Apologies for not spotting this sooner and posting it but Tim Woodward of the website and associated businesses) Skin Two appears in a short video made at the annual Montreal Fetish Weekend. Check out their website for details of next years event. Woodward offers some insights in an area that remains in his words one of the last "taboos" fetish and BDSM identities continue to be legal, social and political concerns and Woodward is right to draw comparisons with homosexuality. He also offers some amusing asides regarding Canadian border agencies. See the video below and check out the Skin Two site here.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Same Sex Marriage Down Under
Melbourne Community Voice (MCV) carries an interesting story on shifting attitudes to same-sex marriage in Australia. The latest poll (yes, flawed but interesting nonetheless) suggests a growing majority support the introduction of same-sex marriage. Read the full story here.
US Mid-Term Elections and Gay Rights
As the world turns its attention to America and the Mid-Term elections, it's a fair bet that most coverage will focus on numbers and what it means for the Obama Presidency. Yet we shouldn't forget that the elections are also important for legal and policy changes in individual states. The Bay Area Reporter includes an excellent summary of the key figures and states. Check it out here.
It Gets Better...Today
I blogged yesterday about the US 'It Gets Better' campaign which comes in the wake of a series of high-profile suicides among gay teenagers in the States. As is so often the way, England has followed suit with Stonewall launching a campaign called 'It Gets Better...Today'. It's actually a good idea but it might have been nice to more formally link it into the US campaign and try and get a global community (which YouTube does rather well anyway). Stonewall has filmed a series of professional films and the one I find the most compelling is from Lance Corporal James Wharton - an openly gay soldier. For all those in the US fearful of a world post DADT it is essential viewing. For all those seeking hope, it is equally compelling. You can view the video below and check out the Stonewall YouTube channel here.
Europe + 'Sexual Deviants' = Telegraph Breakdown
The Telegraph carried a story yesterday that was a good old fashioned right-of-centre horror story. They reported that the European Commission has spent £124,000 on a five day conference 'for 200 homosexual, bisexual, transgender and "intersex" activists'.
Obviously images abound of orgies and grapes being served from an intersex activists naval at Telegraph Towers. They were probably also engaging in languages other than English. A true Halloween image for Telegraph readers.
OK, the price does seem remarkably steep especially if there was no income (conference fees etc), however, the idea of the event was a sound one. To explore and educate in an area that is still subject to so much ignorance. The Telegraph's branding of session titles as 'baffling' is an argument to fund these sort of events, rather than scrap them.
Read the full Telegraph story here.
Obviously images abound of orgies and grapes being served from an intersex activists naval at Telegraph Towers. They were probably also engaging in languages other than English. A true Halloween image for Telegraph readers.
OK, the price does seem remarkably steep especially if there was no income (conference fees etc), however, the idea of the event was a sound one. To explore and educate in an area that is still subject to so much ignorance. The Telegraph's branding of session titles as 'baffling' is an argument to fund these sort of events, rather than scrap them.
Read the full Telegraph story here.
Same-Sex Marriage
The Pink Paper is really trying to regain the imitative and challenge the online dominance of Pink News by breaking stories. In another move, they revealed late this week that Stonewall now supports gay marriage. It's rather depressing that the apparently leading gay rights campaign organisation supporting same-sex marriage is a news story. In a statement, Stonewall explained their position in the following terms:
"We seek to secure marriage for gay people as a civil vehicle on the same basis as heterosexual marriage, available in a registry office but without a mandate on religious organisations to celebrate it.
"We seek to retain civil partnerships for lesbian and gay people recognising their special and unique status."
Outrage! welcomed the statement, issuing their own quote from Peter Tatchell who said: “This is good news, at last. Thanks to everyone who lobbied Stonewall to change its policy.
“We are pleased that Stonewall has finally joined other LGBT organisations in seeking to overturn the homophobic ban on same-sex civil marriage. We can now move forward together, united in our commitment to marriage equality.
“It is, however, very disappointing that Stonewall is still refusing to oppose the ban on heterosexual civil partnerships. This stance is de facto support for discrimination. It looks uncaring and sectarian. It doesn’t help build the LGBT-straight alliance that we need to win full equality.
“OutRage! is pressing ahead with its Equal Love campaign. Our aim is to end sexual orientation discrimination in both civil marriage and civil partnership law. We oppose the ban on heterosexual civil partnerships just as strongly as we oppose the ban on gay civil marriage.”
Meanwhile, Moscow, whose ban on gay pride events was recently ruled by the European Court of Human Rights to be a breach of human rights law found itself hosting an anti-gay rights rally. 1000 protesters apparently turned out to oppose the decision. Read the story here.
"We seek to secure marriage for gay people as a civil vehicle on the same basis as heterosexual marriage, available in a registry office but without a mandate on religious organisations to celebrate it.
"We seek to retain civil partnerships for lesbian and gay people recognising their special and unique status."
Outrage! welcomed the statement, issuing their own quote from Peter Tatchell who said: “This is good news, at last. Thanks to everyone who lobbied Stonewall to change its policy.
“We are pleased that Stonewall has finally joined other LGBT organisations in seeking to overturn the homophobic ban on same-sex civil marriage. We can now move forward together, united in our commitment to marriage equality.
