I LOVE MEDIA MATTERS.

Hire me.

  Dance the night away in your semi-formal attire while

Come dance the night away in your semi-formal attire while showing your support for the LGBTQQIAA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Allies) community in Calhoun County!

There will be a DJ, refreshments, information about open and affirming services in Calhoun County, (it wouldn’t be prom without them) prom photos, and a safe space for socializing.

Peace Prom is a dance open to people of any age and any sexual orientation, so come with your friends, partner, or family to show support!

*ADMISSION IS FREE!!*

Sponsored by:
-Calhoun County Coaltion for Inclusion
-Arcus Foundation

Saturday, December 5, 2009

8:00pm – 11:00pm

3Ci (Calhoun County Coalition for Inclusion)

First Congregational Church

145 Capital Ave. NE

Battle Creek, MI

facebook link

La sexualidad es algo natural en los seres humanos, siendo una función como tantas otras, como comer, caminar, leer, estudiar, etc. Y como tal, debe ser un tema tratado con total naturalidad, honestidad, y  cariño, cuando de  enseñarlo a un niño se trate,  teniendo claro darle su propio espacio dentro de este  proceso de aprendizaje. Pues los niños toman  diversos caminos  al tratar de  tener el  conocimiento de su propio cuerpo, y el de poder saber el por qué de sus sensaciones, y por mucho que nosotros los adultos nos esforcemos por responderles de las formas más mesuradas posibles,  las respuestas que les otorgamos no siempre son los más adecuados para ellos.

Las  manifestaciones y  deseos sexuales en los niños, se manifiestan  desde una muy  temprana  edad,  siendo la etapa  infantil  un portal  por  el  cual el niño va  desarrollando  su personalidad y sus relaciones con la afectividad.

 Hoy en  día, las interferencias en este proceso de aprendizaje hacen  que los  niños  estén  cada vez en más temprano edad  expuestos  a unas manifestaciones severas, y en muchos casos incomprensibles, de la sexualidad.

El estúpido culto a la belleza, al físico y la seducción, en los medios de comunicación, no solo degenera la percepción del niño tiene de sí, si  no que también altera la manera de cómo debe mirar a otros niños como el, estas clases de publicidad no distinguen la edad de su público ni mucho menos el daño psicoemocional que les generan. Hoy en día existe un abuso de las manifestaciones sexuales, al cual los niños están indiscriminadamente expuestos. Los contenidos sexuales pueden acelerar las manifestaciones de los niños en el tema de la sexualidad, considerando que ellos aprenden imitando lo que ven de sus padres, de la televisión, out-doors, de bailes y ropas eróticas de moda, etc. Estas clases de influencias  conceden nociones equivocadas y perjudiciales al niño.

De una forma general lo único que puede evitar estas malas interferencias es la familia. Somos los adultos, los padres, que debemos  ejercer el papel de filtro de las informaciones. Siendo necesario crear y mantener un canal abierto de comunicación con los hijos, espacios de discusión e de intervención sobre lo que es correcto y lo que no, relacionados a todos los temas, y en especial a la sexualidad. Es conveniente  además vigilar de muy cerca el entorno y las actividades del niño, para orientarle cuando sea necesario.

En la medida de lo posible, no se debe perder ninguna oportunidad para entablar conversación sobre sus dudas, intereses, proyectos etc. , pues el tener estas clase de información nos ayuda a nosotros  poder saber por dónde van y de donde vienen .y con mucho mas razón hoy en día en  que los niños pues ya no se ponen  la ropa  que uno buenamente les compra si no que son ellos quienes las escogen , ahora en donde las respuestas te las dan ellos y tu solo te quedas mudo al ver que  ya sabían que  no eran la cigüeña quien lo había traído a este mundo, ahora que nos quedamos asombrados y a la ves enternecidos cuando vemos una joven pareja de NOVIOS de apenas 5 años caminando por el INICIAL agarrados de la mano, ahora que ya no se mandan cartas de amor si no se envían mensajes de texto, y que no necesitas pedir permiso para poder conversar con un amigo(a) pues solo basta llamar  por el celular y conversar todo lo que se quiera en la comodidad de un cuarto , ahora que no se necesitas tener a la persona en forma física para poder tener intimidad pues solo bastas una cámara y un pantalla, ahora que ya no necesitas hacer un SLAM ,  si no que basta tener un HI o FACEBOOK para que sepan de ti, ahora que no necesitas incluso conocer a la persona para poder entablar una conversación , es justamente ahora que deberíamos dejarnos de estúpidos tabúes y hablar de SEXUALIDAD con nuestros niños

