New York to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages

As activists continue to applaud the California Supreme Court for ruling in favor of nuptials for same-sex couples, New York Gov. David Paterson has directed all state agencies to recognize these unions performed in Massachusetts, Canada and other jurisdictions where they are legal.

This mandate comes in response to a state Appellate Court decision earlier this year that found Patricia Martinez, an employee at Monroe Community College in Rochester who married her partner in Canada, could not be denied health benefits because of the long-standing precedent of recognizing marriages of same-sex couples legally performed in other jurisdictions. The Court of Appeals rejected the college's appeal, and Paterson's directive seems to put New York State on something of a fast-track to extend marriage to same-sex couples here.

Activists continue to pin their hopes for this reality on a Democratic-controlled state Senate next year, but Paterson's directly certainly puts additional wind into their sails as they set their sites towards that goal.

Seven years and counting

Life is often marked by personal and professional milestones and today marks seven years since I came out to myself. I made that fateful decision while waiting for my clothes to dry at a laundromat in Bristol, New Hampshire. It was a cool and rainy May morning, and I had just completed an intense leadership development program sponsored by my alma mater, the University of New Hampshire. I had come to the realization during the five day program that I needed to acknowledge what I had long suspected and come clean -- for a lack of a better categorization -- to myself. One of my group's co-facilitators, who remains one of my best friends, followed a similar path the year before, and his guidance remains an immense source of strength and inspiration. I came out to myself as a bisexual man via my journal, but the rest is... well... history...

Coming out remains a life-changing decision for the arguable vast majority of LGBT people in this country and around the world. One of the more hurtful things that came out as a result of my experience was a gay man at UNH who rather arrogantly tried to convince me of my own personal internalized homophobia in order to potentially justify his own self-imposed superiority complex. I was 19, but words, as they say, truly hurt and it took me a long time to eventually move beyond them. But coming out truly transformed my life. I was finally honest with myself, and the process put me onto the path which eventually brought me to New York, to Fire Island and to this craft we call journalism. What a truly magnificent ride it has been!

A pre-summer share

With jubilation over last Thursday's landmark California Supreme Court decision, a recent ruling on the integrity of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and other pro-LGBT developments over recent months, an easy cliche can be made in terms of activists and others taking some much needed time off -- or at least a few days over this Memorial Day weekend.

My pre-summer share, if you will, on Fire Island began last Friday under cool and rainy day and raw temperatures, but the Mr. Fire Island Leather contest and other events throughout the Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove prove summer lays just around the corner. This island remains a celebration of fantasy and hedonism in many ways, but it rather selfishly feels good to escape the city for a day, a night, or in my case the summer. The beach is waiting, but enjoy a few hours, or days, away from the computer, blackberry and Internet and enjoy the weekend...

Another pre-season Fire Island perspective

This leatherman (he repeatedly requested Boy in Bushwick omit his actual name from this blog) serenades an all too eager crowd at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove with his rendition of "Bolero" on an accordion clad only in his leather jock strap.



The weekend has come and gone here on Fire Island and I have a few minutes to post what remains a relatively long overdue update of the last few days.

The weather on the beach was absolutely dreadful -- rain with a steady northeast breeze and raw temperatures -- on Friday afternoon upon my arrival with suitcase, two bags full of groceries and my trusty laptop in hand or on shoulder. The weather improved dramatically on Saturday, and I have an ever-darker tan from my day spent running around the beach after the annual Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association meeting.

Leather men from across the region descended upon Cherry Grove for the eighth annual Mr. Fire Island Leather contest. An orgy featuring Gefil Tefish feeding the winner, who entertained this writer and the crowd with his Meat Rack fantasy that included a performance of "Bolero" on his accordion wearing only a leather jock strap and boots, grapes and a bar boy serving him a dildo on a silver platter. To take a page out of Paris Hilton's arguably limited lexicon; it was hot!

Fire Island remains a place to escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. This blog will almost certainly continue to reiterate this talking point about the beach throughout the season -- to the point which it may become nothing more than an overstated cliche. But that fact remains part and parcel of this beautiful beach... and of course the leather men in chaps, jock straps and various metal accountrements are part of the local charm!

