Farrah Fawcett Loses Her Battle with Cancer Today

It was just announced that Farrah Fawcett has lost her battle with cancer, she was 62.

She had been diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. As she underwent treatment, she enlisted the help of actor Ryan O’Neal, who had been her longtime companion and was the father of her son, Redmond, born in 1985.

Her struggle with painful treatments and dispiriting setbacks was recorded in the television documentary “Farrah’s Story.” Fawcett sought cures in Germany as well as the United States, battling the disease with iron determination even as her body weakened.

“Her big message to people is don’t give up, no matter what they say to you, keep fighting,” her friend Alana Stewart said. NBC estimated the May 15, 2009, broadcast drew nearly 9 million viewers.

In the documentary, Fawcett was seen shaving off most of her trademark locks before chemotherapy could claim them. Toward the end, she’s seen huddled in bed, barely responding to a visit from her son.

May she now find peace.

Juliet

Webpages On My Phone

I don't know how other people's phone internet works, but mine isn't that great. If you don't have an "m." address (thank you google, facebook, and twitter), then it doesn't really work at all, and it's hard to read the website.

I've been developing a set of sites that I visit regularly though whilst on the bus that I can actually read, and I thought you might want to check them out as well:

• FMyLife.com -- My coworker showed this one to me and told me that it was a supreme time waster, and boy has it turned out to be. It's a series of little stories about how people's lives just suck sometimes. Every one of them ends with the rejoinder: FML. Such as: "Today, my adorable five and a half year old boy told me that when he grows up he's going to be my boyfriend. I thought it was kinda cute until I asked him why. "Because you need one. FML" I think most of it is written by high schoolers, though.
• Texts From Last Night -- Admit it. You do it, too, drunken text messaging. It's a mess and it's always a bad idea, but you do it and you wake up the next morning thinking, "G-f-d. What the hell was I thinking?" Thankfully, someone put up a website where you can post your silly text messages for all the world to judge such as: "(313): Every time there's an awkward silence a gay baby is born." The numbers at the beginning are the area code it comes from -- and yes, there is a 513 section, as well as selections from 937, 859, and 812.

And now you know two things: this what I'm reading on the bus, and I have the sense of humor of a 12-year-old boy.

Most Dangerous Neighborhood?

Facts? We don't want your stinking facts!

Well sort of.

The Department of Pulling Numbers Out of Our Asses An up until now unknown website known as NeighborhoodScout.com has published a list of the 25 most dangerous neighborhoods in the country. Much to the chagrin of bloggers, OTR residents, city leaders, newsstations, and, well, pretty much anyone living and/or working here... Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood was number one. I sometimes wonder if we should hang a sign over the Brent Spence Bridge saying "Cincinnati: Worst PR Department in the Country, and Damn Proud!"

To clarify, here is the published methodology:

NeighborhoodScout.com collects data from all 17,000 local law enforcement agencies in America, and uses a relational database to aggregate the statistics from each agency to the municipality that they protect. This provides an accurate representation of the total crimes and actual crime rates within any given city or town.

NeighborhoodScout then uses proprietary computer models it develops to statistically estimate incidences of both violent and property crimes for every sub-zip code neighborhood in the U.S based on the aggregate crime data for the municipality containing that neighborhood averaged across the most recent three years of non-preliminary (final) data available from the FBI (2005, 2006, and 2007). This moving three-year window helps stabilize data where a single year could be uncharacteristically high or low, providing a more accurate risk assessment. It is important to note that very recent changes in a neighborhood may not be reflected in our findings, as we use non-preliminary data in our models that take a year to be released.

My thoughts:

1. Who the fuck has ever heard of this organization and why do we suddenly care what they have to say? It's funny, in this world of blogging, I have to wonder about the source. I think it's a fair question. This wasn't a scientific study. It wasn't done by professionals. It sounds like they entered a bunch of date into the computer and said, "Hey look at this!"
2. I have no numbers to back this claim up -- but who needs numbers? -- but, at the ED, I think we see an even amount of gun shots/stab wounds/etc. coming from Clifton, Avondale, Queen City, and OTR... not substantially more in OTR.
3. For those of us who have spent time in OTR -- like Queen City Discovery has -- I call bullshit on the "likelihood of being a victim" numbers. I wonder what a lot of the victims were doing that made them victims? Were they innocents walking down the road, or were they involved in something else? Was your chances of becoming a victim (1 in 4, I might point out) change if you are using drugs, prostituting, or drinking? Not that anyone has the right to victimize another.
4. ...which brings me to my point about Chicago -- whose reputation is not destroyed by their four neighborhoods appearing on the list -- where drive by shootings are so common the newsstations don't even report on them. They are safer there?

In short: the news story is absurd and probably just plain wrong. I have lived, worked, played, and drank in OTR and, outside of one car break in, nothing has happened. Sure, people ask me for money, and a few people offer me drugs or pussy, but truly dangerous? Please. I am proudly one of the 3 out of 4 people who have not been a victim of violent crime... and I would bet that it's probably closer to 99 out of 100 people who have not been a victim.

