A Quick Thought on Metro

Cincinnati's bus system, Metro, is facing budget cuts. A lot is out there right now about this, but there are threats of route cuts, reductions, layoffs, fare increases, and any number of other awfulnesses which threaten to cripple the already mediocre single public transit option in the city. This, amongst talks of adding a streetcar with, seemingly, the best outcome being gentrification and business development in downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

Laura's Carbon Footprint said it best: Metro is a social justice issue. "Each of us, as part of this society, is intrinsically linked to people that are dependant on the bus, whether we know the individuals or not," she writes, far more eloquent than I could ever hope to be.

Years ago, I read about the Bus Riders' Union in LA and did a pretty extensive research study on them. I'm not going to write about it here -- I do have a 15 page research project, including pictures, if you're that interested -- but I'll share the history from the above linked website:

The BRU/SDP was initiated in 1992 as the Strategy Center's Transportation Policy Group and soon began organizing bus riders in the "Billions for Buses" campaign to confront and defeat the transit racism reflected in the policies of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In 1994, the BRU led popular protests against a massive fare hike and obtained a temporary restraining order to stop the MTA in its tracks. The BRU then sued the MTA for violating the civil rights of transit dependent bus riders.

In 1994, the Labor/Community Strategy Center and Bus Riders Union, along with the Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates and Southern Christian Leadership Conference, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, brought suit against the Los Angeles MTA, charging them with violating Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act which prohibits government agencies that receive any federal funds from distributing those funds in a racially discriminatory manner. The Strategy Center, BRU, and NAACP LDF charged the MTA with establishing a separate and unequal mass transit system-a dilapidated, overcrowded bus system for 400,000 overwhelmingly Latino, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander bus riders (at that time, estimated at 81% people of color, but on most of the worst inner-city lines it was essentially 100% people of color).

When the MTA signed the civil rights Consent Decree in late 1996, the BRU took up a formidable obligation-to represent the civil rights of 400,000 daily bus riders in Los Angeles County-88% of whom are, more than 50% of whom have annual family incomes under $12,000 and 57% of whom are women.

Since then, we have written a new chapter in the civil rights and environmental justice movement: a grassroots group wins a well-known civil rights suit, but then has the guts and commitment to enforce its provisions for a decade to build a clean-fuel, world-class mass transportation system in the most air polluted and auto-dominated city in the U.S.

I'm just saying. The similarities could be eerie. And, when we consider the streetcar, perhaps we should look less at the success story of Portland, and look, instead, at the failures of LA.

I've been an exclusive bus rider for a year, and I cannot stomach or live on any less service than they currently provide. And I am not the only one.

Save the environment. Improve your health. Help the city. Ride a bus.

RIP, MJ

Today is MJ's funeral. Bad was the first album I ever bought. I was being selfish and wanted the cassette, which my mother couldn't dub (we had a single deck) so other people couldn't have a copy of it. But The Wiz sticks with me as amazingly, simply Michael. But you know my fondness for Broadway. He was the king of showmanship, afterall.


Don't try to read anything into my choices of music this morning. The videos suck, by the way. Just turn 'em on while you're doing something else. You'll be doing yourself a favor.

Go here for a live stream of MJ's funeral today, starting at 1pm.

Gay Life After Saddam

A brand new BBC Radio 5 documentary -- Gay Life After Saddam -- makes the almost unbelievable statement that life was better for Iraqi LGBTQ folk under the dictatorship than under the current regime. For anyone not following, reports of harassment, attacks (by police, sometimes), and brutal tortures/atrocities have been reported under the new government, as far as supergluing gay men's anuses shut and then feeding them laxatives to induce diarrhea.

Yea, so not pleasant. A single statement stood out to me in the BBC coverage:

What is clear however is that gay people in Iraq have not been crushed.

And, so, there is hope.

