T3h Blog

From today’s school newspaper, an article that made me laugh quite a lot:

A recent study conducted by Janet Elise Rosenbaum yet again compares the sexual behavior between teens who take abstinence pledges and teens who don’t. She found that after five years of taking the pledge, 82 percent of the virginity pledgers deny having ever pledged and ultimately, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of sexual activity or sexually transmitted diseases. However, pledgers were less likely to use contraceptives, such as condoms, and Rosenbaum writes this may be because many abstinence-only programs disparage the effectiveness of contraceptives.

(Article by Helen Zou, available here )

I laughed a lot because I really hate faith-based initiatives, and to see them failing so miserably (indeed, being arguably counterproductive and potentially harmful) brings great joy to my twisted, cold, black heart.  I hate them because they are pure nonsense initiated by people with likely good intentions, but absolutely absurd, borderline megalomaniacal obsessions with controlling thought.  Of course the easiest targets for such thought control are young people, with the enormous potential for peer pressure in youth-oriented groups.  To strive for prevention of disease and unwanted pregnancies is a noble goal, but to try to do so by fighting human nature is folly.  I am delighted to see nature prove it as such.

If you haven’t already seen this, you really should watch it. It’s a 1985 documentary on Harvey Milk, the subject of the recent Sean Penn movie.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/49577/the-times-of-harvey-milk

It’s worth watching because Harvey Milk exemplified the kind of person that we desperately need – right now and always. He was gentle and compassionate, yet fiery and determined in his push for human rights. I have been forced throughout my life to learn about Christianity at various religious schools and from growing up Catholic. This man, more than anyone in the political history of the United States that I know of, truly exemplifies what it means to be a Christian politician (even though he was Jewish): accepting of others, peaceful, selfless, and relentless in his pursuit of human equality. I only mention Christianity because of the current political skew in that direction. It is irrelevant in understanding Milk’s life, but does provide a widely acknowledged standard of excellence, a standard through which Milk can be evaluated to be a truly praiseworthy man.

The Sean Penn movie is also worth watching, but this documentary is better, in my opinion. It covers the events after the assassination in much greater detail. If you do go to see the Sean Penn movie, please avoid Cinemark theaters, as the owner of that chain donated the maximum personal contribution to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign, and should not be profiting from the memory of such a great leader of the gay community.

I spent my New Year’s Eve Contra dancing in Sacramento.  At some point, I realized that I was being followed/stalked by a woman.  She first stood near me, and talked into space at no one in particular, I suppose hoping that I would listen and comment.  Since I didn’t hear what she was saying, I paid no heed.  Some time later, I got cornered near the snacks, coincidentally by the stack of progressive newspapers.  She made sure to shout this time, though no more in my direction than before.  I ignored her a couple of times, and started looking at the headlines of the newspapers.  She shouted something about gun control.  I finally realized she was trying to talk to me.  See, I had suspected as much before, but I’m not used to people talking to me.  Once she had my attention, she announced her status as a conservative lesbian.  I thought it was rather oxymoronic.  When I said as much, she said “What, have you been going to college?  Who tells you this stuff?”  Hmmm…  Prop 8, anyone?  It’s not news that conservatism and homosexuality do not go hand in hand these days (or ever have).  I asked her if she ever wanted equal civil rights to heterosexuals.  The conversation went nowhere.  Never mind that she’s been following me (a guy) around looking for a dance.  I dismissed her as confused, and went on my merry way, talking to other people so that she’d leave me alone.  She never got her dance.

Now that I’m home, I decided to search up this funny sounding term, “conservative lesbianism.”  There are at least a few things out there, but recent headlines are intermingled with stuff at least as far back as 2001.  Mostly it’s the idea that these lesbians adhere to conservatism in the true sense – minimal government, and certainly minimal government interference in personal life.  Since when, though, has the conservative element in this country actually adhered to those ideals?  Certainly not recently.  Why on earth would any lesbian or gay person currently identify with a party that is actively working to deny them civil rights, and whose religious core condemns them as hell-bound?  What’s more important to you – your guns, or your dignity?

These people must wake up and get their priorities straight.  The Republican party has no respect for them, and the Republicans have clearly shown no intention of minimizing government’s monitoring and control of people’s decisions.  Until there is true conservatism in government, without the interference of religion and corporate greed, any conservative gay person would do well to lose that identity and focus on preserving their rights as equals.

do people find it necessary to forcefully and loudly inform me that I look like a retard/nerd while riding my bicycle?  Honestly, there are better things to shout out your car window or from the driveway of your frat house – even if I really do look like a retarded nerd (which I doubt).