California extends marriage to same-sex couples

The collective movement for LGBT rights and its allies continues to rejoice in response to the California Supreme Court's ruling earlier today that overturned the Golden State's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. Activists across the country had prepared for months -- and even years -- for this decision, and they immediately applauded the landmark ruling.

"There is no more important and deeply personal decision than whether to take on the commitment of marriage," Shannon Minter Price, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a statement released shortly after the court announced its decision. "With today's ruling, the California Supreme Court declared that lesbians and gay men have an equal right to make that cherished commitment."

Equality California executive director Geoff Kors agreed.

"The California Constitution was written to protect the freedoms and equality of all people, creating a place where every person can realize his or her hopes and dreams," he said. "That is the California we choose to live in - a state that ensures dignity and respect for its diverse communities and families."

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has indicated he plans to respect the decision. He expressed opposition to a proposed amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples during the Log Cabin Republican's annual convention last month in San Diego. Activists expect opponents of same-sex nuptials will seek to overturn the ruling, but Kors remains confident Californians will support the decision.

"We are confident that Californians will respect the court's ruling for fairness and opportunity and affirm that lesbian and gay Californians deserve full equality under the law," he said.

Yet another hypocrite revealed

New York has experienced a bumper crop of political scandals this season with former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's resignation after his trysts with a prostitute came to light, the revelations surrounding Gov. David Paterson's private life and the New York City Council slush fund scandal that threatened to derail openly lesbian Speaker Christine Quinn's mayoral aspirations. And married Staten Island Congressman Vito Fossella's DUI arrest earlier this month after he visited his daughter with another woman is the latest in this laundry list of indiscretions from our elected officials.

Fossella's transgressions, however, also add him to the long list of so-called family values politicians who emerge as nothing more than hypocrites. The Daily News reported yesterday he refuses to attend family gatherings if his lesbian sister Victoria and her partner are in attendance. Fossella also voted for the federal Marriage Protection Amendment. He supported a bill that would have banned funding for gay couples to adopt children. And Fossella also called upon the Department of Housing and Urban Development to withhold funding for San Francisco unless the city repealed its domestic partner benefits.

Fossella has clearly used gays and lesbians to enhance his reputation among those in Brooklyn and on Staten Island who voted him into office. But even he cannot live up to the narrow definition of family values he and other like-minded hypocrites continue to put forth in the name of political posturing. And he now finds himself laying in the bed he made for himself. Way to go Vito!

A May weekend on Fire Island

I write this blog from the Fire Island News office in Ocean Beach on this cool and increasingly cloudy Sunday afternoon. A cool ocean breeze continues to blow off the 50 degree Atlantic as I await the ferry to bring me back to the mainland. But this cool Sunday afternoon marks the end of my first weekend on Fire Island this season.

Things here in Ocean Beach look more or less the same, but Cherry Grove was abuzz last night with the opening night at the Ice Palace. Long-time resident Sal Piro will manage the ageing complex this season, and it was a rare packed house last night with Porsche, Bella, Rose Levine and an uber-cute new bartender named Evan.

I spent the previous hours in the Pines with my publisher before heading to the Pines Conservation Society fundraiser in Whyte Hall. It makes the unofficial start of the Pines social calendar, and it was truly wonderful to reconnect with long-time contacts and friends, and to make new ones. Architect Scott Bromley even brought me up to the DJ booth that overlooked the scene below.

I am the first person to proclaim one should not take Fire Island too seriously -- after all, it is largely a seasonal enclave south of Long Island where people largely come out to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. But the beach has a charm and identity all its own. The people certainly create the uniqueness that has defined Fire Island over the decades. And I remain blessed to be back out here once again.

What is diversity?

The question posed in the headline is one I have asked myself over the last few days upon my return from New Hampshire on Tuesday afternoon. The University of New Hampshire inducted 17 alumni, including myself, into its Diversity Hall of Fame last Sunday in a ceremony that was followed by a gala dinner on campus in Durham. I reconnected with two classmates I had not seen since I moved to New York. My parents and good friend Adam joined me at the ceremony, and I truly felt honored to attend. That said; I was shocked and somewhat puzzled to receive a Facebook message from one of my fellow inductees that implies his concept of God disapproves homosexuality.

