December 2008 Archives
SF: Castro Affordable AIDS Housing Moves ForwardBy on December 31, 2008 4:05 PM | No Comments
Sketch of the planned housing project on 18th Street in the Castro
If you haven't been paying close attention, rent in San Francisco has surged to surpass New York City lately to become the most outrageously expensive city to rent an apartment in across the country. My friends just secured a *studio* in the Mission for $1600 / month. So it's always good news to hear when affordable housing projects in SF move forward -- particularly this news for HIV-positive San Franciscans, who have a long history of being bullied out of their rent-stabilized apartments in SF.
Developers apparently hope to tap into funds Barack Obama has pledged to encourage construction projects nationally. The site in question is where Magnet (the gay men's health clinic) is currently housed, and the parking lot surrounding it behind Walgreen's. From the Bay Area Reporter:
Backers of a proposal to turn the two city-owned parking lots in the Castro into affordable housing for people with AIDS and other disabilities have partnered with a local development group and have developed preliminary designs for the sites.Viacom vs. TimeWarnerThey are also hopeful federal funding can be secured as part of President-elect Barack Obama's stimulus plan to jumpstart the economy. Obama has pledged to funnel money to various construction projects as a way to put people to work.
And as several new residential projects set for the upper Market area move forward, the AIDS housing proponents are in talks about how their project can benefit from the city's requirement that market-rate projects include affordable units. If they are not built on site, the units must be built in the nearby vicinity.
By on December 31, 2008 3:50 PM | No Comments
Speaking of technology madness, I've been alerted that here in North Carolina my access to Viacom television channels via TimeWarnerCable will be discontinued at midnight tonight. The two corporate giants are in the midst of a heated dispute over fees charged by Viacom for TWC to carry the channels (MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon) in its line-up. As a rebuttal to Viacom's demands for higher fees, TWC will not only discontinue carrying the channels at midnight tonight, but also block it's cable Internet users (aka Me) from accessing their websites to see their shows online. Here's the NYT:
The increasingly bitter financial dispute between Viacom and Time Warner’s cable division took a sharp turn that could result in shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “The Hills” and “The Daily Show” being removed from the schedule in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and several other cities on Jan. 1.Zune2KViacom, the corporate parent of MTV Networks, has insisted on an increase in rights fees for its 20 channels, which include popular destinations like Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central.
Looking to instigate a full-scale viewer revolt, the company has placed full-page advertisements in The New York Times and several other newspapers on Wednesday featuring some of its characters, including Dora the Explorer, who is depicted crying because she is being taken away from her fans.
Time Warner Cable, which operates cable systems reaching about 13 million subscribers, has argued that this is no time to charge consumers more to watch television, especially when much of the content they are being asked to pay for is offered free online.
“Our channels provide 20 percent of their audience, and we only receive 2.5 percent of the fees Time Warner pays,” Philippe P. Dauman, Viacom’s chief executive, said Tuesday in an phone interview. Viacom also argued that its fees — it did not disclose the exact figures — were 65 percent lower than cable channel operators like Fox, Walt Disney and Discovery charge.
Time Warner has retaliated, saying that Viacom is trying to squeeze more money in fees because it has had sharp declines in advertising revenue. Viacom’s stock price has declined more than 57 percent this year, closing Tuesday at $18.21.
By on December 31, 2008 3:38 PM | 2 Comments
Just what Microsoft wanted for the New Year's! Owners of the 30 GB Microsoft Zune (a failed attempt to compete with the Ipod) woke up to find their machines frozen! This has got to be one of the weirdest reported tech glitches I've heard of in YEARS:
Baffled consumers are griping about a mysterious glitch that appeared to cause thousands of Zune music players to simultaneously stop working late Tuesday and early Wednesday.Internet message boards have been flooded with complaints about Zune's 30GB models freezing, prompting Y2K-like speculation about end-of-year hardware or software problems.
"It seems that every Zune on the planet has just frozen up and will not work," posted a Mountain Home, Idaho, user on CNN's iReport.com. "I have 3 and they all in the same night stopped working."
