WORLD OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

THE WEEK
ACCORDING TO
GARÇON STUPIDE

• Jason Mattison Jr.: His teacher writes, "I am writing because not enough positive things have been shown about Jason... Jason was not just another statistic! He was a lively, unique individual who brought smiles to the faces of countless people every day. Jason was an above-average student, who excelled in many areas of academics and social life. He dreamed of finishing his career here and moving on to college, medical school and then to his own pediatric office. God, how kids would have loved his big smile and booming voice! You need to simply look at his exotic dress, flare for the dramatic in class and with friends and talk to those who knew him to understand what a loss we have all been dealt."

• Jason Mattison Jr.: Why does the black community reject civil rights for gays?

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado: Thousands march in San Juan, Puerto Rico. No politicians but "two well-known and extremely well-loved Puerto Rican showbiz darlings" were there to show their support.

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado: The Puerto Rico Department of Justice agrees to investigate Mercado's murder as a hate crime.

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado: is laid to rest.

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado's mother Miriam speaks: "When my son told me he was gay, I told him, 'Now, I love you more.' I want to tell the world that hatred is not born with human beings, it is a seed that is planted by adults and is fostered creating a climate of intolerance and violence. We must change our ways and understand that anyone... could have been my son. And I want everybody to know that Jorge Steven was a very much loved son."

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado: Towleroad has a round-up of video news reports and footage from the vigils.

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado: Are the defendant and his attorney merely setting up a "gay panic" defense?

• And now a public service announcement from FIVEblackguys:

• FBI figures show a "sharp increase in the reported number of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation".

• Alanta police sued for making homosexuals place moisturized faces on dirty bar floor. That's the headline getting Queerty readers in a high dudgeon. Offensive, or should we lighten up a little?

• ka-os|theory favourite® Rev. Irene Monroe writes about Pastor Donnie McClurkin’s gay church. You may remember McClurkins fantasiescomments about seeing young fem boys everywhere a couple of weeks back.

• "Being lectured about what constitutes a traditional marriage by a Mormon is a bit like being scolded for loitering — by a crack whore." Ouch! Mrs. Betty Bowers, (America's Best Christian!) takes the bible nuts to task.

• Carrie Precumjean's been guesting starring on World Outside My Window for the last few weeks. Now we'll hear from her brother: "If they were put in front of me I'd probably watch it." He's talking about her sex tapes. Remind me, what did she have to say about gay marriage?

• Youth First Texas, a haven for LGBT youth.

• Gay athletes shouldn't have to hide sexuality.

• Canada seizes PG-rated gay films - including Channel 4's Clapham Junction.

• "Secret" gay sex scene in video game Dragon Age: Origins.

• Gay kiss: unacceptable. Domestic violence: acceptable. Good Morning America!

• If you're born gay, how can a homo have a straight identical twin?

• Wockner interviews Towleroad's Andy Towle.

• Anti-gay hate preacher Abu Usamah is invited to speak at University College London, sparking outrage. Peter Tatchell: "The university would never allow a lecture by a white supremacist who used racist abuse and advocated the murder of black people. Why the double standards?"

• The talk's cancelled - but on health and safety grounds. Raheem Kassam, director of anti-extremism group Student Rights, said: "It's great to see that after the combined efforts of Peter Tatchell and Student Rights, UCL have decided to cancel this event. Abu Usamah has advocated violence and hate speech, which has no place on university campuses."

• 1500 people joined last weekend's anti-homophobia march in Liverpool.

• 19-year-old student attacked in Liverpool for being flamboyantly dressed.

• And with the police lending their voice to the bigots, what hope is there?

• Church leaders - from Liverpool's Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, United Reformed, Baptist and Society of Friends (Quakers) churches - have issued a statement condemning homophobia.

• Just how real is the hate crime rise?

• School children will be taught about transphobic bullying and gender equality, the Home Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families have announced.

• Oh dear. The European Commission has pulled rank on the British government, and told them they can't allow religious organisations to refuse homosexuals employment.

• Why do this heterosexual couple want a "gay" civil partnership ceremony?

• Sales of gay wedding cards are booming in Ireland.

