From MTV Networks Europe:

The Tatu girls have poured water on suggestions that they might be lesbian lovers.

Speaking to MTV News, Lena said: “All we are saying is we just love each other. You can be in love with your dad, with your friend, with your dog, with your sister.” Picking up on the dog reference, Julia joked: “She kisses with her dog!”

Lena went on to add: “I think somebody just wrote that (Julia) has a girlfriend, but she has a boyfriend, and she has a baby girl.”

Sorry guys…

Have you ever been in love with your dad, your friend (okay - we’ll just skip that one), your dog or your sister?

Emanuel Xavier, an amazing poet and spoken word artist, will be hitting the stage at the NYC LGBT Community Center on Thursday, September 29th at 7pm. ALL proceeds will benefit the Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES) program.

The suggested minimum donation for this event is $5 but more will be greatly appreciated (checks can be made out to The LGBT Community Center with YES program written in the Memo).

From the email announcement of this performance:

Those of you familiar with my personal history know why this means so much to me. In the midst of everything going on in the world, let’s not forget how important it is to support young, marginalized individuals who will shape our future while struggling against continued oppression and hatred.” - Emanuel Xavier

Emanuel Xavier is featured in Russell Simmons Def Poetry Season 3, is the editor of Bullets and Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry (below) and is the author of Americano, Christ-Like and Pier Queen.

The NYC LGBT Community Center is located at 208 W. 13th Street. Their number is 212-620-7310.

I just received the following information from a co-facilitator of Trans-Amorous.

Trans-Amorous is a New York City based group for people of all genders and sexual orientations who:

-are currently in a relationship with a trans or gender non conforming person;

-have been involved with someone trans identified or gender non conforming in the past;

-are exploring their attractions to trans and gender non conforming people.

This group will start on Wednesday, 10/5, and meet every Wednesday from 7:30 PM - 9 PM for 10 weeks.

****You do NOT need to be in a relationship to be in this group!****

This group has a sliding scale fee. Click here for more info.

Shay Clark, a fourteen-year-old girl, was expelled from Ontario Christian School on Thursday because she has lesbian parents.

A Christian school expelled a 14-year-old student because her parents are lesbians, the school’s superintendent said in a letter.

Shay Clark was expelled from Ontario Christian School on Thursday.

“Your family does not meet the policies of admission,” Superintendent Leonard Stob wrote to Tina Clark, Shay’s biological mother.

The school’s policy states that at least one parent cannot engage in practices “immoral or inconsistent with a positive Christian life style such as cohabitating without marriage or in a homosexual relationship,” Stob wrote.

Shay and her parents said they will not fight the ruling. Shay will attend public school next week.

Stob could not be reached for comment.

School administrators learned of the parents’ relationship this week after Shay and another cheerleader were reprimanded for talking to the crowd during a Sept. 16 football game, according to Clark and her partner, Mitzi Gray.

More

I think I’ve just begun creating my Christmas Wish List.

I learned about ex-straight.org, the site of Parents & Friends of Ex-Straights (PFOXS), from a this post at Teach the Facts which highlighted the site’s discussion topics:

* Is heterosexuality a choice?
* What legislation discriminates against former heterosexuals?
* Why must questioning youth have access to sexual reorientation information? (I love the answer to this one, it sounds so familiar: Teenagers experiencing opposite sex attractions do not automatically mean that they are heterosexual. Many teens go through temporary episodes of idealization of opposite sex peers and should not be urged to prematurely label themselves as straight. PFOXS refers to this as the “straight jacket”, where a single opposite sex romance is used by family and friends to unfairly define a teenager’s sexual orientation. This is coercive, restraining, and unfair.)
* Do gay activists oppose efforts to protect the equal rights of former heterosexuals?
* Why would anyone want to go from being straight to being gay? Doesn’t that open you to abuse and discrimination? (The answer: In a word, yes.)

Sex-Ed Panel Aims to Sway Lessons on Gays, an article from today’s Washington Post about Montgomery County’s new sex education curriculum and how it will include the teaching of homosexuality, led me to TeachtheFacts.org.

A woman was attacked with a glass bottle during a Gay and Lesbian Pride march this weekend in South Africa. The bottle, thrown at her, caused a gush of blood from her neck.

A spokeswoman for Forum for the Empowerment of Women has labeled this attack an indication of intolerance.

“These young women come from the townships, like Orange Farm, and think they will be safe in the city, because in the townships they know they might be raped for being a lesbian. How do you explain to your family, friends that you were hurt at Pride, in town?”

Carrie Shelver, of People Opposed to Women Abuse, commented:

…in 2000 there were up to 10 rape and assault cases opened by women attacked after the march.

Sarah Jones, a transsexual woman, was ordained as a priest this Saturday in England.

Right Reverend Anthony Priddis said Ms Jones - being ordained on Saturday - was “made and loved by God”.

Ms Jones was a “superb candidate” who had the gender realignment surgery “many years ago - long before she explored the possibility of being ordained”, Bishop Priddis said.

The issue of gender dysphoria was “understood a lot more clearly in this 21st Century as we understand lots of things more clearly”, he said.

“Gender realignment surgery helps address that issue and it’s about bringing mind and body into wholeness.

“I see this as something restorative and healing.

“What’s important is that she’s a person made by God, loved by God and given gifts by God who feels that she’s called to be a priest and that’s a call that’s been checked out by the church rigorously.”

Of course not everyone is thrilled.

Don Horrocks, of the Evangelical Alliance, said the Bible made it “absolutely clear that God created human beings as male and female”.

“Therefore there is absolutely no Christian acknowledgement of the 21st Century human idea that it’s possible somehow for a person to take charge of their own destiny and to decide what their own sexuality is,” he added.

“Someone who does that… is therefore actually perpetuating an illusion or masquerading and any Christian is clearly not going to be supportive of someone who purports to be what they’re not.”

Bishop Priddis said the condition of gender dysphoria was recognised in the NHS and in law.

“Those who suffer from it need help in order to be able to move to that wholeness which we, as Christians, want for everyone.”

This Saturday 250 Connecticut justices of the peace attended a statewide conference to discuss Connecticut’s new civil-union law, that takes effect Oct. 1.

“Will couple members change their names?” Stamford justice Lena Pierni asked in a discussion. Just as with heterosexual couples, Elise Klein, a New Canaan justice, said, some will and some will not.

Looks like they may need to hold another conference; one dedicated to trans issues.

…During the question-and-answer session, a justice asked how to address transgendered individuals or people who identify with one gender while their birth certificates proclaim they are another.

“Ai-ai-ai! What a can of worms,” a conference attendee in the audience muttered as whispers spread through the room. Though issues such as sexual identity are familiar territory to some, others said they were unfamiliar with words such as “transgendered…”

Silo and Roy, two male chinstrap penguins, coupled for six years and raised a baby penguin together at the Central Park Zoo. They broke up last spring. Silo left Roy for a female penguin named Scrappy. I know, this is a very sad story. What’s more sad, and pretty funny at the same time, is that people are pointing to this penguin story as proof that gays can change.

At the Web site for Focus on the Family, an influential organization run by radio host James C. Dobson, who has called homosexuality a disorder and advocates converting gays, a commentator, Warren Throckmorten, wrote: “For those who have pointed to Roy and Silo as models for us all, these developments must be disappointing. Some gay activists might actually be angry.”

I was able to speak with Silo and got this comment from him: “I identify as a queer penguin lover with a strong attraction towards male penguins and a weakness for female penguins with sexy and suggestive waddles.” There you have it, folks.