Drug Addict

Ben is a co-founder of TNG.

Rush Limbaugh is in the news again. Apparently, the Democrats are doing a good job of helping him promote his voice as the focal point of the Republican party. I’m supportive of anything that helps the GOP implode, but I feel drunk when confronted with the reality that Rush is still taken seriously by the people we rely on for information and analysis.

Rush Limbaugh is a drug addict. For whatever reason, America seems to have forgotten that fact. For over two years, he illegally obtained and used massive amounts of Lorcet, Hydrocodone, and Oxycontin, otherwise known as “Hillbilly Heroin.” He abused so much of it that he went deaf in both ears and rapidly lost a great deal of weight. Any idea how many drugs it takes to lose your hearing and drop 40 lbs? I'm guessing a lot.

Let's review some of the prevailing signs of drug addiction:

• Paranoia, delusions
  
• Temporary psychosis, hallucinations
  
• Dishonesty
  
• Unreliability
  
• Verbosity, “up” and cheerful behavior, with seemingly boundless energy.
  
• Irritability, agitation, and anger
  

These characteristics not only describe Rush Limbaugh, but someone whose opinions should not be taken seriously. I don't want to demonize drug addicts or inspire hatred for Limbaugh, because I'm sympathetic to the overwhelming psychic pain these sick people feel on a daily basis. 12-step programs work because they are designed to deflate a massive ego (typical of addicts) while suggesting steps for rebuilding self-esteem, but so often addicts refuse to admit they have a problem or they shift addictions. Granted, Rush is probably off the pills, but once an addict, always an addict. Any graduate of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program will admit that. When addicts don't address their underlying psychological problems they just redirect their addictions. They continue to hide their crippling insecurity by further inflating their self-importance and self-medicating, if not with drugs than some other proxy. Rush, who is reviled by so many, can't possibly pump enough air into his ego bubble to keep the demons at bay. It's a testament to his strength and personal fortitude that he hasn't exploded. My guess is that he'll off himself with a shotgun during his radio show. Probably between an interview with Ann Coulter and an analysis of Barack Obama's ties to satanism. But I digress.

Due to the circumstances of my past, I’ve known many drug addicts. Despite their own special charms, all were reckless, deeply disturbed liars. They were also the last people I would count on...particularly for critical thinking. Unfortunately Journalists overlook the obvious and continue to elevate his voice by including it at the apex of national debate. Some time ago I saw David Gregory, host of Meet the Press (the gold standard of political reporting and debate, supposedly), counterpoint the ideas of one of his esteemed guests by referencing Rush Limbaugh, as though better options weren't available. I almost choked on my granola. I haven’t watched Meet the Press since, as I don't have the stamina to slide where this slippery slope leads, be it the GEICO lizard ruminating on the auto bailout or a foreign policy debate between Hillary Clinton and Marvin the Martian.

I don’t want to be entertained by news, I want to be informed. Anyone who cites Limbaugh’s opinions in the marketplace of ideas immediately loses credibility, assuming that the context isn’t humorous infotainment or overt and often ridiculous pandering, as provided by the likes of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, the Huffington Post, or Fox News. I’m not saying that limits should be placed on ideas and their discussion, but we do owe it to ourselves as rational creatures to limit the conversation to the voices of those who haven’t completely destroyed every ounce of their credibility. If the so-called reputable programs that you rely on for news insert the opinions of a discredited drug addict in to the national conversation, please reconsider your news source. There are better options.

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Activism: From The Books To The Phones

TNG regular BlueSeqPerl brings us this post.

I want to share my personal path with political activism from the books to the march to the phones. I will explain how political activism has impacted me and required me to explore unknown territories. Also, these experiences showed me the inherent good in the American people.

The Books
I came out when I was a junior in high school. Since I did not know of any other gays, I read about the gays and more specifically the gay rights movement including:

• Drag queens riot at the Stonewall Inn police raid in 1969.
• The election of out Harvey Milk as city supervisor in 1978. His influence in politics and the Briggs Initiative, a California proposed amendment to fire gay teachers. He gave his hope speech, which is below:

"And the young gay people in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias and the Richmond, Minnesotas who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant in television and her story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the us'es, the us'es will give up. And if you help elect to the central committee and other offices, more gay people, that gives a green light to all who feel disenfranchised, a green light to move forward. It means hope to a nation that has given up, because if a gay person makes it, the doors are open to everyone."

The Briggs Initiative failed to pass. Unfortunately, Harvey Milk was assassinated within less than a year of being in office.

By doing this personal research project, I learned how these civil rights pioneers shaped our country as we see it today. I feel very fortunate to enjoy the privileges these men and women fought for before me. It allowed me to feel like part of a group as I was trying to figure out my identity like any other teenager.

The March
Fast forward to the present, I continue to read articles and books on how the gay civil rights movement has made progress and suffered struggles in the past 39 years. I have read both sides of the argument to keep a somewhat balanced viewpoint.

In November 2008, the American people elected its first biracial president, a monumental victory in America’s history, while at the same time stripping certain Americans of their rights for the simple fact of who they love. In 4 states including supposed liberal California, anti-gay measures passed. California passed Proposition 8, which eliminated marriage between two people of the same sex. A right that had been granted to Californians only months beforehand.

I among many other Americans found the results of November 5th to be bittersweet.

In reaction to Proposition 8’s passage, Americans in cities across the country marched in protest. My boyfriend and I participated in the march in Washington. To quote, Sylvia Rivera, a trans woman at the Stonewall riots: “I’m not missing this, it’s the revolution.” I was glad to see people of all shapes and sizes come and support the march. To be honest, I was nervous. I have seen how peaceful marches can escalate into violent riots very quickly. I was pleasantly surprised by people’s benevolent behavior in the crowd and the curious confused expressions of tourists and locals as this massive crowd proceeded to the White House. While it rained the entire time, the vibrant and passionate collective warmed the chilled individual. I was proud to be part of that statement.

The Phones
Fast forward to the last weeks of February, a proposed Charter Amendment is up for a vote in Gainesville, FL that would strip sexual orientation and gender identity from the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance. If passed, it would be legal to terminate, deny housing, or refuse restaurant service to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.

