News & Commentary

By Hector Villagra, Executive Director It’s a hard video to stomach, I know. Seeing it always reminds me of what Dostoevsky wrote: “The degree of civilization in a society can be measured by entering its prisons.” I think the point is this: if you want to judge the soul of a society, you see how it treats the weak, the vulnerable, and, yes, even the scorned. That’s the true test of how good and just a society is.

This post originally appeared in The Tennessean. This week’s news of another suicide by a young student—brought about after years of anti-gay bullying at his school—reminds me of my own experiences attending schools in Tennessee twenty years ago. Unfortunately, it seems little has changed.

The

Chaz Bono doing the samba on Dancing with the Stars and Isis King posing fiercely on the All Stars cycle of America’s Next Top Model may mark the first time two positive transgender role models have broken through to the mainstream at the same time. That’s real progress for the widespread acceptance of the trans community, but not all trans people have the support that Chaz and Isis enjoy.

via Jordon Cooper “What are we talkin’ bout? Practice? We talkin’ bout practice, man. We not even talking about the game,” said former NBA superstar Allen Iverson almost ten years ago. His now memorable words came to mind when I read that Los Angeles officials are negotiating with Occupy protesters to break down the camp at City Hall Park and relocate it. Why will the many weeks’ long peaceful protest and encampment be closed down, you may ask? Is it concern over public health? Nope. Is it a threat to public safety? Think again. It’s the lawn.