Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Fruitless
http://scienceblogs.com/corpuscallosum/
Category: Bioethics • Psychiatry • Social Issues
In 2007, the American Psychological Association commissioned their Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. The background is this: early in the history of mental health treatment efforts, homosexuality was considered to be an illness. Therefore, it was thought to be appropriate for therapists to try to change the sexual orientation of persons who are homosexual.
This attitude never was universal; it is said that even Sigmund Freud was skeptical of it. Even so, it was not until 1962 that efforts began to remove homosexuality from the DSM. It was decided, in 1973, to remove the diagnosis from the subsequent edition. The American Psychiatric Association issued a statement at that time, in support of civil rights protection for homosexual persons. The American Psychological Association followed suit in 1974. In 1991, the American Psychoanalytic Association finally saw the light. In 1992, homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases.
Even so, a small number of licensed mental health practitioners continued their efforts to pathologize and "treat" homosexuality.
The American Psychological Association's Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation set out to research this matter and issue a definitive proclamation. This is described:
Sexual "Conversion"? American Psychological Association Says Not Through Psychotherapy
October 10, 2009
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 26 No. 10
Natalie Timoshin
Read on »
Category: Bioethics • Psychiatry • Social Issues
In 2007, the American Psychological Association commissioned their Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. The background is this: early in the history of mental health treatment efforts, homosexuality was considered to be an illness. Therefore, it was thought to be appropriate for therapists to try to change the sexual orientation of persons who are homosexual.
This attitude never was universal; it is said that even Sigmund Freud was skeptical of it. Even so, it was not until 1962 that efforts began to remove homosexuality from the DSM. It was decided, in 1973, to remove the diagnosis from the subsequent edition. The American Psychiatric Association issued a statement at that time, in support of civil rights protection for homosexual persons. The American Psychological Association followed suit in 1974. In 1991, the American Psychoanalytic Association finally saw the light. In 1992, homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases.
Even so, a small number of licensed mental health practitioners continued their efforts to pathologize and "treat" homosexuality.
The American Psychological Association's Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation set out to research this matter and issue a definitive proclamation. This is described:
Sexual "Conversion"? American Psychological Association Says Not Through Psychotherapy
October 10, 2009
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 26 No. 10
Natalie Timoshin
Read on »
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Da Queers United: Intersex awareness Day
Monday, October 26, 2009
Intersex Awareness Day (10.26.09)
Oct 26th marks the 5th annual celebrate intersexual awareness day! Today is the (inter)national day of grass-roots action to end shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children.
What is intersex?
Intersex refers to a series of medical conditions in which a child's genetic sex (chromosomes) and phenotypic sex (genital appearance) do not match, or are somehow different from the "standard" male or female. About one in 2,000 babies are born visibly intersexed, while some others are detected later. The current medical protocol calls for the surgical "reconstruction" of these different but healthy bodies to make them "normal," but this practice has become increasingly controversial as adults who went through the treatment report being physically, emotionally, and sexually harmed by such procedures.
Beside stopping cosmetic genital surgeries, what are intersex activists working toward?
Surgery is just part of a larger pattern of how intersex children are treated; it is also important to stop shame, secrecy and isolation that are socially and medically imposed on children born with intersex conditions under the theory that the child is better off it they didn't hear anything about it. Therefore, it's not enough to simply stop the surgery; we need to replace it with social and psychological support as well as open and honest communication.
What's so significant about October 26?
On October 26, 1996, intersex activists from Intersex Society of North America (carrying the sign "Hermaphrodites With Attitude") and our allies from Transexual Menace held the first public intersex demonstration in Boston, where American Academy of Pediatrics was holding its annual conference. The action generated a lot of press coverage, and made it difficult for the medical community to continue to neglect our growing movement. That said, events related to Intersex Awareness Day can take place throughout October and does not necessarily have to be on the 26th.
Ideas for Action:
Pamphlets for organizing intersex awareness day.
Click here to print out some articles to leaflet on intersexuality
Get some friends together and rally/demonstrate in front of a hospital or medical school demanding an end to genital mutilation!
Show a film or invite a guest speaker to speak about IS issues.
Learn more and get active with the Intersex Initiative.
Intersex Awareness Day (10.26.09)
Oct 26th marks the 5th annual celebrate intersexual awareness day! Today is the (inter)national day of grass-roots action to end shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children.
What is intersex?
Intersex refers to a series of medical conditions in which a child's genetic sex (chromosomes) and phenotypic sex (genital appearance) do not match, or are somehow different from the "standard" male or female. About one in 2,000 babies are born visibly intersexed, while some others are detected later. The current medical protocol calls for the surgical "reconstruction" of these different but healthy bodies to make them "normal," but this practice has become increasingly controversial as adults who went through the treatment report being physically, emotionally, and sexually harmed by such procedures.
Beside stopping cosmetic genital surgeries, what are intersex activists working toward?
Surgery is just part of a larger pattern of how intersex children are treated; it is also important to stop shame, secrecy and isolation that are socially and medically imposed on children born with intersex conditions under the theory that the child is better off it they didn't hear anything about it. Therefore, it's not enough to simply stop the surgery; we need to replace it with social and psychological support as well as open and honest communication.
What's so significant about October 26?
On October 26, 1996, intersex activists from Intersex Society of North America (carrying the sign "Hermaphrodites With Attitude") and our allies from Transexual Menace held the first public intersex demonstration in Boston, where American Academy of Pediatrics was holding its annual conference. The action generated a lot of press coverage, and made it difficult for the medical community to continue to neglect our growing movement. That said, events related to Intersex Awareness Day can take place throughout October and does not necessarily have to be on the 26th.
