YES!
I got a new laptop today, from a screwup from Dell. So sweet!!! Not only does this mean that I can post on the blog more often, but I can work on my research paper.
So not only do I fall under the categories of "LGBT" and "Catholic", I fall into the categories of "German-American" and "French-American" as well. My research paper is about how the visual media reinforces stereotypes and ethnic profiling of Germans/the German American community. During my research, I've found about a trillion great sources. My favorite by far was this video right here, which pretty much sums up my entire thesis: Stereotypes on German People
(Like literally, some of my examples are featured here. It's freaky.)
So yeah...I'm so excited to be able to work on both of these writing projects. It is a GOOD day!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Media Spin & NoH8 Congress!
Hey!
I know, I've been gone again. Not having a computer to work on makes writing this thing kind of difficult. I could have written this yesterday, but I was racing around between home, classes, and Mass for Ash Wednesday that I had no time.
While I was on the el yesterday, I was reading the news and came across this article. I read through it a few times, and I still can't totally decide how I feel about it. On one hand, I give the guy props for sticking to his guns. But on the other, I can't help but feel like this is small-time and cliche. That feeling may be what the author of this piece was going for, considering that the sentence:"Time will tell if this the first salvo in a larger hairstylist revolt or, simply, an isolated incident." closes this article.
I know that there are a lot of pro-grassroots people and groups when it comes to issues such as lgbt rights. There are countless amounts of people who do small things every day to open minds and advance their cause. Some of these people mean well but trivialize the argument, like the "Occupy" gays that "glitterbomb" people they disagree with at events. The hairstylist in question may be meaning to open up the mind of his client, and it may well work, but the way this situation was presented to the mass public will probably have an impact on deciding whether it was attention-seeking or cause advancing.
In other news, it was pretty awesome to see ten members of Congress participate in the No H8 Campaign. I'm not surprised at the lack of Republicans in that mix, but I am disappointed about it. There are pro-equality Reds on the Hill, believe it or not. They need to speak their support about those opinions to balance out the hateful people (and stereotype of) the Republican party.
I know, I've been gone again. Not having a computer to work on makes writing this thing kind of difficult. I could have written this yesterday, but I was racing around between home, classes, and Mass for Ash Wednesday that I had no time.
While I was on the el yesterday, I was reading the news and came across this article. I read through it a few times, and I still can't totally decide how I feel about it. On one hand, I give the guy props for sticking to his guns. But on the other, I can't help but feel like this is small-time and cliche. That feeling may be what the author of this piece was going for, considering that the sentence:"Time will tell if this the first salvo in a larger hairstylist revolt or, simply, an isolated incident." closes this article.
I know that there are a lot of pro-grassroots people and groups when it comes to issues such as lgbt rights. There are countless amounts of people who do small things every day to open minds and advance their cause. Some of these people mean well but trivialize the argument, like the "Occupy" gays that "glitterbomb" people they disagree with at events. The hairstylist in question may be meaning to open up the mind of his client, and it may well work, but the way this situation was presented to the mass public will probably have an impact on deciding whether it was attention-seeking or cause advancing.
In other news, it was pretty awesome to see ten members of Congress participate in the No H8 Campaign. I'm not surprised at the lack of Republicans in that mix, but I am disappointed about it. There are pro-equality Reds on the Hill, believe it or not. They need to speak their support about those opinions to balance out the hateful people (and stereotype of) the Republican party.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The "b" and the "t" in LGBT.
GLAAD includes cross-dressers and genderf*ck individuals as "Transgender". I don't know if I agree with that definition. To me, trans generally means people who are physically born one sex, but their brainwaves and person have the identity of the opposite gender. Pretty much, your physical sex and gender identity don't match. (Sex is physical, gender identity is defined as how your mind/emotional system is wired, or what you perceive yourself as.)
I'm not really sure how the trans community is going to respond to this article. It is nice to see high fashion embracing alternative presentations of gender, yes. But is the novelty of this model insulting to the people who struggle everyday to live as who they are? I can't begin to fathom the response I'd have if I were transgendered, because frankly I'm incapable of fully stepping into those shoes. I could never fully understand.
One of the most insulting things I have ever heard, and one of the nastiest things I have ever regretted saying, is that Bisexuals should be happy that Transgendered people exist because we can have "the best of both worlds in one person". If you look in the back of the CityPaper on any given day, there are tons of ads for TG escorts for "guys on the DL" and "questioning" guys. Some people who are into TG pornography talk about how they aren't queer because the T Girl stars "look too much like women".
