Filed under: homophobia, media | Tags: craigslist, george weber, homophobia, lisa bloom, rick sanchez
I’m not sure what to make of this clip. CNN’s Rick Sanchez and L.A. journalist Lisa Bloom discuss the murder of WABC radio news host George Weber. The New York journalist was murdered this past weekend by a man he met through Craigslist.
It seems to me that Sanchez and Bloom veer from the facts to revel in the salaciousness of the story, seemingly appalled by the victim’s behavior to “find companionship.” Ostensibly, the interview is about social media. However, the focus of the discussion seems to be on the victim’s poor judgment and their disbelief that he met his killer on the internet. The tenor of the discussion reveals some homophobia. Would the journalists have been as appalled if the victim and the murderer were straight?
Sanchez: “Are you kidding me? He invited somebody to his house who had a picture of himself holding knives to his throat?”
Bloom: “He didn’t deserve this horrific outcome, but it was terrible judgment on his part.”
If this ain’t reporters simply gossiping, I don’t know what is.
Filed under: gay rights, social justice | Tags: homophobia, mark doty, subway hero
As the little girl in Poltergeist says, “I’m back.” My dog, Lucy, recently passed away and my fear in blogging again has been that all of my posts would be about her. She was a loving, smart, one-of-a-kind dog and she will be missed. Enough said.
Two interesting stories of note: poet Mark Doty was strolling with his partner in San Francisco this weekend, and was told to “Get lost, faggot,” by homophobic passersby and restaurant owners in North Beach. A disturbing account, not only because it happened to such an articulate, beloved writer, but because it happened in this day and age. Think we’re in a post-homophobic era? Read Doty’s account or Houston’s reaction to GLBT mingling or to China’s censoring of the Oscars or this hate crime involving a 62 year-old man in Vancouver.
To combat these depressing state of affairs (not to mention our downward-spiraling economy), here’s an article I read this morning about a subway hero who lifted a man from the tracks, saved him from an oncoming train, and then quietly left the scene before the media and authorities could congratulate him.
Filed under: gay rights, politics | Tags: hitler, homophobia, obama inauguration, rick warren
This one is jaw-dropping.
Citing the revolutions of Hitler’s Youth, then Chairman Mao’s followers’ blind devotion to Communism, and finally–to top it all off–proudly introducing the notorious, genocidal president of Rwanda, Pastor Rick Warren urges thousands of his religious followers to give themselves to Jesus in the same, blind way. “What would happen if North American Christians said, ‘Jesus, we are yours.’?”
Are these appropriate analogies for Christians? Should Christians devote themselves to the cause like Hitler’s Youth?
Filed under: gay rights, government, social justice | Tags: gay rights, hate crime, homophobia, recin, runkle, savage
Rather than intellectual debate, anonymous homophobes in Seattle and Dayton, Ohio, are simply attacking gay establishments. As reported by Dan Savage in The Slog, GLBT folks in 11 establishments in Seattle were threatened this weekend with ricin, a toxic chemical, that was allegedly placed in patrons’ drinks. In Dayton, animal rights activist Nathan Runkle was attacked by a stranger after leaving a gay nightclub on Saturday. From a press release from the Mercy for Animals organization (the nonprofit Runkle founded):
Runkle was briefly hospitalized after sustaining two facial fractures, a broken nose, deviated septum, and severe facial bruising. The incident has been labeled a felonious assault and is currently under investigation by the Dayton Police Department. Runkle believes the assault was motivated by hatred toward gays and was intended to send a fearful message to the local gay community.
It’s sad to see this trend of intimidation and visceral hate continue; for anyone who thinks that the gay rights movement is not under attack (see Mike Huckabee’s recent homophobic comments to Jon Stewart), one only need learn about this attack and this attack and this attack, all occurring in the last month.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I wholeheartedly believe that each of us has our own values and opinions–and that these sentiments are protected by the U.S. Constitution.
But when individual thought becomes violent action? This is when our government–and everyday citizens–must step up to the plate.
Filed under: film, politics | Tags: franco, harvey milk, homophobia, letterman
James Franco, gracious actor that he is, fends off the homophobia of David Letterman in this clip from Friday night’s show in which he’s publicizing Gus Van Sant’s Milk. Letterman keeps harping on Franco’s kiss with Sean Penn; it’s almost as if he wants Franco to claim that kissing another man was equal to the task of building an atomic bomb.
Later in the interview, after Letterman’s third attempt to solicit a homophobic remark, Franco offers him a man-on-man kiss. Reminds me of the discussions I had last week in my lit class, in which the strongest response of my (male) students was that it was “courageous” of the male actors to kiss on stage.
