Tim Gunn Rocks!

If you're reading this right now and you're having suicidal thoughts, please call The Trevor Project Lifeline 1-866-4utrevor (1-866-488-7386). It's a toll free, confidential, nationwide lifeline for LGBTQ youth.
They also have a website TheTrevorProject.org

I received this email today from HRC (Human Rights Campaign):

Dear Lola,

Add your name: Mr. Packer, I hope you will cease putting young people in real peril and acknowledge the scientific truth: Sexual orientation cannot be changed, nor should it be.

The recent suicides of several gay teenagers have made national headlines. Yet this is the moment – of all moments – that a top Mormon leader decides to broadcast a verbal rampage against gays to millions of viewers.

I couldn't believe it either. Boyd K. Packer, the second-highest leader in the Mormon Church, said in a sermon broadcast to millions yesterday that same-sex attraction is "impure and unnatural" and can be overcome, and that same-sex unions are morally wrong.

Do we need more proof than the suicides of teens as young as 13 that words like these can do unimaginable damage?

We cannot stay silent. By speaking out together, we can show the Mormon Church hierarchy that it has literally risked the lives of children by inciting their tormentors. And we can ensure that the young people who heard this sermon know that it is scientifically wrong and profoundly misguided.

Add your name to our open letter debunking Boyd Packer's lies.

Speaking before 20,000 people and broadcasting to millions more, Packer said same-sex unions are morally wrong and "against God's law and nature" – and that the church hierarchy would continue to support marriage bans like Proposition 8 (which was funded largely by Mormons).

It makes me physically sick to think how many young lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender kids had to sit in those pews and listen to that venom.

Comments like these are exactly what makes young LGBT kids think there's no way out but suicide – that their parents will reject them, that their communities will shun them, and that living openly will bring pain or violence – that even God looks on their very identity as a sin to be "overcome."

And these lies fuel the bullying, harassment, and violence that plague our schools.

Packer's lies have been disproven over and over again by science and by the spiritual experience of Americans who know their LGBT neighbors and care about them. We know sexual orientation cannot and should not be changed and that two people falling in love is beautiful, not evil.

But unless we refute these lies whenever groups like the anti-LGBT National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the Mormon Church repeat them – whether through letters like this or projects like HRC's www.NOMexposed.com – we risk another young person hearing them and believing that LGBT people are "defective." And that belief contributes to violence and suicide.

Help us speak out so young people understand the truth – and so that Mormon leaders know that spreading this poison puts lives at risk.

Americans are sick of the Mormon hierarchy trying to dictate what they should believe. They know commitment and love when they see it. That's why they are turning away in droves from limitations on their friends' and neighbors' freedom to marry.

Thank you for helping take a stand for the truth.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese
President

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Trickle Down Homophobia - Gay Teen Suicides

If you're reading this right now and you're having suicidal thoughts, please call The Trevor Project Lifeline 1-866-4utrevor (1-866-488-7386). It's a toll free, confidential, nationwide lifeline for LGBTQ youth.
They also have a website TheTrevorProject.org

I received this email today from HRC (Human Rights Campaign):

Dear Lola,

Add your name: Mr. Packer, I hope you will cease putting young people in real peril and acknowledge the scientific truth: Sexual orientation cannot be changed, nor should it be.

The recent suicides of several gay teenagers have made national headlines. Yet this is the moment – of all moments – that a top Mormon leader decides to broadcast a verbal rampage against gays to millions of viewers.

I couldn't believe it either. Boyd K. Packer, the second-highest leader in the Mormon Church, said in a sermon broadcast to millions yesterday that same-sex attraction is "impure and unnatural" and can be overcome, and that same-sex unions are morally wrong.

Do we need more proof than the suicides of teens as young as 13 that words like these can do unimaginable damage?

We cannot stay silent. By speaking out together, we can show the Mormon Church hierarchy that it has literally risked the lives of children by inciting their tormentors. And we can ensure that the young people who heard this sermon know that it is scientifically wrong and profoundly misguided.

Add your name to our open letter debunking Boyd Packer's lies.

Speaking before 20,000 people and broadcasting to millions more, Packer said same-sex unions are morally wrong and "against God's law and nature" – and that the church hierarchy would continue to support marriage bans like Proposition 8 (which was funded largely by Mormons).

It makes me physically sick to think how many young lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender kids had to sit in those pews and listen to that venom.

Comments like these are exactly what makes young LGBT kids think there's no way out but suicide – that their parents will reject them, that their communities will shun them, and that living openly will bring pain or violence – that even God looks on their very identity as a sin to be "overcome."

And these lies fuel the bullying, harassment, and violence that plague our schools.

Packer's lies have been disproven over and over again by science and by the spiritual experience of Americans who know their LGBT neighbors and care about them. We know sexual orientation cannot and should not be changed and that two people falling in love is beautiful, not evil.

But unless we refute these lies whenever groups like the anti-LGBT National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the Mormon Church repeat them – whether through letters like this or projects like HRC's www.NOMexposed.com – we risk another young person hearing them and believing that LGBT people are "defective." And that belief contributes to violence and suicide.

