(FIRESIDE Chat w/ Matt Baume) Does Gay Marriage Lead to Polygamy?

If we let gay couples get married, won't we have to let polygamous couples get married too? It's the question that just keeps coming up, even from the Supreme Court. So let's answer it once and for all: why is gay marriage different from polygamous marriage?

(MY View) RuPaul's Drag Race and the Danger of Overpolicing Language!

by Our Lady J  

"Tranny," "sissy," "sex change," and "she-male" are self-identifying slang words used by gender-nonconforming people -- mostly performers, artists, sex workers, and others considered to be living on the fringe of our queer community. Although we use these words playfully to relate, empower, and communicate, these words, like the word "gay," are sometimes used to disrespect us.

When I first transitioned, I proudly identified as a "tranny" until people within the trans community told me the word was offensive to them. I complied but quickly realized that while striving to be accepted by the hetero-dominated world, the upper echelons of the trans community were trying to sweep the fringe under the rug by censoring the language with which they identify. In addition to banishing "tranny," "sissy," "sex change," and "she-male" as slander, they insisted that the users of these words were the oppressors, making themselves the victims -- a well-worn tool of manipulation and control.

As an artist, I love language, and I cherish free speech. RuPaul has been the number-one defender of these, and at the same time he continues to support every shade of queerness within our community, no matter the class. Drag is punk and should never be subjected to politically correct ideals. The moment it stops provoking is the moment it fails as an art form. Trans people are forever indebted to drag for the mainstream explosion of gender as we see it today.

(POP NEWS) Curry's Kiss Off; ObamaCare; Rainbow; 3 Icons; Uncut in Germany!

• KISS OFF: Ann Curry's Send-Off Hits 'Wrong Note'!

• MILESTONE: Supreme Court Upholds ObamaCare!

• SENSE-LESS: Dad of Murdered Lesbian Teen Calls for Justice!

• JUSTICE: Tyler Clementi's Parents Sit Down With NBC: 'Sin Needs To Be Taken Out Of Homosexuality'

• COLORS: Gilbert Baker, Maker Of Rainbow Flag, Honored At San Francisco Pride!

• IMAGE: Meryl Streep pays tribute to Nora Ephron!

• ADMIRED: “My Three Sons” star and former Mousketeer Don Grady has died of cancer at the age of 68!

• WITH LUCY: Doris Singleton, who played Carolyn Appleby on “I Love Lucy” has died at the age of 92!

• SAFE: Anti-Adultery Ring? It Imprints 'I'm Married'!

• STONED: Poorer Nations Seeing a Rise in Drug Use!

• HOLY SH**T: Why Tom Cruise Puts Bird Poop on His Face!

• UNCUT: German Court Bans Circumcision!

• BEEF: New Book Focuses On Fire Island's Golden Days!

• MASTERPIECE: 'Astonishing X-Men' Artist Mike Perkins Selling Gay Wedding Art On eBay!

DEBUT! (OURview MONTHLY): Obama Endorses; Ravi's sentence; Seattle Pride for Sale!

Moderated by MK Scott

Join us monthly as we focus on the Top Stories of the previous month and Post comments from some the top activists and Journalist. This month we focus on 4 Topics and hear from our  Panel of SIX.

(Jesse on the Brink) Little Kim's Reign of Terror!

by Jesse Archer

Bam’s reading Escape from Camp 14 and relating to me the story of Shin Dong-Hyuk, the only person ever known to have escaped the brutal North Korean labor camps. Born in the gulag, he wasn’t even aware of the outside world until he met a knew inmate who told him about it – in a scene I imagine like that old dude in Count of Monte Cristo who told the hero about hidden treasure.

Too bad, unlike Count of Monte Cristo, Dong-Hyuk isn’t able to exact any revenge. In the camps, he was raised to snitch and witness regular executions, including those of his mother and brother. He endured torture with coals, a finger chopped off, starvation and it’s all just so intensely hectic. I like this word, hectic. South Africans use it in place of awful or excruciating. “Did you hear Josh was murdered?” one might tell another and the response, “Hectic!” which to me spins an atrocity into something almost surmountable – a quality that people used to facing atrocities must always possess.

MESSAGE: Education Secretary Arne Duncan Marks First National Gay-Straight Alliance Day with Anti-Bullying Message!

Obama's Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has posted a video on the White House blog marking the first annual Gay-Straight Alliance Day, which is today.

Says Duncan, in part: "When students are harassed or bullied, it directly affects their work in the classroom, their aspirations for the future, and their desire to stay in school. Gay-Straight Alliances and similar student groups play an important role in creating welcoming, affirming, and respectful schools and colleges – safe places where learning can happen and students flourish. This work is absolutely essential. GSAs are a proven tool for creating welcoming school climates and helping students stay in school."

REJECTED: Three South Carolina Gay Couples to Request Marriage Licenses and Be Denied Today!

