Is Marriage Equality Important?

| November 12, 2008 - 1:40 am

Tags: demonstration, gay marriage, LGBT, lgbt rights, Proposition 8, rally, religious right

I have been fairly silent about the passage of disappointing ballot initiatives in California, Florida, and Arizona, restricting the marriage rights of queer people in those states.  I have been silent on this because until recently, the issue of marriage equality was, quite frankly, not that important to me.  I realize that that sentiment might have made me a little unpopular in the queer commu

Battle Cry for a Generation visits SF

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Last Friday the second annual Battle Cry for a Generation two-day mega rock-concert/pep rally occurred at SBC park in San Francisco. Over all 25,000 evangelical youth from around the country gathered to protest the "virtue terrorism" of pop culture.

As described by the anti-Bush advocacy organization the World Can't Wait "BattleCry is a Christian fascist youth movement.  It is led by politically powerful theocrats who prey on the fears, search for meaning, and moral dilemmas that are facing today's youth.  They claim their religion and values are under attack, but it is BattleCry - and the intolerant theocratic movement they are part of - that has declared war on everyone else!  They are raising an army of youth to conquer the world and impose a theocracy where their hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism is made law."

It's not too late to celebrate International Women's Day!

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Show your support to the women in Iran!

Reprint:

Feminist Daily News Wire

March 9, 2007

More Women's Rights Activities in Iran

Women's rights activists in Iran participated in protests yesterday commemorating International Women's Day, despite recent detainments of Iranian feminists. News sources are offering conflicting reports of yesterday's activities. The Los Angeles Times reports that about 50 peaceful protestors were "quickly confronted and overwhelmed by riot police, including dozens of young female officers wearing bright green uniforms with red stripes." Eight women and two men were reportedly arrested, and several protestors sustained beatings, according to the Los Angeles Times. Reuters and the Inter Press Service, however, report that several hundred activists attended the protest outside of the Iranian parliament and were attacked by police, though no one was seriously hurt nor arrested.

How do you feel about a band called "Ching Chong Song"?

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Greenwich Village, NYC - Last night, 20 New York University students held an educational rally to demonstrate against "Ching Chong Song," a Brooklyn indie-folk band. (Both band members are Caucasian). The NYU students stood outside the band's performance to pass out flyers educating attendees of the offensiveness of the phrase "ching chong."

"Words like that contain a painful history loaded with intolerance, hatred, and belittlement," said NYU sophomore Chi-Ser Tran, a demonstrator.

When the band learned of the impending rally, it agreed to change its name and to make an apology during its performance. Band pianist and singer Dan Gower said the name wasn't changed until now because of "all the action people have taken."