In the September issue of The Atlantic, Andrew Sullivan explains why homophobic legislation is becoming intolerable to the younger generation:

The premise used to be that homosexuality was an activity, that gays were people who chose to behave badly; or, if they weren’t choosing to behave badly, were nonetheless suffering from a form of sickness or, in the words of the Vatican, an “objective disorder.” And so the question of whether to permit the acts and activities of such disordered individuals was a legitimate area of legislation and regulation.

But when gays are seen as the same as straights—as individuals; as normal, well-adjusted, human individuals—the argument changes altogether. The question becomes a matter of how we treat a minority with an involuntary, defining characteristic along the lines of gender or race. And when a generation came of age that did not merely grasp this intellectually, but knew it from their own lives and friends and family members, then the logic for full equality became irresistible.

I think he’s right, which is saw proof of the other days when a new study revealed that young evangelicals ditch their churches’ anti-gay agenda.

Read Sullivan’s article in full here.

“Berlin's memorial to the thousands of homosexuals persecuted and killed by the Nazis was damaged over the weekend,” Der Spiegel reports.

(Via Tor Billgren.)

On Sunday, I did something I rarely do. I accompanied my father to his childhood village of Glimåkra to listen to a lecture about local artist Erik Månsson (1893-1972). I had expected it to be a rather dull experience, but to my surprise, it turned out to be quite interesting. Normally, my father is not particularly interested in art, but the artist in question was his schoolteacher, so he felt a connection and wanted to learn more about the man he know only as a somewhat brutish and harsh authority figure.

After the lecture itself, we were invited to the first ever vernissage of Månsson’s art; which mostly deals with local myths, characters, and customs. It’s not the greatest art I have seen, but I found its originality fascinating. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my camera at home, but I managed to take a few decent pictures with my mobile.

Just when I was about to give up on the evangelicals, I learn of a new study showing progress among young Christians:

Young evangelicals are far more accepting of gay and lesbian lifestyles than their parents are: 34 percent of evangelicals between 18 and 29 think homosexuality “should be accepted,” compared with 24 percent of those from 50 to 64, according to the Pew Forum. While abortion remains a bright line for most evangelicals, some Christian-college students admit there’s even a bit of wiggle room there. Hillary Waters graduated in 2008 from Wheaton with a political science degree and spent six months in Zambia. She didn’t grow up as a Christian, though she considers herself one now. “I don’t really have an opinion on abortion. I just can’t imagine if you were a single mother of four kids and got pregnant,” she says. “I can’t really justify forcing someone to raise a child in that circumstance.”

There’s much talk about Barack Obama and John McCain appearing together for the first time this past weekend. The two presidential candidates were questioned by evangelical pastor Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church in California. A boring spectacle; the event manifests what I like the least about America and American politics—the influence of religion-based ethics. And as always, the rights of gay people are dependant on the superstitious’ interpretation of ancient myths. Both candidates said they opposed marriage equality, but Obama stressed that he is in favour of civil unions that would allow gay couples the right to visit hospitalized spouses.

Andrew Sullivan comments on McCain’s answer to a question about marriage:

He cites his own state's position on marriage—but his own state voted down an anti-marriage equality amendment. And again, he simply says that gay couples can make “legal arrangements,” and argues that gay couples should not be denied any of the rights of other citizens. But those “legal arrangements” can be overturned or removed by other family members without civil marriage rights. And he isn't asked about civil unions, the obvious follow-up. I get the feeling Warren simply wanted to get both on record against marriage equality. Again: no mention of the people whose relationships are the target of these amendments.

And on Obama’s answer to the same:

Obama makes the critical distinction between civil and religious institutions. But he and Warren duck the issue. The question is equality in the civil sphere. Warren opposes that equality; Obama favors it. And Obama sees that civil equality as compatible with Christianity. It is, of course. But what was depressing is the refusal of both men to speak of gay people as such, explicitly and clearly.

The whole thing makes me sick.

He should have resigned last year, before Benazir Bhutto was killed. But better late than never, I suppose.

Michael Phelps just secured his eighth Olympic gold in Beijing, and so surpassed Mark Spitz’s old record of eight seven gold medals at a single Olympics. Truly impressive.

It would be easy to dismiss the ad hoc-argument presented in this video clip as irrelevant nonsense had it not been for the many people who really believe it to be valid.

(Thanks Tor.)