Another iReporter said he was working the night shift at a Toys R Us store in Puerto Rico when his Zune player and the Zunes of four co-workers all failed about 1:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. iReport.com: They all froze up
"It froze and there was no way to turn it off so you just have to wait until the batteries went dead. You can't push any buttons or anything," Carlos Colon told CNN. Colon said he owns a first-generation 30GB model.
Haha. Hahahaha. Bwahahahaha! Absolute hilarity!
It's a Small Gay World (Or, Color Purple Cast Takes on Single Ladies)By on December 30, 2008 3:52 PM | No Comments
I was having lunch today with my longtime friend Jon Darcey -- who I met online via IRC when we were both confused gay 14 y/o's in North Carolina -- and we were talking about his potential upcoming move to New York City. He was excited because his good friend Grasan has offered to let him stay with him for a while if he makes the move -- after, that is, Grasan wraps up his national tour of The Color Purple. Well damned if I didn't come home from lunch to find JMG had posted this video of Grasan and two castmates performing Beyonce's Single Ladies on the set of their tour. Jeebus. It's a super small gay world. They tear it up -- but the cameraman cut out one of the poor fellas. Grasan's that lovely man in the middle. Enjoy!
XMAS Greetings, from Sunny NCBy on December 29, 2008 4:03 PM | 1 Comment
Me and my parents' arthritic singing Santa, who you kind of have to molest to get his arms to move anymore. Actually, his arms never move if it's raining or very cold -- hence, my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
Things are well here in North Carolina. It was sunny and nearly 70 degrees today. 70 degrees! Jeebus. I bought some lovely D&G sunglasses that are pretty fierce, thinking I'd have to wait till May to rock them. Oh no. I wore those beasts today while cruising around town today. Amazing.
Sigh. Blogging's still slow, clearly. After several 20 page papers at the end-of-term, writing is still not my friend. My carpal tunnel needs a break!
xoxo
T
The Gays Will Miss You, EarthaBy on December 26, 2008 12:22 AM | No Comments
Sad news. The fabulous diva Eartha Kitt has passed:
Kitt, 81, died in New York, where she was being treated for colon cancer, Freedman said. Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, was by her side.Happy Christmas!She was performing almost until the end, taping a PBS special six weeks ago in Chicago, Illinois. The show is set to air in February.
Her recording of the saucy Christmas song "Santa Baby" was certified gold last week.
Kitt was well known for her distinctive voice and made a name for herself in her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series "Batman." That role produced Kitt's recognizable sultry cat growl.
She worked in film, theater, cabaret, music and on television during her lengthy career. According to Kitt's official Web site, she was nominated for a Tony three times, a Grammy and Emmy twice.
By on December 25, 2008 12:32 AM | No Comments
Phew. After an all-day calorie-fest -- beginning with a Chik-Fil-A chicken biscuit, and ending with a Bojangles biscuit stuffed with glazed ham (that's how we roll in the South) -- I'm finally tucked in for the night. Tomorrow, the calorie-fest continues with a breakfast of homemade cinnamon buns, sausage-egg casserole, and cheese grits. Then lunch: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. And dinner: leftovers. Then some more. And then: death.
The best part: The hot tub after it all, with a glass of wine, and the warm Carolina air. Sigh. God bless the South.
Happy Christmas everyone!
xoxoxo
T
Brrr... What I Need Right NowBy on December 21, 2008 6:24 PM | No Comments
The Snuggie! It's a blanket! With sleeves! Get it?
I would totally blog-promote this for a free sample (*cough*). :)
So. Fucking. Cold.By on December 21, 2008 4:24 PM | No Comments
Not funny.
The Best XMAS Song Ever?By on December 21, 2008 12:52 PM | No Comments
God bless Wham! This video is so soap opera / 1980s / ridiculous. Loves it.
Fierce. Hot. Mess.By on December 21, 2008 12:31 PM | No Comments
A friend of a friend was supposed to send this photo over FOREVER ago. But it has finally arrived in my inbox. And I had to share. Here me and the boys pose with the fabulous Cyon Flare from Chicago. She's pretty fierce -- and even sings live! At Backstreet last Saturday, we met Cyon after her performance of her single (see her Myspace page linked before). Lovely!
