The Daily Sheet October - December 2020

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, October 6th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Dave Cullen's Article for Vanity Fair

The Ultimate Brokeback Forum (formerly known as the Dave Cullen Forum) is here because of Dave Cullen.  In 2005 he wanted to give fans of Brokeback Mountain a place where they could discuss the movie, and support each other.  With the help of a tech team and admin/mod team, the forum was created and put online, and became a meeting place for "Brokies". Dave Cullen then went on to become a successful author.  His first book, "Columbine" was published in 2009 and is about the Columbine school shooting massacre.  "Columbine" became a New York Times best selling book.  It went on to win numerous awards, and this led to Dave being asked to be a guest on multiple news and talk shows, when the subject was a mass shooting event.  He followed this up with his book "Parkland - Birth of a Movement", which was published in 2019.  His second book is about the Parkland school shooting, and how the surviving students organized themselves to become a strong political movement, seeking stronger gun laws.  Dave is currently working on his third book, and writes articles that have appeared in other publications.  His most recent article is about Gabby Giffords.  Giffords is an American politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Arizona's 8th congressional district.  She served from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned due to a severe brain injury suffered during an assassination attempt. A member of the Democratic Party, Giffords was the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Dave's article has been published in Vanity Fair, and you can read it at the link below. Dave Cullen's Article for Vanity Fair

Isaac, Gyllenhaal to star in ‘Francis and The Godfather’

There’s much more of “The Godfather” underway.  A film chronicling the behind-the-scenes of the making of the landmark 1972 movie has found its leading men. Oscar Isaac and Jake Gyllenhaal have signed on to play director Francis Ford Coppola and former Paramount Pictures executive Robert Evans in the upcoming indie drama “Francis and The Godfather,” Deadline reports. Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson (“Rain Man”) has been tapped to helm the project, originally written by television producer Andrew Farotte.   “Out of the madness of production, and against all odds, a classic film happened,” Levinson said. According to Hollywood lore, the making of “The Godfather” was chaotic, mostly due to the epic behind-the-scenes battles between Coppola and the studio on everything from shooting locations to casting. Production of a period movie in New York City was expensive to film, and Marlon Brando portraying patriarch Don Corleone was a major gamble as he hadn’t been in a hit project for years.  Adding to the tension was the fact that Paramount Pictures was in desperate need for a hit film and real members of the organized crime underworld wasn’t thrilled to see Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel brought to life on the big screen. Isaac, Gyllenhaal to star in ‘Francis and The Godfather’[/i]

Cornea Donations From Gay Men

The cornea, the clear outer layer at the front of the eye, enables the eye to focus light and helps people to see more clearly. In the United States, a discriminatory policy implemented during the AIDS epidemic means that gay and bisexual men cannot donate their corneas if they had sex with another man in the last five years. In Canada, they must not have had sexual contact with a man in the preceding 12 months.  These policies mean that thousands of people are losing the opportunity to improve their eyesight every year, according to a new study. The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, found that as many as 3,217 corneal donations from gay and bisexual men were rejected in 2018 alone because of the policy. “With millions of people across the world in need of corneal transplants, these discarded corneas from gay and bisexual men could be used address the shortage and safely restore vision to thousands of patients with corneal blindness or visual impairment,” said the study’s lead author Michael A Puente, an assistant professor or ophthalmology at the University of Colorado. The ban was first introduced in the United States in May 1994 due to the belief that HIV could be transmitted through cornea transplants.   The policy was introduced without any scientific evidence. In fact, there has never been a reported case of HIV transmission through cornea transplant.  During the 1980s and 1990s, there were 10 reported cornea transplants where the donor had HIV prior to his death. None of the transplant recipients contracted the virus. Cornea Donations From Gay Men

A Study of Lesbian Clergy

Coming out to friends and family as a lesbian can be difficult, but rejection from the Church you once called home can hurt just as much. “Out in the Pulpit: The Lived Experiences of Lesbian Clergy in Four Protestant Mainline Denominations” by Pamela Pater-Ennis, PhD, is an expository nonfiction book that explores the stories of 13 lesbian clergies and their struggles to embrace their mutual identities as both Christian and lesbian. Readers discover the seven-step developmental process these women unknowingly endured to accept their dual identities, and their psychological resiliencies and spiritual strengths as they pursued their dreams and became powerful leaders of social justice. Pater-Ennis highlights how behavioral science literature presents new understandings of sexual orientation and argues that many theological and denominational pieces lag behind secular reading’s understanding of LGBTQ issues. The book began as research for her social work dissertation but grew out of Pater-Ennis’ angst as a straight ally. Witnessing the trauma endured by those excluded from the fullness of the Church, Pater-Ennis developed “Out in the Pulpit” to serve as a refreshing take on the argument that lesbian clergy are underrepresented and underpaid in the leadership roles they are seldom offered within the church. “I hope Christian churches continue to gracefully engage in dialogue about the controversial LGBTQ issue that continues to threaten denominational unity. I sincerely hope and pray that this book will be an instrument to further the inclusion of the LGBTQ population in the full life of the church, even as clergy. For LGBTQ individuals not to be fully a part of their church communities, means that they are subject to becoming victims of religious trauma,” Pater-Ennis said. A Study of Lesbian Clergy

The Spectrum of Bisexuality

September 23 was Bisexuality Awareness Day. It seems timely, then, to address some of the misconceptions and stereotypes bisexual individuals have to endure. For those who might not know, bisexuality involves romantic or sexual attraction to individuals of more than one sex and/or more than one gender. This attraction to individuals of different sex and gender identities is not always to the same degree, can fluctuate over time and can involve differing degrees of interest. Not so unlike how attraction works for heterosexuals as well (crazy, right?).   Sometimes confused with pansexuality, which involves attraction to individuals regardless of their gender, bisexuals often see an individual’s sex and/or gender as integral to their attraction towards them. By definition, this seems pretty straightforward; and yet, bisexuals face an incredible amount of cynicism and doubt, both from straight and cisgender individuals, but also from members of the LGBTQ+ community as well. So much so, there’s a term for it, biphobia. Biphobia highlights the prejudice, hatred, or discrimination targeted at bisexuals. More commonly though, biphobia is seen in the way that bisexuality is might light of, joked about, discredited and stereotyped in ways that attempt to invalidate it as an identity.   People often struggle to understand bisexuality because it defies our understanding of what sexuality should be, an either/or dichotomy: you are attracted to men or women, you are straight or gay, you feel attraction or you don’t. The Spectrum of Bisexuality

Illegal to be Transgender

Transgender people in thirteen countries live under specific laws that criminalise them, punishing them with prison, corporal punishment and, where anti-gay laws are also used against trans people, even death. However, a new report has also found defacto criminalisation of trans people under laws in 37 countries. The latest Trans Legal Mapping Report, released by IGLA World today, also finds only 96 countries have processes to allow trans people to change gender legally. But crucially, only 25 are described as not having “prohibitive requirements.”   That means it’s not possible to legally change your gender in at least 47 UN member states. The 13 countries who specifically criminalise transgender people, mostly using “cross-dressing” laws, are Brunei, the Gambia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, South Sudan, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates. Iran’s Islamic Penal Code also has severe punishments for bending gender norms in your expression. The punishments for these ‘cross-dressing’ laws range from fines to extensive prison sentences and in Malawi can even include corporal punishments. The Trans Legal Mapping Report, now in its third edition has for the first time, sought to find out the difference between laws and the lived experience of trans people too. They’ve done this by analysing laws alongside reliable documentation to find out, and class what they actually means for trans people. Illegal to be Transgender

Icelandic Church Makes Jesus Genderqueer

The national church of Iceland has apologised for circulating a children’s Sunday school advertisement that depicted Jesus Christ as genderqueer. The cartoon poster from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland shows a rosy-cheeked Christ with breasts, beard and make-up jumping in front of a rainbow.  It first appeared on the church’s Facebook page on 11 September and was displayed on public buses in the capital city of Reykjavík, but will soon be removed after it was met with considerable backlash. The Church said in a statement: “The 2020 Assembly of the National Church regrets that the picture of Jesus in a Sunday school advertisement has hurt people. The goal was to emphasise diversity, not to hurt people or shock them.” The Church depicted Jesus as genderqueer with breasts, a beard and make-up so ‘everyone sees themselves in Christ.’ Petur Georg Markan, a media representative for the Church of Iceland, explained the need for the church to share various forms of Jesus to endorse diversity. Icelandic Church Makes Jesus Genderqueer

Is Katharine McPhee Really a LGBTQ Ally?

Los Angeles native, American Idol alum, Smash actress, Broadway star, and supposed LGBTQ ally Katharine McPhee allegedly donated $500 in 2020 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a group that is working to maintain the GOP’s majority in the Senate. Federal Election Commission public records appear to show that she’s been giving thousands and thousands of dollars to Republican causes, including Donald Trump‘s reelection campaign, for well over a decade.  Public records show McPhee also donated $1200 to the McCain/Palin campaign in 2008, plus an additional $1200 to the Republican National Committee that year and in 2018, she gave another $1000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Ironically McPhee has allegedly been bankrolling anti-gay causes while pandering to queer audiences. Throughout her career, McPhee has professed her love for the LGBTQ community, who she has acknowledged have played a pivotal role in her success as a singer and musical theater actress. In 2018, she went so far as to publish a “love letter” to her queer fans in Billboard, in which she wrote: “I’d like to express my unwavering support to the LGBTQ community and appreciation for how much love you’ve shown me throughout the years.” McPhee has also participated in numerous charity events for organizations that benefit LGBTQ people, like Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.   All of this in contradiction with where she chooses to donate her money. Is Katharine McPhee Really a LGBTQ Ally?

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Maxwell and Walken in "Percy"

The director of a new film about a Saskatchewan grain farmer's legal fight with biotech giant Monsanto says the drama has some fictionalized characters.   But Clark Johnson adds that the team behind "Percy," which hit theatres in several cities on Friday (October 9th), is telling what they see as the truth of Percy Schmeiser's story. Christopher Walken stars as the farmer from Bruno, Sask., who was sued and taken to court by Monsanto starting in the late 1990s for using its genetically modified canola seeds without a licence. Schmeiser denied intentionally using the U.S. company's herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready seeds, saying they could have blown over from a neighbour's farm or passing trucks.  The Supreme Court of Canada eventually ruled that Schmeiser infringed on Monsanto's patent, although he did not have to pay the damages. Roberta Maxwell (Ma Twist in "Brokeback Mountain")co-stars as Schmeiser's wife, and Luke Kirby plays their son. Other cast members include Zach Braff as Schmeiser's lawyer, Adam Beach as his field hand, and Christina Ricci as a fictitious anti-GMO activist. Maxwell and Walken in "Percy"

Gay Nightclub Death and Packed Atlanta Pride Parties

Social media lit up with outrage over the weekend after a man died from a reported drug overdose and videos circulated of crowded gay nightclubs for Atlanta Pride weekend amid the ongoing COVID pandemic. The official Atlanta Pride organization distanced itself from the privately held circuit parties, making it clear that all their events were virtual. Atlanta police said a man lost consciousness at BJ Roosters nightclub early Sunday morning and was pronounced dead 40 minutes later after EMTs attempted to revive him. “The victim’s partner said he had taken ecstasy pills at the club during an event,” 11Alive reported. “Police said they found no signs of foul play or trauma during their investigation. Further details are still limited as the investigation continues. A spokesperson said that what they know at this time is preliminary and could change as the investigation progresses and new information comes to light.” Towleroad received an anonymous eyewitness account from the event, from a man who said he was standing near the partier who lost consciousness. The witness said the victim was a 40-50 year old black man, who remained unresponsive as onlookers did CPR for more than 10 minutes until paramedics arrived. The witness said the XION party, thrown by Keith Allen YOUNG’S GA BOY EVENTS, was oversold, packed, and not air conditioned. Said the witness: “I’m not sure of the outcome, it didn’t look good. Party was at XION, Promotor was GA Boy Events. The group was sitting next to me on a set of couches, one of them crashed quickly. The venue was packed, to overcapacity at times. There were no protocols in place, clearly no EMTs on site, and staff there seemed unprepared to handle anything of the sort. It was a minimum of 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived, and Im being generous. It was tragic. I’ve been to parties all over the world, I have never been to one without EMTs.   In my opinion this could have been avoided.” Gay Nightclub Death and Packed Atlanta Pride Parties

A Study of Lesbian Clergy

Coming out to friends and family as a lesbian can be difficult, but rejection from the Church you once called home can hurt just as much. “Out in the Pulpit: The Lived Experiences of Lesbian Clergy in Four Protestant Mainline Denominations” by Pamela Pater-Ennis, PhD, is an expository nonfiction book that explores the stories of 13 lesbian clergies and their struggles to embrace their mutual identities as both Christian and lesbian. Readers discover the seven-step developmental process these women unknowingly endured to accept their dual identities, and their psychological resiliencies and spiritual strengths as they pursued their dreams and became powerful leaders of social justice. Pater-Ennis highlights how behavioral science literature presents new understandings of sexual orientation and argues that many theological and denominational pieces lag behind secular reading’s understanding of LGBTQ issues. The book began as research for her social work dissertation but grew out of Pater-Ennis’ angst as a straight ally. Witnessing the trauma endured by those excluded from the fullness of the Church, Pater-Ennis developed “Out in the Pulpit” to serve as a refreshing take on the argument that lesbian clergy are underrepresented and underpaid in the leadership roles they are seldom offered within the church. “I hope Christian churches continue to gracefully engage in dialogue about the controversial LGBTQ issue that continues to threaten denominational unity. I sincerely hope and pray that this book will be an instrument to further the inclusion of the LGBTQ population in the full life of the church, even as clergy. For LGBTQ individuals not to be fully a part of their church communities, means that they are subject to becoming victims of religious trauma,” Pater-Ennis said. A Study of Lesbian Clergy

Bisexual Star Dove Cameron

Disney Channel star Dove Cameron is setting the record straight on some of her most iconic characters – they were queer.   The bisexual actor is best-known for playing played identical twins in the Disney Channel’s Liv and Maddie, which ran from 2013 to 2017, and more recently for playing Maleficent’s daughter Mal in Descendants 3. Fans have speculated in the past that one or both characters in Liv and Maddie could be queer – and Cameron finally put that speculation to bed in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday (7 October). The actor made the revelation after sharing a fan meme about the two Disney Channel characters.  When a fan replied: “Still not convinced Liv was straight,” Cameron replied: “Maddie was definitely gay.” Another fan replied: “Okay but LIV was a LESBIAN,” to which Cameron simply stated: “Liv was bi.” Cameron also went on to assign queer identities to other characters she has played, telling fans that Mal, Maleficent’s daughter in Descendants 3, was pansexual, and revealing that Ruby on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was asexual. However, she does not see all of her characters as being queer. When asked about the sexuality of Bekah Cotter, her character in the Netflix film Dumplin’, Cameron said she was straight. Bisexual Star Dove Cameron

