Harvey Milk

Harvey Bernard Milk (Played by Sean Penn) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in New York where he acknowledged his homosexuality as an adolescent, but chose to pursue sexual relationships with secrecy and discretion well into his adult years. His experience in the counterculture of the 1960s caused him to shed many of his conservative views about individual freedom and the expression of sexuality.

The Film
After moving to San Francisco, the middle-aged New Yorker, Harvey Milk, became a Gay Rights activist and city politician. On his third attempt, he was elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in 1977, making him the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. The following year, both he and the city's mayor, George Moscone, were shot to death by former city supervisor, Dan White, who blamed his former colleagues for denying White's attempt to rescind his resignation from the board.

Mr. Milk had been the subject of several books and the Academy Award-winning documentary feature, The Times of Harvey Milk (1984); but Milk (2008) is the first fictional feature to explore private aspects of the man's personal life and career.

Milk was filmed on location in San Francisco. Many of Mr Milk's real-life surviving friends and former associates participated in the making of this film, several appearing on camera.

My Response
I found it truly amazing how I was able to go this entire class semester and find little to no information at all about Harvey Milk and his amazing story. It actually bothered me at the fact that my professor was the one to bring this to my attention. There were hours of searching done to complete this blog, and it still baffles me at the fact that through all those different searches, the story of Harvey Milk remained hidden. Of course after I discovered his story, information began arising left and right. The story in itself is absolutely mind blowing. What an amazing man. The movie is supposed to be a hit among the liberal population, and although with high hopes of captivating all audiences, it is not likely that the conservative portion of our nation will appreciate this story.

I am so glad that I was given this opportunity and I am really looking forward to seeing the movie. Even if you are not one who supports gay rights, or anything of that sort, this movie has potential, critics of all types have been giving high ratings. Check out the trailer!

Pick a Side!

Throughout the entire 2008 presidential election I was baffled at how much John McCain managed to change his personal opinion on gay marriage. As seen in the video, John McCain was doing anything he could to please the press, saying one minute that gay marraige was a discrace and should be outlawed, and the next saying that he agrees with it, and it is not really as bad as people make it out to be. Make up your mind man!

I realize that John McCain is a republican. He is a conservative. He believes things that are polar opposite to that of what I believe. That does not make him wrong. That does not make him any less intelligent. It does however give him a particular stereyotype that he has done a superb job at living up to... until now! Everyone has known from the begninning how John McCain and Sarah Palin feel about same sex marraige. If not Sarah Palin, then at least John McCain. I mean, he bashed gay marraige on the Ellen show. Doesn't get much clearer than that.

Reading through some polls and other blogs, I don't seem to be the only one that has noticed this flip flopping in opinions. I strongly believe in the idea of confusion. Some people are just so uneducated with the deeper meaning that comes with a homosexual relationship that they are not able to formulate a fair or complete opinion. I think John McCain would have been better off telling the press that he is neutral on gay marraiges. Instead he says that they are accepted and discraceful all within 20 minutes. Not a good campaign strategy mister. Thats okay, votes were counted, nobody really cares anymore.

Degeneres vs. McCain- Gay Marriage

I must say that this was an incredibly bold move on John McCain's part! I cannot believe that he would take such a firm stance on his beliefs. There are parts of me that admire his wit, however I also feel that going on the Ellen Degeneres show to bash gay marriage was a little to far. Although YouTube is not the most scholarly source of information, I feel as though some of the 30,000 comments that were made on this video, a small handful of them were legitimate responses.

Many people made rude and hurtful comments towards Ms. Degeneres calling her names such as "dyke" and "queer", yet there was also a chunk of comments that were incredibly supportive. Most comments that worked in Ellen's favor were along the lines of, "she handled this like a professional, eloquent yet firm. She definitely made John McCain feel uncomfortable. It was an obvious mistake.

Ellen and John both made some incredibly bold statements in this video, many of which were up for debate.

"We are all people" was one of the lines in this video that sparked the attention of most. Me included. I feel as though Ellen is right. People are people. Love is love. And I also agree with her comment of hoping that one day gay marriage will no longer be classified as a contract. Many YouTube viewers also had opinions on the topic.

