Behind the Aegis
Behind the Aegis's JournalA Rant: The Patriot Front arrest in Idaho is not a laughing matter.
The recent arrest of 31 one paramilitary assholes in Idaho on their way to "disrupt" a Pride Gathering in Idaho is no laughing matter. While I certainly appreciate dark comedy and satire, there have been way too many posts which are seemingly making light of the situation in a way I find disrespectful and disturbing. Thankfully, nothing came of it, and that may be largely in part to a good Samaritan following the "if you see something, say something" mantra.
Six years ago, today, June 6th, another bigoted asshole went into a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and massacred 49 gay, bi, lesbian, and allied persons in the Pulse Nightclub. Today, it could have happened again, yet some think this is a time for jokes. It isn't! These supremacists and those like them are dangerous, and I will agree, many are so stupid they are easily caught, but there are those who aren't stupid and use mistakes made by these attempts to improve their tactics. We are only HALF-WAY though pride month and cities around the country are having events for the next two weeks. Pride events are soft targets.
Again, while I, like many, try to find humor in bad situations, this is one where I feel we, the GLBT community, dodged a bullet...literally. So, when commenting on the topic, perhaps a bit of respect is owed, at least until the month of Pride is over. Then have at it with the jokes and laughing at the situation.
"They must secretly be faggots!"
STOP! Just FUCKING STOP! MOST homophobes are NOT secret homos! Yes, I know about the two pathetic studies from several decades ago, and yes, I also know all the anecdotal "proof" about self-loathing gay men (funny, we rarely see this "secret homo" charge leveled against homophobic women). When people make this claim, and I also know gay people do it too, it implies that homophobia is because of homosexuality and the crimes against us are BY us; they aren't! Heterosexuals need to OWN their privilege and admit that much of the hate against my community is coming from them, not gay people.
The people who were planning this attack are not isolated. There is a real possibility that what we witnessed today we will witness next weekend with very different results. These people are dangerous, deranged, and despicable. So, while it is good to sometimes laugh at the darkness, it is also important to respect the reality and let me remind you of it....
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Kimberly Morris, 37
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Amanda Alvear, 25
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19
Cory James Connell, 21
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
Luis Daniel Conde, 39
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33
Juan Chavez-Martinez, 25
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Frank Hernandez, 27
Paul Terrell Henry, 41
Antonio Davon Brown, 29
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24
Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
see their faces here: https://time.com/4366349/orlando-shooting-victims-photos/
The 203 Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2022
Instead of relying on hearsay and anecdotes from other travelers, we took a deep look at LGBTQ+ rights, country by country. After 350+ hours of research, we’ve reviewed all countries’ individual laws and gathered data from a variety of trusted international sources to create the definitive “LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index” that will help you find the safest (and least safe) countries for your next trip abroad.
Our methodology
We ranked 203 countries with available data, and then carefully examined LGBTQ+ rights for each country. We created our LGBTQ+ travel safety index based on a total of ten ranking factors, each pertaining to the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals. We worked with academic researcher, Eliot Assoudeh PhD., to design the methodology and cross-reference all data. We utilized a mixed methods research design to create the index. In this year’s update, we also added transgender murder rates, which weren’t included in our original 2019 study or the 2021 update.
Note on Russia/Ukraine: Russia and Ukraine were included in this study as the data collection began prior to the 2022 conflict. However, keep in mind that (as in all instances of political unrest), the most marginalized people in society are often targets. Please note that the situation for LGBTQ+ people is constantly evolving in the region.
chart
Out of 203 countries ranked, over 1/3rd (35%), 71 countries rank "F".
27 countries got a "D-".
18 countries got a "D".
17 countries got a "D+".
15 countries got a "C-".
12 countries got a "C".
7 countries got a "C+".
3 countries got a "B-".
12 countries got a "B" (including the US).
9 countries got a "B+".
6 countries got an "A-".
5 countries got an "A". (Portugal, Malta, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Canada)
This is beyond sad, but serves as a powerful reminder that queer people still face many uphill battles.
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Gender: Do not displayMember since: Sat Aug 7, 2004, 03:58 AM
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