Oh, and I meant to mention this: there will be anti-violence rally on Washington Park this Saturday. The details, via Impact Cincinnati:

Thanks to Anitra Brockman, Independent candidate for Cincinnati City Council, you will have an opportunity to raise your voice in favor of public safety for everyone. Her slogan is “PRIORITYCincinnati!” and it focuses on her platform: public safety, transportation, economic development and education. In efforts to support public safety and promote a safe city, the Brockman campaign will have a “Stop the Violence” rally this Saturday!

What: “Stop the Violence” rally! There will be a National Anthem performance, several guest speakers, local entertainment and a special memorial to honor the victims of crimes in Cincinnati.

When: Saturday, June 27th from 3-6pm

Where: Washington Park (1230 Elm Street)

RSVP in the events section of the IMPACT Cincinnati group page on facebook!

So, come!

On Mark Sanford

I didn't know the Governor of South Carolina was missing until yesterday morning when we were at the Subway, drinking at 9am, and we were joking that he probably was just off carousing with a lover somewhere. Excepting that we were joking that it would be a male lover... we were dead on.

For those who haven't followed, Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina went missing, saying that he had to hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Wrong -- the married Governor was, actually, in Argentina with his paramour. On tax payer dollars. My dad's thoughts on the subject: how did he think he was going to get away with it? Well, how does anyone, really?

I voted for Gov. Sanford in 2004 because I liked him. There's been a lot of talk about how the arch-conservative southern governor has been shamed and how great is it for our side that he's gonna be out the door. Seriously, though, I voted for him. Not because he was a great guy, and certainly not because he was on my side. It's an idiosynchricity of southerners that we vote for the guy who's best for the state... the guy we trust... and I did. Sanford was quiet and unassuming, had a level head, seemed pretty smart, and had the right experience to make him a decent governor. He had the light southern drawl and the firm handshake and just a little bit of gumption to challenge the state legislature, at the time gutting the state budget for pork and pet projects.

To protest, once, he walked into the statehouse with two squealing pigs under his arms. It was very Huckabee-esque, the move, except there was no Huckabee then, and it was just something near awesome that Sanford had done.

So I voted for Sanford because he was good for South Carolina. In a lot of ways, I'm disappointed with him, severely and awfully disappointed with him because I believed he was genuine. I believed that he truly believed in this mantra of family values and morality that he campaigned on. Sure, they weren't in agreement with my values, necessarily, but there's something to knowing that the guy leading you actually believes in what he's saying rather than just saying it to get elected. And, in coming out with this awfulness, I am disappointed because I believed in Gov. Sanford. More importantly, I'm disappointed in a way with our (read: us liberal bloggers) quick judgment and death knell pounding of the "big evil southern governor." He wasn't evil, he wasn't a bad man, he was a good governor (though I'm sure someone will prove me wrong), and I think he was probably a decent man.

But we overlook the goodness in him in our rush to tell everyone he's lost every political aspiration he's ever had. And we overlook the fact that he does represent his state, and a lot of people in that state probably feel the same way as I do... disappointed.

The State newspaper today ran emails that allegedly are between Gov. Sanford and the woman, Maria, and I almost feel sorry for the man. The affair confused him, and it scared him. He knew what he was doing. I wonder what his wife thinks of the whole thing, reading those emails.

Sanford, quiet and unassuming governor of South Carolina, is now sad and alone.

Picture from The Washington Post.

Act NOW on Equal Housing and Employment Act!

And in the great state of Ohio, we have news coming out from Equality Ohio on the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA): we are currently being out-called by the opposition at a rate of 2-1. That is, for every pro-EHEA phone call our representatives are getting, they are getting two against it.

For a quick reminder, the EHEA seeks to ban discriminatino in the state based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression and is being spearheaded via the website, DoWhatsRightOhio.com (a project of Equality Ohio and Progress Ohio). It's a good thing, our little bill, and it's time for you to call and call now. Or email, or stop in, or send a note, or whatever the hell else you want to do ... so long as you get in touch with your representatives.

I know, you're probably thinking, like I do sometimes, that "Well, what good can my phone call do?" Seriously, they have thousands of people they represent, why would it matter if I called? Truly, they listen. If a representative is on the fence, it is often times the outpouring of phone calls they get that make the difference. A person sits at a desk with a little notepad, takes phone calls, and makes hash marks for every phone call, what they wanted, and, sometimes, more detailed information if they feel like the Rep should call you back. At the end of the day, that data is analyzed and presented to the boss man as a way of letting them know just what their constituencies are thinking.

We have to make sure that all the Representatives in the State of Ohio are contacted. To find yours, go here. And, if you are short on words, sometimes, check out TransOhio's post with a suggested wording for an email. All it takes is a little copying and pasting and you're done for the day. Less than five minutes. I promise.

And remember exactly what you are asking: VOTE YES ON H.B. 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act.

