Chuckles Bites the Dust - a Mary Tyler Moore Classic

Transgender Day of Remembrance - More than 100 Murdered in 2009

Today is International Transgender Day of Remembrance. Check out the official website to see if any vigils are taking place near you.

Got Five Dollars?

Nice little video by Covalent Immunology encouraging people to pony up for vaccine research. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, Angie Pontani, Kristen Renton, Thea Gill, Wilson Cruz, The Pixie Harlots, and Hydeia Broadbent.

Semenya to Keep Gold Metal, No Matter What!

Even if South African track star Caster Semenya does have both boy and girl parts, she's still a gold medal winner: The International Association of Athletics Federations ruled she can keep the gold medal she won in August in Berlin. But the bigger news? The results of the investigation into Semenya's gender (!) will be kept private. Read the rest at Queerty.

Feel the Love... Sister Glo channels Gandhi

Whether humanity will consciously follow the law of love, I do not know. But that need not disturb me.
The law will work just as the law of gravitation works, whether we accept it or not. The person who
discovered the law of love was a far greater scientist than any of our modern scientists. Only our
explorations have not gone far enough and so it is not possible for everyone to see all its workings.

~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

Sister Glo shares her glittery gems of love with LifeLube each Friday.

Friday is for Faeries

Tearoom on Swallow Street

Via Butt Magazine -



Thursday night if you’re in London, be sure to make your way to the aptly named Swallow Street gallery for the opening of Tearoom, an exhibition of found footage of men having sex with other men in a public restroom in a Mansfield, Ohio restroom in 1962. It was created by policemen eager to catch and prosecute gay men under the harsh Ohio sodomy laws. Police set up a two way mirror and filmed men having public sex. Many of these men went to jail for terms ranging from one to twelve years. This footage was discovered by the artist, filmmaker, and BUTT contributor William E. Jones, and was included in the BUTT video show we presented at the Tate Modern a few years back. Read the rest...

Transgender Day of Remembrance at Center on Halsted

Chicago's Center on Halsted, in conjunction with the Broadway Youth Center, is hosting the 5th annual Night of Fallen Stars. It's an evening to celebrate Chicago’s Transgender community featuring performances of poetry, music, comedy, dance and more. In honor of Transgender Awareness Month and A Day of Remembrance, they will also honor the many transgendered people who have lost their lives to gender hate crimes.

Appearance by Jaila Simms
AKA - The first transgendered artist to win a reality series MTV / P. Diddy’s “Making His Band”. Official member of Bad Boy’s “Dirty Money Crew”. Songstress Jaila Simms appears at this showcase for trans artists featuring music, dance, comedy and poetry, presented in recognition of Transgender Awareness Month.

Sponsored by:
Broadway Youth Center
Center on Halsted
Equality Illinois
Howard Brown Health Center
Illinois Gender Advocates

The Broadway Youth Center (BYC) is a program of Howard Brown Health Centerone of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) healthcare organizations. Through a wide array of health, wellness, social service and research programs, Howard Brown cares for more than 36,000 adult and youth clients annually. For more information about Howard Brown or the BYC, please visit www.howardbrown.org.

PRICE
$5 donation at-the-door

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information, please contact:
Casey Schwartz
773.299.7601
caseys@howardbrown.org

Christina Kahrl
773.472.6469 x 495

The "Work In" - Hating on Hate (Read 4 Info on Chicago Vigil for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado)

by Ed Negron, a former drug user, turned gangbanger, turned drug dealer, turned own best customer, turned addict, turned recovering addict (still there), turned activist, turned business manager, turned student, turned Substance Abuse Counselor, turned better and happier person, turned someone who can love and be loved (Love you Patrick), turned blogger. Check out Ed's own blog here.

Featured (almost) Every Thursday on LifeLube --- check out all of Ed's "Work-In's" here.

I HATE hate!

This post is dedicated to
Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado,
(August 13, 1990 – November 13, 2009)
and every other victim of a hate crime.

Today I will share my personal "Work-In" with you. I am writing this with feelings of anger and sadness. I am angry because I live in world where some people think that it’s ok to hurt another person because they don’t like them. The sadness is that we are losing too many young lives to volience.

On November 13, 2009, 19-year-old, openly gay Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado’s body was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey in Puerto Rico.  His body was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso.

