Creating Change 2011

Next week is the annual National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual conference, Creating Change.

This year it’s being hosted in Minneapolis, MN from February 2-6, 2011.

It’s an incredible meet-up of LGBTQAI activists from around the country and I’ll be heading there again this year. The first time I went to the conference, I was simply blown away to be around that many other queer folks, and especially queer activists.

Watch out for a few blog posts from the conference next week.

If you live in Minneapolis and/or are planning to be at the conference, here is one event not to miss:

For the younger folks, Campus Progress is hosting a MasQueerAde Ball on Saturday Night. Awesome performers Kit Yan and Ben ...

Next week is the annual National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual conference, Creating Change.

This year it’s being hosted in Minneapolis, MN from February 2-6, 2011.

It’s an incredible meet-up of LGBTQAI activists from around the ...

Film on portrayal of women and girls in the media up for Sundance award

Holy Must-See Movie.

Between what looks like a great round-up of commentators in the film (hi Jenn!) and the call for the use of media activism as a tool to combat the negative portrayals of women and girls in media, this looks like a very powerful documentary. And imagine if it won Sundance?

h/t to Jessica! Transcript after the jump.

Holy Must-See Movie.

Between what looks like a great round-up of commentators in the film (hi Jenn!) and the call for the use of media activism as a tool to combat the ...

What We Missed

It looks like UN Women is having funding problems before it’s launch next month. Unsurprised or appalled? Or both?

The Daily Femme on pole-dancing as exercise — for kids.

More evidence that having an abortion isn’t associated with a risk of mental health problems. (via)

Remember the $27 million Creation Museum in Kentucky? Looks like they’re they’ve been having “date nights” — Terri Whitehouse from Barefoot and Progressive is doing something about it.

It looks like UN Women is having funding problems before it’s launch next month. Unsurprised or appalled? Or both?

The Daily Femme on pole-dancing as exercise — for kids.

More evidence that ...

Ugandan activist named on anti-gay hit list found murdered

Trigger warning

Fucking fuck.

Remember the Ugandan newspaper “hit list” of 100 gay and lesbians, including names, pictures, and home addresses including a headline reading “Hang Them”? Well, after months of fear, hiding and even some attacks, one of those individuals — gay rights activist David Kato — was found beaten to death in his home yesterday.

This comes within the same month that three Ugandans who were named on the hit list won damages in a lawsuit against Rolling Stone Newspaper, wherein the court ruled that “constitutionally protected rights belong to all Ugandans, whatever their perceived sexuality.” Too little, too late for Koto, I guess.

Let’s not forget, much of this violent hostility stems from colonialist and ...

Trigger warning

Fucking fuck.

Remember the Ugandan newspaper “hit list” of 100 gay and lesbians, including names, pictures, and home addresses including a headline reading “Hang Them”? Well, after months of fear, hiding and even some attacks, ...

Film on portrayal of women and girls in the media up for Sundance award

Holy Must-See Movie.

Between what looks like a great round-up of commentators in the film (hi Jenn!) and the call for the use of media activism as a tool to combat the negative portrayals of women and girls in media, this looks like a very powerful documentary. And imagine if it won Sundance?

h/t to Jessica! Transcript after the jump.

Holy Must-See Movie.

Between what looks like a great round-up of commentators in the film (hi Jenn!) and the call for the use of media activism as a tool to combat the ...

Why isn’t the media talking about another 9-year-old girl killed by political violence in Arizona?

Well, here’s a story that should be getting more attention, but isn’t. In the spring of 2009, 9-year-old Brisenia Flores was shot and killed when a group of Minutemen raided her parents’ home in Arivaca, Arizona hoping to steal drugs and money to fund their vigilante border-policing. The Daily Beast reports (trigger warning):

Early on the morning of May 30, 2009, Raul Flores heard a knock at the door of his Arivaca, Arizona, home. When he opened it, he found a man and a woman claiming to be law-enforcement officers in search of fugitives. Minutes later, the man shot Flores to death. Then, authorities say, he pumped three bullets into Flores’ ...

Well, here’s a story that should be getting more attention, but isn’t. In the spring of 2009, 9-year-old Brisenia Flores was shot and killed when a group of Minutemen raided her parents’ home in Arivaca, ...

Home Depot Makes the “Man Cave” Official


Props to my girl Erin for finding this gem at Home Depot – that’s right, the store is offering the “Top 10 Man Cave” paint colors, hence making the “no women allowed” den of sports, beer and manly brouhaha to escape the oppressive forces of their wives an official room of the hetero household…and to be painted bold, masculine colors.

See more on how the concept (and advertising) of the “man cave” isn’t just about a place for an individual to be able to decompress, but a largely anti-women space.


Props to my girl Erin for finding this gem at Home Depot – that’s right, the store is offering the “Top 10 Man Cave” paint colors, hence making the “no women allowed” ...

Anti-choice “sting” operation targets Planned Parenthood

It seems Planned Parenthood has uncovered either a multi-state sex trafficking ring or the latest conservative undercover “sting” operation designed to catch clinic employees doing…something bad. Signs are pointing to the latter. The AP reports:

“Planned Parenthood, a perennial protest target because of its role in providing abortions, has notified the FBI that at least 12 of its health centers were visited recently by a man purporting to be a sex trafficker but who may instead be part of an attempted ruse to entrap clinic employees.

In each case, according to Planned Parenthood, the man sought to speak privately with a clinic employee and then requested information about health services for sex workers, including some who he said were minors and ...

It seems Planned Parenthood has uncovered either a multi-state sex trafficking ring or the latest conservative undercover “sting” operation designed to catch clinic employees doing…something bad. Signs are pointing to the latter. The AP reports:

“Planned Parenthood, ...

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