Category Archives: SCANDAL: Politics, Crime, Revolution and More.

Cinema taught me how to become the person I wanted to be…

Mickey Chen, center, poses with the two leading actors from the director’s 2007 short film Fragile in Love.

Author, gay activist and documentary filmmaker Mickey Chen is a friend of a friend of this site. Thanks to Guo-Juin Hong of Duke University for this one! Chen’s best-selling book Taipei Father New York Mother is coming out as a film. Both are semi-autobiographical and based on Chen’s difficult family background. Chen recently talked to the Taipei Times. He has described cinema as his “mother” and explains: “Children from dysfunctional families have different ways of licking their wounds. My brother is addicted to gambling, my older sister died of an overdose, and my younger sister spends her life in the frantic pursuit of love. I choose to hide in the abstract world of literature and the arts. I became parentless at the age of 10. Cinema taught me how to become the person I wanted to be.” Good stuff. For the rest of the interview, click here.

Action Alert: Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill up for a vote tomorrow

This infamous piece of legislation, which would introduce a death penalty in Uganda for people found guilty of homosexual conduct, is up for a vote tomorrow.

Life is already bad in Uganda for LGBT people – all of my LGBT friends from there have had to flee from their lives, and have some of the most horrifying, brutal stories of any LGBT refugees I know.  The Gay Highwaymen did a story on David Kato’s murder in Uganda earlier this year.

Want to do something about it? Credo Action has introduced this petition, which it will deliver to the president of Uganda. AllOut.org has another petition, as well as instructions for how to call your country’s representative in Uganda. Please consider signing, calling, and voicing your concerns about this legislation.

-AidanAbroad

Jewish Moscow: Chabad sanctuary, a queer man’s view from the women’s balcony

In Orthodox Judaism, the men are separated from the women during prayer. They sit behind a mechitza (partition) or, in this case, in a balcony…which may actually be the best seat in the house. This custom is, at least in part, because of the idea that the sight of a woman would arouse a man and take his mind away from prayers.

So where does that leave a frum faygeleh (religious gay man)? I’m not quite sure…many possibilities. I snuck up into the balcony during a non-service time, and snapped this shot of what would normally be the women’s view.

-AidanAbroad

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The end of the San Francisco Eagle…or is it? Pics and rumors.

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The San Francisco Eagle Tavern closed its doors this last weekend. Rumors that it would stay open another month proved unfounded. Is this the end of The Eagle? Self-styled San Francisco “Master of Real Estate” Seth Munter thinks it isn’t. He writes on Facebook: “The Eagle will rise again. John and Joe have no choice but to make sure the Eagle re-opens. They can and they will. Why? Because they cannot AFFORD to do anything else but see that the Eagle reopens. Otherwise, they will lose The Hole In The Wall…” Interesting political logic. For the entire post, click here. For pictures of condos that have been proposed for the site, click here. For a list of all the gay Leather bars called The Eagle, here.

Ding Dong! There’s always another Wicked Witch in the Wings…

Remember the movie? The death of the Wicked Witch did nothing to protect Dorothy and her friends from the Flying Monkeys. Something to keep in mind. Meet the new witch; same as the old witch. Here is a fan video of the Klaus Nomi version of Ding Dong (The Witch is Dead). And here is an audio version from Ella Fitzgerald.

Great quote on Enemy Death from MLK is a Fake.

According an article in The Atlantic, the quote attributed to Martin Luther King in this space and others, is a fake. It is a fast-moving internet meme. Where did it come from? For the mysterious quote, click here. For the update, here.

Obama vs. Osama

Obama vs. Osama. Via Comicbook.com, this is a Wondercon comic book convention variant cover of Savage Dragon #145. Pop simplicity aside, it is not over yet. Beware the neo-underwear bombers…

Martin Luther King: On the Death of One’s Enemies

I found this quote especially appropriate today:

‎”I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

–Martin Luther King, Jr.

Words of wisdom…worth considering.

-AidanAbroad

Teacher shaves for first time since Sept. 11, 2001

Interesting article in SF Chronicle today: a schoolteacher from Washington State shaved his beard for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. He made a vow not to shave until Osama bin Laden was caught. This is what 3,454 days of beard growth looks like.

-AidanAbroad

Photo: Dan Wheat / AP

Marines get schooled on a post DADT Corps – AP Video

A Marine Corps instructional video on the implementation of the repeal of DADT. Plenty of eye-candy in this one including some nice workouts during the intro. Shot at Camp Pendleton. Thanks to Joe Jervis of Joe. My. God. for this clip. Originally via the Associated Press. Choice instructional bits include: “Nobody’s trying to change your mind. Nobody’s trying to change their minds.” Too serious? For musical Marines, click here. For more armed forces silliness, here.