Transgender Murders on The Rise

A 33-year-old Georgia woman has become at least the 31st transgender or gender-nonconforming person to die by violence in the U.S. this year, according to LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. Felycya Harris was shot and killed Saturday in Meadowbrook Park in Augusta, Georgia. On Monday, the Richmond County coroner classified her death as a homicide. Human Rights Campaign, which has been tracking transgender deaths since2013, said it has never seen such a high number of deaths at this point in the year, with more additional deaths likely unreported or misreported. “More accurate reporting may be a factor in the high number of deaths that we have tracked,” Tori Cooper, director of community engagement for HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative, told NBC News. “But we are also at an extremely vitriolic period, where hate is fueled even from our nation’s highest office.” The figure is all the more disturbing given the global lockdowns during the pandemic. Trans and gender-nonconforming people experience higher levels of violence from people they know, Cooper added, and may not be able to find refuge. “These are especially dangerous times and resources for help are limited at best,” she said. “We need to ensure that transgender and gender non-conforming people have equal and safe access to any resources they may need to thrive -- at all times, but especially during this pandemic.” Transgender Murders on The Rise

Girl In Red

Young LGBT people are deprived of role models because there are not enough gay artists in pop, said Norwegian indie pop singer-songwriter Marie Ulven – known as pop star Girl in Red, who at 21 has become a cult figure among young lesbians and bisexual women worldwide. Asking “Do you listen to Girl in Red?” has become a way for young LGBT women to connect, particularly on social media app TikTok, where the artist has more than a million followers. “Pop culture lacks queer representation … When I grew up I missed seeing other queer artists,” Ulven told said from her home in Oslo.  She said she had not expected her emotional, guitar-driven songs to become anthems among young LGBT people. One of her biggest hits, I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend, which was recorded in Ulven’s bedroom, has had more than 120 million streams on Spotify since 2018. While acknowledging that her music’s impact among LGBT people was “really cool”, Ulven said she also wished her sexual orientation was not an issue among listeners. Girl In Red

Oreo and PFLAG

Oreo is one of Gen-Z’s favorite brands and has made headlines with its previous rainbow-themed social media posts and gender-neutral pronoun packs. As the most diverse and liberated generation in history (only two-thirds of Gen-Z identify as exclusively heterosexual) the brand understands that recognizing and celebrating identity is important. In celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month this October, OREO is building on the #ProudParent platform and its partnership with PFLAG National by debuting a new film, titled Proud Parent, and releasing first-of-their-kind Limited Edition #ProudParent OREO Rainbow Cookies to reward acts of allyship for the LGBTQ+ community. (Full disclosure: my brand purpose consultancy Conspiracy of Love worked with Oreo earlier this year on an unrelated social purpose project). I caught up with Justin Parnell, Senior Director, Oreo Brand at Mondelēz to learn more about this partnership. Forbes: Justin, welcome. Please tell us a little bit about how this partnership with Oreo and PFLAG came about? Justin Parnell: What makes this partnership special is that it so perfectly encompasses our shared mission to create a more accepting world and that starts with the love and support of your closest family and friends. OREO has been celebrating families and encouraging moments of connection for decades, so a collaboration with PFLAG National, an organization dedicated to connecting LGBTQ individuals and their families, was a natural partnership for us. We also have a proud history of valuing diversity, fostering inclusion and publicly supporting the LGBTQ+ community, dating back to our, controversial, Pride-themed social post back in June 2012. OREO is proud to help drive PFLAG National’s mission to help make the world a more accepting, affirming, and compassionate place, where all families belong. Oreo and PFLAG

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

The Daily Sheet Archives
Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

(October 20th Edition - Under Construction)

Tuesday, October 20th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

“Solitude” By Gustavo Santaolalla

Monsterland is written, executive produced and created by Mary Laws and will stream on Hulu beginning October 2. Today, Dread Central is thrilled to exclusively debut the track “Solitude” from the Monsterland soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla; give it a spin and read more about the soundtrack below. Lakeshore Records is set to release Monsterland—Original Series Soundtrack digitally on October 2nd.  The original music composed by Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries), evokes elements of horror, science fiction, and gore in creatively unnerving fashion—subtly twisted orchestration, unsettling electronics and echoing instrumentation all come together to striking effect.  ­­­ Monsterland is written, executive produced and created by Mary Laws.  The series is executive produced by Babak Anvari, Lucan Toh, Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle. Ali Krug will serve as co-executive producer and the series is produced by Annapurna Television. Monsterland is an 8-episode anthology series based on the collection of stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s North American Lake Monsters.  Encounters with mermaids, fallen angels, and other strange beasts drive broken people to desperate acts in an attempt to repair their lives, ultimately showing there is a thin line between man and monster. The series stars Kaitlyn Dever, Jonathan Tucker, Charlie Tahan, Nicole Beharie, Hamish Linklater, Marquis Rodriguez, Bill Camp, Michael Hsu Rosen, Taylor Schilling, Roberta Colindrez, Adria Arjona, Trieu Tran, Kelly Marie Tran, Mike Colter and Adepero Oduye. “Solitude” By Gustavo Santaolalla

Were Gay Men Targeted in Sting?

Some LGBTQ advocates in the Tampa Bay region are alleging that the Hillsborough County sheriff has been targeting gay and bisexual men in a sex sting.  In September, Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the arrests of 11 men with a series of sound bites posted in a YouTube video. The men were arrested in two local parks — Sun City Heritage Park in Ruskin and Sydney Dover Conservation Park in Dover — after being approached by undercover deputies who would engage them in a conversation about sex. When the men agreed to sexual relations, they would be arrested. “These vile acts by these men took place in a park, the same place where our children play,” Chronister says in the video. “These men made these parks their personal playground for their deviant behavior. It will not be tolerated.” On Sept. 18, Chronister’s office released the names and mugshots of all 11 men, ranging in age from 37 to 76 years old, who were collared in the sting operation to local media outlets and on social media. The men were then exposed to ridicule, harassment, and even threats, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The sting, referred to as “Operation Park Cleanup” did not charge any of the men for attempting to pay for sex, human trafficking, or forcing themselves on anyone, or crimes involving children. But Chronister has touted the operation as an example of the type of “tough on crime” approach he embraces as he runs for re-election. Those arrested in the sting face charges of “entering or remaining in a place for the purpose of prostitution, lewdness or assignation,” or, in other words, going to a place with the intent of having public sex or patronizing sex workers. A first offense is a second-degree misdemeanor, for which the maximum sentence is up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Were Gay Men Targeted in Sting?

Anchorage's First Lesbian Mayor

Austin Quinn-Davidson will serve as acting mayor of Anchorage starting next Friday after Mayor Ethan Berkowitz's resignation. Quinn-Davidson, 40, is an attorney who was first elected to the Assembly in 2018. She will be the first woman and openly gay person to serve as mayor or acting mayor of Anchorage, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The city's charter states that the chair of its Assembly will serve as acting mayor during a vacancy. The Assembly voted Friday to appoint Quinn-Davidson as the new chair, replacing Felix Rivera. Berkowitz resigned after admitting to having an inappropriate relationship with a female reporter three days after she made online allegations against the married official. Municipal attorney Kate Vogel said at the meeting Friday that the city's charter is ambiguous as to how a permanent mayor should be selected. She said the Assembly has a few legally defensible choices on how to proceed. One would be to hold a special election in January, 90 days after Berkowitz's resignation takes effect. The second option would be to skip a special election and have Quinn-Davidson serve as acting mayor until the regular election scheduled for April. Anchorage's First Lesbian Mayor

Demi Lovato and Bisexuality

Friends, today we are gathered to examine the vast Vapid Fluff history of legendary queer songstress Demi Lovato. For many years, fans wondered, “Is Demi Lovato bisexual?” Her bisexual anthem “Cool for the Summer” established her as a queer legend long before she was comfortable answering questions about her sexual orientation in the media. Eventually, Demi Lovato did come around and become a proudly outspoken advocate who is open about being attracted to women as well as men. She’s yet to publicly discuss any specific girlfriends, however, which gives us lots of room to speculate every time she is seen in the remote proximity of a queer woman. She has also been very visible as someone who’s struggled with substance abuse, eating disorders and mental health, and I for one appreciate her candor every single chance I get. Recently we have begun archiving the Vapid Fluff content that’s existed at Autostraddle since this department’s birth in 2013, and this is the first celebrity-specific roundup we’ve put together. It is truly wild to examine how far we’ve come. Today, we’ll celebrate every single time Demi hinted that she was considering possibly toying with the idea of saying she might want to kiss a girl. Before Vapid Fluff was born, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato were just a pair of freewheeling Disney kids who maybe possibly dated at some point? Very unclear, but the rumors have always been there and we would be remiss to exclude them from this roundup. She also dated Miley Cyrus’ weird older brother and Joe Jonas. Demi Lovato and Bisexuality

Trans Man Told to Identify as Female on Forms

A transgender man says his sex at birth was required on his intake form when he was trying to donate blood in Virginia. The man, who asked not to be identified because he’s still working through the demoralizing experience, said he went to an Inova Health System in Sterling facility Sept. 22 for his scheduled appointment. He said a front desk staffer wrote down "gender at birth is female" and underlined it after repeatedly telling him, out loud in the busy clinic, that he must be listed by his birth gender on the paperwork. "When you try to fight back, sometimes it just doesn’t work," he said. "They’re too big or too powerful, and in this case it happened, and I said, ‘I’m tired, I’m tired.'" He stayed and donated blood because he says it’s important. "I was angry," he said. "I kept thinking about the next trans person walking in there that does not deserve that." "Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which contains its nondiscrimination provisions, protects people from this kind of treatment when they receive medical care," said Benjamin Brooks, a policy director with the Whitman Walker Institute. Trans Man Told to Identify as Female on Forms

15 Notable Intersex People

Some people wait to find out what the gender of their unborn baby is, and others wish to find out right away. After all, that can be a very exciting time for expecting moms and dads. However, there are some very important things that people should keep in mind when it comes to things like this. For example, gender is not always as basic of a thing as people think it is. Celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis and Nicole Kidman have had to face rumors about their gender, whether it be their own or that of someone they are close to. Furthermore, there are some famous people who are actually hermaphrodites. Also, some babies might be born with something called Swyer Syndrome, which would put them in the intersex category. According to isna.org, someone with this condition would have an outwardly female appearance, but she would not have functional sex glands. They'll need hormone replacement medication in order to develop secondary sex characteristics. A child's gender can be a very complicated thing. That is one reason why parents should not force gender stereotypes on their children. 15 Notable Intersex People

Biden Discusses Transgender Rights

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s response on transgender rights during a town hall on Thursday highlighted his empathy on these issues — as well as some of his struggles with the language around them. Biden, in his answer to a mother who asked how he’d guarantee protections for her trans child, emphasized that he’d roll back President Trump’s executive actions including a measure that bars transgender people from openly serving in the military; he then went on to condemn the murders of transgender women of color. “Eliminate those executive orders, number one,” he said. “There is no reason to suggest that there should be any right denied your daughter.” Biden’s positions on trans issue were — as they long have been — a stark contrast to Trump’s approach, which has included outright attacks against the rights of transgender people, including rolling back an Obama-era memo directing schools to protect trans students from discrimination and reducing protections when it comes to health care discrimination. (Trump was not asked about transgender rights during his town hall on Thursday.) Biden’s response covered some of his policy proposals as well: He committed to changing the law to guarantee protections for transgender people, and to use his executive power to reverse actions taken by the Trump administration. Biden has said he’d sign the Equality Act, legislation that changes civil rights law so sexual orientation and gender identity are explicitly protected characteristics. Biden Discusses Transgender Rights

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

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Tuesday, October 27th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Ang Lee - His Best Quotes

Reflecting the changing cultural tides, a number of influential Chinese filmmakers have risen to prominence over the past couple of decades. Wong Kar-wai remains an art house darling despite his glacial working pace and the fact that he has only completed two films in the last 15 years. Veteran Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien finally gained international recognition by winning the best director award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for The Assassin. Zhang Yimou has won numerous European film festival awards and was handed the honour of directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Arguably, though, none can match the accomplishments of Taiwanese director Ang Lee, the man behind modern classics including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Lust, Caution and The Wedding Banquet. He has won a clutch of awards in Asia at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse awards. In Europe, he twice won the top prize at both the Berlin and Venice film festivals, as well as two Bafta awards. Not even success in America has eluded him – his films have won a total of nine Golden Globes over the years. For years, Lee was tipped to become the first Chinese director to win best director at the Oscars and he duly delivered, not once but twice, winning for Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Life of Pi (2012). In celebration of Lee’s 66th birthday, STYLE looks back at some of the director’s most memorable quotes, that reveal his attitude to film, family and more. Ang Lee - His Best Quotes

Introducing:  Drag Laureate

Poet laureates have proliferated in recent years, with a growing number of even small and midsize cities naming their own ceremonial scribes. But an officially recognized drag laureate? While the literary arts are well represented in the ceremonial position sector, drag queens have yet to find themselves recognized in similar laureate roles. But that may soon change. After a similar idea was suggested in San Francisco, the city of West Hollywood is moving forward on creating its own “drag laureate” position.  According to a city memo, the proposed West Hollywood drag laureate would serve as an ambassador to local businesses, particularly those in the city’s historic LGBTQ district, and would promote arts and culture in West Hollywood more broadly. The city is now on its fourth poet laureate after creating the role in 2014. The duties of that honorary position include writing a poem about West Hollywood, running poetry workshops and appearing at various local events. The drag laureate would be doing sort of the same thing, according to West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran — minus the poetry and plus an emphasis on LGBTQ cultural events. Introducing:  Drag Laureate

Gay Penguins Steal Lesbian Penguins Egg

The gay penguins strike again.  A pair of two male African penguins at a Dutch zoo, who made international headlines last year when they stole an egg from a heterosexual couple, have now stolen the nest of a lesbian duo, DierenPark Amsersfoort said in a Facebook post. Zookeeper Sander Drost told Dutch News that the gay couple is taking turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. But, Drost said, the eggs are likely unfertilized and will not hatch because they were laid by a lesbian penguin couple. Earlier this year, Drost told RTC Utrecht that the fathers were quite dominant. “Every couple has a house in the residence, but this couple has appropriated two houses,” he said. In November last year, the two gay penguins took an egg from a straight couple who let their guards down, RTC Utrecht reported. The egg failed to bear a child, and the gay couple have yet to raise a chick together. “Most penguin species are monogamous for life and typically breed once or twice a year,” said Marlene Zuk, a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota. Scientists do not know if same-sex behavior in penguins is common because all of the tiny creatures look the same in the wild, but Zuk said it certainly has been observed at zoos. Gay Penguins Steal Lesbian Penguins Egg

Lesbian Colonel Discharged by Another Lesbian

In 1989, U.S. Army Colonel Margarethe (Grethe) Cammermeyer was undergoing a routine security clearance interview when she said four simple words.  “I am a lesbian.” At the time, she was a highly decorated nurse and war hero on track to becoming a general. The admission started an intense investigation and the colonel faced a highly publicized discharge proceedings. The series of events would later become a television movie, starring Glenn Close, based on Cammermeyer’s 1995 memoir Serving in Silence. At the center of those proceedings was Col. Patsy Thompson (on the right in the picture), who in 1992 was a decorated Army nurse only two years away from retirement. Thompson had served her country for over 30 years when she was called to preside over the military review board that would eventually dismiss Cammermeyer. No one knew that she was hiding the same truth: she was also a lesbian. What unfolded changed the course of Cammermeyer’s case, which eventually led to her reinstatement and paved the way for the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies. That story is told in the recent documentary film Surviving the Silence. Lesbian Colonel Discharged by Another Lesbian

Cary Grant, LSD, and Bisexuality?

