Homotopia!

HIV stigma and safer sex

2011-09-28T22:16:00.000-06:00

Through my experience online with gay dating and sex sites I've noticed that people often specify "safer sex only" and also specify that their partner should be HIV negative. Yes, on the surface this can make some logical sense--you're both supposedly negative and using a condom so you'll hopefully stay negative. But, what's the purpose of the condom? If you're going to use one (properly)

Hockey idiocy

2011-06-15T20:47:00.000-06:00

^^ hot Now that we're living in downtown Vancouver I've become more involved in the playoffs--albeit not by choice, but by proximity. As a result I've been experiencing first hand some of the goings-on before, during, and after the games. Here are some of my observations and opinions. Tonight, as I write this post during the last period of game 7, there are over one hundred thousand people

Bullying: Casey Haynes, Richard Gale and my story

2011-03-21T11:21:00.000-06:00

Casey Haynes, an Australian boy, stood up to bully Richard Gale who repeatedly teased him for being fat and, as you'll see in the interview, began to physically attack Casey. Casey had enough and fought back to defend himself. Richard responded to Casey's interview in his own, seen here. Why did Casey have to defend himself like this? His school, teachers, community, and other public

Bill C-389--Transgender and Transsexual Rights

2011-02-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a week in politics here in Canada. Bill C-389, a private member's bill tabled by Bill Siksay (NDP, Burnaby/Douglas), seeks to include the rights of transgendered and transsexuals in the Canadian Human Rights Act. It has passed through the Commons with much support from the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc and almost complete non-support from the minority Conservatives. The next struggle

Bathhouses

2011-01-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Bathhouses are maligned by many both within and outside the gay community. With the realities of HIV/AIDS and STIs there are many legitimate concerns people should have about bathhouses. Their chief purpose, after all, is to serve as a semi-private venue for gay male sex, often anonymous sex. The concerns are obvious. What I've never heard of in the arguments against bathhouses are the

Speaking Out Against Homophobia

2010-07-03T03:07:00.000-06:00

About a week or so ago my partner and I were swimming at our local community pool. We were enjoying each others' company in what one of my best friend's would call a "disgustingly cute" way when a lifeguard approached us asking us not to kiss. He said he received complaints of us kissing so we must stop immediately. I pointed out to him that there were other couples (straight couples) also

The Big Move and Graduation!

2010-06-17T02:24:00.000-06:00

Wow. Life can get insanely busy and feel like a roller coaster! In the short few weeks that I haven't blogged so much has happened. The most important development is my move back home to British Columbia, only this time I'm in Metro Vancouver (sure beats Edmonton!). Another quite-possibly-equal-in-importance development is that I've finally graduated with my BA in Sociology. Now I just

Dear Catholic Church, and some Catholics

2010-04-16T11:23:00.000-06:00

First, fuck you. Second, allow me to define a couple things: homosexuality (n), a person who has attractions to, builds relationships with, and loves members of the same sex; pedophilia (n) sexual desire in an adult for a child. The former is a person who has legal consensual relations with a member of the same sex. The latter is an adult who has sex with a child, which your priests seem to

The Gender Regime

2010-03-11T10:25:00.002-07:00

Gender is performative. Gender is fluid. Gender does not dictate neither sex nor sexuality.I identify as a gay man. This doesn’t necessarily mean I have male genitalia as being a man is something one performs. To be a man one dresses a certain way, talks a certain way, and attempts to look a certain way—the same applies to people displaying womanness. Yes, sure, most people who identify

Don’t ask…ahh…too late

2010-02-11T17:08:00.002-07:00

I received an email from Michael Anthony asking me to post his story on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Michael's story is personal and provides humanity to this otherwise inhumane government policy. Thank you for your email, Michael. My name is Michael Anthony, I am an Iraq war veteran and having spent six years in the Army, at the age of twenty-three, I have spent more than a quarter of my

Can we ever accept ourselves?

2010-01-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

GLBT men and women have been campaigning for acceptance, equitability, and legal protections for decades. Victories have been achieved: same sex marriages in some jurisdictions, legal protections, and social programs. We still have very far to go with the world and ourselves. Stories of gay bashings, homophobic slurs, mistreatment at work, and prejudice are too common. An obviously

New Year's Resolutions and Societal Critiquing

2010-01-05T13:17:00.001-07:00

With the New Year, and new decade, still freshly upon us were all reflecting on 2009 and the last decade. I've read many articles outlining technological advancements, human rights victories and atrocities, and recounts of news highlights. All this reflecting (some of which is really just media generated ideological crap) has me reflecting on how 2009 went for me and creating goals for 2010.