"Since is the government who provides marriage licenses... if gay marriage is allowed, any other form of marriage must be allowed too. Two people, three people, fifty people, eight women and one men, one women and eight men... EVERY COMBINATION as long as they are consenting adults and not first grade relatives. Otherwise it would be discriminatory"

Gay Politics

This will be an overlap of information on lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gay politicians in the United States, both elected or current candidates, both in Congress and in the states. A check who is open about it and who is in the closet. Coming out of the closest is a very difficult thing for many politicians to do. It is not only a large step for the individual themselves, but also for their families, friends, and most of all, career.

"To win equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans we need the support of fair-minded politicians as well as LGBT politicians that put a personal face to legislation. Like in any institution, a critical mass of LGBT politicians is needed in order to represent our need for legal equality."

• Only one member of the House of Representatives is an openly gay man: Barney Frank


• Only one member of the House of Representatives is openly lesbian: Tammy Baldwin


• No members of the House of Representatives are openly bisexual or transgender


• No members of the US Senate are openly LGBT, although several are believed to be in the closet and vote against pro-equality legislation


• 20 states do not have an openly LGBT member of the State Legislature

In the pictures above are two homosexual members of the House of Representatives. Can you tell? No, of course not. Nobody can. Sexuality is something that is a personal choice and should be left in ones personal life only. It should not have the opportunity to effect ones job or social life what so ever. If only people in politics were more accepting of members of the GLBT community. It would help the world of politics become more open minded and possibly expand beyond the titles of "conservative" and "liberal".

Sexual Politics of Sarah Palin: Sex Sells, Even with Anti-Sex Authoritarians

http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2008/10/sexual-politics-of-sarah-palin-sex.html

The election may be over and publicity may be slowly swindling to an end, but there are still some things regarding the losing candidates that I would like to discuss. Things that could have might possibly lost McCain/Palin the election.

Before reading what I have to say, I would highly suggest reading the blog attached. Amazing. To the point, honest, and quite frankly everything that I had wanted to say myself. The first paragraph can trip you up if you read it too fast. Read it slow, and even twice. Some may be distracted by the amount of times the word "sexuality" and "sexism" are thrown around, but it really does make sense. I love this blog!

I thought that the most creative idea used in this blog was the idea of Sexy Puritan.

Sexy Puritans engage in the culture war on two levels—not simply by advocating conservative positions on hot-button social issues but by embodying nonthreatening mainstream standards of female beauty and behavior at the same time. The net result is a paradox, a bit of cognitive dissonance very useful to the cultural right: You get a little thrill along with your traditional values, a wink along with the wagging finger. Somehow, you don't feel quite as much like a prig as you expected to.

It really doesn't get much more straightforward right there. Creative and well put.

The idea behind this blog that got me was the fact that sex sells anti-sex? Doesn't really make any sense. To anyone. But it seemed to be part of Sarah Palin's plan the entire time. Attractive woman, running with a much older, uh gentlemen. Protesting pro-life and abortion. Pushing the ideas of Christianity and following God's way, yet her unmarried 17 year old daughter is pregnant? There is only so much hypocritical nonsense that people can do before they start getting called out on it. I hope to slowly drift my blogs away from Sarah Palin. By spending time blogging on her after the fact, I feel as though I am making a contribution to her continued publicity stunts. I will let the past be the past. Regardless, read the blog attached!

Let's Get ONE Thing Straight America...

John McCain did NOT choose Sarah Palin to be his running mate because she is an attractive, well put together, much younger woman. He chose her because she is qualified, intelligent, attractive, and a well put together much younger woman. Please note the difference.



Let's get real. Sarah Palin, before being selected as John McCain's running mate, had hardly any experience in politics, compared to say that of, Joe Biden. Palin was mayor of a town whose population was less than 9,000 people. She was governor of a state, that most Americans forget exists. Although I could find myself constantly focusing on the negatives that come with Sarah Palin, I will say that she has her upsides.