On 11 August, Swedish newspaper Skånska Dagbladet published a homophobic article by conservative columnist Carin Stenström. Today the same newspaper publishes my reply. It’s not available online, so I post it here. I don’t have time to translate it, so I apologize to those of you who cannot read Swedish.

Den 11 augusti publicerade Skånska Dagbladet en ledarkrönika av Carin Stenström som aldrig kommit i tryck om den handlat om någon annan folkgrupp än homosexuella.

I artikeln hävdar Stenström att det finns en stor konspiration som tystar ner sanningen om att homosexuella har en särskild livsstil som leder till en lång rad unika infektioner och en mängd kroniska skador. Hon avslöjar inte vilka dessa dessa hemliga sjukdomar är utan fortsätter med att svepande hänvisa till forskning som påstås visa att medellivslängden för homosexuella män är avsevärt kortare än för heterosexuella. Några källor finns inte, men eftersom Stenström så sent som den 24 oktober 2007 skrev om samma forskningsresultat i tidningen Världen Idag antar jag att uppgifterna kommer från den homofobiska tankesmedjan Family Research Institute i USA.

Forskaren bakom studien heter Paul Cameron och har uteslutits ur alla vetenskapliga organisationer eftersom han systematiskt far med osanning i syfte att legitimera en kränkande behandling av homosexuella. Han är känd för att hävda att homosexualitet är en större fara för folkhälsan än rökning. Camerons forskningsresultat om förkortad medellivslängd bygger till största delen på dödsrunor i en amerikansk tidning för homosexuella. Studien tar inte hänsyn till att bara ytterst få och spektakulära dödsfall rapporteras i tidningen. Med samma metod skulle man kunna ”bevisa” att alla jägare dör i förtid genom att samla data från rapporterade dödsfall i tidningen Jaktjournalen.

I sin artikel jämför Stenström prideparaden i Stockholm med militärmarscherna i Sovjetunionen och Nazityskland. Det är naturligtvis ett hån att homosexuellas frigörelse kopplas till de regimer som mer än andra mördat homosexuella. Men det är tyvärr typiskt för den vulgärretorik som Stenström i egenskap av chefredaktör släpper fram i Världen Idag. Jag hade hoppats att Skånskan skulle visa bättre omdöme.

I have taken an extra course in English grammar this summer, and tomorrow I will sit the final full-day examination. When I’m done, I will celebrate—perhaps by a visit to Copenhagen Pride. So, don’t expect any blogging this weekend.

I was watching an old episode of Seinfeld last night. In one scene, Elaine and Jerry discuss who is the ugliest politician. Jerry says Leonid Brezhnev, Elaine says Charles de Gaulle.

I had forgotten what the two leaders looked like, so I searched the Internet to find out. After looking at a few pictures of the two, I say Jerry Seinfeld was right.

If this is true, it’s huge. A former Secretary of State and a high-ranking Republican endorsing a Democratic candidate in a presidential election would be a devastating blow to John McCain’s campaign.

Swedish gay magazine QX asked its readers to send in pictures from Pride events they visited this summer. About 250 pictures have been sent in so far.

This is my favourite. I think it would take a lot of imagination to come up with an outfit queerer than this rubber costume.

I sympathize and share her affection for men in briefs.

While I was on holiday busy with private matters, a new war began on the outskirts of Europe. I must admit the Caucasus is unknown territory to me. Until now, I knew only two things about Georgia: that Joseph Stalin was born there, and that it hosts an important oil pipeline.

According to international law, it is illegal to attack another sovereign country without the permission of the United Nations Security Council. I’m no friend of this law since it has proven a protection for tyrant dictators. Therefore, I would much rather see the UN replaced by an international organization for democracies. However, any such organization would not help the current situation in the Caucasus. Even if Russia’s democracy is restricted and authoritarian, I don’t think it’s bad enough to be labelled a dictatorship. And to my knowledge, Georgia is a democracy.

In the short run, negotiating a truce is the only way forward. Then, once the guns are silent, the international community must help Russia and Georgia agree on permanent borders.

(Map copied from the Guardian. Find it and accompanying information here.)

The war on drugs is based on show-off politics that does not work, says a former director of Britain’s anti-drugs unit. From the Guardian:

A former senior civil servant who was responsible for coordinating the [British] government’s anti-drugs policy now believes that legalisation would be less harmful than the current strategy. Julian Critchley, the former director of the Cabinet Office’s anti-drugs unit, also said that his views were shared by the “overwhelming majority” of professionals in the field, including police officers, health workers and members of the government.

