Because we all need it now and then

UK to make sex education compulsory (though faith schools can keep their education ‘congruous’ with their beliefs. Poor kids). INCLUDING STDs, AND Gay relationships. Ignorance kills, this is a wonderful development.

opened, funded by the lottery fund, that brings 101 UK gay groups together in one place. (So many links! So little time to read them all!!!!) It’s sad that it’s based only in the Southwest - but this is what we need across the country

British Museum will be hosting events for GBLT history month. The event is on Nov 19th though GBLT history month is February - so don‘t get the calendars mixed up (insert shortest month joke here)

3rd Conference for GBLT Armed forces 3rd-4th December. It’s amazing that after so long where gays were banned from the military that this can now happen.

They may be ridiculous bigots - but damn it’s amusing to see them slapped down Really, you don’t need to satirise them, they are just so obviously ridiculous.

Teacher who was suspended for setting “controversial” paper on homosexuality in the animal kingdom has been reinstated after student protest

Lesbian mothers in Tasmania get legal recognition

US senate committee holds hearing on bill to protect GBLT people from discrimination in employment

Tampa city council votes for protection for trans people

Detroit elects openly gay councilman

Voters in Washington improve extended gay rights for gay couples

There is good news out there. The fight is been won - and it is worth fighting. Don’t let anyone dismiss, distract or devalue the battle for equality or justice.

2 stories have recently fallen in my RSS feeds that I’m sure people have seen but the word needs to be spread:

In Uganda a new law is being put before Parliament to execute people for the crime of “aggravated homosexuality.” Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda. But in addition to the execution of those committing “aggravated homosexuality” it also greatly broadens the old homophobic law’s definition of gay sex and imposes harsher penalties (including life sentences) for any sexual contact between people of the same sex. It also imposes harsh sentences for “promoting homosexuality” (whatever THAT means) and even a 3 year prison sentence for people NOT REPORTING HOMOSEXUALS.

There is a Petition here about this vile law.


In Iran 3 homosexuals under the age of 18 are facing execution for consensual homosexual sex. This follows another execution In October for another man ‘convicted’ of consensual homosexual sex. The only thing worse than these horrendous executions is that they won’t be the last - and they most certainly aren’t the first. Nor is such persecution in any way limited to Iran in the region - or the world for that matter.



There is a habit when fighting homophobia - and I have it too - to focus on the west. We talk about discrimination and prejudice, rights denied And it’s important. ye gods it’s important. We should never stop talking about this and fighting this.

But around the world, things are often so much worse. We don’t always hear the news from there, nor do we normally address them. But these are very literally fights for survival and there is nothing short of mass murder being committed against GBLT people in these countries. We can’t ignore it. We can’t forget our brothers and sisters under horrific homophobia the like of which those of us in the west can scarcely imagine.

Sometimes I look at cases like these and I’m lost. They make me despair beyond measure because I can’t begin to think how to address hatred and persecution on this scale. I work to get homosexuals asylum in the UK partly to save lives and partly because I just can’t see how to stop such hate - I can’t see persecution on such a grand and incredible scale actually stopping - I know it has here and elsewhere but it just seems insurmountable.

But one thing I can do - I can save lives. And I can help expand the message - here, there, anywhere - homophobia is wrong.

Nowhere on this planet, in no ways shape or form is it acceptable to treat anyone like this - and that includes GBLT people.

As should be known, America finally has a hate crimes bill protecting GBLT people.

And certain people - particularly conservative Christians (spread the love!) are Not. Happy.

So a group of religious right preachers wish to protest this by gathering in Washington and trying to get arrested under the new law.

Let’s be clear here. They’re going to go to Washington and try to be sufficiently hateful, as offensive and as harmful to GBLT to try and lead to their arrest. They are deliberately setting out to commit a hate crime against GBLT people.

Of course, the ironic thing is how deeply dellusional they are since the law already includes protections for people who hide their hateful bigotry behind religious scripture (why bigotry is supposed to be more acceptable from the pulpit I’ll never know. As far as I’m concerned GBLT rights would be decades - centuries - ahead of where we are now if it weren’t from the hatred from the churches. And there’d certainly be a lot less of us killed) which means if they want to get ARRESTED they can’t just quote the Bible (much to the disappointment of their persecution fantasies and lies they want to feed their hateful masses) they’re going to have to do something more extreme. Like incite violence against GBLT people.

Let me say it again because it’s just so unbelievable it makes my head ache. These Christian activists are going to deliberately espouse and incite hate (and likely violence) against GBLT people.

It raged massively through the house.

There were preliminary blows last night with offensive use of ear worms and 80s music.

It began with an aggressive making of sandwiches (even bacon ones!), drinks etc without offering any to the other.

It was escalated by the wilful using of The Last Slice of Bread and the Last of the Coffee without getting/making fresh.

There was a brief, but bloody tussle over the central heating thermostat. And there was much freezing and baking by all.

There was an installing of annoying software on my computer. That Made Noise!