An article FWLG found on Advocate.com (available here:  http://is.gd/52Obv) discusses some alarming figures for gay and lesbian couples when it comes to current federal estate taxes.  The article, which links to a report by Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, mentions that wealthy gay couples may face “an average of $3.3 million more in federal estate taxes this year upon the death of a spouse than their married heterosexual counterparts.”

The article continues by stating that if the estate tax penalty remain in effect, those gay and lesbian couples will be subject to a total of $237 million in additional taxes in 2009 alone, and more than $3.5 billion in additional taxes over the next few years.

That’s right – $3.5 billion.

As a side note, one billion is a difficult number to conceptualize, so here’s a useful trick.  Suppose that one dollar equals one second.  One billion seconds equals 31.668 years, and we can then calculate that 3.5 billion seconds would equal almost 111 years.  Yikes.

So why are gay couples subject to higher estate taxes?  The answer lies in the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  Gay relationships are not legally recognized by the federal government under DOMA, so tax protections available to married heterosexual couples simply do not apply to same-sex couples.

This is one of many reasons why FWLG encourages members of the LGBT community to research their legal rights, and to consult with an estate planning attorney in order to find out what protections are available for their family.

The mother of George Steven Lopez Mercado sends us a message of love and thanks for the support and action that many of us have taken. Most of us probably remember the teen’s horrific murder last week.

I haven’t had the time to write a serious post. This fact is one that I worried about when beginning this blog because I want to be a blogger you can rely on updating frequently, and having good topics when such updates occur. As I wallow in self pity over the two tests I probably bombed today, I think I’ll write a short snipit.

I’d like to explain myself to the world a bit. There’s just a slight problem with me doing this…From what I’ve seen and experienced, the more I try to explain, the more confusing I get to those around me.

Two prominent examples of this: AUSA this past weekend, and work (but that’s another story for another day).

AUSA: I meet some of Zack’s friends. Due to his situation, they naturally try to confirm which pronoun for me is correct (which is respectful, and  I was flattered by this). I tell them, literally, “Whichever you want.”

This is my common answer to those that question me as to what to call me too. Often my answer is, “Whatever you want.” Sometimes, I’ll be generous, and tell them I usually go by Britt or Brett, but still remain set in the idea that they can call me whichever they deem appropriate. It varies for me. I’m never always one, and I’m never always both. I’m at a constant in-between usually. I sometimes reference the “Rift” in normal conversation. Some that know my deeper workings, aka Zack, know of this as the gap between my two “personalities” (aka Britt and Brett).**I usually have to clarify at this point. I don’t have Dissociative Identity Disorder. I know what it is, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, and I don’t have it. Rather, it’s appropriate to say that I’m aware of the two extremes of my personality, but to make it easier to understand, I just separate them as though they’re two different people. Honestly, you can tell the difference between them, and I really am pretty much two different people. I”m happy with this fact though.

It’ll start to be more obvious if I continue writing about it, but for now…that’s a snipit to the personal side of this blog. Enjoy the few words that I can think of to try and explain the inner workings. And know…this was totally random, and I apologize if it’s repetitive. I didn’t think much, I just typed.

Class time!