With the international attention on the radio program, Radio 5 will be rebroadcasting the documentary (60 minutes) on July 12th, although the website seems to indicate that it is available other times. Just not right now, when I want to listen to it.

Death in the Family: 2 years on

2009 Addition:

Two years ago, I wrote this, and I wondered why I delayed this year. I suppose, as time goes on, we feel it less; it hurts less; perhaps it even means less. But I mark Katie's death as the beginning of a long and awful tumble that left and indelible mark on my conscience and on my person. I don't blame her, at all, but I take death very strangely, and the guilt I felt about Katie's death is still.. raw.

In some way, I've forgiven myself, but it's good to continue to remember people that have blessed our lives, and left our lives.

I still miss you, Katie.

---
2008 Addition:
I wrote this one year ago yesterday. . . I'm going to repost it every year.

----------

2007 Piece:
A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

There's a lot of things people don't know about me -- even my best friends are not privy to parts of my history that I doubt they even know existed. It's funny -- no one in my senior year ever asked "What have you done for the last four years?"

This struck home, because, since then, I left them behind. Most of them, actually. And I don't know why it happened, but it did. They were good years, with wonderful people and fun times... great stories, if you ever want to know.. but based on how they ended, I think I just left it all behind.

I lost a friend this week.

Her name was Katie Rosby. On July 4th, they were shooting off fireworks in Cleveland and their neighbor, a fireman, had gotten tired of the noise from the house and came and killed three people -- two boys, 24 and 30 (one of which is the brother of Katie's best friend), and Katie. Shot Katie in the back. She died on the scene.

It's been a year and a half since I last talked to Katie and two things strike me as interesting:

1) I rearranged my house this weekend, and I found gobs of pictures of her and me, framed a few and put them up, thinking, "I need to call her soon."

2) The last conversation we had -- in front of the Papa John's on Hamilton Ave in College Hill -- ended with her saying "I don't care if we only talk once a year, so long as you answer when I call, and that I know you're always there."

I was always here, had she called (I hope I would have been). I just never called her. Her mother called me and said that they just wanted to tell two people -- our friend Dustin and me -- because, "even though you two rarely talked, she thought the world of you." I have since been told by her best friend (whose brother has passed) that, even that night, she told a story about me.

I can't believe it's been a year and a half since I talked to her.

I kept saying I would call.

This is so Sunday-afternoon lifetime drama. So "Cat's in the Cradle."

But I can't believe she won't be there the day I decide to finally get the cajones to call her, apologize for being a bad friend, and then act like nothing had happened.

Katie Rosby had one of the most beautiful smiles ever, and she always laughed. She was easy to make laugh. Those are the qualities I cherish in my friends. And I left her behind.

And now she was found dead with her friends in the driveway of some house in Cleveland, shot because the fireworks were too loud on July 4th.

And I didn't have the strength to answer her mother when she asked "What am I supposed to do now?"

I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't know, because I don't know what I'm supposed to do now.

------

People will criticize me for posting this, but I live my life in public; I will grieve in public too.

Katie was a drinker, btw (surprised???). She liked Killian's. If you get a moment, and you think "I need a beer," get a Killian's. I am not a believer, so I don' pray, but I drink. So please raise a glass to my Katie. It's all I know what to do now.

Equal Marriage in DC Starts Tomorrow

The Washington Post is reporting that the District of Columbia will begin recognizing out of district same-sex marriages at 12:01a.m. (Weird time for municipal acknowledgement; the only thing that would really matter, at that point, is emergency services... arguably, some of the more important services.) The Post also provides an excellent FAQ on the new rules, including an emphasis that you cannot get married in DC, California marriages will be recognized, and it still does not cover the federal benefits of marriage.

Enactment has been overshadowed recently by Marion "I'm a moral leader" Barry allegedly stalking his girlfriend. Man, clean up the act if you want anyone to take you seriously. But, I guess the question that goes unanswered is: Who the hell is voting for that man? I wonder if he'll be back next go round?

