News and Views

Because I feel like it, Divine's cover of the Four Seasons' "Walk like a Man":

A young man described as a rising star in the Republican Party by both Gov. Mitch Daniels and Secretary of State Todd Rokita as recently as a few months ago, is now facing formal charges against him for criminal sexual deviate conduct, a Class B felony. Glenn Murphy, Jr. is accused of performing oral sex on a 22-year-old man while the man slept. The two had stayed over at the Jeffersonville home of the victim's sister following a Young Republican Party on July 28.Murphy had just weeks earlier been elected president of the National Young Republican Federation. Murphy resigned as the YR's national president and also as Clark Co. GOP chairman at the time the victim filed a formal complaint with Jeffersonville police. Murphy had been a close advisor to former U.S. Rep. Mike Sodrel (R), who is running a fourth time against U.S. Rep. Baron Hill (D) to win back the 9th District seat he held for one term until last year. The 33-year-old Murphy is facing 6-20 years in prison if he is found guilty of the charges.indiana politics gay GLBT law

This update on the Glenn Murphy criminal deviate conduct story comes to us from WVHF-TV in Southern Indiana:"Glenn Murphy Junior appeared in court for the first time today, he is being charged with criminal deviate conduct in Clark County. Murphy's next court date is set for January 7th, and his trial date is April 1st. According to the probable cause affidavit a 22-year-old male victim received an unwanted sexual act from Murphy. It happened at a young republican's party on July 29th in Jeff. Murphy resigned as Chairman of the Clark County Republican Party in August. He said a new business venture would not allow him to hold a partisan political office. According to a Clarksville police report, in June of 1998 Murphy was accused of a similar act against a 21-year-old man. But charges were never filed."Here's some additional information from the Louisville Courier-Journal:"The former chairman of the Clark County Republican Party was formally charged today with criminal deviate conduct, a Class B felony that could land him in prison for six to 20 years if convicted. "Glenn Murphy Jr., 33, is accused of performing oral sex on a sleeping man in the aftermath of a July 28 party at a home in Jeffersonville. "Murphy turned himself in for an initial hearing in Clark Superior Court his afternoon and was later freed on $25,000 bond. "Judge Vicki Carmichael set a trial date of April 1. "Murphy resigned as GOP chairman when the allegations were made public in August."

Richard Cohen (the ex-gay dude who was on The Daily Show and CNN saying that hugging someone of the same sex and hitting a pillow with a tennis racket can make straight) has a new book out, Gay Children, Straight Parents. Apparently, his children's book wasn't enough literary success for this author. Jim Burroway, as always, has the analysis. Dude's sticking with the hugging and the hitting, and there's more fun stuff: Not only are his theories on homosexuality far outside the mainstream of the most current social science research, but his proposed methods for dealing with it are downright laughable — literally. Parents should certainly hug their children, but I think the usual, straightforward, conventional hugs are quite sufficient. I think most parents know what I’m talking about. They don’t need Cohen’s book to show them the way.

If you were looking for more information about the recently announced Indiana Debate Commission, which will be organizing at least three gubernatorial debates next year, the group has established an online presence here. They're currently in search of financial support, organizational affiliates and other input. Check it out.

The WashPo's Chris Cillizza moves Indiana's gubernatorial contest up from fourth place to second on his list of races to watch next year:2. Indiana: The Fix spent a day in Indianapolis late last month and had a chance to see the two Democrats running for governor -- former Rep. Jill Long Thompson and architect Jim Schellinger. Long Thompson is steady if not spectacular and relies heavily on her personal story. (At the event I attended, she mentioned she had been raised on a farm in answer to nearly every question asked of her.) Schellinger is the more charismatic of the two but is clearly a political novice with few policy proposals behind his rhetoric. Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) is a savvy campaigner and is already aggressively working to remind Hoosier voters of the promises he kept since taking office. (Previous ranking: 4)

