News Reports

• New York: No Gay Marriage - Jul 6, 2006
  

  I know I haven't updated in forever, and I haven't had a Cyber Dyke update in even longer than forever (that's like infinity plus one, I guess), but I did want to mention that New York just said no to...

• Happy Pride Month - Jun 14, 2006
  

  Happy Pride Month, everybody! I had a great time this past weekend during Capital Pride. On Saturday I interpreted for the DC Dyke March, and then participated in the march itself; you can check out pictures from that here; in...

• Double Standard - May 28, 2006
  

  Lesbian student who wore tux to prom says school rules unfair - Not to her, because they let her wear the tux...but to a gay male student who wore a dress....

• Recent News Roundup - May 25, 2006
  

  New goal: post at least one lesbian-related news story per day. Ever since I started this blog, I have been getting multiple Google news alerts for "lesbian" and it's about time I start sharing the interesting stuff! Here's what I've...

• Lesbian Soldiers and DADT - Mar 21, 2006
  

  An interesting article from PlanetOut: "Don't ask" targets women at higher rate. This seems particularly strange given that military culture probably accepts butch women more readily than effeminate men...I would expect dykes would be overlooked more frequently than gay men,...

• Gay Condo in Toronto! - Jan 25, 2006
  

  As if I didn't already want to move to Toronto enough! Now there is going to be a condominium for gays and lesbians there. You don't have to be gay to buy there, but that's who they're marketing it to....

• Homosexuality in Uganda - Dec 2, 2005
  

  Uganda isn't a country we hear a whole lot about. Many Americans know almost nothing about Uganda except that it was controlled by Idi Amin. Originally a British territory, Uganda's official language is English and tourists are mostly attracted to...

• Catching Up on the News - Nov 18, 2005
  

  With the whole family situation I haven't been reading queer news lately. Here are a couple of things I missed; this weekend I will catch up on CyDy itself! Also, watch for potential changes around here in the coming months,...

• News Update - Nov 8, 2005
  

  Raise your hand if you think the Carolina Panthers cheerleaders staged the whole thing as a publicity stunt. Also, Alaska approves benefits for same sex partners - yay, Alaska! This blog will probably be even more quiet than usual as...

• Child Support - Oct 13, 2005
  

  This is a good reason for using an unknown sperm donor: he shouldn't have to pay child support. In Sweden a judge has ordered that a man who donated his sperm to a lesbian couple (who subsequently split up) must...

• Workplace Equality - Oct 3, 2005
  

  I found it quite interesting to compare the results of Equality Forum's Fortune 500 Project and the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. According to Equality Forum, 92.2% of Fortune 500 companies protect their employees from discrimination on the basis...

• Not 'Dyke Enough' - Oct 1, 2005
  

  I'd like to say I'm surprised by this, but I'm not - not after what happened to me on the cruise. A lesbian couple tried to enter a gay bar in London - G-A-Y Bar, actually - and were turned...

• Student Expelled - Sep 26, 2005
  

  This is somewhat shocking - a Canadian girl was expelled from school because her parents are lesbians. It's a religious school, of course, but the girl herself hadn't done anything wrong. So much for preaching tolerance, eh? Also, it looks...

• Yearbook Settlement - Sep 25, 2005
  

  It's really a shame it had to come to this, and it's surprising to hear a story like this in 2005 - but then again, this is Florida. At the end of the last school year, Jacksonville senior Kelli Davis...

• UK Civil Partnerships - Sep 14, 2005
  

  I want to write about my experiences on RSVP - let's just say I was accused all week of being straight, good grief - and I want to check out what's been happening over at CyDy while I've been gone,...

• Right Round Baby - Sep 2, 2005
  

  That case in Utah that I mentioned a few days ago has popped up again, this time on a religious page called LifeSite, where the article is titled Natural Mother Punished By Lower Court While Former Lesbian Partner Gets Visitation...

• Gays Caused Hurricane Katrina? - Sep 1, 2005
  

  Okay, raise your hand if you're surprised by this: "Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city." Marcavage said. "From ‘Girls Gone Wild’ to ‘Southern Decadence’, New Orleans was a city that...