In DC, HRC organizers asked people to volunteer for a phone bank to call voters to vote no on this amendment. Now, I have to say that I have a deep loathing for telemarketers. But after marching in November, I had a spark lit under my bum, so I volunteered. I would also like to say that this experience threw me out of my element. I prefer people to come to me with their questions, a customer service model. This task required me to be aggressive by calling voters and persuading them to prevent discrimination in their hometown. I cannot sell something to save my soul, but I gave this a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by how responsive people were to my calls. After 2 hours of calls, I felt I had mastered this new skill of persuading people to vote against discrimination, and felt I contributed to the civil rights cause.

Over the past 10 years, I have transformed from pupil to activist in our country’s civil rights movement. These experiences showed me how to leave my comfort zone and how responsive people when given the opportunity to rise up against opposition. I would ask each of you to rise to the challenge and be part of this cause. As you mull over my request, I want to end with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.:

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."

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Gender Identity Protections in Maryland

TNG Reader Alex submitted this post.

If you've been reading lately, you are aware of the battle in Gainesville, where conservatives are trying to remove gender identity from the city's legal protections.

However, the fight to extend legal protections to gender identity is happening closer to home as well. In Maryland, there are bills in both the state senate and the house of representatives to this effect. You can learn more about the bills and the representatives co-sponsoring them at Equality Maryland.

If you are a Maryland resident, please contact your elected representatives and ask them to support these bills (or, if they already do, to thank them!). If you don't already know, you can look them up here. Remember that while these protections are obviously very important for trans folk, they are also important for anyone who is visibly queer.

You can also contact your representatives directly online (with a handy form letter, even!) here.

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A Point Of View From The South

Nashville resident and TNG reader Chris submitted this post.

"Adoption - Prohibits any individual who is cohabitating in a sexual relationship outside of a marriage that is valid under the constitution and laws of this state from adopting a minor. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 49."

That is the exact wording of a law that conservatives are hoping to pass in my home state of Tennessee. (Kentucky has a similar law they're trying to pass as well.) The law is proposed by Senator Paul Stanley in January of 2009.

This is what I like to call a "Backdoor Law." Social Conservatives proposed gay adoption bans in the past and the laws failed to pass in Tennessee. Now there's no mention of homosexuals in the new law (though it would still ban them, as gay marriage is not only illegal but a constitutional amendment - which passed with 82% of the majority vote btw), so it cannot be ruled as prejudicial.

Quite clever, these bigots. Most southern people would read the law and think, "Well I don't believe children should happen outside of marriage. I agree with that." They'll support this law without thinking of the actual consequences. These bigots know that. The average person thinks only about 5 minutes ahead, and the Big Picture is rarely seen. Supporters of this law aren't necessarily bad people or mean people (most of the time), they’re just short sighted people.

And once again, anti-gay legislature is hiding behind children. "We're saving the children!" Really? Denying them homes so they can spend most of their life in foster care is in the best interest of the children? These people actually believe that foster care is better than being raised by an unmarried straight couple or a committed gay couple.

Here's the rub: this law actually hurts those older children in foster care. The older a child gets, the fewer the chances he/she has to be adopted. When people adopt, most likely they want brand new babies. If they can't have their own, they use fertility drugs and surgeries until they fail. Then they might adopt, but if they do, they want an infant. An 8 year old and an 11 year old don't have a chance in hell.

So on top of exploiting children, lowering their chances of finding homes, and limiting the rights of one targeted minority group, these Christian policy makers are hypocrites. How many unwanted kids have they adopted today?

It's Big Brother government using Jesus Christ as a battleaxe.

The other ludicrous aspect of this law is how expensive it would be. Tennessee is almost bankrupt. Our infrastructure is falling apart, our education system is in shambles, and our healthcare system (TennCare) is slowly cracking under the population's weight. Yet the most pressing need is controlling adult behavior and limiting the definition of a family.

Now, there is something that we can do and that's publicly oppose this law and all like it. Anyone who lives in Tennessee and even people who don't live in Tennessee, you can email Senator Paul Stanley and the state legislature. How? Simple. Follow these links:

Email Senator Paul Stanley

Suggestions for Sound Arguments To Make Regarding This Law

Donate To The Tennessee Equality Project

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Wide Stance with Rocky and Corey: Class Warfare

TNG Music Editor, Rocky, and Managing Editor, Corey, chat it up in their Thursday virtual talk show, "Wide Stance." This week: the stimulus package, the crumbling economy, and a special guest from Georgetown society, Johnny.

Corey: Welcome back, Dearest Readers, to another installment of.... Wide Stance. Where Rocky and I talk on gchat, and call it productivity.

Rocky: Evening Corey! How goes it?

Corey: I have a glass of Crystal Light and a new, just-for-the-photos issue of Men's Fitness. So it goes great. And you, sir?

Rocky: Well, I'm watching American Idol and feeling quite superior indeed. So I'm happy as a pig in poop. Thank you very much!

So... what's on the agenda tonight? I hear we have some sort of guest?

Is it Mandela?!

Corey: It's not quite Mandela. I don't know how to tell you this, Rocky, but... he's kind of a big deal... and we're kind of not. But! We do have a very special friend from Georgetown University, where I, somewhat reluctantly, go to school.

But before we get to tonight's guest, I feel obligated to bring up the stimulus package. Which, if you ask me, not very stimulating.

Rocky: Sounds like you're just not meeting the right guys then...

But, seriously, what's the problem?

Corey: I don't know. As a political spectator, I feel like we're in the boring part now. Like when the Titanic starts to sink, you know it's going to sink, and you're just kind of waiting to see who croaks?

The economy is clearly in the shitter, and I feel a bit like we're watching the deck chairs be rearranged. I just want to wake up and for it to be the end of this stupid depression. Or the beginning part again, where John McCain killed poor people on live TV.

Rocky: OK, Rush. Well, I think your skepticism while founded is perhaps a little... premature maybe?

You're such a pessimist, Corey!

Corey: Umm... Too skeptical to say that the economy is bad? And that the stimulus is boring?

We have a young, hot president, but apparently not one who has learned that sex sells. Because this stimulus is bor-ring.

You know what the problem is? Richardson was supposed to be the economic cheerleader. And he is gone now, back to the Land of Enchantment, or whatever it's called. I want our economic teddy bear back.