Cary Grant’s most prized possession was either his father’s pocket watch, or a gold chain that he wore around his neck that held one of Jennifer’s baby teeth in Lucite, and three charms that represented the three religions of his four ex-wives: a St. Christopher medal from the Catholic Virginia Cherrill, a small cross representing the Protestant religions of Barbara Hutton and Betsy Drake, and a Star of David for the Jewish Dyan Cannon. He continued to expound on the benefits of LSD to anyone who would listen, as well as anyone who was disinclined. He became known as the go-to man for people who were thinking of experimenting with the drug. At one point, the screenwriter Ivan Moffat and Caroline Blackwood had lunch with Grant. (Blackwood was married to Lucian Freud but having an affair with Moffat.) Grant strongly recommended that Blackwood try a course of LSD treatment and recommended a doctor. Blackwood undertook twelve sessions, and Moffat believed that “it certainly had a tremendous effect on Caroline. She suddenly became much clearer in thought, clearer of purpose—and she started to write.” The interesting thing about Grant’s attitude toward LSD was that he remained resolutely antidrug. When this blaring contradiction would be pointed out, he would explain that it wasn’t a contradiction at all: “LSD is a chemical, not a drug. People who take drugs are trying to escape from their lives. LSD is a hallucinogen, and people who take it are trying to look within their lives.” When somebody would call him on one of the convenient dispositions that supported his prejudices, he would say, “I’m now 70 years old and I have lived a lot longer than you have.” And that would be that. Age and experience, however subjective, trumped logic or facts. In short, he was what he self-diagnosed as a “series of contradictions”—intensely human, often maddeningly so. Cary Grant, LSD, and Bisexuality?

Disturbing Research

In 1975 psychiatrist Robert Stoller of the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote something bizarre in his textbook on sex and gender. He asserted that people who were assumed to be boys when they were born but whose gender identity or expression did not match that assumption “often have pretty faces, with fine hair, lovely complexions, graceful movements, and—especially—big, piercing, liquid eyes.” Based on this observation, he suggested a theoretical model in which transgender girls become transgender because they are especially cute. Society treats them more like girls, he reasoned, and because of this experience, they start to identify as female. As a physician-scientist, I’m generally of the opinion that knowledge leads to progress. But studies focused on this particular question—those asking what determines someone’s gender identity—have led us down some strange and dangerous paths. Researchers in this area appear to be in search of some objective truth, but the science is rooted in a subjective assumption: that we need to know what makes someone transgender so that they can be “fixed.” As a result, scientists have relentlessly pursued such questions, launching studies that promoted ideas that could hurt transgender children and their families. Stoller’s observations motivated many of the psychological theories behind what makes people transgender. In 1993 a group of researchers at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto set out to test his hypothesis that beauty and what was then called “gender identity disorder” were linked. They recruited 17 birth-assigned boys with the diagnosis and 17 birth-assigned boys without it,  all around the age of eight. The researchers then took headshots of the children and showed them to 36 college students. The students were asked to rate the youngsters’ physical appearance on a scale from one to five with categories such as “attractive,” “handsome” and “beautiful.” In the end, the college students found the children with “gender identity disorder” to be “prettier” than the cisgender boys. The findings seem to suggest Stoller was right: perhaps, because of their appearance, people treated the youngsters in the former group more like girls, and consequently, they became transgender. Though as the authors mention later in the paper, an equally plausible theory is that these children could have altered their appearance (long hair, et cetera) in ways that matched their identity, leading the college students to associate them with more feminine descriptions such as “pretty.” Disturbing Research

Be An Asexual Ally

An all too common set of misconceptions makes people unaware, prejudiced and unprepared to be an asexual ally: Asexual people just haven't met the right person yet; asexuality is a type of reproduction; asexual people don't have sex or relationships. These are all myths. Asexuality, like all sexual orientations, exists on a spectrum. So as the world celebrates Asexual Awareness Week (Ace Week) from the 25 to the 31st of October this year, learning how to be an asexual ally is vital. Founded by Sara Beth Brooks in 2010, Ace week is in its tenth anniversary year. So it’s the perfect opportunity to read up on sexual, romantic and identities, including those beyond the binary so you can be an ally to asexual people. It's simple enough. First up, understanding that some asexual people have romantic relationships, and some have sex – while accepting most don’t – is a crucial part of breaking down the myths. Then, get to know the labels and identities that sit within asexuality. This will help you understand when to intervene and challenge the most common misconceptions people have, that fuel prejudice, about being asexual. Be An Asexual Ally

Biden Discusses Transgender Rights

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s response on transgender rights during a town hall on Thursday highlighted his empathy on these issues — as well as some of his struggles with the language around them. Biden, in his answer to a mother who asked how he’d guarantee protections for her trans child, emphasized that he’d roll back President Trump’s executive actions including a measure that bars transgender people from openly serving in the military; he then went on to condemn the murders of transgender women of color. “Eliminate those executive orders, number one,” he said. “There is no reason to suggest that there should be any right denied your daughter.” Biden’s positions on trans issue were — as they long have been — a stark contrast to Trump’s approach, which has included outright attacks against the rights of transgender people, including rolling back an Obama-era memo directing schools to protect trans students from discrimination and reducing protections when it comes to health care discrimination. (Trump was not asked about transgender rights during his town hall on Thursday.) Biden’s response covered some of his policy proposals as well: He committed to changing the law to guarantee protections for transgender people, and to use his executive power to reverse actions taken by the Trump administration. Biden has said he’d sign the Equality Act, legislation that changes civil rights law so sexual orientation and gender identity are explicitly protected characteristics. Biden Discusses Transgender Rights

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: Lyle (Mooska), CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Anne Hathaway in ‘Mothers’ Instinct’

Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway will star in the psychological thriller “Mothers’ Instinct” with sales set to launch at the American Film Market next month. Chastain and Hathaway will play best friends and neighbors who both live an idyllic traditional lifestyle with manicured lawns, successful husbands and sons of the same age. The story, set in the 1960s, will see the perfect harmony suddenly shattered by a tragic accident as guilt, suspicion and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond Olivier Masset-Depasse is set to direct the English-language remake based on his 2018 film, “Duelles,” which won nine Magritte Awards from the Belgian Academy including best film and best director. The film is based on the novel “Derrière la Haine” by novelist Barbara Abel. Sarah Conradt (“50 States of Fright”) is adapting the script. “It takes actors of Jessica and Anne’s caliber to communicate the intricacy of these two role,” Masset-Depasse said. “The relationship between a mother and child is the most powerful connection between two human beings. When this bond is severed, it calls into question conventional morality and even sanity. In the behind-closed-doors atmosphere of 1960’s America, Mothers’ Instinct becomes a terrifying, high-pressure powder keg.” Chastain is producing with Kelly Carmichael from the actor’s Freckle Films along with Paul Nelson at Mosaic and “Duelles” producer Jacques-Henri Bronckart. Production company Anton will fully finance and executive produce the project with the company’s founder and CEO Sébastien Raybaud overseeing the project alongside John Zois, who negotiated the deal with CAA. Anne Hathaway in ‘Mothers’ Instinct’

Rugby Player Dan Palmer

Former Australian international Dan Palmer, who has become only the second male rugby union professional after Gareth Thomas to come out as gay, says he "routinely numbed" himself with a "heavy cocktail of opioids" as he struggled with his sexuality during his playing career. Palmer penned an emotional column in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday about the mental health challenges he faced while confronting his sexuality and how he hopes to inspire others in the future. "I despised myself and the life I was living," Palmer said of the season he made his international debut, when he was also vice-captain of Super Rugby side the ACT Brumbies.  "I was trapped in a false narrative and could see no way out. Most nights, I cried myself to sleep ... I fantasized about disappearing, changing my name and starting my life all over again. It is not an exaggeration to say my own death felt preferable to anybody discovering I was gay." Palmer said moving from Australia to play in France offered a "degree of introspection" that proved to be "transformative."   Realizing something had to change, he visited a friend in London to reach out for help -- the first person he had ever spoken to about his sexuality. "I don't have a satisfying answer to why I had to self-implode to finally reach out to someone and make these changes to my life," said Palmer. Rugby Player Dan Palmer

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe Announce Engagement

Seattle sports power couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe is tying the knot. On Friday afternoon, Bird posted a picture on her Instagram account of Rapinoe kneeling on what looks to be a dock and placing a ring on the finger of Bird, who is standing in water. Within the first 30 minutes, the post received over 12,000 likes and 723 comments, including well wishes from all over the sports community.  Former Washington Huskies star Kelsey Plum posted three heart emojis with a caption that read: “Congrats.”  Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love wrote: “So great!!!”  And the Storm tweeted: “Ring Season. Congrats to THE power couple on their engagement!!! #LoveWins” The pending nuptials mark the latest development in the relationship between Rapinoe and Bird, which began in September 2016.  Bird, the Storm star and four-time WNBA champion, publicly announced in 2017 that she’s gay and dating the Olympic-gold medal winning soccer star. During the past three years, the sports couple has championed various social-justice causes, co-hosted the ESPYs and appeared on several magazine covers. “It’s nice to be going through the same thing,” Bird said in a Seattle Times story published in 2018 when asked about Rapinoe. “It’s very similar, the things you go through: mindsets of things, team chemistry, dealing with a coach. So it’s nice to have a sounding board at home that just understands." Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe Announce Engagement

Blondie's Bisexuality

The Blondie legend confirmed in 2014 that she is queer, but three years later said that her bisexual days “have gone by”. “I have great affection for some of my female friends but I think maybe when I was younger it might have been a little more hormonal and our hormones change,” she said in 2017. Appearing on the Homo Sapiens podcast, Harry revisited the topic with hosts Chris Sweeney and Alan Cumming.   Discussing bi-erasure, Sweeney asked if she had ever “felt the need to qualify” her bisexuality. “I always felt entitled,” Harry said, “and I don’t think that is a very feminine characteristic.  Except for in certain ways, in certain levels of society, a lot of women feel they are entitled. But I always felt entitled to be the man I wanted to be.” Debbie Harry said that being the front woman of an otherwise all-male band meant she “really had to employ an aggressiveness that perhaps I wouldn’t have in other situations”.  “This was natural,” the Blondie star continued. “I don’t know that it had to do with sexuality. Sexuality is such an almost kind of a nebulous thing in a way… it’s so different to each person.” She added: “For me it has to do with fascination and crushes… I’ve had crushes on all different kinds of people, all different sexes, and some of them have come to fruition, and others haven’t.” Blondie's Bisexuality

Transgender Woman Sues to Keep Job

A transgender woman who served in Afghanistan as a member of the 101st Airborne Division sued Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her top military official Friday, saying she is being kicked out of the Michigan National Guard over her gender identification.  Blaire McIntyre, who was assigned a male gender at birth but identifies as a female, sued in federal court in Grand Rapids, asking a judge to declare unconstitutional a policy forcing transgender service members to discharge from the U.S. military. Named as defendants in the suit are Whitmer and Paul Rogers, the adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.  The case could have national implications and is distinct from four other lawsuits, filed in other states, challenging President Donald Trump's reversal of a U.S. Defense Department policy that allowed transgender troops to serve openly, attorney Shannon Minter said. "Ms. McIntyre is a transgender woman who has recently come to terms with her transgender identity," according to the lawsuit.  "A medical professional diagnosed Ms. McIntyre with gender dysphoria in November 2019. Ms. McIntyre informed her commanding officer of the diagnosis and her transgender identity soon thereafter." Now, under the U.S. Department of Defense policy, she "faces involuntary discharge from service and the end of both her National Guard service and her civilian career solely because she is transgender." McIntyre, who is from Roscommon and joined the Michigan Army National Guard in 2015, earlier served in the active duty Army, including a stint in Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne, a highly distinguished light infantry division of the U.S. Army known as the "Screaming Eagles," specializing in air assault operations. Transgender Woman Sues to Keep Job

Delaying Gender Assignment Surgery

Bria Brown-King was born with a condition that causes their body to produce higher levels of testosterone, leading to a deeper voice and hair growth typically associated with men. They also have ovaries, a uterus and XX chromosomes.  When Brown-King was growing up, there was little understanding or education about nonbinary gender physiology and identity. There still isn’t, they told members of the City Council during a hearing Wednesday on a bill that would require the city Health Department to create informational resources that doctors and hospitals can provide families of children born with intersex traits. The legislation, introduced by Councilmember Danny Dromm last year, is designed to encourage families to delay gender assignment surgery until a child is old enough to have a say in the decision. “Parents and doctors make decisions about intersex children’s bodies because they deem it medically necessary based on their own fears that intersex bodies aren’t healthy, when the standards for what typically makes someone’s body considered healthy is deeply flawed,” said Brown-King, the director of engagement at advocacy group InterACT. They were diagnosed with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, one of many intersex variations. “Doctors don't want to talk about cases like mine where surgeries don’t go as planned,” Brown-King said. “Intersex bodies are not the problem — we are perfect as we are.”  About 1.7 percent of babies are born intersex, according to InterACT. Delaying Gender Assignment Surgery

