Budweiser Ad

This article pretty much sums up my first thoughts on the Budweiser ad that has everyone's panties in a wad:
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/119525/budweiser_military_ad_swings_both

But I think that, as usual, civilians looking at this ad are missing an important insider perspective.

The military is SUPER queer in that military culture necessarily transcends the rules of civilian culture in many ways. I mean, we're talking about a world where the number one skill/goal everyone shares is the ability to kill, and kill efficiently. Which is up there in the top ten taboos of "civilized" society... Once you subvert an essential social rule like "don't kill people!" all the others go out the window - including appropriate ways to show emotion and affection.

So it's moments like this, where civilian and military world clash (and the tension in this ad was really beautiful, that line between the two guys, the dark emptiness on one side, the warmth of the barn and homely tones on the other, delicious!), that we get this kind of ambiguity.

On one side of the military world, your brothers DO come before everyone else. Gender, sex, all that doesn't even exist in the trench. The guy (and today that "guy" may be male or female) next to you may be the one you go to bed with, or it may be the one whose guts you hate back home. It doesn't matter in that moment, and that moment affects life outside of the trenches.

So the center of speculation seems to be around the question of who is the other guy the soldier calls? Is that is boyfriend? His best friend? His brother? A fellow soldier who already came home? And a big part of this question is why or how dude #2 ranks being what appears to be the first person to get the news of dude #1's homecoming. This is where civilians seem to get really confused.

It actually makes good sense that, whatever their relationship, our soldier boy would call another guy first. It might be too much for him to talk to his parents just yet. That's definitely a huge moment - some vets can't see them fast enough, others need time to prepare for that extremely emotional moment. He may not think he's ready to face the whole town yet, he knows he's about to enter into some major culture shock and he wants to ease in slowly. If the other guy is also a veteran, or at all familiar with this homecoming process, he stands the best chance of knowing what will be good for his buddy; he should know if his friend just needs some peace and quiet for a little while, or if they should throw a big party for him. If there's a wife or girlfriend the same rules apply as with parents, sometimes more so. (Let's also not forget that in the military our families are seen as troopers too! So many vets keep their homecoming a secret because they want to surprise and celebrate the family as much as the family want to surprise them.)

Now, all this is not to say I'm denying the possibility of something deeper there. Quite the contrary, in my head I will definitely look at that moment when they hug with vaguely romantic overtones because I want there to be gayness not because I think it is or isn't a gay moment.

Whether it is "gay" or not isn't important, there's a lot more going on there in that moment, it transcends and diminishes sexuality to an almost insignificant factor.

Someone somewhere asked "what it's not okay for straight guys to hug now?" Of course we know that's not true, but what IS important is that there are certain rules about how, when, and with whom men (and women!) may show affection, and whether or not you are straight, and what your relationship is with between huggers is often important. Because the rules for the civilian and military world are different, that's what makes this moment so difficult to interpret. But I definitely think that it's more than okay for the hug we saw to happen between two men of any orientation or relationship.

When I look at that hug, I see love there, but more than anything I see relief. I see healing, I see a hard earned connection, I see the need of a human being transitioning from trauma to safety, grabbing the first familiar and friendly source of safety. (Let's not forget the poor kid just made a super lonely journey, only to arrive with no apparent fanfare or welcome, he's probably incredibly relieved that someone remembered he was coming!)

And now a political interpretation. With the repeal of DADT, we are sending a larger message, one that says "it's okay if you're gay". Doing this and integrating queer people into the military and allowing us visibility isn't a way of "celebrating the lifestyle" or "promoting the homosexual agenda" it merely says "being gay is not a bad thing."

Consequently, important moments like this one are more available. A young man returns home from war, if he needs a fucking hug, he and the men in his support network shouldn't have to worry about whether fulfilling that need makes them "look gay." If we're not afraid of "the gay" we are not afraid to be associated with it, and we can get on with our lives.

Aaaaaand I'm officially tired of talking about it!