Peace. <3

Since it is almost Thanksgiving and I will be far too busy eating turkey to blog on Thursday I am going to do my post on what I am thankful for today. I think this goes along with the flow of my posts today as well so what better time right?

First and foremost I am thankful for Nightrider. She is the most amazing person in the world and I love her with every aspect of my being. She is handsome and strong, and smart and charismatic and has the biggest heart I have ever seen. She is my partner, my rock, my shoulder to lean on, the love of my life, an amazing mother, a fantastic cook, the best kisser know to all woman kind, the best part of my day, and honestly my better half.  I am so thankful everyday that I get to spend my life with her.

-I am thankful for our wonderful children. The boys amaze me everyday, they are growing up right before our eyes and are becoming awesome young men, with kind hearts, common sense, great senses of humor and I know they will be great adults, husbands, fathers and everything else they will desire to be. They can make me smile any day of the week and even as they are becoming teenagers still find time to cuddle with us and make our days perfect.

-I am thankful for my job. That I have a job to go to everyday, that I have paychecks coming in and that I work for amazing people who treat me like family. I could’nt ask for a better boss who has been on my side every step of the way for the last 4 years and has made a point of leading the pack for accepting me and a my family.

-I am thankful for the roof over our heads, that we have a home and that as crowded as it sometimes may be  it is always filled with love, warmth and the smell of Nightrider’s homecooking!

-I am thankful for my parents. I am lucky enough to have a mother who is also my best friend and a step father who would move mountains for me. They are always there when we need them and I know I always have a family to come home to.

-I am thankful for our family and friends despite their flaws, they are all wonderful people who our lives wouldn’t be the same without. I am going to love something about them forever and no matter what happens that will never change.

Lastly I am thankful for the kind and giving people out there. Sometimes we become so jaded that we don’t know people like you still exist. Last night we recieved a call from our kids school. They had heard we were having some tough times, with Nightrider being out of work due to her multiple sclerosis & us living off of my income alone. They have arranged for a box of food for Thanksgiving to be delievered to our house, and an anoymous and wonderful person has given our family specifically, a donation of $100 towards our power bill for the month of December. This will help us pay the bills and allow us to have some extra cash to give the kids a better Christmas then we would be capable of giving without the help.

What are you thankful for?

NYers Mourn For
Annual Trans Day of Remembrance

Throngs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans New Yorkers turned out to recognize the many events that were taken place last Friday to commemorate the 11th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The day recognizes those that fell victim to hate crimes, much of which can not live to tell their stories today.

Last Friday’s day of remembrance came no sooner as people across the nation were mourning the losses of two gay youth who were murdered in most recent weeks, both alleged hate crimes.

The day came just after Puerto-Rican Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, 19, was decapitated and left for dead alongside a road in Cayey, Puerto Rico last week.

Just days later, Jason Mattison Jr., 15 of Baltimore, who was openly gay to his family and friends was found dead in a relative’s closet.

The New York City Anti-Violence Project along with the Gender Identity Project held a vigil with special guests last Friday, November 20 at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center in Manhattan.

Following that, on Sunday, the AVP held a vigil for Mercado at Pier 45 at Christopher Street.

“It’s surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others.” Sydney J. Harris

I have been thinking about empathy alot lately. Mainly how I lack it. The quote above struck a cord with me because it is true and is forcing me to take a good hard look at myself and see that the empathy I lack, the chip on my shoulder I carry and the anger that I allow myself to drown in is all a reflection of how I really feel about myself. This is an incredibly sad thing to realize.