Protest is brewing in South Carolina as three gay couples plan to ask the state for marriage licenses on January 17th and 18th in Greenville: Alyssa Weaver and Michel McIver, along with the other two couples, know their request will be denied, because in 2006, the state passed a constitutional amendment not just banning gay marriage, but any other type of domestic union. But Weaver said she wants to call attention to the fundamental unfairness of denying her the ability to marry the woman who in their three years together supported her through breast cancer and has helped her as she goes through nursing school.

It's a campaign that's already had a run in North Carolina: Weaver and McIver and the other couples are being supported by the Campaign for Southern Equality, which backed about 20 same-sex couples in Asheville, N.C., who also sought marriage licenses knowing they would be denied. But North Carolina has never passed a ban on gay marriage, while South Carolina voters spoke emphatically about the issue.

NOT LEGAL: LGBT Legal Groups Say Not to Worry About Canadian Same-Sex Marriages Being Invalidated!

Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and Freedom to Marry have released a joint statement in response to news earlier today that the Canadian government had served notice by way of a court case that thousands of same-sex marriages by foreigners in that country could be invalidated, news which has prompted an international outcry.

Write the groups: We write to respond to a news report from Canada that a lawyer in the current government has taken a position in a trial-level divorce proceeding that a same-sex couple's marriage is not valid because the members of the couple were not Canada residents at the time that they married, and the law of their home jurisdiction did not permit them to marry at the time.

OUTview Online: BEST of TOP STORIES in 2011!

 As we say goodbye to 2011. The following are  the TOP Stories on OUTview based on the amount of page views from our readers, some may SHOCK you!

#1 Two men attacked as they walked and held hands! 
Posted on  5/25/11

#2 Seattle Murder-Rape Suspect of Lesbian Lashes Out in Court!
Posted on 1/16/11

#3 Navy Videos Show Depths of Homophobia in Military! 
Posted on 1/8/11


#4 NY Town Clerk Quits Over Gay Marriage Law! 
Posted on 7/13/11

#5 Portuguese TV Journalist Murdered, Castrated by young lover! 

Posted on 1/9/11

KICK ASS: Trans Woman Beats Subway Rider for Calling Her a Man!

A video posted to YouTube shows a trans woman pursuing and then kicking and beating a man after he reportedly made a remark about her gender.

Writes the uploader of the video, titled 'TOSSED LIKE A RAG DOLL FOR TRYING IT!!!': "Morning after xmas on the nyc subway train, me and my girlfriends was walking to the train, dude shouted out 'thats a man' to my home girl and this is what happens when u disrespect a tranny in public".

Writes blogger TransGriot: "How many times have I warned you cispeople not to frack with transpeople?  It's not a good idea to get someone pissed off at you who not only has a little more strength than the average cis female, but is an estrogen based lifeform to boot. You also don't know how much bull feces that transperson may have gone through just trying to get through her day. Your attempt to make fun of them or disrespect them to prop up your own flagging self esteem may be the last straw that sets the transperson off and the next thing you know they're either reading you like a cheap novel, pulling out a can of whoop ass with your name on it or are doing both at the same time..."

DUTY: Bradley Manning Heads to Court!

Bradley Manning will at last head to court today, for a pre-trial hearing in which prosecutors must prove they have sufficient evidence to court-martial him. The charges against him include aiding the enemy, violating the Espionage Act, and a variety of lesser offenses, the Washington Post reports.

While aiding the enemy carries a potential death sentence, the Army says it will not seek it and instead try to send the alleged Wikileaker—who turns 24 tomorrow—to prison for life. Manning hasn't been seen in public since his arrest in May of last year, though he is unlikely to speak. Prosecutors' key piece of evidence is expected to be a series of chat logs between Manning and hacker Adrian Lamo, but those chat logs may actually undercut the central "aiding the enemy" charge. For that charge, prosecutors must provide "reasonable grounds" to believe Manning intentionally gave intelligence to an enemy. In the logs, Manning instead evinces altruistic moments, saying he wants "people to see the truth. … We're human … and we're killing ourselves."

REVEALED: TIME Person of the Year is The Protester!

TIME has declared "The Protester" its 'Person of the Year' for 2011: "No one could have known that when a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire in a public square, it would incite protests that would topple dictators and start a global wave of dissent. In 2011, protesters didn’t just voice their complaints; they changed the world."

BACK: Sailor Discharged Twice for Being Gay is Reinstated in Navy!

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Petty Officer 2nd Class Jase Daniels, who was discharged in April 2005 and again in March 2007 under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', has been reinstated in the U.S. Navy. Writes SLDN in a press release: He was sworn in on Monday, December 12, 2011. “Today, I took an oath, and affirmed to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I am humbled as I am reinstated to the job I love and by the enormous support I have received on this momentous day. I look forward to returning to the Defense Language Institute and ultimately, my career in the military,” said Daniels.

“The reinstatement of Petty Officer Daniels into the United States Navy underscores that all qualified and needed service members are now officially welcomed back into the ranks.  The new policy and regulations in this post-repeal era make this historic occasion possible.  We continue to work with our clients and the services to facilitate more reinstatements and help process applications for those discharged under DADT, who wish  to serve their country again, whether it be on active duty, in the reserves, or in the guard,” said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis...

