds that homosexuals can be “cured” through Christian prayer and psychotherapy.
Exodus leaders claimed its network of ministries had helped tens of thousands rid themselves of unwanted homosexual urges. The notion that homosexuality is not inborn but a choice was seized on by conservative Christian groups who oppose legal protections for gay men and lesbians and same-sex marriage.
But the ex-gay movement has been convulsed as the leader of Exodus, in a series of public statements and a speech to the group’s annual meeting last week, renounced some of the movement’s core beliefs. Alan Chambers, 40, the president, declared that there was no cure for homosexuality and that “reparative therapy” offered false hopes to gays and could even be harmful. His statements have led to charges of heresy and a growing schism within the network.
“For the last 37 years, Exodus has been a bright light, arguably the brightest one for those with same-sex attraction seeking an authentically Christian hope,” said Andrew Comiskey, founder and director of Desert Stream Ministries, based in Kansas City, Mo., one of 11 ministries that defected. His group left Exodus in May, Mr. Comiskey said in an e-mail, “due to leader Alan Chambers’s appeasement of practicing homosexuals who claim to be Christian” as well as his questioning of the reality of “sexual orientation change.”
In a phone interview Thursday from Orlando, Fla., where Exodus has its headquarters, Mr. Chambers amplified on the views that have stirred so much controversy. He said that virtually every “ex-gay” he has ever met still harbors homosexual cravings, himself included. Mr. Chambers, who left the gay life to marry and have two children, said that gay Christians like himself faced a lifelong spiritual struggle to avoid sin and should not be afraid to admit it.

Read the rest here.

John Corvino

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From his YouTube channel:

John Corvino, also known as "The Gay Moralist," is chair of the Philosophy Department at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the author of Debating Same-Sex Marriage, co-written with Maggie Gallagher, and has spoken at over 200 university campuses on ethics, sexuality, and marriage.

All his videos are excellent, but this one, in particular, stands out:

What does it mean when people call same-sex relations "unnatural," and why should that judgment matter anyway? Philosopher John Corvino takes apart this claim, demonstrating that, in the usual cases, it's empty rhetorical flourish. Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Watch the rest of his videos here.