College Hoops Star Brittney Griner Comes Out

I played four years of high school basketball. Our coach was a lesbian. She never told us we just figured it out. Her partner came to games and we even went to their house after we won a championship. I was a late bloomer and didn't come out until I was 27. Part of me has wished that I would have come out in high school. When I was in college I played intramural basketball with some girls that I competed against in high school. Some of them were lesbians and I think they were trying to encourage me to come out but I was too naive or oblivious to pick up on the signals.It always seemed like a secret society in college. I had what it took to get in but never pursued it. As an adult I am glad to see stories like this where young women are brave enough to be who they are and not let anything stand in their way of success.
I look forward to seeing Brittney Griner play in the WNBA. She along with many other athletes are great role models for all girls not just the lesbian ones.

College Hoops Star Brittney Griner Comes Out | Advocate.com

Stop It

The evidence is clear in the Steubenville rape case. There is a photo of two young men carry a passed out or drunk girl yet people feel she “deserved it” or wanted it. The image is disturbing to look at. No matter how drunk you are or horny that doesn't give someone permission to violate you Where does this mentality come from? From people like this:

Royal Mayo

Dear Mr. Mayo, you are not helping the situation. You are giving the green light to young men by making statements like this. STOP it. Stop making excuses for these young men. How can you deny the evidence? Does the girl in this picture really look like she “wants” to have sex with the whole football team? 

You sir are losing your grip with reality and by making statements like this you are continuing to perpetuate rape culture. Stick to the allegations of corrupt police or shady politics in Steubenville but STOP with blaming the victim.

Am I a man or am I a woman?

          I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at 41 that people are still confused by who I am. When I was a little girl trying to buy a snow cone at my brother’s baseball game, they used to say to me, “can I help you little boy?”. Today some macho asshole asked the same thing to his girl sitting near him while I was walking the dog at the park near our apartment in North Hollywood. Why does it matter to some complete stranger what I am? Does my short hair offend you? Am I wearing men’s clothes better than you? Do you think I am going to steal your woman? Or do I bring up some homosexual fantasy you have that you continue to deny yourself? Or are you just an ignorant asshole who bullies people? I am going to suppose it’s the latter.

          I guess if I am going to write about this I have to be completely honest with myself. It upset me. By upset I mean angry enough to cry about it and therefore this asshole wins because I let him get to me. Does this make me a “girl” because I am emotional about it and let some guy make me cry? I guess it does or so that is how society portrays it. My mom raised me to fight for myself and to never take any shit off anyone but it’s hard to fight a man who is 6’5 and 250 easily. A physical match is out and my words would fall on deaf ears to someone like this.

Disclaimer: I am going to talk about feminine and masculine. This is what it means to me. I don’t’ speak for any other person of the GLBT community. These definitions or descriptions might not jive with how others perceive gender or gender expression.

         

          I embrace both a feminine and masculine life. What works for me doesn’t work for everyone and it shouldn’t. I love being a woman. For me being a woman means loving my body that has a vagina and tits. I was born a woman.  I don’t feel I was born in the wrong body. I like and love my gender. I express myself in a masculine way. I wear men’s clothes, I wear men’s cologne and I wear a tie. It makes me feel good. I like it and I think I wear it well. It feels comfortable like an old baseball cap you have had for a long time. I don’t like dresses and neither did my mother yet she tried to make me wear them when I was little then gave up. Is wearing a dress and make-up the only way to be a woman? Being a woman or a man is not a black and white issue. What we were born with and how we express ourselves doesn’t just fit in a pink or blue box anymore. I don’t want to be one of the characters portrayed in the movie, “But I am a Cheerleader”. I don’t want to wear a dress, kiss boys (no offense boys, been there) or carry a purse. By the way when I did carry a purse it had tools in it (insert cliché and stereotype here).

          My short hair and tie shouldn’t threaten or offend anyone. I am not trying to be someone or something I am not. I am just being me. Being me is scary sometimes. I have to look over my shoulder,  I have to endure guys sitting on park benches questioning me, stares from old ladies on the bus, people telling me I am in the wrong bathroom, and I have to be concerned for my safety. Days like this I wish my mom were here because she was fearless and would have tried to kick his ass and I don’t feel that invincible.   I also know that there are human beings out there enduring far worse circumstances than what I experienced today, however this is very real and frustrating and sharing this might resonate with or help someone else they are not the only one.

Pat Robertson Encourages Man To Move To Saudi Arabia So He Can Beat His Wife

We have to stop laughing at domestic violence. A religious leader, who joking or not, that condones domestic violence is not acceptable. The man who wrote into Pat, I suggest you stop trying to control your wife and look at your marriage as a partnership.




Pat Robertson Encourages Man To Move To Saudi Arabia So He Can Beat His Wife

Bettie Naylor

Thank you Bettie for your work and dedication to equality.
Lesbian Lobbyist, Activist Bettie Naylor Dies at 84 | Activism | The Advocate

My WTF moment of the day

Jezebel just posted an article called "Your Vagina Isn't Just Too Big, Too Hairy and Too Floppy, its Too Brown. I thought it was a joke until I read it.Wow. How many young girls will buy this? or how many controlling husbands will make their wives use it.The human body is no longer respected or admired in its natural state of being. Maybe that Tupac video at Cochella this weekend is a peak into our future. Holograms instead of the real thing.

Influential Women in Television

Flavorwire published a list of 15 of the All Time Most Powerful Women on TV. This is a pretty decent list. There are a few women who didn't make the list who I would consider putting on there.

Lucille Ball: I Love Lucy
Phylicia Rashad: The Cosby Show
Tina Fey: 30 Rock
Kyra Sedgwick: The Closer
Glen Close: Damages
Taraji P Henson: Person of Interest

Who do you consider a powerful women on television?