Good-bye, productivity.

Things I've learned about myself, playing Sims 3:

• I believe -- and now have proof -- that money solves all problems and makes life easier
• I would rather be flirty or charismatic than ambitious or hard-working
• Bigger is usually better
• The ability to buy new things is better than the ability to spend time with other people
• Fewer clothes is always best
• I have no concept of heterosexuality

Meanwhile, everything else I'm doing is falling behind. However, my apartment is clean. It's a side effect of waiting for my SIM to sleep. Weird.

RUMOR MILL REPORT: Pride

Word on the street is...

...the Greater Cincinnati Gay and Lesbian Community Center, which has hosted Cincinnati Pride for the past five years, will be stepping down as the primary organizer of the event, allowing other local parties and organizations to take up the mantle and run the event. The Community Center will continue to support it, and help with the logistics of putting it together, but it will no longer be the primary spearhead.

Word is the announcement will come this coming weekend. No word on who is going to pick it up, but a few names are floating. I wonder who you guys should think should take it on.

Just to clarify: this is not the end of Cincinnati Pride, it's just being handed off...

..at least, that's what I hear.

Eyes Open Festival

Many thanks to Jamie at Stuff Queer People Need to Know for the heads up on this one...

Whoa -- I didn't even realize something like this, but it promises to be a huge day. They have movies, including Brooklyn's Bridge to Jordan, Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis at 100, The DL Chronicles: Boo, and Noah's Arc: Jumping the Brooms, as well as performers and art exhibits. And only $15.

To my fellow local queer bloggers: I say we make a day of it, yea?

Check out their Myspace page.

A Community Passing

If you did not hear all ready, a pillar of Cincinnati's LGBTQ community has passed from us. June Delph, long time supporter of organizations like PFLAG and the Greater Cincinnati LGBT News, passed last night around 8:00pm, surrounded by family, much as she would have liked.

I did not know June Delph, but I know her mark on the community. Months ago, I thought it was funny when I realized the mural, on the picture attached here, was on the side of the building where I reside and I realized, "I was meant to live here." The Delphs have been fierce donors to great causes in the city, giving time, money, energy, and enthusiasm with a passion and single-mindedness towards equality, love, and hope. From everything I knew of her, she was an inspiration. I know PFLAG, for one, will be sorely lacking for her passing. She and her husband were regulars at the meetings, giving comfort and support.

Bless her, and bless all parents who mark their own child's lives through love and dedication to others.

From the ISQCCBE mailer today:

We are writing to let you all know that our Dear June passed away at 8:00 last night. She was at home and surrounded by her adoring family. A memorial service will be held for her at 2:00 on Tuesday, July 7 at the Norman Chapel, Spring Grove Cemetery. June would love as many Court members as possible to attend and remember her "in face." She loved each and every one of you. Of course, you are all welcome no matter what you decide to wear.

Truly a touching story, truly an amazing woman. I did not know her, but it is hard to be in the know in the city, or even to be gay in the city, and not feel the amazing and wonderful effects this woman had on my life.

I wish I had known her, at all.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Don't forget about Equinox, nor the Northside 4th of July Parade!

I Want Penny Tration on RuPaul's Drag Races

And we only have four days to get her there!!!!

I Want Penny Tration on Rupaul's Drag Race! from Penny Tration on Vimeo.

Penny -- HELP! I can't find your voting page!

Queer Bar Stirs a Little Controversy

Cincinnati Guerrilla Queer Bar, which is fast becoming a mainstay on people's party calendar, has both tried to quell some complaints about the event but stirred some controversy in the process. The latest email via their Facebook group:

First-

GUERRILLA QUEER BAR is TOMORROW night (Friday, July 3rd)!

As we eluded to in the previous message, this month is going to be excitingly different. After lots of conversations with many female identified CGQB-ers, we've decided that it is necessary and important to focus this guerrilla queering on FIGHTING MISOGYNY.