Which was countered by the dastardly disappearance of remotes throughout the house. Including one being installed in the cat’s tray.

There was the horrendous pyrrhic victory of moving essential commodities to high shelves which, in hindsight of both sides, was foolish since neither of us was tall enough to easily retrieve them

There was a hoovering while television was being watched.

There was the stereo when telephone calls where being made.

It was ugly.

Until the threat of Rule 34 was invoked. And yes, even the ability to listen - and sing along to - hours of Aqua. Truly, it has come to desperate measures that such WMD be invoked.

But peace has been offered and graciously accepted.


I have a full pot of coffee all to myself. Our finest, most ludicrously expensive coffee. With cinnamon and chicory and baileys and double cream and whipped cream and just a little Demerera sugar. Victory is mine.

So is take away pizza. The size of a dustbin lid. Life is good :)

(Before you get outraged, the Advanced Reader's Copies, or ARCs, for the rest of this year's books have already reached Publishers Weekly, so they aren't jumping the gun. They have read this year's books.)

Here's their list for teen and tween fiction:


Wintergirls
Laurie Halse Anderson (Viking)
A powerful exploration of anorexia, dysfunction and death, Anderson's story of a friendship ripped apart is moving and haunting.

Going Bovine
Libba Bray (Delacorte)
An angel, a dwarf, cults, wormholes and mad cow disease all factor into the surreal cross-country road trip that teenage Cameron takes, in a satirical story that's as memorable as it is funny.

Fire
Kristin Cashore (Dial)
Introducing Fire, a human “monster” with psychic abilities, this companion novel to Graceling expands the scope of Cashore's fantasy world and offers twists, intrigue and romance aplenty.

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)
This much-awaited sequel to Collins's dystopian bestseller, The Hunger Games, doesn't disappoint; it's immersive, voracious reading as the ramifications of Katniss's actions in that book spread.

If I Stay
Gayle Forman (Dutton)
Masterful characterizations make the tragedy at the core of this novel all the more devastating, as narrator Mia weighs the decision to live or die.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Jacqueline Kelly (Holt)
With a detailed, evocative setting and an authentic, relatable protagonist, this turn of the century coming-of-age novel teems with humor, spirit, and energy.

Purple Heart
Patricia McCormick (HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray)
This timely and provocative thriller, with a teenage American soldier at its center, is a nuanced exploration of war, heroism, and morality.

The Ask and the Answer
Patrick Ness (Candlewick)
Set on a planet colonized by men and now wracked with strife, Ness's sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go entwines themes of sexism, terrorism, genocide and human nature, while bringing the action to a fever pitch.

A Season of Gifts
Richard Peck (Dial)
The singular Mrs. Dowdel from A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicagobrings humor and heart to this holiday story; as ever, Peck's writing has a comforting, evergreen quality.

When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead (Random/Lamb)
Every syllable feels rich with meaning in this atmospheric mystery involving a girl, her former best friend, and her mother, set in 1970s New York City.

Shiver
Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic Press)
Lyrical and thoughtful, this paranormal romance between a girl and a werewolf offers wit, an intriguing mythology, and dual (but equally honest and compelling) narratives.

Marcelo in the Real World
Francisco X. Stork (Scholastic/Levine)
Artfully crafted characters form the heart of this riveting novel about a 17-year-old with Asperger's syndrome, who grapples with issues of ethics, love, and other real-life conflicts.

Tales from Outer Suburbia
Shaun Tan (Scholastic/Levine)
Tan proves that his prose is every bit as hypnotic as his artwork in this wondrous collection that reveals the banality and strangeness of the suburbs.

Lips Touch: Three Times
Laini Taylor, illus. by Jim Di Bartolo (Scholastic/Levine)
In lush prose, Taylor offers three utterly captivating stories, each centered on a kiss; comic book–style prequels from Di Bartolo, her husband, add to the enchantment.

The Uninvited
Tim Wynne-Jones (Candlewick)
In this thriller about a college student uncovering twisted family secrets, Wynne-Jones expertly draws his characters and setting while ramping up the tension and the creepiness.

I don't think it's going to surprise anyone that I am VERY happy about this list. I've never seen a list with so many books I absolutely love: Wintergirls, Fire, Catching Fire, When You Reach Me, and When You Reach Me. (Libba, I swear, I'll read Going Bovine soon! I'm a rat for not reading it before now!) I think all of these titles are going to be around for a long time--all are unusual, all have meanings that will occur to the reader long after s/he puts them down, and all of them will haunt you until you find yourself re-reading them in college and beyond.

I didn't include the younger readers' list or the nonfiction list: here's the link to those. And if you want the link to the much more controversial adult list (no women writers on it!), here is that link as well.

This is why I prefer kidlit.

Publishers Weekly has issued its list of the ten best adult books for 2009 (they get ARCs, Advanced Readers Copies, so they have seen the "important" books of the year as judged by the important people of publishing). And o my stars and garters, have they raised themselves up a fuss. You see, if you look at that list, the authors are all men.

