I don't know how to adequately express the literal frustration I'm feeling over this Saturday Night Live joke.
This joke, just past the 11-minute mark in Saturday Night Live video of Thursday, September 17th:
Caster Semenya, the Champion South African runner whose gender has been called into question, withdrew from a cross-country race this past weekend, citing an unspecified injury. No word on what the injury is, though it's rumored she suffering from an enlarged penis.
The writers of Saturday Night Live apparently hadn't read the news of September 14th -- where Caster Semenya is reported to be on a suicide watch. They apparently hadn't heard where South African lawmaker Butana Komphela, chair of South Africa's sports committee, was quoted as saying of Caster Semenya:
She is like a raped person. She is afraid of herself and does not want anyone near her. If she commits suicide, it will be on all our heads.
The news of Caster Semenya's suicide watch was out three days before this tasteless Saturday Night Live joke was aired -- a suicide watch based on Caster's reaction to the brutal way and inhuman way media has been questioning her sex and gender.
Let me be blunt: If Caster Semenya commits suicide, the comedy writers of Saturday Night Live and have it on their heads too. After sAfter she was put on a suicide watch, Saturday Night Live continued the horrid media behavior towards Caster Semenya -- media behavior which lawmaker Butana Komphela indicating was like "rape" to Caster.
Not funny, SNL. Not funny at all.
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The Organisation Intersex International (OII) has set up a page where you can leave messages of support of Caster Semenya:
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Related:
Pam's House Blend tag: Caster Semenya
Crossposted from Bilerico-Florida.
The Trevor Project, a national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth, is hosting the Lifeline Event Series. The Trevor Project operates the only accredited, nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth.
I am honored to be on the host committee with my husband, Commissioner Anthony Niedwiecki of Oakland Park, as well as other South Florida supporters of the important work that the Trevor Project does. It's sure to be an amazing event for a great cause.
The event has also gotten another, quite surprising, supporter: The Tim Hardaway Foundation, founded by Former Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway, who in 2007 wrecked his post-basketball career by declaring on radio "I hate gay people.'' Here's the interview:
Much more after the jump...
Hardaway caused shockwaves with his comment, losing endorsement deals and gaining the wrath of LGBT groups across the country. He's now singing a different tune. In a press release about the Lifeline Event, Hardaway says:
The Tim Hardaway Foundation and I are committed to understanding and motivating our youth. The Trevor Project captured my attention and support because it is an organization working to sng to save lives through motivation and acceptance.
Hardaway will attend the event and meet with Charles Robbins, the Executive Director of the Trevor Project, as well as some of the other hosts and guests to hear learn about the difficulties some have in coming out and other LGBTQ issues.
It's a good teachable moment, perhaps. And goodness knows he needs more education on the subject. In a recent interview with the Miami Herald, Hardaway had this to say, even after he apologized for his "I hate gay people" comment:
Gays and lesbians, we don't have to accept the act, but we have to accept them as people. Especially children, we don't want them to kill themselves.
A tepid endorsement indeed. He also expressed continued concern about gays in the locker room:
We have a right to know. We'd say, `How do you want to do this? Do you want to go into the shower first, or do you want me to go into the shower first?
Because showering with a teammate who is gay would be out of the question, apparently.
I'm hoping this will be a chance to talk to Hardaway and explain to him how his comments hurt the entire LGBT community, including young people.
Come to the event, show your support, and tell your story! It will take place on September 20, 2009 from 7:00pm-10:00pm, at Halo Lounge, 1625 Michigan Avenue in Miami Beach.
Today the Department of Justice filed to motion to dismiss Gill v. Office of Personnel Development, GLAD's lawsuit challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA Sec. 3 prevents the federal government from recognizing legally married couples if the spouses aren't of different sexes.
As in other DOMA-related filings from the Obama administration, the DOJ insists that it is required to defend DOMA, even though the president deems it onerous.
As the President has stated previously, this Administration does not support DOMA as a matter of policy, believes that it is discriminatory, and supports its repeal. Consistent with the rule of law, however, the Department of Justice has long followed the practice of defending federal statutes as long as reasonable arguments can be made in support of their constitutionality, even if the Department disagrees with a with a particular statute as a policy matter, as it does here.Uh huh. Whatever. At least they didn't compare my civil marriage to incest this time, according to Chris Geidner. Progress?
GLAD responds:
Nothing in the government's brief is unexpected, and nothing in it addresses the fact that DOMA is the sole exception in a long history of the federal government deferring to the states' determination that people are married. We disagree with any argument that DOMA is constitutional. Married same-sex couples are being treated differently from other married couples. To us, that's a clear-cut violation of the promise of equal protection.This case is about seeking justice for the widows and widowers who are denied death benefits, for people who can't get on their spouse's health plan, for parents who can't file taxes jointly and pay thousands extra each year that they could put away for their children's education or family emergencies. We're pleased that the issues have now been joined and the case is moving toward resolution, because every day, an increasing number of families - not just our plaintiffs - are being harmed by DOMA.
We're proud of this case the National Law Journal has called "carefully planned" and the case with the potential to have "the greatest national impact". There's a long road ahead, and we will keep you posted of all the developments along the way.
Here's what happens next, according to an e-mail from GLAD.
So, at this point we have 14 days to file an opposition to the motion dismiss. The government will then file a reply to our opposition. After that, our first hearing will be scheduled, and we can expect that to take place early next year. Having said all of that, it's possible that both sides will get and receive extensions on that schedule.In other words, stay tuned.
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