Rocky: Well, Thomas Friedman is kind of like a teddy bear. Except he's an idiot. Maybe Krugman. He's cuddly right?

Isn't there a new commerce secretary-designate? How's that guy? What's he about?

Corey: Rumors only. From what I hear, anyway. He's from Oregon, which as we went over last week, makes him awesome. Or a gay sleazball. I can't remember how we ended that conversation, exactly.

Rocky: It was a draw. Is it possible he's an awesome gay sleazeball?

Corey: You know, Rocky, he could well be. As we here at The New Gay are always promoting, like an after school special, there are many ways to be gay. Which is actually a perfect lead-in for our guest tonight, who - come to think of it - does NOT like to be kept waiting.

Rocky: Oh my. I heard that Nelson can get testy!

Oh wait. Right. "Big Deal." I forgot.

Anyway, would you like to do the honors?

Corey: Absolutely. Without further ado, let's bring out a friend who I journeyed with to the heart of the Orient... Or, Turkey, as they call it today. Johnny and I attend Georgetown University, where he thinks it's fucking awesome, and I think it's... not. Johnny, welcome to the show!

Rocky: Welcome Johnny!

Johnny: Hi Cor Cor, I am happy to be here and I will try to use proper grammar for once.

And hi Rocky too.

Corey: You have already failed.

Johnny: Crap.

Rocky: No worries. I got admonished earlier too...

Johnny: Private school leaves you completely illiterate and unable to spell, that is my theory.

Rocky: Oh my God! So true!

Corey: Public school leaves you with the ability to use spell-checker in the library.

Rocky: What is that?

Johnny: I am just saying I wouldn't trade my boho elementary school and all the touchy feel bs for anything, but learning to express your feelings does not teach you what a preposition is.

Corey: Even for rich people, aren't skills somewhat of an... asset in life?

Rocky: HAhahahahahaha

That was funny, Corey.

Johnny: I know, I know, that is where it failed me. But I loved it, I am happy we had reading circles and a "burn book" in elementary school. Fuck language arts.

Rocky: Interesting. I too am a prep school brat and an Ivy Leaguer to boot and I don't know. I'm kind of not in to it. I'm still not totally clear on comma usage...

Johnny: Well unfortunately Gtown is not an Ivy League although I would never want to go anywhere else.

Corey: Okay, Johnny. You're pretty new on the TNG scene - and would never have found your way to the "alternative" crowd if you weren't just coming to keep me company. So. What do you think?

Johnny: What I think about the alternative crowd? Wow that is general, I don't know. To be honest I think I am more alternative than most gays.

Rocky: How so?

Corey: Because you sometimes wear jeans with your Ralph Lauren button-downs?

Johnny: I mean I wear boat shoes and love my cashmere and am obsessed with my family and want to be a dad more than anything.

Rocky: Well what are we defining as "alternative"?

Johnny: I am like a 1950s girl in my aspirations. I mean obviously not, but I just want my family and everything, and to hang out at the club and go sailing with my family, and I daydream about what progressive elementary school my kids will go to. That is not normal for a 21 year old gay.

Corey: So I guess if we define alternative as "not normal," you are alternative. But not in an indie music, free-spirited, non-Republican kind of way. Which isn't to say you're weird, just not fitting in with the normal paradigm of gay.

Johnny: I want to be the first gay first gentlemen of the U.S. 2036. Here we come! I will support my husbands political aspirations.

Corey: What the fuck...?

Rocky: Well, to be fair, most 21 year olds aren't thinking about their kids' education...

Corey: Fuck me. We're in our early twenties.

Johnny: I know, I know. The weird part is I started thinking about my kids names and their schooling when I was still in high school. Fucked up, I know.

Rocky: Dang!

Johnny: I don't even have a potential husband right now, let alone boyfriend.

Rocky: Why do you think that is?

Johnny: I don't know. I guess family is really important to me, I am obsessed with my family, love them to death, would do anything for them, like Don Corleone, I would like you know kill for them, or at least cover it up. So I have always wanted a family.

When I came out to my Dad I was all weepy and was like, "I just want to be a Dad like you because you were so good," and he was like, "It's ok. There are tons of children in this world who need homes. You can adopt," which was really sweet. Even though I probably want genetic kids, so I need a womb for rent.

Corey: Johnny has strong feelings about his father. Some might say Freudian, but he gets mad when I say that.

Johnny: Ok, this is getting too Brady Bunch cliche, even for me.

Corey: Okay. Let's talk social life. I stopped hanging out at Georgetown when people began to attend "O.C. and Champagne" events. What are your thoughts, Johnny?

Johnny: OMG, O.C. is soo high school. I mean I have thought about having "Gossip Girl and Champagne" nights, i adore Champagne, well my favorite drink is a Bellini, which is champagne based.

Rocky: Are you in Late Night Shots?

Johnny: My friend invited me, so I have an account, but I never use it, It seems a little poseur, desperate, trying to hard. Seems like a lot of social climbing wannabes. Either you got it or you don't.

Rocky: So no Smith Point for you then?

Johnny: I don't even know what that is.

Corey: Good. Me neither.

Johnny: Although I do hang out at the "Bro bars" Tombs and Martin's. But Tombs is so tre tre, its like the Cheers bar where everyone knows your name. I love that sense of community.

Corey: Oh! Johnny asked me what a "dive bar" was the other day. He was reading Perez and didn't know that term. I about died.

Johnny: Yeah, I had no idea what that meant. I thought it was some like weird kinky shit, and I was like wtf do they do there, like nasty stuff, but apparently it is just a low rent bar. I learn something everyday. I mean doesn't "dive bar" sound sketch?

Rocky: Ummm... I guess not when you've known of the term intimately for the better part of a decade. :)

Needless to say, I'm a dive bar kind of guy.

Corey: Yes, I lived across from a biker bar in Connecticut, so... yeah.

Rocky: If there's Steve Miller on the jukebox, I'm a happy puppy.

Johnny: I am terrible with music, I have no idea who that is.

I have been to bars in New York with my brother when I was 20, I love the Spotted Pig in Greenwich Village, I said hi to Penelope Cruz and she ignored my drunk ass.

But me and Cor Cor had interestingly awkward experiences at bars in Alanya, Turkey. At Skybar and Robbin Hood. [Ed. note - these were terrifically bad Eurotrash hotspots frequented by German tourists with no shame.]