Biden Discusses Transgender Rights

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s response on transgender rights during a town hall on Thursday highlighted his empathy on these issues — as well as some of his struggles with the language around them. Biden, in his answer to a mother who asked how he’d guarantee protections for her trans child, emphasized that he’d roll back President Trump’s executive actions including a measure that bars transgender people from openly serving in the military; he then went on to condemn the murders of transgender women of color. “Eliminate those executive orders, number one,” he said. “There is no reason to suggest that there should be any right denied your daughter.” Biden’s positions on trans issue were — as they long have been — a stark contrast to Trump’s approach, which has included outright attacks against the rights of transgender people, including rolling back an Obama-era memo directing schools to protect trans students from discrimination and reducing protections when it comes to health care discrimination. (Trump was not asked about transgender rights during his town hall on Thursday.) Biden’s response covered some of his policy proposals as well: He committed to changing the law to guarantee protections for transgender people, and to use his executive power to reverse actions taken by the Trump administration. Biden has said he’d sign the Equality Act, legislation that changes civil rights law so sexual orientation and gender identity are explicitly protected characteristics. Biden Discusses Transgender Rights

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, November 10th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Our Favorite Gay Sex Scenes in Films

Gay films have come along way in the past few decades. And we’re getting more and more on-screen representation by the day. But what if we look at the best gay sex scenes on film, and specifically at how gay sex is represented on the big screen? If you’re looking for a movie that’s all about hot gay sex scenes, well, you can head to PornHub. But when you’re seeking a poignant, powerful or humorous story that also features some of the best gay sex scenes caught on camera — and also some of the most realistic — we’ve compiled a handy list to help you out. Here are 10 titles featuring some of the best gay sex scenes on film, in no particular order: 1. Brokeback Mountain (2005)  -  First, we gotta respect a classic. Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain broke the game when it came to gay representation. It was one of the very first mainstream movies to seriously depict gay love and gay sex. And even though that one scene — you know the one — can’t be praised as particularly realistic or practical (I mean, only a bit of spit? That’d hurt!) it’s still one of the best gay sex scenes on film. And the sexual tension between lead actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger — and that popped bubble of adrenaline and lust — still holds us to this day. *my own note - it seems to me they are talking about the scene we all affectionately refer to as "FNIT" (first night in tent).  However, the link contains footage of "SNIT" (second night in tent)* Click the link below to see the brief footage of SNIT, and the other 9 films on the list. Our Favorite Gay Sex Scenes in Films

On Being Gay and Acting

Jim Parsons believes being gay has made him a better actor. The 47-year-old star admitted he didn’t expect to feel such “happiness and strength” when he came out in 2012 and not only does he think his sexuality has informed his work as he has more “layers” to “share”, he also feels it has had a positive impact on his career.  Speaking to Attitude, he said: “To suddenly be part of a large group that has been - and still is - maligned at times, with hateful things being said about them by other public figures - there was a sense of happiness and strength for me that I couldn't have predicted." “As soon as it became a story, it made me feel very strong and I think in this day and age it only helped career-wise. I certainly have never felt it hurt my career - at all." “It probably even helped me be a better actor. There's always more layers of yourself you can share." The ‘Big Bang Theory’ actor is very content with his life and who he is, but he admitted somewhere within him is still a “fear” that being himself will result in him “losing the love” of those who really matter. On Being Gay and Acting

Election Day Revenge in Ohio

Charmaine McGuffey, an out lesbian, has been elected sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio. McGuffey, 63, made headlines in the primary where she challenged the incumbent, Jim Neil, who fired her from the sheriff’s department three years ago. Neil insists he terminated McGuffey for creating a hostile work environment.  In a pending lawsuit against the department she will soon lead, McGuffey says she was the one subjected to a toxic workplace.  She maintains it was because she spoke out against excessive force — and because she is an openly gay woman. Born and raised in Cincinnati, McGuffey said she knew she wanted to be a police officer by the time she was 14. But when she enrolled at the University of Cincinnati in the late 1970s, women weren’t allowed to be uniformed patrol officers. That changed by the time McGuffey graduated, and she joined the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in 1983. Rising through the ranks, she received glowing reviews and numerous accolades over more than three decades of service. In 2013, McGuffey was promoted to major in command of jail and court services, making her the highest-ranking woman in department history. Under her watch, the Hamilton County Justice Center moved from being Ohio’s worst-ranked large jail to its best in only three years, according to audits by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections. Election Day Revenge in Ohio

Court Decision On Bisexuality

A shocking court case out of Valencia, Spain, has in effect cemented “bi erasure,” conflating people who are attracted to more than one gender as in essence ‘really just gay.’ Even worse, this recent bisexuality court case has resulted in a cash payout for the ex-wife of a Spanish attorney and activist — truly ridiculous. Javier Vilalta has said he was “perplexed” when he was served with a lawsuit from his ex-wife, who he had amicably divorced a decade prior. She was suing him for hiding “his true sexual condition” from her, according to the suit. After a three-month case, the court ordered Vilalta to pay his wife a hefty sum for each year they were married for having “deliberately hidden” his homosexuality. Let’s be clear, though, he’s not homosexual. How sad and unfortunate that in 2020 there are people who still don’t understand the concept of bisexuality, let alone try to cement bi erasure into law as a judge. Vilalta has said about this bisexuality court case (translated from Spanish), “The trial has been shameful, and the sentence was a slap in the face. But, beyond the lawsuit and the sentence, we must remember that we are talking about a person with whom I have had a relationship from 16 to 34 years old. … When I got married I was heterosexual, I want this to be very clear. That’s how I felt. As a result of my divorce, I had doubts about my personality and with a therapist I discovered that I was bisexual. And this I told my ex-wife in 2016.” Court Decision On Bisexuality

Transgender Legislative Representation

Voters in six states handed eight transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming candidates victories in state legislatures this week. These candidates were on the ballot in at least 13 state House and Senate elections Tuesday. Three of the country’s four current transgender state legislators — Brianna Titone of Colorado and Gerri Cannon and Lisa Bunker of New Hampshire — all won re-election. The fourth, Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, who in 2017 became the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature, is up for re-election next year. At least five others, including an incumbent who was not previously out as gender-nonconforming, won Tuesday, bringing the total number to at least nine once they all take office. Among the winners is Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat, who made history as the first transgender person elected to a state Senate. She will also become the country’s highest-ranking transgender elected official once she takes office. In an interview with NBC News after her victory, McBride downplayed the role her gender identity played in the issue-based campaign, but stressed that her win proves “democracy is big enough” for any young person struggling with gender identity. She said the main issues she wishes to tackle upon getting to the statehouse are passing universal pre-K and universal paid family and medical leave. Transgender Legislative Representation

Delaying Gender Assignment Surgery

Bria Brown-King was born with a condition that causes their body to produce higher levels of testosterone, leading to a deeper voice and hair growth typically associated with men. They also have ovaries, a uterus and XX chromosomes.  When Brown-King was growing up, there was little understanding or education about nonbinary gender physiology and identity. There still isn’t, they told members of the City Council during a hearing Wednesday on a bill that would require the city Health Department to create informational resources that doctors and hospitals can provide families of children born with intersex traits. The legislation, introduced by Councilmember Danny Dromm last year, is designed to encourage families to delay gender assignment surgery until a child is old enough to have a say in the decision. “Parents and doctors make decisions about intersex children’s bodies because they deem it medically necessary based on their own fears that intersex bodies aren’t healthy, when the standards for what typically makes someone’s body considered healthy is deeply flawed,” said Brown-King, the director of engagement at advocacy group InterACT. They were diagnosed with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, one of many intersex variations. “Doctors don't want to talk about cases like mine where surgeries don’t go as planned,” Brown-King said. “Intersex bodies are not the problem — we are perfect as we are.”  About 1.7 percent of babies are born intersex, according to InterACT. Delaying Gender Assignment Surgery

Joe Biden's Win

Not many days go by when I don’t think about when I first heard the name Matthew Shepard. This was the night of Oct. 6, 1998, when I was a reporter at the Grand Rapids Press in southwestern Michigan. There was a television in the middle of the newsroom sandwiched between the metro reporters and editors. As newscasters began reporting the details of a hate crime that had taken place in Laramie, Wyo., there was a race of tears, my heart breaking with each word. Beaten.  Tortured.  Fractured skull.  Left for dead. Two decades later — after countless more hate crimes, attempts to change the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, lawsuits, and hateful rhetoric from elected officials — it felt as if the LGBTQ community could finally stop looking anxiously back, but rather confidently forward. Public sentiment had changed, opening the door for a presence in pop culture for celebrities like the once-vilified Ellen DeGeneres and sitcoms like “Modern Family.” Gays and lesbians were finally able to get married and enjoy the government benefits that came with their newly recognized union. Transgender people — a group too often overlooked by even gays and lesbians — were being elected to public office. Then came Donald Trump. Many of you probably weren’t aware of what his administration was doing in the shadows because so many of those moves that chipped, and occasionally hacked, at those gains barely penetrated the news cycle. The anti-LGBTQ policies and rhetoric, however, definitely caught the attention of LGBTQ watchdogs like the Human Rights Campaign, which kept a running tab of all the ways Trump was trying to undermine the progress made since Shepard’s murder. Joe Biden's Win

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

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Tuesday, November 17th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Kate Mara, Heath Ledger, & Brokeback Mountain

Imagine getting one of your first big roles in a movie -- and having your on-screen partner be one of the most well-known actors in Hollywood. That was Kate Mara’s experience with Brokeback Mountain after she was cast to play against Heath Ledger. The experience was certainly memorable -- and, luckily, one that she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to forget. Brokeback Mountain wasn’t Kate Mara’s first professional acting role but in many ways, was a breakthrough role for her. She played Alma Jr., the daughter of Heath Ledger's Ennis Del Mar -- but despite having a smaller role, she found the experience of filming to be memorable and rewarding. On the Watch What Happens Live After Show, Kate Mara revealed what it was like to work with Heath Ledger and discussed the unusual circumstances they found themselves in on set: I was 19, but he was only a few years older than me. It was pretty crazy. But he was the sweetest thing. That whole experience was really amazing. And even though he was only a couple years older, he really took me under his wing, 'cause I hadn't worked that much. It was really special. Heath Ledger was in his mid-20s when Brokeback Mountain was filmed -- in other words, less than a decade older than Kate Mara. When she shows up at the end of the film, Ennis is supposed to be roughly 40 years old, which the filmmakers and Heath Ledger pulled off using a combination of styling and subtle changes in the way he carried himself. Still, it’s funny to consider the small gap in their ages when you remember their on-screen relationship. Kate Mara, Heath Ledger, & Brokeback Mountain

Dashing in December

‘Tis the season for holiday rom-coms, and this year’s lineup just added a new, LGBTQ+-centric entry, Dashing in December, coming to Paramount Network.  It premieres Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. ET, and will also simulcast on Logo, Pop and TV Land. The film, starring Juan Pablo Di Pace, Peter Porte and Andie MacDowell, is set to premiere Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. It follows Wyatt (Porte) and Heath (Di Pace), two gay men who meet when Wyatt returns to his rural hometown for the holidays. “This feel-good project captures the importance of inclusive storytelling, the power of love and the spirit of the holidays all rolled into one,” Meghan Hooper, EVP and Paramount’s Head of Original Movies and Limited Series, said in a release. In PEOPLE’s exclusive first look at the Dashing in December trailer, Wyatt, a sophisticated New York businessman, returns home to convince his mother Deb (MacDowell) to sell the family’s ranch. He unexpectedly meets Heath, who, much to Wyatt’s disbelief, is content with his rural lifestyle. “Why did you come here to work?” Wyatt asks in the clip.  “Some of us just like being here,” Heath replies. “Not everyone needs more.” Dashing in December

Happiest Season

There’s a lot to look forward to this holiday season for Pittsburgh movie lovers who are especially fond of films shot in their backyard. Last month, Netflix released the first trailer for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” an adaptation of an August Wilson play starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman that was filmed largely on the North Side and will premiere on that streaming service Dec. 18. Yesterday, Hulu dropped the first trailer for “Happiest Season,” a holiday-themed romantic comedy that was also filmed in Pittsburgh and will be playing on Hulu starting Nov. 25. The film follows Abby (Kristen Stewart), who’s about ready to propose to her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis). Tensions rise when, right before meeting Harper’s parents, Harper reveals that she hasn’t come out to her family yet. “Happiest Season” also stars Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber and Mary Holland. It was directed by Clea DuVall and written by DuVall and Holland. Originally slated for release in theaters, distributor Sony Pictures last month opted instead to give Hulu the exclusive distribution rights to “Happiest Season.” The move was motivated by the lack of paying customers flocking to movie theaters as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage. Happiest Season

Is Selena Gomez Bisexual?

Selena Gomez has dated her fair share of celebrities from Justin Bieber to Nick Jonas, but now that she’s been cast as a famous gay Peruvian mountain climber, Silvia Vásquez-Lavado, in the new biopic, In the Shadow of the Mountain, fans are wondering if Selena has ever dated a woman. While there have always been rumors that Selena Gomez is bisexual, it’s been tough to confirm. When it was announced that Selena was cast as Silvia Vásquez-Lavado, there was some definite outrage over casting a seemingly heterosexual actor who also is not Peruvian (although she is Latinx), but fans came to her defense, insisting that Selena Gomez is, in fact, bisexual. So what’s the truth? Is Selena bisexual, or is it simply something we’ve willed into existence? Selena Gomez hasn’t really confirmed she is bisexual. Selena has talked a lot about mental health and a little about sexuality, but hasn’t flat out said “I am bisexual,” so anything we may surmise is simply speculation. It’s not Selena’s responsibility to tell the world who she loves, but being cast in an LGBTQ+ role has definitely catapulted her back into the limelight, and subsequently, fan speculation. In October 2015, when asked if she questions her sexuality in a Q&A with PrideSource, Selena shared, “I think everybody does, no matter who they are. I do, yeah, of course. Absolutely. I think it’s healthy to gain a perspective on who you are deep down, question yourself and challenge yourself; it’s important to do that.” Selena’s open about questioning who she is, which is important and an example for all of us! Is Selena Gomez Bisexual?