I personally find it incredibly unfortunate for Palin herself to be a female in this presidential election. Not only is she a conservative, but she is by far the most attractive running candidate in the entirety of this election, which has worked both for and against her. Because of her sex appeal, and somewhat bumpy interviews along the way, Sarah Palin, for the most part has been laughed at, degraded, and completely underestimated since the announcement of her vice presidency. Google it. Search it on YouTube. Hell, even watch the local and national news. There isn't really anything good that people have to say. Probably one of the reasons I swing so much to the left side. What ever happened to equal treatment of candidates? I realize this is basically an impossible task, but Biden has received much less hassle in this ordeal than Palin ever will.

I feel as though this is going to continue to happen until someone steps up and sets people straight. I do not agree with Sarah Palin. I do not agree with anything that she stands for. I do feel however that she deserves a fair shot in this election. I also feel that John McCain deserves that same right. Using Sarah Palin's sex appeal as an advantage in this election may or may not be included in John McCain's selection, but that is for no one to judge but himself. It was strategic. Most of us would agree, but there had to have been more to it than that.

I plan on continuing on with my thoughts on this topic, but in the meantime, I will leave you with this. Watch the video. Watch it closely. Its sad to see that people watch this to feel educated. Watching an edited news program for knowledge as well as entertainment. I will admit I laughed, but I know better. Some don't which is why America is where it is.

Sarah Palin is Hot! (And Wrong)

http://hinessight.blogs.com/hinessight/2008/08/sarah-palin-is.html

Before you read this post, it would probably be in your best interest to check out the URL of the the blog posted above. Lets just be honest, Sarah Palin is not one of my favorite people in the world right now. As a matter of fact, I don't really like her or anything she stands for. My blog choices may seem biased, but really isn't that the point?

The blog that I chose to work with is called HinesSight. The blog itself was incredibly interesting, but I was more intrigued by the comments than anything. This blog discusses the advantages and (primarily) disadvantages of potential Vice President Sarah Palin. The main focus on this blog is "who cares" about Sarah Palin, and for those who do, why?
"Because…she's hot! (To my 59 year old eyes, she's a youthful 44 year old babe.) And she's been right on a few things -- like her admitted use of marijuana, including inhaling, when pot was legal in Alaska. If Joe Biden's brain could be put in her body, that'd make for a much more attractive Obama administration. Unfortunately, this isn't going to happen."

Sarah Palin, much like any attractive celebrity (which she has become) knows that she is a desirable woman who is constantly the talk of politics, but more than that- the talk of all media. Most people who are "following" politics right now don't have even the slightest idea what Palin stands for, other than the few things that are repeated over and over.

Example-
Creationism: favors teaching it.
Global climate change: denies humans are a cause.
Abortion: rejects it even in cases of rape or incest.
Polar bears: who cares?

There were a variation in the comments that were made on this blog, most of them which I found to be incredibly interesting. Some of them were far from politically correct, whereas others were legitimate arguments. Here is a glance of responses from both sides of the spectrum :

"Id pick the corn out of her pooh. And id love to let her ride my pork sword any day of the week. So what if she smoked Mary Jane? Didn't we all in the 80's? Plus she is Pro Gun and that's damn sexy too."
This man obviously is not looking at this blog from a political standpoint. Most people are on the same page. Sarah Palin has risen so high in popularity that her political beliefs are no longer acknowledged. Her sex appeal, and now past drug habits are putting her on the path to Presidency. She's getting media coverage for all the wrong reasons.

Sarah Palin is scarrrrrrrry!
How come she hasn't given an interview by HERSELF. I think if she speaks without John Mc Bush, the Alaska ignorance will become unveiled. The Dem are campaigning separately, How come she isn't.
Her views are not mainstream at all!!! If you noticed on the campaign trail with John Mc Bush, she keeps repeating the same words and or speech she gave at the RNC... go figure.
Still on the verge of being politically incorrect, but at least this comment discusses more than Palin's physical appearance. She is an attractive woman. She has more appealing qualities than flaws, however it seems that the more media coverage their is on this woman, the more they are dragging her down. People think that having a "hot vp" is the way to go, however taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture is strongly advised. We're on a path to destruction. Something needs to be done.