Rocky: Oh, do tell...

Johnny: Well, the bar tender Ahmet loved us, and would give us free drinks. Robbin Hood was sketch. I was pretty sure the bartenders there were either gay or at least "for hire," because they were super sketch and propositioned me.

Corey: Johnny had crushes on all the Eurotrash boys, but would never admit it.

Johnny: OMG I did not, except for those Norwegian boys, they were super cute, but unfortunately straight.

We were in Istanbul on Corey's 21st and walked into a cloud of tear gas, the cops had just took someone down. Corey was so drunk, he touched some Spanish guy's head. [Ed note: that was not all that Corey touched.]

Corey: It was interesting being in Turkey during the presidential primaries. Especially rooming with Johnny, who fell in love with Clinton, and then settled for McCain in the general election, for the sake of destroying the Estate Tax.

Johnny: Hahah, OMG I loves loves Hillz. She is so fabu. And such a friend to the gays.

Corey: Just like McCain!

Johnny: I love her power suits too. She has more balls than any male politician.

Corey: Well, that's very progressive for someone who once screamed at me for saying chivalry is sexist.

Johnny: Chivalry is beautiful. I still hold doors for women all the time, and I would love for a cute guy to hold the door for me. Alas, no cute gays ever do.

But seriously, lets focus the conversation, ask some deep, focused questions.

Corey: Umm. Did you read our last column?

Johnny: Yes, I read last week's Wide Stance. I read your column [on finding people out of your league] and that guy was flirting with you in the comments, Cor.

But lets focus on ME, ask ME questions.

Rocky: You heard the man, Cor...

Johnny: You can ask questions as well. You are co-hosting.

Corey: Here's a question. Why McCain?

Johnny: I regret the whole McCain thing. I was devastated that Hillz lost; she was my homegirl. Her concession speech was beautiful though, about the dogs barking, but keeping going. Loved it! I don't know I don't really care about politics.

Rocky: But didn't you find that Obama had more in common with Hillary than McCain ever did?

Johnny: I am not a rational enough person to answer Rocky's question. I don't really follow politics, just fiscal policy. I am a fiscal conservative, but to be honest I started to care after Prop 8.

I had lived my entire life in a bubble and never felt threatened or anything, then that really angered me. I was so angry; it was the first time I ever felt like a minority or the underdog. I was like I want equal rights godammit. So that was an awakening.

Corey: So in other words, after someone did something mean to gays, you realized oppressing minorities is bad?

Too harsh? Sorry, I'm a bitch.

Johnny: I have been involved with it. I attended the protest and was on the cover of the Washington Blade with a couple of Gtown students.

We were at the front of the entire protest in the rain. One of the coolest moments ever.

Corey: So your activism consists of... Publicity and neato moments in the rain?

Johnny: OMG, you are A BIATCH Cor Cor. I participated in the protest because I wanted to be pro-active.

Corey: Actually, the protest was reactive. Pro-active is when you act before they pass the thing.

Rocky: If you wanted to be pro-active you wouldn't have voted for McCain. No offense.

Johnny: I didn't actually vote for McCain. I just don't want to admit to Cor Cor that I didn't vote for him, because that would give him some kind of victory.

My whole family actually voted for Obama. Except for my brother who is not registered to vote, despite being 25.

Corey: Well, you certainly supported McCain in public, despite this revelation about your secret "guilt vote."

Rocky: I just don't really get McCain supporters in general, as a black, a gay and a follower of politics. I feel always feel compelled to argue.

Johnny: I don't really follow politics though so...

Anyway, so Rocky, is that a nickname, where did it come from?

Corey: Haha I thought you wanted substantive discussion!

Rocky: It is indeed. It started in college. Speaking of which - let's return to Georgetown nightlife.

Johnny: Well Gtown nightlife is parties, Tombs, M Street bars and that is about it. The gays go to Apex on occasional Thursdays and Town on Friday, but it is tre uncool to go to a gay club on non-college night

Now, Cor Cor had problems with the gay scene at Gtown, but I think it is great. GU Pride is a great organization and is very diverse.

Corey: Now it is. A few years ago it was about 80 rich white guys with pastel sweaters.

Johnny: Well, GU Pride is very diverse right now, socio-economically, racially and socially.

Corey: Too bad Georgetown isn't.

Johnny: OMG, yes it is. When I got to Gtown I couldn't believe how diverse it was, especially socio-economically.

Corey: That's because it was the first time you met any non-rich people. My parents are low-to-mid middle class, and I am in the bottom 5% of income earners here. Something is wrong with that.

Johnny: OMG, can we use an alias for me, like "Johnny"? People from Gtown read this blog, I am like committing social suicide. The Mean Gays are going to cut me.

Rocky: Well, Johnny, you've basically got a post on TNG devoted to you, so is there anything you'd like to say to the readers? Any sort of message you'd like to impart?

Johnny: Um, no, I think I have embarrassed myself sufficiently.

Corey: Well then we best be going. We're in a recession now - I need to shut down my computer, turn off the heat, and fashion a bed out of newspapers.

Rocky: Thanks for stopping by, Johnny.

Corey: It was real. Or something. And to all of our readers, thanks for joining us and we'll see you next week!

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Ben's Notebook: Teen Spirit, Hip-Hop Republicans, Metro Opens Doors, and Mickey Rourke

"Notebook" is published every Tuesday. It is the weekly column by TNG Co-Founder Ben.

I read recently that it's the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. I'm sure there will be the inevitable discussion of his contribution to grunge music, his drug addiction, and his self-inflicted death. What probably won't be mentioned is what's never mentioned: the sad irony of his life. In a nutshell:

A talented young man with exceptional artistic sensitivity picks up a guitar and proceeds to tell the story of his generation. Others call it "X" but the young man calls it pathetic. He mocks its denial and passive relation to life. It's self-chosen helplessness. He rejects compromise to the prevailing age. He warns against a squandered youth. The young man gives his heart to the world in metaphor and allusion, and the world repays him with stupidity, misinterpreting everything he says and turning him into a symbol of everything he seeks to destroy. The young man, a sensitive soul who wants to connect the world and be understood by it, instead sees that world devalued by its own apathy. Unable to cope with alienation and the functional insanity of those around him, he puts a shotgun in his mouth and blows his head off.