350 Transgender People Killed In 2020

350 transgender people were killed this year (2020), in a figure that has risen since last year’s total of 331. The annual list, released for Transgender Day of Remembrance, found the average age of those killed was 31, with the youngest just 15.  A fifth (22%) of the transgender people murdered were killed inside their own house. The majority of the murders happened in Central and South America, totalling 287. Like last year, the most deaths in a single country happened in Brazil, totalling 43% of global deaths (152 people).  Mexico was next with 57, while the United States sits in this report at 28. However the Human Rights Campaign, who compile a separate list for the US have totalled 34 this year, so far. The reason for the disparity, is due to this report counting Puerto Rico as part of the Central and South America region, while HRC counts those cases as US.  But a further humbling and critical part of context these figures must be viewed in, is that this death total is likely to only be the tip of the iceberg.  The list is compiled by Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT), a TGEU project, by sourcing local and national news stories covering the deaths and murders. The violence and horror of the murders, where transgender people were burned alive, suffocated and murdered, are catalogued by the project which also has the full list of all those killed this year.  But because many hate crimes and murders go unreported or, crucially, misreported in the media – the true number of deaths could be far higher. 350 Transgender People Killed In 2020

46 Terms

Sexuality has to do with the way you identify, how you experience sexual and romantic attraction (if you do), and your interest in and preferences around sexual and romantic relationships and behavior. Who your sexual or romantic partner is at a given moment in time doesn’t necessarily define this part of who you are. Sexuality can be fluid — changing in different situations for some, and over the years for others. Observing patterns in sexual and romantic attraction, behavior, and preferences over time is one way to better understand your sexual identity or romantic orientation. Familiarizing yourself with language that describes different types of sexual and romantic feelings and orientations will help you, your partners, and your friends navigate and understand the many ways people experience and identify their sexuality. It’s okay to feel unsure or overwhelmed by all of the labels we now have to describe sexual and romantic orientation, attraction, and behavior. Expanding the language you use to describe your sexuality can provide important guidance, validation, and access to community while on your journey of sexual self-discovery and satisfaction. 46 Terms

LGBTQ Ally Simone Biles

Simone Biles is doing more than just standing with the LGBTQ community. The Olympic gold medalist is affirming her support in concrete and unapologetic terms.  We appreciate it. A conservative Christian group, “One Million Moms,” recently started a petition to express its displeasure with a recent ad for Uber Eats that stars Biles and “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness. In it, Biles and Van Ness, who identifies as nonbinary and uses he/him pronouns, are wearing matching leotards. “Instead of making audiences lose their appetite by glamorizing a LGBTQ lifestyle, Uber Eats should focus on what it does and remain neutral on controversial issues,” the petition reads. In response, Biles offered her unconditional support to the LGBTQ community, and vowed to make even more commercials that stoke the ire of “One Million Moms.”  “The world we live in makes me sad, but I’d do x1000000 more commercials with you just to piss everyone off!,” she tweeted last week. “The LGBTQIA will always have my support and feel welcome on my socials.” What’s most notable about Biles’ rebuttal is her non-conciliatory tone. If you have a problem with gender fluidity, then she has no time for you. It’s becoming increasingly common for high-profile athletes to express unabashed support for LGBTQ people — even in the high-testosterone world of male team sports. Last month, numerous NFL stars, including Rob Gronkowski, appeared in a National Coming Out Day video.  Three academic researchers recently published a study of Outsports stories that affirms male athletes are widely accepting of gay teammates. LGBTQ Ally Simone Biles

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
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Tuesday, November 24th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

One of Heath Ledger’s Most Charming Roles

Heath Ledger was twenty-eight when he died, the same age I am now, and he left behind such a compelling legacy, winning an Oscar for The Dark Knight and creating the new template for one of the most popular comic book villains of all time. He also shined as a romantic lead. In his role as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Ledger showed great dignity off-screen as he didn’t partake in the tasteless and homophobic jokes others did. As Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You, he serenaded us all, and in A Knight’s Tale, he did something that no King Arthur movie has been able to do: made it charming. Written, produced, and directed by Brian Helgeland, A Knight’s Tale is a 2001 British-American comedy about a squire named William (Ledger) who ends up impersonating a knight after his lord shits himself to death. After winning the joust, he and his two friends, Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), decide to transform William into a nobleman so he can change their destinies. Joined by Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany), a widowed Blacksmith named Kate (Laura Fraser), and a noblewoman named Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon), the film is filled to the brim with anachronism and absurdity, but it is fun as hell. It shines brightest because the cast is unmistakably charming. Ledger’s smile is truly captivating, and every time he appears onscreen, it makes me think of all the roles he would have excelled in if he’d lived. Not many people have the ability to be a leading actor with the kind of range to be beautiful and terrifying within the same few years. A Knight’s Tale in particular works so well because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The modern-day music is established early, and when the film opens with a man having pooped himself to death, you know it’s not going to be a serious matter. Still, I think that unlike King Arthur films that focus so much on the undercover royal plot and secret destiny, A Knight’s Tale works because William is just a regular dude who is good at jousting, works hard at it, and is trying to build a better life for himself and his friends. One of Heath Ledger’s Most Charming Roles

Pride in Antarctica

Matt Williams, Station Leader, Mawson research station in Antarctica, had decided that right now, some pride was needed, so he raised the pride flag, rainbow stripes against a snowy white background.  He posted this message on FB, with the picture. "It has been a difficult year for the entire planet – with few exceptions. In a year of fear, division and confusion, it is important to reflect on small joys, connect in new ways with family, friends and communities, and find strength and resilience inside ourselves. I know sometimes our diversity can make us feel even more isolated and vulnerable than most. But don’t let words or events dampen your pride – it matters not who you love – simply be the best you. Diversity that is valued and well harnessed is the foundation of any strong and resilient community. You are loved, you are valued and you can be an important part of great things being achieved. Sending good vibes for polar pride from the Mawson Station community in Antarctica, and this proud and happy gay man at its’ helm." No it’s not upside down. The first time the flag was flown, it was flown this way up.  Flag designer Gilbert Baker says in his memoir, it was intended to be seen both ways, though the very first iteration was explicitly with the red on the bottom. You can see the original post on Matthew's Facebook page, here. Pride in Antarctica

Sexual Satisfaction Among Straight, Bisexual, and Lesbian Women

New research suggests the importance of several factors that contribute to the sexual satisfaction of women vary based on sexual orientation. The findings, published in The Journal of Sex Research, highlights the need to consider sexual identity when researching sexual satisfaction. “Sexual satisfaction is such a vital part of individual and relationship health, but the research and clinical attention given to the topic does not match this importance. It seems like it’s viewed as an ‘extra’ part of life, something that’s nice to have but not regarded as an essential part of human existence,” said researcher Laura Holt, a psychologist and outreach coordinator for University of Missouri at St. Louis. “When I started researching the topic to try to learn more about sexual satisfaction for women, I realized that not only is it under-researched, but the way research has been done has been messy and focused on heterosexual people. Most of the researchers didn’t explain to participants or readers what exactly they meant by ‘sexual satisfaction,’ and some of them boiled it down to whether or not participants had an orgasm, which leaves out the folks who are anorgasmic but still sexually satisfied.” “I also noticed a lot of assumptions in measures, taking it for granted that people of different sexual identities and genders experience their sexual satisfaction the same way, so it was thought measures of sexual satisfaction developed for men and/or straight people would work for everyone. I wanted to explore that and see if those assumptions were accurate,” Holt explained. Sexual Satisfaction Among Straight, Bisexual, and Lesbian Women

The “Ethereal Bisexual” Woman

On the heels of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, former president Barack Obama is making his way back into the spotlight with his new memoir, A Promised Land. In his autobiography, Obama writes of the onerous negotiations over the Affordable Care Act, and how Donald Trump’s presidency was triggered by racial anxieties that came to a head during his own two terms. He also revealed that he made the final call when he ordered the raid on Osama Bin Laden — even after Biden advised against it. But beyond the former president’s more serious musings on the internal workings of his administration and the racist panic that Trump tapped into during his first presidential run in 2016, Obama also caught our attention when he revealed a side of himself that no one was ready for. Like, really, absolutely no one asked for details about the former president’s pick-up game when it came to dating women prior to Michelle — but we kind of love to see it. Obama wrote of his “strategy for picking up girls” during his first two years of college through a performative interest in the writings of political philosophers like Karl Marx and Frantz Fanon. He says reading the works of Marx and Herbert Marcuse gave him “something to say to the long-legged socialist who lived in my dorm.” Meanwhile, Michel Foucault and Virginia Woolf helped him in his attempts to pick up the “ethereal bisexual who wore mostly black.” OK! But now we really need to know: Who is this ethereal bisexual Obama crushed on? Many people online had their own thoughts about her. She is “the coolest person who ever lived on this planet,” according to one Twitter user. Others poked fun of his descriptor of this mysterious person: “It’s funny that Obama tried to read Marcuse and Marx to impress women but it’s even funnier that he actually wrote the words ‘ethereal bisexual’,”. The “Ethereal Bisexual” Woman

Young Trans People:  We are thriving

Kai is a 17-year-old filmmaker, a drama club performer and an energetic class president whose mantra is to “try to get involved with just about everything.” The always-sunny senior is busy planning prom and virtual spirit days, while navigating through COVID-19-spurred Zoom calls. Gia, also 17, is a stellar athlete excelling in cross-country and field hockey, a student government leader and a thoughtful advocacy worker who has lobbied on Capitol Hill. Like teens everywhere, the two are immersed in college applications and the many angsts entwined in lives of those on the brink of adulthood.  But Kai and Gia, who go by one name, share something else. They are among the faces of young transgender people in 2020, and they have a message: We are thriving. As Transgender Awareness Week – a week devoted to raising the visibility of the trans community – begins Friday, that message couldn’t be more powerful, said Cathy Renna, communications director of the National LGBTQ Task Force. “Being trans is the third-most-interesting thing about me” is what Renna said she hears from many transgender young people these days. “They want to be seen as multifaceted people – not what they are, who they are. What we are seeing around young people is incredibly inspiring." Young Trans People:  We are thriving

Better Workplace Polices Needed

We’re in the midst of a fundamental transformation in how society thinks about gender. With transgender people on the cover of magazines, prominent celebrities challenging gender norms in fashion, and the mainstreaming of people who identify as neither men nor women, the last few decades of cultural trends have brought new ideas about gender to the forefront. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the attitudes of Millennials and Gen Zers, who are more likely to know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns and to embrace fluid and gender-nonconforming fashion. Despite this, our workplaces lag behind these demographic and cultural shifts. The National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey revealed that one in six respondents who had ever been employed reported being fired, denied a promotion, harassed, or attacked because of their gender identity or expression. At Stanford University, Dr. Alison Fogarty and I analyzed similar stories of discrimination from dozens of people under the transgender umbrella. This group included transgender men and women, gender-fluid people, nonbinary people, cisgender but gender-nonconforming men and women, and many others who challenged societal gender norms. What became apparent over the course of this research was that even organizations that have some understanding of “transgender issues” are poorly equipped to respond to gender-nonconforming employees. In their efforts to create inclusive policies and practices for trans people, even progressive organizations can inadvertently entrench outdated and restrictive norms about gender. Better Workplace Polices Needed

Kurtis Gabriel and His Pride Tape Join the Sharks

After a season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, LGBTQ ally Kurt Gabriel will be back on NHL ice whenever the new season starts, presumably on New Year’s Day 2021, coronavirus notwithstanding. And we presume he’ll bring his Pride Tape with him to San Jose, Calif.  The Sharks announced on Nov. 2 that the team signed Gabriel to a one-year contract, but did not disclose terms. “Kurtis provides valuable depth to the organization, having experience at both the NHL and AHL level,” said Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson in a statement earlier this month. “He is a great teammate who brings an extremely competitive, hard working attitude on the ice. We are happy to have him join our organization.” Gabriel, a forward, is also an ally member of the Equality Coaching Alliance, a group co-founded by out UCLA softball coach Kirk Walker. As Cyd Zeigler wrote in 2019, Gabriel scored his first-ever NHL goal playing for the New Jersey Devils at his team’s Pride Night. He used a stick adorned with the rainbow-colored Pride Tape, to acknowledge and support the LGBTQ community that night. While most of the players apply Pride Tape on the blade of their stick, Gabriel said he put it on the butt end because he didn’t want the tape interfering with the shape of his blade.  “I’ve got this new curve going, and the black tape is the only thing that was going to work with it,” said Gabriel.  Ever since that career-christening goal, he has left the Pride Tape on the butt end of his sticks, and said he had no intention of taking it off after the Pride Night game. Kurtis Gabriel and His Pride Tape Join the Sharks

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: Sara B, CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

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Tuesday, December 1st, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Why Jake Wanted to Portray Jack

Back in 2005, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal shook up Hollywood with their box office hit Brokeback Mountain. The movie drew both praise and criticism for portraying a romantic relationship between two men in a way that had never been seen on-screen before, especially with actors of Ledger and Gyllenhaal’s caliber. Brokeback Mountain came at a time when same-sex marriage was a far-off reality for LGBTQ Americans and when many of the rights they have today were not afforded to them. As a result, the portrayal of a gay relationship on-screen in a nuanced way that showed both of their humanity was highly controversial. Conservative pundits including Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, John Gibson, and Cal Thomas — as well as several prominent Christian groups — all criticized the film for pushing a “gay agenda” on Americans. Gibson made jokes about the movie, and after Ledger’s unexpected death in 2008, he apologized for mocking the deceased actor. When Gyllenhaal was approached for the role of Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain, he wasn’t immediately sold on it. He talked about what it was like considering and eventually taking the role in a 2015 interview with Howard Stern, a full decade after Brokeback Mountain‘s release. Gyllenhaal was attracted to the idea of working with superstar director Ang Lee, whom he called a “genius.” But what got Gyllenhaal to jump on board was the humanity in Jack and Ennis’ story and how it portrayed their emotions in a real way, and that it wasn’t just a salacious story about two men having a romantic relationship. Why Jake Wanted to Portray Jack

Do You Know Polly Polaroid?

