Macho Macho Men

After years of lagging behind, gay rights movements in Latin America are coming out into the mainstream.

Most analysts haven't noticed, but a major social revolution is taking place in Latin America. The region is becoming gayer. It's not that there are more gays and lesbians living in Latin America (we would never know). Rather, the region is becoming more gay-friendly. A generation ago, Latin America was the land of the closet and the home of the macho. Today, movements fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are taking advantage of the region's more globalized, open regimes. They are promoting their cause through smart, mainstream political and economic alliances. So, though closets and machos are still ubiquitous, Latin America is now the site of some of the most pro-gay legislation in the developing world.

Change hasn't simply come on paper. Latin American cities are also becoming increasingly gay-friendly. The number of gay-owned or gay-friendly establishments (e.g., bars, support groups, services) per capita in Latin American cities is on the rise, with some cities outperforming even the most liberal Western capitals. Nobody really ever thought the region was a gay desert, but there is plenty of evidence now that Latin America -- at least legally and in urban centers -- is coming out.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary ... and other stories

Robin and Richard were two pretty men,
They lay in bed till the clock struck ten.

Believe it or not, this titillating little rhyme was penned by none other than Mother Goose herself. While most people generally equate nursery rhymes with young children and innocent playtime, the original poems are, in fact, more adult than we might think.

Jonathan Hobin photographs the darker side of Mother Goose.
Taking a closer look at the intricacies of the rhymes of Mother Goose is gay artist Jonathan Hobin. Fascinated with the darker side of childhood, Hobin has created a photo exhibit that depicts young children in fairytale scenes based on a handful of carefully selected nursery rhymes. Mother Goose will be on display at the Dale Smith Gallery in Ottawa Mar 6 -31.

Methodically constructed with every detail in mind, Hobin’s photographs illuminate a number of serious issues — such as spousal abuse, unplanned pregnancy, abandonment, depression, loneliness, eating disorders and phobias — that directly or indirectly affect young children.

Here is a link to the full Robin & Richard poem

Anglican Diocese of Ottawa to defy ban, on same-sex blessings

The Diocese of Ottawa has said it will perform same-sex blessings, becoming the first Canadian Anglican diocese to make such a move since a ban was imposed on the practice by the international church.

The diocese said it is developing a liturgy and protocol for the rite and once they are created it will start performing the ceremonies for gay couples on a limited basis. But critics of same-sex blessings say those steps will widen the schism in the Canadian church.

In 2004, the worldwide church called for a moratorium on the rite after the Diocese of New Westminster in British Columbia struck out on its own and began performing same-sex blessings. That move was considered a seminal event that led to the Canadian split.

No I'm not drunk ... it's a Pink dolphin!

The world's only known pink Bottlenose dolphin which was discovered in an inland lake in Louisiana, USA, has become such an attraction that conservationists have warned tourists to leave it alone.

Charter boat captain Erik Rue, 42, photographed the animal, which is actually an albino, when he began studying it after the mammal first surfaced in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico in southwestern USA.

Excuse me, my cod is ringing!

A BUSINESSMAN who lost his mobile phone on a beach was amazed when it turned up — in the belly of a massive cod.

Andrew Cheatle thought his Nokia handset had been lost at sea after it slipped from his pocket.

But a week later his girlfriend’s mobile rang and it was fisherman Glen Kerley saying he’d found the phone in a 25lb fish.

New Canadian method to make stem cells without embryos

Canadian researchers have developed a new method for generating stem cells from adult human tissue, a move they believe will bring the dream of personalized regenerative medicine a step closer to reality.

Scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto describe a new reprogramming procedure to transform adult cells, such as those from a patch of skin, into stem cells.

"This new method of generating stem cells does not require embryos as starting points and could be used to generate cells from many adult tissues, such as a patient's own skin cells."

You know you're old when: shag rugs + wood panelling are in a museum!

Saskatoon museum has recreated a 1970s living room, complete with orange shag carpet, wood panelling and recliner chairs.

"It's a three-tone orange shag rug on the floor," Daelick pointed out during a recent tour. "Wood panelling on one wall and nice orange wallpaper on two other walls."

Orange is also featured on the furniture.

Among the more iconic pieces in the display are hanging macramé plant holders.

(Seems like the only thing missing is the Avocado kitchen!)

Movie about *BLEEP*s and *BLEEP*s wins Academy Award

Some television viewers in Asia are angry after the annual Academy Awards broadcast in the region censored the words "gay" and "lesbian" from acceptance speeches.

Pan-Asian satellite TV network STAR carried the glitzy Hollywood ceremony in full during the live telecast.

However, viewers who watched subsequent repeat broadcasts noticed that the sound periodically disappeared during the acceptance speeches of Oscar winners Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn, the screenwriter and lead actor of the drama Milk, respectively.

Hey Dude Where's My Car?

Michael Otero parked his new red truck in front of a convenience store in Laguna Beach, California and went inside for only a few minutes. When he returned, the truck was gone! Since he had left the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked, Otero assumed it had been stolen. Police watched the surveillance video and found out what really happened.

Seniors: Out of the closet, into the system

The Canadian health care and social service sectors are fairly saturated with resources for senior citizens, and now more than ever, workers in these fields are beginning to recognize that “seniorhood” is not a stand alone section of the population – health and social work programs tailored to meet specific needs of immigrants, different ethnic groups, and other intersectional diversities have been cropping up more frequently in the last decade.

But while recognition of visible minorities in the community is an important step in eldercare, other, less visible groups remain on the margins. Seniors who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual are often doubly marginalized, their needs ignored or overlooked by both elder care systems and gay communities.