• The 14-year-old boy who wants a sex change; NHS tells him he must wait until puberty.

• Who's allowed to make lesbian jokes?

• John Hurt on playing Quentin Crisp again.

• HIV infections down globally, but diagnoses surge by 74 percent in the UK.

• Uganda anti-homosexuality bill: Prime Minister Gordon Brown expresses his concern to Uganda's president.

• Uganda anti-homosexuality bill: Canada brands the bill vile and hateful, calls for Uganda's ejection from the Commonwealth.

• Uganda anti-homosexuality bill: The United Reform Church is Britain's first Christian denomination to speak out on the measures. "This draft legislation represents a clear infringement of human rights and is morally repugnant... We add our voice to the many calling for the immediate withdrawal of this discriminatory bill."

• Uganda anti-homosexuality bill: Why are the English archbishops silent over Uganda's grotesque anti-homosexuality bill?

• Uganda anti-homosexuality bill: Education not execution - Uganda's defilement problem.

• Kenya's "gay census" leaves LGBT community living in fear.

• Anti-gay discrimination in the German military - 20 years after the official ban was lifted.

• Syria's LGBT community takes refuge online.

• No walk in the park - Tel Aviv's gay community under attack.

• The Indian town where gay men are celebrated.

• Mexico City lawmaker proposes gay marriage.

• Thailand tightens sex change laws.

• Looking for love in all the wrong places: boys on cam.

• New Zealand abolishes "gay panic" defense.

• Australia's first gay civil partnership ceremony has taken place.

• Obama: hope is fading. Or running, at least.

• Obama: the politics of hypocrisy and cynicism.

• Palin: it's got a twin.

• Palin's intimate ties to white supremacists and homophobes.

• Palin: She's dangerous - and boring too! Says Martha Stewart.

• Pay to pray.

• Bear ass.

• Teaching fail: "Okay children, today we're going to write stories. I want you to imagine you were killed in the destruction of the World Trade Center. Or maybe your Daddy died in there."

• Wikileaks publishes 500,000 pager messages sent on September 11.

• The rise and fall of Dubai.

• Hindus slaughter thousands of animals in mass sacrifice. Remind me, who're the animals here?

• The Dead Sea will soon be just that.

• Drowned cities.

• Mussolini's brain on eBay. Buy multiple brains of deceased dictators to save on shipping!

• Airline seat fail.

• Greed is good: The BBC.

• Greed is good: The Banks vs the people.

• Borders, the bookseller, collapses into administration.

• Britain's scariest roads.

• Remember the Atheist Bus Campaign? The British Humanist Association is following it up with a billboard campaign aimed at protecting young minds.

• Sperm logo.

• Man with sexual fetish for slurry jailed. Down boy! There's enough for everybody!

• The Big Picture: National Geographic's International Photography Contest 2009, left and right (25 pictures).

• Five eco-crimes we commit every day.

• Aqualta: what happens when the tide comes in?

• The driverless taxi; video.

• How to kill computer viruses: dumb code.

• Why Wikipedia is becoming more like a normal encyclopaedia.

• Animal pictures of the week, right (31 pictures).

• Live sheep in supermarket prank.

• Squirrel vs dog.

• Man vs bear.

• Sade to release first album since 2000.

• But we'll be spared more Usher until 2010.

• Popjustice offers us a chance to remember Billiam.

• 50 Cent casts his condoms aside.

• What was the best song of the Noughties?

• Sony to launch a rival to Apple iTunes.

• Gays of our Lives with Anthony D. Langford - a review of this week's soap. Left, Germany's Good Times, Bad Times.

• Now this is my kinda talk show...

• Oprah announces the end of Oprah.

• The new Vodafone HQ in Porto, by architects Barbosa & Guimaraes. Stunning.

• It's wrap: Manny, in France, by French architects Tétrarc.

• Chest appeal - and how to get it.

• Finally, we're going to the ball...

This edition of
World Outside My Window
(The Week According To Garçon Stupide)
was built from articles collated
during the week 21th-27th November 2009.

Cover: Men in Motion - The Art and Passion of the Male Dancer by François Rousseau.

POSTSCRIPT
"You know, we might just as well not have bothered to come.
The whole thing's been ridiculous."