We are proud to talk about an article that has been published by UBF member Michael Flanagan. As a refresher, Michael is a reference librarian at one library and an on-call librarian for 3 more libraries.  He has also been a writer since the 80s, starting with a newsletter for the AIDS Archive where he worked.  In the 90s he wrote for the Bay Area Reporter.  He is now a freelance writer and has a monthly article that appears online for B.A.R. and Edge, and has had two short pieces published in books. Michael's most recent article is about the (until recently) mysterious Polly Polaroid.   Who is Polly Polaroid? Polly was a woman who became known through the gay club circuit in the San Francisco area.  She would go to clubs, camera in hand, and offer to snap pictures of the patrons to 'remember the evening', and sell them to the subjects of her Polaroids. But, who was Polly?  Michael had often wondered this, and recently reviewing pictures with a friend, he became determined to find out Polly's story, and began a search that led him to the answers he wanted. One wonderful outcome was that after the article was published, it was seen by Polly's family, who reached out to comment on it. You can read Michael's article here. The Polly Polaroid Paradox

New City Landmark Was a Lesbian Safe Place

By the time lifelong LGBTQ activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon died at the ages of 87 and 95, they had helped change the world so extensively that the closeted days of isolation and fear they lived through can be difficult to imagine today. Lesbians came to San Francisco seeking kindred spirits, even survival, and Martin and Lyon welcomed them. “Their house was a place where women could come together and dance and have potlucks at a time when it was dangerous to be openly gay,” said Shayne Watson, an architectural historian and co-author of the LGBTQ Context Statement, a 381-page LGBTQ history report supported by the City, County, GLBT Historical Society and the Historic Preservation Commission. “It was a political lifeline for people, women in particular.” In that climate, the Lyon-Martin home was a refuge for lesbians, a place to feel free and gain confidence. Now, that private sanctuary is on its way to becoming a city-designated landmark visible to all. When the Lyon-Martin house sold in September following Lyon’s death this year, an article in SFGate speculating about its profitable redevelopment potential alarmed local LGBTQ activists and Lyon-Martin friends. Located at 651 Duncan St. on a Noe Valley hillside, the house is surrounded and dwarfed by huge, modern buildings in an area that’s experienced waves of redevelopment. Demolition could be on the horizon. New City Landmark Was a Lesbian Safe Place

Bob Belcher As Bisexual Icon?

Seven years ago, on November 24, 2013, Bob’s Burgers released one of their best episodes ever, “Turkey in a Can,” which happens to be an excellent Thanksgiving Day episode and also a cool, gay-ish episode. Bob is excited about Thanksgiving and is planning on a three-day brine recipe for the Thanksgiving turkey. However, every morning, the turkey ends up in the toilet bowl. Who did it? No one knows, even though everyone thinks it’s Louise. So, every day, Bob has to go to the deli and pick up a new turkey from a gay man who works there and is suspicious of Bob’s multiple turkey purchases (after all, losing four turkeys is abnormal). The butcher thinks these are excuses to see him and says he has a boyfriend but tells him not to let this rejection discourage him, offering to set him up with his friend, who’s into “sloppy bears.” After trip number two, the butcher once again thinks this is Bob showing some romantic affection toward him. Sadly, things aren’t going well between the butcher and his boyfriend, Tony, and haven’t been good for a long time. Maybe it’s time for a chance with a sloppy bear. He excitedly asks Bob where he wants to go for a date, but Bob, flustered, tells him that he’s “straight … well, mostly straight” and not romantically interested in him. (Sure, Bob.) Bob quickly rushes out and mentions that the butcher is way out of his league, but that he’ll call him. Honestly, the best kind of meet-cute possible. Bob Belcher As Bisexual Icon?

Biden's Plan, Lift Near-Total Ban

As vice president in 2012, Joe Biden endeared himself to many LGBTQ Americans by endorsing same-sex marriage even before his boss, President Barack Obama. Now, as president-elect, Biden is making sweeping promises to LGBTQ activists, proposing to carry out virtually every major proposal on their wish lists. Among them: Lifting the Trump administration’s near-total ban on military service for transgender people, barring federal contractors from anti-LGBTQ job discrimination, and creating high-level LGBTQ-rights positions at the State Department, the National Security Council and other federal agencies. In many cases the measures would reverse executive actions by President Donald Trump, whose administration took numerous steps to weaken protections for transgender people and create more leeway for discrimination against LGBTQ people, ostensibly based on religious grounds. In a policy document, the Biden campaign said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence “have given hate against LGBTQ+ individuals safe harbor and rolled back critical protections.” Beyond executive actions he can take unilaterally, Biden says his top legislative priority for LGBTQ issues is the Equality Act, passed by the House of Representatives last year but stalled in the Senate. It would extend to all 50 states the comprehensive anti-bias protections already afforded to LGBTQ people in 21 mostly Democratic-governed states, covering such sectors as housing, public accommodations and public services. Biden's Plan, Lift Near-Total Ban

New Queer Terms

Dictionary.com recently added a slew of new LGBTQ-related terms to its lexicon. While the website worked with GLAAD to make English more queer-inclusive, the newly-added words may be unfamiliar to some readers. So to help, we’ve defined a dozen of the new terms and provided examples to help keep your tongue queer and up-to-date – and we threw in a bonus word just for fun. What the heck is "hodophobia"? Is "deadname" a verb? Is "biromantic" the same thing as bisexual? Click the link below to see the definition of 12 new terms that have been added, and how to use the new slew of queer-inclusive words. New Queer Terms

Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman Shows Support

Northwestern wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman made both a fashion statement and one of allyship when he he wore a shirt with rainbow pride colors symbolizing support for the LGBTQ community prior to a Wildcats’ game. Outsports reader Kevin Sherry alerted us to this cool image of Chiaokhiao-Bowman by NU_Sports rocking the rainbow NU shirt and that Sherry posted on Twitter: I did a double take on Saturday when I saw the pic of Northwestern University’s @ocmaudib that @nu_sports posted. I’ve never seen a college football player wear gear with a rainbow stripe. That’s so powerful. That’s #allyship. Go Cats! #PurplePride The 6-2 senior receiver noticed Sherry’s tweet and posted a reply (which has gotten 1,300 likes) stating why he wore the shirt: appreciate u! but just wearing a shirt is the least we can do as ally’s for any marginalized group... let’s continue to work, educate and raise awareness Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman Shows Support

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: michaelflanagansf, CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

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If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115.

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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, December 8th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Revisiting: “Brokeback Mountain”

In a country where heterosexual white men rule, there is a certain amount of privilege allotted to lower class white men. This goes back to Bacon’s Rebellion. Virginia settlers teamed up with different groups of people to rebel against the British upper class. It was an attempt to get the upper class to recognize the interests shared across all classes of people. As a response to the unrest, slave codes were strengthened, making unity and organization with Virginia colonizers near impossible.  You’re probably thinking: Why is this history lesson in a movie review? For this instance, it provides a great set up for the exposition in the film. Two ranch hands, wannabe cowboys of the old west struggle make a living. They come from backgrounds that are breeding grounds for unstable masculinity.  Low income households, neglectful families, and constant reminders of their expandability as men, despite the makeup of the county making them look better than that. Western films like “The Searchers” and “A Fistful of Dollars”, and male icons such as John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood represents the allure of the old west—independent strong white men as protectors, providers, and executors of justice.  Films of the western genre in the mid-20th century showed men who made things happen. In modern westerns however, its portrayal of the might of white men became more nuanced and empathetic to those who were subjugated to satiate their thirst for power. Revisiting: “Brokeback Mountain”

California's First Openly Gay Supreme Court Justice

California’s Supreme Court has its first openly gay justice. Martin Jenkins was sworn in on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom in a virtual rather than in-person ceremony because of coronavirus safety restrictions. “In swearing in Justice Jenkins today, our state once again makes history, and we elevate an extraordinary Californian to the bench,” Newsom said in a statement. “The people of our state could not ask for a finer jurist or better person to serve them in this capacity.” Newsom nominated Jenkins to replace Justice Ming Chin, who retired on Aug. 31. The Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously confirmed Jenkins in November, praising him for his “brilliant intellect, first-class temperament, and boundless humanity.” During a news conference in October, Jenkins said his identity as a gay man has been “perhaps the greatest challenge of my life.” California's First Openly Gay Supreme Court Justice

Lesbian Women of Color in Biden's Staff

The Biden transition team announced late Sunday night two lesbian women of color — Karine Jean-Pierre and Pili Tobar — were selected to serve as key members for the new administration’s White House communications staff, which will for the first-time ever be all-female. Jean-Pierre served as senior adviser to President-elect Joe Biden and chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign. Previously, Jean-Pierre was chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst. During the Obama administration, Jean-Pierre was regional political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama administration and served in various roles in the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaign. Born in Martinique and raised in New York, Jean-Pierre is a graduate of Columbia University. Tobar, on the other hand, was communications director for coalitions for the Biden campaign. Previously, Tobar was deputy director for America’s Voice, where she advocated on behalf of immigrants. Additionally, Tobar has also worked as the Hispanic media director for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer; national director of Hispanic Media and Western regional press secretary for the Democratic National Committee; communications director for Congressman Ruben Gallego; and communications director for the Latino Victory Project. Originally from Florida and raised in Guatemala, Tobar is a graduate of the University of Miami and now lives in D.C. with her wife and daughter. Lesbian Women of Color in Biden's Staff

TikTok’s Bi Anthem, “Sweater Weather"

The Neighbourhood's "Sweater Weather," a super catchy track that came out in 2013, is now making a comeback on TikTok — as the app's certified bisexual anthem. Influencers like Nessa Barrett, Anna Shumate, and James Wright are even using "Sweater Weather" to come out as bi on TikTok, to the applause of their massive followings. But they're definitely not the only ones. According to Unpublished Magazine, an online zine for emerging writers, other users have been posting the lyrics in comments sections, or sharing videos of themselves singing the lyrics, to identify as part of the bisexual community. The same thing is happening with the girl in red song "girls," which has been dubbed by fans as an official lesbian anthem. Both songs are widely used as a code. A video or a comment including the lyrics or a hashtag (like #girlinred) can be seen as a cheeky wink to fellow bisexuals and lesbians — or as a coming-out message. Girl in red singer Marie Ulven writes about being queer, penning songs like "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend." But since none of the five members of The Neighborhood are openly queer, and their songs aren't explicitly about being bi, you might be wondering — of all the songs in the world, why is "Sweater Weather" TikTok's bi anthem? Per Unpublished Magazine, "Sweater Weather" likely became associated with bi identity due to its popularity on Tumblr, the platform where so many young people who are questioning their identity go to discover new music from queer artists, like Halsey, Troye Sivan, or Hayley Kiyoko. Now the song is associated, in a nostalgic way, with that sense of self-discovery.  Diving deeper into "Sweater Weather," you'll notice that the lyrics in the TikTok sound clips aren't necessarily about a woman and a man falling in love. "One love, two mouths. One love, one house. No shirt, no blouse. Just us, you find out." The beauty of these lines is that they can be for, or about, anyone. Perhaps that's why they resonate with people identifying as bi. TikTok’s Bi Anthem, “Sweater Weather"

Remembering Skylar Heath

HRC is deeply saddened to report the death of Skylar Heath, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman who was killed in Miami, Florida on November 4. HRC received reports of Skylar’s death a few weeks ago and has been investigating. According to Planet Transgender, police are investigating her death as a homicide. At this time, there are still few details known about the circumstances surrounding her death, but based on information from her friends, she was shot. HRC has now tracked at least 40 deaths this year of transgender and gender non-conforming people. At the time of Skylar’s death, her death was believed to have been at least the 37th reported. We say “at least” because too often these deaths go unreported -- or misreported. Skylar was described as a “kind and gentle soul” who “had such a love for family and close friends” and who also “loved people in general.” She had a “warm personality” and a “friendly spirit,” and brought people who knew her “so much joy.” “In November alone, at least four transgender women of color have been killed in this country. This reflects a horrific rate of violence that the transgender and gender non-conforming community, especially Black transgender women, is facing this year,” said HRC Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative Tori Cooper. “We are mourning Skylar’s loss along with her friends and family. Skylar was just at the beginning of her life, and she did not deserve to have that life cut short. None of the trans and gender non-conforming people who have been killed this year deserved to have their lives taken from them. We must continue to affirm that Black Trans Lives Matter and take action to end the devastating violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people.” Remembering Skylar Heath

Dutch Government Apologizes

The Dutch government on Tuesday issued a formal apology to transgender and intersex citizens who were required to undergo sterilization surgeries to legally change their gender and agreed to compensate some of those who underwent the procedures. The law, which was in place from 1985 to 2014, mandated that trans and intersex people had to undergo sterilization surgeries to change their official gender registration. The government agreed to pay 5,000 euros to about 2,000 trans people who had the sterilization surgeries. This comes after years of work by activists who demanded the government acknowledge the harm caused by the law. The Dutch Cabinet — specifically Education, Culture and Science Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven and Law Minister Sander Dekker — issued the apology. “The law turned out to be a symbol of social rejection for many, and dreams have been lost as a result of the irreversible sterilization,” van Engelshoven said in the apology. “Such a violation of physical integrity is no longer imaginable today,” Dekker added in a statement. Annelies Tukker of the NNID Foundation, a Dutch intersex advocacy group, welcomed the apology. Dutch Government Apologizes

Taylor Will Always Be an LGBTQ Ally

Taylor Swift is proudly standing by the LGBTQ community.  On Tuesday evening, Swift was honored with the Icon Award at the 2020 Attitude Awards. In her speech, the 30-year-old musician promised to "always advocate" for the community and lend her support to them. Receiving the award from her friend and collaborator, Todrick Hall, Swift opened her speech by sharing, "I'm really, really grateful for this, this is so amazing." "I want to say thank you to anyone who had a hand in deciding that I should deserve this," she continued. "Mostly I want to say thank you to the fans for giving me a platform to make music and to be vocal about the things I think are right and wrong." Then, noting that she believes "very firmly that everyone should be able to live out their love story without fear of discrimination," Swift added, "The way for that to happen is for us to continue to keep pushing governments to put protections in place for members of the LGBTQ community. And I promise to always advocate for that." In years past, Swift has been a forthright advocate for the community, often donating money to support groups and penning powerful letters calling for action for those who identify as a member of the LGBTQ community. Taylor Will Always Be an LGBTQ Ally

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

The Daily Sheet Archives
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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, December 15th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

