Seriously what is the deal with all the marijuana arrests in this country? Do you really think it is making any sense any more for this drug to be criminalized. Actually let’s get this right in the first place and call it not a drug but a PLANT. In NYC the 2010 Marijuana Arrests Top 1978 to 1996 total. The reform of drug laws is needed now than ever with all the killings in Mexico, the violence that could be prevented, overdosing of prescription drugs, and over-crowding of jails which is bankrupting municipalities.

More people were arrested last year in NYC on charges of marijuana possession than during the entire 19-year period from 1978 to 1996, according to an analysis released this morning by the Drug Policy Alliance. Last year was the sixth year in a row that marijuana possession arrests increased where a staggering 50,383 people were arrested. This is according to a report recently released by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and obtained by the policy alliance.

The new figure adds up to 140 arrests a day which makes marijuana possession the leading reason for arrest in New York City. This also makes an 8 percent increase over 2009 and a 69 percent increase since 2005 according to the alliance.

From1978 to 1996, there were 49,326 marijuana possession arrests according to a sociology professor at Queens College and an expert on marijuana enforcement. The increased enforcement is due to harsher enforcement not to increasing consumption.

“Over the last 20 years, N.Y.P.D. has quietly made arrests for marijuana their top enforcement priority, without public acknowledgment or debate,”

the alliance said.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg more conservative than we thought? The policy alliance claims there have been about 350,000 arrests for marijuana possession since he took office in 2002. 70% of those arrested are younger than 30.

Isn’t having possession a violation or a slap on the wrist? Possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana has been a violation, not a jailable crime in New York since 1977. It is when you have pot “open to public view” that it is a crime. The advocates are saying that many people who simply have marijuana in their pockets are charged with having the drug “in the open” after officers order them to empty their pockets.

We are glad to see these changes from Facebook especially because they are the most popular site right now and can set an example. Now the choice will be to call your partner a civil union, domestic partnership, open relationship, married (just like the straight couples), or it’s complicated.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today applauded Facebook for adding ‘In a Civil Union’ and ‘In a Domestic Partnership’ options to user profiles. The option is now available for users in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

“Today, Facebook sent a clear message in support of gay and lesbian couples to users across the globe,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media. As public support for marriage equality continues to grow, we will continue to work for the day when all couples have the opportunity to marry and have their relationship recognized by their community, both online and off.”

GLAAD was among the organizations that met with Facebook to advocate for this change. In October 2010, Facebook partnered with GLAAD and other national LGBT organizations to create “Network of Support,” an educational initiative that works to combat anti-LGBT cyberbullying. GLAAD also worked with Facebook to reshape the way that the site responds to hateful, anti-LGBT comments posted on public pages.

One major thing that Facebook and other companies may gay from this new drop down box of options for married gays and lesbians is the niche marketing. They will now be able to find and market to the gays and lesbians who are in long term relationships and towards those who can buy their products and services. That is one exciting niche.

Facebook’s “Network of Support” is comprised of five leading LGBT advocacy organizations in conjunction with MTV’s “A Thin Line” campaign, including GLAAD, GLSEN, HRC, PFLAG and The Trevor Project.

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You rarely see something return from the dead as many times as this magazine pulls itself back but to our surprise XY.com and XY Magazine are back in 2011.  XY has been gone so long that it makes me wonder if the latest “generation” knows about XY magazine or if they would even buy a magazine.  The magazine has always had a great focus of great articles geared towards gay youth and sparking their interest by feeding them soft porn.  It actually does a service helping gay youth feel better about themselves and making the rest of us feel older.  Thanks XY.  I think the domain name XY.com itself could be worth a few million and am shocked they did not sell out to a big domain broker or a corporation.  I am surprised AOL did not buy XY they seem to have bought everything else that has been collapsing online and they used to have a big partnership with XY Magazine inside the slow AOL software you would just type keyword XY and the teen zine would pop up. Neato Frito!

We are excited to see this mag makes its comeback and who knows maybe they will learn how to make money with the iPad in existance as we are seeing other magazines and newspapers make comebacks on the digital pad.  If there is an app for the XY teen publication then they may be “into it” otherwise it will probably just bomb and go bankrupt or disapear once again.  We did notice one neat thing in their new format is they have a blog on their XY site now and a magazine cover maker where you can put your pic on the cover once you upload it puts the image over you and your name. 