“It is, however, very disappointing that Stonewall is still refusing to oppose the ban on heterosexual civil partnerships. This stance is de facto support for discrimination. It looks uncaring and sectarian. It doesn’t help build the LGBT-straight alliance that we need to win full equality.
“OutRage! is pressing ahead with its Equal Love campaign. Our aim is to end sexual orientation discrimination in both civil marriage and civil partnership law. We oppose the ban on heterosexual civil partnerships just as strongly as we oppose the ban on gay civil marriage.”
Meanwhile, Moscow, whose ban on gay pride events was recently ruled by the European Court of Human Rights to be a breach of human rights law found itself hosting an anti-gay rights rally. 1000 protesters apparently turned out to oppose the decision. Read the story here.
Terror Plot and the Gay Dimension
The top story this weekend is the news of yet another terror plot. Just see any news site for the latest! Interestingly, one aspect of the plot that doesn't seem to have made it into British journalism is that one of the Chicago synagogues to which a package was addressed is a gay synagogue. The synagogue has been in operation since 1976 and describes itself as: 'Congregation Or Chadash is the Chicagoland synagogue serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual Jews, their families, friends and loved one's. See their website here.
The Chicago Tribune does discuss this aspect and you can read the story in full here.
The Chicago Tribune does discuss this aspect and you can read the story in full here.
UCLA Queer Studies Conference Review
American Thinker has an interesting piece today reviewing the recent Queer Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Check it out here.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Positive Porn
I mentioned in tweets and what-not a while back that Treasure Island Media pornographer-in-chief Paul Morris was to launch a HIV positive line. The bareback porn company seems to want to turn up the notch on controversy and so has announced that one of their performers (James Roscoe, pictured right) is HIV positive and will be featuring in the new series. Even more interesting, his ‘real life’ partner (Brad McGuire, pictured second right) is another TIM performer who is HIV-negative and they both (obviously) fuck bareback. Check out the story on Gay Porn Times here.This is an area of porn I continue to be fascinated by and it forms part of some ongoing research. Morris is on the one hand a guy making money. As such, he is hardly some pure campaigner. Yet, a campaigner he also is. Whilst this latest announcement is a bit of marketing, it is also important in challenging our notions around being positive. It projects, as have previously written, an image of what we are rather than what we seek to be. It documents the raw sex lives of men and in doing so is also a major headache for sexual health campaigners.
In a press release, Morris commented: "As a community we have a moral and social imperative to demolish the HIV positive closet," Morris said. "We are adults and we are participating in a tremendously vital and important sexual culture that is under attack. We know exactly what we're doing, and we will not allow reactionary individuals and organizations to dictate our behavior. James and Brad are fitting role models for young gay men. They are living their lives with honesty and integrity. I couldn't be more proud to have them in the T.I.M. family."
The press release went on to conclude that Roscoe's sero-status hasn't stopped anything for Treasure Island Media. To the contrary, T.I.M. is currently shooting work that features proud poz men engaged in what TIM describes as 'fucking each other to within an inch of their lives'. The first of these poz-only bareback pics is slated for general release in spring 2011.
Although the Free Speech Coalition (an industry) group didn't go massively on the attack, they did seem to offer a mild condemnation of the move, stating that: "Despite our opposition to a state-imposed mandate for the universal use of condoms, FSC does not endorse the exploitation of potential HIV infection of performers for promotional purposes,” Executive Director Diane Duke said. “(S)uch conduct is at the center of the efforts to find appropriate regulations for the adult industry by both Cal/OSHA and the FSC”.
Family, Lesbians and Hollywood
Lip Service might be proving a bit disappointing (is it just me?) but Hollywood has a new lesbian film starring Julianne Moore. It's called 'The Kids Re Alright' - read a full review here. Check out the trailer below.
Men are all w******?
The Guardian also carried a piece this week on pornography. Yes, yes another periodic feminist Guardian piece that (yawn) casts men as wankers (in every sense) and women as poor exploited creatures. Women do not masturbate to porn in this narrow so called feminist world. Men are never victims and all men are apparently straight.
The latest story follows the launch of a new ‘campaign’, called the Anti-Porn Men Project. Check out the full story here.
The latest story follows the launch of a new ‘campaign’, called the Anti-Porn Men Project. Check out the full story here.
It Gets Better (but...)
The Guardian carried a really interesting piece earlier in the week on schools attempts to tackle homophobic bullying through schooling. The brilliant Brit scholar Ian Rivers has done some wonderful work in this area and also blog on it here. Be sure to take a look. This story comes in the wake of a series of suicides in the US and the It Gets Better Project which is seeking to get ordinary people involved and explaining how they are leading happy lives. The project pages can be viewed here. Even Barack Obama got involved although the cynic in me thinks that might have more to do with the mid-terms next week and the predictions that the Democrats are about to get a serious kicking.