Articles [57]

WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WATCH: Dallas County adds trans protections
Posted: 26 Apr 2011
Source: Dallas Voice

Articles [56]

Pakistan transgenders pin hopes on new rights
Posted: 25 April 2011
Source: BBC News
Tags: transgender, Pakistan, legal documents

Senate OKs two of three transgender rights bills
Posted: 25 April 2011
Source: Las Vegas Review Journal
Tags: transgender, US, Nevada, new laws, goodnews

A Dad Testifies for His Transgender Teen Daughter
Posted:
Source: Huffington Post
Tags:


Online Dish: Bill Would Restrict Transgenders' Restroom Choices
http://www.fox26medford.com/entertainment/kiah-online-dish-transgender-bathroom-bill-story,0,3838350.story


Cook County Jail Will House Transgender Detainees Based On Gender Identity

Maryland Delegate Asks For Transgender Protective Legislation in Light of Recent Attack; County Executive Calls Attack "Wake Up Call"

Hawaii legislature approves employment pretection for transgender people


A LOT of articles concerning the Texas bill proposed

Health & H.R. reading - development of public health

"Yellow fever fear inspired a wave of similar organized public health activity elsewhere in the United States. In 1798 Congress ordered the creation of the Untied States Marine Health Service, conceived of as an agency that would monitor sailors and protect American ports from incoming disease. Two years later the nation's capitol was built upon a large swamp located between the strategic states of Maryland and Virginia. Immediately overrun by yellow fever, smallpox, viral encephalitis, and a host of other diseases, Washington, D.C., constituted a public health disaster from the moment of its inception. In 1802 the District of Columbia enacted a series of public health ordinances modeled after those in New York."

...
Okay, this is how I know I've been studying Human Rights too much. The part I underlined made me laugh SO hard. Why??? That's not funny! Nevertheless... interesting to know such details about your country's inception, yeah?

Savage beating of transgender woman, McDonald's, Baltimore, MD

"Where am I supposed to go??"
The plaintive cry of a transwoman in between savage beatings as two teen girls in Baltimore respond to her mere presence with extreme violence. It seems this individual, who is clearly presenting as female, regardless of her personal identity or legal sex, attempted to use the bathroom deemed socially appropriate for her at the time. The results were violent and potentially lethal.

The manager, employees, and other customers, with a single ineffective exemption, look on, laughing, shouting, commenting to one another - and of course, filming with cell phones, which is how we get the privilege of watching this entire horrifying incident unfold.

THIS POST will continue to be updated as more news and information develop, so please check back occasionally. New posts will appear at the bottom. Occasionally I will add commentary. I do encourage your comments, questions, and input - anonymously if necessary.

---------------------------------------------------

~~~~NSFW!~~~~
The original tipoff
Source: Buck Angel's tumblr (microblog)
Date/Time: 22 April; ~12:00

~~~~NSFW!~~~~
Original post identifying the victim as trans
Source:
Date/Time:



Source:
Date/Time:

Commentary:
http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/04/22/nearly-everyone-in-this-video-is-a-criminal-or-an-accessory-to-a-crime/
Source:
Date/Time:

NewsOne:
http://newsone.com/nation/newsonestaff2/mcdonalds-girl-beat-up-seizure/

Original source:
http://worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhiHb913Lf4TpU4q5m

Other report:
http://www.brokencountry.com/index.php/2011/04/22/mcdonalds-beating-video/

Viralization report:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-viral-video-mcdonalds-20110422,0,4613709.story

Further reporting and commentary:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ec0_1303444048

Public identification of the person responsible for filming the assault:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/mcdonalds/mcdonalds-employee-filmed-brutal-beating-640128

Bilerico:
http://www.bilerico.com/2011/04/transwoman_severely_beaten_at_baltimore_mcdonalds.php
With information on how to contact McDonald's and let them know what you think.
(Glad I never eat at this establishment anyway. Their history is worse than their "food".)

From a Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/#!/BeerInBaltimore
"County police confirm that the beating happened April 18 at a McDonald's in Rosedale, in the 6300 block of Kenwood Ave."

Attempted to reach media figures for comment. (Waste of Skype credit.) This is the latest official comment from their website:
http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/media_center/Media_Contacts.html

Commentary on racialized aspects of the incident:
http://www.tmrzoo.com/2011/24079

Attackers officially face charges:
http://essex.patch.com/articles/teen-charged-adult-sought-as-video-of-attack-goes-viral#youtube_video-5759303

All in:
http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/crime_checker/baltimore_county_crime/woman-injured-after-mcdonald%27s-beating

The victim was 22. I'm 22. Just thought I'd make the story that much more Human:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/3ce4f4a2eac048d9b63818c3b772855c/MD--Videotaped-Beating/

More reporting:
http://missjia.com/video-girl-seizure-jumped-baltimore-mcdonalds.html
updated version from miss jia
http://missjia.com/update-video-girl-baltimore-mcdonalds.html


More reports, victim's condition unconfirmed:
http://www.wbaltv.com/r/27640819/detail.html

Question of Hackett's claims, no police response:
http://planetfreedom.org/?p=157451

Just like to point something else out. Regardless of whether the victim is "really trans" or not, we MUST look to the responses provided by the man who posted this video originally - a one Charm Hackett - who claims that "that wasn't really a woman, that was a man". Even if this is a case of mistaken identity, the implications are clear. If you're trans - or even suspected of being trans, but especially if you ARE trans - and you get beaten for using the "wrong" restroom, you deserve it.