I tend to be very loud, rash, blunt and to the point. I don’t spare people’s feelings as often as I should and I tend to let people get under my skin and live there for all eternity. Nightrider on the other  hand is diplomatic about honesty, cares about people’s feelings, always does everything she can to be understanding of situations and to always be a safe place and a good friend for anyone in need. This is where our relationship gets tricky.Nightrider and I don’t find much to disagree over or argue about but our difference in how we handle situations and the amount of empathy we have for other people is a large problem for us. I think alot of this stems from how we were brought up, and our life experiences. Nightrider had a very difficult  childhood, she was brought up with a drifter for a mother, and was frequently subjected to harmful situations involving drugs, men, homelessness and the worst things one could possibly imagine. Nightrider knows what it’s like to not know where you are going to sleep, to have no one to turn to and to not feel welcome in the place you are forced to inhabit. This makes Nightrider who she is and that person is someone who would never let anyone she cares about in even the smallest form fall into similar situations. Nightrider is also a hippie at heart and the combination of her extreme sense of peace and love and empathy is the reason why in the last 2 years we have been together we have never lived alone together (by alone I mean just us and our kids). We have had roomates forever. Sometimes they are the kind that hold down jobs, and pay rent, other times they are people who are in hard times and need to do absolutely nothing but play couch commando for months at a time on our dime. (See I’m sure with that last statement you can feel the tension, and lack of empathy in my words).

So you see the problem, no? I don’t understand why people can’t just figure their shit out. I compare other people to myself alot and can justify my lack of empathy with the thought that if I have to be a grown up and deal with the things life throws at us why don’t they? If I were to lose my job today I would be looking for a job tomorrow, if I couldnt find one within a week of unemployment I would park my happy ass in a Mc*Donalds kitchen and find a way to make ends meet on minimum wage. If I get my heartbroken and know I need to move out of my girlfriends place I don’t expect anyone else to figure that out for me. I deal with the uncomfortable situation until I can get into a new place, because its not anyone else’s problem but my own. It’s just the way I think.  Now even though I think this way I do love Nightrider so I open up our home and let people stay, I stretch the dollar for another person and I suck it up, but unfortunately I don’t let my irritation go unnoticed and this is the problem. I become very cold when I feel someone is taking advantage of us and I can’t empathize for them. Everything that person does begins to bother me, I have no love for them anymore, and can see nothing good in them while this is going on and this is so fucked up.

I was brought up moderately privledged. I always had everything I needed and most of the things I wanted. My parents sacrificed for me and never let it show. Apparently we were close to Bankruptcy once when I was little and I didn’t even know about it until a couple years ago. My mother lacks empathy the same way I do. When its something someone really can’t help, like illness or injury we understand but when its problems someone has inflicted on themselves we don’t have a lot of room for pity. I’m guessing my mom has the same stem of this problem that I do, being to way she feels towards herself.  I know this is my problem, i put alot of pressure on myself, can be a perfectionist and demand that I keep everything together all the time. This is why I am so hard on other people. This goes along with how critical I am of myself in every way shape and form. The perfect example is how I am about the way I look. I can see myself in the mirror and pick apart every imperfection I have, in turn this allows me to pick apart everyone else flaws as well. It makes me judgemental and critical and that is all just on the surface.  I have anger managment problems and they come out primarily when I am so clouded with criticism that I can’t feel any compassion for the people in my life. This is not ok and is not the kind of person I want to be or the life I want to live.

I think part of fixing this problem is admiting it which is the point of this post. I am not as kind and loving of a person that I would like to be. I wan’t to be able to see  the best in people, to be iving and understanding. I know I want to be a better person, and now that I have found the root of the problem I am going to do everything in my power to be the kind of person that not only will be loved by other people but that can be loved by herself.  Its time for me to put a little love in my heart to not be so hard on myself or other people, to love people for who they are and to learn to let go of everything that I carry that weighs on my heart.

We’re completely thrilled to have been approved as a pro-gay wedding vendor on So You’re EnGAYged, an excellent wedding resource for same-sex and allied couples.

So You’re EnGAYged lists vendors based on their answers to a questionnaire regarding their relationship with the LGBT community and their support of LGBT rights. Although we don’t specifically ask couples signing up to use the site whether they’re same-sex, around 1.5% of couples signing up provide a title (Mr/Ms etc) for both partners that suggests a same-sex marriage. We believe our site uses gender-neutral vocabulary throughout and, just as a small courtesy, if you indicate through your choice of titles that you’re a same-sex couple, we remove our bride-and-groom cartoon from the masthead of your management screens and of course your registry itself.

