Thursday News Wrap
It's been a while since I did a news wrap of any kind and I just keep seeing stories that I'd like to share. So, here you go.
A Mississippi school district canceled a high school prom after the ACLU said they really should let a young lesbian couple attend, one of whom would be decked out in a tux. Constance McMillen, the non-tux-wearing student involved, said of the decision: “Oh, my God. That’s really messed up because the message they are sending is that if they have to let gay people go to prom that they are not going to have one. A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this, so in a way it’s really retaliation.”
States are where the movement happens, politically speaking. Battles for same-sex marriage and medical marijuana are being waged at that level. And maybe that's where progress will be made because, generally, political gridlock can be avoided.
Oscar-winning documentary The Cove is being turned into a television series on Animal Planet to document the plight of dolphins and pilot whales in Taiji, Japan. Star of both, Ric O'Barry, has his eye trained on stopping the annual slaughter: "What has happened now is that they're not killing dolphins in the cove; they've moved offshore. They've created an artificial cove out of nets, and they drive the dolphins in there and kill them so we can't photograph it. But we have some drones and small planes and things to prove it."
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear a case involving one of the all-time greatest gay enemies, Fred Phelps. The suit involves whether or not the Westboro Baptist Church posse can protest at funerals of soldiers in their ruthless and provocative attempts to blame the wars on our country's embrace of homosexuality.
Brandi Carlile and Emily Saliers (the blonde Indigo Girl) have released a new song to benefit the Fight the Fear campaign that they are part of. FtF came in response to the assault of a lesbian couple in Seattle which resulted in the death of one woman.
And for some ridiculously cool lighter fare:
Comments [8]
Nancy Pelosi's interview with
Nancy Pelosi's interview with Rachel Maddow rocked hard. She gave the most succinct and eloquent arguments for the health care reform bill yet. (And pretty much thwarted every attempt by Maddow to shift the topic to non-issues like "abortion." Well done Madame Speaker.)
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
Kelly, I just saw an update
Kelly, I just saw an update on The Cove crew who just busted an upscale LA sushi restaurant for serving WHALE (and an endangered one at that). What was even more shocking was that 'whale' was actually listed on the menu, as if they had nothing to hide.
..
I wouldn't be surprised if whale or shark fin (brutally cut off live sharks) are for the international 'fine dining' market .. I mean, how many Japanese or other Asian locals, actually eat these as a regular part of their diet?
It's like the seafood industry here ... unless you live near the water & fish, most of it ends up overseas as our native salmon or oysters are too expensive for the average person!
Absolutely
There's a protest this morning down in Santa Monica/Los Angeles at the sushi restaurant that uses whale meat that mystics referred to.
Won't you be my neighbor? @theKELword
They're using endangered
They're using endangered whale too. I was under the impression that all whales were endangered. Isn't what they're doing illegal?
"Fight Prime Time. Read a Book"
PK, not all whale species are
PK, not all whale species are endangered--take killer whales for instance. But yes, what this restuarant (and probably many others) was doing was illegal because it was an endangered species. I guess they figured they'd take their chances with lax enforcement, but it surprises me that with all the animal welfare advocates in CA they weren't busted sooner by their clientele.
If only
"it surprises me that with all the animal welfare advocates in CA they weren't busted sooner by their clientele."
Their clientele? hah. Oh how I wish that would happen. It's unfortunate that our reputation for being concerned stewards of the earth, is a fantasy here in CA. I know very few active animal welfare advocates. Mostly it's hip to act like you care, then jump in your Prius, and head out to get sushi in some over priced Japanese joint filled with other fakers.
The hypocrisy here is disgusting... I live at the beach, and most people don't even care when there's dead fish floating in the Bay.
2002 Marc Hall v. Durham
2002 Marc Hall v. Durham Catholic School board (Ontario): Marc took the prom date question to trial and the judge ordered that the school had to hold the prom and let Marc bring his gay date. The Catholic school was publicly funded and had previously allowed pregnant, unmarried girls to attend the prom, so they couldn't claim it went against their doctrine.
Just to say, this seems to be big ongoing issue that young high school queers face.
Brandi and Emily's song is awesome!
The video is also awesome - I shudder to think how many re-takes that required!