So here's Obama lending his support to the It gets Better Project:
Obama also popped up on The Daily Show this week and at one point found himself uttering "Yes we can, but". It was a historic moment and his advisers must have had their heads in their hands at that moment. The subject of gay rights is a good example of the "yes we can but" syndrome. Yes, there has been some progress - not least in terms of the benefits for federal employees and the number of openly gay people appointed to government jobs but there's been little by way of 'big-ticket' substance. Check out the second half of the Daily Show for the clip:
So here's Obama lending his support to the It gets Better Project:
Obama also popped up on The Daily Show this week and at one point found himself uttering "Yes we can, but". It was a historic moment and his advisers must have had their heads in their hands at that moment. The subject of gay rights is a good example of the "yes we can but" syndrome. Yes, there has been some progress - not least in terms of the benefits for federal employees and the number of openly gay people appointed to government jobs but there's been little by way of 'big-ticket' substance. Check out the second half of the Daily Show for the clip:
Journal Alert: New Issue of Sexualities
A new issue of the journal Sexualities has been published. Contents details below and abstracts can be viewed here.
Articles
When trans translates into tolerance - or was it monstrous? Transsexual and transgender identity in liberal humanist discourse
Randi Gressgård
Sexualities 2010;13 539-561
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/539
Protecting the lesbian border: The tension between individual and communal authenticity
Ahoo Tabatabai
Sexualities 2010;13 563-581
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/563
Shifting sexual boundaries: Comparing gay-identified and non-gay-identified men who have sex with men in Brazil and in the USA
Voon Chin Phua
Sexualities 2010;13 583-598
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/583
Intimacy and/or degradation: Heterosexual images of togetherness and women’s embracement of pornography
Orly Benjamin and Dmitry Tlusten
Sexualities 2010;13 599-623
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/599
From The Devil in Miss Jones to DMJ6 — power, inequality, and consistency in the content of US adult films
Chauntelle Anne Tibbals
Sexualities 2010;13 625-644
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/625
Nocturnal queers: Rent boys’ masculinity in Istanbul
Cenk Özbay
Sexualities 2010;13 645-663
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/645
Articles
When trans translates into tolerance - or was it monstrous? Transsexual and transgender identity in liberal humanist discourse
Randi Gressgård
Sexualities 2010;13 539-561
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/539
Protecting the lesbian border: The tension between individual and communal authenticity
Ahoo Tabatabai
Sexualities 2010;13 563-581
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/563
Shifting sexual boundaries: Comparing gay-identified and non-gay-identified men who have sex with men in Brazil and in the USA
Voon Chin Phua
Sexualities 2010;13 583-598
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/583
Intimacy and/or degradation: Heterosexual images of togetherness and women’s embracement of pornography
Orly Benjamin and Dmitry Tlusten
Sexualities 2010;13 599-623
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/599
From The Devil in Miss Jones to DMJ6 — power, inequality, and consistency in the content of US adult films
Chauntelle Anne Tibbals
Sexualities 2010;13 625-644
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/625
Nocturnal queers: Rent boys’ masculinity in Istanbul
Cenk Özbay
Sexualities 2010;13 645-663
http://sex.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/645
Revealing Nudists
Another post, another apology I'm afraid! This time, over what will be a series of stories from the Guardian (it's rather good on law and sexuality matters!). The Weekend Magazine has a fascinating piece today on the photographer Laura Pannack and her project to photograph young naturists. Yes, young naturists.When I was at high school we went on a water sports trip to the South of France. During several days canoeing down the Ardèche Gorges (one of the best vacations I've ever had - I was of a different physical build back then!) we made routine stops for lunch etc. On one occasion we stopped off at a beach only to find it was a nudist beach. A range of middle aged people with small penises and big flabby boobs were everywhere. As Michael Caine didn't quite say: "nudists...thousands of them". We tend to think of nudists as the person we least desire to encounter nude. In our popular conscience, Gavin Henson look-alikes are not nudists, but Ann Widdecombe look-alikes are.
This study is therefore fascinating - yes we see a range of body builds among the young but firstly, they are young! Many are also really quite beautiful. The pictures expose a world ironically so often hidden to society. They tackle our pre-conceptions about nudists. You can read the full piece here.
Tom Daley, Twitter and the Paedophile Paradigm
Apologies for the lack of posts over the last few days - you know I have these 'patches' from time to time. Before I do get on with those blog posts, a thought has been pre-occupying me today. This morning I picked up my Guardian from the doormat in the usual way and noticed the front of the Weekend Magazine had a picture of the diver Tom Daley. "Gosh he's a sexy young man" I thought before thinking "behave Chris he's sixteen!". I was left feeling quite guilty but then put it out of my mind. Later, I took a look at Twitter to find my feed was full of posts about Tom Daley. People were going out and buying the Guardian just to look. Others were swooning through their tweets. My own reaction was apparently shared to one degree or another by many others.
Tom Daley - even prior to turning sixteen was the boy gay men could legitimately "fancy". Why is this so? Why is acceptable (with mild teasing) to publicly say "wow, he's fit" in a way we can not about other 16/15 year olds? Later on I read the interview. Take a look at it yourself (and see the cover picture of Daley) here and see what you make of it. I was struck by just how childish Daley sounds in the post. He sounds like a kid. It's an interesting juxtaposition of photograph and textual narrative. I'd be interested in hearing other thoughts.
Tom Daley - even prior to turning sixteen was the boy gay men could legitimately "fancy". Why is this so? Why is acceptable (with mild teasing) to publicly say "wow, he's fit" in a way we can not about other 16/15 year olds? Later on I read the interview. Take a look at it yourself (and see the cover picture of Daley) here and see what you make of it. I was struck by just how childish Daley sounds in the post. He sounds like a kid. It's an interesting juxtaposition of photograph and textual narrative. I'd be interested in hearing other thoughts.