It's all very sad, but considering who he was, I can't say I blame him.

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I was in the checkout line at Whole Foods last week when I saw the recent issue of Men's Journal with Mickey Rourke on the cover. The headline read "The Resurrection of a Washed-Out Man." While placing wine, bread, and cheese on the conveyor belt, I focused on those words. Washed Out. They struck a chord, so I bought the magazine. A week later, I'm still thinking about them. What does it mean to be washed-out? I think of being thrown into a machine to get scrubbed, soaped, and beaten repeatedly until you lose color and texture. Until you're thrown out for something better, more vibrant, or newly fashionable. The words bothered me. What does this man think when he sees these words, and others like them? Since his comeback performance in The Wrestler I've hear numerous people reference his withered looks and many mistakes, as if these details equal the sum of the man. Considering my loose connection to whatever the f*** is going on at any given time, I assume there's been a lot of this sort of talk going around.

I've been a fan of Mickey Rourke since I was a teenager. I've even re-watched his crap movies, and there are a number of them. While it's true that he made a mess of his life and most people are quick to cast a judgment or crack a joke, the words "washed out" are inappropriate. He was scrubbed, soaped, and beaten on perpetual spin cycle for an age, and it took an age to dry out, but his color, the many shades that texture the man, is not compromised.

There are few actors that command space by their presence in the manner of Mickey Rourke. Even in his crap films, he demands the attention of his audience. The article in Men's Journal references Rourke's eyes and his propensity for wearing sunglasses, and rightly so. To look through them is nearly a violation of privacy, a glance in to a man's soul and a reflection of all the ugliness and beauty in ourselves that fascinates and repels in equal measure. You can walk through that man's eyes, but most prefer to look around them and laugh. I think this says more about his critics than it does about Mickey Rourke.

I don't mean to minimize his failures. There are many. I only point out that as one of those many queer men who have thrashed through shifting darkness from the limited perspective of the narrow circle of light that surrounds us, I get this guy. I'm glad he made it through, and I'm hopeful to once more see the world through his eyes.

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"Flamenco Sketches (alternative take)" by Miles Davis. It's on the Sketches of Spain album. Listen during your morning metro commute, before people are fully reborn through the membrane of sleep and before coffee fuses with identity. Look around and consider the faces of those seated near you. All will be revealed.

If you can find words, I would be pleased to know what you saw. Contact me at ben@thenewgay.net.

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The GOP is going OPP. I read recently that the new Republican party chairman plans an "off the hook" public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to "urban-suburban hip-hop settings." That's dope. To wrap Jesus in a flag and then sodomize the American people with him always seemed an inherent contradiction. Trading in their duplicitous marriage of patriotism and faith for a more honest representation of their ideals is a good first step in bringing transparency to the political process. Both Hip-Hop and the GOP explicitly value wealth, power, and image over all else and brazenly go to any lengths to achieve it; both marginalize women and hate homosexuals, and neither have lived up to the potential they claimed in the 80s. Way to keep it realz, GOP. If Mitch McConnell's next campaign ad features him in gold chains with a couple of bitches in the back of his Impala, Obama's lead among the 18-34 demographic is in jeopardy.

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Bill Maher mentioned last night that cougars are taking over some neighborhoods crippled by the foreclosure crisis. I'll repeat that. Giant cats are moving in to abandoned properties. In the city of Detroit, over half the population has left, and the average home sells for 18,000 dollars. Considering the state of the automobile industry, at this rate one of our greatest cities could become a zoo within the decade. It's not inconceivable to imagine kudzu cover skyscrapers and urban gardening on main street. I mean, in main street. Maybe I'm sick, but the thought makes me smile. How would I fare if faced with a world where man must survive at his most basic? Does the future assign me some part in a post-Fight Club generation that buries post-modern man's mediated identity? Would I rise to the challenge? Most hope they never need to find out this much about themselves. I fear dying without having the chance.

Economic big shots George Soros and Paul Volcker both said last week that we're looking at an outcome worse than the great depression. I don't know where this financial crisis will take us, but It seems worse than I want to accept, and I know I'm not prepared. The nice people down the street are pumping as much of our tax dollars as they can into the economy in order to protect the American dream, as if we haven't already spent several generations of future wealth. As if our former glory of industrial expansion, easy credit, and cheap energy were before us instead of behind us. I'm not hearing many voices speak out in defense of waking life, but maybe I'm still in my own dream and can't hear them. I guess we all keep dreaming. For now.

I'm suspicious of this "Standard of Living" concept that no one wants to let die, but I guess growing up poor and mobile is to blame. To me, "standard of living" refers to your ability to survive day to day when all you have is yourself and a bad situation. Not much room for error, but it's one of the few marketable skills gained from nothing. I have a suspicion that people around me don't interpret this standard as I do, and I'm concerned for them, more so than for myself. I hear inspiring stories about that "greatest generation" of Americans whose character defined a people and saved a nation, but I'm not sure that race of people still exists. I don't know if men who have never known true struggle can cope if things get too real, especially after a certain passage of age and accumulated comfort. I fear the demon that might rise from the collective unconscious of a dreaming nation. I ask myself that if things go bad, I mean really bad, do I have it in me to survive? Am I now too soft to skip across a razor? My life has only become better these last few years--good job, stability, trusted friends--and everyone tells me that the version of DC that I live in is protected from what I read about in the papers. Why worry about fantastical contingency plans?

Maybe it's just muscle memory. Maybe I'm a fool. I just can't shake the instinct to stay on point. As they say in Louisiana, you can take the trailer out of the country, but not the grass out from under the trailer.

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Introducing "Wide Stance" with Rocky and Corey

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

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TNG Featured Photo

"Hope Restored" by TNG's Edward Jackson

Imagine for a moment the stereotypical heterosexual, Red State male. Now, leave everything the same, but change him into a die hard Liberal, who was the co-chair of the local PFLAG chapter, had an "Impeach Bush" bumper sticker on his refrigerator, and recycles virtually everything he possibly can. That is a description of my Father-in-law, and this is a photo of the American flag he once again flies in his front yard. When I started dating my partner nearly 7 years ago, he took me to meet his parents. An unadorned, white flag pole stood conspicuously in the yard. When George W. Bush became president, my father-in-law took it down. Flying the American flag had become a symbol of support for the President, and he didn't want anyone to think he was okay with the administration's policies.

