While the gay rights movement in the United States is typically focused on gay marriage, gays in the military and similar civil rights issues, elsewhere in the world the situation is much more dire. Homosexuality is, in some areas, treated as a criminal offense. Recently, Uganda has been in the news with steps taken toward laws that would condemn gays and lesbians not only as criminals, but even impose the death sentence in some circumstances. Other African countries, including Kenya and Tanzania, have anti-gay laws on the books, but there is fear that these may be expanded.

Unfortunately, the Ugandan law, The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, is expected to pass, regardless of international condemnation. In its current form, the law will condemn HIV positive individuals, those convicted of same-sex rape or sex with a minor, and serial offenders to death. If found guilty of homosexuality, life imprisonment is the penalty in other situations. Family, friends, and even landlords can face imprisonment if they fail to report someone for homosexuality.

While the international community has condemned this law and is treating it as a foreign policy issue, there are much more concerning ties to America. The initial law came to be after visits to Uganda by conservative fundamentalist American clergy; Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge, and Don Schmeirer, supporting treatment for homosexuality and religious cures and promoting intensely negative views of homosexuality. During the course of their visit, gays were accused of sodomizing teenage boys and attempting to defeat a marriage based culture. It should be noted that the three have criticized the new legislation, even though Lively met with lawmakers to discuss it.

What is being done and what can you do about gay rights so far away? President Barack Obama has publicly criticized the bill at a morning prayer breakfast on February 4, 2010 and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has phoned the Ugandan president to express very strong concerns. Take a few minutes out of your day and call your senators and representatives to encourage them to voice their condemnations of this human rights violation. If you wish to give money, options are limited to get funds directly into Uganda and Ugandan gay rights activists are largely silenced. You can opt to give to Amnesty International or the Human Rights Campaign to support international attempts to prevent this legislation.

Whether you are newly post break up or have decided that you are ready for more than a hook up in your local bar, more and more people are opting to try online dating to meet that perfect or almost perfect mate. There are a lot of online personals and social networking options, some with fees and others that are free. They do break down into a few fairly simple categories.

Social networking sites are free and can be a good way to meet other GLBTQ folks in your area. Myspace, Facebook, and Glee.com are all options in terms of this sort of social networking. You can take advantage of these sites to meet people in your area, find out about interesting happenings and more. Do consider making sure your profile honestly reflects who you are, and make it more than just a personal ad. You may also want to consider privacy settings, depending upon whether or not your employer is aware of your sexuality.

The next option many people consider is a free dating site. These allow you to set up a simple profile; however, some sites do charge you to contact people with more than a wink, nod, or flirt. You may find that free accounts on paid sites are not terribly useful because of this. Some sites are entirely free; however, offer limited screening or matching tools. Freedating-sites.com/gay.html offers a list of a few free dating sites as well as noting some of the big names in commercial online dating sites that welcome GLBTQ members. OKCupid.com is free and inclusive of all sexualities. You might also find your local craigslist to be an option, but do keep in mind personal safety if you choose this path.

If you are serious about online dating, whether you are looking for a great night out or a real relationship, you may find it more helpful to consider paying for a subscription to one of the big names in online dating sites. Gay.com is a great choice for guys looking to meet someone. True.com is a welcoming and inclusive site that is a good choice for men or women. Another one of the big names in online dating is chemistry.com. You may want to note that neither of these sites is trans-friendly. Yahoo’s personals also welcome gay and lesbian individuals and can be a good way to meet other single people in your area.

There are a few things to keep in mind when trying out the online meet and greet. Be honest about yourself in your profile. You do not need to disclose that you got fired last year, really don’t like your Aunt Judy, or have a sixth toe on your right foot; however, you should be open about relationship status, what you are looking for in a partner and other important issues. Be sure to take the time to email back and forth with a potential date and always meet in a safe public location the first time.

You might think that some big celebrities throwing their money into certain business start-ups might be insane but the Queen of Pop always gets it right.  Madonna who already has a big investment in Live Nation thanks to her lucrative deal she signed over a year ago is not going Coco.  That is not the same Coco as in the nickname for Conan O’ Brien or Coco the drag queen but the actual juice from a green (young) coconut.

Madonna has invested, along with other celebrities such as her manager Guy Oseary,  and Matthew McConaughey.  She is seen as a brand loyalist of the Vita Coco brand which is the best-selling coconut water in the U.S.  It is also seen as one of the fastest growing beverages in the last few months.  2010 could be a major break out year for Coconut water especially now that Madonna and others are giving it so much free publicity.

You can find Vita Coco at Whole Foods, Safeway, and over 14,000 other retailers as well as online at vitacoco.com.  Vita Coco also plans on a major partnership with GNC stores nationwide.

The difference in Vita Coco and the other brands is that they have their own production facilities or factories as some will say.  This is good because it allows for them to maintain quality control and make sure the employees are treated right.

There are other brands that are competing in this big race for your tastebuds and healthy living.  One of the brands is the O.N.E brand which is a natural drink company who is sponsoring a major gay event known as the “White Party” in Palm Springs.

But Why Coconut Water?

Coconut water contains about 700mg of Potassium in a 11.2 oz serving size.  This is 15 times more than the average sports drink.    Potassium is essential for the muscles, kidney, and digestive system to operate normally.  Doctors such as Dr. Weil do not recommend supplements such as potassium though but then again how many of us get out and eat bananas everyday.  Not me.  Orange Juice has about the same benefits I would think though.

I have not totally been sold on the benefits yet of the just coconut water but there are other flavors such as the Acai berry and Promenade Juice that may offer some benefits.

CNBC reported in their show on Coca-Cola that they will be bringing out a coconut water because its the next new thing.. but then I see Madonna has even invested in this and now today Yahoo has its Buzz marked as one of the most popular search terms.   If Madonna’s is posting a facebook announcement about it and she is looking this good at her age then we should all be drinking it.  One thing is for sure it is much better than drinking Diet Coke or any of those nasty drinks that contain aspartame and much better than the drinks with high fructose corn syrup.

You have to love Armani Exchange for supporting their gay customers in their new ads that came out today. Armani Exchange or A/X not only has the gay couple and the lesbian lovers on the email campaign ads they sent out but they are also on the main website. This is not a very discreet love affair A/X is giving us now is it? How sweet of them and now I am ready for my paycheck so I can get into an Armani Exchange near me and buy me some new jeans. The new jean styles are hot, hot, hot along with the Spring collection of Tee shirts. I have not seen advertising in mainstream media for retail ever for Valentines Day that included a gay couple or lesbian couple. This is just great!!

This is a great way to start out the beginning of the month to see such a sweet ad from A/X. If you are searching for some Valentine’s Day gifts for your lover, husband, or wife then check out our ideas.