LGBT
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Activism
Women in World of Warcraft: The Bigger Picture
Skepchick reader Sean sent in this link to a post on a World of Warcraft fansite that discusses the lack of strong, independent female characters in World of Warcraft’s lore. The author of the article refers to “barnacle characters,” which are characters that depend upon the storyline of other characters for their existence. While I like this idea, I think…
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Parenting
On the Abuse of Social Science
Cross-posted on Queereka. One of the reoccurring talking points of opponents of marriage equality is that social science research demonstrates that children do better with a heterosexual couple than any other type of parenting situation. For an example, see this exchange between CNN’s Brooke Baldwin and hate-group leader Tony Perkins. Note how she fails to challenge Perkins on his oft-repeated…
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Religion
Religion and Social Justice in America: A Secular Alternative?
This piece is adapted from my research and notes for the speech I gave this past Sunday, May 20th, at the Orange County Freethought Alliance Conference. The talk was entitled “Push and Pull: The Role of Religion in Social Justice.” The titles of the previous two pieces, as well as this one, have been altered thanks to the very apt observation…
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Religion
Religion and Social Justice in America: The Pull
This piece is adapted from my research and notes for the speech I gave this past Sunday, May 20th, at the Orange County Freethought Alliance Conference. The talk was entitled “Push and Pull: The Role of Religion in Social Justice.” The follow-up to this piece will address the present-day role of religion in social justice and whether there is a secular…
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Religion
Religion and Social Justice in America: The Push
This piece is adapted from my research and notes for the speech I gave this past Sunday, May 20th, at the Orange County Freethought Alliance Conference. The talk was entitled “Push and Pull: The Role of Religion in Social Justice.” Look for the follow-up to this piece tomorrow about the positive role religion has played in social justice. Generally speaking,…
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Skepticism
Rutgers, Ravi, Reality
Some of you may remember the case of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student who committed suicide last fall after his roommate, Dharun Ravi, broadcast Clementi’s same-sex activities via webcam. The latest news in Ravi’s trial is that a fellow student testified that Ravi was “uncomfortable” with having a gay roommate; some commenting on the case have pointed out that Ravi’s Indian…
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Skepticism
All the World’s an Echo Chamber
One of the many criticisms leveled at the atheist, skeptic, and feminist community (and its related intersections) is something along the lines of “you all form your little communities and then you all just nod and agree with each other all the time.” What, may I ask, is wrong with that? Of course, there are intragroup disagreements. In fact, those…
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New Skeptics’ Circle up!
Check it out at Reduce to Common Sense. Another well done Olympic theme; Woo-meisters are speedy, but the Skeptics are faster! And, some sad news–LGBT pioneer Del Martin has died at the age of 87–but at least she got to marry her long time partner before she passed on: “An eloquent organizer for civil rights, civil liberties, and human dignity,…
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