The Governor is Gay?

In September of 2006, the state of New Jersey got one of the biggest political surprises that they had ever seen. Their 52nd elected state governor Jim McGreevey confessed to the public that he was in fact a married homosexual man. In an interview shortly after "coming out", McGreevey said this,

"Thirty-four days after I was elected governor of New Jersey, I began a secret affair with an aide named Golan Cipel. It destroyed my career, ruined my marriage, and helped me discover who I really am."

In all honesty, I think that it is quite ridiculous at the amount of controversy that came with the gay confession of this man. He didn't commit a crime. He didn't murder anyone, or steal anything. He simply admitted to the public that he was in fact a gay American man. Many will argue. "He was a married man", is usually the first argument that people tend to use. I am aware of the fact that he was married, and even had a little girl, but does anyone realize how hard it is to come out to the public as a homosexual man? Especially one in a heterosexual marriage! It also didn't help that he was the governor of New Jersey. Like he said in his interview with Oprah, it truly destroyed his career and ruined all that was right in his marriage.

Jim McGreevey was a great man, and a fantastic governor. He was just on the brink of getting New Jersey out of a slump and back on its feet. Before his resignation here were some of accomplishments that McGreevey had made-

• After being elected to the governorship on his second try (on November 6, 2001), McGreevey inherited a $5 billion budget deficit. During his term, he raised the tax on cigarettes and increased the state income tax for the wealthy. Raised as a Roman Catholic but maintaining a pro-choice stance on abortion, he stated as governor that he would not receive Communion at public church services.
• Among McGreevey's accomplishments were implementing a stem cell research plan for New Jersey, heavily lobbying for the state's first domestic partnership law for same-sex couples and signing such a law in early 2004.
• McGreevey's term was controversial, with questions about the credentials of several of his appointees to pay to play and extortion scandals involving backers and key New Jersey Democratic fundraisers.

Even after all of his accomplishments with the state of New Jersey, he still felt that it would be necessary to resign and put his political past behind him. After battling much controversy by the public and media both, undergoing a horrific divorce and custody battle, McGreevey has just recently settled down with his boyfriend and the two have happily began their lives together. Regardless of his current happiness despite his rough battle, I still feel as though the whole situation is nonsense. My next blog will include a video interview and the public's reaction to McGreevey's confession.

AskMen.com [Is Sarah Palin Hot?]

http://www.askmen.com/daily/blogs/women/is-sarah-palin-hot.html

Seriously, this was one of the worst blogs that I have ever seen posted, but let me tell you, it flat gets the point across. Its pathetic. What do you think when you see a POLITICAL blog, with the title "Is Sarah Palin Hot?" The blog itself was quite short, but the comments are what blew me out of the water. Obama supporters flat out said, that they feel as though Palin does not have her head on straight politically, but she is hot enough to be elected vice president and be the first "VPILF". What is this world coming to. Really!?

It is really amazing to me how some people are as shallow as they are. This is a presidential election people, not a beauty pageant! Here are some of the comments made to the blog question "Is Sarah Palin Hot?"

-Sarah Palin is hot! Even Cindy McCain is hot. If they are hot now, imagine 20 years ago. Whereas Michelle Obama, yuck. Michelle Obama looks like a cross between Erkel and Condeleeza Rice that got hit by a Mack truck.
In response to this, all that I can say is the potential first ladies have nothing to do with the presidential capabilities of their husbands. This isn't a competition of the hottest wife, it is a running for the man (and potential woman) who will be the leaders of our country.

-Governor Palin is hot, smart, tough and can hunt. She may be the perfect woman.
Hot and Hunt? Since when has this ever been a requirement for vice presidency? Palin is the most popular women in the United States right now. And it has NOTHING to do with the fact that she is the next potential VP. Its all about her appearance and sex appeal. How disgusting.