To me, both seeking out TG escorts and checking out TG themed porn is both dehumanizing and self hating. Dehumanizing because the people being made into fetish objects are just that- people. TG individuals aren't freaks of nature and don't deserve to be treated like a sideshow or fetish toy, especially when just living a normal life feels damn near impossible sometimes. It's self-hating biphobia at the same time. I'd go so far as to say a lot of the guys who are into TG as a fetish are probably in denial about their attraction to certain..aspects...of their escorts. Otherwise, why would they be watching explicit scenes that are rather phallic-focused? That "little bit of both to check out" mentality is extremely bisexual! But yet, they'll go ahead and say something like: "It's not gay! It's the uber-feminitity that attracts me!" I'm sorry, but that's a crock if I ever heard one. That sounds like denial to me. That sounds like the guys who buy the huge trucks and try too hard to be super masculine because they're trying to chase away their thoughts about Matt Damon.
Seriously, all these DL bi guys should just come out already. They've got that famous self-loathing down to an art.
Friday, February 17, 2012
He's a Supercreep, Supercreep...
If you know me, (and judging by the amount of traffic coming from the FB link...many of you do) you know what kind of music I'm into. That being said, reading some of the news about the GOP race, I came across a celebrity endorsement that I'm literally shaking my head at.
Dave Mustaine from Megadeth has come out in support of Supercreep!
"I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I'm hoping that if it does come down to it, we'll see a Republican in the White House... and that it's Rick Santorum." Although I'm a little repulsed, I'm not really surprised at this, considering that Dave also said that "the system was taking God out of schools to dumb us down" a while back.
If that's the case...how low can you go?
(And by the way, creepers, who are you?! There's this funky little button that says "comments"....just saying! :) )
Dave Mustaine from Megadeth has come out in support of Supercreep!
"I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I'm hoping that if it does come down to it, we'll see a Republican in the White House... and that it's Rick Santorum." Although I'm a little repulsed, I'm not really surprised at this, considering that Dave also said that "the system was taking God out of schools to dumb us down" a while back.
If that's the case...how low can you go?
(And by the way, creepers, who are you?! There's this funky little button that says "comments"....just saying! :) )
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Mein komputer ist toten sein! :(
Yes, my computer has died.
I'm really kind of pissed about it because I have this massive paper to write for my English class this semester and now I'll have to practically live in the library! I'm not going to be able to shop around for a new computer until late next month because of how my cashflow is at the moment. Boo.
I think a portable, like a laptop or a netbook might be a better choice than a desktop this time. If anybody knows where the best deals are, please feel free to let me know! Not too much going on in the land of the Bi Girl lately. Lots of school, getting ready to go back to work, and trying to keep an eye out for big happenings in the world. Today there was a White House conference on LGBT health and mental health here in Philadelphia. The conference was hosted by a really, really great organization here called the Mazzoni Center, which helps provide low cost health services and HIV screenings to queer patients in the area. They were streaming parts of the conference on their Facebook earlier today, but I was unable to catch that. The PGN will probably run an article on it this week, so when I see it I will let you know what's up.
I guess that's it for now. Slow news day, eh?
I'm really kind of pissed about it because I have this massive paper to write for my English class this semester and now I'll have to practically live in the library! I'm not going to be able to shop around for a new computer until late next month because of how my cashflow is at the moment. Boo.
I think a portable, like a laptop or a netbook might be a better choice than a desktop this time. If anybody knows where the best deals are, please feel free to let me know! Not too much going on in the land of the Bi Girl lately. Lots of school, getting ready to go back to work, and trying to keep an eye out for big happenings in the world. Today there was a White House conference on LGBT health and mental health here in Philadelphia. The conference was hosted by a really, really great organization here called the Mazzoni Center, which helps provide low cost health services and HIV screenings to queer patients in the area. They were streaming parts of the conference on their Facebook earlier today, but I was unable to catch that. The PGN will probably run an article on it this week, so when I see it I will let you know what's up.
I guess that's it for now. Slow news day, eh?
Saturday, February 11, 2012
So The Bi Girl Is A...Catholic? How does that work?
When most of us think about how Catholicism and issues like gay marriage mix, the phrase "oil and water" comes to mind. I think most of us would be about half right about that idea. Homosexuality is not to the Church what ridiculous, false
churches/terrorist organizations like WBC make it out to be.
Homosexuality is a sexual sin along the lines of fornication. All gay
sex is fornication to the Church because that sect of Christianity does
not recognize gay marriage. Any sex outside of marriage is a sin to the
Church, whether the couple is gay or straight, together or in an
adulterous affair. (That last one, well, that's actually a lot worse
than the others given because Christ himself had a serious issue with
vow-breaking and dishonesty in that regard.)