Coming out is a challenging process, whether you are 15, 21, or 50. The first step toward “coming out” is self-awareness or recognition of having feelings of attraction for persons of the same sex. This awareness may lead to confusion, attempts to deny or repress feelings of attraction, anxiety about unwanted feelings, or even attempts to “pass” as heterosexual. It is no secret that in our society there are a lot of societal stigmas, and negative feelings about being gay. As a result, some people delay, deny, avoid, and reject having any awareness of feelings of attractions for persons of the same sex. Sometimes these attractions are repressed deeply enough to be out of one’s conscious awareness. In this state of denial (which can be either conscious or unconscious), men and women sometimes pursue heterosexual relationships. Some men and women experience many years of heterosexual relationships that sometimes include marriage and children. Sometimes, though, these men and women, for various reasons, begin to develop a greater self-awareness. This awareness may be triggered by various things such as: an undeniable attraction to someone of the same sex, a function of maturity and greater self-exploration, or a sense of emptiness or longing that stems from having emotional needs that have not be met by their heterosexual relationships because of their same-sex attractions. Continue reading "Coming out of a Heterosexual Marriage"...

It's Friday, and TDW is election-ed out. Anyone got anything else to talk about? Big, fun weekend plans?

It looks like the Greg Ballard transition team has wisely opted for some professional press assistance from one of TDW's favorite Republicans:For Immediate Release Indianapolis--Mayor-elect Greg Ballard has appointed Robert Vane as Press Secretary for his transition team. "Robert has experience in communications and government service," stated Ballard. "He will be the primary media contact during the transition period."Lord only knows the communications dingbat he had working for him during the campaign didn't seem to have much of a clue. Odds on how long it takes Ballard to dump the hangers-on and take up with the establishment types who actually know how to run a city?

Last night I wrote a friend a rant that was full of expletives and frustration. Most of my disgruntlement was from the Wednesday's passage in the House of Representatives of the sexual orientation only Employment Non-Discrimination Act. It was a historic day for gays and lesbians (if only symbolically), but it was a setback for the GLBT movement as a whole. It will now be much harder to pass a gender inclusive bill, now that one has passed with sexual orientation only. Another worrisome aspect of this vote has been the reaction from some parts of the transgender community. Since passage of ENDA, I've heard various transgender people call for the protesting of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). I have to wonder, is that really the wisest move? What does that accomplish? How does that move transgender people closer to inclusion in the 2009 bill? Continue reading "What Next? "...

Tom Brokaw's new history book, Boom!: Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today, is a 700-page tome on how the 60's affected our lives today. And it completely ignores us in our movements' most formative time period. Definitely the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and the second wave should be discussed in any history book about the 60's. And they are. But what about the first gay rights protest in 1965 in Philly, the transgender riots in SF, the development of gaystream media like The Advocate, the dissemination of the term "gay" over the previously popular yet medicalizing and insulting "homosexual", the start of the Gay Liberation Front, the Mattachine Society's and the Daughters of Bilitis's marches in Washington, the removal of homosexuality from the DSM (Brokaw's "1960's" go all the way up to '74), and, oh yeah, Stonewall? All got straight-washed right out of the book. The few references to "homosexuality" are sparse and shallow, according to one reviewer. Whatever. I don't need Tom Brokaw to recognize our greatest generation to know about it. And I don't need to read about it in his history book to acknowledge the effort that a lot of brave people put forward so that we could move en masse out of the closet and into the spotlight. But if someone writes a comprehensive book about the changes in that decade, then leaving us out is erasing, insulting, and, frankly, dishonest.