How “Brokeback Mountain” Impacted Cinema

Typecasting Brokeback Mountain as a “gay cowboy movie” is brutal and unjust to the sheer beauty and vulnerability of the film, as well as the dance of denial and subsequent loss. Ang Lee, who had once considered retirement, was brought back with a bang in his true element by this film which also won him his first Academy Award for ‘Best Director’ in 2006. The film is set in a fictitious yet picturesque location, Brokeback Mountain, and chronicles the lives of two cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist who are hired by Joe Aguirre in 1963 for sheep-herding. Slowly, the men develop a close, intimate relationship, but the values instilled in them by the heteronormative society prevents them from embracing their true feelings. They part from one another with heavy hearts, only to meet again, four years later. Ennis is married to the young Alma and has children of his own while Jack has a son with the wealthy daughter of a farm businessman, Lureen. Jack and Ennis rekindle their passion and frequently escape on romantic getaways under the pretext of fishing trips. However, the elephant in the room remains unaddressed and Ennis lives to regret his indecisiveness and orthodox nature when Jack meets his fateful ending. Intimate and emotionally stirring, the film can be evaluated on multiple levels. It is important to note that despite there being quite a few LGBTQ+ films, Brokeback Mountain has cemented its position in cinematic history and is often considered the “go-to gay movie”. The setting of the film is crucial. It begins in the scenic Brokeback Mountains where the rugged terrain is complemented by beautiful skies and occasional torrential downpour. As Lureen later tells Ennis, Jack always described it as a place where “bluebirds sing and there’s a whiskey spring”. That is the place where the two cowboys are allowed to explore unadulterated passion without the fear of being discovered and judged. Unbeknownst to them, they are spied on by Aguirre through his binoculars; he subsequently refuses to employ the men. As they move to the respective cities of Wyoming and Texas, Ennis feels like he is under constant scrutiny. “You ever get the feelin’…I don’t know, er…when you’re in town and… someone looks at you… suspicious, like he knows? And then you go out on the pavement and everyone’s looking at you like they all know too?” His fear stems from a harrowing childhood experience where two gay men were brutally ravaged. His father had taken him and his brother to witness the scene. “My daddy, he made sure me and brother seen it. Hell for all I know, he done the job.” How “Brokeback Mountain” Impacted Cinema

Skier Comes Out

Hig Roberts, an American former World Cup alpine ski racer who skyrocketed to the top as a member of the U.S. National team, has come out as gay. Roberts, who is the first U.S. Alpine Ski Team member and the first male World Cup alpine skier in the world to come out, opens up in an interview with Out about struggling with his sexual identity, how he felt “muted” by the Olympics organization, his evolution toward accepting himself, and what he believes needs to change in the world of sports to create a more inclusive environment for players. Roberts was first alternate to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, a year that saw a record-breaking 15 out LGBTQ+ people competing in the Winter Olympics. Three of them were Team USA: Brittany Bowe (speedskating), Gus Kenworthy (slopestyle free skiing), and Adam Rippon (figure skating). Roberts was not out to his team at the time. "[Being in the closet] took away a lot of the experience and the joy I could have experienced during this life and that’s a shame,” Roberts tells Out. “I had moments of standing on the podium with national titles and still feeling depressed. I was almost in a daze because of the mental anguish I would feel. I had sleepless nights. I had anxiety attacks. I had big bouts of depression. I had to closet all of that from my teammates and my coaches.”  “I was the smallest kid on all of my sports teams,” Roberts says of his beginnings. “That built my persona in the way I approached sports, which was with a lot of grit and tenacity because I had to prove myself and make up for this lack of size and dominance I had on the field, or the ice hockey rink, or the ski hill.” Skier Comes Out

Confrontation in Wyoming

When she heard a knock on the door, Colin Monahan figured it had to be about the new garage. Monahan and her wife, Shannon Lastowski Monahan, had just finished dinner. Their guests had all departed, leaving the couple alone at their log home well off the main road in the rural community of Wapiti, a village of a few hundred in northwest Wyoming. Colin had just finished installing a new, prefabricated garage on their property, painted in a shade of brown to complement the waving grasses of the surrounding valley. Donning their masks and opening the door, the couple were greeted by five people standing on their porch, there to discuss a “neighborhood issue” — presumably, Colin thought, the garage. It would have been a strange complaint. The couple had received permission to install it from the subdivision’s management, and the area’s lack of a homeowners’ association made concerns over aesthetics questionable at best. The iconic Smith Mansion — a twisting structure looming on a bluff overlooking Highway 14 — is visible from the couple’s porch, while the subdivisions surrounding them feature a broad mix of architectural styles that had sprouted amid a flood of new residents discovering the Wyoming countryside. The garage, as it turned out, wasn’t the problem, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Looking over the group, the Monahans — a same-sex couple originally from the Chicago area — recognized a familiar face, a man who the couple said had previously harassed them on social media. Both Colin and Shannon, residents of the subdivision four years now, quickly came to realize that the conversation was never about a garage, and was never intended to be. Confrontation in Wyoming

Lawsuit Settled

A lesbian couple in Missouri has settled a lawsuit brought against a St. Louis retirement community that refused to let them live there. Mary Walsh and Bev Nance, who have been together since 1978, first heard about Friendship Village in Sunset Hills from friends who lived there. The retirement community is not affiliated with or operated by any religious organization, and purports not to inquire about residents’ religious beliefs. Walsh and Nance made multiple visits, had extensive conversations with staff, paid a $2,000 deposit, and even canceled a long-planned vacation, in order to take advantage of a special offer from Friendship Village if they completed their paperwork within a specific window of time. But the couple says they were later turned away from the community, on the grounds that their relationship did not match the “Biblical definition” of marriage — meaning one man married to one woman — by which Friendship Village purports to abide. The couple sued the retirement community in July 2018, alleging they were victims of sex discrimination, in violation of both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Missouri Human Rights Act. That lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge last year, who found that the Fair Housing Act does not protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Lawsuit Settled

Marvel Comics Character Confirmed Bisexual

Marvel Comics has just officially confirmed that Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord is bisexual. The half-human/half-alien cosmic hero has always been something of a ladies man, with his previous romantic partners including Kitty Pryde and Gamora, but in this week’s Guardians of the Galaxy #9, Quill’s sexuality is explored in a deeper way. “I Shall Make You a Star-Lord” is an ambitious one-off storyline from writer Al Ewing, artist Juann Cabal, colorist Federico Blee and letterer Cory Petit. In it, it’s revealed that Quill didn’t die in an apparently fatal explosion back in issue #2 and was instead shunted into a parallel universe, where he’s trapped on the planet Morinus for a total of 140 years. His companions on his journey through the Twelve Houses of Morinus are Aradia and Mors, a blue-skinned humanoid couple that Quill embarks on a polyamorous relationship with. At first, he’s opposed to the idea as he still has hope of returning home to girlfriend Gamora, but after 12 years, he starts to see Aradia and Mors as his home and they share a romantic, intimate moment while bathing together in an ancient temple. Nearly a century and a half later, though, Morinus is attacked by the Gods of New Olympus who are after Quill. He returns to the temple and finds a way to travel back to his home dimension at last, but not before sharing a tearful goodbye with Aradia. Marvel Comics Character Confirmed Bisexual

Transgender Saints

In recent months, J.K. Rowling has come under heavy criticism for her promotion of anti-trans rhetoric, particularly targeting trans women in her attack. Her actions have been in line with what is known as Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs), who promote a vision of feminism that actively denies the rights of transgender individuals. In Rowling’s latest novel, there is even the inclusion of a serial killer who dresses in women’s clothing, deploying a deeply toxic trope of transmisogynistic writing that imagines trans women as “disguised” men with nefarious intentions. Once known as the author of the popular Harry Potter series, which depicted ideals of unity and equality against a totalitarian and eugenicist villain, J.K. Rowling has now become a vocal advocate of anti-trans literature. But, Rowling is not alone in a widespread anti-trans movement, which has deeply manifested itself across U.S. politics. From the sadistic attempts to limit trans people’s access to healthcare to the so-called trans military ban, the Trump administration has pursued anti-trans policies with an obsessive intent. As an historian of the first millennium and a half of Christianity, I wish to pull back the curtain on the neglected history of transgender stories and literatures in early Christianity, like that of Saint Hilarion and Emperor Elagabalus, demonstrating how these figures were praised throughout the first millennium. In raising awareness of these stories, my goal is to provide a deeper literary canon for those who are now turning to other, older stories to comprehend their place in the world as trans and gender nonconforming individuals. From the fifth to the ninth century, a number of saints’ lives composed across the Greek-speaking Mediterranean detail the lives of individuals assigned female at birth who for a host of different reasons chose to live out their adult lives as men in monasteries. The popularity of these stories across the Christian Mediterranean is palpably evident as they were translated into Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Armenian, Arabic, Latin, and other European dialects. Transgender Saints

Asexuality

Asexuality, AKA feeling little or no levels of sexual attraction towards others, is often the also-ran in the 21st century's improved discourse around sexual orientation and identity. Yasmin Benoit, an asexuality activist, guides you through the basics. We all know that some people are sexually attracted to women and others are sexually attracted to men. We know that straight people exist, bisexual people exist, homosexual people exist and topics surrounding the nuances of gender, non-binary identities, trans identities and pansexuality have become fixtures in mainstream conversation over the last few years. Sometimes it can feel like sexuality has never been a bigger or more diverse topic, one that has expanded to include just about everything. But there’s definitely one community that is being left out of that inclusive movement and I’ve made it my mission to change that.  I’m Yasmin Benoit, a British lingerie model and asexuality activist. Having gained a platform through my modelling work, I decided to use it to raise awareness for asexuality, empower the community and bring it into spaces it hasn’t been before. That includes the media, education, policies, academic research, sex-positive spaces and magazines such as GQ. I’m here to give you the rundown on asexuality, “the invisible orientation” that you might have heard of but probably don’t know too much about. Who knows, this article might give you your asexual awakening… Asexuality

LGBTQ Allies Emerge

Dating back to the Stonewall riots, allyship has been a vital component in the continued fight against the oppression, discrimination, social injustice and inequality plagued by the LGBTQ community. Simply put, an ally, also referred to as a straight ally to distinguish from other types of allyship, is someone who in some way supports LGBTQ people. Perhaps one of the most influential and iconic acts of allyship is that of PFLAG (the United States’ first and largest organization uniting parents, family and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) founder Jeanne Manford. In response to a brutal attack on her gay-activist son Morty that took place in New York City in 1972, Manford lodged several grievances and relentlessly fought for the justice of her child. She continued defending the rights of her son and his community throughout her life, efforts that evolved into movements and initiatives made by a blossoming coalition of allies standing up and fighting for and alongside the LGBTQ community. During a 2019 interview with NBC News, a PFLAG representative discussed the impact of Manford’s love and support for her child shown through her efforts of activism. The career educator is remembered for being the first mom to publicly support her gay child, Liz Owens, PFLAG director of communications, told NBC News. “She is the mother of the LGBTQ ally movement,” Owens said. "She is the mom who made it OK to love your LGBTQ kid.” One mother’s choice to defend the equal rights of her son gave birth to the first LGBTQ ally group in the U.S. — PFLAG. Decades later it continues making headway in its efforts. PFLAG shows how one person’s decision to do what many may consider to be quite natural as a strength to those whom the organization supports. It also shows compassion and empathy for those who lack the privilege of receiving the same treatment and consideration afforded by everyone else. LGBTQ Allies Emerge

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: michaelflanagansf, CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Gustavo Santaolalla on Rock's Future

There are times when a movie's haunting score is as memorable as its characters. Gustavo Santaolalla has won not one but two Oscars for best original score for his work on the films "Brokeback Mountain" and "Babel." More recently, he composed the award-winning soundtrack of "The Last of Us," one of the highest-selling video games in recent years, and the original music for the documentary "Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb," which follows writer Hunter S. Thompson's journey to building his own political movement. But Santaolalla, a Grammy-winning Argentine musician, composer, record producer and Latin rock pioneer, is still increasingly busy. The documentary series "Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America," which he co-executive produced, dropped Wednesday on Netflix — and his latest original score is out Friday, with the release of Amazon's new series "The Legend of El Cid." Just this week, the Criterion Collection released a remastered version of Alejandro Iñárritu's highly acclaimed film "Amores Perros," which includes an interview with Santaolalla, who composed the iconic film's score 20 years ago. If that wasn't enough, Santaolalla landed a Grammy nomination this year for best Latin rock or alternative album for the work he and his fellow Bajofondo bandmates did on their newest album, "Aura," based on music improvisations that were arranged into songs. "It was a beautiful surprise and a triumph for music," Santaolalla said in Spanish about the Grammy nomination. "It validates our vision, which can at times be a commercially risky one. But nothing ever comes without taking risks. Danger, innocence, all those things, are part of a rocker's spirit." Gustavo Santaolalla on Rock's Future

Atlanta's Newest Historical Landmark

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Thursday announced the City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning’s Historic Preservation Studio and the Urban Design Commission have begun the designation of the Atlanta Eagle building as a “Landmark Building/Site,” at 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE. Atlanta Eagle announced in November it had closed its doors for good and would open elsewhere in 2021. Now, with the new designation, Owner Richard Ramey intends on keeping Atlanta Eagle put, a city official confirmed with What Now Atlanta. “Many have called the Atlanta Eagle home over the last three decades,” Ramey said in a press release. “I am grateful to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the City of Atlanta for ensuring that many more can call it home in the years to come.” The bar is also one of the Southeast’s most famous LGBTQ social establishments and has hosted drag performers like Ru Paul and Lady Bunny that promote LGBTQ equality and HIV/AIDS education. By applying this Landmark Building/Site designation, the property cannot be demolished or have changes made to the exterior without written approval from the Urban Design Commission. This designation will ensure the iconic Midtown bar remains a cultural and historic LGBTQ fixture in Atlanta. Atlanta's Newest Historical Landmark

Feeling Profiled

Alex Blackwell tried to listen with an open mind when an administrator told her there was a problem of “predatory behaviour in women’s sport”. “Their concern is that poor behaviour in women’s sport is by the lesbians,” the former Australia cricket vice-captain tells Guardian Australia. “I have felt profiled because I’m a lesbian, profiled as a predator. Lesbians in sport have been profiled as predators.' “That is very hurtful and I’m tired of that. It’s really unfair to profile a group of people as good or bad based on a characteristic like sexuality or skin colour or religion ... because perceptions of what goes on in team sports where there are lesbians doesn’t match reality.” Blackwell’s reality is almost two decades playing in women’s professional cricket teams. In 2013, she became the first female international cricketer to publicly come out as gay. In the seven years since, she has attempted to change the narrative.  She has felt pride at the way her sport stood up in support of marriage equality, and satisfaction for having helped Cricket Australia design a trans- and gender-diverse inclusion policy. But now the 37-year-old Cricket NSW board member has seen a glut of new data that makes her think twice about how far perceptions have really shifted. A large body of qualitative research dating back to the 1980s has found women of all sexualities avoid traditionally male sports because they do not want people to think they are a lesbian. Feeling Profiled

