"A jury today found that Led Zeppelin had not plagiarized the opening riff of "Stairway to Heaven." After a day of deliberation, the ruling came back that there was no copyright infringement. An eight-person jury delivered the verdict, ruling there was no "extrinsic similarity between Spirit's 'Taurus' and 'Stairway,'" following five days of testimony from music experts, a former Spirit band member and the surviving members of Led Zeppelin."
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Led Zeppelin Wins Copyright Infringement Suit Over Opening Lick of 'Stairway to Heaven'; ABC News, 6/23/16
Sherene Tagharobi and Lesley Messer, ABC News; Led Zeppelin Wins Copyright Infringement Suit Over Opening Lick of 'Stairway to Heaven' :
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Superintendent; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/22/16
Rob Rogers, Brewed on Grant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Superintendent
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Addiction Treatment Industry Worried Lax Ethics Could Spell Its Doom; Huffington Post, 6/17/16
Ryan Grim, Huffington Post; Addiction Treatment Industry Worried Lax Ethics Could Spell Its Doom:
"The opioid epidemic, which just added Prince to its list of victims, has shoved the addiction industry into the spotlight, and many here at the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers conference worried aloud how the industry’s lax ethical standards would look in the new glare. Nor is greater attention to ethics the providers’ only threat. Drug treatment is now big business, and a wave of consolidation is sweeping the industry, as private equity firms and publicly traded companies look to cash in on the surging rates of addiction. Federal regulators, meanwhile, are pushing to reform the very nature of the services offered by treatment centers... For the first time, the industry’s leading trade group has rolled out an ethics policy that comes with an enforcement mechanism. “We were nudged to do it by the fact that we look around and see ethical violations all over the place,” NAATP Executive Director Marvin Ventrell told the gathering."
Pride After Orlando; New York Times, 6/17/16
Guy Branum, New York Times; Pride After Orlando:
"It’s a dark, cruel joke, but ours is a culture that is not unfamiliar with darkness and cruelty. When people kill us, pass laws against us, make cheap jokes about us, they aren’t actually saying all gay people should die. They’re saying all L.G.B.T. people should know our place, live in silence, lie about who we are. Societal homophobia wants us to be ashamed, and finds ways to punish us if we refuse. The greatest gay rebellion is honest expression of our truth. When word surfaced that the Orlando shooter had frequented gay bars and dating apps, some speculated that he might have been doing research to plan his attack. Gay people understood the other very real possibility, that the attacker might be a man with homosexual desires whom society had filled with so much secret shame that he would do anything to prove his distance from the gay world. It’s a tragic, complex truth that means however revolting I find him, I also have sympathy for the ways shame and the inability to live honestly may have twisted this man into a murderer. The people who were at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on Saturday made the choice to be out and gay, and they paid a horrible price for it. The people who were out in West Hollywood on Sunday, and who will come out around the country this month, were there for all the L.G.B.T. people before us who suffered and struggled to be out and honest, and we did it with pride."
The Violence of Forgetting; New York Times, 6/20/16
Brad Evans and Henry A. Giroux, New York Times; The Violence of Forgetting:
"This is the fifth in a series of dialogues with philosophers and critical theorists on violence. This conversation is with Henry A. Giroux, a professor in the department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. His latest book is “America at War With Itself” (City Lights). Brad Evans: Throughout your work you have dealt with the dangers of ignorance and what you have called the violence of “organized forgetting.” Can you explain what you mean by this and why we need to be attentive to intellectual forms of violence? Henry Giroux: Unfortunately, we live at a moment in which ignorance appears to be one of the defining features of American political and cultural life. Ignorance has become a form of weaponized refusal to acknowledge the violence of the past, and revels in a culture of media spectacles in which public concerns are translated into private obsessions, consumerism and fatuous entertainment. As James Baldwin rightly warned, “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” The warning signs from history are all too clear. Failure to learn from the past has disastrous political consequences. Such ignorance is not simply about the absence of information. It has its own political and pedagogical categories whose formative cultures threaten both critical agency and democracy itself."
Monday, June 20, 2016
The G.O.P.’s Cynical Gay Ploy; New York Times, 6/20/16
Charles M. Blow, New York Times; The G.O.P.’s Cynical Gay Ploy:
"Maybe Republicans want us to forget that, as ThinkProgress reported in December: “Six of the Republican candidates vying for the presidency have signed a pledge promising to support legislation during their first 100 days in the White House that would use the guise of “religious liberty” to give individuals and businesses the right to openly discriminate against L.G.B.T. people.” They want us to forget that although people of all political stripes have evolved on the issue of gay equality — including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton —Republicans are the trailing edge of that evolution. No amount of the exploitation of fear and the revising of history is going to change what we know about the Republican Party and their continued abysmal record on gay rights. In the wake of tragedy, you can’t conveniently hang the L.G.B.T. community on the tree of life as a glistening ornament."
Ron Cook: USGA almost chokes at U.S. Open; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/20/16
Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Ron Cook: USGA almost chokes at U.S. Open:
"Oakmont did a beautiful job with its ninth Open, pulling it off despite violent storms that interrupted play Thursday and could have ruined the weekend. That, too, should have been a big story. What a shame that the USGA had to get in the way. The silliness started on the fifth green of the final round when Johnson backed off a putt and called for a rules official. Johnson had noticed his ball move and wanted to make sure the officials knew he had nothing to do with it. He didn’t want to be penalized one stroke. The official appeared satisfied with Johnson’s explanation. That should have been the end of it. Golf is the one sport where integrity and honor still exist. Saturday, Shane Lowry, who ended up finishing in a tie for second behind Johnson, called a one-stroke penalty on himself when he noticed his ball move on the 16th green. “I had to penalize myself,” he said afterward. If I’m the USGA, I would have believed Johnson when he said he wasn’t responsible."
