Don't Ask, Don't Tell in Star Trek Land -- scroll down a bit to find the story.

After 31 years, the NY State Senate allowed a vote on SONDA and it passed.

I'm sad to see this betrayal of the transgender community, who need protection as much as anyone. After watching the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) coddle Republicans like Pataki and Giuliani, I can say that I am even more disappointed in them than ever. I once really respected Matt Foreman, the executive director. I have marched with him, while he was head of the Anti-Violence Project, in some scary neighborhoods of this city. This statement is very depressing:

Foreman estimated that 75 percent of transgender people in the state live in New York City -- where a city law already protects them against discrimination.

"It's totally unfair for all these downstate people to be saying, 'All you upstate gays can wait"' for an anti-gay discrimination bill, said Foreman.

He said establishment of protection against discrimination for homosexuals was a historic step for gays and lesbians rights advocates, who plan to propose a sweeping change of the state's human rights laws next year.

"You really can't be advancing things like domestic partnership rights when, if you go to your employer and say, 'I have a domestic partner,' they can fire you because you're gay," Foreman said.

Now that it has passed, I know ESPA isn't going to use any of its budget or political capital to have them added. They will work on things like domestic partner benefits and other things that mostly benefit middle class (and up) gays, while the queens -- the kind of people who started the Stonewall uprising -- can flee to NYC if they're unlucky enough to live anywhere else.

I always hoped the queer community could be better than this, but we're as likely to jettison the weakest -- and least "mainstream" -- people as anyone.

Cool fellowship from Hofstra:

Fellowships for the Advocacy for the Equality of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered People

Each year, the Law School will award fellowships to up to three(3) incoming J.D. students with a history of advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

1. A tuition fellowship of up to $20,000 for each year of law school.

2. A $5,000 stipend to support a summer externship related to LGBT advocacy.

3. A comprehensive course of study devoted to equality, including courses in Sexuality and the Law, Sex Discrimination, Jurisprudence, and an independent study and tutorial designed to address issues of particular concern to the LGBT community.

4. Experience in legal advocacy for the LGBT community through the Law School's externship program which places students with nonprofit organizations, including those devoted to legal advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community.

5. Participation in a mentoring program with LeGal, the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Greater New York, representing one of the most diverse legal practice communities in the United States inclusive of LGBT individuals.

Go congratulate James on his letter in the Daily News responding to Jonathan Capehart's ridiculous column on SONDA and transgender protection.

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When they edited his letter, they messed up his grammar. He understands subject/verb agreement, in case you were wondering.

Jonathan Capehart says Tom Duane doesn't support gay rights if he's not willing to abandon transgendered people to get SONDA passed. James tells it like it is.

You decide: Real Men Real Workouts

I saw a postcard for this in one of those card racks that show up everywhere in NYC. Is this for real? It makes GQ look straight.

Gay men, lesbians and bisexual people are to be offered the same rights as married couples, a government minister indicated today, although she said this will not amount to "gay marriages".

I love the Guardian! They have a link to Peter Tatchell's home page at the bottom under "useful links".

The fashion at my gym has reached a new low. Today I actually saw someone wearing a patterned silk vest, with no shirt underneath, with his gym shorts.

I present an article discussing the history of

.

Living with AIDS in this country is like living through a war that's happening only for those people in the trenches. Every time a shell explodes you look around to discover that you've lost more of your friends. But nobody else notices, it isn't happening to them.
-- Vito Russo