My partner and I went up for Thanksgiving last year, and the first thing I noticed was that the flag was back. It was the first time in seven years I'd seen "Old Glory" waving in all its majesty in their front yard. The flag had been restored to its rightful place the day after the 2008 presidential election. The day I took this photo, it was cold and extremely windy. But, for about 30 minutes, the wind died down, and it started snowing. I generally hate the stuff, but that day the snow covered everything in a fine, white powder. It was so quiet outside the only things I heard were the faint whisper of the breeze giggling in my ear and the flag ruffling and snapping above.

Change had come to America, and, for those of us who believe our nation can be much more than it had been the last eight years, the American flag was once again a beautiful symbol of hope and freedom.

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In Defense of the Human Rights Campaign

A TNG reader who has worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign submits this post.

With the stress of the last eight years still lingering and the scar tissue left after this election’s ballot measures still fresh, it’s natural that the LGBT community wants to find a reason for all these seeming failures. Unfortunately, the Human Rights Campaign seems to get the brunt of the blame. Distracted by the rich celebrities and powerful politicians that work with the HRC, the media tends not to delve deeply into discovering what the HRC does with the money they raise. I know that TNG has strong readership and support from the HRC, so I wanted to take the time to show the other side of the argument from Tuesday’s post that critiqued HRC’s efforts.

One of the interesting dynamics of the LGBT movement is that there are so many different national organizations working towards equality, and each focuses on a distinct, but integral, aspect of the fight. GLAAD works to combat bias in the media, PFLAG works to educate allies, Join the Impact does grassroots organizing, etc. The Human Rights Campaign’s focus is on lobbying and politics, which means (unfortunately) that HRC needs to abide by the rules of the political world. Fortunately, HRC is a large enough organization that it has the resources to branch into other aspects of the fight; those efforts just tend to get overlooked.

I’ll start with the topic that has been on everyone’s mind for months: the No On 8 campaign was not the best run campaign. While the No On 8 campaign focused purely on phone banking and fundraising, many at HRC didn’t feel this was the best approach. There had been many times in which the HRC field team talked with staff at the No On 8 headquarters about the need for a more active, visual component to the campaign. HRC knew it was important to give the LGBT community a face. That’s why, on top of giving millions of dollars of resources to No On 8, HRC organized the largest pre-election visibility events in California, to energize their base and give the campaign some media visibility.

The promotion of a non-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act is commonly considered HRC’s other primary failure. Though the actions taken by HRC seemed to leave behind an entire group of people, they were simply playing the politics game. First, they wanted to make sure that they supported their political allies who had introduced the bill in order to come to them again this year and introduce a fully inclusive bill. Second, they wanted to get a sense of which representatives still needed to be educated on transgender issues. They discovered that many voted no because they thought they “didn’t have any transgender people in their district.”

Because of what they learned during the ENDA fight, HRC has begun training in forty “priority districts” to educate voters on transgender issues and how to help their elected officials support protections based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. The curriculum is focused on giving a face to the transgender community, specifically in religious communities. In fact, more resources are being directed toward transgender education than ever before.

If you would like an example of Milk-like situations in present day politics, take a quick look at the ballot measure on gender discrimination currently being debated in Gainesville, FL. You can check out the two Citizens for Good Public Policy ads here and here. The head of the campaign opposing this ballot measure is insistent that the campaign focus on emphasizing the fact that this ballot would also allow discrimination against pregnant women and veterans, while choosing to ignore gender identity (and these commercials). The HRC staff working with this campaign is committed to talking about gender identity and transgender issues in this fight. They know that it’s important to make this issue what it’s really about: discrimination against transgender individuals.

HRC has also recently joined forces with The Courage Campaign to help increase visibility of LGBT people in California. They are organizing Clergy Call, which includes a lobby day to give elected officials a chance to interact with hundreds of religious allies and show that there are faith leaders from all across the country that support equality for all. In addition, HRC is not just working on passing hate crimes legislation and ENDA, but working towards the repeals of DOMA and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as well as supporting HIV/AIDS legislation and dozens of state level ballot measures dealing with adoption equality, same-sex marriage, and anti-discrimination laws. Even if it’s not all in one national bill, it’s all on the agenda.

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Thoughts on Milk

My friend Shelby told me that when she went to see Milk she was determined not to cry, so whenever she felt tears start to mist from her eyes she defiantly pulled them back inside. However, when the film was over and she rose from her seat a stream of water poured from her nose. We both thought this was kind of cool. Recently, I went to see the film again, similarly intending to contain my emotional reaction to the film. Wouldn't you know it, at the end of the film I rose from my seat and a small reservoir of water flowed from my nose. While only a minor phenomenon, I found this nose/leaky thing reassuring. As powerful and difficult as emotions tend to be, it's nice to know they still follow certain logical patterns: brief consistent spurts or all at once, emotions will find expression regardless of the effort to manage or block them.

The emotional history of our collective community has been one of spurts: Inconsistent bursts from behind walls of prejudice, pain, and perseverance. We treated these walls as a castle and created a kingdom from within them, but now too many of us have recognized these walls as a form of prison, and we're breaking through and on the march with a man 30 years in the grave leading and uniting us with greater efficacy than HRC and the rest of the establishment gate keepers combined. I'm not sure how the arc of justice will continue its upward swing, but I know it will do so on a flood of emotion that will tear down the walls that are the only true obstacle to its trajectory. I can feel it.

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Paradigm Shift

There's a scene in the film "MILK" where Harvey Milk is in a room full of establishment politicians and gay activists discussing political strategy opposing Prop 6, the initiative to fire all gay educators based on the implication that gay people are pedofiles. In this scene the consensus of the room is that the campaign should play it safe and send out a vague political mailing that doesn't explicitly mention homosexuals even though proposition 6 is an intentional demonization of the gay community. Milk reacts to the room forcefully, stating that "we don't need a human rights campaign, we need a gay rights campaign, " and promotes the necessity of gays being out of the closet, highly visible, directly engaged with those who oppose their equal rights, and tightly organized in a collective of minority interests that encompasses racial, gender, and senior minority groups. On second viewing, this scene resonated with me, particularly considering the details of the recent Prop 8 campaign failure and the gay paradigm shift that is happening right now in real time.

