Category Archives: Society

Girlfriends

Will Marriage Equality Matter to the Community?

Watching the marriages of lesbians and gay men take place this past year ought to be warming the heart of anyone who values equality and fairness. Government recognition – with responsibilities and benefits tied to the official status of a relationship – so long denied

St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

Strange Bedfellows Scapegoat Russia’s Gays

It’s been a busy few months for anyone paying attention to issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Russia. This summer the Russian parliament passed a bill prohibiting the so-called “promotion of nontraditional sexual relations” in the presence of minors, a euphemistic

St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

Will You Boycott the Russian Olympics?

Boycotting sponsors is as Capitalist an act as any. It’s about consumers voting with their feet and pocketbooks. It’s not about free speech even if the plan is to boycott sponsors of some offensive radio talker. It’s about not paying to have them spew their

People carrying Pride flag

Now, What Will the Celebration over ENDA Look Like?

What a relief it was to hear that the US Supreme Court had overturned Section 3 of the “Defense of Marriage Act” that was signed into law by centrist Democrat Bill Clinton in 1996. No longer can the federal government define marriage as exclusively heterosexual.

People carrying Pride flag

Why Our Pride Is a Gift to the Rest of Society

There’s still a need for opportunities to show that LGBTQ+ people are not only here but are glad they are. I’m not sure the best way to do it is through today’s versions of Pride Festivals, but nevertheless, I’m convinced that any opportunity for LGBTQ+

Black man playing with a magnifying glass

Make Up Research and Pray Hard

The right-wing, especially the religious right-wing, knows that it’s on the run. It’s scared because it lacks faith in its higher power. Thus, the overwhelming accumulation of examples of down-right lying among them. Then, sadly, add denial that they could be lying from those whom

Julia Ward Howe

Mother’s Day, And a Lot Else, Ain’t What It Used To Be

Nations have a habit of sanctifying people and events that might otherwise disturb the system by cleaning them up so that their memories actually celebrate and promote the status quo, especially its business. When President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed May 9, 1914, the first Mother’s Day,