HA -- I made that mistake once and told my SC Rep to vote yes on DOMA. "No! I mean! Vote No!" LOL. The guy on the other line was like, "well, which one is it sir? Do you want gays to marry or do you want to protect the sanctity of marriage?" Guess which way my representative was voting. I snapped back: "Listen to my voice: does it sound like I would be against equality?" Dude hung up. Memories.

National News: Kameny, ENDA, EHDLA

What a fabulous day it was yesterday for LGBTQ equality. Well, sort of, if only we can get the Matthew Shepard Act to move... or only if we could get rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell... or only if... blah blah blah. You get the point.

• Frank Kameny is no longer unfit for unemployment by the Federal Government. Kameny is, truly, one of the pioneers for queer rights in this country having taken his firing from the Civil Service Commission over 50 years ago and challenging it, loudly, proudly, and without apology. HE would go on to coin the phrase "gay is good" (as a response to the "black is beautiful" movement). Today, the Office of Personnell Management, formerly the CSC, officially honored him. Neat.
• ENDA -- the Employment Non-Discrimination Act -- was introduced in the House of Representatives! Unlike in years past, ENDA is gender inclusive in its language. In 2007, some of you remember, the language was stricken at the suggestion of Barney Frank (D-MA) and the new bill -- only protecting sexual orientation -- was then endorsed by the HRC, which could probably be chalked up as one of the worst PR moves of all time. It passed the House, died in the Senate, and then-President Bush said he would veto it. Hrm. Already, HR 2981 has 10 cosponsors. Also, if you check out the Wikipedia article on ENDA, it has a great timeline that summarizes the history of the bill well (seriously, what was life like before Wikipedia?). In related news, Bil at Bilerico is -- justifiably -- aghast at Indiana Equality's decision not to support ENDA because: "ENDA doesn't make us equal - rather, it creates a new form of segregation. It does not provide protections in housing and public accommodations. There are no protections for LGBT children in the public schools where administrators continue to turn a blind eye to harassment and brutality. With ENDA, we are only marginally protected in the workplace." You know, it's a good point, actually. But, really, we're already pissed about everything else, why be pissed about progress? Of course, that's what I said in 2007 about a non-gender inclusive ENDA. Hrm.
• The Ending Health Disparities for LGBT Americans Act (EHDLA) was introduced by Tammy Baldwin! This bill is a bit of a sleeper and one I didn't even realize was being tossed around. 365gay.com reports the bill will do the following: "In addition to investing in data collection and research, the bill establishes non-discrimination policies for all federal health programs, provides funding for cultural competence training for health care providers, extends Medicare benefits to same-sex domestic partners, creates a new office of LGBT Health within in the Department of Health and Human Services, and provides funding for community health centers who serve the LGBT community." In short: it will start protecting the health interests of LGBTQ Americans. Fabulous. It is HR 3001 and currently has 7 cosponsors.

Isn't this fun, now, kids? Stuff is getting done, and quickly again. Apparently yelling and screaming worked, although I have a suspicion the ongoing drama over LGBTQ individuals pulling out of the DNC fundraiser in protest of inaction had more to do with it. A friend of mine -- was it JereKeys? yea, I believe so -- suggested that the reason going is so slow on a lot of these is because, so long as there is more to do, then the Democrats can continue to dangle the metaphorical carrot of equal rights and raise some serious cash.

They understand, I think, that the Republicans, if all other things were equal, would likely be the party of establishment queers if the GOP was better on our issues.

Rumor Mill Report: Bar Scene's A-Changing

Word on the street is... Golden Lion's Lounge, a mainstay of Cincinnati's queer bar scene for an untold amount of years, has closed two days ago. I have not confirmed this, but the report comes from a local bartender and regular at the bar. It is a bit of a surprise, however, because there always seemed to be someone at the little bar, though it was rarely full. However, their karaoke nights always seemed very popular.

Word on the street is... Simon Says is trying to expand either into the florist shop to the north or into the now-empty juice bar to the south on Walnut Street. I have not confirmed this, but the report comes from the same local bartender. The problem is that the city will not allow them to blow out the walls. A little bit of a surprise, to my mind, as no one ever seems to be in that bar. But I don't go much.

And, finally, word on the street is... two local community members are looking to open a new queer dance club downtown. I do, in fact, have a few details though I'm not sure what they want public. The goal is for an Adonis feel at the Dock prices, and dead in the middle of the city. We'll see where this goes. No theme announced yet.

Thought you might want the updates, which I had put out on my Twitter this morning.

The Drop In Center Is Forced To Move

So, I was just informed by a friend of mine about how the City of Cincinnati is asking...no telling The Drop In Center (Central Pkwy) to move or they lose their funding and will close. Maybe you already have heard about this...

Why do they want them to move? Because they fear for the safety of the students attending the new School of Creative and Performing Arts, which is nearing the end of the construction phase.

The Drop Inn Center has refused to move. Cincinnati Officials are telling them that if they don't move, their funding will be cut off.

I'm sorry, wasn't there girl that was murdered last year outside the current location of the SCPA? It doesn't matter where you live...there is crime everywhere.