A suspect has been arrested for the murder. According to Telemundo and other local reports, the 28 year old father of four Martinez Matos confessed to authorities that he picked Lopez Mercado up from the street, thinking that he was a woman. When he realized that Lopez Mercado was a man, Martinez Matos said he regressed to an incident when he was sexually assaulted during a prison term. He then attacked Lopez Mercado, separating his arms from his torso. Again this is all hearsay. I have been reading articles all over the web with varying version of the story. The bottom line is this is just so wrong on many levels. As I read all the news stories and what his friends on Facebook are saying about Jorge Steven my tears start flowing.

Today I just heard of Jason Mattison Jr,s. death. Jason was 15, an openly gay sophomore at the Vivian T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy in Baltimore. He was found dead last week at his aunt’s house. He had been raped, gagged with a pillowcase and stabbed repeatedly in the head and throat. Then his body was shoved into an upstairs closet at the house. Full story at baltimoresun.com.

As I write this my tears are flowing. Why is there so much hate in this world?

No child is born a bigot. Hate is learned. 

I will only speak for myself. I was born into this world as a blank slate. I would image that the only thing I knew was that when I was hungry I cried and mom fed me. So I learned that to get fed, I had to cry. As child, I watched and learned from this big world around me. I saw how adults looked at and treated each other. I listen to every word they said. I mimicked their every move because they were adults and I wanted to be just like them.

The earliest lesson I remember about hate came from my family and every other Puerto Rican I new. I wasn’t supposed to like Mexicans. Back in the day, there was the big feud between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. No one knew why we hated each other. We just knew we were supposed to hate each other - just because. I always love it when adults say, “just because” when they don’t have answer to a question.

Then I learned I was supposed to hate gay people because the Bible says so. 

But it really doesn’t. Ok, so now I have to hate myself because I like boys to.  Then my hatred grew into rage because, as much as I wanted to like myself, all I heard was hatred towards people like me. My rage then turned into self-destruction. I began to do harm to my body through drugs and alcohol. Some of that rage was turned outward toward everyone else. I grew hatred towards everyone who hated gays.

Fuck those homophobes. I was going to make their lives just as miserable as they made mine. But I did it mentally. I got into peoples heads and mind fucked them. I said and did things for the shock value. The look on their faces was priceless. But at the end of the day, I still felt the same about myself. It was a “lose-lose” situation. I became tired of hating. It takes to much negative energy.

I had to unlearn hate. Yes, it’s possible.

Ending my hate takes a lot of conscious thinking. I have to keep an awareness of how my actions and words impact other people, intentional or unintentional. I’m not perfect, I still have my moments, but I try to catch myself. People may still hate me because of who I am, but that doesn’t mean I have to hate them in return. Yes, I may get mad at them, but I won’t hate them. Again, it’s not always easy, but it can be done.

Here is a good example of how people change hate into something beautiful. This past Tuesday morning I read on Facebook that there was going to be a vigil for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado in New York. I immediately thought that Chicago, having the second largest population of Puerto Ricans outside the island, has to have one as well. I sent an email out to a hand full of friends at 9:15a.m., and by the end of the day these individuals put it together.

Now my tears are of joy.

My community yet again modeled want community is truly about. I know I can lean on them when I’m not strong, and visa versa. When one of us is hurt we must put all our differences aside and come together to provide support and strength for one another. We will mourn together. We will show the world that the BGLTQ Community will not be defeated by hate or any other injustices!




I invite you to join us in solidarity as we to honor the life of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. On Sunday, November 22, 2009, vigils will be held in cities across the U.S. Visit http://mercado-vigil.tumblr.com to find a city near you.

If you cannot join us in person I ask that you hold Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, Jason Mattison Jr. and all other victims of a hate crime in your heart on Sunday and always.

Chicago Vigil
DATE: Sunday, November 22.
TIME: 4pm-6pm
LOCATION: Convene at 4p.m, at the corner of Division & California, Procession &  Vigil towards the Humboldt Park Boat House, upon arrival program will commence.

We are asking organizations/community members to:
-post the save the date on their website/facebook/listerv (facebook event to come)
-call their contacts and encourage them to attend (allies as well!)
-ask orgs/individuals to bring candles for themselves and others

Please contact Dulce at quintero.dulce@gmail.com with questions or if you would like to help or contribute to the vigil organizing efforts.