This person made the argument in the context of people following the "logic of the "Social Justice" movement" and how "this movement is not always aligned with GOD!" This person further pointed to how "the Social Justice movement is now being used to push forward the agenda of homosexuality." And this person concludes the "Bible is clear with this issue, and it is important that we do not start to out-think GOD whose ways and thoughts are much higher than ours!"

The UNH administrators who organized the Diversity Hall of Fame certainly have the best of intentions. They are honorable people with the noblest of intentions to raise the profile of non-white heterosexual people in a state where the population remains more than 90 percent Caucasian. This charge is very honorable. But I do question the process through which the nominees are chosen in the context of this person's homophobic comments. I am a 26-year-old gay man who grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire. I am proud of who I am. And I am equally as proud of the work I did during my undergraduate career to advance inclusion and diversity at UNH. But I fear, however, this person's nomination threatens to make a farce out of an event that promised to celebrate those who advance inclusion and diversity in their respective post-UNH communities. These comments fail to deliver on both of these promises. And university officials should look beyond their fundraising and recruitment goals in future attempts to define diversity. This alum expects nothing less.

Boston and the family

It's a beautiful Monday afternoon as I sit outside Quincy Market in Boston having lunch between meetings. I brought my cats to my parents' house in New Hampshire on Friday, and the University of New Hampshire inducted me into its Diversity Hall of Fame in Durham on Saturday. I head back to Brooklyn tomorrow morning, but I leave here with additional piece of mind after coming out to my Aunt Cheryl last night.

This process is a long and often difficult one for many LGBT people in this country and around the world. Many people who have come out to their friends and especially family arguably take their acceptance and support for granted. I have felt particularly drawn to my aunt since I met her a few years ago. She is a very cosmopolitan woman with friends from a variety of diverse backgrounds. My cousins equally embrace this diversity, and it felt almost mandatory to talk about my sexual orientation last night. My aunt and I were talking as she was preparing dinner. My cousin came in and joked my grandmother would diapprove of both of our lifestyles. We all laughed, and that was the end of it. No dramatic speech. No awkward attempts to explain why I like men. It was a simple 10 second conversation that gave me additional peace of mind before we sat down for salmon, sausages and steak. It was a wonderful evening with the family.

Boy in Bushwick celebrates 10,000 hits

As this writer prepares to leave for New Hampshire tomorrow to attend an awards ceremony at the University of New Hampshire, I am proud to report that Boy in Bushwick achieved 10,000 hits yesterday morning.

I launched this blog as a way to reclaim my voice upon my departure from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in February 2007. In many ways it has evolved into a place where I can express my editorial voice. People across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and in countries, including Saudi Arabia, have all logged on to read my thoughts about the movement for LGBT rights and the city in which I live. I thank those who have taken the time to read the blog, and I look forward to another 10,000 hits.

More bloodletting at the New England Blade

Just when one may think things at the New England Blade (formerly InNewsweekly) couldn't get any worse, sources familiar with the troubled LGBT weekly in Boston have indicated to Boy in Bushwick that they very well may have. The paper's long-time office manager left a few weeks ago, and rumor has it additional terminations and resignations have once again left the newspaper scrambling. This writer anecdotally saw HX Media CEO Matthew Bank's away message on his Facebook profile as 'is going to Boston' over the weekend. Something must be going on in the Hub!

This speculation is the latest in a series of salvos directed at the troubled weekly. Former editor-at-large Fred Kuhr, Rhode Island correspondent Joe Siegel and columnist Chuck Colbert ceased their contributions to the newspaper late last year over back pay and concerns over editorial content and direction. HX Media also fired former associate publisher Bill Berggren in January after he allegedly used InNewsweekly resources to sell ads for a new publication, N'Touch, he unveiled in February.

A Suffolk County judge issued a temporary injunction against Berggren in February after HX Media filed suit against him and two former InNewsweekly sales representatives to block the publication of N'Touch. In addition to this litigation, Colbert told Boy in Bushwick this morning HX Media still owes him roughly$3,500.

