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  • Photo of mjwstickings

    California Supreme Court issues historic ruling on same-sex marriage

    http://the-reaction.blogspot.com/2008/05/california-supreme-...
    70 days ago in The Reaction · Authority: 268

    By Michael J.W. Stickings Fantastic news from California. Here's the L.A. Times (see also the S.F. Chronicle): The California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday in a broadly worded decision that would invalidate

  • Photo of tmarsh

    Blog Nightline

    http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=27695
    70 days ago in Democrat Taylor Marsh Broadcasts Live Talk Radio and Blogs Politics · Authority: 844

    Guest post by Grey Greg Sargent ponders NARALs move and thinks that one "cant avoid the fact that this was a really mystifying decision for NARAL to make." According to this piece in the Washington Post, NARAL chapters local to Pennsylvania,

  • Photo of LightUp

    Gay Marriage Victory in California

    http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2008/05/15/gay-marriage-victor...
    70 days ago in The Democratic Daily · Authority: 57

    Gay marriage activists won a clear victory in California today as the California Supreme Court "struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday in a broadly worded decision that would invalidate virtually any law that discriminates on the basis

  • Photo of DemDaily

    Gay Marriage Victory in California

    http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2008/05/15/gay-marriage-victor...
    70 days ago in The Democratic Daily · Authority: 360

    Gay marriage activists won a clear victory in California today as the California Supreme Court struck down the states ban on same-sex marriage Thursday in a broadly worded decision that would invalidate virtually any law that discriminates on the basis

  • Author unknown

    Carnival of Sex and Sexuality 2 - Work It

    http://homoacademicus.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/carnival-of-s...
    52 days ago in Homo Academicus · Authority: 21

