Strollerderby : queer

Heather Has Two Mommies = "Adult Content"?

Miriam Axel-Lute — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:30:00 GMT

"Protecting" children (and adults with paper-thin sensibilities) by hiding/filtering/censoring content deemed "adult" has a long history of not working very well. My mother was a children's librarian for a long time in a town in Essex County, NJ, and remembers when the filtering software blocked searches of kids trying to research their county government.

But it takes an ambitious effort to fail quite as spectacularly has Amazon has in its attempts to remove the sales ranking from books deemed "adult." (via Jezebel). (Sales ranking determines placement in searches and inclusion in the recommendation alogrithms, which is why it matters.)

If this just covered hardcore porn DVDs, there would likely have been not much outrage. But the curious decision-making process determining what is labeled adult appears to be (1) wildly broad, yet inconsistent and (2) extremely anti-gay. Petitions have been started and customer service lines flooded. The charge of it being a "glitch" has been dismissed outright.

Parents, in particular, may be surprised and troubled to learn that while heterosexual porn (books of Playboy pinups, for example) and sex toys have not been affected, the classic children's book Heather Has Two Mommies, a history of gay rights written for teens, and a book about anti-gay bullying in high school were disappeared (at least for a while — as of this writing, Heather's sales rank has been returned. It seems the ranks are coming and going with some frequency).

But never fear, The Parents Guide to Preventing Homosexuality has so far stayed ranked and available.

What do think? Is this a well-meaning algorithm gone wrong, an underlying problem about tagging everything GLBT with "sexuality," or flat-out prudish homophobia? Have you been afraid of what your children might find on Amazon? And now, how about what they might not find?

More by this author:

Jon Stewart Slam Dunks the Argument for Gay Marriage

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:42:00 GMT

There are few things more satisfying than watching someone make a clear ethical and logical argument for something you believe in, particularly when that argument is being broadcast to living rooms around America--and is being made to Mike Huckabee.

Just one of the many reasons this video made me love Jon Stewart even more than I thought possible: "I would argue," he says, "that a loving gay family with a financially secure background beats the hell out of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline anyday." That is really just the tip of the iceberg of his eloquence.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Photo: sueschaub.com

Breaking News: CA Supreme Court Will Hear Prop. 8 Challenges

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:40:00 GMT

In case your post-election elation is starting to wear off, here's some good news in the fight for constitutional protections. The California Supreme Court agreed today to hear the case against Proposition 8 brought by the ACLU, the City of San Francisco, and gay rights organizations. This is the same court that unwittingly brought about the Prop. 8 firestorm after they ruled that banning gay marriage violates both the fundamental right to marry and the equal protection clause of the California Constitution.

The lawsuits against Prop. 8 hinge on two main arguments, namely (according to the San Francisco Chronicle) that "the measure exceeds the legal scope of a ballot initiative by allowing a majority to restrict a minority group's rights, and that it violates the constitutional separation of powers by limiting judicial authority."

The court's decision to review challenges to Prop. 8 is great news, but the fight is far from over. The court also ruled that same-sex marriages will remain illegal until it has considered the constitutionality of Prop. 8. And if it does find the measure to be constitutionally sound, the court will have to decide whether to apply Prop. 8 retroactively, nullifying the 18,000 marriages that took place between the court's legalization of same-sex marriage and the passage of Prop. 8. We'll keep you posted.

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Prop. 8 Protests Spawn Hope and Great Photos

Mom Kicked out of PTA for Prop. 8 Stance

"Pregnant Man" Beattie Loves the Limelight

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:50:00 GMT

I am becoming increasingly convinced that Thomas Beattie (better known as the “pregnant man”) is a bit of a publicity whore. This isn’t necessarily a problem, so long as the publicity he seeks does more good than harm for the transgender community—and for his daughter, born on June 29.

In the latest Beattie media frenzy, September Films, a London firm, has beat out four other production companies in winning the rights to make a documentary telling Beattie’s story. The hourlong film will air on Channel 4, with rights to the film licensed globally. The Discovery Channel is currently seeking exclusive U.S. rights.

With his Oprah appearance, his memoir-in-progress (including tales of participating in beauty pageants in his youth), and now this film, Beattie seems keen on maintaining a large spot in the limelight. This is certainly not unusual in these days of reality TV and "It Happened to Me" bestsellers, but it becomes a bit more complicated when there is a child involved. I just hope the widespread publicity of Beattie’s unusual situation helps establish more tolerance for transgender folks and their children, not more hatred.

Photo: livenews.com

One More Reason To Be Jealous of California

Kelly Mills — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:02:00 GMT

I love my state. And really, aside from a few righteous a-holes in Orange County and the fact that both Madeline and Mike live here, what's not to love? We Californians enjoy awesome weather almost year-round; we are pretty dang diverse in many ways; the food in our urban centers rocks the party; and we have some of the most gorgeous scenery ever. Sometimes people from other places talk about us like we are the biggest fruit loops on the planet, and that's just fine by us, because it's just too pretty and laid-back here for us to really care. Oh, and now we have yet another thing going for us.

See, I don't know if you heard, but our state has had some kerfuffles over gay marriage lately, and the latest news, following the Supreme Court ruling, is that a majority of Californians now support gay marriage. Ha ha. We rock! Okay, so that's just the finding of one poll, and the margin is slim, but still, it's a start. Hey, I don't even believe rights and benefits should be tied to marriage and I'm excited, just because it says something about equality and discrimination. And really, what more perfect place for queer couples to tie the knot than a state where you can have a gorgeous outdoor wedding in November?

Gay marriage suddenly legal in California

Breaking up is hard(er) to do

Gay means happy when it comes to fatherhood

Most Objectionable Book for Kids?

Kelly Mills — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:31:00 GMT

The American Library Association says the book the public objects to the most was one written for children. (Objections were measured by written complaints filed with a library or school.) Was it the one explaining mommy's plastic surgery--"My Beautiful Mommy"? Nope. The one where Curious George gets high on ether? Nah-ah. So what book was so offensive to folks?

The number one challenged book--for the second year in a row, no less--was "And Tango Makes Three," co-written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. It's about a penguin with two dads. You know, the gays are coming after your kids, one penguin at a time. Sigh. See, I'll get that book for my kid now, cuz I've grown weary of the way heteros always push their agenda in kid lit. Other books that made the objected list were: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou; Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn;" and Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass," for anti-religious stuff. You know what books I object to? Those crappy little Disney ones that summarize "Cinderella" or "The Little Mermaid." They always have at least one typo and actually melt your brain with boredom when you read them.