A XMAS Forecast I'm Excited About...By on December 20, 2008 11:08 PM | 3 Comments
Ah, sweet home North Carolina. I'll be there soon! Away from the frozen tundra.
Oy, 65 degrees! I should bring shorts!
By on December 20, 2008 6:42 PM | 11 Comments
I was reading a totally banal post from a doctor over at Gay.com responding to a reader who claimed he had unprotected anal intercourse with his HIV-positive partner, and was asking whether he will test positive. The comments are so predictable and trite, but I think this comment in particular sums up many gay men's problematic / neoliberal / rational choice attitude about gay sex and sexuality:
Knowingly having unprotected sex with an HIV+ partner, particularly when you are the bottom and let him cum inside you is just foolish. If you don't care about your health then you probably have some serious self esteem issues. You should seek professional mental health counciling. The part that steams me is that with all we know people will still make a "selfish" choice. Accidents will happen and it is great there are organizations to help with funding, staffing and meds but to knowingly participate is ridiculous. If you become positive then please do not drain the public resources for Poz guys. You made the choice, you should pay for all your testing and support your own treatments if it comes to that. Don't waste funding and millions of volunteers time.
The moral of the story: people who test positive should have known better, and it is therefore their own fault. Therefore, they don't deserve publicly funded medication or treatment.
Disgusting isn't even the word. Terrifying is more like it -- that so many men out there agree with this person. Sigh.
Positional Identity on Manhunt, Adam4Adam: SF EditionBy on December 18, 2008 2:24 AM | 5 Comments | 2 TrackBacks
In the spirit of my posts on racial diversity on Manhunt.net and Adam4Adam (see NYC; SF; Atlanta posts), I'll be posting new data about the variation in tops, bottoms, and versatile-identified (what I call "positional identity") profiles on these two websites. I was holding onto this data, thinking perhaps I might do something more formal with it, but I decided in the in to share it here on my blog.
As a recap, what I've done here is reconstructed the two website's database by doing repeated searches of profiles using narrow categories. For instance, if I want to know how many top-identified profiles exist among 18-21 year-olds, I did four searches (one for 18 y/o tops; 19 y/o tops; etc). Note that profiles ARE NOT people. And this technique for amassing data is somewhat vulnerable to human error. So take this data with a grain of salt. We need more research on this topic, to know how these identities are distributed in our communities. This is just a shot in the dark, really.
Also note that this data does not include anyone who did not identify as top/bottom/versatile. People who identified as "top/vers" were categorized as "top" here; "bottom/vers" also as "bottom." Without further ado, here's the data. There are 3,755 profiles from Manhunt documented here, and 4,177 from Adam4Adam.
Adam4Adam
As I did last time for race, I've gathered data on the distribution of positional identity categories by age group. Note that the last data point (58+) includes very few profiles and is incredibly vulnerable to bias because of the number of people who put "99" or "69" as their age instead of their real age (a rather common practice).
But what you see here is quite fascinating, in any case. Note the very high percentage of bottoms among 18-21 year-olds, and the comparatively low percentage of tops. This disparity quickly reverses -- by the 22-25 year-old group, they're stastically dead-even, and then for every older age group there are more top-identified profiles than bottom-identified profiles. Curiously, the percentage of versatile profiles stays about the same over time.
And here's the breakdown for all the profiles, overall. 1/3 of profiles identify as top; 40% as versatile; and just 27% as bottom:
Manhunt
Now let's turn to Manhunt. The important question: is there any obvious differences from Adam4Adam, as was found with racial diversity (A4A's profiles were consistently more racially diverse than Manhunt profiles)? What we see here is interesting, compared to Adam4Adam. While there are similarly many more bottom-identified profiles in the youngest age bracket, it takes until the 34-37 year-old age group for there to be less bottom-identified profiles than top-identified profiles.
Strange. Why the "delay" in the shift? Manhunt profiles tend to be more "white" than those on Adam4Adam, though I'm not quite how that could impact the data. Is "bottom" a more stigmatized category for men of color? That would be an interesting question for more research! Here's the data:
Overall, however, the data looks about the same. Almost exactly 1/3 tops; 38.5% vers; and 28.4% bottom-identified profiles:
What does this tell us? Several things. First, it appears there's a correlation between age and positional identity. We obviously need some "real" social science research here to explain this variation with age. Second, it appears that there is a difference in this variation between Adam4Adam and Manhunt. While comparing this with the race data I've previously presented, it's tempting to link the two differences. However, we can't even say this is a correlation yet. We need "real" data.