    Welcome to the June 2, 2008 edition of carnival of sex and sexuality. NSFW topics and language to follow. Sex and sexuality are work, and hard work at that. While reading through the submissions for this month’s Carnival of Sex and Sexuality, I was struck by the number of ways work is incorporated into both. There’s sex work, the obvious, but then there is work about sex, like academics who study sex or professionals who provide support on the subjects of sex and sexuality. There are the many activists who work tirelessly to get rulings like the recent one in California, giving gays and lesbians the right to marry. There are companies for whom sex is their work, like toy-makers and pornographers. There are organizations who use sex and sexuality to bring attention to their non-sex-based work. And then there is work in the sociological sense: the work people put into their sexuality performances such as the work that is required everyday to present as a gender other than the one typically associated with your sex, or the work that goes into negotiating how your relationship is viewed by outsiders. All of these meanings are explored in the submissions to this month’s Carnival. I hope you enjoy the perspectives. And please, get involved in the conversations! Let’s talk about professional sex work first. These two links examine sex work from the point of view of the client. In the first, a college student pays a sex worker for cuddles and chat and finds out that she’s a real person with hobbies and opinions on world events. In the second, a writer describes the process and experience of visiting a professional submissive. Jordan C. Butler wrote I Paid $100 to Cuddle With a Prostitute at The Nevada Sagebrush. When she placed her hands back on my chest, I realized that Toni didn’t want me to leave. I came to the brothel to cuddle as a prank—and it was funny that I talked about the Democratic primary and America’s declining economy with a prostitute—but then it turned into a genuine conversation on traveling, Lake Tahoe, Harry Potter and what we wanted to do with our lives. Greta Christina presents Buying Obedience posted at Greta Christina’s Blog. This is a four-part series: make sure you read part two, part three, and part four as well. They’re all fabulous. I liked the idea of paying someone so I could have the session be about me me me, so I could be sexually selfish without feeling guilty. That’s a big reason I decided to hire a submissive instead of an escort or a dominant — it fit so beautifully into that fantasy. But would it really be like that? Sex and sexuality can be work for other groups of people too, such as academics and therapists. The following articles is from a therapist interested in explaining how “It’s not easy being an academic and competing for attention, especially when you’re writing about charged topics like homosexuality,” TherapyDoc presents Accepted posted at Everyone needs therapy? Lessons from a family therapist. Nathan: So what did you DO in Israel? Me: This, that and the other, also learned a lot about homosexuality. Nathan: So you should do your dissertation in THAT! Me: Well yeah, but I can’t wrap my head around it for research. I’m a relationship/family therapist. I wanted to do something family relationship-ish. Nathan: So think. Think real hard here. What might a family problem be for homosexuals? Me (no dummy): Oh, acceptance perhaps? Nathan: So smart. With the recent ruling in California that allows same-sex marriage, it’s important to remember all the hard work activists, organizations, and human-rights bloggers put into making these issues visible and enacting change. The following set of articles includes several on the California ruling, one explaining exactly why denying marriage to gays is bigotry and one chronicling the sad history of anti-gay oppression. It is important to remember that not everyone agrees that allowing same-sex marriage is a step forward, and if you have an article that makes this point, I’d love you to link to it in the comments. It is also important to remember that homosexuality is not the only frontier of sexual bigotry. One of the articles in this section describes the challenges mixed-race couples face when forming a life together. Finally, if you want to get involved, the last article in this part is a list of organizations you can help out. Melissa McEwan posted California Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban! at Shakesville. And because California already offers domestic partnership which afford same-sex couples the same legal rights as opposite-sex married couples, it doesn’t leave opponents of this decision much wiggle-room. Rev. Irene Monroe presents California Gay Marriage Backlash Begins at Alternet. When society narrowly defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman, it is not only policing the sexual behaviors of lesbian and gay people, but society is also policing the sexual behaviors of heterosexuals. Handcuffing marriage to a heterosexual paradigm merely chokes its possibility of ever flourishing and lasting, especially as we are coming to understand the fluidity of not only gender and sexual identities but also of the constant changing configuration of family units. Seth Manapio presents On Sober Reflection, Yes posted at Whiskey Before Breakfast… the Blog. Crack emcee asked, in the comments “Is everyone who challenges gays in defense of marriage a bigot, Seth?” The answer to this question is “Yes, everyone who challenges gays in defense of marriage is a bigot, Crack.” focusorganic presents 21st Century Oppression - Denial of Basic Rights For Homosexuals posted at Focus Organic.com. Because of anti-homosexual discrimination, gay people are two to seven times more likely than heterosexual people to commit suicide. They are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. The fear of being alone is significant. When a young person realizes that they are homosexual, they may have nobody they can trust to talk to, and they may feel very alone and misunderstood. How can they know whom to trust when so many people feel that homosexuality is wrong? Chris presents Mixed Relationships in Asia - a Status Quo posted at nomad4ever. For sure the days of strange looks and talking behind someones back aren’t completely over yet. Be it in Europe, when a guy visits some friends with his Asian girlfriend or wife; sooner or later the usual stories about ‘Mail Order Brides’ will pop up. Or that he brought her home from his recent ‘Sex Bomber Trip’ from Thailand. Amanda Moore presents 106 Organizations That Are Changing the World - Are you helping? posted at VagabondetteVA. I fully admit that this list tilts towards my personal interests so please feel free to recommend additional groups in the comments section and I’ll add them to the list. We’ve all heard the aphorism that sex sells, and it seems undoubtable that it does. This next section highlights two articles which talk about the intersection of sex and commerce or marketing. Julia Cooke wrote Sex-Mex for Conde Nast Portfolio. (I know it’s not a blog, but it’s a good article.) When the show’s owner, Mexican entrepreneur Alberto Kibrit, inaugurated the country’s first-ever sex-industry trade fair in 2004, “talking about sex was completely taboo in Mexico,” he says. “The issue and the industry were very closed.” But now, as he and other entrepreneurs are quick to point out, the adult-entertainment industry is an increasingly respectable sector for small-business owners in Mexico. Holly Ord presents PETA Uses Girls in Bikinis to Draw Attention to Their Cause posted at Menstrual Poetry. PETA isn’t new to using scantily clad, or even naked women as means to drive attention to their causes. For their latest demonstration, they decided that it would be a great idea if they locked some girls wearing yellow bikinis up in cages. As a sociologist, this next section is about my favorite type of work: the work of self presentation. ABC News did a mini-experiment on the public reception of gay and straight PDAs, and found, unsurprisingly, mixed results. A blogger reports on this experiment and on the constant need for gay folk to self-edit in the following link an. Also worth a mention, the Metafilter thread on this article includes over a hundred personal comments on the experience of self-editing in public. PortlyDyke presents Take My Arm, My Love at Shakesville. Every single time I take my partner’s hand on the street, or toss my arm over her shoulder or around her waist, hug her goodbye or hello, I do a little, tiny “security sweep”. I notice who is around, and where I am, and what the energy feels like — before I touch her in public. It’s a tiny amount of attention, most often, but it’s there. Finally, not every post that was submitted could be crammed into some sort of sex/sexuality and work category. In this last section we have an exploration of media representations of sex and sexuality in reference to a country where these things are not usually talked about, and an article describing how a very public murder trial is leading to the criminalizing of kink in the UK. Renee presents Cross Dressing, And Muff Diving In The House Of Saud posted at Womanist Musings. In my perusal of the New York Times, I came across an article that at first seemed to explode with the potential for subversion, in a country known for its strict control of its citizenry. It is entitled, “Love on Girls’ Side of the Saudi Divide“. My first thought was, finally a side of Saudi Arabia that never makes the press. Brittany Ransom presents “Extreme” Pornography and The World’s fear of sexuality continues posted at Hellationships. All of those “extreme” porn topics I listed above are all fantasies. I get so tired of people assuming that we as humans can’t decipher the difference between finding something arousing and needing to act it out ourselves. That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Sex and Sexuality using our carnival submission form, or volunteer to host an upcoming edition. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. Technorati tags: carnival of sex and sexuality, blog carnival.