Health Care Reform is a GBT Issue - Call Your Senator TODAY

via the Gay Men's Health Agenda

Want to get involved? Send the group and email.
[gaymenshealthagenda@gmail.com]

Take Action – Call Your Senator, and let her/him know that you want full health care reform that includes the needs of gay, bi and trans men.

Below are the toll free numbers for the national congressional switch board:

1-866-220-0044
1-877-851-6437

They will transfer you to your senator, all you need to do is give them the state you live in.

We now stand at a critical juncture in our movement. Never before has the discussion been so primed for action and major victories been so close to our grasp. It is truly a transformative time, where the work we accomplish now will have effects for decades to come. So please stay involved, stay committed and remember it is our health we are fighting for.

Here is a great article on the connection between gay men’s health and health care reform.

Key Issues (great for talking points)

Healthcare reform must be fully GBT-inclusive.

Social stigma and systemic discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression have significant negative impacts on the overall health of gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men. GBT men suffer disproportionately from the adverse health effects of stigma, stress, and violence, further compounded by the barriers that prevent them from accessing vital healthcare services even for routine care: research has consistently shown that being GBT substantially impacts whether or not a person receives care and, when they do receive care, whether that care effectively speaks to all aspects of their lives. In order to begin to address these disparities, any healthcare reform must be fully GBT-inclusive.

Removing Pre-Exisitng Conditions from Coverage is a Priority.

Due to widespread employment discrimination and lack of relationship recognition, GBT men are more likely to be without prior insurance coverage and are thus disproportionately affected by practices that preclude or limit coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Many transgender individuals with a previous diagnosis or history of treatment for transsexualism report being excluded outright from purchasing even basic individual coverage for routine care. In addition, due to experiences of stigma or discrimination, GBT individuals are less likely overall to have accessed ongoing preventive healthcare or early diagnostic services. For both physical and mental conditions that exact a high toll in the GBT population, late diagnosis and treatment lead to a higher prevalence of serious, advanced-stage disease and ultimately to excessive mortality.

We Must Be Counted!

Historically, health data collection efforts have not included GBT populations or gathered information regarding the specific healthcare needs of GBT men. To address this lack of data, all new or updated national forms or data collection tools must be made inclusive of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. In addition, all efforts to track or redress health disparities must include GBT men as a health disparities population, and efforts to identify cost-effective healthcare protocols must include sensitivity to the health needs and outcomes of the LGBT community.

Health Care Reform Must Include Non-Discrimination Provisions.

GBT individuals and their families must be able to access the full range of services they require, delivered by providers who are sensitive to their needs, and any form of healthcare that is regulated or monitored by the federal government must be required to be permanently GBT-inclusive.

A Robust Public Option is a GBT Issue.

Enacting healthcare coverage for everyone in the United States is an important step in eliminating healthcare disparities for the GBT population. The current system of employer-based coverage is a barrier to many, since so few employers extend coverage eligibility to same-sex partners. In addition, the lack of employment protections based on gender identity and expression results in a high rate of unemployment in the transgender community and further reduces access to insurance coverage.

Your voices helped to ensure the passage of the GBT provisions within the House bill and now it’s time to take our fight to the Senate.

Thanks you for your involvement,

The GMHA Leadership Core
Jim Pickett
Cornelius Baker
Chris Bartlett
Stewart Landers
Kaijson Noilmar

Who's That Queer

Brought to you by Pistol Pete

Johnny Mathis was born on October 31, 1935 in Gilmer, Texas, the fourth of seven children to Clem Mathis and his wife, Mildred Boyd, and is of both African-American and Caucasian ancestry. The family moved when he was young to San Francisco, California on Post Street, in the famous Fillmore district where he was raised.


His first album Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song was a slow-selling jazz album, but Mathis stayed in New York to play the clubs. His second album was produced by Columbia records vice-president and producer Mitch Miller, who defined the Mathis sound - he preferred him to sing soft, romantic ballads, initially pairing him with arranger/conductor Ray Conniff, and later, Ray Ellis, Glenn Osser and Robert Mersey. In late 1956, Mathis recorded two of his most popular songs - "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "It's Not For Me To Say." That year MGM signed Mathis to sing the latter song in the 1957 film Lizzie, and shortly afterward he made his second film appearance for 20th Century Fox singing the song A Certain Smile in the film of the same name. He had small acting roles in both movies as a bar singer. This early cinematic visibility in two successful movies gave him mass exposure. Next was his appearance on the very popular Ed Sullivan Show in 1957 and this helped to seal his stardom. Critics called him the velvet voice.