Hope that invigorates your curiosity! I'll be back soon with Atlanta and NYC data.
xoxo
T
By on December 17, 2008 12:23 PM | No Comments
I imagine a hobbled over version of myself, clad only in a ragged old tunic, creeping slowly out of my cave. Printer ink smeared across my face like a warrior returning from battle; my unshaven beard making me look much older than I am.
This is how I feel. Finals are over. I have survived.
Shoes Hurled @ Bush in IraqBy on December 15, 2008 3:00 AM | 1 Comment
Throwing shoes in Iraq is considered an insult apparently. Oy. The circus that is Bush's presidency continues. Just a few more weeks to go!
Research: HIV Transmissions Rates Dropping; CDC: Yes, But....!By on December 11, 2008 8:46 AM | 2 Comments
There is fascinating new data out on the number of HIV-positive people who will go on to infect other partners. Whereas in 1984, 44 out of every 100 people who test positive would go on to infect partners, today that number has dropped dramatically to just 5 out of 100.
This news statement on the research is telling. Kaiser is celebrating this great news and commending prevention efforts. But of course the dark, ominous hand of the CDC is just behind them, with the Director of HIV/AIDS Prevention urging "caution" -- as if newly infected people will read this news report and suddenly run out and throw any prevention-induced caution to the wind. Please! This shit always happens. News comes out signaling progress being made, but some Public Health official has to come from the wings and remind us that there is a crisis among us, lest we forget it!
Here's the report:
Twenty four years ago, the AIDS epidemic peaked in the U.S. as 130,400 people contracted the HIV virus that causes this potentially devastating illness.Back then, before most Americans knew about AIDS, before antiretroviral treatments were available, 44 of every 100 HIV-positive people conveyed the virus to someone else.
Today, only 5 of every 100 people with HIV infect others, according to data yesterday by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Credit goes to prevention programs that promote safe sex and needle use and have helped change behavior, experts say. But inflation-adjusted funding for HIV/AIDS prevention has actually declined recently and advocates worry that gains in combating this disease could be undermined.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 4 percent of the nation's $23 billion spending on AIDS goes to U.S. HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. The remainder goes to research, treatment and overseas programs.
In a statement, Richard Wolitski, acting director of the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention sounded a note of caution.
"Despite this success, we can't forget that new HIV infections are increasing among gay and bisexual men and that African Americans and Hispanics continue to experience disproportionate and unacceptable high rates of HIV and AIDS," said Wolitski, co-author of the research letter published this week in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
"The fight against HIV is far from over."
Duh.
Bizarre.By on December 11, 2008 2:04 AM | No Comments
No words.
(Via Andrew Sullivan)
14 Year-Old Accused in King Murdered Ruled Competent for TrialBy on December 11, 2008 1:40 AM | No Comments
What culture do we live in that rules that a 14 year-old should be tried as an adult? 15 year-old Lawrence King was murdered killed for being queer earlier this year. Obviously, the crime is heinous: Brandon McInerney shot him in the head during class with 20 other students around. But I strongly disagree that children should ever be tried as adults. McInerney faces up 51 year to life in prison. He was just ruled competent to stand trial (this was separate from the previous decision to try him as an adult, which several LGBT groups decried).
If you're unsure about whether those under 18 should be tried as adults, watch Juvies, a powerful documentary about 12 juvenile offenders being tried as adults. You will get a sense of the fucked up system that imprisons them and locks them away for their lives. Here's a preview:
2008: 14-Year Low in ExecutionsBy on December 11, 2008 1:34 AM | No Comments
This year apparently saw the least number of executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. No surprise: Texas carried out over half of those 37 executions. The remaining were all in the South, except for two in Ohio.
Capital punishment needs to end. It's simply unethical, without question. Even if you believe the State has the right to murder people, the deeply unjust manner in which those sentences are handed out is reason enough to suspend the practice.
