NEWS: WA's Referendum 71 Apparently Qualifies BY 909 Signatures

This news just in. Referendum 71, the measure which would ask voters whether Washington State's comprehensive domestic partnership bill should be approved or rejected has apparently qualified for the November 3, 2009 ballot, with 121,486 valid signatures, 909 more than needed.

Washington State's domestic partnership law was just expanded this summer to be similar to California's AB 205, and is, in effect, an "everything but marriage" law.

The news that Referendum 71 has apparently qualified was not surprising, although there are several legal challenges and controversies ahead. Washington Families Standing Together has filed a lawsuit challenging the procedures used by the Seretary of State to validate signatures. There are also lawsuits going on as to whether the names of those who signed petitions to qualify Referendum 71 will have their names made public; the names of the donors to the heterosexual supremacist group Protect Marriage Washington are public, despite protestations from the supremacists that their supporters could face intimidation and violence if their names were made public.

NY TIMES Compares Federer To Famous Gay Tennis Icon

Curiouser and curioser. The New York Times has started going into overdrive as the last grand slam tournament of the year begins tomorrow on its own turf. This past weekend The Gray Lady ran a faux breathless story about the significance of Roger Federer's "RF" monogram and on Sunday there was a front page story comparing the defending 5-time US Open champion to the last man who won the US Open six consecutive years, Bill Tilden, who besides being a great champion was also a well-known homosexual (and confirmed pedophile). This year is the 80th anniversary of Tilden's sixth consecutive US Open championship, which Federer could duplicate if he wins again in New York. The article conceded that Tilden's accomplishments are rarely acknowledged because the tennis icon was arrested multiple times for being caught in inappropriate (and illegal, at the time) sexual situations with teenage boys.

And yet, if not for Federer’s Open success reviving his memory, Tilden would remain largely forgotten, his tennis legacy overshadowed by his vices. He was attracted to young boys in his later years. Shunned by tennis, he died virtually penniless in 1953, at age 60.

“There’s no question Tilden dominated his era more so than maybe anybody had except for Federer,” said Frank Deford, who wrote the definitive biography “Big Bill Tilden: The Triumphs and the Tragedy” while covering tennis in 1975 for Sports Illustrated.

But as a public figure, perhaps a more apt comparison for Tilden is to the pop star Michael Jackson, whose musical legacy, while unassailable, was mitigated for some by his conduct.

“I think that’s a very good analogy,” Deford said in a telephone interview, adding: “Tennis people tried to hush up Tilden’s personal life. They actually were afraid it would hurt the sport. I think that’s why nobody ever celebrates any of his achievements.”

Interestingly, although Roger Federer's own sexual orientation used to be in doubt, those questions have mostly been silenced with his marriage and birth of his twin daughters in the last six months.

I understand the New York Times trying to gin up support for locals to attend the Open (which when you really think about it is actually a bit bizarre or paranoid, since the tournament is quite often the most attended sporting event in North America most years) but it does seem a bit beyond the pale to be publishing two articles in three days which "sprinkle pink fairy dust" on the World #1 player by dissing his fashion sense (as "affected") and comparing him to a fashionista in one article and then comparing his tennis to the most famous (and controversial) men's tennis champion in history who happened to be firmly attracted to members of the same sex!

Eye Candy: Chadwick Johnson

UPDATE 08/25/2010: Pictures removed by request.

Bam! Here's model Chadwick Johnson for your viewing pleasure. Although I first noticed him at Queerty, apparently this very fit young man lives in the Pasadena area, just a hop skip and a jump from MadProfessah. If I ran into him, my heart just may skip a beat!

VIDEO: Time-Lapse Video Of Fire Clouds Over L.A.

Time Lapse Test: Station Fire from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

This is the best video I have seen depicting what it is like to live in Los Angeles as we shift from one season (drought) to the next (fire). Hopefully we will be skipping the other two (flood and riot) in 2009! The video shows 90 minutes condensed in to 24 seconds.

hat/tip to LA Observed.

LA TIMES Op-Ed On Olson-Boies Prop 8 Lawsuit

The Sunday Los Angeles Times published an op-ed titled "Gay Pride and Prejudice" about the Olson-Boies federal lawsuit Perry vs Schwarzenegger challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the initiative constitutional amendment which banned future marriages for same-sex couples when passed by voters in November 2008.

