And the party continues...

From Jerusalem to Madrid to Bogota to Lima, Gay Pride celebrations around the world echoed the call for equal treatment of gay and lesbian citizens. How times have changed, check out these pix from Bogota Pride (called the March Against Discrimination).

Something to (not) pass along...BY PENALTY OF LAW

From Reuters: A person who has reason to believe he or she has HIV may be sued by sexual partners if they become infected, the California Supreme Court ruled on Monday, broadening the state's view of when liability arises from the disease.
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A good idea in theory -- if a man has to pay child support for a one night stand that turns into an eighteen year nightmare, so should reckless individuals who are going around knowingly spreading a deadly virus. That said, it seems like the states would be spending their money on prosecuting people in addition to treating them.

Another shortsighted move in the face of death by our Republican powers-that-be. Once again, the government is looking for a quick fix instead of a longterm solution to the AIDS crisis...No sex ed in classrooms? No condom distribution? Abstinence all the way? Looks like California is going to be in dire need of lawyers in addition to doctors very soon.

How about a trip to Colombia in 2007?

From CBS Marketwatch: BOGOTA (MarketWatch) -- Princess Cruises ships will make 27 trips to the Colombian Caribbean port of Cartagena in 2007, President Alvaro Uribe's press office said in a statement Friday. Princess Cruises is a unit of Carnival Corp. (CCL). Each ship will carry about 2,000 tourists each. Cruise lines are resuming docking in the colonial port of Cartagena as Uribe's get-tough policy against guerillas and criminal violence has led to a dramatic improvement in security conditions.

The lower crimes, kidnappings and violence in general in the country are encouraging tourists to visit Colombia. A total of 937,000 foreigners visited the country last year, up 20% from 2004 and much higher than the 566,092 that arrived in 2002, according to Colombia's Commerce, Industry and Tourism Ministry.

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That's great! I spent a memorable summer in Cartagena when I was 14 and would love to go back. Having just spent some time in Colombia in February I want to encourage everyone with an adventurous spirit to go. Read my report on Bogota at www.planetranger.com/davidandjames

Partisanship is so stupid

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, partisanship is going to kill our country.

Otherwise rational individuals are supporting behavior and legislation that is blatantly wrong and immoral just to avoid any sort of dialogue with their "enemies."

Before I launch into a spiel about the latest in retard-Republican merchandise, I want to make it clear that I do believe mistakes were made during the Clinton administration. For all our talk about Darfour today, we seem to forget that Bill looked the other way while Rwandans hacked each other to bits in a wave of ethnic genocide. And as it pertains to today's pollemic immigration debate, we should look back to Mr. Clinton's ill-advised decision to support NAFTA. Not only did American jobs go south, but they did nothing to stop illegal immigration and instead further fueled the sweatshop ethos of yesteryear.

So there, I've said it. Democrats make mistakes. Democrats can be self-important and grating and are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Brace yourselves: I don't think the Democrats have captivating, imaginative, aggressive leaders. In that respect, the Republican party gets a nod from this blogger for sticking to their guns.

But this isn't about Republicans versus Democrats. It's about a system that is forcing Americans to bite their nose off to spite their face. The right wants to talk about global whining, well, here's a newsflash for the faithful: your church steeples will be the first to melt once that hole in the ozone layer starts to fry our planet.

And as for this ridiculous I Love Halliburton poster, it just goes to show that the enemy is a moving target. I do believe that this administration, and all its never-to-be-reported dealings with Osama Bin Laden and Sadaam Hussein and the Saudi government has sold this country to the terrorists. I don't believe that George Bush is a terrorist, but I do believe he is part of a system that has given power to a nefarious group of individuals. It's a mess so huge that generations after ours will still be untangling the shortsighted decisions that made our country bedfellows with our enemies. Halliburton is just one example of the greed and corruption that have consumed policy makers for the past twenty years, resulting in this dirty war in Iraq. So who's the enemy? Is it the guys who slammed the planes in the Towers? Is it the guys who taught the mastermind behind 9-11 how to off the Russians? The death toll is rising as we ponder these questions...or while someone prints a stupid bumper sticker.

Is Anyone Listening?

Poor Pope Benedict. In an effort to remain relevant among industrialized Western European countries, the Pontiff has scolded Spain for legalizing gay marriage.