I know many of you queer boys out there might be saying, "But there haven't been any problems! I've been having a great time, let's just keep it about being queer in straight spaces!"

Listen boys, it's time to clear the misogynist gauze from our eyes! Being queer doesn't make us free from our male privilege! Many women have reported that they might stop coming to Guerrilla Queer Bar because they feel unsupported in the struggle against all the sexual objectification and misogyny they face during CGQBs!

We'll have pamphlets about combating misogyny for people to pass out, but feel free to show your support by making a t-shirt, sign, or your own flier!!

***

"Okay, I'm excited to fight misogyny, but what is the ridiculously awesome place we'll be queering this month!!??", you might be asking...
*
*
*
*
(can I get a drum roll please...)
*
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*
*
THE NORTHSIDE ROCK AND ROLL CARNIVAL!!!!!
located in Hoffner Park (where the Pride Festival was)

***

We know some of you may be complaining, "Northside!? Northside's already as queer as we get in Cincinnati! I thought CGQB was about going to radically straight bars!"

Have no fear! Though lots of queers may live in Northside, there are still plenty of homophoic/transphobic/racist/misogynist people to interact with and show the beauty of queer-dance-love-fantastic. ESPECIALLY at a ROCK and ROLL festival!

Some of you may be still be thinking, "I thought we were going to bars! I don't want to go to some outdoor festival with music I don't like!"

Have no fear again! First-- the festival is going to be ridiculously awesome. There will be a fire performer, a sword swallower (talk about no gag reflex!), and seriously good music. Second-- Cincinnati Guerrilla Queer Bar is going to have a booth so all us queers can gather and celebrate! It will be complete with a kissing booth, queer face painting from 8-10, and lots of cuties to meet. TONS of cheap beer will be for sale, but remember to also bring your thermos full of _________!

Leave your fears at home, put on the queerest outfit you've got (for serious this time-- you'll be in Northside!), come find the CGQB booth (we'll be gathering there around 8), and make Hoffner park even queerer than it was for pride!

Unfortunately, I don't think people got it, or just have just been responding with some negativity on their wall posts, for example:

Your new crusade to fight misogyny is laughable when one takes into account the stance taken in past Queer Bar events when the issue of the sexes has arisen. An April 2 invitation to an event in fact encouraged participants to take part in and ipso facto support a "lady's night" event". An event that offered preferential treatment contingent on being a member of a certain sex. Any preferential treatment is unacceptable, regardless of whether or not something is so common place that it is practically an institution. A number of state supreme courts, including California's and Iowa's, have ruled lady's night is sexist by nature and a violation of men's civil rights. Surely the women participants in said event happily took advantage of the benefits afforded them. I hardly see the point in coming to the defense of a group that willfully participates in events geared at discrimination. Any argument that ladies night is something designed to benefit men by ensuring a large number of women

With two supporters responding:

Every GQB has in some way encountered discriminatory gender-related policies like ladies night, and at every one GQB has engaged these policies in some way either in negotiating with the bar in advance or while we are actually there, either through a questioning of the rules each time they are encountered (remember when we tried to get Sully's to question what they understood to be "ladies"?), or, through a direct breaking of these rules. In the case of the "no dicks on stage" policy at the Lodge bar, this led some people to nearly get kicked out. This time, the engagement with broader issues of misogyny, sexism, and the objectification of women is just more explicit. So there's not really much that's laughable or new here.

And:

anne's got it. ryan, if we were to limit ourselves to attending bars with no discriminatory gender-related policies, we'd end up staying at queer bars. even then, there are a good number of those that are incredibly misogynistic. serpent comes to mind. as for recognizing the implications of our actions, i was barely aware that it even was ladies' night at sully's. all i know is that genderfucking the place opened up lines of dialogue (in bathrooms, on bartops, on dance floors) that would previously have been inaccessible to both the normatively gendered and the queerly gendered.

gqb isn't about choosing spaces where everyone will be safe, or choosing spaces where we know the drinks we buy will not support events like the "best legs" contests that lodge bar keeps e-mailing me about. it's about the creation of a safe space, the challenging of discriminatory policies, and the interaction between the queer community and the straight community.