See our suggestions on gay apps for your iPad or iPhone and read our articles on XY Magazine here.  IF you are a gay teen then check out our reads on gay bullying and what you can do about it.

The new Hollister canvas outside in the malls is definitely something that makes you take a better look.  It is not only the cutest pic of a hot surfer boy and his dog but it shows him shirtless giving us a tease of maybe those jeans hes wearing.  Or maybe just those hollister boxer briefs and flip flops.  I can tell you that sex sells but in this case it is the cuteness of the surfer and his dog that is catching our eyes.  What does fashion hold for the Spring of 2011 for gay teens and younger lesbians?  PacSun, Hollister, Hurley hats?  barefoot, boots with shorts, rolled up jeans, flip-flops?  Bring on the Spring Fashion for 2011!

Coming to DVD is the love story some of you have been waiting for just in time for Valentines Day. No plans yet? Make sure you have this in hand ready to put in the DVD player the movie Purple Sea.

From the novel Minchia di Re by Giacomo Pilati comes a scandal hidden in 19th century Sicily between two young women, Angela and Sara. Angela isn’t like other girls her age, she fears nothing and nobody. She can’t hide her feelings for Sara. To maintain the forbidden relationship, she changes her outward appearance to disguise herself as a man. The chains that had imprisoned her existence suddenly disappear and she becomes powerful, but in her heart she never denies her identity as a woman. As intense and compelling as only young love can be, the two women challenge the rules of society in order to be together.

Issues that Lesbians Face in 2011

With a new year under way the lesbian community has an agenda of issues to explore. Most of these issues are carried over from previous years. Some of them may be settled in 2011 while others will most likely be carried on into future years. For example, at the front of the gay rights movement, affecting both lesbians and gays, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” rule has now been thrown in the garbage can where it belonged for many years. Even so, this was an issue that took a number of years to address and to solve. It can now be crossed over the “to do” list.

Another similar issue, that still remains with the lesbian community, is workplace discrimination. Of course there is a federal law in place that discrimination is illegal; however, let us face it, if a well-dressed woman walks into an upscale dress shop for an interview, followed by a dyke dressed in Levis and a flannel shirt along with her hair cut as short as possible – is there any question as to which lady will be offered the job? Although sex discrimination is against the law it is still a part of our culture. It is an issue that has been fought for many years before and an issue the lesbian population will face in the years ahead. Related to this issue is workplace discrimination. Nearly half of the states in America do not have laws that bans workplace discrimination based on a persons sexual orientation. The lesbians living in our country need to have a uniform policy that assures them that they will not suffer from workplace discrimination.

Family, relationships, and marriage are also issues that have faced the lesbian community for a number of years; unfortunately these same issues will most likely be with us in 2011 as well as into the future. Two women raising a child together still remains different, in the opinion of society, opposed to the customary husband and wife. Two women attending a PTA meeting, representing their child, still offers some uncomfortable moments for most female couples opposed to the husband and wife couple. Even the children of a lesbian couple continue to be discriminated against at school once it is learned that s/he has two mothers opposed to one mother and a father.

Naturally, at the top of the list of family, relationships, and marriage issues is that of gay marriage. Many lesbians have actually moved to different states or to different countries – places that accept gay marriages. This is a major political issue that remains in the forefront. Women want the same guarantee of rights as any married couple. The question remains: why shouldn’t they?

Those lesbians under age, still in high school for example, continue to be bullied and harassed. This makes it extremely difficult for a teen lesbian to function at school as well as in society. This discrimination is felt not only at school but in public as well. If the young lesbian chooses to dress in a less then feminine manner, wear her hair shortly cut, and so forth, she will most likely suffer from discrimination. This is a major issue in 2011 but hopefully it is an issue that will be extinguished one day in the near future as young people learn to understand and try to deal with differences in people.

Health care is also an important issue that lesbians must deal with in 2011. Unfortunately, this has to deal mostly with misinformation and inadequate information the medical care community has as well as the homophobia among some health care providers. These issues have led to an increased rate of suicidal behavior among lesbians as well as in stress related chronic illnesses. The lesbian community is making an effort to address many of these issues by supporting medical research in such areas as rates and risk factors of cancers, infections, and diseases among lesbians. There is also a widespread effort to gain access to the health care system. There is the need to address lesbian family issues as well as mental health concerns of lesbians.

The new year will most likely offer a continued struggle that lesbians will face in order to be heard; however, little by little they are making the guarantee that they will eventually be heard.