These latest Boston revelations clearly indicate HX Media's empire remains in dire straights. HX Philadelphia abruptly folded late last month. And the New York Blade publishes every other week. Gay newspapers and other pink outlets are a very small niche within a much larger enterprises. The industry remains subject to the same trials and tribulations currently rocking the vast majority of traditional media, but HX Media's arguable antics don't serve their interests or those of their dwindling readership. They continue to tarnish the already questionable reputation of gay media. And this trend harms everyone involved.

Queens judge acquits three NYPD detectives who shot groom-to-be

A judge this morning acquitted three New York Police Department detectives who killed a groom-to-be outside a Queens strip club. Judge Arthur Cooperman found officers Michael Cooper, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper not-guilty in the death of unarmed Sean Bell outside Kalua Cabaret on Nov. 25, 2006. Bell, who was to marry his fiancee later that day, died after the officers shot him 50 times. His friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, were severely wounded in the barrage of bullets.

Bell's death has obviously galvanized many New Yorkers who arguably remain weary of the NYPD. The death of unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo in a hail of 41 bullets in 1999 remains a stark testimony of this reality. I confess my own distrust of the NYPD in response to several incidences of questionable conduct in my own neighborhood. Last spring, for example, I saw nearly half a dozen plain-clothed officers shoving the face of a bloody man onto the hood of a van as they shouted profanities at him. It was around 3 p.m., and a number of children on their way home from school saw this scene unfold on the block. I concede I don't know the specifics behind this man's arrest, but the conduct of the officers who detained him certainly left a lasting impression.

It must be said the vast majority of NYPD officers protect the public with honor. All New Yorkers -- gay, lesbian, black, white, etc., -- should acknowledge that. But the Bell shooting, and other incidents, certainly cast doubt among many people of color and others who remain concerned about the state of the department and the conduct of a handful of officers. And this debate will continue to rage.

Hillary's Pennsylvania victory sparks even more partisan brinkmanship

Journalists, activists and even objective observers have almost grown accustomed to the seemingly constant back and forth between operatives and supporters of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama during this lengthy primary and caucus season. The days leading up to the former First Lady's double digit victory in Pennsylvania last night featured a steady barrage of insults, criticisms and other observations from operatives on both sides.

One source here in New York featured a caricature of Obama with his nose up in the air after his comments about Pennsylvania voters during a San Francisco fundraiser became public. Another source routinely sends me a barrage of e-mails that try to spin coverage in Clinton's favor. It's important to note that Obama's campaign is not immune to these incidences, but the fact remains these operatives are not helping their cause -- and especially their candidates. The campaign obviously continues to unfold, but these folks arguably need to chill out, simmer down and quite frankly bite their tongues.

New York media gushes over Pope Benedict

As a self-confessed media junkie, National Public Radio, 1010 WINS and other news outlets are a prominent background feature in my home throughout the day and night. This weekend was no exception, but the proverbial orgy of media coverage surrounding Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the city this weekend was almost too much to stomach.

Reporters, anchors and others unapologetically gushed over the historical nature of the German-born pontiff's three-day visit to Gotham. Many could barely contain their excitement (and in some cases emotion) over the visage of Pope Benedict on Fifth Avenue, outside St. Patrick's Cathedral, holding Mass at Yankee Stadium, his youth rally in Yonkers, his solemn visit to Ground Zero or his historic visit to Park East Synagogue on the East Side on Friday.

The Holy See is certainly an influential entity within the world, and Pope Benedict is obviously worthy of coverage. But the question I kept asking myself during this media orgy was whether it came at the expense of the sex-abuse crisis, the exclusion of women, gays, lesbians and others from the Church. The majority of the city's media romanticized the pontiff. It focused its coverage on his appearance, and those who welcomed him into the city with open arms. There was precious little coverage of discriminatory dogma from within the church that continues to subjugate women, LGBTs and other faithful who fail to adhere to its strict and arguably largely outdated teachings. This is a true shame!

Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States

As a former Roman Catholic, I often recall the sadness and even anger I felt during my confirmation ceremony at St. Piux X Church in Manchester, New Hampshire. I was 18, but I had concluded this institution was not at all compatible with the progressive values I had already begun to embrace. My mother insisted this sacrament fulfilled one of my grandmother's dying wishes. I repeatedly argued she would not want me to go through with something with which I was not comfortable -- a position I maintain to this day.