• Gay Gender Gap - Aug 30, 2005
  

  David Crary has written an article for the Associated Press called Gender gap divides U.S. gays, lesbians. It's a really good article, go check it out. (BTW, I have updated this site to Movable Type 3.2 - let me know...

• Two Topics - Aug 29, 2005
  

  Supreme Court Will Consider Parental Rights for Former Lesbian Couple This is notable primarily because it's in Utah. However it also points out that lesbians can be just as hasty as straight people when it comes to rushing into...

• British Observation List - Aug 24, 2005
  

  Interesting admission: Britain's Royal Air Force kept records on suspected lesbians during the 20th century. Radclyffe Hall, the famous author of The Well of Loneliness, was one of the earlier targets; in 1920 she was nearly charged with "obscene libel...

• Lesbians in Nepal - Aug 16, 2005
  

  If anybody thinks life is tough for lesbians in the United States or western Europe, they should try checking out the lesbians of Nepal. Many regions and religions vilify sex between men but leave lesbianism untouched or uncondemned. In Nepal,...

• International News - Aug 14, 2005
  

  A couple of articles from around the world: Japanese Legislator Comes Out At Gay Pride - Kanako Otsuji's announcement that she is a lesbian came after she heard the stories of hardships faced by closeted Japanese. Lesbian couple in bid...

• More on Cherokees - Aug 12, 2005
  

  Okay, so, the news may not be so good for gay members of the Cherokee Nation after all....

• Native American Marriage - Aug 8, 2005
  

  This is a front I wasn't aware of in the struggle for same-sex marriage in the United States - apparently Native American tribes (or at least some of them) have sovereignty, and thus the authority to grant or deny marriage...

• Perception of Lesbianism in Korea - Aug 5, 2005
  

  The social status of gays and lesbians varies widely around the world, but in South Korea ignorance about lesbians is alive and well. A television report claimed that lesbianism has only emerged in the past five years, despite historical evidence...

• Gay Blood Donations - Aug 2, 2005
  

  Currently, gay men are banned from donating blood in a number of countries, including the United States. These bans date back to the early years of the AIDS crisis - they were established in 1985 in the United Statees -...

• Queer Jews in Brazil - Aug 1, 2005
  

  The next time I feel like I'm in the minority, I'm going to remember the queer Jews of Brazil. There is an article called In Brazil, gay and lesbian Jews struggle for Jewish acceptance from the JTA, a Jewish news...

• Bias in Lesbian Fertility Case - Jul 28, 2005
  

  A woman in San Diego received 11 months of fertility treatment but was denied insemination because she is a lesbian. The two doctors involved cited personal religious beliefs as the reason, and the California Medical Association has appealed a lawsuit...

• No Gay Pride in Tampa - Jun 27, 2005
  

  This is a double whammy for queers and librarians: Florida county "abstains from" gay pride. A graduate student at the University of South Florida made an exhibit on gay authors, and it was placed in a public library in Tampa....

• Caribbean Homophobia - Jun 13, 2005
  

  It has been said that a high-ranking Aruban official has financed anti-gay protests on the island, and the issue of homophobia is widely acknowledged throughout the region.

• New Jersey Triumph - May 26, 2005
  

  Congratulations to New Jersey! A baby girl there will have both her mothers' names on her birth certificate. She was conceived using an unknown sperm donor and the birth certificate ruling falls under a law in the state regarding artificial...

• Two News Articles - May 19, 2005
  

  Two news articles - one frivolous, one not. A lesbian betrayal that broke DeGeneres - Apparently Ellen was profoundly upset when Anne Heche dumped her for a man...and yet Ellen had no regard for Alexandra Hedison's feelings when she flew...

• Orgasm Day - May 11, 2005
  

  Owen sent me a link to this article: Brazilian Town Declares Orgasm Day Somehow I think this world would be a lot happier if everyone declared a World Orgasm Day! (Week? Month?)...

• Missouri Foster Parent Battle - May 5, 2005
  

  The South has been the site of many changes in gay foster care laws; in December 2004 a law in Arkansas preventing gays from fostering children was struck down, but just a few weeks ago Texas banned the same thing.

