In this edition of Outspoken, Ebone Bell enters the bear cave at Town's weekly Bear Happy Hour, to find out what bearlebrities people love most and how many bear types they can name.
Outspoken #48 – Bearing It All: DC Bear Crue Scruff Party at Town
By February 4th, 2012, under
Video:
PFOX Pushes Student Outreach: Montgomery County ”ex-gay” group sends its message home with high school students’ report cards
By February 4th, 2012, under
News:
Parents of students at Rockville's Albert Einstein High School got a surprise along with their children's report cards, Feb 1.
Typically, individual public schools will send home approved fliers four times a year with quarterly report cards. Most fliers are from the county school system, the local PTA, government agencies, local businesses and local nonprofits, often advertising groups or afterschool activities such as scouting, clubs or summer camps.
Copy of flyer posted at Fox 5 DC
But last Wednesday students received fliers from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) to take home to share with their parents.
The PFOX handbills advised there is no scientific evidence of sexual orientation being innate; that people can choose to be heterosexual; and encouraged readers to contact PFOX and like-minded groups.
According to David Fishback of the Washington area chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), PFOX has previously distributed fliers at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.
According to Dana Tofig, a spokesman for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the school system must allow any nonprofit that can prove it is a registered 501(c)3 to send home fliers with students. That requirement stems from a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruling that Montgomery County's refusal to allow an evangelical Christian organization to send home fliers constituted viewpoint discrimination.
As a result, the county established specific criteria for nonprofits by which they are allowed to participate in the flier distribution program. The fliers from nonprofits must also include a disclaimer that reads, ''These materials are neither sponsored by nor endorsed by the Board of Education of Montgomery County, the superintendent, or this school.''
Fishback argues, however, that PFOX can be considered harmful to LGBT youth because of the group's emphasis on reparative therapy, which the American Medical Association opposes.
''Any discussion of PFOX should include what has been its prime focus from its inception: convincing gay people that they can change their sexual orientation,'' Fishback said in a related PFLAG release. ''This message is dangerous and destructive to health.''
Fishback also told Metro Weekly that promoting the idea of ''assumed willful differences'' - that gay people can choose to be straight - contributes to atmospheres that are conducive to bullying, which, in turn, can lead teenagers to consider suicide.
...moreTransgender Woman Killed (UPDATED): Victim suffers fatal stabbing at Northeast bus stop
By February 4th, 2012, under
News:
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the death of a transgender woman who was stabbed yesterday at a bus stop in the District's Benning Heights neighborhood, on the border of Northeast and Southeast D.C.
According to police reports from the Sixth Police District, the woman was stabbed at the bus stop at the intersection of East Capitol Street SE and Sycamore Road NE at around 8:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2.
Bus stop at East Capitol and Sycamore NE
(Photo by JD Uy)
According to a press release from the D.C. Transgender Coalition (DCTC), an altercation between the victim and her attacker broke out at the bus stop, which resulted in the victim being stabbed in the cheek. A third person at the bus stop reportedly chased after attacker, but ceased pursuit in order to assist the victim upon realizing she was in serious need of medical attention.
A press release from MPD states that witnesses flagged down a Metro Transit Police officer who responded to the scene, finding the woman suffering from her wounds and unconscious. Officers from the Sixth District, as well as units from D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, also responded to the scene.
WUSA reported the victim was transported to PG Hospital Center in critical condition. According to MPD, the victim died at 2:35 a.m. today, Feb. 3. The victim has not yet been identified by police.
UPDATE: At approximately 4:30 p.m., Feb. 3, Mara Keisling, executive director of the D.C.-based National Center for Transgender Equality identified the victim as 22-year-old Deoni Jones. DCTC’s Jason Terry provided the same information. MPD has not yet confirmed the victim’s identity.
DCTC has asked members and allies of the transgender community to notify them if they know of anyone who is missing, in hopes of identifying the victim. DCTC also took local media outlets to task for incorrectly referring to the deceased as a ''man living as a woman'' and for emphasizing the discovery of her natal sex in their news coverage.
