When Studio 360 asked the New York-based design firm Worldstudio to give the gay pride flag a 21^st century makeover, we had to leave a lot of great conversations out of the final story. Here’s a little bit more from the lively brainstorming session Worldstudio principle Mark Randall held with his team of designers, including Andrea Pellegrino, Nina Mettler, and Tom Koken.

Worldstudio designers present their research, and try to decide which colors and symbols represent today's gay movement

Check out the full flag redesign story and visit our website at studio360.org to listen to all archived segments and shows.

-Kelly Sullan

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Someone said the other day that this town needs a political enema. I think this is a good illustration.
The fecal matter occupying the 4th floor needs to be flushed down from where it came. To be succesful in doing this means we need to derail them in the primary. Don’t be fooled though, it won’t be easy the denocratic machine that put him in office is well oiled. But a defeat or a 3 way tie in september will spell death to citizen actions gravy train of corruption. Then no matter who wins in november of 09 it will be better for our community. Then ryan can go home continue his coke habit and misogymy,Tarik and mary clark can fly all the gay flags they want on their straw houses. I just wonder if the damage done over the last wretched 4 years can be healed?

FROM WND

‘This is first time protected status given to whatever sexual orientation one has’

Members of the U.S. House today approved a plan to create a federal “hate crimes” plan that will provide special protections to homosexuals and others with alternative sexual choices, but leave Christian ministers and pastors open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a “gay.”

The vote was 249-175, and came despite intense Republican opposition to the creation of the privileged class.

Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. of the High Impact Leadership Coalition also condemned the action, offering a warning about the future of the United States.

He was interviewed on the issue by Greg Corombos of Radio America/WND,

Jackson said the action simply puts “sexual orientation” in a specially protected class under federal law.

“Based on history, it really isn’t something that needs to be protected,” he said. “There’s a problem that this is going to mark the first time that a protected class status is given to … whatever sexual orientation one has.”

He said the history in other nations is a fairly certain prosecution of Christians. In Sweden, for example, a minister who preached out of Leviticus was sentenced to 30 days in jail – for preaching out of Leviticus.

Similar state laws have resulted in similar results. In Philadelphia several years ago a 73-year-old grandmother was jailed for trying to share Christian tracts with people at a homosexual festival, he said.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said H.R. 1913 will create “thought crimes,” and U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., said it will end equality in the United States.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, charged the plan will divide America into groups of more favored versus less. He again cited USC Title 18, Section 2a, the foundation of H.R. 1913, which says anyone who through speech “induces” commission of a violent hate crime “will be tried as a principal” alongside the active offender.

But there is no epidemic of hate in the U.S. he noted.

U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., introduced a striking argument: If Miss California, Carrie Prejean, who supports traditional marriage had slapped the homosexual judge who derided her on the stage under H.R. 1913 she could be indicted as a “violent hate criminal,” facing a possible 10 years in prison. But, Forbes said, if the homosexual judge had slapped her, she would have had no special protection under H.R. 1913.

Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, said, “The Anti-Christian Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives has acted today to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, youth pastors, Bible teachers, and anyone else whose Bible speech and thought is based upon and reflects the truths found in the Bible.

“A pastor’s sermon could be considered ‘hate speech’ under this legislation if heard by an individual who then acts aggressively against persons based on ’sexual orientation.’ The pastor could be prosecuted for “conspiracy to commit a hate crime,” she said.

“This Democrat-controlled Congress has now elevated pedophiles and other bizarre sexual orientations, as well as drag queens, transgenders, lesbians and gay men to the level of protection of that already given to African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities in the law,” she said.

House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the Democrats simply have placed a higher value on some lives compared to others, a decision he said is unconstitutional.

Not happy with just making Christian teachings on homosexuality illegal, noted officials at Liberty Counsel, supporters have approved the law that also provides grant money for so-called “sensitivity-training” to provide pro-homosexual propaganda.