From the cheap seats (where I sit), it seems that Harvey Milk is esteemed by the gay establishment more as a vague symbol of equality than as a man with very specific ideas about fighting for and achieving justice. On Prop 8, our side did a terrible job of involving our allies and putting a gay (and thereby personal) face on the campaign. I've also noticed that the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is referencing Milk heavily in their recent advertising materials and clothing lines, yet that organization has thrown our transgendered allies under the bus and is consistently criticized for being serial pushovers on Capitol Hill (their record is one of epic failure). HRC's recent annual report states on its front page that "We Believe in the Politics of the Possible," which seems like code for "we don't believe much is possible," considering that even with a democratic majority HRC doesn't think it's possible to achieve a comprehensive civil rights bill that extends beyond ENDA and hate crimes legislation. It doesn't take a sage to recognize that Harvey would not be pleased by the fractured and defensive way we struggle forward. Noting the wave of post-prop 8 activism that has swept across this country, I posit that the status quo is no longer acceptable, and HRC and every other gay rights organization must recognize this quickly if they hope to maintain relevance.

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New Book Burns Down the Church of Ronald Reagan

Ed Jackson has been following the Reagan Legacy Project for years and is ecstatic about the new book by author Will Bunch, Tear Down This Myth, exposing the right wing's scheme to convince the world that Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.

The right-wing is hellbent on insuring Ronald Reagan's position "in the pantheon of great leaders of the 20th century." They aren't going to do it by having Rush Limbaugh, the self-appointed leader of the conservative movement, convince the mindless masses (they call themselves "dittoheads") that Reagan was the greatest thing since sliced white bread. To implement their diabolical plan they launched the Reagan Legacy Project so that, according to a young conservative quoted in Bunch's book, "Someone 30 to 40 years from now who may never have heard of Reagan will be forced to ask himself, 'Who was this man to have so many things named after him?'".

The group was started in 1997 by, among others, uber-conservative lobbyer Grover Norquist when the right realized they hadn't had a high-stature, widely popular president since Abraham Lincoln. They have repeatedly failed to produce a leader who would inspire the nation. So, because one has not emerged based solely on the veracity of their political philosophy, the Project is doing a little historical revisionism and manufacturing a fairy tale in which Ronald Reagan is the political right's heroic knight in shining armor. Bunch writes the folks at the Legacy Project recognized that, " ... powerful symbols can mean a lot more than words (especially in a little-read policy journal), that a motorist under the big Sunbelt sky of Ronald Reagan Boulevard will absorb the message of the Gipper’s greatness without ever pondering if ketchup should be a vegetable in federally funded school lunches or if 'the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers' in Central America were drug-dealing thugs ... "

Don't like the truth? Then just make up a bunch of shit and say it over and over again until everyone believes it. Don't have a great president? Pick a mediocre one who was moderately popular and turn him into a national icon. It's a move straight out of the right-wing playbook. They have no new ideas.


"Give them tax cuts," the right's response to everything, has become the modern day version of, "Let them eat cake." So when they needed to figure out how they could pull off this con they looked around and said, "Gee, look at all the stuff named after John F. Kennedy, Abe Lincoln, and FDR. The nation must have loved those guys. Dude! We should name a bunch of stuff after Ronald Reagan. Then everyone will think he was great also."

The Legacy Project wants to slap Reagan's name on, " ... significant public landmarks ... in the 50 states and over 3,000 counties of the United States ... " I'm sure Reagan would have totally supported the idea of a bunch of "inside-the-beltway" posers telling local governments what to do with their limited resources.

The Project boasts about successfully renaming National Airport after Reagan, something that would make the airport, " ... a weekly thumb in the eye of the Yankee elites who were still belittling the aging Gipper’s presidency." They renamed the Florida State Turnpike after Reagan, and that's about it so far. I wanted to be able to blame the next examples on the right-wingers at the Legacy Project but I couldn't find a direct link. Nonetheless, they make the following points:

- The largest (2nd only to the Pentagon) and most expensive civilian federal building in the world is the Ronald Reagan Building and Federal Trade Center in Washington, DC.

- The USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear powered "super" aircraft carrier, one of the largest capital ships in the world. They brought her in $2.5 billion over budget and delivered her at least a year late. Reagan would have been so proud.

One day 30 or 40 years from now, someone will see Reagan's name emblazoned on the building and think, "The Ronald Reagan building is a monolithic example of unchecked government excess and a waste of taxpayer dollars."

Bunch writes about the Project's brazen audacity stating, "All the sweetness and yuks masked a somewhat startling fact — that by enshrining a national myth about Reagan so soon after his presidency, while he was still alive (albeit incapacitated), and for purposes that were essentially partisan in nature, Norquist, Kamburowski and their powerful and growing list of conservative allies were pulling off a maneuver that was unprecedented in American history. Other presidents and leaders had surely been mythologized — a walk from Norquist’s office near K Street to the National Mall would show that — but not while they were still living, or in a manner so blatantly calculated in the very spirit of a presidency built around effective public relations."

Don't underestimate the determination of Norquist and the Project. Bunch writes that Norquist told the Baltimore Sun, “[Reagan] deserves a monument like the Jefferson or the FDR — or the Colossus at Rhodes! National Airport is a good place to start.” They've also mentioned putting Reagan on Mount Rushmore. And, the same young conservative said, “The left has been far better at rewriting history. Conservatives just haven't paid that much attention to this kind of thing.”

So keep your eyes peeled. There is a big government, boondoggle with Ronald Reagan's name on it coming to a street near you.

To find out more:

NPR - "Will Bunch: Tearing Down The Reagan 'Myth'"

Salon - "How Republicans created the myth of Ronald Reagan"

LA Times - "Obama, be like Reagan"

Huffington Post - "Obama's Inauguration Could do With Less Reagan, More (Gasp) Carter"

If you want to hear the flip side from the editor of the Reagan Diaries click here. Never let it be said that I don't present both sides.

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Madonna-Whore, Meet Savior-Scum

TNG Managing Editor Corey submitted this piece.

