Iran enforces Islamic Sharia law, which demands the death penalty for gay sex. Under the Iranian penal code, girls as young as nine and boys as young as 15 can be executed.

From Iranian teens executed for homosexuality @ PlanetOut.

University of Utah history professor Elizabeth Clement spoke to a packed hall at Salt Lake City’s First Unitarian Church on civil rights and liberation.

“Are gays the same as straight people? Do they have different ideas about the appropriate roles of men and women? And do those differences in understanding gender influence the way gays think about family, marriage, and sexual relational practices like monogamy?”

Because butch-femme may never come up at your church:

“The largest expression of organization in 1950s gay culture was in the bars,” Clement said. “That culture tended to be very accepting of, and in fact, almost requiring gender experimentation and difference. This is the era of butch-femme role playing, where you have very, very butch women and very, very feminine women pairing off.”
Homophiles viewed this vibrant bar culture with a lot of disdain. “One organization called the ‘Daughters of Bilitis’ published a newsletter in which they
argued that, ‘The kids with butch hair cuts and mannish manner are the worst publicity we can get.’ ”
But that dour attitude presented a recruitment problem.
“When working class, particularly butch or drag queens, wandered by a homophile meeting and thought of joining, they had great difficulty understanding what the homophiles stood for,” Clement explained. “[The drag queens] already were living much more political lives.”
Their soberly dressed counterparts just weren’t provocative enough.
Look at it this way: “The last thing you really wanted to be in the 1950s was a butch-lesbian construction worker with a nice femme girlfriend that other heterosexual men might actually be interested in,” Clement said. “That’s a recipe for getting the snot beat out of you on a regular basis.”
Still, what better way to be front and center?

I gotta say… I don’t know that many “nice femme girlfriends.” Is that supposed to be similar to a nice obeying wife (sounds like it to me).

Somewhat Daily Quote:

“It appears as though the homosexual revolution is spreading even into the bastions of solid traditionalism.”

You gotta read this. It’s great.

Did you know that refusing to do a lesbian love scene lost Nicole Kidman her first major movie role? Below story taken from Femalefirst.

Nicole Kidman lost out on her first major movie role because she didn’t want to do a lesbian love scene. .

The Oscar-winning actress was head-hunted by Hollywood director Jane Campion, who wanted her to passionately kiss another girl in her new film.

But Nicole – who claims she got into acting to smooch boys – turned down the big break because she didn’t want to shoot the Sapphic scene.

She revealed: “In high school I loved to act because you’d get to kiss the boys you had a crush on.

“Jane Campion came to my school and wanted to cast me in her student film, but she wanted me to wear a shower cap on my head and kiss another girl.”

She added in an interview with America’s Glamour magazine: “I did not want to kiss another girl, so I told her I had my school exams and couldn’t.”

What else ya got for me? This:

*Muslim gay wins asylum appeal
*Conferences reflect religious divide on gay
*San Francisco AIDS walk raises $4 million
*ACLU Asks Missouri Judge to Let Lesbian Become Foster Paren
*Court told of gay-sex search
*Comic ‘Dark Horse’ Tramples Gender Norms

BETTY IN CONCERT
FREE Music Fest at Central Park’s legendary Summerstage this weekend.
SATURDAY, JULY 23 at 5:00pm.
(enter Central Park at 69th St. East, or 72nd St. West)

Join BETTY and pals:

JANE SIBERRY (“Calling All Angels” from HBO’s Six Feet Under). 3:00pm.

TRACY BONHAM (“Mother, Mother” as seen & heard on VH1). 4:00pm.

Planned Parenthood will also be there with important information all day long.

Lone Star Times points us to a different reaction to John Roberts. If you normally get all your news from a periodical like Star Magazine (yes, there is a problem with that), I guess you’ll be all set just knowing his haircut isn’t even on the top. What could be more important?

