The Arab Gdansk - An Autocracy Falls

Roger Cohen has a column in the New York Times that conjectures on where the popular overthrow of the despotic government of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali (pictured at right) in Tunis might lead in the rest of the Arab world. A world, except for the dominance of Islam rather than Christianity, that mirrors the type of government the extreme Christianists in the USA favor with centralized dictatorial power and at least outward strict religious fundamentalism. If one wants to know what a theocracy in this country would look like if the Tony Perkins and James Dobsons had their way, Saudi Arabia is perhaps the best model, although I'm not sure who the Christianists would want to take the throne. My money would be on Dobson since he surely has a large enough ego and plenty of groveling sheep like followers. Getting back to the Arab world, dictators and religious fundamentalism have retarded progress and modernity for years. The question now is whether a desire for freedom and opportunity will cause other populations to mirror the events in Tunisia and demand an overthrow of the fossilized regimes that benefit few but the ruling class. Here are highlights from Cohen's column:
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Now, the Tunisian dictator of 23 years, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has fled to the mother lode of regional absolutism, Saudi Arabia, driven out by new social media and old-fashioned rage. Protesters communicating on Facebook and irked by what WikiLeaks had revealed of the Ben Ali family’s Caligula-like indulgence were roused to shatter the security state of yet another Arab despot.

The unseating through popular revolt of an Arab strongman is something new: It has already caused ripples from Amman to Cairo, from the Gulf to Tripoli — and it will cause more.
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This signal event, of still uncertain outcome, is long overdue. Arab regimes, many of them U.S. allies, have lost touch with young populations. Their ossified, repressive, nepotistic, corrupt systems have proved blind to the awakening stirred by satellite TV networks, Facebook posts, tweets, Web videos and bloggers.
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They have proved skilled only at provoking guffaws at their regular “elections” and fostering the rise of extreme Islamism among populations left with no refuge but religion. Their “stability” has been sustained at the price of paralysis. It has depended on a readiness to terrorize and torture. These Arab holdovers, moribund as the waxworks at Madame Tussauds, are ripe for transformation, the anciens régimes of 2011.
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The U.S. responsibility for this Arab failure has been significant: America has preferred the stable despot to the Islamist risk of democracy (despite the fact that the only likely remedy to the seductive illusion of political Islamism is the responsibility of government). It is now imperative that the Obama administration and the European Union stand behind Tunisia’s democratic forces.
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Last month, after a visit to Beirut, I wrote a column called “The captive Arab mind” about the psychological cost of repression in the region: the reflex of blaming others, the perception of conspiracies everywhere and the paralyzing fear of acting or thinking for oneself. Tunis can be Act One in the liberation of the Arab mind.
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Western double-standards in the supposed interest of Arab stability have proved a recipe for radicalization. The West should honor Tunisian bravery with some of its own. Dynasties rusting on their thrones are not the answer to Arab disquiet.
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Dictators, corrupt monarchs, Popes, and religious extremists of all faith have a common denominator - they all seek to crush out independent thought and logic. I hope logic and independent thinking win the day in Tunisia.

Tuesday Male Beauty

Virginia's Bizarre "Tolerance" Ranking By the Daily Beast

The Daily Beast has come up with a ranking of U.S. states in terms of alleged levels of tolerance. I'm not sure what mind altering drugs the reviewers were using at the time they ranked Virginia as #11 (higher than New York and Massachusetts), but they really need to rework their data in my view. They might also try actually talking to Virginians from different minority groups as well. In my view, the picture at left better sums up the atmosphere in Virginia because it's not just LGBT Virginians who face discrimination. The House of Delegates is controlled by white Republicans many of whom seem to cling to a mind set where they still believe that every white man should be able to own a black man - or at least be able to force blacks to use segregated facilities. Muslims fare little better as The Family Foundation, an affiliate of Focus on the Family, strives to institute a Christianist theocracy in the state. And, of course, gays are treated with with fewer legal protections and respect than farm animals and household pets. Indeed, we can be fired at will by both state and private employers for being gay (something I experience personally), our relationships are afforded ZERO legal recognition, and gay bashing continues to be a favored sport on the part of GOP elected officials. Indeed, my advice when asked what I think by LGBT individuals thinking of moving to Virginia: Don't move to this bigoted state. Here's how the Daily Beast described its obviously flawed ranking project:
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In the four-plus decades since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, America has surely moved closer to a country where people are judged more by content of their character than the color of their skin—or their gender, religion or sexual orientation. In honor of today’s national holiday, and mindful of the debate fostered by the massacre in Tucson nine days ago, The Daily Beast sought to examine which states are the most tolerant, devising a thorough point system that measures each state’s residents based on their actions and opinions, as well the scope of state laws guaranteeing equal rights and protections, which reflects the broader political will.
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These are the supposed results that boosted Virginia to a rank of number eleven out of the 20 most tolerant states:
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Tolerance score: 66 out of 100
Hate crime score: 24 out of 40
Discrimination score: 35 out of 40
Gay rights score: 1 out of 10
Religious Tolerance Score: 6 out of 10
Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 1.9 (20 out of 50 states)
Discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents: 8.5 (2 out of 50 states)
Population in support of same-sex marriage: 42%
Population that believes many religions lead to eternal life: 69%

