Free Republic

In what has become an annual rite of passage, University of Colorado students are being subjected this month to a round of diversity workshops preaching that all whites are racist. The latest round, hosted by the university's women's resource center last Friday, was titled "White on White Taskforce: Acting to Dismantle Racism." According to organizers, it was "designed to give White people tools to dismantle racism on campus." At the workshop, students received a handout espousing the "underlying assumptions" of its leaders. Most notably, it read "reverse racism is impossible," meaning that non-whites cannot be racist. And also of interest,...

Just one year ago, Megan Wallent's co-workers at Microsoft knew her as Michael. Then, in an e-mail sent to his entire staff, he announced that he no longer considered himself a male. The long-time executive, in charge of the Internet Explorer division for Microsoft, underwent major feminization surgery and legally changed his gender. Wallent's wife, like his co-workers, had no idea that this guy's guy was conflicted about his gender identity. ABC's Neal Karlinksy has the story from Seattle. Read more here and view a slideshow of the transition from Michael to Megan.

I’ve been studying higher education for a long time, but I’ve never seen anything quite as queer as a new course being taught at the University of Michigan. Section Two of English 317 is titled “How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation.” Taught by Instructor David Halperin (halperin@umich.edu), the course is worth three credit hours to Wolverine students interested in exploring learned gayness. For years, I’ve been hearing that gayness is a function of some sort of gay gene but, apparently, I’ve been over-simplifying the issue. Here’s what Halperin has to say: “Just because you happen to be a...

Psychologists to Review Policy on Homosexuality by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor Focus on the Family, others urge APA to consider faith of patients. Beginning next week, a task force set up by the American Psychological Association (APA) will begin reviewing the organization's 10-year-old policy on homosexuality, which opposes counseling that treats same-sex attraction as a mental illness, but does not forbid various therapies that address unwanted same-sex attraction. Focus on the Family has joined more than 250 pro-family organizations and individuals in urging the APA to recognize the religious beliefs of clients and to allow those who struggle with unwanted...

To an economist, it's crystal clear why people with limited sexual pasts choose to supply too little sex in the present: their services are underpriced. If sexual conservatives could effectively advertise their histories, HIV-conscious suitors would compete to lavish them with attention. But that doesn't happen, because conservatives are hard to identify. Insufficiently rewarded for relaxing their standards, they relax their standards insufficiently.

Bodyguards, not altar boys, flank pro-marriage cleric Archbishop receives death threats, bullet in mail from 'Red Brigade' for opposing same-sex unions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: May 6, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco no longer celebrates Mass in the cathedral of Genoa, Italy, with assistance from altar boys or deacons – not since the death threats began after he spoke out against government plans to legalize same-sex unions. Bagnasco, recently appointed head of Italy's Conference of Bishops, stirred controversy last month when the group issued a statement directed at Catholic lawmakers, reminding them of their moral obligation to...

"I am speaking the Truth to break the silence. Silence isn't freedom. It's a constraint. Truth tolerates open discussion, because the Truth emerges when healthy discourse is allowed. By proclaiming the Truth in love, hurts will be halted, hearts will be healed, and lives will be saved." "Christian students should be allowed to express their viewpoint just like any other student," said Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. "The Day of Truth provides an opportunity for Christian students to respectfully present a different viewpoint than students participating in the Day of Silence. Allowing the communication of...

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday he considers homosexuality to be immoral and the military should not condone it by allowing gay personnel to serve openly, the Chicago Tribune reported. Marine Gen. Peter Pace likened homosexuality to adultery, which he said was also immoral, the newspaper reported on its Web site. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," Pace told the newspaper in a wide-ranging interview. Pace, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a 1967 graduate of...

-27-2007 Former ACLU Official Charged With Child-Porn Possession The former president of the Virginia American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, ABC News reported. A criminal complaint against Charles Rust-Tierney said federal investigators found evidence of multiple subscriptions to child-porn sites on his computer. In addition, court papers noted that confiscated CD-ROMs contained graphic images of rape against prepubescent girls. Rust-Tierney opposed restrictions on Internet access in Virginia public libraries, arguing that people should be trusted to act responsibly. "The default should be maximum, unrestricted access to the valuable resources of the...

"The Sunday after General Convention I returned to my home parish for Gay Pride Sunday and participated in a Disco Mass for which gays and lesbians turned out in force. The opening hymn was a beautiful jazz rendition of 'Over the Rainbow.' Musical offerings came from gay men in sequined tank tops and from the Director of Music who was ushered into the service singing a disco number complete with go-go girls. The queen of St. Mark’s appeared in full drag to deliver the homily and the closing hymn was, Sister Sledge’s 'We Are Family.'" - Nell Braxton Gibson, Coordinator...