''We condemn in the strongest possible terms the transphobic language deployed by several media outlets last night and this morning,'' DCTC's Jason Terry said in a Feb. 3 statement. ''While we certainly agree that the general public needs to be aware of trans communities' losses and successes, it is imperative that members of the press refer to trans people in a way that respects each person's gender identity or expression.''
MPD is asking anyone with information to call 202-727-9099 or submit anonymous tips via text to 50411. MPD currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 dollars to anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person wanted for any homicide in the District.
Police have released this video of a person of interest:
...moreHenry: This medical professional from Alexandria likes TV talent shows and tennis matches
By February 4th, 2012, under
Coverboy Interview:
Alexandria native Henry is eager to get home to the D.C. area. For now, however, the 27-year-old is paying dues by completing his surgery residency in Virginia Beach. But Henry's not at all impatient, as his coming-out experience shows. ''I'm totally a late bloomer,'' he says. ''I didn't come out to myself till medical school. I'm definitely a lot happier.'' He's also holding out for some things worth waiting for, like a husband and kids, as well as his own medical practice. When he's feeling more spontaneous, however, you might find Henry on the Town dance floor, far from the bar. ''I'm not much of a drinker. It doesn't take much for me to get tipsy.''
What's on your nightstand?Earplugs -- I'm a very light sleeper -- a lamp, and I usually have a book.
Henry
What's in your nightstand drawer?There's no drawer.
So where do you keep condoms and lube?Next to all my medical books, tucked in between.
What are your television favorites?I'm a big sucker for reality shows – The X Factor, The Voice, American Idol. Grey's Anatomy, House. I love Nip/Tuck.
What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?Anything on Nickelodeon. Ren & Stimpy, Rugrats. Of course I still watch The Simpsons.
What superhero would you be?Superman. I actually have a Superman shirt.
Who's your greatest influence?My grandma. She's 84 now. Growing up, with my parents working, she raised me. She doesn't know any English at all, but taught us ABCs and multiplication tables. She's great.
What's your greatest fear?I don't want to die alone. I want to share life with someone.
Pick three people, living or dead, who you think would make the most fascinating dinner guests imaginable.Mariah Carey, Martina Hingis, and a hot guy – Chris Pine.
What would you serve?Thai.
How would you describe your dream guy?Light-colored eyes. Fit. I like a pretty face, clean-cut. Someone who can make me laugh, who values family and is pretty ambitious.
Define good in bed.Someone who knows how to kiss and cuddle. I love a great kisser.
Who should star in a movie about your life?A really young B.D. Wong.
Who was your first celebrity crush?Jesse from Full House, John Stamos.
Who gets on your nerves?I'm not a fan of super-effeminate gays. Someone flamboyant and in your face.
If your home was burning, what's the first thing you'd grab while leaving?Probably my $500 Armani blazer. That's the most expensive item in my apartment.
What's your biggest turn-on?Kissing. And a sexy grin, a devilish smile.
What's your biggest turn-off?Guys who chew their fingernails.
What's something you've always wanted to do but haven't yet tried?I've always wanted to go watch Wimbledon, then the French Open.
What's something you've tried that you never want to do again?A blind date with someone from an online site I'd not really talked to. They may look great in photos, but not know how to hold a conversation.
Who's your favorite musical artist?Mariah Carey.
What's your favorite website?Facebook.
What's the most unusual place you've had sex?A library basement, after hours.
How did you get in?We stayed past closing. We slept there all night.
What position do you play in the big baseball game of life?I like having control – the surgery mentality. Probably the umpire is the most equivalent.
What's your favorite retail store?Express.
What's the most you'll spend on a haircut?I would pay up to $100 for a very good haircut. It would have to include shampoo and highlights.
What about on shoes?If I had the income, up to $1,000 for a very good pair.
What's your favorite food to splurge with?Probably just Chinese takeout. General Tso's chicken is my guilty pleasure.
What's your favorite season?Spring. The flowers start to bloom, the days get longer. That transition definitely makes me happy.
What kind of animal would you be?I'm a big fish geek. I have two tanks. I'd probably be a clown fish like Nemo.
What kind of plant would you be?Medical marijuana.