This just isn't right.

Juliet

PS...I think I feel a protest coming on. What do you think?

Today, New York State

Out of New York State, Governor Paterson is pressing the legislature to do something, despite their recent insanity of Senators hopping parties and causing a fair aneurysm for party leaders of both sides. The Senate chamber now stands at 31 Republican, 31 Democrats, after this past election swept in a Democratic majority (32-30) for the first time in something like 40 years.

But Paterson says that they are just causing problems and blocking the process of getting shit down and is demanding they do something before they recess. And today? The first thing they will be dealing with? Same-sex marriage, which already passed the House.

Looks like we may have a vote today, kids.

Just this week, Reuters announced a poll showing a majority of New Yorkers support same-sex marriage:

The poll found 51 percent of voters supported gay marriage versus 41 percent who opposed it, with 8 percent undecided.

The poll was released as a bill seeking to legalize gay marriage languishes in the State Senate due to a leadership battle between Democrats and Republicans.

New York's State Assembly passed the bill on May 12, and Governor David Paterson has vowed to sign it if it passes the Senate.

In May a Quinnipiac poll found voters split evenly at 46 percent, while in April 2004 voters opposed gay marriage by a 55 to 37 percent majority.

Perhaps we will have marriage equality in New York by the end of the week, maybe not. But we'll see. It's too bad that it's a desperate move on Paterson's behalf to make a name before himself after his pitifully low approval ratings oust him in the next round of elections.

In related news, check out these two nifty graphs from Nate Silver over at FiveThirtyEight.com evaluating LGBTQ rights (click on the images to go to the actual postings. The first one is general support for a wide variety of issues from 6/13/09:


The second is about the changing view of same-sex marriage by state -- ha! check out Utah at the very bottom -- from 6/11/09:

Congratulations, SQPNTK and Back2Stonewall!!!

The Lesbian and Gay Foundation has announced its list of the best 100 LGBT blogs in the world, and two Cincinnati blogs made the list! Congratulations to Stuff Queer People Need to Know and Back2Stonewall.com for their success!

ER Bloggers

HA -- so I work in an Emergency Department at a large hospital in town, and I absolutely love it. There are more nights than I can mention that I would like to tell you stories, but I've always been terrified of the cursed HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which guarantees your privacy as a patient. I think it was a fabulous move on the part of the government to require things like, your consent for one hospital to send information to another. But, we run into 100 middling little details where we're never sure if we're breaking HIPAA or not. (And it's said like that, too, "Are we breaking HIPAA?" or, "That's a HIPAA violation.")

I was never sure, in other words, if telling you stories would be appropo and whether I would be tearing apart HIPAA by saying something.

But, after my morning meeting with Julie from Wine Me, Dine Me, Cincinnati, I discovered that there are other people who are risking HIPAA and posting stories that sound oh-so-familiar to me -- seriously. And I thought I'd share with all of you what we did tonight here at work when things got a little more peaceful; we read ER blogs about other people who work in ER's around the country and experience the exact same shit we do.

Crass-Pollination (the largest ER blogger in the country)

From June 15:

Patient #1 chief complaint: Tired
Patient #2 chief complaint: Weak
Patient #3 chief complaint: Dizzy
Patient #4 chief complaint: Fall
If you'd have lined all my patients up next to each other and told them to play-act their chief complaints, it would be like a flip-book or some shit.

20 out of 10 (named after patient's tendency to overstate their pain on a 10 point pain scale)She writes down funny chief complaints that people give her on their check in sheets, here are some:

heR thing is hurting
Bad tooth ache on Right side Bottem
Medical
Problems
my head poped
THROWT HURT / CANT EAT SWALLOW

Weird Nursing Tales

From a post on 1/4/08 entitled "What I've Learned in the ED"

If you're looking for a free meal in the ED, say you have chest pain, not "I wanna kill myself," that way you can leave after your meal.

Never leave your last refill of Percocet in plain site if one of these 3 is coming over for a visit: some dude, my friend, or that bitch

If you are a belligerent drunk, don't piss off the guy with the shotgun.

If you are afraid of heights but the gutters need cleaning, having a 'couple of beers' to alleviate those fears is a bad idea.

Tales from the Serenity NOW Hospital (written by a Psych and ER Doctor)

From a post on March 15, 2009:

For her reason to visit the ER, the patient wrote "I have an abscess in my vagina that squirts pus out when I squeeze it. Also, I think I got scabies from my baby." Quality mom....

HA! And while you're at it, here are some other great bloggers that, no doubt, will lift your spirits and make you feel special to be a part of the American Health Care system:

• WhiteCoats' Call Room (some gross pictures, but wrote an amazing piece on his malpractice suit that was featured in Emergency Physicians Monthly)
• ERStories (you can't fault 'em for not being direct with their title)
• madness: tales of an emergency room nurse
• A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver
• Ten Out of Ten
• ERNursery

One day, in a fit of genius, one of the attending's who has been with us for a better part of 20 years looked around, and said to no one in particular: "We could make our job a lot easier if we just set up four tables outside: one to hold the sandwiches and juice, one to hold narcotics, one for STD medications and other antibiotics, and then the actual triage desk. If you make it to desk four, you win... come on back."