The Pope will be visiting Spain to raise his arms a-la-Eva-Peron before thousands of pilgrims while other interesting, cultured Spaniards will be enjoying the sunny beaches of Ibiza, Alicante or Marbella.

Of course, Mr. Ratzinger is more than entitled to his opinion. Unlike the homosexuals and other undesirables gassed during WWII, Mr. Ratzinger played it safe in the Hitler Youth and is now free to foment hate speech from wherever he choses.

Jerk.

Happy Pride....From J-Lo

SO EFFING HOT!

I'm still reeling from an OOBE (out-of-body-experience). The sensation is only beginning to come back to my hands and feet. The ringing in my ears is subsiding.

Miss Jennifer Lopez, La Gran Diva from the BX, exploded on to the stage at the Heritage of Pride Dance on the Pier tonight. Rumors were going around that she was going to be the surprise guest at the show, and sho'nuff at 10:30pm she did her damn thing.

James and I were fortunate enough to be super close to the stage (as you can see from the pix above). It's been an incredible night.

Happy Pride Everyone!

If the terrorists and the right had their way...

I love how the right wing is so up in arms about defending their Second Ammendment right to bear arms that they are willing to do away with our nation's freedom of speech.

The latest back-and-forth on Michelle Malkin's blog is a free-for-all of artwork calling for the destruction of the New York Times, calling the paper and its Pullitzer-Prize-winning staff traitors, among other things.

According to Malkin, the Times' anti-bush agenda is our biggest foe in the war on terror; one such is example of this is a recent story published by the paper on a government program to monitor bank accounts of people suspected to have ties to terrorism.

Now, the paper reports that this activity is legal, though the "access to large amounts of confidential data was highly unusual [...] and stirred concerns inside the administration about legal and privacy issues."

What's the big deal then?

The big deal is that the right wing wants the press to play the role of mouthpiece for this administration and pose a united front against our enemies overseas. "Careless" and "self-important" reporters, apparently, are costing soldiers their lives in Iraq. That Dick Cheney is making plans on Iraq as Halliburton 's next headquarters seems to pose NO conflict of interest at all OR any risk t soliders' lives.

Now would be a good idea to ask who trained Osama in the first place? He didn't build those caves in Afghanistan by himself, you know.

Anyway, I wish I had the symplistic, black-and-white view of the world that the Right has. Choosing outfits and forming opinions would be much easier. The irony in these pictures, though, is fascinating-- don't these people think of freedom of the press as a cornerstone of democracy? Unbelievable. But true.

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This just in from AFP:
Warren Buffet, the world's second richest man, plans to give away 85 percent of his fortune of more than 40 billion dollars to charity including one run by Bill Gates, the wealthiest man on the planet, Fortune magazine reported.

That's hot.

Through the Wire

Happy Pride Weekend everyone! I'm going to the big parade on Sunday, a few cocktail parties and then the Pier Dance.

So much to be proud of, so much to fight for.

In case you've forgotten, it took a bunch of pissed-off drag queens to jumpstart the gay rights movement. Sadly, 38 years later, the fight continues.

Oh but for the day when we're not labels but just people. Though a "people pride day" would just be, well, gay, it would be nice to not have to demand the basic rights all human beings deserve.

Gay Pride matters because right now some kid is being smashed into a locker because he'd rather be in "Sweeney Todd" than on the football team; a future doctor is going to drop out of college because her parents won't fund their dyke daughter's education; another twentysomething-year-old guy is going to get HIV because he doesn't value himself enough to use a condom.

Need I mention that it's still possible to be gay bashed in the East Village?

Iraqi Government Declares State of Emergency

Am I a horrible person for finding this headline from the New York Times laughable? Other similarly stupid headlines would read "Mayor of New Orleans Says City is Flooded" or "Two Planes Strike World Trade Center: President Bush."

DUH.

That Iraq is in a state of emergency is no news. That their "government" has declared a SOE should, however, encourage those who felt this war would help American-ize Iraq. Now their leaders are quick to offer caption-ready snippets to the world press about the goings-on in the country.

"Hello, world, we've declared a state of emergency!"

What's next? A color terror alert chart?