  • Photo of mooncat2

    Yes!!!

    http://www.LeftInAlabama.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1747
    70 days ago in Left In Alabama Connecting Progressive Voices in Alabama Politics · Authority: 197

    The California Supreme Court has overturned the state's ban on gay marriage. I'm grinning so much I can barely type! This is a huge win, and I know my brother is smiling today. Read around the blogosphere: Pam's House Blend - California Supreme Court Ruling: Thumbs UP on Marriage Equality Shakesville - California Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban! Deborah at Property of a Lady - The Radio News Kind Of Makes It Up To Me Catherine at Poverty Barn - CA Supreme Court Lets Freedom RingGenerik - Pride In California and more to come as I find them.

  • Photo of tehipite

    Yes!!!

    http://tehipitetom.blogspot.com/2008/05/yess.html
    70 days ago in If I Ran the Zoo · Authority: 110

    The California Supreme Court has overturned the state's ban on gay marriage. I'm grinning so much I can barely type! This is a huge win, and I know my brother is smiling today. Read around the blogosphere: Pam's House Blend - California Supreme Court Ruling: Thumbs UP on Marriage Equality Shakesville - California Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban! Deborah at Property of a Lady - The Radio News Kind Of Makes It Up To Me Catherine at Poverty Barn - CA Supreme Court Lets Freedom Ring Generik - Pride In California and more to come as I find them.

  • Author unknown

    The Equality Train is Coming

    http://pizzadiavola.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/the-equality-tr...
    70 days ago in Pizza Diavola · Authority: 27

