This is the transcript of the speech I gave at the Henderson Democratic Club on Wednesday: While watching Django Unchained, I couldn’t help but laugh at an exchange between the title character and German bounty hunter Dr. Schultz in which the doctor asks, “Are you positive?” And Django replies, “I don’t know. What does positive…
*TRIGGER WARNING* Just as I was getting ready to pack it up for my last work week of 2012, my twitter feed exploded with the news that gang-rape victim in India has died in the hospital following cardiac arrest and massive organ failure. The unnamed medical student was beaten with iron rods and raped (for…
As we get ready to celebrate the New Year, why not take a look back at the top stories as voted by your clicks in 2012: The top honors go to Good Math: The arithmetic of Bill Clinton’s speech. I don’t think I have to explain why. And as much as people love former President…
Since being signed into law in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has been a landmark piece of legislation. Thousands have been helped — even saved — by programs funded by VAWA. Likewise, the cultural consciousness about the issue of domestic violence has shifted to such an extent that we don’t talk about wife-beating in…
Free to be you and me: Starting Dec. 1 the DSM-5 — the official guide-book in the psychiatry community — has stopped listing transgender as a mental illness! This, coupled with the UN Secretary General’s speech imploring the global community to stand with the LGBT community, will be marked in history as no less significant…
With December 1 comes World AIDS Day. The timing of this commemoration of those gone, those still fighting, and our hopes at prevention (and dare-we-hope an end?) to this epidemic always strikes me as curious. For Americans, World AIDS Day comes on the heels of Thanksgiving (and Black Friday) and nearly smack in the middle…
Violence of silence: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is in jeopardy of not being passed before the end of this session of Congress. Let’s do something about that! Merry-fucking-Xmas: Uganda is not for lovers. Or, at least not homosexual lovers. Recently, a member of Uganda parliament promised to get a bill to “kill the…
For Giving Tuesday, The National Network of Abortion Funds is asking folks to complete the following statement: I support Abortion Funds because… And while you’re at it, why not snap a pic and share it on their Facebook page? (Tag The Sin City Siren so I can see ’em, too!) This is what I came…
Pro-death: If you haven’t already heard, 31-year old Savita Halappanavardied in an Irish hospital last week because doctors refused to perform a life-saving abortion. She was already having a miscarriage. I’ll give you a minute to rage. Hate, hate, go away…: The last thing I did in high school was watch It’s a Mad, Mad,…
Honoring the Heroes: This Veteran’s Day let’s do more than lip-service and half-hearted thanks. Let’s work to help women in the military gain access to abortions through the Sheehan Amendment, which would give them the same access as federal employees. One in three military women have been sexually assaulted (compared with one in six civilian…
The Sin City Siren 