What kind of car would you be?BMW 7 Series. Jet black. Refined and classy.
What are you most grateful for?Being able to practice medicine.
What's something you want more of?More people to be accepting. There are too many people being rude out there.
State your life philosophy in 10 words or less.Don't be afraid of who you are. Those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind.
...moreFly Guys: In ”Chronicle,” rookie director Josh Trank chains himself to a distracting gimmick
By February 4th, 2012, under
Film:
Starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell Rated PG-13 83 Minutes
There's not much depth to Chronicle. In spite of a unique take on the traditional superhero origin story, rookie director Josh Trank and screenwriter Max Landis fizzle out by chaining themselves to a documentary-style gimmick that's both unnecessary and distracting.
Fueled by anger about his drunken dad and terminally ill mom, Andrew (Dane DeHaan) buys a video camera and starts to record every minute of his life. When he gets yanked to a high-school rave with his cousin Matt (Alex Russell), with camcorder in tow, all-around popular stud Steve (Michael B. Jordan) urges them to check out a hole in the ground he found out in the woods. The trio finds a pulsing blue crystal deep underground, gain telekinetic powers after touching it, then do what any group of teenagers would do – prank a ton of strangers.
Chronicle
At first, Trank's found-footage style complements that story well. Andrew admits that he films everything to put a barrier between himself and others, later using his growing powers to levitate the camera and offer a creative excuse to shoot from odd angles. The move also gives the early scenes an intimacy that makes them surprisingly fun, as the gang goofs off with their newfound skills.
But before long, Chronicle mucks itself up with unbelievable reasons to keep that found-footage lie going. (See: the bland love interest, played by Anna Wood, with a video-blogging hobby.) Why not simply ditch the format once it gets too cumbersome? Why value thematic integrity over narrative function?
With some tinkering, Chronicle could have been a cool bit of low-budget entertainment, a refreshing alternative to tired comic book adaptations. Instead, it's got too many pieces it doesn't need and too few to finish the job. Everything that works so well – the immature rapport between DeHaan, Jordan and Russell; Trank's keen eye for excitement; Andrew's spiraling descent into villainy – all of that is obscured for the sake of cinematographic consistency.
CHRONICLE Starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell Rated PG-13 83 Minutes
Asking what could've been, though, may be too much for a movie like Chronicle. Isn't it fair to lower the bar for a superhero movie though? We want to see feats of strength from the genre, unreal shows of inhuman talent. Trank and Landis understand and tap into that fundamental brand of excitement with ease – until Andrew breaks bad, we're just watching some teenage guys who are psyched to have super powers. There's plenty to rag on, yet nothing completely sinks the innate fun of that premise.
Sure, Chronicle may not soar, but let's not forget the fundamental rule of the superhero movie: It's always cool to see people fly.
...moreIowa Marriage Equality Applies to Birth Certificates
By February 4th, 2012, under
Finding that the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2009 marriage equality mandate extends to all aspects of state law, a Polk County district judge in Des Moines has ruled that the lesbian spouse of a birth mother was entitled to be listed as one of the parents on the birth certificate, with no need to adopt the child.
Methodist Group Loses on Lesbian Civil Union
By February 4th, 2012, under
An administrative law judge has ruled that a group affiliated with the United Methodist Church violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) by refusing to rent the Boardwalk Pavilion on its property in Ocean Grove for a civil union ceremony by a lesbian couple.
NJ Congressional Dems Push for Gay Marriage Action in Trenton
By February 4th, 2012, under
In an impressive show of Democratic unity on the issue of marriage equality, on the same day that New Jersey Senate and Assembly leaders in Trenton announced reintroduction of a gay marriage bill, all seven of the state’s US House members from that party as well as its two US senators released a letter voicing their support.
Ron Paul’s Anti-Gay Record Strong, Not Absolute
By February 4th, 2012, under
As Ron Paul’s profile has risen during the Republican primaries, the charges that he is an anti-gay bigot have grown more pointed on gay blogs, while a few voices, notably blogger Andrew Sullivan, have expressed support for the 76-year-old — in the GOP contest, at least.