Gay Surfers.Net Upgrades Site

I wrote about GaySurfers.net back when the site first launched because I loved the idea of gays who surfer being able to net work and realize that just like every other aspect of society, our community is well represented in the surfing world - even if we often are not readily visible in what many perceive to be a "macho" sport. Now, with 2,775 members around the world, GaySurfers.net has upgraded its members page to allow you to view a world map with of all the gay surfers and more easily connect with potential surf buddies in your area. I've been able to look up other gay surfers in the Virginia Beach and Outer Banks areas.

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Check out the site and, if you are a surfer, go ahead and join this fun resource. It even has gay surfing clothing available.

Daily Press Plugs HRBOR Wine and Food Festival

The Daily Press - which has a circulation area that embraces the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg and York and James City Counties - ran a column promoting HRBOR's upcoming Winter Wine Festival scheduled for this coming Saturday. It should be a great event and I hope Hampton Roads based readers will make a point of attending. The proceeds will go for charitable purposes. Here's the column:
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Flavor Hampton Roads is the first wine festival and silent auction fundraiser presented by HRBOR, the networking organization serving the gay and lesbian business community and its supporters.
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The event will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Five Points Community Farm Market, 2500 Church St., Norfolk.
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The market will be decorated as a winter wonderland, and guests will enjoy regional foods, desserts, wines, beers and coffee at stations set up around the market.
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Participating food and wine vendors will include Holly Grove Vineyards, Angry Adams Wine and Cheese Spot, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Get Fresh Café, Bardo Edibles & Elixirs, Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas, Lew-Lou's Sinsational Bakery and Rogue Elephant Coffee Roasting Company
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Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. They’re available by calling 339-1892, emailing events@hrbor.org or online at www.flavorhamptonroads.com

Haters at FRC Reacts to Golden Globe Awards

Not surprisingly, the Christo-fascists at Family Research Council have their panties in a huge wad over the results of the Golden Globe Awards the other night which saw two out actors - Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch (the later of which thanked her wife during her acceptance remarks) - win big and a gay themed movie win best picture. FRC can always be relied upon to be in a major funk if their preferred targets for abuse are not denigrated and treated as less than human and less than full citizens. The result is that on its blog - or perhaps hate platform is a better description - the purveyors of hatred have a full rant against Hollywood and its refusal to buy into the marginalization of gays and others the Christianists don't like. The good news is that the more rants like this that are unloosed, the more quickly people will realize just how toxic FRC and its quest against religious freedom are to society as a whole. Here's a sampling of the spittle flying filed temper tantrum:
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I didn't watch any of last night's Golden Globes, but I heard enough about it to know that I didn't miss anything
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As in past years, the Globes proved that studios are far less concerned about entertaining people than they with indoctrinating them. Last night's awards were a celebration -- not of America's values, but of Hollywood's. Projects like The Kids Are All Right, Black Swan, "Glee," and others were rewarded for pushing the cultural envelope or advancing a liberal political agenda.
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That may be how Hollywood defines "success," but it certainly isn't how audiences do. Neither of those films cracked the top 49 in last year's box office. In fact, The Kids Are All Right, which is the story of two lesbians raising a family, came in 113th in ticket sales.

