Male playing womens sports?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Male-star-leads-field-hockey-team-Is-he-an-unfa?urn=highschool-285871

Thought this was pretty interesting. What you guys think?

Hey guys, this doesn't have to go along with this class discussion or anything but I was wondering if you guys could help me out. I coach at Hilliard Davidson High School. We have a kid on our team that has a younger brother with cancer. US bank is sponsering a contest and if they get enough votes they can win. If you guys could help me out that would be great. I know this isn't part of the class but hopefully you guys understand. Thanks so much guys!

https://makeithappen.usbank.com/Story-Gallery/default.aspx?StoryId=14412

Transgender Kye Allums to play for GW

So I found this article this morning. Thought it would be interesting for the class. A girl is on the George Washington woman's basketball team but wants to have a guys name will start the process of becoming a transgender after the season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=5758450

Family- A Webseries about Polyamory

Just thought I'd share this, because I found it interesting, accurate, and enjoyable. It's a webseries about a polyamorous triad living together and facing common issues dealt with in the poly community.
Here's the first episode:


The rest of the series can be found on that user's page.

Enjoy ^_^

Caster

Talking about Caster Semenya in class today interested me so I looked up information about her and found an article saying she could compete with women I am not sure if things have changed since July but that is when the article was written. The address for the article is http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20009781-10391704.html

School board member's thoughts on homosexuality

This is interesting, and fairly recent. A school board member from Arkansas posted on his facebook regarding last Wednesday's Wear Purple day. What are your thoughts on this? 

Walk for MS (Off Topic Post)

I'm so sorry to post off topic, but this is something that I need to spread around and since I don't get out much I thought this might be a good place to start.

My boyfriend was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, after having strange vision for several weeks and undergoing several MRIs to try to find the cause of his ailment, we were referred to a doctor who told us we were probably looking at the beginnings of MS. Sure enough, six months later we received the confirmed diagnosis. Having grown up knowing someone who's wife had MS and who was completely bedridden, this was all a bit terrifying, and while treatment for the disease has come a long way, loss in quality of life is simply delayed. Next April there is going to be a Walk for MS at the Columbus Zoo, but teams are already forming and fundraising attempts are beginning. I post this here to ask anyone who is able or willing to donate to do so Here.
If you're interested in joining the team that has been started in the name of my boyfriend, you are more than welcome, the team name is Max's Manatees.

Thank you for your time, and I apologize again for the off-topic-ness.

Homosexuality and the Bible.

I have been meaning to post this for a while now. The past week I have been struck with strep and am still unable to get to class this morning, and felt this would be a great time to hopefully still contribute to class somehow from home. Two weeks ago we talked about the history of Heterosexuality, and during that class, a few students started the discussion of homosexuality's representation in the Bible. I regretfully didn't speak up in class, and have felt compelled to discuss these verses that I was taught in my Sunday School classes and current Bible studies at my United Methodist church from a somewhat more liberal viewpoint than other Christian perspectives.

Below is a compilation of verses and thoughts from an Ordained Elder of the United Methodist Church, a close friend of mine who has gathered information from published books by Christian authors and studied these verses in his Seminary endeavors.

Here is to some good food for thought and respectable discussion -

Homosexuality and the Bible / Christianity

To understand what the Bible says about homosexuality, we must read Scripture in context of the Biblical setting and modern day. Of course, I have a biased opinion of God’s thoughts on homosexuality. That is to say, I think that the love between two people has an honored place with God. What is the discussion to be about then? Well, if we notice the context of the Biblical text and modern discussion, we will see that the issues are not about relationships, but sexual acts. This is why I suggest conversation is nurtured around what relationships are most important to God. Hearing the words of Jesus Christ, to love your neighbor as yourself and to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, I understand that love between a woman and man, a man and man, and woman and a woman to be affirmed and honored by God.

Since the discussion of what the Bible says about homosexuality is how most people encounter each other, here are the Bible references to homosexuality and their “real” issues.

Genesis 19:1-11 Rape

The condemnation is against straight men of Sodom raping strangers to humiliate them. The nice thing to say is that they were not showing hospitality as was custom to visitors to a town. The reality is a gang of guys decided that they needed to show their toughness and took it out on innocent bystanders. Sure the sexual acts condemned are of a homosexual nature, but the reality is that the Sodomites are condemned for “de-humanizing” the strangers. This was an aggressive act of rape, rather than a loving relationship most homosexual partners are trying live out.

Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 Uncleanliness (not Kosher, not right)

The book of Leviticus is a set of laws for the Jewish people. These two verses say it is unlawful for people to participate in homosexual activity. The scientific understanding of human reproduction was flawed in Old Testament times. They thought that male semen was all that was needed to make a child. The woman only carried the child. They didn’t know women produced an egg. So, homosexual activity went against nature and would not produce a child, which Jewish people thought should be the only reason for sexual activity. Pleasure and response to love was not part of sexual contact for Jewish people. The other practical application to understanding the concern for procreation (having a child) is that villages needed people to survive. If homosexual activity occurred, it went against procreation. Again, notice that the loving relationship between two people is not recognized in this condemnation of homosexual activity.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10 Prostitution

These Scripture text against homosexuality are easy to see the discrepancy between relationship and sexual activity. The verses all are related to prostitution. The negative attributes against prostitution are the same today as they were in Biblical times. Prostitution sells out someone’s body. This is an act of slavery to give your body and sexuality over to another person for money rather than relationship and love. Basically prostitution does not respect and honor God’s beautiful creation of a person.