Interesting debate flares up on forums:
http://www.politicalforum.com/current-events/182756-violence-another-mc-donalds-almost-kills-customer-12.html

2:
http://www.sternfannetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=600533

Joe My God takes up the story:
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/04/maryland-trans-woman-brutally-attacked.html

more queer reporting:
http://wamarriage.org/2011/04/transwoman-severely-beaten-at-baltimore-mcdonalds-while-employees-watch/

Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379691/Caught-camera-Shocking-moment-girl-beaten-point-seizure-McDonalds-staff-idly-watch-on.html

first use of "hate crime"
http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/crime_checker/baltimore_county_crime/woman-injured-after-mcdonald%27s-beating

http://www.wpix.com/wpix-teen-brutally-beaten-at-mcdonalds,0,5375468.story

http://business.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979253699

http://lgbtweekly.com/2011/04/23/transgender-maryland-woman-beaten-in-balitimore-mcdonalds/
PETITION:
http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-that-the-employees-on-duty-at-mcdonalds-be-held-responsible-in-the-beating-of-a-trans-woman



http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=dWgI5tKlUQ7uJ2MM_iKo_zh7kircM

http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=dAKkkJDFAlFeBGMC_sH9FJblHbKoM


Now she's a "male cross-dresser"
http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/04/22/smoking-gun-woman-beat-mcdonald-s-was-male-cross-dresser


http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/110422-video-brutal-beating-leaves-woman-convulsing


BALTIMORE POLICE REPORT [PDF]
http://media2.myfoxdc.com//documents/McDonaldsBeatingPoliceReport.pdf

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/04/trans-woman-brutally-attacked-at-baltimore-mcdonalds/

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/04/baltimore-police-investigate-brutal-attack-on-trans-woman-at-local-mcdonalds/

http://yesbuthowever.com/baltimore-mcdonalds-beating-cross-dresser-500746/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014851073_apusvideotapedbeatingmaryland.html


http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1634724.php/Maryland-woman-beaten-to-seizure-by-two-women-in-McDonalds-VIDEO
^^a lot of damned invasive ads in this article^^

http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/04/trans-woman-assaulted-at-mcdon.html

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/04/22/video-shows-woman-being-beaten-at-baltimore-co-mcdonalds/

http://oneclick.indiatimes.com/article/07epdFvaRHf0t?q=McDonald%27s

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/update-mcdonalds-releases-statement-regarding-horrific-beating-video/

Update:
I only just managed to watch this video a second time. The first time I watched it all the way through was around 2:30 this afternoon, and it shook me up so badly. It took awhile to transmute my feelings into anger and channel that energy into tracking the story, something I hope will prove productive. So I've only seen it once, and here I am about 9 hours later trying to watch it again. I wanted to go back and verify some of the things I thought I saw or heard the first time around. Such as the victim's query "where am I supposed to go then?" at about 1:00 in (which, if she is trans, and we interpret this incident as the girls telling her not to use the women's restroom, makes sense). I'm also seeing new things. If you go to the video, around the 1:40 marker, in the middle of the older woman attempting to intervene, you can see the poor girl gripping the woman's leg in desperation. Also, it sounds like the manager is the one who probably called the police who eventually arrived on the scene. Which also makes sense and makes some of his actions earlier in the video clearer. There may not have been much he could have done to actually stop the violence, and with at least one of the attackers being an underage girl, he likely did not want to put himself in a situation where he appears to have assaulted a child. Unfortunate as it was for the victim, he did more or less the right thing by going to call the police as quickly as possible.

I'm making lots of assumptions here, of course.