Ideas for Action:
Pamphlets for organizing intersex awareness day.
Click here to print out some articles to leaflet on intersexuality
Get some friends together and rally/demonstrate in front of a hospital or medical school demanding an end to genital mutilation!
Show a film or invite a guest speaker to speak about IS issues.
Learn more and get active with the Intersex Initiative.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
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Saturday, October 24, 2009
Why?
Why do you care more of what thy did to the recluse at Guantanamo Bay
Who were planning extermination on us anyway
Than for those who for love deprivation,
outright starvation
war, AIDS and pollution
are slowly wasting away?
So they sung our beautiful songs
to people who planned us wrong
why should I care a dime
If they prevented even one crime
like mass murder and mayhem extreme?
Why do you care more for what theiy did to the recluse at Guantanamo Bay
Than for those which for all deprivations
are slowly wasting away?
Who were planning extermination on us anyway
Than for those who for love deprivation,
outright starvation
war, AIDS and pollution
are slowly wasting away?
So they sung our beautiful songs
to people who planned us wrong
why should I care a dime
If they prevented even one crime
like mass murder and mayhem extreme?
Why do you care more for what theiy did to the recluse at Guantanamo Bay
Than for those which for all deprivations
are slowly wasting away?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Hate crime law passed!,
http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/10/22/Senate_Passes_Hate_Crimes_Measure/
Senate Passes Hate-Crimes Measure
By Kerry Eleveld
HATE CRIMES MATTHEW SHEPARD CAPITOL SENATE X390 (FAIR USE AND PHOTOS.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM
The Senate voted 68 to 29 Thursday to pass a Defense Department funding bill that includes a measure extending hate-crimes protections to people targeted on the basis of their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
The National Defense Authorization Act now goes to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.
“As the President said back in April, the hate-crimes bill takes on an important civil rights issue to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association. He looks forward to signing it into law,” said White House spokesman Shin Inouye.
The late senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts originally introduced the legislation in 1997 during the 105th Congress. The bill was renamed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in honor of Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man from Wyoming, and James Byrd, a 49-year-old African-American man from Texas, both of whom were brutally murdered in 1998.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, today's vote was the 14th and final floor vote taken on the measure. HRC president Joe Solmonese said the more than decade-long struggle to enact the legislation had almost come to completion.
“We’re in the home stretch,” said Solmonese. “We look forward to President Obama signing it into law; our nation’s first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”
Along with expanding the protected groups, the legislation will provide extra resources to state and local law enforcement officials, give the U.S. Justice Department the power to investigate hate crimes that local officials decline to pursue, and direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track hate crimes committed against transgender individuals -- statistics the FBI already keeps for other groups.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said including hate crimes within the defense authorization bill was perfectly logical.
"It is highly appropriate for this law to be part of the National Defense Authorization Act," he said. "The values our men and women fight for include tolerance and freedom from hate-inspired violence against our citizens. Indeed, hate crimes represent a dangerous variety of domestic terrorism while our troops fight terrorism overseas.”
Senate Passes Hate-Crimes Measure
By Kerry Eleveld
HATE CRIMES MATTHEW SHEPARD CAPITOL SENATE X390 (FAIR USE AND PHOTOS.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM
The Senate voted 68 to 29 Thursday to pass a Defense Department funding bill that includes a measure extending hate-crimes protections to people targeted on the basis of their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
The National Defense Authorization Act now goes to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.
“As the President said back in April, the hate-crimes bill takes on an important civil rights issue to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association. He looks forward to signing it into law,” said White House spokesman Shin Inouye.
The late senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts originally introduced the legislation in 1997 during the 105th Congress. The bill was renamed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in honor of Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man from Wyoming, and James Byrd, a 49-year-old African-American man from Texas, both of whom were brutally murdered in 1998.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, today's vote was the 14th and final floor vote taken on the measure. HRC president Joe Solmonese said the more than decade-long struggle to enact the legislation had almost come to completion.
“We’re in the home stretch,” said Solmonese. “We look forward to President Obama signing it into law; our nation’s first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”
Along with expanding the protected groups, the legislation will provide extra resources to state and local law enforcement officials, give the U.S. Justice Department the power to investigate hate crimes that local officials decline to pursue, and direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track hate crimes committed against transgender individuals -- statistics the FBI already keeps for other groups.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said including hate crimes within the defense authorization bill was perfectly logical.
"It is highly appropriate for this law to be part of the National Defense Authorization Act," he said. "The values our men and women fight for include tolerance and freedom from hate-inspired violence against our citizens. Indeed, hate crimes represent a dangerous variety of domestic terrorism while our troops fight terrorism overseas.”
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Why some men like their own sex (even some women do, but I lack the knowledge to talk about it, as you would imagine)
Some little gene
Interfered with hormones
and so we are there
Homosexual to the core
Need we say more?
Some say we don't like women. What? We actually love women. I certainly do...not only because I'm a bit bisexual, but, come on, women are gorgeous!I'd be in a sorry position if I didn't feel so. I work in a department whose worktorce are all women, save the Boss (a sweet and OK fellow, to be sure, but he's the Boss)and the BOSS, whose height towers over me. Women are the spice of life. Hetero men are so boring!
Only, I happen to like Men's shapely bodies a lot more that I find women's body form. Blame Gene,Hormones, and whatever. Well,what I like in Male Form?
I like this:
Sculpted torsoes
And this:
Lovely arms
and this:
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Sensual form
I also like some other things that cannot be shown in a not porn blog.
Why we like our own sex? We don't know, but we know I like men a lot!
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