Thursday, 21 October 2010
PECANS Workshop 2011: CFP
I've just been sent details of this event which some of you may find of interest:
PECANS Workshop 2011
Postgraduate and Early Career Academics Network of Scholars
SEXUALITY AND LEGAL TRANSFORMATION
An interdisciplinary postgraduate & early career scholars conference in the broad area of law, gender and sexuality
April 8th, 2011, Westminster University, London, UK
CALL FOR PAPERS
Legal and legislative change does not occur in a vacuum. This one-day postgraduate and early careers scholars’ conference seeks to explore contexts under which legal change relating to sexuality and gender occurs. It also seeks to address means by which issues of sexuality, law, bodies, and power interact, react against or mutually reinforce each other in the context of legal and activist discourse and how this process can impact upon wider social structures. As such we seek to discuss questions such as:
· In which contexts can legal discourse be successfully harnessed to achieve transformational change?
· How have legal changes worked to bring marginalised groups into mainstream life and what impact has this had on these previously excluded individuals?
· In what ways do legal interventions and rights based activism engender change?
· How does law work to normalise understandings of sexuality, gender or identity?
· What influence (both positive and negative) can activism have on legal discourse surrounding sexuality and gender?
· In what ways do understandings of law, sexuality or gender interact, react against or reinforce each other and how can these interactions be addressed, theorised or utilised by activists?
· How do different contextual and material situations impact upon the way in which legal transformation can be achieved?
The workshop will also include practical sessions for postgraduate and early career academics.
We aim to provide a supportive and friendly environment for postgraduates and early career scholars to present their work, meet fellow researchers and benefit from interdisciplinary exchange. If you would like to present a paper, please send a title and abstract (150-250 words) to Kay Lalor (lalork@wmin.ac.uk) by Friday 4th February 2010.
Please feel free to forward the call for papers to other institutions or persons interested in these topics.
If you require any more information, please do not hesitate to contact:
lalork@wmin.ac.uk; m.travis@ilpj.keele.ac.uk; A.Sanchez-Garcia@kent.ac.uk
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Sexing the Brain
A typically brilliant post from the writer Mark Simpson on recent literature seeking to examine 'hard-wired' gender differences. Check it out here.
Stonewall and Those Darn Feet of Clay Strike Again
Jane Fae, the writer and sexual rights activist is on the warpath and rightly so. Stonewall (the gay rights charity) has once again demonstrated its remarkable ability to piss off the trans community. For those new to this whole subject, Stonewall is a gay rights charity in England and Wales but north of the border, Stonewall Scotland also encompasses the trans agenda. You can make arguments either way on whether that's right or not but the trouble is, Stonewall keep managing to upset the trans community by apparently taking steps that offend.
Whether this is part of some conspiracy or (as I suspect) an example of Stonewall's lack of understanding of trans issues, it doesn't really matter. What matters is Stonewall continues to irritate and dismiss people who should be key supporters of the aims of Stonewall (although heaven knows what they are these days).
The latest upset follows Stonewall’s decision to nominate yet another apparently transphobic journalist for one of their awards, Jane has stated in a press release: "First it was Julie Bindel, whose personal statements on transgender issues have caused great upset within the transgender community, and who they nominated in 2008 . Now it is Bill Leckie."
Interestingly, Fae locates this stance within a wider narrative: "Stonewall, along with various bodies such as the EHRC, is locked into a view of equalities that is based on the idea that special rights should accrue to individuals possessing ‘protected characteristics’.
"Their continued trampling over the sensitivities of other minority groups, perhaps in the mistaken belief that as minorities themselves, they can do no wrong, is the inevitable result."
Of particular interest to British law readers is the fact the award Fae is upset about is sponsored by a law firm - Herbert Smith. This might not be the publicity they had hoped for.
You can read the other categories, candidates and details of the awards on the Stonewall site here.
Whether this is part of some conspiracy or (as I suspect) an example of Stonewall's lack of understanding of trans issues, it doesn't really matter. What matters is Stonewall continues to irritate and dismiss people who should be key supporters of the aims of Stonewall (although heaven knows what they are these days).
The latest upset follows Stonewall’s decision to nominate yet another apparently transphobic journalist for one of their awards, Jane has stated in a press release: "First it was Julie Bindel, whose personal statements on transgender issues have caused great upset within the transgender community, and who they nominated in 2008 . Now it is Bill Leckie."
Interestingly, Fae locates this stance within a wider narrative: "Stonewall, along with various bodies such as the EHRC, is locked into a view of equalities that is based on the idea that special rights should accrue to individuals possessing ‘protected characteristics’.
"Their continued trampling over the sensitivities of other minority groups, perhaps in the mistaken belief that as minorities themselves, they can do no wrong, is the inevitable result."
Of particular interest to British law readers is the fact the award Fae is upset about is sponsored by a law firm - Herbert Smith. This might not be the publicity they had hoped for.
You can read the other categories, candidates and details of the awards on the Stonewall site here.
Vacancy: Post Graduate Academic Assistant in Law
I thought some readers might be interested in the following vacancy at Sunderland. I lead the law and society research cluster and I'm happy to talk about that aspect with anyone interested in applying.