    Melissa @ Shakesville: “California Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban!” I hear equality coming down the tracks—and they really just need to get the hell out of the way if they don’t want to get crushed. [post title from this quote] I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so thrilled. So excited. So plain happy that finally, the court stood up and said, “SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL,” in this context. Of course the social conservatives are going to turn out in force, but they were always going to, and we’re going to fight them like mad, and we’re going to win. This decision will change peoples’ lives immediately, and I’m so incredibly thrilled and so happy for them. Cheers to everyone who wants to get married here and now can. Cheers to the thousands of couples who got their licenses in 2004. Cheers to Justices Ronald George, Joyce Kennard, Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, and Carlos Moreno. Cheers to the plaintiffs, Arthur Frederick Adams and Devin Wayne Baker, Alexsis Beach and Rachel Lederman, Myra Beals and Ida Matson, Dave and Jeff Chandler, Sarah and Gillian Conner-Smith, Sarah and Gillian Conner-Smith, Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, Jewelle Gomez and Diane Sabin, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, Margot McShane and Alexandra D’Amario, Jeanne Rizzo and Pali Cooper, Joshua Rymer and Timothy Frazer, Karen Shain and Jody Sokolower, Janet Wallace and Deborah Hart, Equality California, and Our Family Coalition. The individual plaintiffs’ statements are available at the NLCR link and are well worth reading for insight in to the immediate human impact of the ruling. Cheers to their legal team, the lead counsel from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, ACLU, Heller Ehrman LLP, and the Law Office of David Codell. SF Chronicle, Bob Egelko, “State Supreme Court says same-sex couples have right to marry” (2008/05/15) But San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, whose office filed one of the suits challenging the marriage law, said the court acted in the best tradition of an independent judiciary. “Our democratic system was founded on the notion that the courts should not be swayed by public opinion when it comes to protecting our most cherished rights,” Herrera said. Mayor Gavin Newsom, whose sanctioning of same-sex marriages in 2004 led to today’s ruling, said, “It’s about human dignity. It’s about civil rights. It’s about time.” Chief Justice George was joined in the majority by Justices Joyce Kennard, Kathryn Mickle Werdegar and Carlos Moreno. Justices Marvin Baxter, Ming Chin and Carol Corrigan dissented - though Corrigan, writing separately, said she personally believes “Californians should allow our gay and lesbian neighbors to call their unions marriages.” … But George, in a 121-page opinion, said California has already recognized, in its laws and public policy, that gays and lesbians are entitled to equal treatment in every legal area except marriage. He also noted that state laws and traditions banned interracial marriage until the California Supreme Court, in 1948, became the first court in the nation to overturn such a law. “Even the most familiar and generally accepted of social policies and traditions often mask an unfairness and inequality that frequently is not recognized or appreciated by those not directly harmed,” the chief justice wrote. San Jose Mercury News, Howard Mintz, Mary Anne Ostrom and Denis Theriault, “California Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage” Today’s ruling marks a watershed moment in the conflict over gay marriage, with the most influential state Supreme Court in the nation, dominated by Republican appointees, ruling in favor of gay rights advocates in the state with the largest gay population. California was considered a crucial battleground for civil rights groups, which have lost a number of major legal challenges in recent years in other states such as New York, Washington and New Jersey. The decision is sure to spark a furor that could spill into the ballot box in November, when there is a strong chance voters will be weighing a ballot initiative to change the state Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger previously announced his opposition to the ballot initiative, and reiterated his opposition today. “I respect the court’s decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling,” Schwarzenegger said within minutes of the ruling. “Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling.” New York Times, Adam Liptak, “California Court Affirms Right to Gay Marriage” (2008/05/16) “In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship,” Chief Justice Ronald M. George wrote of marriage for the majority, “the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.” … The first was that marriage is a fundamental constitutional right. “The right to marry,” Chief Justice George wrote, “represents the right of an individual to establish a legally recognized family with a person of one’s choice and, as such, is of fundamental significance both to society and to the individual.” Chief Justice George conceded that “as an historical matter in this state marriage has always been restricted to a union between a man and a woman.” But “tradition alone,” the chief justice continued, does not justify the denial of a fundamental constitutional right. Bans on interracial marriage were, he wrote, sanctioned by the state for many years. The court also struck down state laws banning same-sex marriage on equal protection grounds, adopting a new standard of review in the process. With few exceptions, courts considering suits from gay men and lesbians claiming legal discrimination of all sorts have applied a relaxed standard of scrutiny under which the government must show only that the challenged law had a rational basis. In Thursday’s decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the correct standard of review for plaintiffs claiming discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is “strict scrutiny,” the standard used in race-discrimination cases. Under that standard, the government must demonstrate that it has a compelling interest for the law it is defending and that the distinctions drawn by the law are necessary to protect the interest. Equality California’s Press Release, “Lesbian and Gay Couples Win Freedom to Marry in California” (2008/05/15) The text of the decision, in PDF. At last, at last.

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