He also claimed that New Labour’s policy on drugs was based on what was thought would play well with the Daily Mail readership, regardless of evidence of what worked. Downing Street policy advisers were said to have suggested stunts such as sending boats down the Thames to catch smugglers to coincide with policy announcements.

It is time to stop wasting taxpayers’ money on this ridiculous farce.

“A lawyer at the European University Institute in Florence has reported Sweden’s new surveillance law to the European Commission,” The Local reports.

Lawyer Robin Lööf believes the law—which allows the National Defence Radio Establishment (Försvarets Radioanstalt—FRA) to intercept all calls, emails and phone text messages crossing Swedish borders—to be in clear breach of fundamental rights governing the movement of goods and services in the European Union.

Good!

The Swedish Christian daily Världen Idag says the publication of an article by a well-known Nazi activist was a mistake.

One of the killed Georgian soldiers in Tskhinvali wore stockings, a Russian nationalist website reports in a mocking tone. It goes on to say that a photo of a named army official was found in the soldier’s pocket.

In my experience, cross-dressers make the best fighters. They have learned to cope with so much abuse that nothing keeps them down. So if you ever enrage a man in drag, run!

(Via Michael Petrelis.)

He’s my favourite Olympian. A fascinating man not only because of his beauty:

He has come a long way from the days when he was bullied endlessly about his oversized ears and lisp.

American swimmer Michael Phelps, who today collected his third gold medal in as many days, was also diagnosed as a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which ended up being a blessing in disguise.

He was prescribed the drug Ritalin and took to swimming, partly because both his sisters were accomplished in the pool, but also to find an outlet for his hyperactivity.

His mother Debbie said: “He never sat still. He never shut up; he would never stop asking questions. He just wanted to go from one thing to another.”

Phelps’ win in the 200 metres freestyle event means he has the joint highest ever number of gold medals, with nine over two games. But the 23-year-old from Baltimore has not finished. He has a chance at collecting five more this week and beating Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven golds in a single Olympics.

In today’s issue, the Swedish Christian daily Världen Idag publishes an article by well-known Nazi activist Jan Ermefjäll. In short, Mr Ermfjäll argues that Kabbalistic Jews are the root of a violent sexualization of society, which results in more rape victims and manifests itself through gay-pride parades.

Tor Billgren has more in Swedish here.

I’m still enjoying my semi-holiday, but I found this comic strip by Yaakov Kirschen and thought I share it with you. I think it’s a spot-on observation.

(From Dry Bones Blog.)

Not a week goes by without some email from Christians who want to remind me of the eternal flames that await me if I don’t give up my “homosexual lifestyle”. Taken from these emails it’s easy to get the impression that God only approves of marital vanilla sex, but according to the Bible, God is great fan of sadomasochistic role play as long as the slaves are religious:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. (Ephesians 6:5)

Warning: This entry contains satire.

According to Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Iran’s judges want to reform the Iranian penalty code and outlaw the religious practice of stoning people to death. I guess we can expect to hear the Assembly of Experts express fears of moral decline presently.

She’s not only “hot”, she has a sense of humour too.

Albert Einstein in a letter dated 24 March 1954:

It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal god and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.

I don’t know how many times I have heard Christian apologists use Einstein as an example of a great scientist who believe in God.

The Swedish Tax Authority is about to close a deal with the Channel Islands that would allow it information on Swedes hiding money from their greedy government. “The Swedish state estimates it loses 46 billion kronor ($7.6 billion) in unpaid taxes annually due to income being shielded in accounts held in offshore tax havens,” The Local writes. Well, that’s a common misunderstanding. Important to remember is that it’s not the government’s money. Only the people with bank accounts in the Channel Islands are losing money.

My husband is very excited about his new iPhone, and not that it bothers him, but his new mobile is not kosher. Harry at Israelity explains:

During a recent visit to a used cellphone retailer near Jerusalem’s Davidka Square, a corner that’s situated on the border between the super-black Makor Baruch neighborhood and the spaghetti-strapped downtown, I overheard a Haredi man asking the salesman which of the phones he offers are “kosher.” Puzzled, I asked him if he intended to eat his phone, whereupon it was explained to me that some phones allow for streaming video (which might be lewd) and some do not (rendering them kosher).

Sundown at Lake Finja. I took the photo with my husband’s new iPhone after a late dinner yesterday.

Blogging is a drug. I promised myself that I would stay away from the Internet for two weeks, but here I am browsing on my holiday…