Help us speak out so young people understand the truth – and so that Mormon leaders know that spreading this poison puts lives at risk.

Americans are sick of the Mormon hierarchy trying to dictate what they should believe. They know commitment and love when they see it. That's why they are turning away in droves from limitations on their friends' and neighbors' freedom to marry.

Thank you for helping take a stand for the truth.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese
President

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

The Kids Are Alright

Yes, they are. And thank you to Harriet of Harriet And Friends for drawing my attention to this article.

Kids Raised in Lesbian Families Better Adjusted, Study Finds - Yahoo News

"the study's author, Dr. Nanette Gartrell, told U.S. News and World Report that there were no psychological differences between the kids who said they had been stigmatized and those who hadn't. She said that the deliberation involved in the preplanned pregnancies may well account for the well-adjusted nature of kids raised in lesbian families."

My girlfriend pointed out one thing about this report, that wasn't taken into consideration, and that was that many heterosexual couples undergo extensively preplanned pregnancies when they have fertility difficulties. Those couples that go through in-vitro fertilization are in a sense, quite similar to lesbian couples seeking to have children. So, while she was happy to see a positive report about lesbian families, this didn't seem to be an exhaustively researched study, one that compared lesbian families with heterosexual families, created in the same fashion. Not that we should dismiss this study, just that, perhaps the hypothesis was likely not completely thought out.

Ok, I'll give her that and also add that I personally think that children raised by lesbians are perhaps more well adjusted because living in a lesbian household, one is exposed to more liberal ideas (perhaps), and are raised to be more accepting and open-minded and perhaps the end result is being more well adjusted.

I personally think that any article that puts lesbian families in a positive light is a good thing. The more that we can show the world that our raising families is not detrimental to children, and is at least as nurturing or possibly more nurturing than a traditional heterosexual family, only serves to help us achieve our end goal. That is...in a nutshell...that we are no different than anyone else, except in who we love and we deserve the same rights and privileges.

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Gaga Flashmob Protest in SF For Hotel Workers Rights

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

“She’s basically a short man with boobs,”

Yes, that's exactly how Cynthia Nixon, one of the stars of Sex and The City described her partner of six years in an interview in Cynthia Nixon Is More Than Just Sex - The Advocate.

I have to say when I heard about this on a local Chicago radio station I was shocked. How must her partner, Christine Marinoni feel about having her partner describe her this way? Did she take it in stride? Did she think it was funny? Was she on some level hurt?

I'm sure Ms. Nixon said it in jest, still, it's out there for everyone reading it or hearing about it to interpret it on their own way.

Personally, I consider myself a soft butch and I would have been offended by such a comment, whether it was meant in jest or not.

What do you think?

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

B-bye Entrecard

I will be leaving Entrecard May 5th. Please become a follower and bookmark my site so you don't miss out on anything at Fire Crotch Rocket.

Why am I leaving? Too many of my blog pals have been getting hit with Trojans and Viruses while visiting sites through Entrecard to drop. I don't think I even have that many blog pals, and when I'm hearing it this often amongst a small group, that means the danger is too much to ignore. Entrecard is ignoring the problem, so it's time to leave.

Yes, I will miss the traffic, but it hasn't been that much lately anyway. Time to cut the apron strings and be free.

The other 2 blogs I own will also be leaving Entrecard, so please visit them, follow them and bookmark them so you don't miss out.

Lola's Diner
Lola's Victory Garden


©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

President Obama Signs Hospital Visitation Memorandum

Presidential Memorandum - Hospital Visitation

The memorandum orders the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation. This means that gays and lesbians cannot be prohibited from having visitation by their partner, and basically anyone cannot have a non-family member prohibited from visiting them. Hospitals who accept Medicare and Medicaid are prohibited from violating this memorandum.

Hospital visitation is commons sense and this issue should have been remedied long ago. I applaud President Obama for tackling this issue and signing the memorandum.

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Dixie Chicks Release Gay Themed Song

Sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, formed a side project called Court Yard Hounds and are releasing “Ain’t No Son,” on the Court Yard Hounds’ self-titled debut album to be released in May.

I'm not a big Dixie Chicks fan, but am always happy to see mainstream music tackling topics in our community.



Here are the lyrics:

"Ain't No Son" by the Court Yard Hounds
I've got something to say
I'm scared and so afraid
Can you take me as I am
Come what may our blood is all the same
I'm still your little man

He said you ain't no son to me
You ain't no son to me
Eight pound baby boy I bounced on my knee
No, you ain't no son of mine
You ain't no son of mine
Aw, forget it girls there ain't no use in trying
Don't expect to get my love for free
And don't blame me

Well this ain't no fun for me
This ain't no fun for me
Oh boys should be boys
That's how it should be
You ain't coming home
No you ain't coming home
Til you walk the straight line
You'll be out on your own
Don't expect to save your soul for free
When you're the one who turned your back on me

Aren't you a sight to see
Yeah, you're a sight to see
What you call freedom makes you look like a freak
You must get around
Cause it sure got around
Don't you know that I can't show my face in this town
Don't think I'm gonna get you up off of me
When you're the one who turned your back on me
Stranger, stranger on the wall
When the neighbors come to call
I just don't know what to say
So I'll put you away
This time I won't leave a trace
I'll fill up the empty space
When I put you, I put you away
I put you away

He said you ain't no son to me
You ain't no son to me
Eight pound baby boy I bounced on my knee
No, you ain't no son of mine
You ain't no son of mine
Aw, forget it girls there ain't no use in trying
Don't expect to get my love for free
When you're the one who turned your back on me
Don't blame me
Don't blame me
Don't blame me
Shame on you
Shame on you
Shame on you

What do you think of it?