Trump’s lies aren’t unique to America: Post-truth politics are killing democracies on both sides of the Atlantic; Salon, 6/19/16
Brogan Morris, Salon; Trump’s lies aren’t unique to America: Post-truth politics are killing democracies on both sides of the Atlantic:
"“There was a time, not long ago, when we would differ on the interpretation of the facts. We would differ on the analysis. We would differ on prescriptions for our problems. But fundamentally we agreed on the facts. That was then. Today, many feel entitled to their own facts.” So said Marty Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post, in a speech he gave to Temple University’s newest Media and Communication graduates not two weeks ago. Baron was talking about a new form of politics that’s been taking hold, a kind that brings into question the prospects of these hopeful future journos, a kind that threatens democracy as we know it."
Mob Shaming: The Pillory at the Center of the Global Village; New York Times, 6/19/16
Clyde Haberman, New York Times; Mob Shaming: The Pillory at the Center of the Global Village:
"Once upon a time, miscreants subjected to public ridicule were pilloried for perhaps a few hours. In internet life, that can last forever. “You never escape it,” Danielle Keats Citron said. She is a law professor at the University of Maryland and author of “Hate Crimes in Cyberspace” (2014). “When you post something really damaging, reputationally damaging, about someone online, it’s searchable and seeable,” she told Retro Report. “And you can’t erase it.” Does shame have a legitimate place in our lives? Mark Twain seemed to think so. “Man is the only animal that blushes,” Twain wrote in 1897. “Or needs to,” he added. Jennifer Jacquet, an assistant professor of environmental studies at New York University, shares the sentiment. In her book “Is Shame Necessary?” (2015), the professor argues that shaming can be a strategy for beneficial change, notably if the targets are corporate polluters and others whose deeds harm the commonweal. She is not opposed to chastising individuals publicly, as long as the tactics are not abusive, but her preference is to call out governments and large organizations that behave badly. “Shaming is better used for the collective well-being,” she said in an interview."
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Al-Jazeera employees among six sentenced to death in Egypt; Associated Press via Guardian, 6/18/16
Associated Press via Guardian; Al-Jazeera employees among six sentenced to death in Egypt:
"All of Saturday’s verdicts can be appealed against. Of the case’s 11 defendants, seven, including Morsi, are in custody. Amnesty International called for the death sentences to be immediately thrown out and for the “ludicrous charges against the journalists to be dropped”. The two al-Jazeera employees – identified by the judge as news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed Sablan and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Helal – were sentenced to death in absentia along with Asmaa al-Khateib, who worked for Rassd, a media network widely suspected of links to Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Jazeera condemned the verdicts, saying they were part of a “ruthless” campaign against freedom of expression, and called on the international community to show solidarity with the journalists. “This sentence is only one of many politicised sentences that target al-Jazeera and its employees,” said the network’s acting director, Mostefa Souag. “They are illogical convictions and legally baseless. Al-Jazeera strongly denounces targeting its journalists and stands by the other journalists who have also been sentenced."... Egypt was ranked 158 out of 180 countries in the 2015 Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders. In December, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Egypt was second only to China as the world’s worst jailer of journalists in 2015."
Led Zeppelin faces copyright case for ‘Stairway to Heaven’; PBS NewsHour, 6/19/16
[Podcast and Transcript] Phil Hirschkorn, PBS NewsHour; Led Zeppelin faces copyright case for ‘Stairway to Heaven’ :
"This week in Los Angeles federal court, a jury began hearing evidence and testimony on whether rock band Led Zeppelin may have lifted part of their iconic song, “Stairway to Heaven.” At stake is the band’s reputation and millions of dollars. NewsHour Weekend’s Phil Hirschkorn reports."
Amid Tragedy, Libraries Can Offer Help and Hope: A statement from the chair of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table; American Libraries, 6/14/16
Peter D. Coyl, American Libraries; Amid Tragedy, Libraries Can Offer Help and Hope: A statement from the chair of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table:
"The GLBTQ community has been rocked by this past weekend’s horrific act of violence in Orlando, Florida. It is troubling and scary to know that our community was singled out in a place where we gather. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table has been working closely with ALA in response to this tragedy, and it is of paramount concern to ALA that its members and conference attendees are safe. ALA is working with our conference venue to ensure the safety and security of those who attend. We have also been working with Conference Services and other ALA units to provide programs in response to this tragedy. We are investigating holding a blood drive and are asking ALA members to participate. Many people do not know that most gay men are prohibited from donating under FDA guidelines, which is a stinging rebuke when your community has been so severely affected. In conjunction with the Office of Intellectual Freedom we will hold a readout at the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Attendees will have the opportunity to read from a banned or GLBTQ-related book to show support for the community. Many have reached out and asked what they can do to help at home. We’d encourage libraries to let their community know they are a safe place. Let the community know about GLBT Book Month. Use the “Open to All” toolkit as a starting point if you are unsure how to offer services to GLBTQ customers. Libraries can and should be safe places. Even if you are far from Orlando, there are those you serve who are affected by this tragedy. They are looking for help and hope. The library can provide that as we open our doors and are truly open to all."
Court Decides All Bits Are Equal; New York Times, 6/15/16
Quentin Hardy, New York Times; Court Decides All Bits Are Equal:
"Count on an appeal, and most likely a final decision by the Supreme Court, because the concept of net neutrality touches on key philosophical and pragmatic aspects of modern life. Is fast internet service now essential, since we need it to get a job or find out when the movie is on? Is broadband so essential that companies providing it must be regulated by the F.C.C. in how they treat customers? What sort of essential commodity is the delivery of bits — is it like electricity, which is often priced against periods of peak usage? Is it like water, which must be provided at all times, but has different costs around the country based on difficulty of delivery? Is it something new? On the other side, shouldn’t a company developing a new product have to consider how many bits it will be using, or other constraints it is putting on a system counted on by millions of people? When companies build a network for one purpose, and the network is overwhelmed by a new digital product that uses more bandwidth, should the old pricing rules apply?"