Holidays and Family

2009-12-25T20:43:00.001-07:00

I would like to open this entry with wishing everyone a happy holiday season and fabulous New Year! This time of year should be a time for family and friends--irregardless of ones religious affiliations as we have statutory holidays. This one day, December 25, should bring everyone together. We will probably never see complete world peace, but we can definitely do everything in our power to

Ugandan Anti-Homosexual Bill

2009-11-26T15:37:00.002-07:00

Recently I’ve changed my Twitter bio to say “common sense and human rights activist.” Sometimes, actually most often, I don’t understand people and governments’ lack of common sense. To me, and everyone I know, its common sense to treat everyone equitably regardless of superficial attributes such as skin color, sexuality, gender identity, and religion, just to name a few. At the end of the day

Women's Studies and Feminism

2009-11-20T15:25:00.004-07:00

The goals of gender studies and feminism are related but very different, the former deconstructs and analyzes gender and the latter is a project to advance women’s rights and critique society— at least in my understanding. I’ve taken a number of courses on gender and am currently in my first, and probably only, Women’s Studies course. Why? Over generalization, pigeon-holing, heteronormativity,

Its been a month!

2009-11-16T13:58:00.001-07:00

I have been very busy with school in October then contracted H1N1 earlier this month. I'm working on an essay on the framing of the gay marriage movement in the US... I will post it when I'm done!"Passing becomes the outward manifestation of shame and capitulation. Passing becomes silence. Passing becomes invisibility. Passing becomes lies!" - Kate Bornstein

The Liminality of Bisexuality

2009-10-15T22:11:00.005-06:00

I'm gay, therefore I'm only sexually attracted to men. Someone who is straight is only attracted to the opposite sex. Bisexuals are attracted to both sexes. That sounds pretty obvious and grossly over simplified, especially if you're reading my blog, yet bisexuality remains heavily stigmatized and proves to be a liminal identity. We've all heard of sexual orientation as being a spectrum, yet

Media of the Gay Rights Movement

2009-09-19T22:07:00.008-06:00

Proud by Heather Small. This was one of many amazing songs featured on Queer as Folk <3.Music, photos, film, news footage, newsprint, blogs, fiction, and biographies are a few genres of media which have documented not only the gay rights movement but also many other social movements. Music, however, is something which has the power to evoke emotions in us, remind us of events, times, people,

Love/Hate (Relationship(s))

2009-09-12T15:51:00.014-06:00

I think its a fair to say that most people realize the bliss that is love. After all we are always surrounded by images of affection and love from couples holding hands and sharing a kiss to the commercialist holiday that is Valentines Day. And some people, as delusional theists, claim their god(s) love. However, this love, more often than not, is definitely conditional upon ones way of life,

Sex and catching up!

2009-08-28T22:45:00.011-06:00

My blog has been neglected throughout the summer, well, I neglected my blog in all reality. The reason: I'm a workaholic and travelled all summer for work and a bit for myself. This does not mean I haven't been wrestling with an annoying heteronormative world; it means I haven't had enough personal time to partake in my cathartic blog writing. Now to the juicy post on sex!When someone even

Tim Hortons sponsors an anti-LGBT group

2009-08-10T07:48:00.003-06:00

Canadian icon Tim Hortons is sponsoring an anti-LGBT group in the US. Why is an organization that's so "Canadian" supporting an organization of hate??? Canadian's, in general, are not a hateful bunch--I mean we have same sex marriage rights!Timmies is sponsoring a rally in Maine next week hosted by the National Organization for Marriage. Their logo is said to be proudly displayed on the brochure

Weddings

2009-07-19T23:28:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I had the honour of walking my best friend down the aisle--I gave her away to her male partner. "Who gives this bride away?" "I do." Not only was I overcome with happiness for my best friend and her lucky partner but after the ceremony I was thinking a bit like a feminist. Brides are treated as a possession to be given away, even if I was her father I couldn't actually give her away.

What is sexual orientation?

2009-06-27T22:11:00.008-06:00

What is sexual orientation? A Google image search returned only gay and lesbian content as the top results. When sexual orientation comes up in casual conversation it most often refers to sexual minorities. And, in the case of Alberta's recent bill 44, which this entry is not about, it also refers to sexual minorities. The reason most people think this way is a result of heteronormativity

Pride

2009-06-16T22:10:00.006-06:00

Generally Pride festivals are fun and celebratory of sexual and gender diversity with a dash of activism but too many of us seem to be completely forgetting our roots of activism and social justice. The Alberta CONservative majority government is making this painfully aware to me and many others. The recent passing of Bill 44 and the de-listing of gender reassignment surgery have slightly

A sad day for Alberta

2009-06-02T01:04:00.004-06:00

"One step forward, two steps backwards," commented a member of the opposition during the third reading of Bill 44. I am very saddened with the passing of this bill. Alberta's image as a province of conservative hicks now holds more truth. I recorded the audio of the reading. Its been a late night for democracy, its past 1:00 AM, I'm off to bed.