• Recreational Center - Apr 28, 2005
  

  Two thumbs down to the Mason Community Center in Mason, Ohio. They refused to sell a family pass to a lesbian couple with three children. They say they figured following federal guidelines was the best route to take...but then they...

• Swedish Restaurant Kiss - Apr 26, 2005
  

  Congratulations to Susanna Gustafsson, who was awarded 50,000 kronor ($7100) by a Swiss court after the court determined she had been discriminated against when she was kicked out of a restaurant for kissing her girlfriend there. It turns out Sweden...

• Microsoft and Diversity - Apr 25, 2005
  

  According to Steve Ballmer, Microsoft is hard-core about diversity. Sure enough, they have an HRC WorkNet score of 86, and they offer all of their benefits to same-sex partners. Way to go Microsoft!...

• Connecticut's Same Sex Unions - Apr 21, 2005
  

  Zille sent me this cool entry by GayPatriot about the approval of same-sex civil unions in Connecticut. Looks like the northeast is the place to be! They're still refusing to allow the word marriage to be used but it's a...

• Serbian Woman Attacked - Apr 11, 2005
  

  A young woman in Novi Sad, Serbia was attacked because she "looked lesbian." The ironic thing about this particular article about the attack is that it describes the attackers as "noticeably members of the skinhead movement" - apparently it's okay...

• Kathy Hoskins Beats UPS - Apr 4, 2005
  

  Kudos to Kathy Hoskins, a black lesbian who just won a lawsuit against UPS! Discrimination based on gender expression created a hostile environment that resulted in her wrongful termination. The funny thing is that I have seen a number of...

• Gays in the Catholic Church - Apr 3, 2005
  

  Gay.com UK has an article about the response of gay Catholics to the Pope's death. For more information about Catholicism and queer sexuality, check out DignityUSA, an organization for gay Catholics, and the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Catholic Handbook....

• Wanda Alston - Mar 24, 2005
  

  She was probably fairly well-off, and though she probably didn't flaunt it I can see that an unemployed person would choose her for robbery.

• Press Bias - Mar 9, 2005
  

  This vagueness allows the reader to imagine them making out in public areas, when the reality may have been simple "see you later" peck on the cheek in a locker room.

• Lesbian Mom Fights for Custody - Mar 9, 2005
  

  One element of this I found interesting was that the grandparents' lawyer says that because they boy's biological father is still alive, the surviving mom has no claim to custody.

• Killer Pleads Guilty - Mar 5, 2005
  

  The fatal stabbing may have been part of a heated fight and not exactly pre-meditated, but he most definitely was already committing a hate crime when it occurred.

• Queer Asians Respond - Feb 28, 2005
  

  The Advocate - the news magazine I want most to subscribe to! - has an article called Invisible no more that is about the response of lesbian and gay Asians to a homophobic (and Asian-phobic) feature in Details magazine. The...

• Senior Portraits Always Suck - Feb 25, 2005
  

  Such rules are absurd in the twenty-first century anyway - how on earth can they tell her not to wear "boy's clothes" when there's no such taboo in the rest of society?

• News Roundup - Feb 17, 2005
  

  It is a damn shame that this nation can't handle a little bit of mind expansion from a kiddie show, and that we're apparnently so uptight over inclusion and tolerance that this poor person has to step down over it.

• Gay Penguins Win Out - Feb 15, 2005
  

  It seems to me that the penguin brain is too tiny to understand complex issues like homosexuality.

• Lesbianism in Jamaica - Feb 7, 2005
  

  The authors discuss how lesbians destroy the family, make passes at uninterested women, ruin marriages, and so forth. I'd be outraged, but I can't because I'm just not surprised.

• E-mail Dismissal Case - Feb 1, 2005
  

  This woman sent things like "lick me nice and slow" through her work e-mail, for crying out loud! How is that not cause for dismissal?

• Postcards from Buster - Jan 26, 2005
  

  I haven't seen the episode, but I'm certain the two couples were quite innocuous and the situation was handled with extreme tact. Unfortunately Spellings doesn't see fit to conduct herself with similar restraint.