As well as a vendor directory, soyoureengayged.com is also an active blog featuring gay weddings and engagements, together with news, ideas, polls and competitions.  You can also follow @soyoureengayed on Twitter. We’re very grateful to have been listed, and look forward to the continued success and growth of the site!

If you have any queries about our honeymoon registry service, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Don’t speak
don’t type
don’t write
rhythm,
poetic drivel
or rhyme.
Don’t quietly
sit there and whine
about the losses
and the fine
examples of failure
held over
our heads
like we were
already dead!

Don’t whimper
don’t simmer
don’t wait
in patient
supplication
gratification of
state to state
motivated by
the need to
seek peacefully
the things
we should already
have!

No

Take it
demand it
stop trying
to request it.

Because it’s not
a failure
to communicate
we’re not at a table
to negotiate.

Freedom is not a maze
to navigate
or a truce to appropriate.
Freedom is
demanded
commanded
and undeniably
branded on souls!
And from the first bullet fired
to the lantern lifted
setting the world on fire
to the shots on campus
ringing throughout memphis
to radicals walking
in masses
and women at the gate
facing threats
staring down hate
change was never
motivated, moved
or manipulated
by the bendable.
but by the immovable
irreversible
permanent
foot planted
and well cemented
resolve of voices
raised up
shouting
and undeniably heard

so what are we waiting for?

Courtesy of Progressive Scottish Muslims

By now, you know that there exists such a thing as a gay Christian – a person who both believes in Jesus Christ and is attracted to their own gender. But how about gay Muslims? Surely I jest, right? People can practice Islam – that religion that the American media tells us is a horrible, woman-hating factory of terrorism – and simultaneously be part of that big, rainbow flag-waving band of gays?

Well…yes and no. Of course, there are gay Muslims – there’s no reason to think that different statistics govern the distribution of homosexuality within a certain faith just because they adhere to the pillars of Islam and live the word of the Qur’an. The bigger issue, really, is that Muslims, more so than Christians, do not feel that it’s possible to reconcile their faith with their sexuality, which puts them in a difficult situation.

In the contemporary Islamic world, seven countries legally declare that same-sex intercourse is punishable by the death penalty. In other nations, monetary fines, prison time ranging from one month to life sentences and corporal punishment are the official responses to homosexual behaviors. And in others, laws are unclear, but recent responses have included forced labor, fierce moral condemnation and public banishment. Clearly, it’s not okay to be gay in Islamic society.

All of these responses stem from a single story – fewer than a dozen verses – from the Qur’an. That’s the story of Lut and the city of Sodom, a sinful place where citizens worship idols, gamble and commit other typical ancient transgressions. Lut, one of the only pure dudes, spoke with the sinners and said, “Do you indeed approach men lustfully rather than women? Nay, you are a people who act ignorantly.” The passage directly refers to the male villagers forcefully having sex with male travelers to assert their power. For this reason, many gay rights advocates claim the passage condemns homosexual rape and lust, not homosexuality entirely.

The only other explicitly negative scriptural reference to relationships between two men is in the oral traditions based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad. One of these hadiths says, “Whoever you find doing the deed of the people of Lut, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done,” the deed being, of course, anal sex.

Progressives have made other interpretations of the scriptures, but it’s unquestionable that the dominant conclusion regarding gays is one of reprehension. Non-straight orientations are perceived as unnatural: people are born straight, and homosexuality is simply an inherently evil corruption stimulated by sin or disease. One anti-gay blogger expains, “Same-sex attracted Muslims are not sinful for feeling how [they] do, but [they] must strive not to do anything that Allah has forbidden. This in itself is a means of attaining His reward.” If gays were only to pray harder, obviously, they would be cured.