But fast forward more than eight years to Pope Benedict XVI's whirlwind visits to Washington and New York that began on Tuesday afternoon. A friend and I watched CNN's live coverage of the pontiff's motorcade driving through Washington yesterday as we sat in a coffee shop in Hell's Kitchen. A number of media professionals have correctly raised questions about the sex abuse scandal that continues to rock the Church. The pope himself addressed these comments en route to the United States, and again during a meeting with American cardinals in Washington. This attention is arguably too little, too late, but the debate within the media and around the country remains needed.

That said, remaining questions over dogmatic positions against homosexuality, contraception, women in the priesthood and other issues will arguably remain secondary or even tertiary issues as many anchors, reporters and others continue to gush over the fact this trip marks the first time Benedict has visited the United States during his pontificate. This gross romanticization simply fails to accurately capture the deep problems that continue to face a Church that has arguably lost its moral authority in this country. The American Roman Catholic Church remains in a crisis, and many faithful almost certainly find themselves at a crossroads as they try to reconcile their faith with the actions (or inaction) of a religious institution in which they had once put so much faith. These struggles will not end with one six-day whirlwind visit.

WNYC highlights homophobia in Dancehall

The debate over homophobic lyrics in Jamaican Dancehall music has raged for years with British activist Peter Tatchell, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and other organizations holding protests and other actions to draw attention to this issue. And WNYC, the city's National Public Radio affiliate, highlighted these efforts and the advocacy surrounding the Reggae Compassionate Act this morning.

A fair argument can be made that indigenous music is a result of the society from which it comes. LGBT Jamaicans face widespread homophobia, violence and even death in their country as Amnesty International and other international human rights organizations have repeatedly documented. Dancehall artists who see no problem including homophobic lyrics in their music arguably perpetuate this mistreatment against their LGBT brothers and sisters on the island.

The issue of free speech is always a concern, and one that must be taken very seriously in any debate over music and other forms of artistic expression. But the question remains, however, over whether one person's free speech infringes upon the rights of another to live their live without fear, the threat of violence or even death. Free speech is not a license to perpetuate hate. And Dancehall artists, like others from around the world, have a responsibility to their fans, themselves and the countries they claim to represent to examine the impact their lyrics have, and the unfortunate consequences they arguably have against their LGBT countrymen. The alternative is simply unacceptable.

EDGE highlights Boy in Bushwick

My editorial colleagues at EDGE are currently using the month of April to explore how the Internet continues to impact gay life, and contributor Scott Kearnan profiled Boy in Bushwick in an article posted today. A full text of the story is below.


Bloggers on the EDGE

Once upon a time, blogging had a bad name.

In the early days of the Internet, blogs (you know, online, regularly updated repositories of first-person musings) were not considered venerable written work. No, back in the gay old ’90s--when I used to walk 20 minutes uphill in the snow, just to get to an FTP server--blogs were not widely written, widely read or widely esteemed.

Online blogs were perceived as the domain of angst-ridden teens and self-absorbed computer nerds. You know, the kind of people who posted pictures of their half-eaten bagels and a riveting play-by-play of their latest exercise in watching paint dry; somewhere along the way, a personal epiphany worked its way into the confessional equation.

But thanks to the incisive politicking of people like Arianna Huffington, the incessant star stalking of pod people like Perez Hilton, and the--ahem, interesting--haikus of "celebrity authors" like Rosie O’Donnell, blogging is big business.

Once cottage cheese, it’s now a cottage industry; legitimate news sources implement them, millions upon millions of people read them (Blogger.com, an automated publishing tool, regularly ranks in the top dozen US-based Web sites) and the lucky few are able to make substantial livings off writing them.

For EDGE staffers, keeping a steady writing gig at your favorite online source of gay news and entertainment isn’t a Plan B, it’s a favorite exercise in flexing the journalistic muscle many have been training for years. But there are some stories, some anecdotes and some editorialized rants that, for one reason or another, just don’t fit for inclusion in mainstream media.

But you know writers; we never know when to shut up.

Rather than stifle the voice within, some of your favorite EDGE editors and reporters--the very writers whose work you enjoy every day (and you are enjoying it every day, aren’t you?!) maintain their own blogs. Some are simple side projects, some are outlets for a burning editorial passion; some are personal, some are political; but all provide a behind-the-scenes perspective on the writers and editors that make EDGE a reality.