Here's the 411 from CNN:
The Death Penalty Information Center estimates 111 defendants will be sentenced to death this year, the lowest figure since executions were reinstated in 1976.Brazil: Police Officer May be Serial Killer of GaysJust 37 people were put to death in 2008, compared with a record amount of 98 executions in 1999. Texas carried out nearly half of this year's executions, and one state outside the South carried out executions -- Ohio, with two. No executions are scheduled for the rest of the year.
The reduced figures were helped by a de facto Supreme Court moratorium that put off any capital punishment for the first four months of 2008.
The high court ruled in April that lethal injection procedures in Kentucky were constitutional, lifting an unofficial ban on the procedure that had been in place for about eight months while the justices considered the appeal. That case involved convicted murderers Ralph Baze and Thomas Bowling, who both remain on death row in that state.
Executions resumed nationwide in May.
"We were surprised that the surge in executions that we expected after Baze did not happen," said Richard Dieter, Executive Director of DPIC, a non-profit resource organization that opposes capital punishment.
"Courts, legislatures and the public are increasingly skeptical about the death penalty, whether those concerns are based on innocence, inadequate legal representation, costs, or a general feeling that the system isn't fair or accurate."
By on December 10, 2008 8:17 PM | No Comments
(Sao Paulo, Brazil) Brazilian officials say a state police officer may be involved in the murders of 13 gay men in a low-income suburb of Sao Paulo.Jon Stewart vs. Huckabee RE: Gay MarriageThe Sao Paulo State Public Safety Department says a police sergeant is suspected of taking part in the killings that occurred between February 2007 and August 2008 at the Paturis Park, a favorite meeting point for gay men.
The department said Wednesday that neither the sergeant nor anyone else has been arrested in the case. It said it would not provide further details to avoid jeopardizing the investigation.
By on December 10, 2008 10:37 AM | No Comments
Quote of the interview: "I live in New York City, so I think it's fair to say that I have more experience being around them. And I'll tell you this, religion is far more of a choice than homosexuality. And the protections that we have for religion -- we protect religion -- and talk about lifestyle choice! That is absolutely a choice." Nice, Jon!
Merry XMAS: Own a Piece of Ground Zero MemorialBy on December 9, 2008 8:52 PM | No Comments
A bit tacky, no?
(Via NY Times Blog)
Vote Tally Disparities: FOX News the WorstBy on December 9, 2008 11:03 AM | No Comments
DailyKos has this interesting analysis of the final vote tallies for the election. They note that Fox News currently has the vote tally's margin as the smallest of any news source, although they are all inaccurate (according to Dave Leip's analysis). Here are the raw numbers:
| Obama | McCain | Margin | |
| Dave Leip | 69,058,185 | 59,700,776 | 9,357,409 |
| AP | 67,066,915 | 58,421,377 | 8,645,538 |
| CNN | 66,882,230 | 58,343,671 | 8,538,559 |
| CBS | 66,882,230 | 58,343,671 | 8,538,559 |
| MSNBC | 66,882,230 | 58,343,671 | 8,538,559 |
| NYT | 66,862,039 | 58,319,442 | 8,542,597 |
| FOX | 65,445,417 | 57,446,226 | 7,999,191 |
By on December 9, 2008 10:45 AM | No Comments
Holy canoli! I didn't even know this was an issue. Illinois's Democratic Governor, Rod Blagojevich, has been taken into federal custody. He and his chief of staff have been charged with "conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery" -- namely that he tried to solicit bribes for naming Barack Obama's Senate replacement. Apparenlty its been a long-term investigation. The allegations are detailed here.
Here's CNN:
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in federal custody on corruption charges, a law enforcement official said Tuesday.Working Out, or, "What happens to twinks when they hit 25?"Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Both men are expected in U.S. District Court in Chicago later Tuesday.
A news conference is expected at noon ET.
Federal prosecutors say Blagojevich, Harris and others conspired to gain financial benefits in appointing President-elect Barack Obama's Senate replacement, according to the statement.
"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement. "They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States Senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism."