When a plan virtually identical to the current Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 was developed in the last Congress, Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., admitted during a hearing on the bill it could be used to prosecute pastors merely for preaching against homosexuality under the premise that they could be “inducing” violence in someone.

The bill ultimately failed then because President Bush determined it was unnecessary – the crimes banned in the legislation already are addressed by other laws – and it probably was unconstitutional.

“The federal hate crimes bill is bad news for everyone,” said Brad Dacus of Pacific Justice Institute, who testified in Congress against the bill two years ago.

“Instead of treating all crime victims equally, it creates a caste system where select groups, such as gays and lesbians, are given greater priority in the criminal justice system. This is not progress; it is political correctness. In other nations and states, the adoption of hate crimes legislation has been the first step toward widespread suppression of speech and ideas critical of homosexuality,” he said.

Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel has spoken out against H.R. 1913 a number of times.

“As has proved to be true in both Europe and Canada, this Orwellian piece of legislation is the direct precursor to freedom killing and speech chilling ‘hate speech’ laws. It represents a thinly veiled effort to ultimately silence – under penalty of law – morally, medically and biblically based opposition to the homosexual lifestyle,” he said.

Barber said the 14th Amendment already provides that victims of violent crimes are afforded equal protection under the law “regardless of sexual preference or proclivity.”

Barber cited FBI statistics showing there were about 1.4 million violent crimes in the U.S. in 2007, but only 1,512 were presumed to be “hate crimes.” And two-thirds of those involved claims of “hateful” words, touching and shoving.

Under the specifications of the law, a Christian needn’t touch a homosexual to face charges, he noted.

“If the homosexual merely claims he was subjectively placed in ‘apprehension of bodily injury’ by the Christian’s words then, again, the Christian can be thrown in prison for a felony ‘hate crime,’” he said.

WND reported previously that the plan was introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who said, “The bill only applies to bias-motivated violent crimes and does not impinge public speech or writing in any way.”

Section 10 of the act states, “Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution.”

However, critics cite United States Code Title 18, Section 2, as evidence of how the legislation could be used against people who merely speak out against homosexuality. It states: Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.

Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, warned Christians to speak up before the legislation passes. He said they are acting like the proverbial frog in a slowly heating kettle that boils to death.

“They need to wake up and take action to oppose this threat to religious liberty.”

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I was recently looking for a cool gift for one of my colleagues at work (I knew he was gay), so I went off for a walk through the stores. To be honest, that fact that he`s gay was actually the  only thing I knew about him (probably nothing else was of interest…hehe)

It took me a long time, but I finally decided to by him a stylish gay pride framed print (see picture). To me, prints are the perfect gift since they are usually long-term enjoyable and therefore worth the bucks!

I know from the merchant (an online store), that all prints are custom manufactured using archival inks and acid-free paper, so there`s nothing to be worried about.

Framed prints are matted and framed in a stylish black frame with plexiglass cover and of course, frames include complete backing.  The frame size is 19″ x 15″.

I hope I might have inspired some of you. Its a really cool piece, go get it! Ou…the store, you can get it here (fast delivery, cheap).

/Steven

Happy Holidays everyone! 

What’s with the exchange rate?

My sojourn in France had to come to an end, and I proceeded to infiltrate yet another European (the only new state for me to enter this year, and it still hasn’t occured to me that I had only visited Poland & Belgium at the beginning of they year – and that there were still a few other countries I had visited even before I left for Australia). The efficacious use of my money is promptly explained, and so is the debt that I had seemed to incur as a result. This was essentially not the most practical city to visit, when you’re striving to exist off 5€ a day.

This place is incredibly blue, each country has it’s own colour schemes. Australia is an incredibly red country, England is Grey, Philippines Brown and this one very blue. Which pretty much means it’s the cleanest effing city in the world. You could lick the concrete if you felt like it. BTW that water fountain is what people come here for. I don’t really remember what it’s called.

