Journal

Thoughts, links, and randomness galore!

Friday, November 12, 2004
Strange but true news

If you ever wondered how to cook in a jail cell, The Convict Cookbook teaches you how to make delicacies on a radiator pipe. Yes, you too can make Po' Mans Burritos and Jailhouse Pizza ("It's not delivery, it's jailhouse!") without a kitchen.

Transsexual jailed for lying about gender, fights for right to marry as woman

She was born a man, became a woman, was betrothed to a man, and then was thrown in jail for it.

Now, instead of paying a $500 fine on charges she lied about her gender, Sandy Gast is waging a legal battle for transsexual rights in Kansas.

Back story: The defense lawyer explained that transsexuality is a birth defect where you have the physiology of one gender, but you were really meant to be the other gender. Some people, however, argue that transsexuality is a perverted choice.

To make matters more complicated, Gast is gay. Transsexuality has to do with sexual identification (who you are inside), while homosexuality has to do with sexual orientation (who you're attracted to). These two phenomena don't always occur together.

When I interviewed the defense lawyer, I tried to be as sensitive as I could. He maintained that the Kansas prosecutors and Christians were bigots. The lawyer seemed to like me and said I was smart and would go far in life (then again, lawyers are good at sweet talking). Oh, if he only knew I was a Christian.

For the record, I believe that homosexuality is wrong, but I don't believe in gay discrimination. In my view, everyone is born into sin. Have you ever lied? Have you ever felt jealous? Of course! Everyone has, because we're human. But I don't hate liars, just as I don't hate gay people. I don't doubt that being gay is natural for some people, just as being lazy comes naturally to me. Just because something comes naturally, it doesn't mean it's right.

In terms of transsexuality, I've heard about people in third-world countries who were born with both male and female body parts. When doctors chose the sex for the babies (you know, through surgical procedures), the kids would grow up and feel that the doctors chose wrong. I think transsexualty can be based on a physiological birth defect.

My point is, I kicked myself for not telling the lawyer what I really believed. I think it's sad that the stereotypical Christian is portayed as a condescending, "fire and brimstone" bigot. Then again, I'm supposed to be an impartial journalist, so expressing my opinion could have been innapropriate.

New Black Panther trial

Civil rights leader Quanell X has turned in nearly 20 fugitives in an effort to quash police brutality (Huh? The story explains.), but now a fugitive handoff has turned sour.

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posted by Jessica at 10:57 PM | 0 comments

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