So…Muslim men attracted to other men are not automatically dismissed as bad Muslims, but rather misguided and urged to seek the counsel of Allah. While it’s interesting that traditionalists are willing to recognize the reality of homosexual feelings at all, the emotions are viewed as something deviant. And in this respect, many people who oppose the legitimacy of homosexuality are imperialistic, framing themselves as the civilized, enlightened ones who must correct the flaws of the homosexuals and save their souls from damnation.

Although the dominant Muslim philosophy is that same-sex attraction is not immediately sinful, merely psychologically perverse, this notion is discarded the moment a person “comes out.” Traditionalists say this declaration of identity represents disrespect for God and demonstrates the person has made their choice: sin over the glory of Allah.

Gay Muslims face a brigade of unflinchingly disapproving opponents to their sexuality – death penalties, fines, morality assault – and for this reason, gays in the Islamic community often feel they have no choice but to stay silent. They frequently lead double lives, attempting to adhere strictly to the status quo of their religious society while pursuing clandestine, hidden same-sex relationships. These people typically struggle with internalized homophobia and severe dissatisfaction, but they believe the alternative – being expelled from their religion – is far less favorable.

Courtesy of ABC News

Other gay Muslims feel that a freer life with the liberty to love their ideal person is a satisfying enough risk, so they turn their back on Islam entirely.

But the Muslims who have managed to assert themselves as practicing Muslims who experience public, same-sex relationships are the ones at the head of the gay rights movement in Islam. They lead official institutions like the Al-Fatiha Foundation, started in 1998 to share their interpretation of the Qur’an with regard to sexual orientation and encourage people to support an end to discrimination. They produce films like The Road to Love and A Jihad for Love to showcase people who are both gay and Muslim. They write blogs urging readers to understand that to be gay is not to refute Allah’s words.

Still, the movement is far from making any significant strides in bringing about equality legally; it remains a mostly web-based movement, primarily led by forums and blogs by gay Muslims. Remarkably little has been written academically or even journalistically on the subject, and there’s essentially no central authority on the issue. All of this contributes to the generally invisible nature of gay society in Islam.

Although there’s an official government ruling on homosexuality, all Muslims don’t share this perspective, and it’s important that these alternative viewpoints are not buried or lost. This complex, multifaceted debate on whether the issue of homosexuality is a transgression of scripture, law, morality or none of these is integral to understanding the gay rights movement within Islam. It appears that ultimately, the debate’s not about the actual specifics of being gay, but rather the issue of more progressive interpretations of the Qur’an as a whole. Fundamentalists fear if they concede on one progressive interpretation, they must concede on the others. And if that were to happen, their control of tradition and what is “true” to the Muslim population would be lost.

“Nurture vs. Nature. Does it really matter anymore?”

‘What’s a femme?’

It seems this is a question I get asked far too much when trying to describe myself to people. You see, my description goes along the lines of: ‘Hi, I’m a kinky genderqueer femme dyke and feminist who sometimes doubts herself and who, majority of the time, is invisible. How are you?’

As soon as I hit the word “genderqueer” I see heads turn, but they never ask what that word means, instead it’s always: ‘What’s a femme?’

The irony is that they’re a femme, a straight femme of course, but still a femme. Then when I do explain what it is I’m met with a pause and then the famous…

‘But you’re gay.’

CUT!

That’s a wrap.

I can’t take anymore.

Being a femme in a small homophobic community where the closest LGBT association I have is a two-hour drive away is something that requires a lot of talking. I’m almost at the stage where I’m going to write a report on it and hand it around the next time someone asks me, ‘What does _____ mean?’

But aside from my hometown I’ve found that in the LGBT community that I have been apart of, there is really no such thing as butch or femme here. This might be because majority of them are still finding their gender or are still trying to work out if they really are gay, but even then, in a community that I’ve chosen, I feel out of step.