Truth. Seriously, I love where I work.

Quick Columbus Gay Pride Video

One Penny's Worth - 06.23.09

Columbus Gay Pride Celebrations….All I can say is WOW! Will and I jetted up to Columbus after work on Friday for the Kick-Off at Score Bar where I got to host the strip show! Before making our way over to score we met up with the Lovely Beverly Ford. She was playing our hostess for the evening and had the AC cranked way down for us! Huge Thanks to Bev’ and Nina for hooking a sister up with accommodations (smile)

Then over to Score for the show. I’ve never actually hosted a strip show, so it was interesting. Funny thing, its not really any different than a drag show – though they are paid to take their clothes off and I’m paid to keep my clothes on LOL. It was PACKED in Score all night long with the Skyy Fusion guys doing their thing on the patio and us doing ours on the stage (and the pool table and on top of the bar and on the tables….it was quite a night!!)(smile) Big thanks to Shane, Brian and Tim for making it possible for me to be there. We had a great time and I mean to tell you it was PACKED In there.....Tony was a perfect DJ, Shane and Christina were fantastic Bartenders (smile)

Saturday was a Marathon of Pride! We started off at Somewhere else to get ready for the Parade. Lita had set up the truck and we headed down to the Parade route. Thankfully there was a lovely breeze for most of the day and we didn’t roast. It was warm, but no one died of a heat stroke! The Columbus Gay Pride Parade is Amazing! If you’ve not had an opportunity to make your way up there, do yourself a favor….it’s pretty incredible.

After the parade, we headed over to check into our hotel room and get a quick shower before we were supposed to head over to the Pride Festival and then to Paul and Lita’s for a little pre-show BBQ – well….a quick disco nap turned into sleeping the day away! We didn’t wake up until 6pm and had to do a quick rushing around to get ready! We missed the festival AND the bbq!

Nina West (www.superdragqueen.com) invited us to be a part of DragApalooza @ Axis and that started at 9 – so I put on some more lipgloss (LOL) and headed over to Axis with Paige Passion and Brent Fabian. It was a cast of thousands and we really had a great time. Nina, Virginia, Alexis, Aurora, Samantha, Vee, Pretty, Fancy, Maria, Leah….gosh – there were so many people there!! (oooh...and it was great to finally meet Miles!!!)

Then we jetted back down to SomeWhere Else for the Stars of Pride Show. It was a pretty wonderful cast of characters! Brionna Brooks, Paige Passion, Alexis O’Hara, Brent Fabian, Ethan West, Vivi Veloure, Akasha O’hara Lords and me….what a show! We partied with the gays until the wee hours of Saturday Morning before heading back to the hotel. Huge Thanks to Lita Manon for always putting together such amazing shows and for driving us down the parade route! You’re the best!!!! - Did I mention we finally got to meet Shaun too???

Sunday morning we headed back home with some well wishes for the gurls heading over to Baton Rouge to round out Columbus Gay Pride. We finally made it home, picked up the puppy, Ginger, and laid on the couch with a huge exhale!

This month’s Gay Pride Celebrations have been a really wonderful experience. You gay shave inspired me! Thanks for coming out in all of your respective communities and Celebrating! I’ll see you at our next Gay Pride Prelim – Miss Showgirl Gay Pride on August 7th.

What’s coming up this week???

Tonight is the first meeting for Nina West's National Entertainer of the Year Opening Production! We're heading up to Columbus tonight to join in on the festivities (and to see all the sleepy gays who've just finished a very long, very hard, very fun pride weekend)

I’ll be Spinning @ Below Zero on Friday – that’s right, I’m you’re all request dj the last Friday of every month – all the fun starts @ 10 – you pick the songs all night long.

Saturday I’ll be with the court helping with a fundraiser for the Anniversary of the Stonewall riots @ Adonis – bug Ed for tickets at ebcincy@aol.com

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS PENNY TRATION????
What to do if you're bored and are looking for a little Penny Tration - LOOK NO FURTHER! My Compete calendar is on Myspace - if we're not already friends on MySpace or Facebook - Look me up on twitter! (smile)

June 26 - Below Zero, Cincinnati, OH
June 27 - Anniversary of Stonewall Celebration - Adonis - Cincinnati, OH
- Get your tickets by emailing Ed at EBCINCY@AOL.COM
July 9 - Indiana USofA @ Large - Talbott Street - Indianapolis, IN
July 10 - Quasi and Friends show @ Old Street
July 17 - Interbelt Night Club - Akron, OH
July 31 - Below Zero, Cincinnati, OH
August 7 - ShowGurl Gay Pride Pageant
August 14 - Quasi and Friends' Show - Old Street
August 22 - Capitol City Gay Pride Pageant
August 28 - Below Zero, Cincinnati, OH
September 6 - Dayton Gay Pride Pageant
September 11 - Pride Night @ Kings Island
September 11 - Quasi and Friends' Show - Old Street
September 20 - Miss Metropolitan Gay Pride Pageant
September 25 - Below Zero, Cincinnati, OH