Perhaps that was the purpose of going to those bars, those lady's night genderfucks. That was always my thought, at least. What do you guys think? Lame or awesomeness, this new branching out and this new take?

The Wicked Ol'Witch is Dead... er ... out of office!

Sarah Palin has resigned as governor of Alaska. Absolutely no one one knows why, though the assumption is so that she pursue her national political interests in 2012. I am going to make a guess: shit is about to hit the fan for Ms. Palin for reasons as-yet-disclosed. Why do I say that?

Because, if you want to be President, you don't jump out of your post three quarters of the way through to seek the Presidency until long after you've declared. That's bad PR and makes you look like a flake. Truly. Something is simmering that has not hit the national media yet -- another scandal? another child pregnant? a paramour? perhaps more corruptions charges? -- and we're just going to sit back and watch it go insane in Alaska.

But the DNC said it best:

"Either Sarah Palin is leaving the people of Alaska high and dry to pursue her long shot national political ambitions or she simply can't handle the job now that her popularity has dimmed and oil revenues are down," DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said.

"Either way, her decision to abandon her post and the people of Alaska who elected her continues a pattern of bizarre behavior that more than anything else may explain the decision she made today."

Seriously, Alaska, you've got to do better on the national stage. If this is the best you have to offer, I think we're all vastly disappointed.

Regardless, good-bye, Sarah Palin.

And here's her press conference -- weird:

On the flip side, do you think this will be enough to remind queers why we elected Obama and not McCain Palin?

There seems to be some great commentary going on about this out there. From Nate Silver:

Palin is the most Bushlike of all the Republicans who have emerged as contenders for the national ticket: the smirkiness, the smugness, the regional accent (although Palin's, I assume, is not feigned), the malapropisms, the contempt for media (both the people who cover it and their mediums), the express deference to religious faith, the occasionally undeniably likable moments of joviality and regular guy/gal-ness, the tendency toward self-dealing, the bulldog/barracuda mentality, the comfort in one's own skin (Palin was crippled when she lost hers late in the campaign), the (apparent) preference for isolation in [Wasilla, Crawford], and last but not least, the no-holds-barred, no-apologies conservatism.

And sure, some of this is complicated by the fact that Palin is a woman, and a very attractive woman. Would Palin be resented to the same degree by (some) liberals if she looked like Susan Boyle? Well ... maybe not. But would she have been picked for the national ticket? Well ... maybe not. But this has less to do with Palin herself and more to do with the manner in which she was elevated to the national stage. Liberals believe very deeply in the idea that life ought to be meritocratic. Palin didn't seem to have earned it, especially in comparison to John McCain and Barack Obama and even Joe Biden who had such compelling life stories. To a lot of people (not exclusively liberals; Kay Bailey Hutchison's contempt for Palin was obvious), it felt like another case of the pretty girl getting the promotion. If Palin wins the nomination on her own in 2012, this case will fade, and in turn so should some of the resentment.

And don't forget to check out the bit on Hot Air, entitled "Palin isn't a serious candidate for President."

Fagette -- NSFW Video

Out of Athens, GA, thanks to Genderfork.com...

The Athens Boy Choir is a project of trans spoken word artist Katz.

EHEA Update from Equality Ohio

You know, for all my criticism of Equality Ohio, they've been very effective at getting information out about the Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) this time around. The EHEA, as you may remember, would make Ohio the 21st possibly the 22nd state to pass employment (and housing) protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (the correction is due to the possibility of passage of a non-discrimination bill based solely on sexual orientation in Delaware).

