"The other couple is gay, black and enslaved": Unmentionables - A Novel

Unmentionables - A Novel

Unmentionables is an epic story of two pairs of lovers in the Civil War south.  One couple is straight, white and wealthy. The other couple is gay, black and enslaved. Their fates are intertwined in ways that none of them could have imagined.

From ForeWord Clarion Reviews
Five Stars (out of Five) 
 
...David Greene's work surpasses the majority of Civil War novels by bringing together two enthralling love stories. In Unmentionables, Greene primarily focuses on the touching affinity between Jimmy, a black field worker, and Cato, an educated, half-white servant from a neighboring plantation. Cato also happens to be the illegitimate son of Augustus Askew, his owner. The passionate love between Jimmy and Cato is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes glimpse of gay romance in the 1800s. 

Alongside this relationship is a complex romance between Dorothy Holland, an abolitionist, and William Askew, the legitimate son of Augustus and a Confederate. Dorothy’s parents own Jimmy, and she is friends with Cato, which puts her in the unfortunate position of balancing her ideals with her affection for her lover. Her relationship with William has some expected conflicts, such as loyalty to the Confederacy versus devotion to a soul mate, yet Greene keeps his portrayal of these characters fresh. 

Any reader looking for a departure from the tradition of Gone with the Wind, will find this novel an excellent alternative. Unmentionables is superb historical fiction with a contemporary angle; an enlightening look at the hidden elements of our past. 

--Julia Ann Charpentier (for ForeWord Clarion Reviews) Book available thru this site(adamfoxie) at Amazon

This nobel is also recommended reading by adamfoxie blog

Young MSM and transgender people are raising their voice in Asia and the Pacific

Young men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific region are calling for governments, donors and partners to ‘make youth voices count’ by increasing focus and programming of national HIV responses to include their opinions and needs.

A growing body of data has documented exceptionally high transmission rates among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific region.
Men who have sex with men in Asia face nearly one in five odds of being infected with HIV and are estimated to account for roughly half of the national epidemic in many of the small Pacific Islands. In the larger nations of Australia and New Zealand, men who have sex with men is by far the largest transmission category for both HIV prevalence and incidence. Among transgender people, HIV prevalence has been found to range from 10% to 42% in five Asian countries.

In September 40 young MSM and transgender people from 14 countries came together in early September for the first-ever consultation of its kind in Asia and the Pacific.
Held over three days in Bangkok, Thailand, the group discussed key issues including HIV vulnerability, self-esteem, access to relevant and appropriate services and information, education and human rights abuses of young MSM and transgender people in the region, presenting recommendations for action to international partners.
“Young voices – and particularly ours – have not been heard for the longest time in the AIDS response. It is crucial we become empowered. Now we have a forum where young MSM and transgender can really contribute – this is very important,” said Hender Gercio, a student and HIV activist from the Philippines.

Key areas identified as hindering the involvement of young MSM and transgender in the AIDS response includes stigma and discrimination, lack of resources and support in education and ‘self-issues’. 

Recommendations for immediate action by the group included the need to:

• Increase and improve data collection on the needs, challenges and social complexities faced by young MSM and transgender people, particularly those living with HIV.
• Adapt the sexuality education agenda to give full information on sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Conduct qualitative studies/rapid assessments on the self issues of young MSM and transgender people.
• Ensure representation of young MSM and transgenders in sub-regional and regional MSM and transgender networks.
• Encourage training on issues of young MSM and transgender people among health care workers, to reduce stigma and discrimination and increase access to HIV and health services

Empowering young people and MSM and transgender people to protect themselves from HIV infection are central priorities for UNAIDS. MSM and transgender people face violence and discrimination across the world. In some countries they face imprisonment and even the death penalty.

“The consultation represents a timely opportunity to reflect on the struggle that many young MSM and transgender people face in advocating for and taking control of their own health, particularly concerning HIV and sexual health,” said James Gray, Australian Youth Ambassador for Development, working with the UNAIDS Regional Support Team in Bangkok. “This is an important step towards strengthening the response by creating a space for this group to be involved in a meaningful way,” he added.

As a result of the consultation, co-organized by the World AIDS Campaign and Dutch-based NGO Hivos, and supported by UNAIDS, further resources will be made available to support MSM youth groups in the region to ensure this momentum is maintained. The group will continue to share experiences, and will reconvene in 12 months. The full consultation and report summary and recommendations can be requested and downloaded from www.worldaidscampaign.org or www.hivos.nl.

UNAIDS...

Duke College Republicans Face Consequences for Discrimination

by Jordan Rubenstein

Five months ago, Duke University College Republicans president, Justin Robinette, was impeached from his position because he was outed. The executive board claimed he was unfit to serve as president due to “conduct unbecoming of a person in a position of leadership.” They cited that he failed to attend events and used the group’s funds for personal use. But the situations described occurred before he was reelected in March, a month before he was impeached. Basically, the decision to impeach Robinette seemed clearly related to his sexual orientation.

Duke University has an anti-discrimination policy that prohibits discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation. And the school has appropriately acted on the policy. The College Republicans club is now losing its funding because of their discriminatory treatment toward Robinette.

The Duke Student Government Senate made the decision to defund the club and took steps toward de-chartering the club during a meeting that lasted more than four hours. The Student Organization Finance Committee has the final say on the club’s charter. The decision cuts the club’s funding for this academic year, and may affect the club’s funding for the next two years.