The Find Fred Story
In 2008 while the GLBT community & FINDFRED founders were fighting the Prop 8 battle and turning key states like Ohio blue to protect our rights, the country's largest m4m website (Manhunt) co-founder was contributing to McCain's campaign and the Republican Party. A party that for the past 8 years has worked to write discrimination into our laws, often successfully. Thus, FINDFRED.COM was born. We want the GLBT community to sleep safe knowing that a company they support is fighting FOR GLBT equal rights. FindFred will commit a minimum of 10% of profits towards grants and investments for GLBT charities, equal rights and community causes.
FULL ARTICLE ON MCCAIN DONATION http://www.towleroad.com/2008/08/mccain-takes-23.html
FindFred is start of the next generation of m4m websites. FINDFRED is focued on design, simplicity and features that will revolutionize the industry, including the first MATCH feature specifically designed for gay males. FindFred Launched on May 1, 2009 to Reserve A Screen Name (use PromoCode: PENNY).

--
Penny Tration - The Ugliest Drag Queen in Captivity
dqpenny@gmail.com - www.dqpenny.com

Reserve Your Screen Name Now at www.findfred.com - Use Promo Code: Penny - I promise you're gonna love this!

Wanna see my twats? Follow me on Twitter - Search PennyTration (no spaces)

NEW quote of the century -
"Love is the answer - no matter the question." Ms. Frazier

Long Silence and Shirley Bassey

I've had a long silence here on QueerCincinnati.com -- it's a long story, but everything's ok. But I did just want to offer one commentary as to why I haven't really said much lately: I'm taking everything in. A lot is going on in the world, and I'm not sure what of it I like, and what of it I agree with, so I'm trying to sort it out.

That, and some it is so complex at this point even I don't want to figure it out -- HA!

And besides, I seem to be in a good mood these days, and I wanted to share this song with you, as only Shirley Bassey can sing it -- and that dress!!!:

I don't know why this song has been stuck in my head for days now -- something must be going right in my world!!! (The first song, of course, but I love the second one, as well. I think all drag queens think they are some version of one of the grand dames of song, Dame Shirley Bassey included.)

Anyways, so, to everyone, stop screaming and shouting and cursing people's names. We're fabulous, we're ahead, and we're far more fun when we're just happy and in love and beautiful and young... and less so when we're pissed off and making demands. I know, I'm sickening today, who cares?

STUPID JOKE SATURDAY!!!

Yea Stupid Joke Saturday, post-exam portion!!!!

A rope walks into a bar and Sits down on a barstool. The bartender walks over to him, points to the sign above the bar and reads, "No ropes allowed". So the rope walks outside, beats himself against the wall, and then ties himself into a knot.

He walks back into the bar and sits back down. The bartender comes back over and says, "Look, I already told you NO ROPES ALLOWED. Are you or aren't you a rope?". "Nope," the ropes smirks, "I'm a frayed knot"

Q: What's the difference between Rush Limbaugh and the Hindenburg?
A: One's a flaming Nazi gasbag, the other's a blimp.

Why does Snoop Dogg always carry an umbrella?
Fo' Drizzle!

What does snoop dogg keep under his sink?
Blee-aaaccchhh

Q: What do you get when you cross an elephant with a kangaroo?
A: Potholes all over Australia.

“Waiter!” shouted the furious diner, “how dare you serve me this! There’s a twig in my soup!”
“My apologies, “said the waiter. “I’ll inform the branch manager.”

Q: What kind of animal needs oiling?
A: A mouse. It squeaks.

What's the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts? Beer nuts are $4.50 per pound. And deer nuts are under a buck.

What do you get when you cross a dyslexic, an insomniac, and an agnostic?
Someone who lays up nights and wonders if there really is a dog.

What do you get when you cross a Jehovah's Witness with an atheist?
Someone who knocks on your door for no apparent reason.

A dyslexic walks into a bra...

From @jeffelrod of Centsinnati:

Brogasm: when gay chicken goes wrong.

How do ducks pay for dinner on business trips?
With their bird-diems.

Happy Juneteenth!

Don't know what Juneteenth is? Well, thanks to Juneteenth.com we have an excellent explanation:

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

In short: it's a day to celebrate freedom, emanicipation, and equality. A beautiful thing, and a beautiful day! If you'd like to know what events are going on here in Ohio, click here.

Warning from Mt. Airy Park

Thanks to local porn blogger/afficianado/all around good guy, RandyXBoy, for the heads up on this one. Keep it in mind guys ... more importantly, keep it in your pants in parks.