...Jase Daniels is one of the plaintiffs in a case, Almy v. U.S., filed by SLDN and Morrison & Foerster in December 2010 that challenges the constitutionality of the three plaintiffs’ discharges under DADT and seeks their reinstatement to active duty.  Sarvis said resolutions for the other plaintiffs, former Air Force Major Mike Almy and former Air Force Staff Sergeant Anthony Loverde, are expected soon.

FRANK TALK: Barney Frank Rips 'Today' Show Host for Silly Questions!

After pissing him off for calling him "characteristically Frank" in his retirement announcement, Today show host Savannah Guthrie began a series of questions for Congressman Barney Frank which ultimately had him offering a sarcastic congratulations.
Said Frank: "You're 4-for-4 in managing to find the negative approach!"

ORDERED: Malaysia Gay Arts Festival Banned, Called Threat to Public Order !

The “Sexual Independence” festival, a gay arts festival held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia since 2008 aimed at fighting discrimination has been canceled after several Muslim groups said they would protest, the AP reports: Earlier Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had described the event as “inappropriate” and a “waste of time,” according to Bernama.

Gay rights activists did not immediately respond. Earlier, they had said the festival was meant to counter widespread homophobia in this socially conservative Asian nation, where a young gay man received death threats last year after posting a YouTube clip defending his sexuality.

INSULTING: Bullied UK Students Advised to 'Act Less Gay'!

In one school district in the UK, students being bullied over homosexuality have been advised to "act less gay" and change their appearance: In a damning report by Essex County Council, pupils revealed they had been accused of making themselves a target for bullies by choosing to behave or look differently. As wel l as criticising their supposed sexuality, teachers reportedly told youngsters to “wear their hair differently” if they wanted to avoid trouble.

The comments have been met with outrage by anti-bullying campaigners and gay and lesbian support groups across the county.

REFORMED: Neo-Nazi Loses Racist Beliefs—and Tattoos!

Bryon Widner, once one of America's most notorious white supremacists, turned his back on racism—but still had a face covered in racist tattoos. Shunned by society and unable to find work, Widner says he became so desperate he considered dousing his face in acid to remove them. Instead, Widner and his wife turned to a former sworn enemy: the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization that tracks hate groups and aggressively works to shut them down. After determining that the skinhead gang founder's change of heart was genuine, the SPLC found a donor willing to foot the approximately $35,000 bill for tattoo removal. Extensive facial tattoos are rare and it took almost a year to find the right doctors.

Widner—who had been forced to flee his native Michigan after receiving death threats from his former comrades and finding pig manure on his cars—underwent a total of 25 surgeries to remove the tattoos from his face, neck, and hands. The pain was so agonizing he had to be put under general anesthetic for every operation; he emerged from each one with burns and oozing blisters. Widner is in the process of inking over extremist tattoos elsewhere on his body. He has built a new life with his wife and young son, but still suffers migraine headaches and has to stay out of the sun. "It's a small price to pay for being human," he tells the AP

BANNED: Denver Girl Scouts Says 'No' to Transgender 7-Year-Old!

Bobby Montoya is a 7-year-old who identifies as a girl. Her family accepts Bobby's gender identity but the local Girl Scout troop turned down the family's request that Bobby be able to join, despite the inclusive policy of the Girl Scouts of Colorado, 9 News reports: "It's hurting my heart," Bobby said. "It hurts me and my mom both."

Recently, Archuleta wanted to sign Bobby up for Girl Scouts. His older sister did it, and Bobby really wanted to join. Archuleta told 9NEWS when she brought Bobby to register, a troop leader told her Bobby couldn't join.

STINGED: Police Corral, Mace Women as NYC Financial Protests Escalate!

This weekend, Wall Street protesters embarked on what the NYT calls their "largest and most ambitious" march since protests of the financial system began on September 17, and it appears police are losing their patience with the demonstrators. 

One video in particular is getting a lot of attention right now: “A cop in a white shirt — I think he’s a superior officer — just comes along and does these quick little spritzes of pepper spray in my and these three other girls’ eyes,” she added. The officer’s identity was not provided by the police.

SELECTED: White House to Name Gautam Raghavan as LGBT Liaison!

Gautam Raghavan, currently  deputy White House liaison at the Department of Defense, is to be named new White House LGBT liaison, Chris Geidner at MetroWeekly reports: Raghavan was one of the Pentagon officials who managed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal process, according to multiple LGBT advocates involved in repeal, a process that resulted in the end of the 1993 law on Sept. 20.

Winnie Stachelberg, the senior vice president for external affairs at the Center for American Progress praised Raghavan's work on repeal, saying, "He was the point person in the Pentagon for many of us, and was able to juggle a number of competing constituencies ... in an unbelievably competent manner and I think the results speak for themselves."

Brian Bond, former deputy director of the OPE, filled the LGBT liaison role during Obama's first two years in office, but left to work for the Democratic National Committee. MK's Pal,  Raul Alvillar, has been the Interim Liaison since July.