My invisibility comes not from not being seen as “gay” or a “dyke” but because this community I associate with is young andfrom the fact that there is no real gender classification here. A lot of them have no idea what it means if I were to throw out the word “cisgender” and even the word “genderqueer” creates many raised eyebrows.

So I can’t adequately write about femme invisibility from the point of view as “femme” being particularly or not particularly acknowledged as a gender choice (for me, anyway). But I can say how a lack of knowledge can perhaps make you feel even more invisible. One day, maybe when those tomboys find their inner butch or when those sullen looking androgynous girls fit their feet back into those heels that I can just see are sitting in their closest; maybe then I can complain about my invisibility, but not now.

So, a little ragged and a little off-topic, but I think it has some zazz to it.

- Cal.

P.S. Don’t ask me what “zazz” means because I sure as hell don’t know.

P.P.S. This is my warped reply to the following posts:

http://alphafemme.net/2009/11/17/femme-invisibility/

http://www.sugarbutch.net/2009/11/on-femme-invisibility/

http://www.canihelpyousir.com/?p=605

Standing tall;

Stalked.

Did you hear that?

The deaf call…

Blinded.

Adam Lambert’s performance on last night’s American Music Awards may have been a lot of things, but inappropriate isn’t one of them.

The performance of Lambert’s latest single featured about three seconds of Lambert shoving someone’s face into his crotch, as well as a passionate kiss with a band member. And this was the closing number of the night – viewers could see worse on other shows that typically take that time slot. Much ado about nothing.

No one cared when Lady GaGa wore a flesh-toned body suit – one that made it look like she was wearing a strap-on at that – and broke liquor bottles on stage when she performed. No one said a word about Rihanna’s rings of clothing that left little to the imagination or when she entered the stage bound up BDSM-style. But when a fully clothed gay man mimics a few seconds of fellatio all hell breaks loose. Lambert’s number wasn’t inappropriate, it was right in line with the other outrageous performances of the night.

Lady GaGa at the AMAs. Photo from Google Images (TheSuperficial.com).

Rhianna at the AMAs. Photo from Google Images (TheSuperficial.com).

After all the press about it, I expected to see Lambert on stage with his pants open and a partner gleefully pleasing the pop star for a vast majority of the song, so when I watched the clip for the first time, I completely missed the controversial act entirely.

And trust me if GaGa – or even Britney – had done it, no one would even bat a false eyelash.

But Lambert’s new album drops tomorrow. I’m sure his camp isn’t all that upset about the hype.

Adam Lambert performs “For Your Entertainment at the AMAs

Lady GaGa performs “Bad Romance” and “Speechless” at the AMAs

Rihanna performs at the AMAs

Queer Equality Revolution is a personal blog created by John Bisceglia;

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Last Saturday I participated in a research group. It was a kind of focus group. There was one thing that made it special: all the people there were the sons or daughters of lesbians or gay people. I’ll admit, I was excited. So we did the workshop, which was an open discussion about our families and our experiences of being the children of and in the LGBT community. It was really interesting listening to people talking about their families and there was a great positivity to the group.

So the pieces fell in place and, as one might expect, we decided to create a group of sorts. This is going to be a long-term project. We plan on setting up a support, information, advocacy and campaign group for children of LGBT parents. We’ll have a website, Facebook, Twitter and all that jazz. Sound like a bit of fun, or something you’d like to get involved in? Leave a comment or drop me an e-mail (conorpendergrast[at]gmail[dot]com).

But why would you need a group like this?

One theme that emerged from the group was a feeling of being a bit of an outsider. For me,  as a kid, there were times when I felt like a bit of a weirdo, having two mammies (of course, it occurred to me that there are very few ‘normal’ families out there). Having a bit of support in place could make life a lot easier for other children like us.  Knowing that there are plenty of people out there with two mums or two dads can make a big difference.

[Edit: Props to MarriagEquality for organising the event]