I've long been thinking that I have some kind of a gay man's version of the Madonna-Whore Complex. If you're unfamiliar with this term, it's the idea that straight men want to marry a Madonna (a sexless, perfect, saintly woman) and sleep with a Whore (a... well, you know). For me it's a sad-but-too-often-true look at the double-standard expected of hetero women in today's culture.

The version I associate with - which I have come to call the Savior-Scum Complex - is the desire of gay men to find a guy who is part gentleman, hero, and rescuer from the depths of the single abyss, and part dumb asshole who you know will treat you like shit. (I can only imagine that a lot of hetero women share this same kind of concept, based on my interactions with them; I'm not sure if gay or bi women have a take, but if so I'd love to hear it.)

What I hadn't realized before is that the District is the perfect / worst place on earth for a Savior-Scum sufferer. It is hard to imagine a more phallocentric, messiah-on-the-outside, dirtbag-on-the-inside figure than the American Politician. As I read Ben's post from Wednesday on our need for Barack Obama so save our poor souls, I realized that he is the perfect candidate for this. I'll admit it - I'm very attracted to our new president, and not just because he looks like this with his shirt off. While I want him to do a great job and fix all our nation's problems, I also know that I will probably only be disappointed in the end. He will pivot from his principles, make an egregious error, be the center of some scandal, or otherwise find a way to let us (or at least people like me) down.

At best, politicians prove themselves human and flawed; at worst, they prove themselves to be somehow sub-human - dark, Blagojevichian creatures of the first ring of hell. And, perhaps perversely, part of me is more than happy to see this happen.

Hit me with your worst, Mr. President. We both know I want it.

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Global Gaze: Making History in South Africa and Iceland

This post was submitted by Jolly, TNG Events Editor and unofficial international affairs nerd.

With the passing of Proposition 8 and the start of a new, hopefully more LGBT-friendly, administration in the White House there has been a renewed interest and vigor in America’s movement towards full equality. And while this attention and strengthened resolve has been great for the queer community in the US, it is worthwhile to regularly turn our attention to the lives and experiences of LGBT individuals and communities throughout the world, both the remind ourselves every once and a while how good we have things here comparatively, and also to learn from the successes and failures of others throughout the international community who have already achieved those goals we’re striving for here.

With that in mind, welcome to the first of what will hopefully become a regular feature where we pause and take a moment to highlight queer stories from around the world.

And while, as with any other type of news, there are a lot of depressing stories related to international LGBT issues, we’re going to start this thing off on a positive note and highlight the achievements of Edwin Cameron in South Africa and Johanna Sigurdardottir in Iceland, both of whom are making history and breaking down barriers not only in their own countries but throughout the world.

In what turned out to be yet another example of my friends knowing me entirely too well, a buddy sent me an email last week with a link to a story in the New York Times because it reminded him of me. My interests outside of gay issues lie in international affairs in general, and all things dealing with Africa in particular. The piece in question was a profile of a South African judge named Edwin Cameron who had finally been allowed to take his place on South Africa’s highest court.

This may not sounds very newsworthy for those outside of the country, but it becomes a lot more interesting when one realizes that Cameron is an openly gay man taking on this role on a continent in which it remains more common for homosexuality to be criminalized rather than celebrated. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that, despite sub-Saharan Africa’s association in many people’s minds with the AIDS crisis, Cameron officially becomes the first openly HIV-positive African to hold such a high position.

I have been familiar with Cameron’s work for a while, as his lecture entitled “Sexual Orientation and the Constitution: A Test Case for Human Rights,” which he gave in 1992 as an argument for including a non-discrimination clause based on sexual orientation in South Africa’s new constitution, was one of the documents I built an entire graduate thesis around and lays out in some of the clearest terms I’ve ever read why sexual minorities are worthy and in need of formal protection. Reading the piece in the Times, however, introduced me to his life, which is arguably just as interesting as his words.

Cameron’s early life vaguely resembles the plot of Andre Brink’s amazing novel, A Dry White Season (check it out if you haven’t), in that he was amongst the ranks of white South Africans who crusaded against the very apartheid system from which they tacitly benefited. It was Nelson Mandela himself, in fact, who appointed Cameron to the country’s High Court in 1994. In 1999 he made another brave and unpopular decision: he announced to the panel which would be deciding on his promotion to a higher position within the courts that “I am not dying of AIDS; I am living with AIDS.” With President Mbeki, a man Cameron has publicly clashed with over his AIDS policies, now stepping down, Cameron is finally able to take his rightful place on South Africa’s Constitutional Court, the highest tribunal in the country, after having his ascension repeatedly delayed. In doing so, he’s also helping to shatter a culture of silence and shame in a region in which such an act is desperately needed.

Making a similar impact on an even more global level, Johanna Sigurdardottir was appointed the interim Prime Minister of Iceland last week, as TNG's Ben previously reported, and in the process became the world’s first out-and-proud gay head of state.

It was a bizarre series of events which led to the former Social Affairs Secretary’s assumption of the position, which included two upper-level officials being diagnosed with cancer and several others flat out quitting and claiming the job was essentially too stressful and impossible. The initial catalyst, however, was the global economic crisis, which has devastated Iceland and thrown its government into disarray because the country’s prosperity is almost exclusively based on its financial sector.

While it’s unlikely that Sigurdardottir will stay on as Prime Minister after the country’s elections in May, as her party is fairly unpopular at the moment, the former Icelandair stewardess has the opportunity to really prove herself in the coming months. Regardless of how long she holds the position, she will endure forever as a symbol of progress (even if, as Wonkette suggests, “all it took for the gays to reach this special moment in history was for literally every straight person in Iceland to turn down the job”).

Her appointment, in a somewhat Obama-esque way, represents the achievement of something which was unthinkable just years ago. It's interesting to see how the international community will react to a world leader potentially making state visits with her partner and their children. If nothing else, her work will give future queer leaders an idea of what they're getting themselves into. Anyway, congratulations and good luck, Ms. Sigurdardottir – you certainly have your work set out for you, but I, for one, will be rooting for you.

Up next time: new steps towards equality in Sweden and Nepal, amongst other things. In the meantime, if there’s a topic which relates to international affairs and queer issues you’d like to see discussed, leave your suggestions in the comments section or email them to me!

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