The city itself is reminiscent of all other French cities, a little like Bordeaux or a cleaner version of Nice. Lots of shopping here for the rich Arabs that come to this place. There are heaps of Arabs here. Not necessarily the terrorist ones, possibly the ones that fund terrorism – but I doubt that they would care too much, cos they’re living it up, with pimped up cars with Arabic number plates.

There was also a Gothic church which I felt less inclined to enter, what’s the point? This is a city of Athiest, it was already so difficult to get to anyway. However, it was located in what looked like an old town, lots of cobbled streets. It’s a very French city.

And my god, the diverse ethnicities in this place. It has everything. Black, lots of hispanics and they dress like they’re south american prostitutes, some random fillipinos. It’s a great mix of people. The white people are of course, fukn good looking in general – and there doesn’t seem to be that many mixed race people. They probably just stick to their own to their own. Though I did notice heaps of white people walking around bare foot – what up with that?

OH MY GOD – this cost me $18 Australian, the exchange rate of Swiss and Aus is no different, fuckn $18 – again, do you know how many maccas meals that shit is? And the noodles taste like ass. Stupid vietnamese selling me chinese food. I can TELL you’re speaking Viet!

The city surrounds a nice clear lake, and they create these portions directly onto the lake for people to swim in like a pool. That water, no kidding, is 8degrees, how they manage to swim in there is a phenomenon – but it doesn’t stop the place looking “pretty”.

The city is visually stunning, mostly natural beauty – french architecture etc. It’s very safe as well, even with the amount of ethnics, but it doesn’t really matter because there are other cities I could visit that has more stuff to do, and much less expensive.

There were still heaps of people here sun bathing! They created a mini beach in the centre of the lake, but holy crap they were half naked in water that could refrigerate a large cow. Or, a big fat pom.

It does strongly remind me of Amsterdam though, in terms of this odd sort of peaceful feeling, but that might have been the pot someone was smoking nearby.

I think by the time I arrived here, I was already tired of traveling. I need a rest.

But laughed my head off when is saw the gay flag on bumper cars.

A tak w ramach ciekawostek przyrodniczych.

Portfolio ABSOLUTA poszerzyło się o kolejną edycję limitowaną – zorientowaną seksualnie na homoklientelę ABSOLUT COLORS. Tęczowe butelczyny, przygotowane specjalnie na pierwszą w tym roku w Europie paradę miłości – sztokholmską EuroPride 2008 – wyglądają tak:

Kampania reklamowa tego ślicznego spirytualium ma też swoją twarz. Podobizną oraz wzruszającą opowieścią własnej homo-historii wsparł ją niejaki Gilbert Baker. Artysta. I gej. Kto to taki, kto to taki? Ano ten, który w 1978 roku zaprojektował słynny symbol niepodległości i suwerenności wszystkich gejów i lesbijek świata - tęczową flagę.

Following a recent disagreement between the two largest gay pride organisations in Scotland, Pride Scotia (Glasgow) Ltd has now broken away from Pride Scotia to form its own entity as Pride Glasgow Ltd. Both cities will now no longer co-operate to organise gay pride events in Edinburgh and Glasgow, traditionally rotating city each year. Pride Scotia, now only operating in the capital, have promised to maintain their commitment to the community through co-ordinating the parade and other festivities every two years. The next pride even in Edinburgh is due to take place in the summer of 2009, with a provisional date of July 27th.

The Glasgow branch plan to begin the festivities this year in George’s Square at 10 a.m. on a sunny day in August. The date has yet to be confirmed.

At present, the new organisation has gained the support of three sponsors for this years pride event. QS Mag, Glasgow’s LGBT Centre and the Pink Paperhave all committed to sponsoring the company for Pride 2008. They are however still in need of more sponsors to ensure the day is as successful as possible. Pride Glasgow’s website details ways in which companies, LGBT organisations and individuals can get involved to make Pride 2008 the most memorable yet.