Two guys were approached by a woman Monday evening who claimed to be an undercover cop and that the entire park was under camera surveillance. She instructed the men to get out of their car and and questioned if they had any drugs on them or in the car, or if they offered or were offered sex for cash by anyone. She then proceeds to tell the guys to turn around and face their car, put their hands on the roof and empty their pockets onto the top of the car. She goes through the contents behind their backs, instructing them not to turn around. When questioned for identification to prove she is a police officer, she tells them "Not right now" and to keep their hands on the roof of the car, and not to turn around. She inpects the men's wallets and pull out their licenses, inspects them, and tells them that she is not going to arrest them since they were cooperative. This happened to our reader's friends. The woman let them go, and they left the park. Later the men opened their wallets and all of their money was gone.

The woman is reported to be driving a dark blue, small Pontiac. According to our reader, Cincinnati Police have been notified and have been very cooperative. Someone else spotted her in the park yesterday and photographed her car and license plate, which was turned over to the police.

I cannot confirm this, but it's always a good reminder to, if you are approached by someone claiming to be a cop, to ask for an ID first before you turn around and spread 'em... unless, of course, that's what you were asking for while you were cruising on Gay.com :-). In which case, send me (or Randy) pictures. Wait, no. Maybe. Hrm.

Also: if you are cruising in public parks, go somewhere else. Don't get caught with your pants down. That's what the administration of Cincinnati Christian University is for.

UPDATE: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The origin of that picture is Bob Jones University, ultra-conservative, boys-and-girls have to walk on separate sidewalks Southern Baptists College!!! I didn't even KNOW!

More Stuff on Obama and the Gays

Perusing the internet, there's lots and lots and lots of interesting stuff out there to read about Obama and the LGBTQ rights movement. Here's exactly four to look over. :-) Good morning, Cincinnati! Wish me luck on my two finals today!

From the Washington Post yesterday:

Obama's memorandum, designed to be both incremental and pragmatic, typifies the cautious way he has approached gay issues since taking office five months ago. Although he has appointed gays to prominent positions in his administration -- including John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management -- the memorandum marked his first official foray into the issue as president, a delay that has angered gay supporters.

A number of other constituencies have likewise been disappointed by Obama's pace in addressing their issues, as he has focused much of his attention on the economic crisis and foreign policy initiatives. Hispanic groups have expressed frustration that he has yet to take up comprehensive immigration reform, for example, and human rights and civil liberties organizations have criticized his opposition to the release of detainee abuse photos and his adherence to other aspects of the Bush administration's national security policies.

"We are working on a large amount of things," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters yesterday.

Poor press guy Gibbs -- that man has not been able to catch a break, and I don't think his boss has been helping him out all that much. What a weak answer. But, again, you can't build Rome in a day. Is that the quote?

From the Huffington Post, entitled "Will Gays Divorce the Democrats?"

What does this mean for 2010? Who knows. But the sheen is off the Dream Machine known as Barack Obama. And Congress and the DNC -- well, Tim Kaine is no Howard Dean -- he's made no real effort to reach out to LGBTs outside the Beltway. And that Obama for America online money pitch for the DNC may also dry up.

My answer: not bloody likely. Which is better, people who give you lip service and do a few things here and there, or people who run on an anti-queer platform? Seriously, though I have long argued that most gays would be Republicans if the GOP went libertarian (seriously, I know at least one Republican reads my blog).

From Stampp Corbin, via the San Diego News Network (the what?!):

Last Thursday, the Attorney General filed a legal brief in a California federal case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that made arguments that compared same sex marriage to incest. Thursday, President Obama announced the extension of some benefits to LGBT federal employees; just not the most coveted ones, like health care and pension benefits. Oh that’s right, Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prevents that and you just wrote a legal brief defending it. When I wake up each morning, I feel a bit schizophrenic myself, “I love Obama, I hate Obama, I am ambivalent about Obama.” It’s maddening.

Someone get me a Prozac.

I ask, “Mr. President how can you argue for the legality of DOMA, when you are for its repeal?”

You really are talking out of both sides of your mouth and my community knows it.

Whoa, dude. There's some seriousness going on out there. I just think it's way too much.

On another note, my school has blocked all blogger.com websites (except for blogger itself) and wordpress.com websites (except for wordpress.com itself). I have no idea what's going on. Absurdities. Apparently, this counts as "social networking."

Spreadin' the Love - Guerrilla Queer Bar Announced!

As part of it's "spreadin' the love" series, where the fabulous people over at Guerrilla Queer Bar invade an underused queer-identified bar, this came out a few days earlier than usual on their blog:

Hello Beauteous Queers--

Three things!

1. CGQB's takeover of Cadillac Ranch was out-of-this-world-queer-fa
ntastic! For serious. If you haven't seen the "Two Boys, One Bull" video yet ( http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1158004716345&ref=mf ), watch it now. It's just the tip of the iceberg for all the crazy, world-changing fun that was had.

2. CGQB hopes you all had a wonderfully sexy Pride!

3. Have no fear, the queer fun doesn't have to stop! THIS FRIDAY is CGQB's "Spreading the Love" event.

Never heard of the "Spreading the Love" events? Find out more below. If you're a seasoned "Spreading the Love" go-er, feel free to skip to find out where it is!