University of Sunderland
Faculty of Business and Law
Post Graduate Academic Assistant
£18,425 - £22,237
4 year Fixed Term Contract
We are an innovative, forward-thinking and inspirational University with international reach and remarkable local impact. The Faculty of Business and Law has almost 3,000 students worldwide, and is committed to providing programmes that combine academic excellence with practical, vocational and transferable skills.
The Faculty hosts the Centre for Research into the Experience Economy (CREE) that provides a supportive research environment and culture for world-leading and internationally excellent research. This appointment is critical to the development and success of our vibrant new research strategy.
We are seeking to appoint a PGAA over the coming months with a view to contributing to the learning, teaching and research environments of the Faculty, to deliver against its vision 'to be an enterprising and innovative brand of business and law education, and our services to business industry and the wider regional, national and international communities'. You will be expected to perform teaching duties, appropriate to University lecturing staff, for up to half of a normal full-time academic teaching load, combined with study for a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Post Graduate Academic Assistant in Law
Ref. FBL038/1934
The Department of Law has steadily been improving its reputation for research and particularly research which feeds directly into the student learning experience. Applicants should be looking to develop their research in one of two areas, both of which are supportive of the curriculum and academic philosophy of the Department.
1. Criminal Law and Criminal Justice (encompassing any aspect of substantive Criminal Law; Partial Defences to Murder; Consent; Complicity; General Defences; Property Offences; Organised Crime and Terrorism; Public Order Offences; Detention and Control Orders; Surveillance).
2. Law and Society (encompassing Law and Sexuality; Human Rights; Family Law; Aspects of Private International Law; Sports Law and Education Law - including Legal Education).
The University of Sunderland application form and role profiles for the above post can be obtained via www.sunderland.ac.uk/jobs or by contacting the HR Department on 0191 515 2055.
For additional information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Sonal Minocha, Associate Dean of Resources, Research and External Engagement on 0191 515 3613 or email: sonal.minocha@sunderland.ac.uk
Closing date: 14th November 2010.
It is expected that selection for this role will take place week commencing 6th December 2010.
016733-03
Monday, 11 October 2010
Fancy Seeing you Here! Oh and You're Uncut Versatile?
At the risk of coming over all Carrie Bradshaw, let be a little personal for a moment. A funny thing happened this evening. Like many academics, I spend my evening faffing with bits of work at the computer, twitter and Facebook whirling in the background. Yet as a gay academic it's not untypical to also have various gay networking sites running along in the background too. There is something a little predatory about the gay male (yowzers, a little too SATC) and so maybe it's to be expected that we would ever have one eye on the next encounter.
But what happens when, as happened to me earlier this evening, you see that another academic who you know has stopped by your profile? Obviously you might be relieved that they've not been confronted by your penis flopping out at them (as many a profile may have the unfortunate quality of doing), and also intrigued to learn whether they define themselves as top/bottom/versatile; along with their attitudes to drugs, smoking and safe sex. You are now possess the knowledge of whether they are circumcised and how they define the length of the penis (seasoned gay men know this is utterly disconnected from actual size).
As gay men, sharing and being open about these characteristics is the norm on network sites. Yet, as academics we seek to maintain an air of heteronormative respectability. As I've written elsewhere, it's acceptable for the straight guy or woman to share information in the workplace about their family existence but the out gay man is unlikely to reveal his authentic private life in the workplace. Attending a Kylie concert and a friends civil partnership is fine. Explaining a fisting encounter that went wrong maybe not. Not that I have a fisting encounter that's gone wrong. Or right for that matter.
Anyway...we do seek to define ourselves to fellow gay and queer academics in slightly more open ways - especially at specialist conferences but there the presence of other gay groups - notably lesbians, acts as a further control on our behaviour.
So how do we respond to these moments? Of course students might also share these network spaces and that presents additional issues. When the 'professional' and the sexual clash, it might be tempting to retreat to the construction of a safe identity but the real challenge for queer theorists and queer academics is to queer the professional academic identity, to recast and redefine ourselves in the academy.
I'm in talks to edit a book that will explore these themes and for my money it's one of the least talked about, and most important issues facing queers in the modern Academy.
But what happens when, as happened to me earlier this evening, you see that another academic who you know has stopped by your profile? Obviously you might be relieved that they've not been confronted by your penis flopping out at them (as many a profile may have the unfortunate quality of doing), and also intrigued to learn whether they define themselves as top/bottom/versatile; along with their attitudes to drugs, smoking and safe sex. You are now possess the knowledge of whether they are circumcised and how they define the length of the penis (seasoned gay men know this is utterly disconnected from actual size).
As gay men, sharing and being open about these characteristics is the norm on network sites. Yet, as academics we seek to maintain an air of heteronormative respectability. As I've written elsewhere, it's acceptable for the straight guy or woman to share information in the workplace about their family existence but the out gay man is unlikely to reveal his authentic private life in the workplace. Attending a Kylie concert and a friends civil partnership is fine. Explaining a fisting encounter that went wrong maybe not. Not that I have a fisting encounter that's gone wrong. Or right for that matter.
Anyway...we do seek to define ourselves to fellow gay and queer academics in slightly more open ways - especially at specialist conferences but there the presence of other gay groups - notably lesbians, acts as a further control on our behaviour.