TheTimes is worried that the legal skirmish may get ugly:

In legal filings this month, attorneys seeking to overturn Proposition 8 indicated that they would bring in expert witnesses to testify that sexual orientation is inborn and immutable, that homosexuality is not considered a disorder by the psychological or medical establishments (the American Psychiatric Assn. took it off the diagnostic list 36 years ago) and so forth. The testimony is intended to show that homosexuality deserves the same high-level constitutional protections as, for example, race.

That's understandable, given that members of a racial group are the most familiar example of a "discrete and insular" minority deserving of judicial protection. But homosexuality need not be innate or unchangeable for gays and lesbians to deserve equal treatment under the Constitution. Religious minorities, for instance, enjoy full constitutional protections,even though they are free to convert to other faiths. Indeed, a famous footnote in a 1938 Supreme Court case specifically recognized that laws intended to discriminate based on national origin or religious faith might offend the Constitution just as those that target groups by race. It is no less offensive morally or legally to discriminate against Catholics, who choose their faith, than it is to discriminate against blacks, who are born to their race.

Because of that, gays and lesbians need not prove that their sexual orientation is a matter of genetics in order for the Constitution to protect their equality. Nor is that the stronger tactic; both sides can bring forth expert witnesses to press their claims in this area. Yet, as absurd as it is to argue that sexual orientation is a matter of simple choice, lawyers defending the proposition have made clear that they intend to offer precisely that argument. In so doing, they threaten to trivialize discrimination against homosexuals by implying that gays and lesbians could end it merely by changing their sexual orientation.

It's could get ugly, but then that's to be expected. As Californians well remember, the political and legal debates over gay marriage already have exposed raw emotions and featured willful, hateful distortions. During last year's campaign, there were assertions that only married heterosexual couples could raise truly well-adjusted children -- a claim that ignored nontraditional families, including same-sex parents and single parents, who were successfully raising fine offspring. Commercials for Proposition 8 wrongly implied that same-sex marriage would somehow harm traditional marriages; that religious groups would be forced to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies; that schools would have to teach a pro-homosexual curriculum in elementary grades; and that faith-based adoption agencies would go out of business. The campaign against the initiative never responded effectively to these deceptive claims; the trial, it appears, might offer a supervised forum for knocking them down.

Hmmm, I'm willing to take that risk. I believe that the facts and science support the position that homosexuality is just as natural as heterosexuality.

POLL: Obama Job Approval Below 50%

MOVIE REVIEW: Outrage

At Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh I saw the documentary Outrage, directed by Kirby Dick (who made the acclaimed This Film Is Not Yet Rated) and starring Mike Rogers of PageOneQ and Michelangelo Signorile of The Gist.

Both Mike and Michelangelo are most well-known
for their involvement in the controversy about revealing the homosexuality of closeted homosexuals.

Mike Rogers outed U.S. Senator Larry Craig in October 17, 2006 several months before the Senator was arrested in a men's bathroom at the Minneapolis Airport.

Michelangelo Signorile is well-known for being the features editor at OutWeek magazine in the early 1990s, eventually outing celebrities such as David Geffen, Malcolm Forbes and Liz Smith, among others.

The movie Outrage is riveting. Using devastating actual audio and video footage of Larry Craig, Governor Charlie Crist and Rep. Jim Mcrery. Craig and Crist are actually shown on camera answering questions about whether they are gay or not. It is left up to the audience to evaluate the truthfulness of their responses.

Several LGBT activists appear as talking heads to show righteous outrage at the hypocrisy of closeted Republicans who actively worked against the needs of the broader LGBT community, or who were in positions of power to help and through inaction caused great harm to continue. Elizabeth Birch, Rodger McFarlane, Hilary Rosen, Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, Jim Kolbe and Andrew Sullivan are just some of the members of the community who rain down scorn upon closeted homosexuals.

One curious aspect of the film is the attention it spends so much of its time on James McGreevey, the former governor of New Jersey who announced that he was "A gay American" and promptly resigned his post, and divorced his (second) wife. McGreevey is used to demonstrate the positive mental health aspects of politicians coming out of their own accord, but the more problematic aspects of McGreevey's story are not included in the film.