UPDATES:

Employee who filmed now fired, victim identified:
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/04/mcdonalds-fires-employee-who-recorded-brutal-beating-of-transgender-woman/

YouTube video from Gay Family Values analyzing original video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf12dGhJalE

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/mcdonalds/mcdonalds-fires-employee-who-filmed-beating-102975

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mcdonalds-video-20110423,0,1302714.story

VICTIM SPEAKS ON HER EXPERIENCE:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mcdonalds-beating-20110423,0,3336656.story

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379691/Transgender-girl-beaten-seizure-McDonalds-attack-victim-hate-crime.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/04/23/2011-04-23_mcdonalds_beating_video_victim_is_transgender_maryland_attack_is_hate_crime_says.html?r=news

Interesting (and frustrating, especially considering the nature of some of the comments here) take on the incident:
http://100waystogetrevenge.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/how-to-get-revenge-mcdonalds-beating-gets-more-confusing/

Another blogger weighs in, while racism and sexism abound:
http://www.occidentaldissent.com/2011/04/23/black-run-america-mcdonalds-victim-was-a-tranny-prostitute-chrissy-lee-polis/

http://www.examiner.com/strange-news-in-national/fight-at-baltimore-mcdonald-s-may-be-handled-as-hate-crime-video

http://unicornbooty.com/2011/04/transgender-woman-beaten-into-a-seizure-at-mcdonalds/

Just another reporting:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/23/2182322/mcdonalds-in-md-to-probe-response.html
http://unicornbooty.com/2011/04/transgender-woman-beaten-into-a-seizure-at-mcdonalds/

https://news.change.org/stories/mcdonalds-employees-beat-that-trans-woman

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail?entry_id=87630


HEAR THE VICTIM HERSELF:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mcdonalds-beating-20110423,0,3336656.story

http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/04/trans-woman-assaulted-at-mcdon.html
http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/04/vigil-planned-for-physically-a.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380506/Teonna-Monae-Brown-18-charged-McDonalds-attack-transgendered-girl.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Articles [54]

Transgender man fired from New Jersey workplace makes case against employer
Posted: 15 April 2011
Source: New Jersey News Room
Tags: transgender, US, employment discrimination, gender

Syria accused of torturing protestors
Posted: 15 April
Source: KPLC (NBC)
Tags: Syria, torture, Middle East, protests,

Born in a death camp: A miracle baby and her mother
Posted: 16 April 2011
Source: BBC News
Tags: children, nazi, concentration camps, ww2, good news,

Articles [53]

Mainers Voice Transgender Rights Support
Posted: 13 April 2011
Source: The Advocate
Tags: transgender, US, bathrooms, gender identity, Maine

Croatia: Key international court ruling delivers justice to victims of war crimes
Posted: 15 April 2011
Source: Amnesty International
Tags: Croatia, war crimes, deportation, war crimes, murder, persecution, reparations

Yemen: Stop Using Children in Armed Forces - Child Soldiers Recruited by Army Now Deployed by Opposition
Posted: 14 April 2011
Source: Human Rights Watch
Tags: Yemen, children, child soldiers, rights of the child

South Africa: 'Fatal police attack' on protester probed
Posted: 14 April 2011
Source: BBC News
Tags: South Africa, Africa, protests, police brutality,

Various WW2 cartoons

Articles [52]

Pink Nail Polish Causes Panic
Posted: 12 April 2010
Source: The Advocate
Tags: gender, transgender, gender rights, children, Fox News

^attached to^(contains translation)
Disordering Gender Identity
Posted: 23 Dec 2010
Source: Evrovijia (blog)
Tags: Slovenia, gender identity, DSM, medical rights, GID, heteronormalizing

Beauty, Wealth, and a Dead Bride
Posted: 11 Jan 2011 (prior to semester's start)
Source: CRIME Magazine
Tags: India, gender violence, murder

Russia criticizes U.S. human rights report
Posted: 12 April 2011
Source: Xinhua News (English)
Tags: American implication, accountability, Russia, US, reputation

Experts urge U.S. to stop acting as "preacher" of human rights
Posted: 12 April 2011
Source: Xinhua News (English)
Tags: American implication, accountability, China, US, reputation

IAAF address hyperandrogenism issue with new rules
Posted: 12 April 2011
Source: BBC News
Tags: gender, medical rights, sports

Articles [49]

Three more women come forward claiming ADF sex abuse cover-ups after webcam scandal

Interracial marriage should be illegal, say 46% of Mississippi Republicans in new poll
Posted: 8 April 2011
Source: NY Daily News
Tags: US, racism, marriage rights

