sundries

[rm]

Patty still has a cold, but is recovering. I wish I looked that good when I have a cold.

I have neglected to mention that several nights ago, due to the Doctor Who tie-in novel I am currently reading, I had to ask Patty if neanderthals sounded like parrots. Then she Googled. Then we found some wacky BBC documentary theorizing on the voices of neanderthals and laughed ourselves sick. Parrots sound better.

gulf_aid_now: Fandom auction to benefit the Gulf.

Restrictions on journalists around BP spill finally making mainstream news.

After a fire aqeldroma needs some help.

US state department now recognizes transgender people's accurate gender on passports even if they are pre- or non-op. ETA: Useful details for dealing with this process here (includes template letter for doctors). update via tenacious_snail.

For US LGBT people with foreign partners, the choices are heartbreaking.

Charges dismissed against Warren Jeffs. Jeffs is evil and I know waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much about this topic.

The truth about The Biggest Loser is that it's dehumanizing and dangerous.

deepad takes on the latest round of RaceFail with satire. Stay for the comments.

Natural perfumers.

Oh, suburban Maryland has another moment of grotesque rich boy sexism and predation.

But aside from my "those fucking assholes" reaction to this piece, it made me think about something tangental I've been noodling on for a bit now -- which is how women don't get to play sexual games (either destructive and predatory, or *gasp* normal and healthy) with a peer group, because a woman is always going to be labeled a slut for that sort of thing.

What that thought came out of? What I do and don't get to say on a con panel vs. the men and how it's dictated by my gender presentation. The only reason no one calls me a whore for the ridiculous sex-related bullshit that comes out of my mouth on semi-appropriate con panels is because I'm not wearing a dress. FUCKED UP.

verasteine has thinky thoughts about the UK coalition government, all the RPS in the news, and homosexuality as a punchline.

Torchwood fic rec (god, there are like five GREAT fics today, but I've not time to talk about all of them): Cops & Robbers, Cowboys & Indians by solsticezero. Ianto and Sarah Jane have tea. Totally G rated, completely lovely. Broke my heart into tiny little pieces, and I bet you can all guess at what line.

Comments

[arjache.livejournal.com]

Re: the passport news, that's wonderful! I honestly did not think I'd see the federal government drop that requirement in my lifetime.

The WA state government recently moved to similar requirements for correcting driver's licenses/state IDs - just need a letter from a doctor, no specific medical requirements. For a short time before that they had a very onerous requirement of an amended birth certificate, which was insane because there are states that will flat out never amend them, even with a surgeon's letter. Thankfully the local advocacy groups here are really effective and managed to get it sorted out.