All in all, Outrage is required viewing for any gay person who is interested in LGBT politics, the debate over the ethics of outing and the media's role in both.

MPAA Rating: R [See Full Rating] for some language and sexual references. Running Time: 1 hour, 29 minutes.

OVERALL GRADE: A.

ACTING: N/A.
IMAGERY: A-.
PLOT/WRITING: A.
IMPACT: A.

Friday Flashback: The Fifth Element (1997)

Remember this?

It is the "Diva Dance" sequence from The Fifth Element, the 1997 film starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, directed by her husband Luc Besson. Caught this film last night on HD on cable and it actually has stood up to time very well. The art design of the film is absolutely stunning and it features a career-making star turn by Chris Tucker.

US OPEN 2009: Potential Semi: Venus vs Serena

Last year Serena Williams refused to lose a set (despite facing 10 set points) to her sister Venus in the quarterfinals of the 2008 US Open and went on to (relatively easily) win her 9th major title, after losing to Venus in the 2008 Wimbledon final. This year, Serena won the Wimbledon final against her sister, and will face her in the semifinals, if the recently released 2009 US Open Women's draw holds to form.

As for the rest of the draw, does it really matter? This is Serena's tournament to lose.
"World #1" Dinara Safina hasKleybanova, Lisicki and Jankovic in her quarter of the draw. Dementieva and Kuznetsova are also in Safina's half.

Venus is the unfortunate seed who has Kim Clijsters in her quarter and would face the 2005 US Open champion in the round of 16 and Victoria Azarenka in the quartfinal.

Serena has the nicest draw of all the contenders, although she has people like Samantha Stosur, Amelia Mauresmo and Daniela Hantuchova, all people who could beat her, but who are also serious head cases.

Let the games begin! Brackets, anyone?

US OPEN 2009: Federer in Djokovic's Half; Murray in Nadal's

The 2009 US Open Men's draw is out! In potential semifinal matchups, #1 seed (and 5 time-defending champion) Roger Federer is likely to face #4 seed (and 2007 finalist) Novak Djokovic, while #2 seed Andy Murray would face #3 seed Rafael Nadal. These semifinals would be a repeat of the 2008 US Open semifinals, when Federer and Murray both won.

Federer is trying for his 6th consecutive US Open title, while the rest of the three are trying for their first US Open title, and Murray his first major title overall.

Henin Rumored To Be Returning in 2010

As soon as I heard that Kim Clijsters was returning to the women's tennis tour I knew (and said so at the time) that it would only be a matter of time before her Belgian compatriot, 7-time major champion Justine Henin-Hardenne who retired abruptly a few weeks before the May 2008 French Open would join her.

Now there are rumors she may be coming back as early as Spring 2010:

[Henin] has started training for exhibitions in Belgium and Dubai at the end of this year. Henin’s entourage has confirmed the preparations, while Vers L'Avenir added that Henin is considering the revival of her tennis career

The story is starting to be picked up around the world, with Agence France Press reporting:

Vers l'Avenir newspaper reported that "Juju has as good as taken her decision to return to competition from January."

[...]

Close friend and former coach Carlos Rodriguez played down the rumours.

"There's nobody telling me of a return. We've not spoken about that. I am really astonished," Rodriguez insisted.

But he did confirm that "she is training, yes. Two or three times a week to get herself in shape as she's not played for a year. That's all."

However, his wife was quoted as telling Vers l'Avenir that "something is in the offing but I'm not allowed to talk about it."

Officially, Henin is down to play exhibition matches at the end of the year in Belgium and Dubai.

Under international anti-doping rules Henin would have to inform the game's authorities if she were to return three months beforehand.

Kimmie better hurry up and win another Slam before the Other Belgian returns, because in major championships Clijsters was something like 0-4 (2003 US Open final, 2004 Australian Open final, 2006 French Open semifinal, 2006 Wimbledon semifinal) against Henin.

Ted Kennedy, 1932-2009

U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) has died of brain cancer at the age of 77. He was "The Lion of the Senate" and a champion of liberal causes. Joe.My.God has a roundup of reactions from LGBT activists.