Interested in what EDGE journalists have to say off the record? Here’s a guide to their unique sites and styles:

Who: Sam Baltrusis, Northeast Regional Editor
Where: www.loadedgunboston.blogspot.com
What: Before he was covering the ins and Outs of New England for Edge, Baltrusis worked for MTV and VH1. The history left him with "a lot of pent-up venom against the pop culture mainstream," says Baltrusis. He shot back with "Loaded Gun," a regularly updated blog that culls, dissects and comments on controversial topics; particularly those of the, you guessed it, pop culture variety. "I use Loaded Gun to test the waters, especially if it’s a controversial topic I plan to use for EDGE or other mainstream publications," says Baltrusis, who launched the blog in 2006. "I definitely have a lot more interactivity with the readers."
Sample Snippet: "I spent a few minutes looking at the mirror trying to strike my best Zoolander ’gay face,’’ writes Baltrusis, discussing the humor and harm in the new pop culture phrase. "On the surface, ’gay face’ is harmless fun. However, the term borders a dehumanizing caricature in my book."

Who: Clay Crane, contributing writer
Where: www.claycane.net
What: This New York City based EDGE writer also takes on the music, movies, books and more, with a focus on issues of race and sexuality. Like a lot of pro bloggers, Crane used the modern medium as a way to cross-market his other writings. "I wanted to spread the word about my [upcoming] novel," says Crane, who is in the process of publishing Ball-Shaped World, a novel surrounding the black and Latino ballroom scene. "When writing for other publications... I am being objective and wearing more of a journalist hat," says Crane, who also contributes regularly to Essence Magazine, AOL Black Voices, and Vibe.com. But with his blog, he’s free take bit more liberty: "It’s about giving my opinion and posing a question to my readers," he adds.
Sample Snippet: "I will never be able to understand racialized preferences within black people," says Crane, discussing a dinner date with a preference for lighter skin blacks. "It’s one of the saddest and blatant examples of internalized hate."

Who: Michael K. Lavers, Mid-Atlantic Regional Editor
Where: www.boyinbushwick.blogspot.com
What: Echoing Baltrusis’ sentiment about corporate work steering a writer from his unique voice, Lavers launched his blog in 2007 after leaving a job with GLAAD. "My role was to provide strategic media support to local and statewide organizations throughout the Northeast," explains Lavers. "This task included crafting effective messages, writing press releases, and other media correspondences that didn’t necessarily reflect my own beliefs. Boy in Bushwick allowed me to regain my voice and to discuss the issues I want to discuss." Like many of his fellow EDGE bloggers, Lavers is particularly interested in discussing the intersection of social delineations like sex, sexuality and race; that the blog will follow Lavers’ summering on Fire Island in the coming months should make for plenty of additional rumination. But most of all, he’s grateful to have a venue that reflects his unique voice. "[Journalism] schools often teach, or even preach, journalists should not express their opinions about the subjects about which they write," says Lavers. "This certainly holds true in my reporting and editing for EDGE, but I feel Boy in Bushwick is the appropriate venue where I can showcase my editorial voice."
Sample Snippet: "Are LGBTs more oppressed than other minorities? ... It is arguably unproductive to compare the oppression one group, such as people of color, to that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or other people may face in this country or others around the world. These comparisons amount to comparing apples and oranges."

Who: John Steele, contributing writer
Where: www.the-sound-and-the-fury.blogspot.com
What: "Pop cultural ramblings" are the order of the day for Steele, whose recent posts cover everything from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Ashley Dupre. "I don’t do confusing stories with a lot of nuance on my blog," says Steele of differentiating that work from others. "I stick to the simple human comedy of the everyday and the relics of pop culture that we might all like to forget. It’s a voice without an agenda but also with a lot of thought." Indeed, Steele says it’s important to maintain journalistic standards, no matter how light the subject may seem. "Either you respect your craft or you don’t. And that should stay the same no matter who you write for. Because at the end of the day, its your name on the byline. You have to be accountable for that."
Sample Snippet: "Hi, my name is Ashley Alexandra Dupre. I am 22 years old. I love to travel and play in the outdoors. Other hobbies include showing my snatch in public and dethroning the Governor of New York."