WILLA (Women in Letters and Literary Arts) is claiming bias, as are quite a few other writers and readers. PW is saying they judged fairly and freely, "without political correctness."

The response is coming now just from WILLA. Britain's Guardian reported it; The New York Times is inviting its readers to post their ideas on which books they think should have made the list. Salon, of course, has an edgier take, including this wonderful quote: Comments on P.W.'s Web site likened the list to "a flier tacked to the wall at a men's club".

I actually like Laura Miller's Salon article very much. It's well thought out, intelligent, and rational. And it's informative.

For my own part, my feeling is, why is anyone surprised? Look at the high school and college required reading lists (unless they are for women's literature or world literature or for alternate schools). They are dominated by White Males (except for Hemingway, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner, the rest are dead before the turn of the 20th century). Look at what's considered valuable in literary publications, and who is considered "great" in literary classes. Look at the writers who are given face and page time in journals all over the world, even when it's not about a writing-based issue. The majority are men.

The bias is an old one. Historically women have been relegated to "women's issues" (said Bryon and Shelley, patting Mary Shelley on the head--girls writing "science"!) revolving around relationships, house, church, and community. We don't write about war, the death of the soul, the future of society and the morality of man (yes, it's still said "of man"). We don't write about the Big Issues. We write improving children's books, sweet little books about family, or torrid and hysterical romances. We don't write about war which sweeps over a devastated landscape (take that, Margaret Mitchell!), or the Hero's Journey, or striving for A New Tomorrow. So it has always been in publishing, and so it is in the literary community.

( Read more )

PW did a children's list which I liked better. I'll post about that on my fan journal later today.

I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen Joyce Carol Oates, Joan Didion, Margeret Atwood, or any of the other highly admired female literary writers referred to as "great."

So all week I have been writing slash on the bus and at night - Merlin one morning, Die Hard the next, SOMETIMES BOTH AT ONCE. I'm pretty sure the Die Hard will be done this weekend, but Merlin had his tongue up Arthur's ass and Arthur was kind of insistent that his story be finished first.

Something About You (c. 2900 words, NC-17) This was started as a response to cherrybina's Merlin Rimming Meme, but since I am seemingly incapable of writing pure porn LIKE A NORMAL SLASH WRITER, this got a little large. :)

Title: Mercy of the Fallen
Author: zaganthi & perryvic
Pairing: John/Rodney/Carson
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: 101,986
Genre: Complete AU
Warnings: Blasphemy, violence, non-con, supernatural elements

Notes: Thank you to googlebrat, tzigane and chaps1870 for the fantastic beta. This story is an AU which takes from Supernatural, Constantine, and Lucifer.

Summary:John Sheppard would go to Hell and back for Rodney McKay, and anyone else from the Stargate Command. And then, one day, he has to.

( Sample the Mercies of the Fallen )

So, today was our traditional Friday collaborative dinner.

When Beloved and I cook together and find something huge and complicated, usually with 9 courses of fiddly feasting, with enough food to feed a regiment and people within 3 counties stacking up sand bags and checking the fire extinguishers.

Because it is fun and we both get off from work early (well, officially I don't. But the whole legal profession shuts down in this city on Friday afternoon. You want a quick legal decision? Schedule Friday afternoon - guilty, not guilty - we'll flip a coin, damn it. We wanna go home!). And if we drink all the "cooking wine" (and yes, we do need 4 bottles of wine to cook with. And the cider. And the spirits. And definitely the ale. Yes yes we do) and it doesn't matter if it all goes wrong and we don't end up eating until 11:00 and if worst comes to worst the takeaways are open late.

And we have the fire brigade on speed dial (see? fully prepared). It also leaves us all Saturday to rebuild decontaminate exorcise clean the kitchen.

So all was going swimmingly, there had been NO FIRES AT ALL!! (shock!) when I spotted it. A cup. By the kettle.

It had tea in it.

Beloved had a cup of tea and HAD NOT MADE ME ONE!

Beloved made some noises about it having been made before I got home (which means... gather yourselves dear people for the news is traumatic - that he has LET IT GET COLD. He has WASTED TEA! A thousand British ancestors scream in outrage. Well, tut in an irritated fashion in outrage. Possibly with an exclaimed "well I never!")

So Beloved stands accused of the dual crimes of a) making a hot beverage without making me one and b) allowing said beverage to go cold - with the most severe aggravating factor of it being tea.

Naturally, I have declared war. As is fitting and reasonable.

So I has plottin' to do

Title: Hooke's Law
Author: Zinnith
Pairing: John/Rodney, Laura/Carson
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: 75 610
Genre: AU, Drama, Suspense
Warnings: Homophobia, PTSD

Notes: I just want to send out a quick thank you to the_cephalopod, wanted_a_pony, yarnaddict, sgamadison, everyone on team_bigbang, and of course the almighty f-list. This story would not exist without you.


( Hooke's Law states that in an elastic material, strain is proportional to stress. The point at which a material ceases to obey Hooke’s Law is known as its elastic limit. )