There are some very practical concerns against prostitution. When a person exposes themselves to many partners, the risk for STDs and other problems. Also, the person having sex with a prostitute, even just once, is exposed to the same risks as the prostitute.

Romans 1:26-27 (read Romans 1:18-32) Homosexuality is “unnatural”

Paul was writing from a Christian perspective in a Greek (non-Christian) world. For the Greeks, homosexual activity was socially acceptable. From Paul’s perspective though he saw that men (and women) whom he assumed were heterosexual were engaging in homosexual activity. He did not know about homosexual relationships and therefore the natural relationship Greek’s understood as homosexual attraction seemed unnatural to Paul. The bigger question with these verses is that we should understand other people’s point of view before passing judgment on their lifestyle. Just because one person does not have homosexual attraction does not mean everyone should not have homosexual attraction.

Other Discussions:

In the same discussion that the Romans verses bring up about understanding other person’s point of view, here are a few other comparisons that the Bible says something that modern people think differently about.

The Bible and Modern society agree that the following things should be rejected: Incest, Rape, Adultery, and Intercourse with animals.

The Bible condemns these things, but modern society does not: intercourse during menstruation, celibacy (in some places), naming of sexual organs, nudity (under certain conditions), masturbation, and birth control.

The Bible permits certain behaviors, modern society condemns: prostitution, polygamy, sex with slaves, concubines, treatment of women as property, very early marriage (11-13 year old girls)

Resources:

Human Rights Campaign – www.hrc.org

Anyone want to share their thoughts on this? - Ashley G.

Sexin women with mental disabilities

I thought I would get the conversation started on women with mental retardation (MR) and their sexual issues.

A quick Google search brought up articles that related mostly to reproductive rights.  I didn't bring this up (although it is very relevant) because it is an entirely different conversation and we only have time for so much! Good thing there's this blog to talk about more interesting stuff...

Much of the debate surrounding women with MR is if they have the right or if it is right for them to get pregnant. There are people who believe that we should have mandatory sterilization of women with MR to protect both them, their potential children, and their family members from this possible burden. Some believe that is the women's right to be pregnant and have a child if they choose. I think there are even more people somewhere along the spectrum in between who aren't sure what the heck they think!

So, what do YOU think? What is best for these women? Their children? Their family? Society? What is right?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed

It's still early, but does anyone have any strong opinions on this or how it's going to play out?

Teen Sexuality in YA Literature

I don't know how many of you follow the Young Adult literary world, but sex is an issue often (and unsurprisingly) dealt with. What I'm interested in talking about is how sexuality is approached in teen literature today (and how people generally react to it). My specific example involves John Green's novel "Looking For Alaska". In the book there is an extremely awkward oral sex scene involving the narrator and a girl that he has been dated and isn't really interested in. It's a very short scene, and nothing else sexually explicit happens to the narrator for the rest of the story, but when a school in New York tried to assign the novel as reading material for an English course several parents got a little upset. This incident happened two years ago, but the video that the author posted in response is still online and further explains the situation as well as his intent in writing the oral sex scene in his novel.



What do you think of John Green's reasoning? How do you feel sexuality should be approached in Teen Literature and why?

*Bonus Question!* Why do people throw the word pornography at anything and everything involving sex?

South Carolinian Senator Says Gays and Sexually Active Single Women Shouldn't Teach

The link to the very short story is here

My immediate reaction was to notice the senator seems to have no problem with sexually active single men. Also, what does a person's sexual orientation or private activity have to do with their ability to teach? Thoughts, feelings?

(Also, sorry for posting twice in one night 0_0)

Women's Sexuality in the Media (specifically advertising)

Here is a short video about mixed messages to women about their own sexuality in advertising. I thought I'd post it in case anyone was interested in watching and discussing it.

I believe the speaker brings up a lot of great points about the mixed messages advertisers send to women of all ages, particularly "We have to be sexy, but we should be pure too". I think one of my favorite comments she makes is how advertisers are constantly trying to make us feel inadequate (when she shows the ad about how women's breasts are always too something or other, never just right). I'd be interested to see how other's feel about her presentation. Do men agree that this is a problem affecting only women? Have any other women in this class run across ads that have affected them?

Thoughts from the WBC Rally

I guess people can use the comments of this to talk about the WBC rally.

More pictures from Monday

Some Pictures I took on Monday

How to Post and Hyperlink

Hello all,

The blog is open, so if you can see it you should be able to post. If you look to the top right corner of your screen, next to your user name, you should see a link titled "New Post." Click here to start your new post.

Also, to create hyperlinks in your posts or comments clink the "Link" button in the formatting toolbar above where you are typing. You can enter the URL and have it show as the URL or you can type alternate text to be displayed in your post (like I did with the Lantern article).

Thanks for starting to contribute! I would love to hear people's reactions to Monday's events!

LoveBomb Media

The Lantern's coverage of the counter-protest, with sound and photos

Welcome to the blog!

As I discussed with some of you this morning, I created this blog to give you an opportunity to share and learn more than we have time for in class. I know that sexuality is a broad, controversial, and fascinating are and I wanted you to have an opportunity to go beyond what we do in class. At this point, the blog is not required or graded. I would be interested to hear your thoughts and comments on incorporating a blog into future curricula, however.
Please share links, current events, opinions, questions, and even comments on class here! This is your open forum and (at this point) there are no rules! Happy blogging...