February 2008
“Hate Crime”
Hate crimes are criminal actions intended to harm or intimidate people because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or other minority group status. They are also referred to as bias crimes.
Depending upon where you live, a hate crime is a criminal act which is motivated, at least in part, because of someone’s bias or hatred of a person’s or group’s perceived race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other characteristic.
When a crime is a “hate crime,” the victim is intentionally selected because of his or her race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability or sexual orientation. A number of federal and state laws prohibit acts or threats of violence; as well as harassment and discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender and/or disability. Some laws also include political affiliation and age; though federal and state laws vary greatly. A crime is classified as bias-motivated (or a hate crime) when it is clear that the offender’s criminal actions were motivated, in whole or in part, by bias
Sexual orientation remains the third-highest recorded bias crime in our country, which underscores that antigay hate crimes are a very real problem nationwide.
The highest percentage of antigay attacks in the 16 years the FBI has tracked them was in 2002, when 16.7 percent of the nation’s hate crimes targeted people based on their perceived orientation. Victim-advocate groups, such as the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, contend that the number of attacks against gays is much higher. Hate crimes are about more than just someone beating someone else up or someone killing another person. Hate Crimes, by their very nature, affect more than just the victims; they affect entire groups of people.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have laws against hate crimes. Of those, twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes statutes that specifically cover crimes based on the real or perceived sexual orientation of the victim. Seven of those states and the District of Columbia also cover gender identity.
The physical and emotional damage caused by hate crimes impacts entire communities, races, genders, or ethnic groups; whatever group to which the victim(s) belong. Hate crimes are about more than just interpersonal violence; they are about intimidation, they’re about power and they’re about disrupting communities and violating civility.
The victimization of gays and lesbians based upon their sexual orientation includes harassment, vandalism, robbery, assault, rape and murder. The location of these crimes is not restricted to dark streets leading from gay establishments. Violence against gays and lesbians occurs everywhere: in schools, the workplace, public places and in the home. Those who commit these acts come from all social/economic backgrounds and represent different age groups (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Safety and Fitness Exchange, Lance Bradley and Kevin Berrill, 1986.)
Ending hate crimes is everyone’s responsibility; laws do not change by themselves and they certainly do not change overnight. Changing them entails community involvement, acceptance, encouragement and perseverance.
While the struggle is not over, changing hearts and minds was made easier by the efforts of the woman called the “Founding Mother” of Gay Rights.
Gay rights activist Barbara Gittings was one of those people. She died of breast cancer at her home in Pennsylvania, at the age of 75. Ms. Gittings and her partner, Kay Tobin Lahusen, had been together for 46 years.
When asked how Ms. Gittings would want to be remembered, Ms. Lahusen said that Ms. Gittings “would want to be remembered for the love she leaves behind. Love of the cause, the gay community; love of justice; love of music and books; and love for me.”
I hope you all have a wonderfully prosperous week!
~Cee~
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I find myself increasingly uncaring about what passes for news, ideas, or thought lately. I have been afflicted with a severe case of “Writers Block” this week. School is kicking my ass, we’ve all been sick with the flu, and on top of everything else; I am PMS’ing it (is it obvious?) and totally unmotivated, if Hershey ever goes out of business and stops producing CHOCOLATE…”God help you all” *GRIN*
No one agrees with anyone else. Everyone thinks they alone have THE right opinion, despite the fact that everyone else thinks that of themselves also. Women and children still die at the hands of men and the Pope looks like the antichrist. What’s the point of chronicling the same old bullshit over and over?? Somebody give me ONE good reason to keep writing about all of this nonsense!! Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write about this week until I received an e mail from a dear friend of mine venting about her “SEXLESS” relationship then immediately a light bulb came on (I love it when that happens), so that is what I decided to cover this week.
“Not tonight dear, I have a headache.” How many times have we laughed at that line in a TV comedy or a movie? However, few women who experience low sex drive in their relationships think its a laughing matter.
Fortunately for me I am a total “horn dog” and I will hopefully will always remain as such. There is an age difference between she and I. She is 32 and I just turned 43 but according to her, I have the libido of a 20 year old.
My friend, who is dealing with a “sexless relationship” right now is going insane. There is no medical justification for it she says, her girlfriend simply does not want to. Situations like theirs can definitely lead to infidelity.
She says she is to the point that she feels like cheating. Ahhhh…self gratification is great at that particular moment but what about after the fact? Could you handle all of the feelings that transpire after the “dirty deed” is done.” Maybe there are underlying issues with her girlfriend, I couldn’t say for sure because I do not know her.
An active sex life is an important part of almost every marriage/relationship, but approximately 20% of marriages are sexless. Most women have a healthy sex drive and enjoy it just as much as they did in the beginning of the relationship. But, for many women, experiencing low sex drive is a real problem that affects them emotionally, making them feel unattractive and undesirable. Women with low sex drive often experience problems in their relationships and their partners can and most often times do take the woman’s lack of libido as a sign of rejection.
A woman’s lack of libido can be brought on by several factors. Of course, marital problems can bring about a woman’s lack of libido, but mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress, for example, can also cause a woman to feel a low sex drive. Relationship and emotional problems with a spouse can cause a decrease in sex drive due to mental preoccupation with these thoughts.
The cause for loss of sex drive differs from woman to woman and needs to be analyzed and sorted out on an individual level, preferably by a physician. Thankfully, if low sex drive is due to mental problems these can often be resolved through holistic, non medical approaches, such as meditation and hypnotherapy. These natural approaches, if used successfully, can get the woman’s sex drive back on track (Can we say; “Who’s Yo Daddy!”).Other potential causes of low sex drive are hormone, or endocrine, disorders. Excess progesterone, as experienced by menopausal women, for example, is one possible cause of a low sex drive. I have been experiencing menopause for quite some time now but it has not affected my sex drive, if anything, I feel like it has increased, thus, keeping my girlfriend extremely happy at all times.
On the other hand, a woman can experience low progesterone levels, as well. Research has demonstrated that many women in their 30’s and younger occasionally fail to ovulate. This phenomenon is often brought on by stress or poor diet. Failure to ovulate in women leads to a lack of progesterone production, which results in excess estrogen. Excessive estrogen levels coupled with low progesterone levels then leads to a hormonal imbalance, which can result in a woman’s lack of libido.
But, did you know, SEX is an instant cure for mild depression. It releases endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and leaving you with a feeling of well being.
A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is also a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever. According to research, sex may alleviate the pain of migraine in some patients. In fact a study found migraine sufferers report higher levels of sexual desire than people with other types of headaches.
So there you have it my friends, sex may actually provide some relief for migraine and hay fever allergy sufferers. So the next time your partner tells you; “Not tonight dear, I have a headache” you can tell them that you have the absolute perfect cure!
I hope you all have a wonderfully prosperous week!!
~Cee~
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Self sabotage can be a minor thing, a phase or it can become so serious that it limits or completely destroys one’s ability or desire to live the happy and fulfilling life we are all entitled to the moment we are born.
Unfortunately, circumstances in life can severely alter our self image to the point where we feel trapped in a never ending cycle of unhappiness and lack of self esteem and self worth.
Each day, find five good things about yourself. Make a list, and make that list your personal bible. Carry it with you everywhere. State those affirmations. Add to the list constantly, without erasing the past affirmations.
In time, provided you were honest with yourself, you will begin to believe that you are a good and worthy person who is deserving of happiness and success!
Everyone has good, even people who are seemingly evil. How we choose to use our gifts is up to us.
What The "L" 