#andy boyle

[ID: a page from a book that says "We don't get to decide whether someone's a specific gender. Or if they're gay. (Or if they're "they" or "he" or "she" or anything else.) Or asexual. Or if they're an astronaut. Or a writer. Or a "true" gamer. Or literally anything." The word asexual is highlighted in purple. End ID]

I was so pleased that out of everything he could've said, he mentioned asexuals. I emailed him and he was very sweet and said one of his queer friends suggested adding it because asexuals "don't often get mentioned in places like that." So to Mr. Boyle and his friend, I thank you very much.

Donald Padgett at The Advocate:

Rainbow Pride flags might soon be banned at Stonewall National Monument by Republicans in the House of Representatives as they continue their cuts to target LGBTQ+ funding during the appropriations process. Republicans had earlier proposed additional cuts to LGBTQ+ programs and services in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Republicans in a House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee have introduced a rider that would permit only “official flags” on government buildings and property. Opponents warned the rider would prevent the Pride flag from being flown at U.S. National Park Service sites like the Stonewall National Monument that sits near the Stonewall Inn where the 1969 riots began. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, told E&E News that while the rider did not specifically mention Stonewall or the Pride flag, it was clear Republicans were targeting the LGBTQ+ community with their proposed cuts. “I am strongly opposed to any effort to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community and as ranking member I intend to fight this provision,” Pingree said in a statement.

[...]

The ranking member of the committee, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the committee, called the GOP move one of “terrorists.” Rep. Brendan Boyle, whose Philadelphia-area project was defunded, told The Advocate he and many of his colleagues suspect that Republicans just searched for the keyword “LGBTQ” to see which projects to target. Boyle lost $1.8 million of previously approved funding for the William Way Community Center, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts lost $850,000 for an organization that supports LGBTQ housing for older Americans, while Pennsylvania Rep. Chrissy Houlahan lost $970,000 for an LGBTQ+ center in Reading. Maryland’s Republican Rep. Andy Harris said the services were targeted because of information he claimed to have found on their websites.

LGBTQ+ Pride Flags could soon be banned at Stonewall National Monument, thanks to the House GOP's anti-LGBTQ+ extremist crusade to cut funding for LGBTQ+ services.

I mean, here are some of his opening assumptions:

I believe in some stuff that influences my thinking throughout this book. So you need to know where I'm coming from before we begin. Because all this shit is true. If you disagree, that's fine. But you're wrong.

1. Regardless of your past, you can always change yourself for the better.

2. Everyone makes mistakes and you shouldn't be supershitty to people because of it.

3. Most people are assholes before they turn twenty-five, so you should forgive them for most of their dumbness.

4. Privilege is a real thing and you should be aware of your own.

5. It's not cool to be a dick to people.

6. You should give a shit about everything you do.

7. You don't get to tell someone how they should look.

8. Your opinions don't matter more than anyone else's, regardless of how important you think you may be. Or even if you get a book deal and your name is Andy Boyle.

9. Life is a science experiment, so you should constantly be making and testing hypotheses.

10. Always work towards educating yourself further.

11. Treat people better than you wanted to be treated.

12. We're all going to die someday, so make this life matter.

And that's one page one.

I'm only halfway through at this point, but I keep wanting to underline every paragraph this far and write "YES, THIS" with a thousand exclamation marks in the margins, and I don't think that will change.

Also, I didn't know that the Sandra Day O'Connor and William Rehnquist went on a few dates in law school back in the day, before they went their separate ways and ended up on the Supreme Court together. Boyle uses that as an example of why you shouldn't ghost anyone: "Wouldn't it have been awkward if... they show up in their black robes and they gotta be, like, 'Oh, hey, sorry, I got busy and lost your number'"? LOL.

#ChromatBABE Nightdoll in a sneak preview from the new SS17 Collection.

#ChromatBABE @effieliu​ hanging at the Chromat studio in the Sigourney One-Piece. Pix by Andy Boyle for @made​