The US Catechism of the Catholic Church does address homosexuality, and it's not in the way that you'd expect. I'm going to paraphrase here, because the subject crops up a lot in the book, but basically it is the Church's stance that: 1) being gay/lesbian/bisexual was NOT something that the person in question chose; and 2) it isn't right to make judgment calls or treat a member of the Church or any other person like less because of that. It also still has the same laws regarding sexual sin that heterosexuals have. Basically, the problem with the Church and gays isn't that people are gay. It's sex in general. (Tell us something we don't know, right?)
So how did a life-realized queer end up in the pews on Sunday mornings? It's a really long story. My parents had what the Church calls a 'mixed marriage', meaning my father is Catholic and my mother was not. When I was growing up, religion was practiced more by my grandparents than by my parents.My paternal grandfather is a devout Catholic married to a Baptist, and my maternal family had a mixed marriage of Catholic and Swedenborgen. I wasn't really raised going to church or in any particular denomination, but I was given the typical Judeo-Christianesque values. I went through that teen phase of "question everything", and after my mother's death I walked away from the Church. During my absence I found a home in the Neopagan community. I still hold a lot of the beliefs from that vast umbrella of faiths, and I still stand with the community for getting legal recognition in the United States. Recently, a lot of not-so-savory things have happened in my life that led me back to Christian life. My grandfather's influence and my own instinct led me to Catholicism.
I am not out to my parish, nor am I out to my priest. As much as I do like my Father as a person, I get the feeling that the atmosphere between us would change drastically if I were to come out. I don't know if I would be treated the same. I have a boyfriend, and he goes to Mass with me. I know that I pass as straight in Church. This is a really sticky point for bisexuals, and it's not really a fun place to be. One of the big accusations that the LGBT community has with bi people is that we can "pass as straight to make life easier". I guess there can be a grain of truth in that. I don't like the way it feels. It feels like I'm hiding a facet of myself, but in this part of my life, I'm aware that the facets of my faith practiced and my orientation do not mix well. Where I am in the city and where I am sacramentally-speaking, I feel like I have to keep this facade up for longer than I'd like. I feel like I'm reinforcing the "hiding bisexuals" stereotype with this. I am out in every other part of my life, I've got a bi pride tattoo proudly stamped on the back of my neck. That in mind, I'm pretty sure that the LGBT-aware/ally people in my church notice it when I'm kneeling during Mass...
There are some great Catholic/Episcopalian churches out there that are very open to LGBT Catholics, including St. Luke and the Epiphany's Dignity USA chapter. [ Dignity USA ] I think once I've moved to a different part of my city and can attend a more gay-friendly Mass, I will. I know that God knows I'm queer. He doesn't seem to have a problem with me on it. My prayers get answered, like everyone elses' do. I try very hard to live a moral life, even when I'm in a lesbian relationship as opposed to a straight one. I tried to do that as non-denominational, as Pagan, and now as Catholic. I don't think being queer nullifies my Baptism, and I certainly don't feel like I'm less of a person or a bad person because I'm not straight. This isn't just a question of faith for gay and lesbian Catholics. Those invisible bisexuals get it too, and even with our own spin on the problem.
(Crazy side note, I'm listening to Pandora radio as I write this. Just as I wrote that last paragraph, a John Lennon song called "God" came on. Lyrics are beyond ironic!)
The US Catechism of the Catholic Church does address homosexuality, and it's not in the way that you'd expect. I'm going to paraphrase here, because the subject crops up a lot in the book, but basically it is the Church's stance that: 1) being gay/lesbian/bisexual was NOT something that the person in question chose; and 2) it isn't right to make judgment calls or treat a member of the Church or any other person like less because of that. It also still has the same laws regarding sexual sin that heterosexuals have. Basically, the problem with the Church and gays isn't that people are gay. It's sex in general. (Tell us something we don't know, right?)
So how did a life-realized queer end up in the pews on Sunday mornings? It's a really long story. My parents had what the Church calls a 'mixed marriage', meaning my father is Catholic and my mother was not. When I was growing up, religion was practiced more by my grandparents than by my parents.My paternal grandfather is a devout Catholic married to a Baptist, and my maternal family had a mixed marriage of Catholic and Swedenborgen. I wasn't really raised going to church or in any particular denomination, but I was given the typical Judeo-Christianesque values. I went through that teen phase of "question everything", and after my mother's death I walked away from the Church. During my absence I found a home in the Neopagan community. I still hold a lot of the beliefs from that vast umbrella of faiths, and I still stand with the community for getting legal recognition in the United States. Recently, a lot of not-so-savory things have happened in my life that led me back to Christian life. My grandfather's influence and my own instinct led me to Catholicism.