According to the statement, Blagojevich is alleged to have discussed obtaining:
-- a substantial salary for himself at either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;
-- a spot for his wife on paid corporate boards, where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year;
-- promises of campaign funds -- including cash up front;
-- a Cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.
The Obama transition team is aware that Blagojevich is in federal custody, but has no comment, according to a senior Democratic source.
By on December 8, 2008 9:26 PM | 3 Comments
So... I've started working out. I feel terrible to admit it, like I'm betraying a kind of queer politics that resisted the way beauty (ugliness) gets mapped onto fit (unfit) bodies in the 21st century. But the skinniness that came naturally in my teens gradually gave way to a growing softness in my midsection that made me deeply uncomfortable. Actually, I wasn't just uncomfortable: I was terrified.
What happens to twinks when they hit 25?
Just about every day, I throw on my gym clothes, and drive a few minutes north to the North Campus Recreational Building (NCRB). Like most giant campuses, UM has many gyms. The main campus gym -- the CCRB -- is most popular with skinny blondes running for their lives, and buff 20 year olds flexing their muscles. That is way too intense for me. The NCRB is where all the misfits go: graduate students, international students, fatties, old folks, and everyone else for whom the CCRB is terrifying.
I was on the elliptical today in the cardio room that's adjacent to the main rec room, where badminton courts were set up today. They were filled with Indian and Chinese international students, flipping that shuttlecock back and forth with precision. It made for a nice distraction as I wound my way through 45 minutes of the not-quite-running motions of modern exercise machinery. And volleyball on Fridays is just delectable. I wonder if all those hot, perfectly average men know I'm watching through the slivery, basketball-proof windows?
My body is already starting to change, love handles contracting in unison with my stomach. Am I doing this because I want to get laid? Because I'm afraid of what happens to academics who turn into cave men during graduate school, slaving away over the eerie glow of their laptops while scarfing down Jimmy John's "Turkey Toms" and Wendy's 99-cent "Double Stacks"? In the frenzied sweat of cardio-madness, am I selling out the last remaining bit of queer politics left in my veins?
What happens to twinks when they hit 25?
How do I do this ethically? It's not like I'm sweating for my health -- though I suppose it might prove to have beneficial consequences in that area. No, I'm pursuing a much less noble goal: a body I can look at in the mirror without cringing. I've always hated my body -- even when I was a sliver of a boy back in college. I see photos of me back in 2003 and think, "If I thought I was fat then, there is no hope!" There were curves that I always found unseemly, distasteful. Curves I was reminded of when a trick would grab my hips. They could feel me tense up, resisting their touch. Ugh.
I hate the boys online who claim that they "take care of their bodies" and demand that I should do the same. They know as well as I do that it's not well-being that they're after in their athletic pursuits. Please, God, don't let me become a self-righteous gym queen. If there is anything I loathe more in life, it is being condescended and judged by headless torsos. "Masc for masc, bro." Is there space for a sissy in the gym? Do sissy twinks turn into creatine-chugging muscle boys on their 26th birthday?
And perhaps the most dangerous of questions: After the sweat has dried and my body hardened, will I look in the mirror and like what I see? Or does my body hatred come without an expiration date? Ask me in six months.
.... On second thought, make that a year. Maybe two. Ugh.
"The Bottom Monologues": Submit Today!!!!By on December 8, 2008 8:00 AM | 5 Comments
Well I told you last week that big news was a-coming, and the day has finally arrived! I've been conspiring for the past two months with two fabulous Gay Men's Health activists that I met in Seattle at the Gay Men's Health Summit. After I presented my research project on bottom identity, Alex Garner -- a Los Angeles-based actor and activist -- commented that it would really amazing to see bottom's stories come to life on stage. After Seattle, Alex, Erik, and I teamed up to imagine "The Bottom Monologues"!!!!
It gets better. And we need your help. We could have written up our own monologues, which would have been totally skewed based on our own experiences, but we wanted to make sure the stories we tell reflect the diversity and complexity of YOUR experiences. That's why we're asking you to submit your stories online on our website, where you'll find a link to questionnaire that asks all kinds of questions about bottoms and tops and everything in between. Not a bottom? That's A-Okay!