So how do we respond to these moments? Of course students might also share these network spaces and that presents additional issues. When the 'professional' and the sexual clash, it might be tempting to retreat to the construction of a safe identity but the real challenge for queer theorists and queer academics is to queer the professional academic identity, to recast and redefine ourselves in the academy.
I'm in talks to edit a book that will explore these themes and for my money it's one of the least talked about, and most important issues facing queers in the modern Academy.
George Michael Starts Again But What About the Sex?
So George Michael is out of prison. Yawn yawn you might think. Well, maybe not. In a confident and relatively relaxed moment with journalists, Michael said "I just want to say thank you for everybody who has supported me in there". He went on to say that"I'm coming out [of my house] on my own so that you'll realise I just want to start again".
Start again? Does that mean no more drugs? Does that mean some sort of personal and professional re-focus? What about the public sex? Sex and drugs have been linked by both the media and his celebrity gay friends to suggest that they are characterisations of some sort of self-hating, downward spiral. The fact he might have had sexual encounters with men who were less than body beautiful (whilst cruising) by one newspaper in the recent past, was seen as suggesting that he had in some way lost his marbles. So, will the new George Michael - who previously unusually and without apology defended his public sex activities - seek to re-define himself as a vanilla bedroom bound monogamous homo?
I can't really see Michael chained to the kitchen sink (unless in leather jockstrap and kinky chains) and I'll be interested to see how he seeks to renegotiate his sexuality in this latest stage in his life. Similarly, how the media respond will be equally interesting. Yawn yawn? I think not.
Start again? Does that mean no more drugs? Does that mean some sort of personal and professional re-focus? What about the public sex? Sex and drugs have been linked by both the media and his celebrity gay friends to suggest that they are characterisations of some sort of self-hating, downward spiral. The fact he might have had sexual encounters with men who were less than body beautiful (whilst cruising) by one newspaper in the recent past, was seen as suggesting that he had in some way lost his marbles. So, will the new George Michael - who previously unusually and without apology defended his public sex activities - seek to re-define himself as a vanilla bedroom bound monogamous homo?
I can't really see Michael chained to the kitchen sink (unless in leather jockstrap and kinky chains) and I'll be interested to see how he seeks to renegotiate his sexuality in this latest stage in his life. Similarly, how the media respond will be equally interesting. Yawn yawn? I think not.
Feminist Law Professors
I'm thrilled to have been added to the Feminist Law Professors blogroll. Not familiar with the site? You're missing out on a wonderful resource! Check it out here.
Trans People’s Experience of Domestic Abuse
I just want to flag up a great article from the wonderful Brian Dempsey who has written a piece in SCOLAG: Law Journal considering some recent ground breaking research. It can be read here.
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Beyond Lesbian Lip Service
The Guardian carries a big feature today on a new drama coming to BBC Three on Tuesday. The show is called 'Lip Service'. The BBC Three site describes the programme as: 'Sex, lies and true love in modern Scotland, BBC Three's new seductive relationship drama Lip Service follows the lives of a group of twenty-something lesbians'.
Interestingly, the Guardian piece suggests this is not another L Word but more like This Life (which I suspect many of you won't be familiar with, Google it). The aim is to position as it a drama that is based around lesbian characters as opposed to a drama about being a lesbian. It sounds good and the trailer below suggests it's going to work well. Will it do for Glasgow what Queer as Folk did for Manchester?
Interestingly, the Guardian piece suggests this is not another L Word but more like This Life (which I suspect many of you won't be familiar with, Google it). The aim is to position as it a drama that is based around lesbian characters as opposed to a drama about being a lesbian. It sounds good and the trailer below suggests it's going to work well. Will it do for Glasgow what Queer as Folk did for Manchester?
Take One Penis and Add Condom...(and don't mention the shit thing)
The latest issue of GT carries a piece on having better anal sex or so it might seem on first glance. The piece is entitled 'Be a Better Bottom' and is written by Shaun Evelyn who talks to Gordon from the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). The piece channels the campaigns that GMFA has been long running nationally. This very issue of GT includes a promotion for 'Sex: The Sex Course' and the aim of these courses is I've always imagined, to get men through the door and open to learning about safe sex. The basic idea seems to be, tell people about sex but incorporate condom usage into the description so as to normalise condom behaviour.Now, I've never been on one of these courses and so the GT piece is the closest I've got to experiencing this integrated approach. Perhaps if you're 15 you'll read it and take it at face value but I suspect anyone above that age will approach it with a degree of weariness. Advice such as don't douche too much, instead eat a high fibre diet is typical of the preachy high minded and utterly unhelpful advice that leads to people switching off. I don't question that it's well meaning but please? Maybe I'm not the target group and the campaign is a huge success (which beggars the question, what would condom attitudes and HIV rates look like if they were unsuccessful?)
At this point it's worth remembering that one of the great unspeakables about anal sex is shit. Still reading? The thing is, few people want a shitty dick. Douching (where a guy squirt water up his bum repeatedly and squirts it out prior to an encounter) minimises this particularly vile situation occurring (and the inevitable embarrassment that follows). One of the best reasons for using a condom is avoid the shit on dick scenario.