US OPEN 2009: Women's and Men's Seeds Announced

The seeds for the 2009 US Open have been announced. The women's seeds are:

1. Dinara Safina, Russia
2. Serena Williams, United States
3. Venus Williams, United States
4. Elena Dementieva, Russia
5. Jelena Jankovic, Serbia
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia
7. Vera Zvonareva, Russia
8. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus
9. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark
10. Flavia Pennetta, Italy
11. Ana Ivanovic, Serbia
12. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland
13. Nadia Petrova, Russia
14. Marion Bartoli, France
15. Samantha Stosur, Australia
16. Virginie Razzano, France
17. Amelie Mauresmo, France
18. Li Na, China
19. Patty Schnyder, Switzerland
20. Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spain
21. Zheng Jie, China
22. Daniela Hantuchova, Slovak Republic
23. Sabine Lisicki, Germany
24. Sorana Cirstea, Romania
25. Kaia Kanepi, Estonia
26. Francesca Schiavone, Italy
27. Alisa Kleybanova, Russia
28. Sybille Bammer, Austria
29. Maria Sharapova, Russia
30. Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine
31. Elena Vesnina, Russia
32. Agnes Szavay, Hungary

The men's seeds are:

1. Roger Federer, Switzerland
2. Andy Murray, Great Britain
3. Rafael Nadal, Spain
4. Novak Djokovic, Serbia
5. Andy Roddick, United States
6. Juan Martin Del Potro, Argentina
7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France
8. Nikolay Davydenko, Russia
9. Gilles Simon, France
10. Fernando Verdasco, Spain
11. Fernando Gonzalez, Chile
12. Robin Soderling, Sweden
13. Gael Monfils, France
14. Tommy Robredo, Spain
15. Radek Stepanek, Czech Republic
16. Marin Cilic, Croatia
17. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic
18. David Ferrer, Spain
19. Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland
20. Tommy Haas, Germany
21. James Blake, United States
22. Sam Querrey, United States
23. Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany
24. Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spain
25. Mardy Fish, United States
26. Paul-Henri Mathieu, France
27. Ivo Karlovic, Croatia
28. Victor Hanescu, Romania
29. Igor Andreev, Russia
30. Viktor Troicki, Serbia
31. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia
32. Nicolas Almagro, Spain

The draw will be announced on Thursday and the tournament starts on Monday August 31st.

DOMA Challenge Smelt v U.S. Dismissed

The federal challenge to DOMA in which the Department of Justice defended the law in an arguably homophobic way was dismissed by the Judge yesterday.

The Obama administration scored a victory of sorts in federal court Monday when a judge threw out an Orange County gay couple's lawsuit claiming that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.

[...]

Assistant Atty. Gen. Tony West, in his brief filed before U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, agreed with Smelt and Hammer that the Defense of Marriage Act is discriminatory and should be repealed. But West noted that he was obliged to defend the law until Congress moves to repeal or amend it. He urged the court to dismiss the men's suit on grounds that their allegations "fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted."

Carter agreed, explaining in his seven-page decision that the absence of "an injury in fact" meant the court lacked jurisdiction to consider the broader constitutional questions.

Smelt and Hammer had also filed suit in California superior court. That action was dismissed earlier this year on similar grounds, as their marriage is legal in California.

It is likely the lawsuit will be refiled in federal court again. However, many LGBT activists were flabbergasted when the attorneys for the plaintiffs revealed their real intention in the lawsuit was to split the state of California into two pieces.

Hat/tip Joe.My.God

BOOK REVIEW: Peter F. Hamilton's JUDAS UNCHAINED

Peter Hamilton is one of my favorite all-time authors, with his Night's Dawn series being one of my favorite science fiction outings.

Judas Unchained is the concluding half of the Commonwealth Saga begun in Pandora's Star.

Pandora's Star ends with an Alien invasion which seem to threaten the very existence of the human race. Judas Unchained starts seconds later.

The multiple plot strands that are strewn through the two novels finally come to fruition in the second book, and reward the reader for sticking through nearly two thousand pages of exposition.