QUICK ENTRIES:

Not satiated yet? Here are some other blogs on the EDGE of cyberspace.

Adeli Brito, an EDGE NYC music reviewer, keeps a daily blog of music reviews, lists, retrospectives and reflections. Many entries take an "on this day in music history" approach to educating music trivia.
Where: www.adeli.wordpress.com

EDGE writer Alan Bennett Ilagan’s blog is also a useful guide to his previously published work for other publications like Instinct, xy, Q Northeast and the rest of his body of work. "Body" being an operative phrase; Ilagan is kind enough to include galleries of pics that show the writer in travel, in drag and in the shower. We’re particularly grateful for the latter.
Where: www.alanilagan.com

Writer Christopher de la Torre does double duty: Leaves of the Tree is his personal blog on national news, politics and pop culture, while Urban Molecule is an opportunity to indulge his appreciation of edgy contemporary art. Learn how to right click; you’ll find some sweet desktop wallpaper. Thanks, Chris!
Where: www.leavesofthetree.wordpress.com and www.urbanmolecule.com

Eliot Glazer spreads the love of random, witty observations on everything from celebrity culture to the minutiae of daily life. Entries tend to be short and clipped, making his a great dose of daily diversion.
Where: www.fasthugs.typepad.com

Erik Roldan, a Chicago-based EDGE contributor, maintains a blog that is an extension of his radio show, focusing on art and music for the queer community. The blog includes news, reflections... and mp3s. Score!
Where: www.thinkpinkradio.com

Spring has finally sprung

Forgive me for this potentially overly giddy posting, but Spring has finally sprung here in New York. It was 73 degrees here in the city today, and I soaked up a few rays this afternoon in Union Square with hundreds of my fellow New Yorkers and others who had the same mission in mind. The trees had buds on them, the daffodills were in full bloom, and sunglasses were the fashion accessory du jour. I leave for Fire Island in less than a month, but today in the city was simply wonderful.

Are LGBTs more oppressed than other minorities?

My roommate posed this question earlier this morning during a broader conversation about oppression and which group suffers more in this country. It is arguably unproductive to compare the oppression one group, such as people of color, to that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or other people may face in this country or others around the world. These comparisons amount to comparing apples and oranges. They lose sight of the myriad of underlying complexities involved around oppression, how it is imposed upon a particular group and its broader impact.

Some of the most overly racist people I have met are unfortunately white gay men who all too often forget they too are subject to discrimination and even oppression. They remain unable to marry their partner in 49 states. These same men cannot serve openly in the United States military, and they cannot even donate blood to the American Red Cross because of their sexual orientation. The list of things these men are unable to do goes on and on, but they apparently forget the oppression to which they are arguably subject in their own oppression of others with a different skin color or background.

The purpose behind the previous example is to highlight the hierarchy of oppression that inherently exists within a particular group. This reality is a small piece of a much broader reality within American society and others around the world. One can quickly argue it remains a sad irony for gay men, such as those mentioned in the previous example, to perpetuate oppression against others while they face their own discrimination. And it also arguably concludes power dynamics and struggle remains alive and well within LGBT America as it does throughout society.

Dr. King's legacy lives on

Today marks four decades since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Arizona Sen. John McCain are among the thousands of people expected to take part in a variety of commemorations across the city that will mark the grim anniversary. Pundits, commentators and other observers will certainly continue to analyze Dr. King's legacy today -- as they have done since his untimely death on April 4, 1968.

My home state of New Hampshire did not officially recognize Martin Luther King, Jr., Day until the late 1990s, and some may question how a 26-year-old gay white man from the Granite State could possibly find this figure inspirational. Dr. King was certainly controversial during his all too brief life, but the movement he spearheaded (and arguably continues to lead in memorium), arguably laid the foundation upon which the modern movement for LGBT rights is built.

Racial prejudice and intolerance remains alive and well in the United States. My grandmother's initial rejection of her multiracial great-grandchild is one of a myriad of examples of this reality. This country must continue to confront this legacy. Dr. King inspired millions of people to stand up and demand their rights in a country whose founding document proclaims all men are created equal. This legacy lives on four decades after his death.