• Discrimination in America - Jan 25, 2005
  

  Only 25% of Americans are in an area banning hate crimes based on gender expression.

• School Guidance Counselors - Jan 24, 2005
  

  This was almost certainly the case when I was in high school - I didn't know a single other queer student, and nobody ever mentioned that there was anywhere I could go to discuss it.

• Harvard President and GPAC - Jan 18, 2005
  

  Mr. Summers apparently believes that there are biological reasons girls aren't as good in math and science as boys.

• Israel Allows Adoption - Jan 11, 2005
  

  They were already granted guardianship of each other's children in 1997, and today's decision follows a three-year court battle to assign formal adoption.

• Dubuque Takes Steps - Jan 8, 2005
  

  In 1988 and 1999, the city council rejected ordinances for such an addition.

• Country Club Fined for Discrimination - Dec 28, 2004
  

  What shocked me most, though, was that Kyser is one of two gay members of the club, which has more than 1,000 members. Surely there must be other members who are still in the closet!

• Gays in Oklahoma - Dec 19, 2004
  

  Fully 76% of the state supported a constitutional ban on gay marriage, and there is a new state law preventing same-sex couples from adopting children.

• Clothing for Butch Dykes - Dec 17, 2004
  

  They're seeking to provide something that fits women better than traditional masculine clothing but still retains the same general look.

• Lesbian Couple Marries in India - Dec 9, 2004
  

  A city magistrate determined that there was no law saying two women couldn't live together, and the charges were dropped.

• Thyroxine Causes Lesbianism - Dec 4, 2004
  

  When pregnant women take a thyroid medication called thyroxine the chances increase that their daughter will be a lesbian.

• Lesbian Teacher/Student Relationship - Dec 4, 2004
  

  They had known each other for several years, and the relationship began as an emotional connection that progressed into physical contact.

• HRC Director Ousted - Nov 30, 2004
  

  It surprised me to learn that Jacques was making $200,000 while working at the organization.

• Vermont/Virginia Saga Continues - Nov 24, 2004
  

  Meanwhile, Janet is missing out on the important steps a toddler takes as she matures...it's all a very twisted story.

• Civil Unions in New Zealand - Nov 22, 2004
  

  It looks like New Zealand just might become the next nation to allow a form of legally-recognized partnership for same-sex couples!

• Network Update: Posteriority - Nov 3, 2004
  

  These particular scenes feature Alexi and Lola's shoot, with a full view of the action - and of Zille taking pictures!

• Wise Words - Oct 21, 2004
  

  I don't see it as very American to carve out exceptions to our Constitution for a certain class of people.

• Judd's Lesbian Gigs Enrage Christian Fans - Oct 20, 2004
  

  Not all of her Christian fans are "enraged," I am sure. Some don't care, some are annoyed, some haven't even found out yet.

• Oklahomo - Oct 14, 2004
  

  Despite the state's reputation as "the buckle of the bible belt," there is an apparent rash of girls having sex with each other in the bathrooms.

• Going Barefoot - Oct 13, 2004
  

  While I can appreciate that this is a great step and I'm pleased they finally chucked the policy, I'm still not sure gay and lesbian couples should go to Sandals, just because they can.

• Cheney's Lesbian Daughter - Oct 6, 2004
  

  It seems unlikely that Cheney will ever run for the presidency, but it's nice to know that he loves his daughter and if he did become president would hopefully enact legislation to formally support her.

• Our Community's Future - Oct 4, 2004
  

  Like tens of thousands of queer teenagers before her, her family is struggling to understand who she is - and that she's not going to change.

• Way to Go, Spain! - Oct 1, 2004
  

  The Vatican has expressed outrage at the legislation, which is now headed for Parliament, but the population is becoming more liberal and is accepting of the proposed law.

• Out After All These Years - Sep 28, 2004
  

  In the past women have kept themselves in the closet because they feared losing their job, alienating their families, or risking their very life.

• Sex Toys are Good for You - Sep 23, 2004
  

  Women who play with sex toys are more sexually satisfied in general, experiencing heightened arousal and reaching orgasms easily.

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