****

Every THIRD FRIDAY, the folks that bring you GQB put on another raucous night of fun at an under-utilized QUEER bar in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky.

Last month's "Spreading the Love" was at the glorious Little Bit Bar with a night of cheap drinks, sexy bartenders, great people, a "live-missed-connections" game, and a FIRE performance (for serious).

"Why a queer bar? I thought GQB was about taking over straight bars", you might ask. "Spreading the Love" is about spreading our queer-love (and dollars) around the queer community while also getting a chance to know our fellow CGQB-ers a little more intimately ;).

Don't worry, we'll still be exploring the straight and narrow bars every FIRST Friday of the month. (which reminds me, GET READY FOR JULY 3rd!!!)
****

This month promises to be the best "Spreading the Love" yet!
Where will we be coming together in the name of queer-celebration?

(***drum roll please***)

...

the CRAZY FOX SALOON!!!
901 Washington Ave
corner of 9th and Washington in NEWPORT, KY.

****

Those of you who have experienced or heard of the GLORY that is the Crazy Fox are probably jumping for joy right now. If you HAVEN'T had the privilege of going to this bar yet, start getting ready for a night of sexy-wonderful-fun this Friday.

We'll be getting there anytime around 9. There will be some sexy surprises. If you're feeling adventurous, they have ABSINTHE drink specials on Friday nights!

Mark your calenders now-- Friday the 17th, 9 pm, Queer-Fun-Time!

I think, btw, that the date is Friday the 19th, not the 17th, or else I think I would have heard about queers heading down there :-). Anyways, this will be the first CGQB I'll be missing. I'm kinda sad about that :-(. And I just realized I didn't know how to spell "Saloon."

Map to Crazy Fox / Crazy Fox Saloon website

EHEA and the Obama Memo

I'm almost through! By this time tomorrow, I will be done with my summer semester at school and will have 8 weeks off -- just enough time to complete all my clinical prep for year two at school! WHOO!!! Many thanks to my contributors for making sure the blog is updated in my intermittent involvement this week! You guys are the best!

But I wanted to just post two bits from the queerrevolution that you should know about:

First, the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) made it out of the State Government Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives. The EHEA (HB 176), as you may remember, is the law that will prohibit discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, making Ohio the 21st state in the union to do so (in a related note, I wonder if, with all the marriage talk lately, we will confront a situation in the near future where we have more states with equal marriage than equal protections :-)). According to Equality Ohio's email, it was recommended to a vote by the whole House in a 8-5 vote. The vote breakdown:

• For: Gerberry (D), Lundy (D), Sykes (D), Williams B. (D), Stewart (D), Mallory (D - hell yea Cincinnatian!), Sayre (D), and Hite (the only Republican to vote for it).
• Against: Adams (R), Daniels (R), Grossman (R), Hall (R), and Stebelton (R).

What next? Well, it goes to a floor vote. If it passes there, onto the state Senate, where there are some questions as to whether it can pass but Lynne Bowman, Executive Director of Equality Ohio, says that she is confident that fairness will come to Ohio. Gov. Ted Strickland is likely to sign the bill due to a long history of standing with queer Ohioans.

This is the first time the Ohio legislature has voted for fairness for LGBTQ individuals... ever.

Second, Obama signed the partners memorandum, giving very limited benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees and, by very limited, we mean very limited. In fact, it has sent the world into a small uproar seemingly for two reasons:

• It doesn't go far enough, failing to provide for health, retirement, or pension benefits for same-sex partners and is probably equitable to little financial benefit other than relocation costs. It seems that anything else would be against the law, per the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act.
• It is a memorandum -- not an executive order -- which means that it expires when Obama leaves office.

A fact sheet provided by the White House is available on the Advocate website detailing the benefits covered. It confuses me, the whole hubbub, as everyone is still cursing Obama's name, saying that it's too little too late.

I seriously wonder if homosexuals have forgotten the last 8 years, and we are just so hungry for someone to listen to us, that we are willing to go rabid at the mouth, screaming shouting and cursing our President, for not doing everything right now. You know, through the Bush years, no one would listen to us. I don't remember the HRC -- for once, I'm kinda standing up for them -- getting a personal meeting with Bush II to reassure them that the President was still on their side, unless I missed it? I know, I know. I want more now, too; I think Obama should put an immediate stop on discharges from the military under Don't Ask, Don't Tell pending legal review, and I think the DOJ-DOMA brief was shameful... and I think Obama's ongoing silence on LGBT issues makes him somewhat of a political coward.

But this is the first time any rights were granted to LGBTQ people since, well, since Bill Clinton. And Mr. Clinton, I might remind you, signed DOMA and DADT, so maybe Obama ain't so bad... but I am still rather bored by the ongoing expectation that we, as queers, will pay for politicos campaigns, whilst they are never willing to step up and do anything for queers. Maybe that's the reason nothing has been done? If the carrot is still hanging in front of us, will we still work as hard for the Democrats?

But that's just my thoughts.