From the email-er:

The General Assembly Session (which started back in January) was scheduled to end on June 30, 2009. However, because the budget has not been approved, Session is still on-going - for an indeterminate amount of time. As long as the House remains in Session, HB 176 (the Equal Housing and Employment Act) could get a vote at any time. We may have no more than a few hours notice. HB 176 remains on the agenda for a vote by the House, but only budget related items are actually getting attention as of this morning.

This is our best shot, right now, to get the Equal Housing and Employment Act (HB 176) passed. It will only get harder if it doesn't happen in this General Assembly (2009-2010). Opponents of HB 176 are working hard to keep equality out of reach of Ohioans. This CAN NOT be stressed enough.

So what can you do? Until the Session goes on recess or a vote occurs on the House floor this summer, keep your focus on the House Members -

Again, I cannot stress this enough -- email your state representatives to pass HB176.

Indian Gay Sex!

I'm going for crazy headlines these days.

Just a few hours ago, the Delhi High Court of India ruled that consensual sex between people of the same gender is a violation of the rights expressed in the subcontinent's Constitution. Section 377 says that homosexual sex is against the "order of nature" and is punishable with up to 10 years in prison. Activists blame the exploding HIV rates in the country on the law, saying that people have been afraid to discuss their behavior, afraid that it would land them prison time.

However, the decision is tempered with some of the details of the ruling, from the Associated Press story:

The law itself can only be amended by India's Parliament, but the court's verdict should protect New Delhi's gay community from criminal charges and police harassment.

While the Delhi High Court's ruling is not binding on courts in India's other states, Tripti Tandon, a lawyer for the Naz Foundation, said she hoped the ruling would have a "persuasive" affect.

In short: the law has not changed, it's just unlikely to be enforced, and then the ruling only stands in the one state of India. It is a start -- a start that took 8 years to complete, btw, which, apparently is not unusual in the clogged civil litigation system of the world's second largest country. Let's hope it goes further, yes? That's a billion people who can't enjoy the wonderment of man-on-man (or woman-on-woman) action. Human rights issue ... seriously.

Other than the HIV issue, India's gay scene gained international attention after a prince of the country came out and then was subsequently disinherited by his family.

Ten on Tuesday (On Wednesday): Cody's 10 Places

Well, due to the fact that I have a job and a boyfriend an hour away from my summer home in Hamilton, I've had very little time to keep up appearances online lately. Currently, I have a couple weeks off work though, so I have some time to kill before dinner...

Considering I split my time between the whole of Butler County and the whole of Hamilton County, I'll combine my top-10 places for both (in an itinterary order):

Beginning in Butler County and heading south:

1.)State Line Rd. west of Oxford, OH. Quaint, very photogenic area on the OH-IN border. Dead-straight road (with a couple chicanes) and flat-land for miles (lots of cornfields and such). Great place to photograph incoming storm-fronts.

2.)Quick stop at Coldstone Creamery in Oxford for ice-cream. Great treats!

3.)Holiday Drive-In (north side of Hamilton) stop to see a small collection of vintage GMC buses a friend of mine owns. (I'm such a GEEK)

4.)Miami Woods in Hamilton (my backyard ends into the woods). Walk the trails and check out the ruins of the old Streamas dairy farm (destroyed in the '20s or '30s by coal fire we think).

5.)Governor Bebb Park out in Okeana. Hooked up with a straight guy there one time. Nice rural park.

6.)Bellevue Park in Clifton. Great view of the city from the top of Clifton hill. Down off Ohio Ave. Very romantic at night.

7.)Gypsy Hookah Cafe on Calhoun St in Clifton. I LOVE HOOKAH and the Gypsy started it all. There's another hookah lounge 2 or 3 doors up the street that is legitly Indian and better lit. Kinda like The Dock and the Adonis of hookah bars respectively. I like the patronage of the Gypsy better, even though the service is kinda slow sometimes (but the shisha is more to my liking and doesn't bite as hard as the other lounge's.)

