Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

Dr. Thio calls it quits at NYU: an opportunity lost...

According to the NY Times Dr Thio "had changed her mind about teaching because of “the atmosphere of hostility by some members of our community towards her views and by the low enrollments in her classes.”

NYU students voted with their feet.

It's a pity that now she can play the victim card, and claim she's a casualty of the gay agenda. I would say she's a casualty of her own bigotry — but then David Duke claims he is also a victim of bigotry. Looking glass logic.

However, had she been present at NYU it would have given the students and the school a real opportunity to expose her thinking to the light of reason on an ongoing basis. We will not have the opportunity now. While I thought the appointment was idiotic on the part of NYU, it was an opportunity to create dialogue (though most likely not with her, since it is clear her mind is closed) with the international and Asian communities. We don't have that chance now, and it's too bad.

But then, perhaps Dr. Thio recognized that she would have been this opportunity for ongoing withering critiques. Perhaps she should take an appointment at Liberty University, where the intention of avowed Christians to impose their views on the government is out in the open.

I appreciate the Statement from Dean Richard L. Revesz of the New York University School of Law making clear not only the history of the appointment, but the subsequent email exchange between Dr. Thio and various students. The only issue I take with the explanation is that they only looked at her published scholarship, and not her speeches as a legislator. In the field of Human Rights law, the record of a legislator on the subject of human rights is not tangential. It is central. The law is not onl scholarship — it affects real lives, and in Singapore the law says my expression of love is a criminal act.

I do find it hard to believe that the faculty was unaware of her position given that is was so public and controversial even in Singapore. And I somehow suspect that if she had advocated the criminalization of the practice of any non-Christian religion she would never have received this appointment. So while I agree with the Dean about academic freedom, and I welcome honest intellectual dialogue, I don't believe that ideal would have been served with this appointment. Her withdrawal however, means that the demonstration of bad faith on her part in intellectual dialogue will not be on view. And that's a loss.

What was it like to be red headed in Japan?

This video with Rupert Grint was my experience on an almost daily basis. Of course, it doesn't show the opposite reaction, of people staring, pointing and shouting in Japanese "Monster!" which also happened with some regularlty. Usually at about 2am, after the bars closed.

Are Gay Rights Human Rights? Ask NYU...

So the controversy over the appointment of Dr. Li Ann Thio as Visiting Professor at NYU's Law School continues with Dr. Thio being assigned to teach Human Rights Law in Asia.

Dr. Thio claims to have gay friends, and not to hate gay people — she is just opposed to gay agenda. Where have we heard this before? Oh yes, from her intellectual teachers at Focus On The Family, whose associated church she is connected to in Singapore.

Here is someone who claims that she has nothing against gay people, she just wants them to be labeled as criminals or suspected criminals for their physical expression of love in the privacy of their own homes. And she doesn't see that as a human rights issue.

In the last week, AboveTheLaw.com published a complaint from an NYU student about Dr. Thio's appointment, and a response from Dr. Thio, who feels personally attacked by the protests. No doubt there have been ad hominem attacks. It's interesting to see her respond to uncivil words in response to the her desire to criminalize an entire group of people — efectively denying them their civil rights.

NYU has refused to rescind the invitation, and the dean of the law school has vigoursly defended the appointment. But NYU students have made the issue fairly moot by avoiding registration in her class. By last count, her class on Human Rights in Asia has 5 full registrants. Compare this with classes by queer legal scholar Kenji Yoshino who has had over 200 people try to register for each section of his courses.

What makes this all particularly sad is that the state of human rights in Asia is an extremely important subject, and one that should be taught every semester. The subject of women's rights and human trafficking alone would fill an entire curriculum.

NYU Law alumnae, Jill Filipovic at Feministe, suggested that her financial support of the school may take a turn:

The next time you send me an email or a letter asking for financial support, you're going to receive a note back from me explaining that I'm donating to an LGBT rights organization instead, and will be doing so for the foreseeable future. I would love to be a more involved graduate, but I'm not going to give a penny to an institution that invites people like Dr. Thio to teach. That will hold true long after she is no longer teaching at the law school.

I would like to suggest however, that Ms. Filipovic, rather than contribute to an LGBT rights group here, send her money to human rights organizations in Asia, which clearly need more help. Starting perhaps with the Somali Mam Foundation.

Sunday Morning Cartoon on Tuesday Afternoon: The Rights Five!

Can you imagine superheroes for lgbt rights in Colorado? If you can't, you aren't imaginative enough, because the GLBT Community Center of Colorado has just launched a website and a youtube cartoon featuring these spandex-wearing characters:

My only question is, where's Scoobie-Doo? There is also a full website where you can sign on for updates and take advantage of viral email to let other people know.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Tribute to Queer Cartoon Characters...

I may quibble with some of the choices, but this video montage in tribute to the queer characters in kid's TV shows and movies (and I would argue that some are not even for kids, really, but it's too much fun to argue) is just hilarious.

Cigar Smoke Bukakke

What were they thinking?????

Well, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...just not this time.