The Indy Star gives Mayor Bart Peterson some well deserved love today for all the things that he's accomplished over the past eight years."Blessed with a council majority for only half his reign, Peterson presided over a historic series of accomplishments, much of it involving work left undone for years or decades before he took office. He forged alliances with rivals. He took risks. He led diverse teams to worthy goals. "Overhaul of the county's antiquated sewer system is under way. The jail, at least for now, is out of crisis. The police-fire pension gap has been closed. Consolidation of services -- 'UniGov II,' an objective shared by leading Republicans -- has moved forward. Education, a challenge Peterson could have skirted, has been advanced through his charter schools. The arts have never had a better friend in City Hall. "Economic development and capital expansion, highlighted by the airport midfield terminal, Lucas Oil Stadium, the convention center expansion, new Downtown towers and life-sciences investment, have made Indianapolis an exception to the fiscal doldrums of the state as a whole. "Peterson cannot claim sole or even primary responsibility for all the progress; but nor can he be tagged for all the costs. The property tax load is predominantly the state's doing. Local income taxes are a city's emergency kit, and Peterson used it for public safety -- at a time no politician would have chosen, shortly after property tax bills landed. "Fighting crime while cutting spending and holding the line on taxes is a mountainous task that Peterson might have performed better but has hardly neglected. Where he is most vulnerable is in regard to neighborhood quality-of-life issues, which have tended to take a back seat to headline-making gestures such as the Super Bowl bid and the crusade against violent video games. Even so, Peterson, who is president of the National League of Cities, has shown his face to the block clubs as well as the larger world. "That smiling face may have been bound for destinations far beyond here until the express derailed Tuesday. "But there's no doubt Peterson has the smarts, charm, resilience and record to rebound. It's the future of Indianapolis that should concern him at this low moment; and the surprise lame duck has pledged to do all he can to assist his successor in that direction. Down the road, the mayor surely will be an energetic community leader, elected or 'civilian,' enhancing a legacy that will long outlast the politics of the moment."

This is odd advice coming from a guy whose newspaper started us down the slippery slope toward bite-sized digest items, no-jump stories and fluffy photo centerpieces, but you know what? He's right."Journalists must continue to aggressively challenge authority in government even though the public does not hold the news media in such high regard as it once did, the editor of USA Today said Thursday. "Ken Paulson said the framers of the Constitution guaranteed a free press 'that would take a stand for liberty and justice, and that mission has not changed.' "'They gave us this job,' Paulson said Thursday at a conference on the importance of an open government. 'People often talk about the press, and they say 'Who appointed you?' Well, Jefferson, Madison and the boys, really. Is that good enough?' "Paulson spoke to an audience of journalists, lawyers and other members of the public at the forum sponsored by the Indiana Coalition of Open Government, the Hoosier State Press Association and the Indiana State Bar Association. "He said monitoring government officials requires journalists to ask 'tough questions, sometimes rude questions, sometimes leading questions.' "'And we have that attitude whether you're Republican, Libertarian, Democrat -- whatever you happen to be,' he said. 'We'll ask you the same tough questions because that's our job.'"

Dear Fannie, I've got a girlfriend. All the other girls I've dated have been long distance or some variation of not really girls (one closet MTF who didn't want to be seen as a girl just yet, and one FTM). She's understanding, supportive, cuddly, she listens well, etc. She just got out of a relationship with this guy who was utterly dependent on her. Both of our previous relationships have come up briefly and as far as I can tell, she's still feeling a bit 'used up' from taking care of someone else so much. The thing that bothers me is that sometimes I'm a complete and total moron. I get stressed out or depressed to the point where I'm worthless. Treatment helps it happen less often, but I've yet to reach the point where it completely stops happening. She's made it clear that if she didn't want to stick around, she would be long gone. I don't want her to ever have to see it, but if we're going to stick it out through the long run, she'll probably have to. I don't want to her freak out. I'd only be a worthless pile for up to a week, but it's still not something I can say she'd put up with. So here's my question: How do I let her know that despite my best efforts it still may happen, without making it seem like I'm a waste of her time? I want her to evaluate whether or not being with me is something she wants to do. --don't wanna lose someone who loves the Weird that is me Continue reading "Anxiety Attack"...

