{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:leznuer","title":"Lez at a Catholic College","subtitle":"Dare to Dream","author":{"name":"leznuer"},"link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/data\/atom"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"service.feed","type":"application\/x.atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/data\/atom","title":"Lez at a Catholic College"}}],"updated":"2013-04-21T09:15:14Z","entry":[{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:leznuer:1196","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/1196.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=1196"}}],"title":"Think The HRC Wear Red Campaign Doesn\u2019t Matter?","published":"2013-04-21T09:15:14Z","updated":"2013-04-21T09:15:14Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"lesbian"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"minnesota"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"scotus"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"social media"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"prop 8"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"hrc"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"opinion"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"marriage equality"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"politics"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"gay"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"doma"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"lgbt"}}],"content":"Today on my Facebook News Feed \u2018someone\u2019 made this status update:

\"Word of advice\u2026..changing your profile picture for a cause actually causes nothing\u2026.actually do something about it\u2026write to your senator or petition the government. I don\u2019t think they check facebook for teenagers opinions.\"

Of course this comment did not sit well with me so I replied to it. After I finished writing my long winded response I posted it as a comment-reply, two minuets later it somehow magically got deleted after several people had liked it (He had deleted my reply). Thus I have decided to make my own re-post addressing this \u2018someone\u2019 and others who have alike thoughts on the HRC RED Campaign for this week.

Most people realize that changing your Facebook or Twitter icon will not have a huge impact in regards to politics. However this GO RED campaign is not about politics, as it is about empowering the community and showing unity. This week the Supreme Court is ruling on whether to uphold or strike down Proposition 8, a law that brought a halt\/ban to marriage equality in California.

We cannot lobby or debate the Supreme Court the way we can our congress men and women. Thus it is a waiting game for the majority of us stuck in the small middle-of-no-wheres throughout the country. For those of you who do not yet know the importance of this ruling, I\u2019ll explain it to you in one sentence. This ruling will set a precedent for or against marriage equality in future same-sex marriage related cases for state; hence it is a very big deal. In addition, U.S. v. Windsor is also pending appeal in the Supreme Court. That case will decide the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996, which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman on federal level.

This week the Human Right\u2019s Campaign (HRC) asks all of us to wear RED and change our icons to the little red box to show support for one another. Sure you can write and call your representatives; in the long run you will see rewards for such efforts. But at times such as these, it\u2019s current support that means more, a flash of red to show someone else that they are not alone is inspiring. This week is about community, acceptance, and equality.

If you think differently and do not want to change your icon or wear red because it is not a \u2018material\u2019 enough way to promote change. Feel free to help the Minnesota Marriage Equality Campaign by donating or volunteering your time."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:leznuer:970","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/970.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=970"}}],"title":"Lesbian Jargon","published":"2013-04-21T07:19:00Z","updated":"2013-04-21T07:19:00Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"lesbian"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"personal story"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"jargon"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"the l word"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"lesbian slang"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"qaf"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"queer as folk"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"gay"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"lgbt"}}],"content":"My three new favorite words are Lipstick Mafia, Gold Star Lesbian, and Pillow Princess.

The past three years of my sexual self-discovery have been an\u2026 \u2018independent study\u2019 to say the least. To make a long story long, during my brief 19 years of life I have knowingly met one lesbian, however I was twelve. The only gay man I know works for the church and repeatedly hides his lifestyle in order to keep his job and be accepted by the sometimes not-so-accepting Catholic parishioners (he ignores any questions I have for him). And I have no gay friends except for my bi-sexual ex-roommate that I have not seen for a year.

This is the context of my sexual self-discovery, exploration, self-acceptance journey or whatever the preferred term. Without a local role model or friends to talk to, I have turned to media to aid in my \u2018independent study\u2019 of what it means to be a lesbian today, which is probably an unintelligent decision since mass media\u2019s portrayal of minority groups has been less than exemplary. Nevertheless I uncovered Showtime\u2019s Queer as Folk and The L Word Series, although neither are entirely realistic views of LGBTQ life styles in the USA, both shows changed and saved my life.

Now in regards to jargon, I believe it is safe to say that Queer as Folk has done a spectacular job introducing it\u2019s viewers to \u2018Gay Jargon.\u2019 Within the first two episodes viewers either redefine or add words such as: twink, rimming, breeders, flaming queen, nelly, poppers, versatile, campy, top, bottom, closet case, dyke, and queer to their vocabulary.

The L Word, on the other hand, is a bit tricky with the use of \u2018Lesbian Jargon.\u2019 There are only a few episodes around season 3 and 4 where such vocabulary is put into use. So being true to my \u2018independent studying\u2019 I looked up Lesbian Jargon after hearing a bit from The L word, here are some of the terms I found:

Baby Dyke: A young, newbie lesbian (can you say \u201cdrama\u201d?).
Bulldyke: The most masculine of Butch lesbians.
Chapstick lesbian: A tomboy lesbian. Doesn\u2019t quite fit the stud or femme description. Usually in between the two extremes. A lesbian who wears Chapstick rather than lipstick.
Dieseldyke: A super masculine lesbian who tends to drive trucks or other machinery.
Gold star: A lesbian who\u2019s never been with a man (a sometimes rare but worthy find).
Femme: A feminine lesbian.
Hasbian: A hasbian is a woman who used to identify as a lesbian and date women, but is now dating men.
Lipstick lesbian: A lipstick lesbian is a woman who loves other women, but also loves her clothes and makeup and shoes. She tends to dress on the femmy side
Lipstick Mafia: Group of (generally Femme) lesbians who either 1) work to recruit new lesbians into the lesbian community or 2) form a close-knit protective circle around members of their group of friends. Move over, Sopranos!
Pillow Princess: A girl who likes to receive sexually (but refuses to give in return).
U-haul Lesbian: A girl who tends to move in fairly quickly with those she dates.
Bambi-Sexuality: Physical interaction centered more about touching, kissing, and caressing than around genital sexuality. Not to be confused with bestiality, a very different concept.
Make scissors: To masturbate a woman by simultaneously rubbing her clitoris with the thumb and her anus with the forefinger.
Desperation Number: A sex partner found just before closing time at the bar.
Funch: A quick sexual encounter performed at lunchtime.
Daddle: To engage in lesbian sex, in a face-to-face position.
Missionary Work: An attempt by a gay man or lesbian to seduce a straight person of the same sex.
I\u2019d say it\u2019s correct to assume that different terms are used in different locations around the United States these are just a few. I was amazed at all the jargon I unearthed and of course after reading through them I started to psychoanalyze myself similar to psychology 101 class. After sifting through pages of Lesbian Jargon I latched onto my three favorite terms Lipstick Mafia, Gold Star Lesbian, and Pillow Princess! I will only claim to be defined by one of those terms since I am still a baby lez!

I suggest everyone, if time permits, research himself or herself just to see what there is to find. No matter your race, sexuality, religion, nationality, or gender there are fun quirky facts out there you can learn about yourself!

That is all the call-to-action genius advice for today. If anyone has any tips for my sexual self-discovery, exploration, self-acceptance journey please share!"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:leznuer:743","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/743.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/leznuer.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=743"}}],"title":"HIV, Media, and Public Awareness","published":"2013-04-21T06:29:36Z","updated":"2013-04-21T06:29:36Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"opinion"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"hiv"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"lgbt"}}],"content":"As many of you will soon figure out I am somewhat of a Twitter freak. I used to boycott twitter yet once I finally made an account in Aug 2012 the addiction set in. I follow many LGBTQ news sources and organizations as well as women\u2019s rights groups and artists covering mediums of photograph to theatre. However the issue I am writing about has to do with one of the LGBTQ news sources I have much respect for, the Huffington Post Gay. Today @Huffpostgay tweeted a question regarding HIV and public awareness of the disease,
\"HIV

I replied to @Huffpostsgay\u2019s question with a big NO. I may have responded differently a few days ago, however last week I gave a speech on the History of Gay Rights Movement from the 1960s and Stonewall to the Political and Social issues faced by today\u2019s wave of the Gay Rights Movement and it\u2019s participants.

Now, I\u2019ll admit what many already know; youth so often makes us naive. We have an endless amount of hope, we repeatedly and immediately stand back up when pushed down, and we are shocked on a daily bases by all the experiences we have yet to face. Thus, bear with me when I present a very \u2018mind blown\u2019 view of homophobia. A part of me pleads that I never become comfortable with and accept homophobia as a fact of life. I hope to always be shaken and appalled by homophobic comments and actions preciously because it\u2019s should never have to be tolerated.

In regards to my speech I was astounded by the students reactions. These Junior and Senior college students were shocked by the information I relayed to them. None of them knew of Stonewall, None of them knew that the American Psychiatric Association defined homosexuality as a sociopath personality disturbance until 1973, None of them knew that the FDA still regulates that gay men cannot donate blood, in fact one student even asked me what LGBT meant.

Did they enjoy the speech? Yes. Did they learn from the speech? Yes. Is the gay media reaching and informing them on HIV issues such as prevention, treatment, and stigmas? NO. Granted this is a Catholic College, but religion is not going to protect them from contracting HIV and it is not going to stop them from meeting HIV infected people during their life.

In December 2012 the CDC released new HIV statistics stating that in the last 3 years HIV infection rates have decreased 21% in African women and they have increased 22% among American gay and bisexual youth. These statistics mostly examines LGBT persons infected with HIV, but it is not just a gay issue. Straight people can become infected and infect each other just as easily, in fact I spoke with 10 straight, sexually active couples on my campus about protection. Only 1 of the couples claimed to use protection. The other nine confessed that they did not use condoms (or any other type of contraception). They all stated their biggest fear was pregnancy and none mentioned STDs. Congratulations Catholic College, your \u2018abstinence only\u2019 rhetoric is working exceptionally well!

So why are HIV infection rates climbing? People use less protection? No one is afraid of contracting HIV because the treatment process is \u2018easier\u2019 than it was 20 years ago? That you can still live 10 to 20 plus years if you are infected? Well\u2026 guess what, that is not cure and HIV is still a deadly disease. People need to be aware that there is no cure, they need to know the history of the disease, they need to know how best to prevent contracting it, and they need to know the reality of HIV. By understanding this disease people can not only be better protected, but they can also enhanced their understanding of those already infected and work towards erasing the stereotypes and stigmas put upon those who have contracted HIV\/AIDs.

Is gay media doing enough to keep HIV in the public consciousness? No, but they can. Imagine a HIV campaign with the same reach as the same-sex marriage campaign that is sweeping the nation! The big question is how? How do you reach those college students sitting in a Midwestern Catholic College? What\u2019s your solution?"}]}