Civil Unions Not Enough for New Jersey Gays by Pete Winn, associate editor Activists call for marriage. On the day New Jersey made civil unions legal, homosexual activists made clear what they really want is nothing short of "marriage." Garden State Equality Chairman Steven Goldstein announced a campaign to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples within two years. "Civil unions are not marriage," he told the New York Daily News. "Marriage is the only currency of commitment the world understands." Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, said gay activists are not satisfied with "just getting benefits."...

Last week I focused on how high school students are being radicalized against "hate" and in favor of "diversity." This radicalism ends up on college campuses like the one I attended nearly 30 years ago. Angry students, often led by the African Studies Department, would allege racism. People, who would have done well wearing brownshirts in Germany around 1930, would harangue about injustices, real or in most cases, very much imagined. I remember my "Religion and Politics" class being invaded by African Studies students in who were supposedly opposing the insult of Egyptians (an African people by the way) by...

The Junior Scholastic "news magazine" that is written for elementary students and used in thousands of public schools across the United States has published an article promoting "madrassa" school life for American children who are Muslims, much to the outrage of some parents. "Remember way back in grade school and getting Junior Scholastic magazine in school? Well here is an example of what JS has devolved into. Force-feeding the barbaric propaganda of Islamic madrassas down the throats of my 7th and 4th graders. Disgusting," a father wrote WND about the issue, published in November. Scholastic spokeswoman Jennifer Slackman told WND...

It started out as a who's who of Twin Cities law firms joining forces to lure minority attorneys to Minnesota. But the Twin Cities Diversity in Practice group set off a tempest when it excluded a firm that handled a pair of landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases challenging affirmative action. The group's leaders said letting the Minneapolis law firm of Maslon, Edelman, Borman & Brand join the effort would hamper its mission: to make the bar more racially diverse. "Would this law firm participating in our effort help or hinder us to do what we are trying to do?" said...

<p>FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ON NOT CAPTURING BIN LADEN: 'At least I tried. That's the difference between me and some, including all the right wingers. They ridicule me for trying. They had eight months to try, they did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed'...</p>

Animal bordellos draw Norwegians Denmark's animal bordellos reportedly draw Norwegian clients, but both countries have loopholes that make such establishments legal. Here a Danish animal owner offers his horse to a Danish journalist claiming to be interested in animal sex. Related stories: Former cop busted in pig pen - Neither Denmark nor Norway has a prohibition on sex with animals, as long as the animals do not suffer. On the Internet Danish animal owners advertise openly that they offer sex with animals, without intervention from police or other authorities, Danish newspaper 24timer reports. In correspondence with the animal owners, the...

James Surowiecki's excellent book The Wisdom of Crowds explores, among other things, the value of cognitive diversity. A team will benefit from having people who think differently, have different backgrounds an opinions. While this is obvious, the extent to which it is so is perhaps not. Groups of people who are similar will reinforce each other and produce extreme, and badly wrong, ideas. Groups of people who are different can often be better than even the best individuals within them. For example, if you ask a group of people to estimate the weight of a cow or the number of...

Abstinence should definitely be encouraged in the Wisconsin Legislature. All of us would be better off if state politicians abstained from passing laws about things they know nothing about. Republican legislators are about to pass a law requiring schools in the state to teach teenagers that sexual abstinence until marriage is the "preferred" behavior in Wisconsin. Legislators actually believe they have a right to declare certain sexual activities - or, in this case, no sexual activity - the official behavior of our state much the same way they designate various species of wildlife the official state bird or the official...

In city halls and public parks across the country, stories-high evergreens are being erected and decked with glowing lights and sparkling ornaments. They look - and smell - like Christmas trees. But not so fast. In places as varied as Chicago, Reno and Prairie Village, Kan., they're "holiday" trees. In other spots, such as Atlanta, they have no name at all. This year, the tree-name game has sparked a backlash, with some Americans crying humbug and Christian groups threatening lawsuits over what they say is religious discrimination. Perhaps the most heated debate is brewing in Boston. The city's Parks and...

On Sunday morning, approximately 70 people met in Elmwood Park to be part of the first gay pride march in Roanoke. By Courtney Cutright 981-3340 The Roanoke Times In 1990, Sam Garrison, a Roanoke lawyer and gay rights activist, helped organize the first Pride in the Park event, a picnic coordinated by about a dozen people, a low-key event. Now 16 years later, the colorful gay and lesbian festival has grown to attract a crowd of approximately 2,500 people, event director Charles Richards said. On Sunday, men and women of all ages, families, children and dogs congregated in Elmwood Park...