Revolutionary Ma Rainey

Netflix's new film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom—based on August Wilson's play of the same name (and the playwright's first Broadway hit)— follows the "Mother of Blues" and her band in during a recording session on one sweltering Chicago afternoon. Viola Davis stars as the titular Ma Rainey alongside the late Chadwick Boseman (who some already speculate could win a posthumous Oscar for his performance as the band's trumpet player, Levee.) "I think one of the reasons that August was drawn to her is [that] she lived outside the rules. And when somebody lives outside the rules, it becomes very clear what the rules are," director George C. Wolfe told The New York Times. "If you were a Black woman, if you waited around for somebody to acknowledge your power, it was never going to happen. So you had to claim your power." The excellently-cast ensemble film largely centers on the struggle for power between Ma Rainey's blues band and the white record producers who profit from her music. (One scene shows Ma refusing to sing unless the producers buy her a Coca-Cola. "They don't care nothin' about me," she says. "All they want is my voice. Well I done learned that, and they gonna treat me the way I wanna be treated no matter how much it hurt them." However, a key part of the film is Ma's relationship with her girlfriend, Dussie Mae, and what happens when trumpet player Levee tries to steal her away from Ma. Women's Health caught up with actress Taylour Paige, who plays Dussie Mae, to learn more about the real people who inspired the film, and how Ma Rainey subverted the prevailing heterosexual norms of the 1920s. Revolutionary Ma Rainey

Transgender Policy Stricken Down

A federal judge on Wednesday struck down Ohio's policy prohibiting transgender residents from correcting the gender marker on their birth certificate, clearing the way for individuals to alter the document to reflect their gender identity. Judge Michael Watson wrote in his decision that prior to 2016, the state had allowed such changes to be made, but that the new policy, which was instituted by the state's Department of Health in consultation with then-Republican Gov. John Kasich's office, violates the Constitution. "This policy resembles the sort of discrimination-based legislation struck down under the equal protection clause in Romer v. Evans as nothing more than a policy 'born of animosity toward the class of person affected' that has 'no rational relation to a legitimate government purpose,' " he wrote, referring to a landmark 1996 gay rights case. Watson shot down several of the state's arguments in the case, including their defense that the the policy intended to ensure the state maintains "accurate records," and their explanation that some criminals "use Ohio birth certificates to perpetuate fraud." "At bottom, the court finds that defendants' proffered justifications are nothing more than thinly veiled post-hoc rationales to deflect from the discriminatory impact of the Policy," he wrote in the ruling. CNN has reached out to the Ohio Department of Health on whether it intends to appeal the decision. Transgender Policy Stricken Down

Difference Between Sex and Gender

Sex and gender are two different things. Sex is about a person's biology. It describes their chromosomal make up, their hormones, and/or their anatomy. Gender, in contrast, describes a person's understanding of themselves as male, female, or another gender entirely. There is a misconception that there are only two sexes—male and female. The truth is more complicated. While most people's biology fits into those categories, other people's bodies exist on a spectrum between them. Individuals whose bodies can not be definitively categorized as male or female may be described as being intersex, having intersex traits, or having differences or disorders of sexual differentiation. In addition to sexual diversity, there is a growing awareness of gender diversity among humans. This reflects the increasing visibility of transgender individuals—those whose gender identity is not what would be expected for their assigned sex at birth. Transgender individuals may have both binary and non-binary genders, and gender, like sex, exists on a spectrum. Intersex people may also identify as transgender or gender diverse. Difference Between Sex and Gender

European Hopes For Biden Administration

When Tamas Dombos heard that the Hungarian Parliament passed a series of laws on Dec. 15 effectively barring same-sex couples from adopting and making LGBTQI school education programs impossible, he was not surprised. “This is all part of a crusade against LGBTQI people,” he says. The new law, which called “the family as the basis of the survival of the nation” and includes the language “the mother is a woman, the father is a man,” has been condemned by rights activists, including the LGBTQI organization Hatter Society, where Dombos is a staff member. Dombos says over the past year and a half, a growing number of Hungarian government officials and politicians have used hate speech against the community and enforced legislation that infringes on the rights of transgender people in particular. “Unfortunately, the picture is very, very gloomy.” Over the last two years, activists and experts have observed a rising backlash against LGBTQ rights and women’s rights in parts of central and Eastern Europe. They say that the Trump Administration emboldened this backlash and likely contributed to authoritarian leaders doubling down on attacks on women and the LGBTQ community. “The U.S. had traditionally always been seen as an ally in fighting for LGBTI rights, for women’s rights, for human rights, and suddenly, this wasn’t really the case anymore,” says Terry Reintke, a Member of the European Parliament and the co-president of the parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights. Reintke, like other experts and activists, has high expectations of the incoming Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Administration: “Now there is actually a sane partner again sitting in the White House that we can work with on these important issues.” A major survey conducted in 2019 and released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in May this year found that 58% of LGBTI respondents said they experienced harassment during the five years before the survey, and 43% of LGBTI respondents felt discriminated against in their everyday life during the year leading up to the survey. European Hopes For Biden Administration

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
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[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, December 29th, 2020

The Forum & SSL - Secure Socket Layer

Hello UBF members.  When the forum had a recent update, our server began using SSL - Secure Socket Layer.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. It is easy to tell if a site you are using is on SSL.  A site without SSL will have an address that starts with http://.  A site that uses SSL will start with https://. Why are we telling you this?  Because if you are posting pictures here, and the address you use doesn't have the "s" in it, the image will not show.  Anytime you post an image, you should make sure that it starts with https://

Larry McMurtry's Time in Denton

Larry McMurtry left Denton in June 1958 with a fresh diploma from North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas, and “half a novel in my pocket.” He returned 20 years later with eight novels to his credit. In a 1978 interview with The North Texan, McMurtry recalled NTSC as a wonderful place to start writing. “I was quite happy here,” he said, “It was a time when it was a varied school. There were a lot of people on the GI Bill. … They brought in a lot of professors from out of Texas, from the Midwest and other places. Then there was the jazz school. I found it very stimulating.” Faculty members McMurtry considered influencers included Avesta literary magazine sponsor James M. Brown, “who nurtured me and read most of my first efforts,” E.G. Ballard, “who got me into reading 19th century novels,” and philosophy department founder George Linden. McMurtry lived at 1120 Congress St. while attending NTSC, contributing poetry, fiction and nonfiction to the Avesta. When he was a junior, his article on jazz musician Bix Biederbecke won a $25 “best-of” competition. After completing his NTSC bachelor’s degree in English in 1958, and a master’s at Rice University in 1960, he became a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford. Larry McMurtry's Time in Denton

A Gay Serviceman Remembers

Decades before openly gay Americans were legally allowed to serve in the military, Joseph Patton, a gay man, served in silence.  Patton, who died earlier this year at 83 years old, sat down for a StoryCorps interview in 2019 to talk about a time in his life that brought him both pride and pain. He enlisted in the Navy in 1955 at age 17, keeping his sexuality a secret for the entirety of his service.  "My dad told me going in the service would help me be a man," Patton said. But his reasons for joining the Navy were a bit more lighthearted than that. "I like the uniforms," he said. "They were tight and cute with bell bottoms. Lord have mercy." The 1993 Clinton-era policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" took an outright ban on gay service members and replaced it with a policy that allowed homosexual and bisexual people to serve in the military as long as they didn't reveal their sexual orientation. In 2010, President Obama signed legislation to repeal the policy. When he served, Patton recalled top military brass actively enforcing the ban when he went to a gay bar in San Diego with other service members. "They had military police walking around to check and see if there were any service men in any of these gay bars," he said. A Gay Serviceman Remembers

Photographer Lenn Keller Dies

Lenn Keller, a Black lesbian photographer and founder of the Bay Area Lesbian Archives, a group documenting lesbian history in San Francisco, died on December 16. She was 69.  Keller succumbed to cancer while hunkered at home in Oakland, California, reports Datebook, the San Francisco Chronicle’s arts and entertainment guide. Keller started the Bay Area Lesbian Archives in 2014. The organization’s massive collection isn’t just a place for exhibits, but also teaches archiving workshops and hosts community meetings. The co-curators of the archives announced Keller’s death on December 17. The group said this is a “profound loss to our community.”  “Lenn Keller was an extraordinary person who touched many lives,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “A proud butch lesbian, Lenn was committed and determined to preserve and protect lesbian history in the Bay Area. We will miss her deeply.” Keller was born in 1951 in Evanston, Illinois, according to a biography posted on Women Artists of the American West. The multi-hyphenate filmmaker-photographer saw identity as a major part of her work. At a young age, Keller recognized her passion for the arts. “I spent endless hours laying on the living room floor poring over Life magazine,” wrote Keller in a autobiographical summary on her own website. “Looking at beautiful black and white images that stimulated my imagination, emotions, and curiosity about people from all kinds of cultures around the world.” Photographer Lenn Keller Dies

Bisexual Surfer Wins Competition

After three long years wrecked by debilitating illness and the disruption of a global pandemic, Tyler Wright is back on top of the surfing world. The Australian won a historic Maui Pro on Monday at Hawaii’s Banzai Pipeline to secure her first WSL event title since 2017. In the first women’s championship event held at the iconic reef break, Wright first eliminated compatriot Sally Fitzgibbons in a dominant semi-final display before pipping four-time world champion and local favourite Carissa Moore in the final. It gives two-time world champion Wright a perfect return to the world tour after her 2018 and 2019 seasons were a write-off due to an ongoing battle with chronic fatigue syndrome. “I don’t really take stock in that,” 26-year-old Wright said about getting back to the winner’s circle. “I take stock in the journey of how challenging the last few years have been. How I’m showing up and why I’m showing up and that’s all that really matters to me at the moment." “This is just, quite frankly, I train to do this. I train to be in the position that I’ve ended up in today. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t ... it’s cool to see all the hard work over the last two years come together.” Tour organisers made the decision to have the women compete at Pipeline for the first time after a fatal shark attack on a local surfer near Honolua Bay halted the event there earlier this month. Bisexual Surfer Wins Competition

CV-19 Affecting Transgender Women of Indonesia

Iwan is transgender, and a “micro-minority” in Indonesia.  Before COVID-19, he employed four other transgender people as hairdressers and makeup artists at his Anna Sui Salon in Medan in North Sumatra, but now he can afford to hire only one. “We used to have 10 to 15 customers a day, now we haven’t had a customer in over a week,” Iwan said. “Maybe we get one customer every two weeks now. It’s been that way since the pandemic started in March.” Salon work and the wedding industry are two of only a few sectors in Indonesia that offer employment opportunities to those who are openly transgender. “People in the transgender community are still considered ‘deviant’ in much of Indonesian society,” said Irna Minauli, a psychologist in Medan. “They are stigmatised and bullied. However, they are accepted in a few narrow sectors such as the beauty industry.” Antonius Remigius Abi who teaches ethics at the Faculty of Law at Santo Thomas Catholic University in Medan, tells Al Jazeera that, “a mistaken school of thought has built up that transgender people are ‘abnormal’ in Indonesian society”. CV-19 Affecting Transgender Women of Indonesia

What Is Polyamory?

Polyamory is a practice or desire for more than one romantic or sexual partner, with the full knowledge and agreement of all the partners involved. It is also less commonly known as consensual non-monogamy, which distinguishes it from the practice of monogamy (having only one sexual or romantic partner) where one person engages in an additional sexual relationship without letting their existing partner know. According to a 2017 study, 4% to 5% of participants said they were polyamorous. “Poly” means “many,” and the Latin root “amor” means “love.” Some polyamorous people have a primary relationship and engage in casual sexual hookups, while others may begin secondary relationships with the consent of their primary partner. Partners in a polyamorous relationship usually agree on a set of conditions like date times and the type of intimacy allowed. Every partnership will have a different set of agreements and understandings. The most important aspect is consent. While all polyamorous partnerships differ, people who engage in polyamory believe that monogamy is confining and constrictive. Instead of following society's ideas of loving only one person, polyamorous people embrace loving multiple people at the same time. Polyamory is on the rise: A poll from 2020 found that millennials are less likely to want a monogamous relationship. Approximately 42% of millennials stated that non-monogamy is ideal for them, compared with 43% who said monogamy is their ideal relationship. This demonstrated that the number of people who prefer polyamory are rising and that Americans are becoming more accepting of the idea of non-monogamy. What Is Polyamory?

European Hopes For Biden Administration

When Tamas Dombos heard that the Hungarian Parliament passed a series of laws on Dec. 15 effectively barring same-sex couples from adopting and making LGBTQI school education programs impossible, he was not surprised. “This is all part of a crusade against LGBTQI people,” he says. The new law, which called “the family as the basis of the survival of the nation” and includes the language “the mother is a woman, the father is a man,” has been condemned by rights activists, including the LGBTQI organization Hatter Society, where Dombos is a staff member. Dombos says over the past year and a half, a growing number of Hungarian government officials and politicians have used hate speech against the community and enforced legislation that infringes on the rights of transgender people in particular. “Unfortunately, the picture is very, very gloomy.” Over the last two years, activists and experts have observed a rising backlash against LGBTQ rights and women’s rights in parts of central and Eastern Europe. They say that the Trump Administration emboldened this backlash and likely contributed to authoritarian leaders doubling down on attacks on women and the LGBTQ community. “The U.S. had traditionally always been seen as an ally in fighting for LGBTI rights, for women’s rights, for human rights, and suddenly, this wasn’t really the case anymore,” says Terry Reintke, a Member of the European Parliament and the co-president of the parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights. Reintke, like other experts and activists, has high expectations of the incoming Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Administration: “Now there is actually a sane partner again sitting in the White House that we can work with on these important issues.” A major survey conducted in 2019 and released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in May this year found that 58% of LGBTI respondents said they experienced harassment during the five years before the survey, and 43% of LGBTI respondents felt discriminated against in their everyday life during the year leading up to the survey. European Hopes For Biden Administration

Your Laugh For The Day!

Contributors: CellarDweller115

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com.

Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

The Daily Sheet Archives
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