The German doctor who holidays in an African hospital
Posted: 7 April 2011
Source: The Local
Tags: Germany, Africa, medical care, women, hero, goodnews

Articles [47]

OAS Human Rights Group Weighs in on Brazil’s Amazon Dam
Posted: 5 April 2011
Source: Forbes
Tags: Brazil, South America, indigenous rights, economic rights, environmental rights, industrial growth, investment

Kenyans sue UK for alleged colonial human rights abuses
Posted: 5 April 2011
Source: The Guardian (UK)
Tags: Kenya, Africa, colonialism, detention camps, wrongful imprisonment, monetary compensation, UK, justice, abuse, torture

"Among those detained and abused was Barack Obama's grandfather."
Wow...

Articles [45]

Human Rights Watch urges U.S. to put Vietnam back on religious freedom blacklist
Posted: 30 Mar 2011
Source: Associated Press
Tags: Vietnam, US, freedom of religion, wrongful imprisonment

Nations pledge movement on LGBT issues at UN Human Rights Council
Posted: 31 Mar 2011
Source: Pride Source
Tags: UN, global, homosexuality, sexual freedom,

New Coalition to Focus on Human Rights, Democracy in Iran
Posted: 30 Mar 2011
Source: The Atlantic
Tags: Iran, nuclear weapons, journalism

Atomic Bombs

Articles [42]

Rapes of women show clash of old and new India
Posted: 27 March 2011
Source: New Delhi Television
Tags: gender violence, India, rape

U.K. Equality Watchdog Recommends Asking Kids If They're Gay
Posted: 28 March 2011
Source: The Advocate
Tags: sexuality, children, privacy

Marin Voice: Workers rights Are human rights
Posted: 28 Mar 2011
Source: Marin Independent Journal
Tags: US, Wisconson, Ohio, economic rights, class war

Articles [25]

Transit labeling angers transgendered
Posted: 28 Feb 2011
Source: United Press International
Tags: US, Pennsylvania, transgender, public transportation

Articles [22]

Transgender surgery: should your company pay for it?
Posted: 23 Feb 2011
Source: CBS News
Tags: US, transgender, medical rights, HRC, GID

Coke, others, covering transgender surgery
Posted: 23 Feb 2011
Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle
Tags: transgender, US, surgery, insurance

Transgendered group wants no violence from officers
Posted: 23 Feb 2011
source: Jakarta Post
Tags: transgender, Indonesia, police, violence

Articles [19]

BP to Gulf victims: Sorry we ruined your life. Now go away.
Posted: 17 Feb 2011
Source:NRDC Switchboard
Tags: environmental rights, compensation, US,

BP: Gulf oil spill payments are too generous
Posted: 17 Feb 2011
Source: CNN
Tags: ^"^

Ethiopia: Double Discrimination - Gender Violations of Minority Women
Posted: 16 February 2011
Source: Africa Rights Monitor
Tags; Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, gender, refugees, children, women, gender, rape, torture, children

Articles [18]

Case of police torture 60 years ago begins
Posted: 16 Feb 2011
Source: United Press International
Tags: torture, police abuse, Chicago, US,


South Dakota Moves To Legalize Killing Abortion Providers
Posted: 15 Feb 2011
Source: Mother Jones
Tags: abortion, murder, newsjournal, South Dakota, US

Articles [15]

Unitarians turn tragedy into lesson in tolerance
Posted: 11 Feb 2011
Source: Fox News
Tags: gay rights, religion, good news, children,

Transgender Rights Not Simply Gay Rights
Posted: 10 Feb 2011
Source: Pambazuka News
Tags: transgender rights, gay rights, misappropriation, Africa

Jamaica's gays finding refuge by applying for U.S. asylum
Posted: 11 Feb 2011
Source: Washington Post
Tags: asylum, Jamaica, Caribbean, US, gay rights, violence, immigration

Articles [13]

Rights groups vow to hunt Bush over torture
Posted: 8 February 2011
Source: Daily Nation (Kenya)
Tags: Africa, Kenya


Put Mubarak on trial for human rights violations'
Posted: 8 Feb 2011
Source: SiFy Indian News
Tags: Amnesty International, Mubarak, Egypt, Germany, medical rights, torture


Suu Kyi party calls for talks with West
Posted: 8 Feb 2011
Source: News.com.au (News Limited - Australia)
Tags: Australia, Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, house arrest, wrongful imprisonment, Asia,