Jonathan Bass shares some tips to help you boost your hook up confidence with Out.com:

Stay Positive

Nothing drags a conversation down faster than negativity. Though you may have had a rough day at the office, your houseplants all died, and your cat just used your damask chaise as a scratching post, the hot guy with his hand on your ass doesn’t care. Avoid negative talk at all costs. Being wooed by a downer is tedious, irritating, and—above all—unsexy. Be positive in what you say about yourself as well. You won’t be projecting confidence if you’re mired in reporting that you’re no good at this or you suck at that.

Naked Alone Time

A tip for developing a good body image is to spend some time alone in your birthday suit. Research has shown that being naked promotes a better body image, which, in turn, can boost your confidence, so unleash that inner go-go boy by stripping down and hanging out naked as much as you can. Guys who are comfortable with their bodies aren’t always perfectly fit gym gods, but guys with a good body image don’t mind being naked, or partially clothed, whenever the situation requires. By getting naked (alone at first) you’ll quickly see how your attitude toward your body and your sense of your own body image can change for the better.

Thinking About Sex to Get Laid

When you’re cozying up to a man you want to take home, envision the kind of hot, acrobatic, frenzied sex you want to have with him. Don’t say anything about your mental gymnastic nastiness to him just yet—there will be time enough for that. Thinking about sex during the get-to-know-you session will subtly change the way your body moves, the tone of your voice, the position of your eyelids (they call them bedroom eyes for a reason). This passionate train of thought will ever so slightly influence the signals you’re sending out. Not only will these vibes convey an unspoken attraction that he’ll pick up on, but they’ll also help keep him from thinking of you as a “friend” candidate.

Read about, and purchase, Jonathan Bass’ new book, How to Get Laid: The Gay Man’s Essential Guide to Hot Sex

Outcomebuffalo.com lists the reactions of some of today’s big names in the gay rights movement to Bush’s nomination of Judge John Roberts Jr. to replace United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman:

“President Bush’s announcement that he is nominating U.S. Court of Appeals Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court of the United States gives us great pause, particularly in light of Roberts’ role in the Counsel’s office of President Reagan and the Solicitor General’s office of President George H.W. Bush.

“In exercising its constitutional ‘advise and consent’ function, the Senate must take the time necessary to thoroughly review and evaluate Roberts’ commitment to individual rights and equal justice under the law, including his record and thinking about civil rights, the right to privacy and the reach of Congressional power under the Constitution.

“We especially call upon our allies in the Senate to determine whether Judge Roberts subscribes to the holdings of Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas, among other cases, and will affirm that the civil rights and privacy rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans are protected by the Constitution.

“And only if Judge Roberts meets these critical standards of qualification, judicial philosophy, fairness, independence and a dedication to protecting the rights of all under the Constitution, should the Senate vote to confirm his nomination to the court.”

Jo Wyrick, Deputy Director, National Stonewall Democrats:

“The nomination of any individual to the United States Supreme Court is a serious matter that requires a thorough and thoughtful review. Both the nominee, and the nation, deserves a confirmation process that is fair and free from partisan politics.

A nominee to the United States Supreme Court should be expected to uphold the Constitution and individual liberties. Our republic requires a nominee to be held to the highest ethical standards, and not be bound to narrow special interests and ideology. Therefore, we urge the United States Senate to fulfill its constitutional role and provide the American public with the best information on the record of Judge John Roberts, Jr. through a thorough judicial investigation.

An individual given a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court will affect the lives of millions of Americans for generations to come. Senate hearings into a nominee’s record will help prevent the American public from unfairly prejudging a nominee based on personality alone. National Stonewall Democrats looks forward to further review of the record of Judge Roberts.”

Patrick Guerriero, President, Log Cabin Republicans:

“Log Cabin looks forward to a thorough and thoughtful review of Judge Roberts’ nomination to the United States Supreme Court. Recognizing the importance and impact of the Supreme Court, we support the confirmation of all fair-minded jurists to the bench. Log Cabin will carefully study the record, writings, and testimony of Judge Roberts during this confirmation process, particularly as they relate to questions of basic fairness gay and lesbian Americans.”

Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart:

“In nominating Judge John G. Roberts to replace Justice O’Connor on the Supreme Court President Bush has just about guaranteed that divisiveness will continue to reign in the judicial nomination process. Some have suggested that Judge Roberts is well-liked, but with all due respect, we need to know if he will stand up for the rights of all Americans not whether some people think he’s a nice guy.

While we are continuing our review of Judge Roberts, we already know that we have reasons for serious concern. There are a number of issues that are important in determining whether a nominee will respect the rights of all Americans. Judge Roberts’ track record on reproductive freedom, privacy and federalism (respect for Congress’ power to enact important statutes like civil rights laws) merits particular scrutiny.

We’ll be using our more than 30 years of litigation experience to study Judge Roberts’ record and decide whether we believe he will, if confirmed, carry out his responsibilities in a fair-minded and thoughtful manner that respects the basic individual rights of all Americans. For us, the fundamental question is whether this nominee’s commitment is to protecting those rights, or advancing a hardened extremist agenda.

In the weeks ahead the U.S. Senate has the responsibility of closely scrutinizing this nomination and asking tough questions of this nominee. The burden is on Judge Roberts to demonstrate that he is qualified to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Lambda Legal looks forward to playing an important role in that process.”

More reading: LGBT groups alarmed by Bush Supreme Court pick

Abortion is definitely THE hot issue in Robert’s nomination and where the spotlight is presently focused. Click here for some of the comments Roberts has made regarding abortion in the past and here to contact your Senators and demand their opposition to John G. Roberts.

Not only do bi-sexuals exist, they also come in many different flavors according to health24.com.

Alternating bisexuals: may have a relationship with a man, and then after that relationship ends, may choose a female partner for a subsequent relationship and many go back to a male partner next.

Circumstantial bisexuals: primarily heterosexual, but will choose same sex partners only in situations where they have no access to other sex partners, such as when in jail, in the military, or in a gender-segregated school.

Concurrent relationship bisexuals: have primary relationship with one gender only but have other casual or secondary relationships with people of another gender at the same time.

Conditional bisexuals: either straight or gay/lesbian, but will switch to a relationship with another gender for financial or career gain or for a specific purpose, such as young straight males who become gay prostitutes or lesbians who get married to men in order to gain acceptance from family members or to have children.

Emotional bisexuals: have intimate emotional relationships with both men and women, but only have sexual relationships with one gender.

Integrated bisexuals: have more than one primary relationship at the same time, one with a man and one with a woman.

Exploratory bisexuals: either straight or gay/lesbian, but have sex with another gender just to satisfy curiosity or “see what it’s like”.

Hedonistic bisexuals: primarily heterosexual but engage in gay or lesbian sex only when under the influence of drugs and / or alcohol.

Isolated bisexuals: 100% straight or gay / lesbian now but has previously had sexual experiences with another gender in the past.

Latent bisexuals: completely straight or gay lesbian in behaviour, but have strong desire for sex with another gender, but have never acted on it.

Motivational bisexuals:straight women who have sex with other women only because a male partner insists on it to titillate him.

Transitional bisexuals: temporarily identify as bisexual while in the process of mowing from being straight to being gay or lesbian, or going from being gay or lesbian to being heterosexual.

The Queer Press Grant, with an award amount of $500 for self-publishers of queer comics, was unveiled this past weekend at Comic-Con International: San Diego.

Comic Book creators who want to self-publish stories of interest to non-straight comics fans now have a little help. The unveiling of an annual Queer Press Grant was just one of several newsworthy items to come out of Prism Comics’ appearance at Comic-Con International: San Diego this past weekend. The nonprofit organization, which advocates for greater inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) characters and creators in the comic book industry, also debuted its Prism WebComics online feature and introduced its new Board of Directors.

“The Queer Press Grant is something that the Prism Comics Board has discussed since the organization was founded in 2003,” said Prism Comics Membership Chair Rich Thigpen. “We are ecstatic that we’re finally in a position to offer something like this to LGBT comics creators. The award amount for 2004 is $500, but we expect that figure to increase in future years as we expand our donor base.”

The application deadline for the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant is September 1. Full details on the application process can be found online at http://www.prismcomics.org/grant.php.