I am not out to my parish, nor am I out to my priest. As much as I do like my Father as a person, I get the feeling that the atmosphere between us would change drastically if I were to come out. I don't know if I would be treated the same. I have a boyfriend, and he goes to Mass with me. I know that I pass as straight in Church. This is a really sticky point for bisexuals, and it's not really a fun place to be. One of the big accusations that the LGBT community has with bi people is that we can "pass as straight to make life easier". I guess there can be a grain of truth in that. I don't like the way it feels. It feels like I'm hiding a facet of myself, but in this part of my life, I'm aware that the facets of my faith practiced and my orientation do not mix well. Where I am in the city and where I am sacramentally-speaking, I feel like I have to keep this facade up for longer than I'd like. I feel like I'm reinforcing the "hiding bisexuals" stereotype with this. I am out in every other part of my life, I've got a bi pride tattoo proudly stamped on the back of my neck. That in mind, I'm pretty sure that the LGBT-aware/ally people in my church notice it when I'm kneeling during Mass...
There are some great Catholic/Episcopalian churches out there that are very open to LGBT Catholics, including St. Luke and the Epiphany's Dignity USA chapter. [ Dignity USA ] I think once I've moved to a different part of my city and can attend a more gay-friendly Mass, I will. I know that God knows I'm queer. He doesn't seem to have a problem with me on it. My prayers get answered, like everyone elses' do. I try very hard to live a moral life, even when I'm in a lesbian relationship as opposed to a straight one. I tried to do that as non-denominational, as Pagan, and now as Catholic. I don't think being queer nullifies my Baptism, and I certainly don't feel like I'm less of a person or a bad person because I'm not straight. This isn't just a question of faith for gay and lesbian Catholics. Those invisible bisexuals get it too, and even with our own spin on the problem.
(Crazy side note, I'm listening to Pandora radio as I write this. Just as I wrote that last paragraph, a John Lennon song called "God" came on. Lyrics are beyond ironic!)
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Very First Post!
Hey people.
It's been a really long time since I've written anything resembling a blog, so I've decided to come on back to this land of ranting, mundane details about life, and occasional literary gems. (Don't expect the last one to come from me, though.)
A little bit about who I am: I'm 23, and I live in the greatest city in America- Philadelphia. GO FLYERS! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
Ahem. Excuse me...reflexes, you know...
Anyway. I'm currently embarking on the journey of higher education and the debt that comes with it. I have two cats, a great boyfriend, and a generally normal life. I also happen to be one of those much-lambasted, often said to be mythical bisexuals. That's right, there really are people who don't feel a need to "pick a side" and aren't "confused". We're not right there with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
This blog isn't just a chronicale of the boring things that take up my life. I want to be open to sharing news and opinions from both the LGBT and hetero communities. The bisexual community faces discrimination and stereotyping from both sides, and I'd really love to open up that perspective to people who assume that it's somehow "easier" to be straddling the fence. I want to share what it's like to be one of the many people who often get pushed aside by both the gay and straight crowds. The "gross" ones, the "greedy". I want to show what life under that pink, purple, and blue is really like.
It's been a really long time since I've written anything resembling a blog, so I've decided to come on back to this land of ranting, mundane details about life, and occasional literary gems. (Don't expect the last one to come from me, though.)
A little bit about who I am: I'm 23, and I live in the greatest city in America- Philadelphia. GO FLYERS! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
Ahem. Excuse me...reflexes, you know...
Anyway. I'm currently embarking on the journey of higher education and the debt that comes with it. I have two cats, a great boyfriend, and a generally normal life. I also happen to be one of those much-lambasted, often said to be mythical bisexuals. That's right, there really are people who don't feel a need to "pick a side" and aren't "confused". We're not right there with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
This blog isn't just a chronicale of the boring things that take up my life. I want to be open to sharing news and opinions from both the LGBT and hetero communities. The bisexual community faces discrimination and stereotyping from both sides, and I'd really love to open up that perspective to people who assume that it's somehow "easier" to be straddling the fence. I want to share what it's like to be one of the many people who often get pushed aside by both the gay and straight crowds. The "gross" ones, the "greedy". I want to show what life under that pink, purple, and blue is really like.
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