The other bit of advice is to discourage popper use. Poppers are intended to make your arse muscles relax (or in my case, make me red faced and feel as if I'm having a heart attack - does somewhat kill the moment), and consequently once relaxed, able to take a cock without (or with reduced) pain/discomfort, or to more generally enhance the orgasm.
It seems to me that a piece that has lines like 'lube is the slip to our slide' sounds as if it has been trotted out a thousand times on courses (I should know, I trot certain phrases out year after year). A piece that acts to entice a reader with 'be a better bottom' and does nothing but preach about safer sex will be seen by more jaded readers as a somewhat cynical move.
If we approach sex advice with cynicism, where will that leave us? It can only be a matter of time before bareback porn companies and their supporters/fans start to produce anti-condom sex advice. I have a feeling they'll face up to the 'shit question' and we may find they, like their porn, become seen as providers of a more authentic message.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Gender, Sexuality and Law: First Call for Papers
Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK, 12-14 April 2011
The stream seeks to draw together socio-legal scholarship from across the globe, featuring scholars from a range of disciplines relating to the broad theme of gender, sexuality and law.
Past papers have considered sexuality and education law, queer theory, same-sex marriage, gender and parenthood, trans identities, sex work, domestic violence, public sex, sexuality and the media, religion and sexuality, international comparisons, and theories of gender but papers pertaining to any area of gender, sexuality and law will be considered.
Previous years have also featured screenings from new film-makers (Susan Potter’s An Ordinary Person in 2009 and Ileana Pietbruno’s Girlfriend Experience in 2010). The stream is keen to maintain a space for film in 2011.
Abstracts should be submitted to Stream Organiser, Chris Ashford (chris.ashford@sunderland.ac.uk). Abstracts must be no longer than 300 words and must include your title, name and institutional affiliation and your email address for correspondence. Please state clearly in the subject section of your e-mail that you are submitting an abstract for the SLSA Conference 2011.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 17th January 2011. Abstracts submitted by this deadline will receive a decision to enable early registration by 31st January 2011.
Last year, the Gender, Sexuality and Law Stream filled up very fast and a number of would-be presenters were sadly unable to be accommodated within the stream. Early submission is therefore suggested and aids with conference planning.
Further details about the conference/booking and registration details can be found at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/law/newsandevents/slsa-conference
The stream seeks to draw together socio-legal scholarship from across the globe, featuring scholars from a range of disciplines relating to the broad theme of gender, sexuality and law.
Past papers have considered sexuality and education law, queer theory, same-sex marriage, gender and parenthood, trans identities, sex work, domestic violence, public sex, sexuality and the media, religion and sexuality, international comparisons, and theories of gender but papers pertaining to any area of gender, sexuality and law will be considered.
Previous years have also featured screenings from new film-makers (Susan Potter’s An Ordinary Person in 2009 and Ileana Pietbruno’s Girlfriend Experience in 2010). The stream is keen to maintain a space for film in 2011.
Abstracts should be submitted to Stream Organiser, Chris Ashford (chris.ashford@sunderland.ac.uk). Abstracts must be no longer than 300 words and must include your title, name and institutional affiliation and your email address for correspondence. Please state clearly in the subject section of your e-mail that you are submitting an abstract for the SLSA Conference 2011.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 17th January 2011. Abstracts submitted by this deadline will receive a decision to enable early registration by 31st January 2011.
Last year, the Gender, Sexuality and Law Stream filled up very fast and a number of would-be presenters were sadly unable to be accommodated within the stream. Early submission is therefore suggested and aids with conference planning.
Further details about the conference/booking and registration details can be found at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/law/newsandevents/slsa-conference
Monday, 4 October 2010
Porn, Trans Identities and YouTube
I am firmly of the view that if the last fifty years represented a profound shift in how society and law responded to the subject of sexuality; transgender will dominate the coming decades. As science, medicine evolve, so too will our attitudes. Porn is at the forefront of this shift in attitudes with the self styled 'man with a pussy', Buck Angel (NSFW) the established front runner.
Angel has a YouTube channel and has produced a series of short 'shows' called 'Bucking the System' in which Angel is cast as an activist and trans man as much, if not more so than his porn identity. His channel can be viewed here and the most recent episode can be viewed below:
This week also another trans porn performer launch a YouTube channel and I came across it through his Twitter page. James Darling is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and interestingly uses a photo in which his breast removal is visible (in contrast to Buck, who apart from his 'pussy', revels in masculinity as shown in his imagery). Darling also produces a blog which can be viewed here. I have to confess I wasn't previously aware of Darling and I think he's really trying to make a bit of a push through (apparently previously appearing in films for companies such as the small Trannywood Pictures). You can meet Darling in his YouTube video below:
These performers are putting theory into practice. Practicing queer. Gender fuck on the screen.