If you like military space wars, these books are for you. If you like utopian, advanced technology societies ("death" has been solved through the use of memory storage and cloning), these books are for you. If you like depiction of alien creatures and societies, these books are for you. If you like suspense and mystery, these books are for you.

Hamilton does an incredible job of weaving different genres of fiction around a solid core of hard, speculative fiction whose intricacy is frankly breathtaking.

Length: 992 pages. Publisher: Del Rel (January 25, 2005).

OVERALL GRADE: A/A-.

PLOT: A.
IMAGERY: A.
IMPACT: A.
WRITING: A-.

The Dracaena Bloomed!

Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig' in bloom

Look what I woke up to find in my living room this morning!

REVIEW: Peter F. Hamilton's PANDORA'S STAR

Peter F. Hamilton is the best-selling "speculative fiction" author of the acclaimed (and intricate) Night's Dawn trilogy. I have read that series twice (which is no mean feat because the entire thing consists of three 1000-plus page books: The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God) and have been looking forward to reading more work from this incredible author. I came across Pandora's Star and read it on my trip to Puerto Rico in May 2007. As usual with Hamilton, the novel has been enthusiastically reviewed.

I agree, generally, with the enthusiasm for (and Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained). Hamilton has again created a densely populated universe, filled with well-sketched characters and fascinating technology. I recently re-read these two sprawling novels in The Commonwealth Universe in anticipation of Hamilton's next work, The Void Trilogy, which is set 1200 years in the future of the same Universe.

Hamilton is well-known for his hard sci-fi space operas, particularly the now-legendary Nights Dawn trilogy mentioned earlier.

Pandora's Star is a perfect example of this genre, but Hamilton manages to incorporate many tropes from science fiction: First Contact, Alien Invasion, Paradigm-Shifting Scientific Discovery. For good measure, Hamilton incorporates ideas from other genres as well. There are significant murder-mystery and conspiracy sub-plots. The entire story is peppered with sociological commentary on our contemporary world (as most excellent works of art are).

Pandora's Star is an excellent example of the science fiction genre, but also an incredibly enjoyable (and extensive) read.

Publisher: Del Rey. January 2005. 992 Pages.

PLOT: A+.
IMAGERY: A+.
IMPACT: A-.
WRITING: A.

OVERALL GRADE: A.

Federer Defeats Djokovic To Win 16th Masters Title

Roger Federer completed his "2009 revenge tour" by defeating World #4 Novak Djokovic 6-1 7-5 at the Cincinnati Masters series tournament, to win his first hard court title of the year.

Federer followed up his 6-2 7-6(8) defeat of World #2 Andy Murray yesterday to win his 16th ATP Masters title, one behind the all-time leader Andre Agassi, and his 60th ATP Tour title overall.

Federer has an opportunity to win his 6th consecutive US Open and 16th major title overall, starting next week.

Federer Defeats Murray; Serena Loses To Dementieva

World #1 Roger Federer defeated World #2 Andy Murray in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters on Saturday 6-2 7-6(8) for the first time in 5 matches. Federer was very aggressive, especially on the forehand wing and Murray neither served nor returned serve at his typically high level. Federer will face the winner of the Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic match in Sunday's final. Federer improved his lifetime record to 3 wins and 6 losses against Murray.

World #2 Serena Williams lost to World #5 Elena Dementieva 7-6(2) 6-1 in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto. The Russian avenged her 3-set loss in the semifinals of Wimbledon to the eventual champion, Serena Williams and improved to a lifetime head-to-head of 4 wins to 6 losses. Dementieva will face the winner of the Maria Sharapova-Alisa Kleybanova match in Sunday's final.

Usain Bolt Breaks 200M World Record (Again)!

Following up on his stunning 9.58s turn in the 100m dash earlier in the week at the World Championships in Berlin, 22-year-old Jamaican track and field sensation Usain Bolt broke his own world record in the 200m by running a ridiculous 19.19s, again .11s better than the previous world record.

Bolt humiliated the field, winning by .62s ahead of second-place Alonso Edward of Panama (19.81s) and the pulchritudinous Wallace Spearmon of the United States (19.85s).

In his last 5 championship races, Usain Bolt has set 5 world records.