You know, when Pat Robertson endorses a presidential campaign and the candidate giddily accepts that endorsement, said candidate cannot be called "moderate" on gay rights or pro-choice. But not to the beltway pundits. Here's a segment from Hardball where Chris Matthews tries to figure out what's going on: Because there just has to be something wrong with Robertson for supporting Rudy! It can't be that Rudy's on the same side as him on every gay rights issue that could come before the president and is effectively anti-choice, he's just sick! It's just the War in Iraq! It has something to do with prostate cancer! Sure, Rudy doesn't have the most ideologically pure record. Huckabee would definitely be a more logical choice for The 700 Club's host. But Robertson's a has-been trying to stay relevant and he's going to spin this as his endorsement as being a sign that he anointed the next GOP nominee. That's really all there is to it.

Well, voting is closed. It looks like the winner of the 2007 Weblog Award for Best LGBT Blog is Joe.My.God. We came in 2nd place. Not too shabby for a blog that just re-launched nationally in July, eh? And if we're going to get spanked, who better to do it than a bear? *grins* Many thanks to everyone that voted for us. Big thanks to AfterElton, Scott-O-Rama, Left of Centrist, Ft. Wayne Left, Blue Indiana, BlogActive, Bloggernista, Suburban Lesbian Housewife, Town Called Dobson, Below the Belt, Brent's Blog, Becky's Blog, and BuckHollywood for endorsing us and asking folks to send a vote our way. (If I missed your endorsement, let us know in the comments so we can thank you appropriately!) We appreciate the votes of confidence. And most of all, we appreciate you - our readers - for nominating us to start with. Final results were:

1. Joe.My.God - 30.8%
2. The Bilerico Project - 25.3%
3. Pam's House Blend - 21.7%
4. Gay Patriot - 8.3%
5. Susie Bright's Journal - 5%
6. Average Gay Joe - 2.6%
7. Mombian - 2.3%
8. Fetch Me My Axe - 1.9%
9. Republic of T - 1.3%
10. Keith Boykin - .8%

I'm on strike?!

Just in time for Veterans Day, the Veteran Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System has issued a landmark memo to its employees about providing quality care to transgender veterans who use the medical facility. According to Bay Windows, "The memo mandates that veterans will be addressed and referred to by VA staff according to their self-identified gender both in verbal exchanges and in patient records. Patients will also be given rooming assignments and access to facilities such as restrooms based on their self-identified gender. The memo explains that while federal law prevents the VA from providing patients with sex reassignment surgery, the VA will provide hormone therapy and mental health services to transgender patients according to the accepted standards of care." Continue reading "Landmark Guidelines for Transgender Vets' Care"...

Good to see that Republicans at the federal level are really interested in finding candidates who understand and represent average working Americans:"Faced with lingering debt and a losing fundraising battle, House Republicans are recruiting a slew of self-funding candidates to run in many of their top races this election cycle. "At least seven candidates with the ability to self-fund millions have stepped forward in key districts for the GOP so far, and more could be on the way. "Most of the wealthy candidates were recruited by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), but some have stepped forward on their own and gotten the attention of a committee that could use the aid of their pocketbooks in its attempt to recoup its 2006 losses. Five are running against members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) Frontline program for vulnerable members, while one is running against perennial target Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.). Another is running for retiring Rep. Dennis Hastert’s (R-Ill.) seat in a race that could become a battleground. "The NRCC had nearly $4 million in debt and $1.6 million in cash at the end of September, and it has raised about three-fourths of the DCCC's haul this cycle."

“Nobody knows what happens later on with this bill, but tonight and tomorrow morning there are millions of Americans – young and old – who are going to say, ‘You know what? My country doesn’t hate me. Maybe I’m not such a bad person.’ That shouldn’t be necessary, but as long as it is, I’m grateful we were able to say it.” -- Congressman Barney Frank at a press conference after ENDA passed