Progress Worth Noting: Congress Strengthens The Freedom Of Information Act And The Public’s Right To Know; Huffington Post, 6/17/16
Dorothy Samuels, Huffington Post; Progress Worth Noting: Congress Strengthens The Freedom Of Information Act And The Public’s Right To Know:
"In a gloomy news week dominated by the slaughter of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. and its aftermath, it is understandable that Congressional approval of unrelated legislation easing access to government records has not garnered tons of public attention. But Monday’s House passage of the bipartisan Freedom of Information Improvement Act previously approved by the Senate (also by a unanimous vote) now sends to the White House a major FOIA reform bill and blast against Washington’s culture of unwarranted government secrecy. President Obama has said he’ll sign the measure — a fitting way to mark the 50th anniversary of the nation’s premier transparency law this July 4th. The bill’s foremost accomplishment is that it will embed in federal law a “presumption of openness,” making it clear that “sunshine, not secrecy, is the default setting of our government” and “government information belongs in the hands of the people,” as Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Senate’s foremost Democratic champion of the legislation puts it... The idea is to make it harder for agency officials deny release of government information sought under the FOIA. The “presumption of openness” was first laid out as executive branch policy by President Bill Clinton, only to be reversed by his successor, President George W. Bush. President Obama reinstated it in 2009 as one of his first acts upon taking office, but his administration has been criticized for straying from the commitment to openness in practice, even lobbying against a similar version of the legislation that nearly passed both houses of Congress two years ago."
House defeats privacy measure in wake of Orlando shootings; Politico, 6/16/16
Cory Bennett, Politico; House defeats privacy measure in wake of Orlando shootings:
"The House on Thursday blocked an amendment that opponents said would have taken away critical intelligence tools just four days after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. The 198-222 vote is a blow for privacy advocates who have spent years building support for the amendment, which would have barred the government from forcing companies to weaken their encryption for law enforcement. The provision passed the House twice in 2014 and 2015 by wide margins, before being stripped each time during conferences with the Senate. But Sunday’s deadly assault in Orlando, in which suspected Islamic State supporter Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people at a gay nightclub, caused a drastic erosion in support for the language... Numerous hawkish lawmakers have introduced bills to either delay surveillance reforms or strengthen the government’s ability to collect data. A widely supported email privacy bill — which would require law enforcement to seek a warrant before accessing stored email — is even being held up in the Senate over an amendment that would let the FBI use national security letters to obtain email and Internet metadata."
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Dalai Lama to address California Legislature on Monday about ethics, the environment; San Jose Mercury News, 6/18/16
Jessica Calefati, San Jose Mercury News; Dalai Lama to address California Legislature on Monday about ethics, the environment:
"Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will visit the Capitol and speak before both houses of the state Legislature on Monday. The speech will cover "compassion, the environment and ethical leadership," according to a press release distributed by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. The visit comes several days after the Dalai Lama met with President Barack Obama despite warnings from China that that the meeting would damage diplomatic relations."
Trump, His Virus and the Dark Age of Unreason; Bill Moyers & Company, 6/16/16
Bill Moyers and Michael Winship; Trump, His Virus and the Dark Age of Unreason:
"So the ghost of Joseph McCarthy lives on in Donald Trump as he accuses President Obama of treason, slanders women, mocks people with disabilities and impugns every politician or journalist who dares call him out for the liar and bamboozler he is. The ghosts of all the past American demagogues live on in him as well, although none of them have ever been so dangerous — none have come as close to the grand prize of the White House... We can hope for journalists with the courage and integrity of an Edward R. Murrow to challenge this would-be tyrant, to put the truth to every lie and publicly shame the devil for his outrages. We can hope for the likes of Joseph Welch, who demanded to know whether McCarthy had any sense of decency. Think of Gonzalo Curiel, the jurist Trump accused of persecuting him because of the judge’s Mexican heritage. Curiel has revealed the soulless little man behind the curtain of Trump’s alleged empire, the avaricious money-grubber who conned hard-working Americans out of their hard-won cash to attend his so-called “university.” And we can hope there still remain in the Republican Party at least a few brave politicians who will stand up to Trump, as some did McCarthy... No profiles in courage there. But why should we expect otherwise? Their acquiescence, their years of kowtowing to extremism in the appeasement of their base, have allowed Trump and his nightmarish sideshow to steal into the tent and take over the circus. Alexander Pope once said that party spirit is at best the madness of the many for the gain of a few. A kind of infection, if you will — a virus that spreads through the body politic, contaminating all. Trump and his ilk would sweep the promise of America into the dustbin of history unless they are exposed now to the disinfectant of sunlight, the cleansing torch of truth. Nothing else can save us from the dark age of unreason that would arrive with the triumph of Donald Trump."
First Person: A refuge no more: Gays bars have been safe havens for the LGBT community; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/18/16
Walter G. Meyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; First Person: A refuge no more: Gays bars have been safe havens for the LGBT community:
"It was gratifying to see so many people — gay, straight and of all races — queue up to give blood for the victims in Orlando. It was touching to hear so many voices expressing outrage and solidarity. Equality Florida’s GoFundMe page to support the victims collected more than $1 million on its first day. But all this is not enough. We need to speak up to shut down hateful rhetoric from any quarter that signals to people that it is somehow OK to kill people in a church or a gay bar. Pittsburgh’s Fred Rogers was famous for a quote that spread across Facebook after the tragedy in Orlando: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” We all need to be helpers. And become more caring. And end the hate. I’ve often said that I don’t mind being known as a writer who is gay, but that I don’t want to be known as just a “gay writer.” I didn’t want the adjective to define me. Today I am a gay writer. And today I will serve my community with my pen and my camera."
Saturday Diary: To live with pride and stay alive; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/18/16
Olena Goncharova, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Saturday Diary: To live with pride and stay alive:
"When it comes to freedom of speech and other constitutional rights, Americans often take them for granted. While in the summer of 2015 the American LGBTQ community celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to legally recognize same-sex marriage, thousands of miles away a group of violent homophobes attacked a peaceful march of 200 gay activists in Kiev, Ukraine. When I tell people about that here in the United States, they seem not to believe it. But homophobia is real and raw in Ukraine, and every pride parade we have is a test of Ukrainian tolerance and police protection... I personally know Mr. Skoropadsky and some members of Right Sector. Aside from their hatred of gays, they are decent people who consider themselves patriots. But don’t try to persuade them that LGBTQ equality should be accepted by Ukraine. They are not happy that the country is adopting gay-friendly policies to improve its chances of joining the European Union as an associate member. Among those policies has been outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity at work places – which, by the way, is still allowed in most U.S. states, including Pennsylvania. This gives hope to LGBTQ people in Ukraine and allows more of them to feel they no longer must hide who they are."
Two marines under investigation for alleged threat against gay bars; Guardian, 6/17/16
Sam Levin, Guardian; Two marines under investigation for alleged threat against gay bars:
"Two active-duty US marine corps members are under investigation for a social media post showing a man in uniform with a rifle and the caption “Coming to a gay bar near you!” – an apparent reference to the mass shooting at an LGBT nightclub that killed 49 people. The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is investigating the man in the photo, which was shared on Snapchat, along with another active-duty marine, who reposted the image with the message “Too soon?”, according to spokeswoman Major Staci Reidinger... The photo was reportedly posted on a private Facebook group, called Camp MENdleton resale, which describes itself as a “group for male Marines, Corpsman, and other active duty, reserve, retired, and veteran service members”... “Orlando was long overdue,” read the message, which was posted on a San Diego Craigslist page, according to local station KGTV. “Those people were walking diseases, bug chasers, and thank god for AIDS and 9-11 and now Orlando. San Diego you are next.” A pastor in northern California also faced intense backlash this week after he delivered a virulently anti-LGBT sermon, saying Orlando is “a little safer tonight” and “the tragedy is that more of them didn’t die”."
Melvin Dwork, Once Cast From Navy for Being Gay, Dies at 94; New York Times, 6/16/16
Robert D. McFadden, New York Times; Melvin Dwork, Once Cast From Navy for Being Gay, Dies at 94:
"In 2011, after years of trying to remove the blot on his record, Mr. Dwork, supported by advocates for gay and lesbian military personnel and veterans, won his point. The Navy officially changed his discharge to honorable. “It meant an awful lot to me because I know I never did anything disgraceful or dishonest,” Mr. Dwork said in a 2014 interview for this obituary, in which he spoke of painful military policies and glacially slow changes toward gay and lesbian service members. Mr. Dwork, who became a hero to gay people for his persistence in fighting the dishonorable discharge, died on Tuesday in Manhattan, Alan Salz, the executor of his estate, said. He was 94. Mr. Dwork was believed to be the first veteran of World War II to have an “undesirable” discharge for being gay expunged, although his case may have opened the floodgates for appeals in hundreds of similar cases. His was resolved shortly before the military ended its 18-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which barred openly gay people from service but prohibited discrimination against those not open about their sexuality."
The challenges in covering Trump’s relentless assault on the truth; Washington Post, 6/16/16
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post; The challenges in covering Trump’s relentless assault on the truth:
"My aim is to defend the truth. Political discourse can be civil or rowdy, gracious or mean. But to have any meaning, it has to be grounded in fact. Trump presents a novel challenge for both the media and the voting public. There is no playbook for evaluating a candidate who so constantly says things that objectively are not true... How are we in the media supposed to cover such a man? The traditional approach, which seeks fairness through nonjudgmental balance, seems inadequate. It does not seem fair to write “Trump claimed the sky is maroon while Clinton claimed it is blue” without noting that the sky is, in fact, blue. It does not seem fair to even present this as a “question” worthy of debate, as if honest people could disagree. One assertion is objectively false and one objectively true. It goes against all journalistic instinct to write in a news article, as The Post did Monday, that Trump’s national security address was “a speech laden with falsehoods and exaggeration.” But I don’t think we’re doing our job if we simply report assertions of fact without evaluating whether they are factual. Trump’s lies also present a challenge for voters. The normal assumption is that politicians will bend the truth to fit their ideology — not that they will invent fake “truth” out of whole cloth. Trump is not just an unorthodox candidate. He is an inveterate liar — maybe pathological, maybe purposeful. He doesn’t distort facts, he makes them up. Trump has a right to his anger, his xenophobia and his bigotry. He also has a right to lie — but we all have a duty to call him on it."
Friday, June 17, 2016
The Guardian view on Jo Cox: an attack on humanity, idealism and democracy; Guardian, 6/16/16
Guardian; The Guardian view on Jo Cox: an attack on humanity, idealism and democracy:
"The slide from civilisation to barbarism is shorter than we might like to imagine. Every violent crime taints the ideal of an orderly society, but when that crime is committed against the people who are peacefully selected to write the rules, then the affront is that much more profound. The killing, by stabbing and repeated shooting in the street, of Jo Cox is, in the first instance, an exceptionally heinous villainy. She was the mother of two very young children, who will now have to grow up without her. It is also, however, in a very real sense, an attack on democracy. Violence against MPs in Britain is mercifully rare. Only three have been killed in recent history: Airey Neave, Tony Berry and Ian Gow, all of them at the hands of the Irish republicans. Two others, Nigel Jones and Stephen Timms, have been grievously wounded, the latter by a woman citing jihadi inspiration and rage about the Iraq war. Whatever the cause, an attack on a parliamentarian is always an attack on parliament as well, which was as clear in Thursday’s case as any before... Jo Cox, however, was not just any MP doing her duty. She was also an MP who was driven by an ideal. The former charity worker explained what that ideal was as eloquently as anyone could in her maiden speech last year. “Our communities have been deeply enhanced by immigration,” she insisted, “be it of Irish Catholics across the constituency or of Muslims from Gujarat in India or from Pakistan, principally from Kashmir. While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.” What nobler vision can there be than that of a society where people can be comfortable in their difference? And what more fundamental tenet of decency is there than to put first and to cherish all that makes us human, as opposed to what divides one group from another? These are ideals that are often maligned when they are described as multiculturalism, but they are precious nonetheless. They are the ideals which led Ms Cox to campaign tirelessly for the brutalised and displaced people of Syria, and – the most painful thought – ideals for which she may now have died."
The GOP is learning the hard way that character matters; Washington Post, 6/16/16
Michael Gerson, Washington Post; The GOP is learning the hard way that character matters:
"Republicans are beginning to see that the main problem with their presumptive nominee is not his lack of basic knowledge or his inability to stay on the script of sanity for 10 minutes at a time. The problem is Donald Trump’s public character, which no amount of last-minute coaching can change. Trump’s instincts were on full display in his reaction to the Orlando terrorist attack. There was a pronounced lack of empathy for victims. There was a resort to insanely partisan conspiracy theories — including insinuations that President Obama is the Manchurian Muslim. There was an almost gleeful credit grab in asserting that his accusations about the violent nature of Islam were vindicated... The presumptive Republican nominee has already proposed the largest police operation (by far) in American history — the rounding up of more than 11 million people and forcing them across the border. What limiting principle would prevent a roundup of all Muslims? Trump has already proposed the murder of terrorists’ families. What is the limiting principle that would prevent his use of nuclear weapons against the Islamic State capital of Raqqa? Trump has already raised the possibility that Obama is a Kenyan and a jihadist and that Hillary Clinton was involved in Vince Foster’s murder. What limiting principle would prevent President Trump from targeting congressional opponents with innuendo that they are traitors or murderers, or any other accusation that Alex Jones puts on the Web? Trump has already proposed changing libel laws in order to restrict media criticism against him. What limiting principle would prevent him from, well, changing libel laws to restrict media criticism against him?... Either way, Republicans are learning the hard way that character counts."
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Panels Brainstorm Ideas On Innovation And Drug Access; Intellectual Property Watch, 6/15/16
Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch; Panels Brainstorm Ideas On Innovation And Drug Access:
"The Harvard Global Health Institute and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society & Global Access in Action co-organised an event on practical strategies to expand access to medicine and promote innovation on 13 June. The event was partly webcast. In his introductory remarks, Ashish Jha, K.T. Li professor of international health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, talked about the tension between two communities with two competing sets of ideas. The first set, he said, is the real practical need for more innovation for treating diseases and diagnostic tests. However, innovation fundamentally is expensive, “and there is no shortcut that we know of to make innovation happen without anybody’s forces,” he said. The opposing factor, he said, is that a very large proportion of the world’s population that cannot afford to pay for the innovation. “The idea that innovation would only benefit those who can afford to pay for it is an idea that we feel is both from a moral, economic, and intellectual perspective, unsustainable.” “We have to move forward beyond this tension, beyond this point of contention … and find practical solutions” that both support innovation yet ensure that there is broad access, he said."
ALA president responds to Orlando mass shooting; American Library Association (ALA), 6/13/16
[Press Release] ALA President Sari Feldman, American Library Association (ALA); ALA president responds to Orlando mass shooting:
"American Library Association (ALA) President Sari Feldman released the following statement regarding the tragic mass shooting at Pulse, a popular GLBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida. “The library community is deeply saddened by the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando,” said Feldman. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends, and the GLBTQ community. “Our nation’s libraries serve communities with equity, dignity and respect. ALA will carry this legacy to Orlando. In defiance of fear, ignorance and intolerance, the library community will continue its profound commitment to transforming communities by lending its support. “In less than two weeks the ALA will host its Annual Conference and Exhibition at the Orange County Convention Center. We will work collaboratively with the leaders of ALA’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT); ethnic caucuses; and executive office to discuss our expressions of support. ALA Conference Services has reached out to our convention center partners and are working closely with them and local authorities to ensure that we will have a safe and secure conference. “As the ALA prepares, I can’t help but recall past conferences where attendees rolled up their sleeves to foster change. ALA conference attendees were on the front lines of relief and social justice efforts as they supported New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina; Toronto during the SARS virus outbreak; and now continuing their support in Orlando despite this weekend’s senseless act of violence. We will actively reach out to local groups in Orlando to determine the most effective ways we can lend support and contribute to the healing. “Librarians and library workers are community leaders, motivators and social change agents. During the conference attendees will hold the power to influence social change by means of example. Members will have an opportunity to support the people of Orlando by wearing armbands in support of diversity, equality and inclusion; volunteering for community relief projects; and supporting local minority owned businesses. The ALA also is currently working on efforts to support an onsite blood drive and Read-Out event. “You can make a difference regardless of whether you attend the ALA Annual Conference. In a tragedy, we often feel overwhelmed or powerless, but within the next few days the ALA Annual Conference website at http://2016.alaannual.org will empower members to give support. The site will provide a list of relief organizations supporting Orlando shooting victims and their families. The site also will have information regarding ALA diversity and inclusion resources. “Like the libraries we represent, the profession’s commitment to supporting communities, social justice, and abolishing intolerance is unwavering.” The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all."
Library Field Responds to Orlando Tragedy; Library Journal, 6/16/16
Lisa Peet, Library Journal; Library Field Responds to Orlando Tragedy:
"Update: ALA is planning a planning a memorial gathering at the Annual Conference on Saturday, June 25, 8–8:30 a.m. in the OCCC Auditorium, and a special conference Read Out co-sponsored by GLBTRT and OIF. Details on other support activities during the conference can be found here. In the wake of the shooting in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on the night of June 12, which killed 49 people and injured 53 others, library administration and staff, organizations and vendors have stepped up with statements of solidarity, offers of help, and opportunities to join forces with the LGBTQ and Latinx communities—the shooting occurred during Pulse’s Latin night—to mourn those killed and wounded. LOCAL LIBRARIES STAY STRONG Mary Anne Hodel, director and CEO of Orlando’s Orange County Library System (OCLS), posted a message on the library’s homepage, decrying the “despicable act of violence, and pointing users to a resource guide assembled by OCLS for those coping with the loss and looking for ways to support others. She added, “Moving forward, we will be exploring other ways that OCLS can be part of the healing process. Thank you, Orlando, for being so strong and so brave. We are proud to be part of this community.”"
In a moving, tearful speech, Utah's lieutenant governor apologized for past homophobia; Vox, 6/15/16
Emily Crockett, Vox; In a moving, tearful speech, Utah's lieutenant governor apologized for past homophobia:
"Cox talked about how he grew up in a small, rural town and that sometimes he "wasn’t kind" to kids in his high school class who were "different." "I didn’t know it at the time, but I know now that they were gay. I will forever regret not treating them with the kindness, dignity, and respect — the love — that they deserved. For that, I sincerely and humbly apologize." Since then, he said, "My heart has changed. It has changed because of you. It has changed because I have gotten to know many of you. You have been patient with me." Cox said that the 49 "beautiful, amazing people" who died in the attack "are not just statistics. These were individuals. These are human beings. They each have a story. They each had dreams, goals, talents, friends, family. They are you, and they are me." He concluded by asking listeners to "be a little kinder," and to try to love someone who is different from them. "For my straight friends, might I suggest starting with someone who is gay," he said."
Manners maketh Nan: Google praises 86-year-old for polite internet searches; Guardian, 6/16/16
Oliver Holmes, Guardian; Manners maketh Nan: Google praises 86-year-old for polite internet searches:
"John, a 25-year-old from Wigan, has been retweeted more than 11,000 times. He told the BBC he and his boyfriend do not have a clothes dryer so they go to Ashworth’s house for their laundry. “I asked my nan why she used ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and it seemed she thinks that there is someone – a physical person – at Google’s headquarters who looks after the searches. “She thought that by being polite and using her manners, the search would be quicker,” he said... Google UK thanked “Ben’s Nan” saying: “In a world of billions of searches, yours made us smile. “Oh, and it’s 1998,” it added. “Thank YOU”."
We need to be angry to overcome the tragedy in Orlando; Guardian, 6/15/16
[Video] Steven W. Thrasher, Guardian; We need to be angry to overcome the tragedy in Orlando:
"Steven W Thrasher gives a personal response to mass killing at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Thrasher says we should approach this tragedy with love, but also a renewed sense of anger at gun lobbyists, hyper masculinity and other sources of oppression."
Have Christians Created a Harmful Atmosphere for Gays?; New York Times, 6/16/16
Room for Debate, New York Times; Have Christians Created a Harmful Atmosphere for Gays? :
"“Sadly it is religion, including our own,” a Florida bishop wrote after the massacre in a gay club in Orlando, that can “plant the seed of contempt, then hatred, which can ultimately lead to violence” against gays, lesbians and transgender people. One congressman said, “We are not blameless, when we tell government contractors it is O.K. to discriminate against someone because they are gay or lesbian – or tell transgender school children that we will not respect their gender identity.” But is it fair to say that people share any blame for Saturday night’s attack because they oppose L.G.B.T. equality for religious reasons? And while the media is focused on the role that Muslim anti-gay rhetoric may have played in this slaughter, do conservative Christians need to accept greater civil rights for L.G.B.T people in order to create a less hurtful atmosphere in the United States?"
Prince William Appears on the Cover of Attitude, a Gay Magazine; New York Times, 6/15/16
Katie Williams, New York Times; Prince William Appears on the Cover of Attitude, a Gay Magazine:
"After meeting with a group of gay people who said they had been bullied, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, appeared on the cover of Attitude, a gay magazine, and urged young people to report instances of abuse to an adult. “No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason, and no one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives,” Prince William said in an accompanying statement. “You should be proud of the person you are, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.” The cover was planned weeks before a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., killed 49 people, but the magazine said in a statement that the type of hatred exhibited by the gunman, Omar Mateen, begins at an early age. “Such violence does not exist in a vacuum but snowballs from intolerance and bullying that begins in classrooms, too often comes from politicians, religious leaders and is often not treated with respect by the media,” the statement read. For Prince William, the decision to meet with members of the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community appears to be a further venture into gay rights issues and an extension of a broader effort to combat bullying."
Las Vegas Judge Who Humiliated Defense Attorney Loses Election In A Landslide; Huffington Post, 6/15/16
Matt Ferner, Huffington Post; Las Vegas Judge Who Humiliated Defense Attorney Loses Election In A Landslide:
"A Las Vegas judge who last month ordered a public defender to be placed in handcuffs in court, saying she needed to learn “a lesson” about courtroom etiquette, got a lesson of his own when he lost his seat in Tuesday’s primary election in Nevada... As Bakhtary tried to speak, Hafen told her to “be quiet“ and then ordered a court marshal to handcuff Bakhtary and seat her in the jury box next to inmates. Hafen then sentenced Bakhtary’s client to six months in jail. “Clearly Zohra was acting within the bounds of her constitutionally mandated role as an advocate for her client when Judge Hafen had her placed in handcuffs,” Ryan Bashor, president of the Clark County Defenders Union, told The Huffington Post in an email. “The voters overwhelmingly expressed their disapproval of the Judge’s actions.”... “This judge came off looking unjudicial, undisciplined and unprofessional,” Ken White, a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles and a leading voice on legal issues on the law-oriented blog Popehat, told HuffPost. “Some judges — this may be one — have more of a hair trigger when a woman interrupts them than a man. Certainly judges have more of a hair trigger when a defense attorney interrupts them.”"
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando; New York Times, 6/15/16
Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times; Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando:
"“Science allows us to communicate across the seas and fly above the clouds, to cure disease and understand the cosmos, but those same discoveries can be turned into ever more efficient killing machines,” the president noted. “The wars of the modern age teach us this truth. Hiroshima teaches this truth. Technological progress without an equivalent progress in human institutions can doom us. The scientific revolution that led to the splitting of an atom requires a moral revolution as well.” What the president was describing is the central strategic issue of our time: the growing mismatch between the combined rapid evolution of our technological prowess and the powers this gives to a single individual or group to destroy at scale (you can make your own gun now with a 3-D-printer), and the pace of our moral and social evolution to govern and use these powers responsibly. And that brings me to the Orlando massacre — to what happens when, on a smaller scale, we refuse to reimagine the social and legal changes we need to manage a world where one loser can now kill so many innocent people... We need to make choices appropriate for our age when technology can so amplify the power of one. We need common-sense gun laws, common-sense gender equality and religious pluralism and common-sense privacy laws. But that takes common-sense leaders, not ones who think the complexities of this age can be bombed away, walled away, willed away or insulted away. Stop for a moment and reflect on what this week would have been like had Donald Trump been president — the carpet-bombing he’d have ordered in the Middle East, the fear and isolation his Muslim ban would have engendered in every Muslim-American, the joy that ISIS would have taken from being at war with all of America, the license this would have given to crazies in our own society to firebomb a mosque. And the backlash that would engender among Muslims around the world, the most radical of whom would be firebombing our embassies. When America goes nuts, the world goes nuts."
After Orlando, Gay Rights Moves off Diplomatic Back Burner; New York Times, 6/14/16
Somini Sengupta, New York Times; After Orlando, Gay Rights Moves off Diplomatic Back Burner:
"Sexual orientation was one of those subjects burdened with too many cultural sensitivities. American officials, even if they wanted to advance it on the diplomatic agenda, were wary of offending their allies, not least in the Islamic world. The attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., moved the needle. In its aftermath, the United States corralled an unlikely group of countries to support a United Nations Security Council statement that condemned the attack for “targeting persons as a result of their sexual orientation.” Even Egypt and Russia — not known for embracing their gay and lesbian citizens — signed on, after what diplomats called intense consultations... The attack in Orlando on Sunday enabled the United States to elevate the issue on the diplomatic agenda. On Monday morning, as the world was still absorbing the news of the attack, the alternate United States ambassador to the United Nations, David Pressman, told the 193-member General Assembly that condolences were not enough. “If we are united in our outrage by the killing of so many — and we are — let us be equally united around the basic premise of upholding the universal dignity of all persons regardless of who they love, not just around condemning the terrorists who kill them,” Mr. Pressman said."
Donald Trump Responds to Orlando Attack by Exploiting Fear, Not Easing It; New York Times, 6/14/16
Patrick Healy and Thomas Kaplan, New York Times; Donald Trump Responds to Orlando Attack by Exploiting Fear, Not Easing It:
"Julian E. Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton, said Mr. Trump was using the attack as an I-told-you-so moment. “He would see this as a confirmation of all the things he has been saying about the threat the United States faces and the need to be more aggressive,” he said. Professor Zelizer cast Mr. Trump as part of a political strain dating at least from the 1950s. “When the United States is faced with national security threats or national security crises, you play to fear, you play to the anger of the electorate and you offer promises of military might as the solution,” he said. In the jittery aftermath of a terrorist attack, people find themselves leaning on “emotional reasoning, as opposed to thinking through these kinds of issues rationally,” said Samuel Justin Sinclair, an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and a co-author of “The Psychology of Terrorism Fears.”"
A Time to Stand With Gay Americans; New York Times, 6/14/16
Frank Bruni, New York Times; A Time to Stand With Gay Americans:
"This is one of those moments, in the wake of terror, when we find the most apt and evocative ways to underscore our oneness and renounce our fear. When we make grand gestures. When we make pointed ones. So Majority Leader McConnell, pick your rally. Speaker Ryan, accompany him. Governor Scott, attend the funerals of gay victims. Other Republicans and Democrats, recognize L.G.B.T. Americans with both your words and your presence at gay pride celebrations. You want to show our enemies what America stands for? Then stand with us."
The narrative falls apart: Evidence that Omar Mateen was in the closet undermines GOP framing of the Orlando shooting; Salon, 6/14/16
Amanda Marcotte, Salon; The narrative falls apart: Evidence that Omar Mateen was in the closet undermines GOP framing of the Orlando shooting:
"With the caveats that it’s important to wait for more information, etc., it’s starting to look like this guy had serious personal issues and only latched onto the idea of ISIS because it’s in the news a lot and adds drama and impact to his actions. Which isn’t to say that religion doesn’t play a role in all this. If Mateen was closeted and acting out in large part because of self-loathing and repression, then it’s more than safe to note that his religious beliefs were contributing to that. (Mateen’s father continues to issue religiously motivated anti-gay sentiments in public.) Many variations of Islam teach anti-gay views, just like many variations of Christianity; it’s foolish to deny otherwise. But that, of course, is just the point. If the issue here is religiously motivated homophobia, then that’s a problem that is far from unique to Islam. It suggests the problem is not whether you read the Koran or the Bible, but whether or not you use religion as an excuse to wallow in bigotry. Which, in turn, implicates the Republican party that has spent decades stoking and exploiting Christian homophobia. You can pretend that Islam is a unique problem if the issue is violence done in the name of ISIS and their apocalyptic fantasies. Islam simply isn’t the only religion that teaches anti-gay views. There’s not a lot of wiggle room here."
The Corrosive Politics That Threaten L.G.B.T. Americans; New York Times, 6/15/16
Editorial Board, New York Times; The Corrosive Politics That Threaten L.G.B.T. Americans:
"While the precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear, it is evident that Mr. Mateen was driven by hatred toward gays and lesbians. Hate crimes don’t happen in a vacuum. They occur where bigotry is allowed to fester, where minorities are vilified and where people are scapegoated for political gain. Tragically, this is the state of American politics, driven too often by Republican politicians who see prejudice as something to exploit, not extinguish... It’s hard to say how many politicians take these positions as a matter of principle and how many do so because it has proved to be an effective way in the past to raise money and turn out the vote. As the funerals are held for those who perished on Sunday, lawmakers who have actively championed discriminatory laws and policies, and those who have quietly enabled them with votes, should force themselves to read the obituaries and look at the photos. The 49 people killed in Orlando were victims of a terrorist attack. But they also need to be remembered as casualties of a society where hate has deep roots."
Rep. Jim Himes: Why I walked out of the House’s moment of silence for Orlando; Washington Post, 6/14/16
Jim Himes, Washington Post; Rep. Jim Himes: Why I walked out of the House’s moment of silence for Orlando:
"Then I thought about how Congress would respond to the latest atrocity. There would be, for the umpteenth time, a moment of silence. To “honor” the victims. We did it five times just last year: Stop talking about sports and dinner and Donald Trump for about 10 seconds, put on our most serious faces, wonder if we’d turned off our phones. For 10 seconds. Done. Over. On to the next thing. Not me. Not anymore. If the House of Representatives had a solitary moral fiber, even a wisp of human empathy, we would spend moments not in silence, but screaming at painful volume the names of the 49 whose bodies were ripped apart in Orlando, and the previous victims and the ones before them. We’d invite parents and partners and siblings up from Orlando, and ask them to speak, openly, rawly, honestly about their pain. We’d listen. And maybe, just maybe, we’d hear... All I know is that the regular moments of silence on the House floor do not honor the victims of violence. They are an affront. In the chamber where change is made, they are a tepid, self-satisfying emblem of impotence and willful negligence. It is action that will stop next week’s mass shooting. I will not be silent."
The right response to Donald Trump? A media blackout.; Washington Post, 6/14/16
Dana Milbank, Washington Post; The right response to Donald Trump? A media blackout. :
"Donald Trump’s ban of Post journalists has left other news outlets with a stark choice: your ratings or your responsibility as journalists in a free society? Trump’s announcement that he is barring Post journalists from his events follows similar bans he put on reporters from Politico, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Gawker, Foreign Policy, Fusion, Univision, Mother Jones, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the Des Moines Register and the Daily Beast. Trump goons have been known to kick out undesirable reporters at Trump events. For those journalists and media executives who still don’t share the view of Post Executive Editor Martin Baron that Trump’s action “is nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press,” it won’t be long before Trump comes for you, too. Earlier this year, Trump said he would “open up” libel laws — in other words, dispense with the First Amendment — to make it easier for him to sue news outlets. He has suggested that, if president, he would use antitrust laws to harass Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns The Post. And longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone has proposed that a President Trump seek retribution against CNN: “Turn off their FCC license.” This goes beyond even Nixonian hostility."
Anderson Cooper absolutely grilled Florida’s GOP attorney general over her support for LGBT people; Washington Post, 6/14/16
Aaron Blake, Washington Post; Anderson Cooper absolutely grilled Florida’s GOP attorney general over her support for LGBT people:
"Eventually, Bondi tried to steer things away from that territory, but Cooper wouldn't let her. "You know what today's about? Human beings," Bondi said. "Today's about victims." Cooper interjected: "It's about gay and lesbian victims." "It sure is," Bondi said. "LGBT victims.""
In a Race to Save a Man on the Tracks, a Reminder of What’s Good in the World; New York Times, 6/14/16
Jim Dwyer, New York Times; In a Race to Save a Man on the Tracks, a Reminder of What’s Good in the World:
"Ms. Tulic provided her video to Gothamist, and it has been seen more than two million times. One of the men who went onto the tracks, David Tirado, told Rebecca Fishbein of Gothamist that he had visited with the stricken man, who had no recollection of being in the subway or that a congress of strangers had gathered to save him. “That is the greatest thing,” Ms. Tulic said. “The infrastructure in this city of millions is the people themselves providing, being there for others. Without even knowing the person, who he is, no matter what denomination he subscribes to. It was beautiful to see.”"
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Trump revokes Post press credentials, calling the paper ‘dishonest’ and ‘phony’; Washington Post, 6/13/16
Paul Farhi, Washington Post; Trump revokes Post press credentials, calling the paper ‘dishonest’ and ‘phony’ :
"Donald Trump said Monday that he is pulling The Washington Post’s credentials to cover his events because he is upset with the newspaper’s coverage of his campaign. The move puts the newspaper on a long list of media outlets that the presumptive Republican nominee has banned for reporting that displeased him. “Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” read a post on Trump’s Facebook page."
Monday, June 13, 2016
Texas politician's tweet after Orlando massacre appalls Twitter; CNet, 6/12/16
Chris Matyszczyk, CNet; Texas politician's tweet after Orlando massacre appalls Twitter:
"Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted this a few hours after the massacre: "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." This verse from the Bible -- Galatians 6:7 -- may have its appropriate context. Many on Twitter, however, took it as an affirmation of Patrick's anti-LGBT stance. He is against gay marriage. He's been described by Josh Earnest, the president's press secretary, as "a right-wing radio host elected to public state office." Reaction to Patrick's tweet -- posted at 4 a.m. PT on Sunday -- was swift. "Tweeted as new [sic] breaks of mass casualties at a gay nightclub. Vile. Have you no shame?" tweeted one commenter. "Try being a human being for once in your life," tweeted another. Just after 9 a.m. PT the tweet was deleted. Later in the morning, Patrick's office issued a statement. It said in part: "Regarding his morning's scripture posting on social media, be assured that the post was not done in response to last night's tragedy. The post was designed and scheduled last Thursday.""
Can We Please Stop Pretending This Massacre Wasn’t About Homophobia? We are done being erased.; Huffington Post, 6/13/16
JamesMichael Nichols, Huffington Post; Can We Please Stop Pretending This Massacre Wasn’t About Homophobia? We are done being erased.:
"Few things, to me, feel quite as painful as the erasure of the sexual and gender identities of the victims when it comes to reporting on this attack. We as LGBT people spent decades being told that we don’t exist or that our lives do not matter. We’ve been murdered in the streets and incarcerated for trying to live authentically as who we are. When we were dying by the thousands from AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s, those in positions of power turned a blind eye. And now, when are are slaughtered in a nightclub — historically the pinnacle of safe space and community for queer people — the world is trying to erase us once again. Let me say this loud and clear: this was an invasion and massacre of the queer community. If you have trouble understanding the idea of a nightclub as a safe, sacred space, then you’ve clearly never been made to feel like your love is illegitimate, incorrect and something that should be hidden away from the world. You’ve clearly never needed a safe space. We always have. But we will not hide anymore and we will not allow the media — or anyone — to erase what this situation is really about: 49 queer and trans people, mostly of color, slaughtered in their sacred space during the one time of the year when we are supposedly celebrated by the public. And if your reporting or conversation is not centered around that idea, then you should do some serious self-reflection. Ask yourself, why am I having trouble accepting that part of the narrative? Why do I so deeply deny that someone could be driven to do something so horrific over an immutable aspect of another’s identity?"
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