8.)Sawyer Point/Yeatman's Cove. Cool to be down on the river and also quite photogenic.

9.)Back to Clifton to grab a bite to eat at the Skyline at Clifton and Ludlow. Good food, great price, great people. And open whenever you want/need to eat!

10.)Hang in the Gaslight District on Ludlow. Neat shops, and a Graters and UDF... yummm! Might even drive down to Northside for some more fun afterwards.

-Cody
The Seeker

A Tale of Two Police Departments

On the one hand, we have the Fort Worth Police Department, responding to the raid of a Fort Worth gay bar called the Rainbow Lounge. Seven men were arrested and one was sent to the ICU for a brain injury. Police called it a routine bar raid, but this was police chief Jeff Halstead's response, however:

"You're touched and advanced in certain ways by people inside the bar, that's offensive," he said. "I'm happy with the restraint used when they were contacted like that."

Oh, what? So you can attack someone if you're touched inappropriately -- isn't that called the gay panic defense?

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, a gay man was followed and gay slurs were shouted by a group of Somali youth that included "I hate gay people," and "Fuck gay people," as reported by Joe.My.God. and demonstrated in this YouTube video:

Please note the almost Zen-like restraint the gay man uses while being followed down the streets. The Minneapolis Police Department, in response to accusations that the man was seen in the video passing possible local police officials, released this statement (again, thanks to Joe.My.God.):

June 30, 2009 ( MINNEAPOLIS ) Currently, there is a video on YouTube of an incident that occurred sometime during the Minneapolis Gay Pride Festival. There has been some speculation that Minneapolis Police Officers were in that video. The Minneapolis Police Department wants to assure the public that those security officers who casually walk by during this incident were not from our department. We have a strict uniform policy and those were not our uniforms or our police officers. This is unacceptable behavior that would not be tolerated by the Minneapolis Police. Action would have been taken immediately to stop the harassment that is depicted in the video. We want all people, no matter of color, race, creed or sexual orientation to feel safe and welcome while they are in the city of Minneapolis. PIO contact for this incident is Sgt Jesse Garcia III.

Which one represents tolerance, understanding, and an attempt to make things right; and which represents idiocy and homophobia? I'll let you decide.

Gay History: June 30, 1979

Thanks to the Dean of Cincinnati from the Cincinnati Beacon for the heads up on Facebook on this, the original wording coming from the Examiner, though I can't find other sources to confirm. On June 30, 1979:

A group of 40 people in Cincinnati Ohio who had reserved a city park pool for a gay pride party were outnumbered and attacked by local residents who threw rocks and bottles at them. Police arrived, watched for a while and then drove away. One man had to be rescued by a television news crew. Police refused to return, even after several calls reporting a riot.

I have a feeling at least one of my readers will be able to confirm this, or know someone who can confirm this so we can get an interview and learn more about the incident???

Mother?

WEARING WHAT WEDNESDAY!!!

Yea! Wearing What Wednesday is back -- the last post was June 10th, if you can believe it. See, there's this new hot-and-botheredness growing over Ryan Reynolds because he's partially naked in his new movie, The Proposal. And apparently he had some recent cover shoot which brought all the boys to the yard because of his sheer gorgeousness.

And can I say that I have been a huge fan of the man ever since Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place. I certainly never watched that sitcom for his acting. And now since he looks like this:

But Mr. Reynolds is not shy in front of the camera, as per this scene from Buying the Cow:

Which is really the whole reason I posted this blog this morning. But, for your hot blog of the week? You have to admit it (otherwise, I'm calling you a liar) that you've had a crush on a hot cartoon or superhero at some point in your life.

Thank god there's the Shirtless Superheroes blog to remind us just how hot and how dirty that makes us all feel. :-) That's Peter Parker in the picture, btw.

And to my readers who love the hairy types: I recommend LifeLube's WOOF WEDNESDAY's. Trust.