Justin Robinette and former club vice president Cliff Satell attended the meeting and spoke out against the club’s homophobic actions, presenting evidence of harassment and discrimination. They presented the Senate with e-mail evidence from a member of the club’s executive board with derogatory remarks, as well as e-mail evidence of death threats directed at Robinette.

Duke made the right move. All clubs and activities should have to adhere to the anti-discrimination policies in order to receive school funding. Seems pretty simple to me -- a university should not be condoning hate speech and discrimination. Cutting the club’s funding sends the message that Duke stands behind their anti-discrimination policy.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons http://gayrights.change.org

Jordan Rubenstein is the former president of Carnegie Mellon University's LGBT student organization, ALLIES. Jordan lives in New York City

'How I Met Your Mother' Returns With Rachel Bilson Playing A Lesbian

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF 
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

Rachel Bilson will guest star as a lesbian on CBS' comedy hit How I 

Met Your Mother.

Lesbian entertainment website AfterEllen.com is reporting that Bilson

 will appear in the September 20 season premiere of the show.

In the episode, twenty-nine-year-old Bilson (The O.C., Jumper) plays

 Cindy, a girl that Ted (played by Josh Radnor) runs into at a bar. Ted

 recalls having a disastrous date with Cindy, which ends with her kicking

 him out of her apartment. After the date, Cindy is rude to Ted, and

 mocks him in the hallway at school.

But in their chance meeting, Cindy is nice to Ted. She apologizes for her

 behavior and gives him credit for altering her life.

“I won't ruin the whole episode for you,” the author writes, “but I will tell

 you that you will see Bilson kiss a woman,” then teases with, “but the 

bonus is it also stars Alyson Hannigan.”

The Emmy-nominated How I Met Your Mother stars gay-dad-to-be 

Neil Patrick Harris as heterosexual sex hound Barney.

CNN Removes Poll Asking Whether Gay-Inclusive TV Is 'Bad For Society'

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF 
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

CNN.com has removed a poll that asked viewers whether gay-inclusive

 television is “bad for society.”

The poll, which appeared on the site Friday, was taken down after media watchdog the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) 

complained to the network.

GLAAD also criticized the video report that accompanied the poll.

The story from the network's HLN's Showbiz Tonight tilted Too Gay for

 TV begins with: “Too gay for TV? A brand new controversial battle is

 on today as more gay characters invade prime time television.”

In the report, Dan Gainor from the social conservative group Culture and

 Media Institute, lashed out against the increasing number of gay 

characters on the small screen.

“It's bad for society to promote homosexuals, particularly a 

homosexual lifestyle and gay marriage,” Gainor said. “And that's

 what this is doing.”

GLAAD said the poll and report were troubling because they follow

 “an alarming trend of media outlets creating simplistic, predicable

 'pro-gay/anti-gay' dualisms that do a great disservice to viewers 

who are seeking information on the diversity of opinion and 

experience within our community.”

Before the poll was removed, 56 percent of the 36,406 respondents

 said gay-inclusive TV was not “bad for society,” while 44 percent

 responded that it was detrimental.

Jim Parsons Comes Out with a Big Bang

September 11, 2010 by Gay Agenda News Team 

Co-star of the CBS TV sitcom ‘Big Bang Theory‘, Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) has apparently been outed by The National Enquirer according to a post on Perez Hilton’s blog.

According to sources, Jim walked right off stage and beelined it to his man to say the only thing that would make the moment of winning an Emmy even better is if Todd agreed to marry him – AND HE SAID YES!

It’s also reported they’ve set a date for December and will wed in Massachusetts. Congrats?!?!

Argentina Launches Pink Point Buenos Aires for LGBT Travelers

by Brandon MillerSeptember 10, 2010 02:12 PM (PT) 

Argentina: Home to sexy people, sleek fashions and sultry tango music. I could move there and be a happy boy. But I kind of like Canada. Sometimes.

At the very least, I could now visit Argentina and be a happy patron (someone find me some money, stat!). This month, the Argentine Ministry of Tourism  opened South America's first Pink Point LGBT Information Center in Buenos Aires. Pink Point service stops started in Amsterdam in 1998 (for the Gay Games) and have since expanded to London and Barcelona. It only makes sense for Argentina to cater to the LGBT foreigner, because the country has seen a 30 percent rise in gay and lesbian tourism over this time last year.

Since Argentina legalized same-sex marriage earlier this year, it has become the "Gay Mecca" of South America. It is the first country on the continent to take the leap and support same-sex marriage, and the economic benefits have been huge. Gay and gay-friendly tourists have been flocking to Buenos Aires and the new Pink Point stop staffs English-speaking employees to cater to foreign travelers.

“We wanted to bring together all the gay and gay-friendly businesses in Buenos Aires under one roof and provide a venue with information about the city's LGBT social life,” says Erik Hovenga Diaz, director of The Royal Family and main instigator of the Pink Point Buenos Aires. “Visitors will be able to pick up brochures, gay maps, ask questions, and learn about the vibrant Buenos Aires gay community."

Other perks include gay city tours hosted by actual LGBT community members, Pink Point excursions and attractions, and gay souvenirs. What that means, exactly, is beyond my level of comprehension. Maybe they send you home with a mini Argentinean queen? Who knows! A member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, Pink Point Buenos Aires plans to expand in the near future to include an art gallery featuring the works of local gay artists.

For more information, visit Pink Point Buenos Aires.

I was sold at "Buenos Aires." The Pink aspect doesn't hurt, either.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons