Tuesday, April 07, 2009

4th State to Legalize Gay Marriage - Vermont!

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage _ and the first to do so with a legislature's vote.

The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote _ the minimum needed _ to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto. Its vote followed a much easier override vote in the Senate, which rebuffed the Republican governor with a vote of 23-5.

Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and joins Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa in giving gays the right to marry. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.

Tuesday morning's legislative action came less than a day after Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve the lot of gay and lesbian couples because it still would not provide them rights under federal and other states' laws.

House Speaker Shap Smith's announcement of the vote brought an outburst of jubilation from some of the hundreds packed into the gallery and the lobby outside the House chamber, despite the speaker's admonishment against such displays.

Among the celebrants in the lobby were former Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, and his longtime partner, Chuck Kletecka. Dostis recalled efforts to expand gay rights dating to an anti-discrimination law passed in 1992.

"It's been a very long battle. It's been almost 20 years to get to this point," Dostis said. "I think finally, most people in Vermont understand that we're a couple like any other couple. We're as good and as bad as any other group of people. And now I think we have a chance to prove ourselves here on forward that we're good members of our community."

Friday, April 03, 2009

Filipino Domestic Helpers in HK

MANILA, Philippines - A congresswoman yesterday called on a Hong Kong magazine to apologize to the Philippine government for offensive and defamatory comments on Filipinos in an article on the country’s claim over the Spratly islands which China also claims.

Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros voiced strong protest over the article of Chinese writer Chip Tsao published in the HK Magazine of the Asia City Publishing Group, where he called the Philippines a “nation of servants.”

In his article, Tsao protested the Philippine claim over the Spratlys, urging his compatriots not to bow to the Philippines because there are “more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong.”

“As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter,” Tsao said in his article.

He also mentioned that he employs a Filipina domestic helper named Louisa and warned her that should a war erupt, “I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day.”

“With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings,” Tsao added.

“I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China,” Tsao wrote.

The Chinese writer likewise said the Philippines should stop threatening China.

“The Philippines may have a Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout ‘China, Madam/Sir’ loudly whenever they hear the word ‘Spratly.’ They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout ‘Long Live Chairman Mao,’ at the sight of portrait (sic) of our Great leader during the Cultural Revolution,” Tsang said in his article.

Hontiveros took strong offense at this and said the magazine should apologize immediately.

“This disgusting, derogatory, and vile remark can only come from dim-witted and mediocre writing. The magazine should apologize straightaway. The article reflects the kind of attitude that promotes abuses against Filipina workers,” Hontiveros said.

She said Tsao’s story should not have been published, owing to its defamatory nature characterized by racial discrimination against Filipinos in general, and domestic helpers in particular.

“Chip Tsao should find another profession. He should leave the Spratlys issue to the diplomats and writing to real writers because clearly he has neither competence nor talent in foreign affairs and in writing,” Hontiveros added.

“When you make fun of a particular group, you expose them to abuses. Wittingly or unwittingly, you end up supporting acts of intolerance and abuses,” she added.

“Filipina domestic workers should hold a one-day strike to tell the likes of Chip Tsao who’s the real master of the HK economy. If all Filipino workers in HK would strike, the HK economy would grind to a halt without us having to invade the territory,” she said.

She said Filipinos are not asking for political correctness, just professional treatment.

“Domestic work is a decent job. It’s not just done by hired Filipina domestic workers, it has also been the function of mothers of all nationality, in Hong Kong and China and elsewhere. It should be treated with respect,” she said, adding that by insulting Filipina domestic workers Tsao has also insulted his own mother.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

HAHAHAHAHA!

Standing motionless in the shower this morning, letting the water just cascade over my head down my body, I had a realization. The worst thing about dating isn't getting rejected. It's allowing yourself to hope. Hope is the absolutely worst thing you can do when you're dating. Oh, I know hope is supposed to be this great sustaining emotion. Everybody always says, "Don't lose hope." Fuck that. Hope sucks. It's because I hope so hard that the disappointment is always so great.

It's about time I simply accepted the fact that there is no one out there waiting for me. Mr. Right doesn't exist.

- Men Who Love Men by William J. Mann
Hope sucks. It never fails. Whenever I start hoping, everything just starts crumbling down, everything fails. Its actually starting to be funny now. I used to get depressed about all those failed dates and prospective love interests, but I guess after it has happened to you a dozen gazillion times, you kinda feel numb already. Almost dead inside. And it becomes funny. And I just laugh.

Woohoo. So much fun. I don't really know why it hasn't happened yet. I tried going out on dates, putting myself out there, not looking, tried hooking up, laying low, and all sorts of different styles, still there's no one. I really feel that there is no one out there for me anymore. I am thinking that my soul mate, the one true love, my partner in life does not exist anymore. By some weird twist of fate, i was left out and was missed in that careful planning of pairs.

Hope sucks.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Enough.

Yesterday was a mess. To borrow lines from Project Runways 2008 Winner, Christian Siriano, it was a "hot tranny mess!"

Woke up late. Wasn't feeling well. Had to bring my friend from Boston to LAX. Traffic was bad (as usual). Work was overwhelming from start to finish. Had a late night meeting until 9pm. When I got home, the house was also a mess. There were unwashed dishes in the sink. Empty bottles and plastic containers were all over the place. Trash was overflowing and is started to stink. At the same time, I had to clean my room. Do 3 full loads of laundry and work on my event on Saturday.

SO, i started to tackle them one at a time. Put in my first load of laundry, which are my sheets and pillow cases, followed by whites then coloreds. Tidied up a bit in the house. Then arranged the recycling. And then washed the dishes. As everything was going well, i dropped a bowl in one of the plates and broke it. To further mess up things, I cut myself right between the thumb and the pointer finger (ouch). And then people started dropping out from my event which is two days from today. Yey!

So after I finished clearing the clutter in the living room, putting the dishes in the dishwasher, folding my clothes, cleaning my room, throwing the trash, walking and feeding my dog, putting away the recycling, i showered, watched porn and jerked off.

And everything was fine.

Monday, February 23, 2009

It is one of those nights...

Some nights one can't really help but think that it would surely be a whole lot better if there is someone special to talk to and for that someone to tell you, to promise you that its ok and everything will be better in the morning. this is one of those nights.

im not sure what triggered this feeling. but it has been happening more often now. i guess this is what everyone was saying. you'd know when you are ready. when you really want it to happen. when it is the right time. of course this is just a self analysis. a theory, a hypothesis. it could just be the bucket of popcorn i munched on at the movies tonight. or the extra large diet coke that i slurped on the entire night, or as what a wise friend who was sitting next to me tonight said, its diabetes in a bottle. well, whatever it is, i know it has been so long that i have been analyzing and re-assessing every single feeling and thought.

it might be a heartache world out there. and i have always voiced out my resentments, bitterness and jaded point of view. deep inside, there always that hope that it could, it would happen again.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Words of Wisdom from John Mayer

I RARELY post celebrity news, but i just had to post this:


"Everyone thinks Brad Pitt has it great because he married Angelina Jolie," he said. "I think he has it terrible, because when Angelina Jolie is giving you a blow job, what do you tip your head back and think of to help you finish? You have nothing left – just Jesus on a polar bear in the middle of the snow, saying, 'You greedy mother-cker, I've got nothing for you.'"

The Other People of Color

Asians are considered racial minorities, but there is very little effort to include their people, customs, and or specific issues within the context of LGBT organizations. They are overshadowed by other races and rarely taken into account.

In a survey taken among LGBTQ Asians it was discovered that...

"Nearly every respondent (98 percent) had experienced at least one form of discrimination and/or harassment in their lives.

Nearly all respondents (89 percent) agreed that homophobia and/or transphobia are problems within the broader API community.

78 percent of respondents agreed that API LGBT people experience racism within the predominantly white LGBT community.

Only 50 percent of respondents said that English was their native language. Yet nearly all LGBT informational and advocacy materials are produced in English." (Asian Nation).

Queer Asians are typically caught in a crossroads facing lack of acceptance from the broader heterosexual Asian community, while also struggling for understanding and acknowledgment from within the white dominated queer community.

Westernized Stereotypical Thinking of Asian Sexuality:

Many people perceive Asian women to be soft, delicate, thin, and submissive in nature. They are thought to be sex-objects for the lust of others. To the contrary many Asian men are thought to be devoid of any sexuality, they often go unaccounted for under the false stereotype that Asian men have a smaller penis size. Asian men are either discounted or considered "exotic" and are also objectified. These stereotypes about Asian sex and sexuality play into both the straight and gay communities and are wrong and serve as a misrepresentation of the wide spectrum of people who are Asian.

Offensive Terminology:

Rice Queen - A term for older white gay men attracted to Asians, assumed to be desperate and fetishizing Asians.

Potato Queen - Gay Asian men who date older rich white males.

Sticky Rice - Two Asians who are a couple, they are stereotyped as being obsessed with all things Asian and only sticking with one another.

Panda Hugger - A gay male who prefers Asian men.

The Asian Asexual Dilemna:

Eastern cultures tend to be very quiet about sexuality in general which creates a problem for all sexual minorities. In particular within Asian families is a strong sense of family structure and desire to carry on the legacy of the family. An Asian who is asexual likely faces more challenges if they choose either not to reproduce or to settle down with a partner altogether. There is even a joking yet offensive facebook group called Asians Against Asexuality.

The Transgender/Intersex Asian Experience:

The Eastern world has a long history of embracing transgender behavior as well as people who have ambigious genitalia, and many cultures regard trans people and intersex people as "third gendered" and they hold their place in society. In recent decades with Western ideology influencing Asian nations, there has been increased discrimination and misunderstanding directed towards trans people. Places like Thailand are considered the transsexual haven of the world, but even there recently a battle was waged to overturn a blood ban on queer men.

While it is quite possible that transgender and intersex identity is more prevalent within the Asian world, this group goes unaccounted for and has very little research and/or resources available as they pertain to trans Asians.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Quotable Quotes

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”

– Lao Tzu

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I'm Back

It's been a looong ass time since I last posted something on my blog. Yet, its quite funny (is it really?) that the stories and posts haven't changed much at all. Didn't change actually. Not a single bit.

What do I mean? If you've been following my blog, then I would think you'd know what I mean. Of course I wouldn't think there are a lot of you out there who just continuously check on my blog every 4 minutes just to check for any new posts, so I would elaborate.

I moved to Los Angeles, California about a month ago. I say, I needed to conquer LA and redeem myself. I also say that there are some unfinished business that I have to take care of. True. But its also this untameable restlessness that I have. Seems like I am still trying to find my place in this universe. Searching for what I want. Looking for that certain something that would finally let me settle down.

And then there's that issue on Love. Ha! I should never call it by that name. As I type the letters L-O-V-E i give it meaning, I give it truth and I make it seem like its something real. And even though I have been jaded and bitter these past years, I still continue to hope that it could happen, that I, too can experience it all over again.

Should at this point, this posting would seem all too depressing, I urge you to stop reading coz believe me you, it would get worse.

So Person #1. I thought (why do i usually start my sentences with these words?) I finally met a great match. Same age as me, cute, takes care of his body, decent job, sweet as hell, very caring and an all around good guy. The way we met was something short of a hollywood movie. We met on new year's eve and we shared a sweet kiss at the strike of midnight - 2009. Great way to start the year! But we weren't really connecting. Its hard to explain but the chemistry really wasn't there. I gave it a chance but I really don't think it would work.

Person #2. My roomie's friend stayed over at our apartment for a weekend. He's cute. But I really didn't pay attention coz I was still trying to get this other person out of my system. Then I was informed that my roomie had to go to dinner and that I would be his designated chauffeur for the night. And we started talking. Great conversation always gets my rocks off. I was lured into his being. And knowing that he'll be here for just a few days, the entire experience just took off in some sort of fast and furious episode. But yeah, he doesn't live in the city. And yeah he's leaving for another country for med school (yeah, med school sister!). So, yeah that wouldn't work.

Person #3. Let's try to do this in one run-on sentence. Guy from New York who I totally fell in love with called me (happiness) but he has a long term boyfriend (sad) broke up with his boyfriend of 7 years (hopeful) and then informed me that he met someone already that he is head over heels in love with now (devastated) and then has me to thank because he met him through a friend of mine who brought the guy to my send off party (what?!). Yeah. Enough said. Oh wait, just one question. Why not me? Oh wait, another question. When will it be my turn?

Person #4. There's this guy that I was corresponding with on match.com for a while now. Seems like we've been getting along real well. He's cute, nice profile, nice pictures, great job (cardiologist) and based from our conversations, has an awesome personality. After several email exchanges, I decided to ask him if he wants to meet up. With hands trembling, I was still hopeful. After everything that happened, and I mean everything from the past 5 years, why would this one be any different? Still I sent him the email. Would you like to guess what his response is? He got a job in Kansas.

Yey! So nope, there is no hope. Imma gonna die single.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Playboy Quote

"Everything I learned about love, I learned from the movies. The reality is because I was not shown affection, I escaped into an alternate universe, and it came right out of the movies. Love for me is defined almost exclusively in terms of romantic love as defined by the films of my childhood."

- Playboy honcho Hugh Hefner tells the L.A. Times