Something else that bugs me about this article is its opening sentence: "The Iraqi government declared a state of emergency in Baghdad after American forces were involved in quelling a firefight in the city's center. "

It leads me to believe that once again American soldiers are being indicted in the court of public opinion. Now, I don't want the Times to become the New York Post, but I want for my favorite newspaper to be above reproach when the likes of Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin scream bloody murder at the MSM (mainstream media) for being anti-war.

Being anti-war does not make me anti-troops. I think these guys, most of whom are my age, are in way over their heads. These poor kids are pawns in an endless and unproductive debate about the future of Iraq, the safety of our country, and America's place in the world as vigilante superpower.

Newspapers should just report the facts and leave the recriminations, blatant or implied, to hack pundits like me.

El Equipo de Todos

Let's root for EL EQUIPO DE TODOS (everybody's team) -- the U.S. -- as they go head to head with Ghana at the World Cup Today.

I LOVE that the Spanish press here in the States has taken to calling the U.S. team "everybody's team" in the middle of the vehemently anti-Latino rhetoric coming out of Washington these days. Way to be the bigger person, mi gente!!

Solution to all problems: Ban gay marriage

Very funny editorial from Reg Henry at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Episcopal Church votes to curb gay bishops

First of all, what an annoying headline. I can see a bunch of nuns "curbing" some fetishist-bears on Folsom Street.

But I digress.

From Reuters: "The U.S. Episcopal Church, trying to appease an angry and alienated worldwide Anglican community, reversed itself on Wednesday and agreed to try to avoid the consecration of more openly gay bishops."

Sorry, but I can't cry foul here. The Church uses a 2,000 year old manual that unfortunately has some pretty strong words about homosexuality. I can put whatever spin I want on it, but I've decided to live my best life and take the best values of Christianity with me: be nice to everyone, don't lie, don't wear black and brown and there is no such thing as Winter White.

I don't understand why the gay community wants to be a part of a church. Churches have the right to make up whatever criteria for membership they want. Let's stop trying to change their history and start focusing on taking back our future.

Military Charges 8 With Murder of Iraqi

Terrible news from Washington: (New York Times) "Military prosecutors announced today that seven marines and a Navy corpsman had been charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in connection with the shooting death of an Iraqi civilian in April, a senior Defense Department official in Washington said. The men have been confined since May, when a preliminary inquiry concluded that there was sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation. "

This is frightening. For civilians and our military. Having never experienced war myself I can't imagine the way it can screw up someone's thinking. I just don't think these guys left their homes here in the U.S. to start killing people in Iraq. Everyone's a victim here. These soldiers don't stand a chance on their way out to war, and the civilians are getting screwed left and right.

From Homewrecker to Saint

In other, REAL, news, Angelina Jolie won my little heart over last night. Not only did she give an exclusive interview to my other Baby Daddy, Mr. Anderson Cooper, but she was the most sincere, inspiring celebrity I have ever heard talk about their humanitarian efforts. From homewrecker to saint, I wanna tip my hat to Ms. Jolie. If you want to join the pouty-lipped patron saint of the refugee community in her fight for human rights, give a buck to the United Nations High Commision on Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/donate/

Is Superman Gay?

Re-re question of the day. No wonder the Pentagon wants to call homosexuality a mental disorder. I wanna know where the real, cute, gay men are. Eff a cartoon, yo.

Shut up, John Kerry!

No wonder the Democrats are being called the "cut and run" party. The new schoolyard monicker for the left couldn't be more appropriate as John Kerry emerges from obscurity to offer a 12 month timeline for the removal of troops from Iraq.

I wasted a vote on Kerry and now I want to throw a shoe at him. He's like the loser chick who didn't get asked to the prom so she heads up the decorating committee just so she can tell herself she matters. John Kerry is a political mess wrapped up in all sorts of ill-fitting sequins and tafetta.

We're stuck in Iraq. It's horrible. Yes, we need to pull out.

But we shouldn't have gone in the first place!

John Kerry supported this war and his flip-flop politics cost the Democrats the election. If he really cares about the American people and our soldiers he'll shut up and get behind a real candidate who not only disapproved of the war but also has a realistic plan to finish the job.

Sidebar: If Kerry wants us out in 12 months where should our soldiers go then? Darfur, anyone?