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

99 Words For Boobs...

From Funny Or Die.Com

99 words for boobs - watch more funny videos

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Hot Dog Warning Labels

Warning: The salt, fat and nitrate laden mechanically separated meat, intestines, snouts, ears, and blended organs is a potential choking hazard if not thoroughly chewed. Take small bites and chew thoroughly. But hey, enjoy that ballgame!

Pediatricians Call For Choke-Proof Hot Dog - USA Today

Have you heard about this? Pediatricians want warning labels on hot dogs. How about warning labels for all food? All food presents a choking hazard if you take to large a bite and/or don't chew thoroughly before swallowing.

The American Academy of Pediatrics "would like to see foods such as hot dogs "redesigned" so their size, shape and texture make them less likely to lodge in a youngster's throat."

I say Oscar Mayer, Ballpark, Nathan's, Hebrew National, Best's Kosher, Bar S, Vienna, Armour needs to get creative. Hey, if someone found a way to freeze dry ice cream, why can't they make hot dogs safe? Hot dog pellets? Ick! No. Flat hot dogs...oh wait...they call that bologna.

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Chicago's Last Full-Time Bar, Stargaze, Closes, But Options Remain

Chicago's last full-time lesbian bar closes - chicagotribune.com

Posted using ShareThis

It's been awhile since Anastasia and I have been to Stargaze. In fact, we never managed to stop by after their remodel. When I lived in Chicago and Anastasia would come to my end of town, Stargaze was usually a stop on a night out. We knew the owner Mamie and her longtime partner Dusty. When they were behind the bar it was hard not to get to know them and they you. When I'd go out on a Friday nights solo because Anastasia had her caregiver gig they would ask where my redhead was.

I was so shocked when I read this. When I first came out Girlbar on Halsted Street and Stargaze on Clark Street were my haunts. On the weekends it was a bit like a meat market, but being so new it was such an adventure to be 'out' amongst so many women. I think Girlbar closed in 2001.
Reading this article I found out that Lost & Found on Irving Park in Chicago closed. I had been there a few times. It was more a lesbian sports bar. Baseball teams, dart teams. It still was a nice place to be among 'friends'.

Girlbar, Stargaze and Lost & Found were all great places for a lesbian new to town or someone newly coming out. Temptations in Franklin Park closed for awhile and has re-opened. I guess now it's the only lesbian bar around now. Anastasia and I went there once for a Halloween party. We had a nice dance on the dance floor.

Circuit on Halsted still has special events catering to women. Their website apparently doesn't exist anymore, but if you are interested in finding out what's going on there, you can find them and become a fan on Facebook at "Circuit Night Club".

There's still @mosphere and T's Bar on Clark. T's Bar was a favorite haunt of mine and Anastasia's. Their burgers are awesome and the fish and chips on Fridays were da bomb. Tarter sauce with hardboiled egg in it...so good.

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

New Take On Beyonce's Song

This is too cute!


©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Pee-Wee Gets iPad - Where's Jambi?

I totally loved Jambi!

Pee-wee Gets An iPad! from Pee-wee Herman

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

CBS Rejects Gay Super Bowl Ad

Another Super Bowl ad rejected. This one for a gay dating service Man Crunch.Com. Gay Super Bowl Ad Rejected By CBS - The Advocate. CBS claimed it was rejected because they couldn't verify ManCrunch's credit. The ad was to cost $2.5 million and ManCrunch claimed they were paying cash.

When I first saw the headline I was outraged. Then I saw the ad. It's bad. If an ad is going to cost you $2.5 million, wouldn't you work hard to have a good "story" or whatever they call it in ad lingo?



©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket

Commercial Logic...

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has read several articles about people who have had trips gone awry because of following GPS directions to the letter. Some with nearly dire consequences.

Here is one of those articles: Couple Stuck in Oregon Snow For 3 Days After GPS Led Them Astray - Foxnews.

Have you seen or heard this year's Turbo Tax commercials that equate Turbo Tax's navigation through the tax filing process with a GPS?

"Guides you through your taxes step by step, like a GPS…
with special guidance for first-time users."

Am I the only one that thinks that is absurd? Especially given the recent stories about people who have had GPS lead them astray?

I'm not bashing Turbo Tax. I love it. I've used it for years. I just don't see how their current commercial puts their product in a good light and how it encourages anyone unfamiliar with their product to buy it.

Fire Crotch Rocket Disclaimer: I was not given products to review. I have always purchased Turbo Tax and have not received any product, nor was I compensated in any other way.

©2008-2010 Fire Crotch Rocket