How can you help? Glad you asked:
1) SUBMIT YOUR STORY: Submit your own stories (anonymously!) via the website. Click here to go directly to the submissions page. Not a bottom? That's A-Okay. We want to hear from gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer men of all stripes!2) MEDIA: Are you chummy with any local LGBT media outlets? You can find the press release on the webiste. Don't hesitate to send it out. But do post a comment here letting me know where you've sent it, so we don't inundate the same people!
3) BLOGS: Got a blog or website? Help spread the word there by posting information about the project. We've included on the website three different images (like the one at the top of this page) that you can post directly on your website to keep folks logging on. Click here to go find them.
I'm really thrilled about this project, and I hope that you'll take the time to submit your stories on our website. Also, please do spread the word if you've got a blog or website or connections with any LGBT media outlets. That would be faaaaaaabulous!
CD of the Moment: Sam SparroBy on December 7, 2008 7:14 PM | No Comments
I am *loving* Sam Sparro's self-titled debut album. It's delicious. A bit of George Michael mixed with a bit of funk and topped off with a little Prince. Oh, and a big dose of Australian / LA / UK hipster-gay. Here's the video for his single from the album, "21st Century Life." Love this verse in particular:
Now I'm not a little boy / I'm in the 21st Century / You might think we've come a long way / But there's still no equality / I watch the news on my computer screen / Talking 'bout buying my (whiff) from the vending machine / You tell me I'm free / But how can that be? / When you're always watching me on the CCTV
If you like, you might also check out his fierce video for "Black and Gold" or this fab jazzalicious cover of "American Boy."
RatingsBy on December 7, 2008 12:19 PM | No Comments
I'm happy to introduce a new community feature here at TrevorHoppe.com: Ratings! As you can see at the bottom right-hand side of each entry, there's a five-star rating system that you can use to rate things I post here. It's a service courtesy of Haloscan, and it's brilliant.
I may switch to their Comments system at some point, but I'm hesitant because I would lose all of the previous comments made here! Oy!
In any case, enjoy the new feature!
Prop 8: The MusicalBy on December 5, 2008 9:11 AM | 1 Comment
Chuckle.
Why I'm Glad to be a Grad StudentBy on December 5, 2008 8:59 AM | No Comments
Eesh:
The economy shed 533,000 jobs in November, according to a government report Friday - bringing the year's total job losses to 1.9 million.November had the largest monthly job loss total since December 1974.
According to the Labor Department's monthly jobs report, the unemployment rate rose to 6.7% from 6.5% in October. Though lower than economists' forecast of 6.8%, it was the highest unemployment rate since October 1993.
Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a loss of 325,000 jobs in the month. November's monthly job loss total was greater than October's revised loss of 320,000. Payroll cuts in September were revised up to 403,000, which means two-thirds of this year's job losses have occurred in the last three months.
I'm feeling pretty lucky to know where my paycheck is coming from for the next four years.
Thieves in Drag Steal $100M of JeweleryBy on December 5, 2008 8:25 AM | No Comments
Armed robbers -- some dressed as women -- have stolen an estimated €80 million ($102m) in jewels during a brazen raid at a central Paris store, police say..The Bottom Monologues: Coming SoonPolice told The Associated Press three or four thieves swiped rings, necklaces and luxury watches from display cases at the Harry Winston store near the Champs-Elysees.
The store is also just around the corner from a police station.
Police said at least two of the thieves were men dressed as women, they spoke a foreign language and knew the employees' names.
Between 10 and 15 people and staff were in the store when the robbers entered late Thursday afternoon.
CNN's Jim Bittermann said staff first thought they were clients. However, the robbers then drew their guns.
He said the robbers directed staff to empty jewels from secret hiding places and the safe.
Don't MissThey overturned display cases and emptied the shop of nearly all its stock.
The store is situated on the fashionable Avenue Montaigne and was robbed little more than a year ago.
By on December 4, 2008 8:53 PM | No Comments
Get excited, bitches.