-She kind of has a hot librarian thing going on, but she also has a crazy weirdo look going on.I think she is a little crazy...look how she waves at people...isn't that the beauty contestant wave. You're running for Vice President of USA lady! Also she has that annoying thing she does with her mouth, like she has dry mouth or something. Get a glass of water already!
This is the kind of response that I was hoping to find. Finally, a man with his head on straight. Admit that she is attractive. She is. Sarah Palin is probably one of the most attractive women to ever be associated with a presidential election. However, as Americans we have to stand true. We cannot elect a man president of the United States based merely on the fact that he has an attractive woman as his running mate. Lets grow up some.

Sarah Palin is an incredibly attractive woman. She is intelligent and did many good things for the state of Alaska. But does that really qualify someone for presidency! Not if you ask me. Stop basing your vote on sex appeal and start paying attention to the MEN, one which will be in control of your country in less than a month. Its time to stop the childish games, and pay attention to POLITICS!

State Legislator Speaks: Are You Listening?

What you have just heard were the words of Oklahoma State Legislator, Sally Kern. Her comparing gays to terrorists and telling fellow Republicans the "homosexual agenda is destroying this nation" was supposed to be a private conversation. However this anti-gay hate speech leaked into the public. When confronted by the press, Kern defends herself saying that "What I'm saying, I believe in." Truly appalling if you ask me. People are aloud to their voice their opinions, but make sure the audience is appropriate and really, try not to offend people. Talking "smack" behind someones back is one thing, but insulting the entire population of homosexuals is completely different. I feel as though this was over the top and rude.

Its a known fact that most conservatives are against homosexuality and gay marriages, so why feel the need to voice the opinion even more. It was over all uncalled for. Along with the fact that this is incredibly offensive to some people, the fact that all of this was said by a STATE LEGISLATOR, changes the entire story. This is an incredibly bold political statement made by Kern. Her words not only reflect poorly on her, but also her state, as well as her political party. She clearly is generalizing the thoughts of all republicans and their opinion on America's gay community. Some may agree, but I feel confident is saying that most do not.

There was an emotional impact to this speech that one could only feel if they were watching the video that was later posted after the speech leaked into the public. In this speech, that was given privately to a group of about 50 Republicans, Kern says homosexuality, "according to God's word, that is not the right kind of lifestyle. It has deadly consequences for those people involved in it." Although she claims she is "not gay-bashing," Kern continues by saying gays "have more suicides… there's more illness, their life spans are shorter… studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades." This women has to have her head on crooked. I realize that some Americans are truly homophobic, but to take something as simple as homosexuality and stretch it to this extreme is nonsense. I feel as though political figures should know better! Yes- we are listening. We do understand, and together we agree that you are wrong!

Sarah Palin: A "Good Looking" Lady

On September 2, 2008 when John McCain announced his vice president running mate, the whole nation was floored. Who would have thought that this 72 year old man would have picked a 44 year old [great looking] woman to run along side him in his campaign. At first the reactions were outrageous, in both a positive and negative manner, and now I feel as though the attention has shifted to the more negative aspects of this whole ordeal. I may not be overly fond of Sarah Palin, her running mate, or anything that she stands for, but she is, like me a woman, which can change my whole perspective on the matter.
I was not all that surprised by the nations reaction to Sarah Palin, I was however surprised when I came across Joe Biden's reaction in a recent blog that was posted. Joe Biden, much like Barack Obama as well as John McCain, realize that in this point of their lives their sex appeal won't be getting them very far. Obama, following the norms of most presidential candidates went with someone he was close with, and knew very well. McCain on the other hand went with a woman, whom he had never met, and 28 years his junior. Sarah Palin, the hot mother of 5 blew America away with her glowing smile and nice figure. John McCains decision in a running mate not only effected the republican party, but the entirety of this campaign.
Joe Biden, who was selected to be Barack Obama's vice president candidate lightly joked about the fact that "he was no Sarah Palin". In the Joe Biden's speech given shortly after the announcement for Vice Presidents, he states that
"There's a gigantic difference between John McCain and Barack Obama and between me and I suspect my vice presidential opponent... She's good looking."
Although it may have meant to be a joking statement, I feel as though Biden only made this comment to bypass the fact that he, as well as Barack Obama are aware of the fact that the advantage that will come with Sarah Palin's good looks. Most would say that this Sarah Palin talk is just bogus, that if you are a true democrat that you will stand true to your blue, but it may not be that simple. Take the Daily Shows, Jon Stewart for example. To many Americans this is considered to be a reliable news source, with both news and humor. In one of his latest shows, Jon Daily was shown "making out" with a photo of Sarah Palin. Real' classy.
Although ridiculous, Palin's good looks are going to work to both her and McCain's advantage, and although Biden is a fun loving guy who is known for "behaving like your slightly embarrassing uncle". Personality wins friends, "looks like Sarah Palin's win elections".