Angel has a YouTube channel and has produced a series of short 'shows' called 'Bucking the System' in which Angel is cast as an activist and trans man as much, if not more so than his porn identity. His channel can be viewed here and the most recent episode can be viewed below:
This week also another trans porn performer launch a YouTube channel and I came across it through his Twitter page. James Darling is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and interestingly uses a photo in which his breast removal is visible (in contrast to Buck, who apart from his 'pussy', revels in masculinity as shown in his imagery). Darling also produces a blog which can be viewed here. I have to confess I wasn't previously aware of Darling and I think he's really trying to make a bit of a push through (apparently previously appearing in films for companies such as the small Trannywood Pictures). You can meet Darling in his YouTube video below:
These performers are putting theory into practice. Practicing queer. Gender fuck on the screen.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Death, Bullying and Homophobia
A storm of outrage, shock and anger is sweeping through America. The issue of homophobic bullying and its impact upon young people has been brought forward in the nations consciousness following the death of a College freshman last week.18 year-old Tyler Clementi (pictured right) was a student at Rutgers University who killed himself last week by throwing himself off a bridge. His suicide followed the screening over the web of a sexual encounter between himself and another male. A webcam had been hidden in his room by his room-mate and together with another freshman, the room-mate transmitted the footage on the net. Two Rutgers students have now been charged and the full story can be read here.
Ellen DeGeneres, the out Lesbian actress, chat-show presenter and gay-rights campaigner has posted an extraordinarily powerful message on the Internet and you can view it at the bottom of this post expressing her horror at these events and challenging America to face up to them, and do something to prevent other young people dieing through homophobic bullying.
Her message is simple. Our culture - for yes we can't pretend we exist in a separate European ideal world - through it's tolerance of fear and prejudice, through its projection of sexual intolerance, is killing people. Young people are dying and Tyler Clementi is just the latest high profile casualty.
We can't go on like this. Yet, for us here in Britain, the forthcoming cuts in public expenditure will undoubtedly result in cut-backs to charities and community groups that have a vital role in our communities to protect young people. These are groups that offer a lifeline to people like Tyler and help prevent their deaths. When you hear of cuts to gay groups - as you will - don't just dismiss them, think what this means for the Tyler Clementi's out there.
Photos from the Front: Folsom Fair and the Bareback War
I blogged last weekend about the Folsom Fair and the TIM invasion of the event. It seems to me that the central aim was to highlight the pointlessness of the ban on TIM and other bareback companies from taking part and the determination of TIM (if perhaps less so other bareback commercial players) that they are going nowhere. Finally, their presence demonstrated the continued demand by fair attendees for bareback. Of course, people may have entered venues (particularly the Mack Folsom Prison 'booth') out of curiosity rather than a desire to buy TIM products, meet TIM performers or watch Jesse fuck Cory.
Any continued ban on TIM and bareback companies would be a clear assertion by organisers that rather than reflecting the desires of the men who want such an event, organisers would be acting with a paternal "we know best" attitude.
This spirit has arisen at various gay pride events in the past and usually causes only harm. When the organisers and a management of community events become increasingly removed from the people the event was for, it can only end in disaster (however well-intended the oragnisers were).
Treasure Island Media have now (finally!) posted pictures and a video of the event. Many of the pictures are NSFW and the video includes scenes of fucking so again, caution is advised. They can be viewed here. I thought there would be some 'overflow' of the TIM event into the sex club part of Mack Folsom rather than the small 'sex shop' bit that you see here (red walls pics).
The TIM stars -notably Damon Dogg (who we saw in his video diaries, regards SOMA as something of a stomping ground) and the recently low-profile Jesse O'Toole are the companies sleaze stalwarts and they are joined by the more recent recruit Corry Koons along with others.
I'm curious to know from anyone there how these events impacted upon the Mack Folsom Prison sex club space and the practicing of bareback sex there/the appearance of TIM stars in that bit too.
Given the legal history that led to the existence of this venue (and the total absence of bathhouses in San Francisco), I suspect the owners were walking something of a legal, social and commercial tight-rope and it will be interesting to see if Fair organisers seek to take some form of punitive actions against the condomless coalition that infiltrated the Folsom Fair this year.
As for the success of these events, if they worked from the perspective of TIM and Paul Morris, IML attendees in Chicago next year can surely expect a similar fight-back?
Any continued ban on TIM and bareback companies would be a clear assertion by organisers that rather than reflecting the desires of the men who want such an event, organisers would be acting with a paternal "we know best" attitude.
This spirit has arisen at various gay pride events in the past and usually causes only harm. When the organisers and a management of community events become increasingly removed from the people the event was for, it can only end in disaster (however well-intended the oragnisers were).
Treasure Island Media have now (finally!) posted pictures and a video of the event. Many of the pictures are NSFW and the video includes scenes of fucking so again, caution is advised. They can be viewed here. I thought there would be some 'overflow' of the TIM event into the sex club part of Mack Folsom rather than the small 'sex shop' bit that you see here (red walls pics).
The TIM stars -notably Damon Dogg (who we saw in his video diaries, regards SOMA as something of a stomping ground) and the recently low-profile Jesse O'Toole are the companies sleaze stalwarts and they are joined by the more recent recruit Corry Koons along with others.
I'm curious to know from anyone there how these events impacted upon the Mack Folsom Prison sex club space and the practicing of bareback sex there/the appearance of TIM stars in that bit too.
Given the legal history that led to the existence of this venue (and the total absence of bathhouses in San Francisco), I suspect the owners were walking something of a legal, social and commercial tight-rope and it will be interesting to see if Fair organisers seek to take some form of punitive actions against the condomless coalition that infiltrated the Folsom Fair this year.
As for the success of these events, if they worked from the perspective of TIM and Paul Morris, IML attendees in Chicago next year can surely expect a similar fight-back?
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