Announcements Monday!
xoxo
Trevor
Study: Low Desirability --> Riskier SexBy on December 3, 2008 11:04 AM | 3 Comments
A new study out of the University of Toronto confirms what I cited the Radical Faerie Middle claiming anecdotally back in October. The study (link requires access) -- published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior -- is based on interviews with 70 gay men and is coupled with three years of "fieldwork" (you just have to wonder what that included!). Here's the abstract, which conveys the meat of the argument:
In this article, I apply the stress process model as a framework to understand sexual sociality and its impact on health among urban gay men in a large North American gay enclave. Data consisting of in-depth interviews with 70 gay men coupled with three years of fieldwork demonstrate a sexual status order that privileges caucasian, middle-class men in their twenties and early thirties, and that disadvantages black and Asian men, men over 40 years of age, and poor men. Men with low sexual status faced significant stressors in the form of avoidance from others, stigmatization, and rejection. These stressors, in turn, taxed personal resources, including self-esteem, sense of social support, and sense of control, and they also negatively affected emotional states in the form of depression and anxiety. Finally, some low status men were unable to consistently negotiate condom use as a consequence of a history of field stressors and diminished personal resources. The results suggest that more work on sexual status structures and their connection to health is needed, both within gay enclaves and across a broader spectrum of sexual subcultures.
In my mind, this is a game-changer. It fully repudiates the behavioral and rational-choice theory bullshit that's been spewing out of Public Health research centers for the past decade. It evidences what many of us have known since we started getting laid in the gay culture: sexual status is the nexus of a complex network of factors (age/race/dick size/body type/class/mannerisms/etc) that influence: 1) how often you get laid; 2) who / what kind of person is willing to sleep with you; and, 3) how much control you have over the situation when you do get laid.
We've got to start reformulating how HIV research is done if we want to be able to understand these complex processes. We've got to care more about culture and negotiation than we do behavior and demographics. We need to destroy the epidemiology paradigm. Evidence like this puts ammo in our hands. We need to take it to the institutions that control funding streams and demand that change.
Stock Market Changes, 1825 - 2008By on December 2, 2008 9:03 PM | No Comments
An interesting visualization of the S&P Market shifts from 1825-2008 via DailyKos:
By on December 2, 2008 8:33 PM | 8 Comments
This article has me so burnt up, I can barely type. The intro says it all: "They're smarter, sexier, and far more successful than you'll ever be. And they definitely don't speak with a lisp. Meet America's new ruling class—the Alpha Gays." In other words, successful gays today are masculine, sexy, and basically adhering to all the problematic standards of straightdom to cash in on economic success. Heteronormativity, embodied.
Well, a big fuck you to Details for glorifying their excellent performance at hegemonic masculinity while denigrating guys who "cruise the gay clubs," "steroid queens," guys who wear "torn jeans and leopard-print tops," and -- pointedly the "Carson Kressleys and Steven "Kojo" Cojocarus" of the world. This isn't just an expose on the new gay elite, it's a hit piece on sissies everywhere.
Again I say, Fuck you, Details! I haven't ever picked up your trashy excuse for a magazine, and I won't be anytime soon. It already has a history of being a racist pile of shit. Now it can add homophobic, masculinist, and sissy-bashing to its list of accomplishments for our community. I won't buy your crappy magazine, and I encourage my readers to do the same.
Onion: "Study Finds Link Between Red Wine, Letting Mother Know What You Really Think"By on December 2, 2008 4:41 PM | No Comments
Hilarious. God bless the Onion:
Health experts have long known that drinking red wine can have such positive benefits as reducing blood vessel damage, lowering the risk of heart attack, and preventing harmful LDL cholesterol from forming. But researchers at the Northwestern University Department of Preventive Medicine have recently found that the consumption of four to six glasses of red wine, most notably at dinner or a family function, may be linked to totally going off on one's mom.According to a study published Monday in The American Journal Of Medicine, a previously unknown ingredient in red wine has been shown to cause a marked improvement of vocal clarity and emotional acuity—while reducing overall inhibition—after only four glasses.
During routine trials, subjects who imbibed five glasses or more showed a remarkable increase in specific mental functions, such as the ability to recall every time their mothers had been unsupportive of their boyfriends or husbands.
Now that's what I call some quality social science! I love the way that it implicitly mocks all those bullshit studies that claim to have found causal links between outrageous phenomenon.
(Thanks to Megan for pointing me to it!)