HOTNOT

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2008/09/02/

Why So Interested?

When I first started thinking of blog topics, I was thinking more of a topic that could be covered throughout an entire semester as opposed to a topic that really sparked my interest. Things have changed however. Since the beginning of the current election I have been a close follower of Hillary Clinton, only beginning to like Barack Obama when things became heated between him and (ex)fellow candidate.
I had always been a fan of both Hillary and Bill Clinton, but with the introduction of Hillary running for President, things for me took a change. I knew things for Hillary were going to be difficult, one because of the past foundation that Bill had laid for her, and also the fact that she was a women. That small bit alone changed this entire election, whether or not she stayed in it to the end.
Now that Hillary is no longer a candidate, Sarah Palin has happily filled her shoes. One women in this rounds election was not enough, why not make it two. After doing extensive research on the current election, as well as following closely on the television and internet, I have come to realize that this topic has become part of my every day life. I seem to always have an opinion, and whenever the topic comes up, I feel the need to include my input.
I have now found an excitement in writing and researching for this blog. I look forward to seeing what kinds of information I can obtain for my blog posts. I expect that youtube.com and I will being seeing a lot of each other.
Although this blog will not focus all of its energy to the media attention that has been directed towards Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, it will be the topic of choice until the closure of this election. I have a feeling the news, both television and internet sources, will be overflowing with information and gossip regarding these women, primarily Sarah Palin. The topic of sexuality in politics is now intriguing to me. I am fascinated in its power and how it can play huge rolls on the success rates of candidates, as well as the discrimination that is close behind.

Welcome! Introduction- The Power of Sexuality in Politics

Welcome to The Power of Sexuality in Politics! I am going into this experience with an open mind, in hopes to avoid all biases, however I am not making any promises that I will remain completely opinion-free. I mean after all, that is the point of blogging.
The topic of Sexuality in Politics has always sparked my interest, and now that I am presented with an opportunity to expand my knowledge I plan to take full advantage of it. Along with extensive research and interviews, I will incorporate personal feedback as well. Below are just a few of the ideas in which I will discuss.

Have you ever seen this man?
Do you know who he is, or what he is known for?

If you are unfamiliar with this man, join the crowd. Although his face is unrecognizable, and even his name is easily forgotten, his reputation has paved a road that threw politics into one of the biggest uproars seen in the United States.
This, ladies and gentlemen is Jim McGreevey, the first governor and t o date, the only openly gay state governor in United States history. This blog will explore his story, as well as the controversy that his sexuality caused in his career. Although McGreevey is the first and only gay governor to date, many other politicians have undergone treatment similar to his, and that also will be explored and discussed.

Sexuality is more than ones "interest or involvement in sexual activity". Much more as a matter of fact. Take this for example.

Does this woman look familiar?
Look at those eyes. That beaming smile. Appealing?

Of course, why else would have John McCain chosen her to run with him in his current presidential campaign. Women, more commonly than men are able to use their sexuality as a way of persuading people into "believing what they see". Sarah Palin, along with other women in political situations are able to use their glowing smiles and sex appeal to strengthen their campaigns. Palin's as well as other similar cases will be discussed in this blog.

I am excited to see where I will be able to go with this, and I strongly encourage any questions or comments on any posts made. Enjoy!