More Monday Male Beauty

Mistress of Hate, Maggie Gallagher and Racist Tony Perkins Attack Obama DOMA Defense

I often find in nauseating to watch the antics of the self-enriching Maggie Gallagher (who makes a sleazy whore look virtuous in my view) and the white supremacist loving Tony Perkins playing the victim role and claiming that they are the protectors of religious freedom. That claim is like saying the Spanish Inquisition was a pro-Jewish benevolent society that promoted religious freedom for all. Yet the ignorant and lazy continue to listen to the garbage these individuals and equally unscrupulous professional Christians disseminate daily - all in the ultimate hope of raking in some more cash. Worse yet, these sheeple continue to send in donations to these shysters. Now both the ever toxic Ms. Maggie and veiled racist Mr. Perkins are attacking the Obama DOJ claiming it is intentionally plotting to lose the defense of DOMA, a clearly religious based anti-gay law. Here are highlights from NOM's attack on the on going DOMA litigation:
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“The DOJ brief amounts to collusive litigation, failing to even offer to the court, much less vigorously defend, the reasons Congress laid out in the statute when it passed DOMA—especially responsible procreation. This is an attack not only on marriage, but on the prerogatives of Congress. The Executive branch should not attempt to exercise this kind of retroactive line-item veto over a bill passed by Congress,” said Brian Brown, president of NOM.
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“All the parties to this litigation want the court to strike down DOMA; this is clear from their behavior, no matter what President Obama and his politicized DOJ pretend to convey to the public,” said Brown, “If Obama’s DOJ had merely honestly refused to defend the law, the court would likely have permitted another party to intervene to defend the law. Obama’s DOJ is trying to retain control so it can lose this case.”
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Not to be out done, here are a sampling of hate group leader Tony Perkins' disingenuous bullshit on the DOMA appeal via Joe My God:
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"Apparently, the administration is so fixated on making the homosexual community happy that it's not even working to uphold what's best for kids.
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Since the President is failing to live up to the responsibilities his elected office holds, it is within Congress' explicit right to intervene to defend the laws they have passed. This current appeal is already shoddy substitute for the compelling argument that the statute--and American families--deserve."
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I continue to believe that, if there's a Hell, Maggie Gallagher and Tony Perkins have reserved seats for all the hate and misery they sow.

More Bigotry From the Southern Baptist Convention

I guess it should not be a surprise given the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC") roots in break away Baptist churches that wanted to keep blacks as chattel property and legally less than human, but nonetheless it is amazing to see the lengths that the SBC will go to punish any SBC affiliated entity that treats gay individuals as anything less than garbage. I have written previously on this blog about how historic Broadway Baptist Church ("BBC") in Fort Worth , Texas, was driven from the SBC for - oh my, the horrors! - not ejecting gay members of the congregation. Now, the bigotry has gone a step further and the Tarrant County Baptist Association has been jettisoned from the SBC for not being sufficiently nasty and vindictive toward the BBC. Increasingly, the main tenants of the SBC are hatred and intolerance and one can only how Christ must look at the leadership and think he's seeing a reincarnation of the Temple leaders of his time who took hypocrisy and a despising of others to great heights. The Christian Post looks at this latest example of why the younger generations hold Christianity in an increasingly negative light. Here are highlights:
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Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has asked an association of churches to leave its Fort Worth, Texas, campus because the seminary says the group has a member church or churches that tolerate homosexuality.
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A 1997 affiliation agreement between Tarrant Baptist Association and the seminary for use of an office building on the campus requires that the two organizations remain in "theological harmony."
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The seminary, which is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, contends that the association has violated the agreement for retaining fellowship with a church or churches that don't adhere to the denomination's position that homosexuality is a sin.
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The Rev. Brent Beasley of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth told the Dallas Morning News that his church is the one "being referred to." The SBC voted in 2009 to sever ties with Broadway Baptist over its policy to welcome LGBT members. Last fall, the local church ended its 125-year-old affiliation with the General Baptist Convention of Texas rather then face a challenge over its policy at the annual convention.
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The seminary also asserted that the association has not been helpful in job placements for professors and students in TBA member churches and stated that it needs more space for offices and a Welcome Center. The association has 395 member churches, according to its website.
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Frankly, I'd call the non-stp dissemination of hate and bigotry a far greater sin than welcoming gays who modern science has shown to be created just as they are - gay by the garce and design of God and not by individual choice.

Monday Male Beauty