He has received three Grammy awards. In 1979, his hit duet "The Last Time I Felt Like This" from the film Same Time, Next Year was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Mathis and Jane Olivor sang the song at the Oscar ceremony. This was his second performance at the Academy Awards. He has taped twelve of his own television specials and made over 300 television guest appearances with 33 of them being on The Tonight Show. Through the years his songs (or parts of them) have been heard in 100 plus television shows and films around the globe. His appearance on the Live by Request broadcast in May 1998 on the A&E Network had the largest television viewing audience of the series. Also in 1989, Johnny sang the opening theme for the ABC daytime soap opera Loving.

In a 1982 Us Magazine article, Mathis was quoted as having said, "Homosexuality is a way of life that I've grown accustomed to." Us Magazine later retracted the statement. After more than twenty years of silence on the subject, Mathis revealed in an interview in 2006 that his silence was due to death threats he received as a result of that 1982 article. On April 13, 2006, Mathis granted a podcast interview with The Strip in which he talked about the subject once again, and how some of his reticence to speak of the subject was partially generational.

Source: Wikipedia

Safe Sex Delivered HOT and SEXY -- 4 Real

Too often safe sex is presented as anything but sexy, or fun.

Buuuuut,the DCFUK!T campaign tosses the tired medicalization of sex out and - with lots of hot photos (nudies!) and videos including one of Matthew Rush doing a condom demo (whoa) - makes it HORNY and HOT. Condoms never looked so tasty. We are thankful to see something so sex-positive. Thanks DCFUK!T.

You won't only find safer sex tips, but vids of a rectal exam and a genitilia exam, which we're sure will alleviate the stress some of us feel when this happens to us (see All About Dick.)

The Ultimate Question: An Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything

Read more »

What’s your spirituality?

by Daniel Cameron, for LifeLube

It’s hard to deny spirit. Ask someone at a cocktail party (who would deny spirits there?) what their spiritual beliefs are, and you can generally expect them to come up with an answer, regardless of their religious beliefs or political background. Despite the occasional lack of real spiritual focus in American culture, it would be surprising to hear “I don’t have spiritual beliefs” or simply “I’m not spiritual.”

No one has an easy answer to spiritual questions, but most agree that spirituality is important, or least relevant, to human life.

What you may hear in response to your question is an example of how the person’s spirituality ties in with their religion. Religion and spirituality are not mutually exclusive. Religion is one way spirituality can be expressed. So spirituality, that which relates to the spirit or the inner life of an individual, is really the parent topic.


 [LifeLube LOVES this song - from the Indian film Jodah Akbar. You don' need to understand a word to be moved by it. About 5 minutes in the whirling begins - not to miss.]

Spirituality encompasses both itself and its subsection of religion. Why, then, does the “religion” entry on Wikipedia, today’s “go-to” web site for collectively understood facts, have over 6,500 words devoted to it, while “spirituality” barely clocks in at 2,000, “spiritual practice” at even less, about 900? Maybe it’s because religion has so many particulars to it: familiar rituals, comfortable rules, well-known dogma, etc. Religion consists of dozens of different spiritual institutions that offer countless opportunities to practice, follow, understand and believe in something concrete (doesn’t even naming “God” make the concept more tangible?).

Spirituality, on the other hand, is completely deregulated, with an individual’s spiritual path bound only by the values and beliefs they deem worthy and important in their personal spiritual realm, their universe. With fewer specifics to rely on, writings about spirituality are almost automatically abridged, limited by the concept’s limitlessness.

So if we assume spirituality is the “corporate umbrella” of religion, but is also limitless in scope, what then can be said about the topic in a single blog?

Read more »

C-Talk - For guys who have used drugs and love sex

CHICAGO

Come to a ten-week group focused on healthy sexuality for men who have used cocaine and crystal meth.



This is a research study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Howard Brown Health Center to see if groups like this one can help men develop a healthier sense of sexuality that doesn't always depend on using drugs.

For more info, please contact
nicolep@howardbrown.org or call 773-388-8872

Woof Wednesday