#weareALLclean

It seems that we are living in a time for social media challenges, the successful #ALSicebucket campaign has a lot to answer for.

From news.com.au: #weareALLclean fights AIDS stigma with photos of hot, naked men:

"The sudden spate of shower selfies is the brainchild of activist Jack Mackenroth, who wants to raise money to fight HIV and AIDS while ending the stigma around the condition.

Men are being urged to take photos of themselves in the buff and post them to social media with the hashtag #weareALLclean, while linking to a donation page to find a cure for AIDS.

“I was inspired by the use of the word ‘clean’, especially common in gay culture, to describe oneself as STI/STD free”, Mackenroth says.

“This implies that HIV-positive people are somehow ‘dirty’. I thought a PG shower selfie or video would be a fun way that everyone could easily show their support on social media for finding a cure by using the hashtag #weareALLclean when they post their photo with the link. Then they donate what they can and nominate 3 or more other people to participate.”

The campaign is taking off online but is far from $1,000,000 goal in donations "

I have been challenged by my friend Rusty Redfield (Playing with the Big Boys: 084: #weareALLclean (yes, a naked picture challenge!).

I threw off my clothes and proceeded to schlep my beautiful husband Tomais, after first getting him naked, into a shower with me and then asked him to make another of his beautiful picture of the two of us. 

"Shower selfie" by Tomais Ashdene

As always the most interesting part of the modelling experience was to observe my own special artist at work with the photo he had taken. It is amazing what funky details his astute and discerning eyes find to correct in Photoshop before he is satisfied with the picture.

This time he even took the time to make it safe for F*c*book, please not the careful and ingenious placement of his signature. It is in that exact spot to cover up my amazing butt crack from the picture-nazis on that site.

I challenge the following of my family and friends:  +JJ Goodman, +Wayne NZ  and sirhc DeSantis. And, after due consideration, I am adding +Petr Hastings-Vanbeeck, just because I want to see him in the shower too...

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Take a selfie or short video of yourself in the shower or bath.**NO EXPLICIT NUDITY**
2. Post your photo now on Moovz and all social media platforms with the caption "Take HIV Shower Selfie Challenge raise $ for AIDS cure bit.ly/CUREAIDS #weareALLclean"
3. Nominate 3 or more other people to participate!
4. DONATE! Please donate if you are able. Every dollar counts! bit.ly/CUREAIDS
5. On World AIDS Day (or before): Monday, December 1st, please change all your social media profile pix to your shower selfie photo and spread the word!!!

Check One Two Retweets Bock

We want you to show us you're #FeelingNuts - are you game? @BockMcMillan is! He's done this CGI grab in #SecondLife. pic.twitter.com/FqTa2w5d46
— Check One Two (@check_one_two) November 29, 2014

#feelingnuts

I was challenged by my friend +Kahvy Sands to take part in the #feelingnuts campaign. So this is my response to his challenge.

The challenge gave me the opportunity to learn how to make poses and a bit more about simple photography (no Photoshop involved, thank you very much). My teacher was my amazingly talented, wonderful, patient (mostly), lovely, beautiful, handsome, sweet and ever so charming husband Tomais.

I am passing the buck on and am now challenging +Tomais Ashdene  and my co-bloggers Apmel Goosson (+Lennart Nilsson)  and +Eddi Haskell.

Join our movement, share #feelingnuts on Twitter and get everyone checking their love grenades

Read more about this campaign here CheckingOneTwo.

Don’t let testicular cancer take your crown jewels. Check yours today, tell us how you do it and share that you're #feelingnuts!

"I'm Sorry..."

To the guy who punched me tonight for kissing my boyfriend pic.twitter.com/SMVmTpDCdL
— Cole Ledford (@ColeLedford11) November 7, 2014

This news reaches me via Wicked Gay Blog and Gay Star News:

"A US student, who was beaten up for being gay, tweeted a defiant message to his attacker and instantly became a viral sensation.

Ohio student Cole Ledford, who tweets at @ColeLedford11, was beaten up for kissing his boyfriend, and was left with a painful black eye.

Yesterday (November 7), he tweeted a picture of himself and his injuries alongside a text with the words: ‘To the guy who punched me tonight for kissing my boyfriend.’

‘I'm sorry that you called me fag,’ wrote Ledford.

‘I'm sorry you hit me for no reason. I'm sorry that whatever insecurities you have don't allow you to accept others for who they are. I'm sorry that I threaten you.’

‘I'm NOT sorry I'm gay. I'm proud to be this way. I'm proud to be confident enough to love who I love and to love me. I'm proud to have friends and family that love me regardless of me. Honestly, I'm not sorry.’

Since posting the image, Ledford has become somewhat of an overnight star. His tweet was retweeted more than 23,000 times.

He later posted a cute photo of him and his boyfriend with the caption: ‘Boyfriend wanted to say hi and thanks for the support! Off to Cleveland to see the fam! #loveislove #youallrock.’

He also tweeted: ‘overwhelmed by all the support. I have a nasty black eye but other than that, I'm fine. Thank you all so much! Love > Hate.’

He’s also been encouraging his new-found followers to support equality charities if they want to help.

‘If what happened to me makes you want to make a difference please consider donating to the @HRC and help their fight,’ he tweeted."

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Another everyday hero steps out of anonymity for a while to make us all proud. Proud to be humans, to be men and most of all to be gay men.

#ProudofEdgars

I proudly announce I'am gay... Good luck all of you...
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) November 6, 2014

(via J.M.G.)

"Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs announced Thursday that he was gay, breaking a barrier in Eastern Europe’s socially conservative political arena. The declaration, made via a cheerful Twitter posting, immediately gave gay rights advocates a prominent voice in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. The region — where openly gay public figures are a rarity — has significantly lagged behind the United States and Western Europe in its acceptance of same-sex relationships. The announcement came less than two months before Latvia assumes the European Union’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1, giving Rinkevics an even higher-profile platform from which to push for more tolerance for same-sex relationships."

Same-Sex Marriage Wins

"The Supreme Court (of the United States, my addition) refused to get involved in the national debate over same-sex marriage Monday, leaving intact lower court rulings that will legalize the practice in 11 additional states. The unexpected decision by the justices, announced without further explanation, immediately affects five states in which federal appeals courts had struck down bans against gay marriage: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Utah.

It also will bring along six other states located in the judicial circuits overseen by those appellate courts: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. The action will bring to 30 the number of states where gays and lesbians can marry. Appeals courts in Cincinnati and San Francisco are considering cases that could expand that number further, presuming the Supreme Court remains outside the legal fray." (USA Today)

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By not taking up the cases offered the SCOTUS today decided to allow same-sex marriages in eleven more states where the ban on same-sex marriage had been found to be unconstitutional

"Rather than decide the issue of same-sex marriage, as virtually everyone involved in the debate expected, the justices simply let stand lower-court rulings striking down bans in five states. Within hours, marriages were set to take place.

And the justices knew their decision to stay out of the grand national debate would have further repercussions: Within days or weeks, gay marriage could be legal in 30 states representing 60% of the U.S. population. Nine more states in the Midwest and West could be added very soon if appeals courts there join the juggernaut.

Why did the Supreme Court take a pass? Most likely because it lacked the votes to stop what federal and state court judges have started.

"The far more conservative justices couldn't count to five," said Jon Davidson of the gay rights group Lambda Legal. "They were not assured of a fifth vote, and so they didn't want to grant review yet." (USA Today; First Take: Justices decide gay marriage by not deciding).

The #icebucketchallenge

Petr Vanbeeck-Hastings challenged Tomais and me in the ALS #icebucketchallenge. So this is the picture Tomais made of us today.

We challenge Ebbe Altberg, WayneNZ and Holter Rez. The three of you have 24 hours to complete the challenge!

Don't forget to visit the ALS website to learn more about the disease What is ALS? And while you are there please consider making a donation!
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And here is my tweet on the same subject!

@Petr_V challenged @TomaisAshdene and me #icebucketchallenge. We challenge @ebbealtberg, WayneNZ and Holter Rez. pic.twitter.com/QoVIBDfTWx
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) August 23, 2014

God Considers Update

EARTH 2.0 World peace No mosquitoes Marijuana rainforests Beerstorms Global A/C Endless fields of puppies President Colbert Me-lessness
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) July 28, 2014

Note to Self: Next time, no Middle East.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) July 25, 2014

Please note, no darn cute kittens are mentioned!

Our Darlings

Lindens... pic.twitter.com/pPutWimkKh
— Ebbe Altberg (@ebbealtberg) July 24, 2014

Ebbe Linden, in first life known as Ebbe Altberg, yesterday tweeted this picture of our wonderful friends at Linden Lab, Makers of SecondLife.

Kiss-In Against Putin in Argentina

Putin is visiting Argentina this week. LGBT rights orgs are staging a kiss-in tomorrow outside the Russian embassy… pic.twitter.com/jtWmjfS7AW
— Andrés Duque (@Blabbeando) July 10, 2014

(via J.M.G.)

"Little Father" is visiting Argentina and will be met by men kissing men and women kissing women outside the Russian embassy.

"Oh my!", as George Takei would say.

Another Try...

Dear @ebbealtberg (@SecondLife @LindenLab) can we expect a visit from you at the ongoing largest #LGBT #Pride celebration on the #Grid?
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) June 26, 2014

Please help getting the message across by retweeting if you are on Twitter.

Bock Among Savages

Gay activist and sex advice columnist Dan Savage should need no introduction for most of you, but those of you who need to read up on him can do so here, Wikipedia: Dan Savage.

I have admired Dan for a many years and many reasons. He and his husband Terry Miller co-founded the It Gets Better Project to remind LGBT youth that they are not alone and that it indeed does get better.  Dan also set up the website Spreading santorum in 2003 as a countermeasure against an American gay-hating politician who compared homosexual sex to bestiality and incest. What I most of all admire Dan for is his way of dealing with the bigots and gay haters of the Christian right in America. He is in their faces and comes down on them like a ton of bricks with his intelligent, humorous and no-nonsense responses against their attacks.

 Onward!

Yesterday I encountered this tweet in my Twitter-feed.

Anyone else want to shut @fakedansavage up, here is the Etsy source: https://t.co/nxVcPfiQ2J
— Bill Savage (@RogersParkMan) June 14, 2014

As I perceived it as an attack on Dan Savage, I jumped right in and shared my two bit thoughts. In hindsight I wish I had reacted to the fact that the tweet was from someone with the same last name as Dan and had taken a moment to check it out, but alas in my usual rash and impetuous manner I did not...

I would like to shut @RogersParkMan up, is there a pin for that? @fakedansavage keep up the good work!
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) June 14, 2014

A kind soul in the Twitter world took pity upon me and informed me that the two Savages are brothers and the correct situation.

@BockMcMillan FYI - Bill Savage ---> @RogersParkMan is ---> @fakedansavage's brother. He's showing the dumb button, not advocating for it.
— libsechumanist (@libsechumanist) June 14, 2014

Which lead to me realize I had jumped to the wrong conclusions. Bill Savage, however, graciously accepted my heartfelt apology.

@libsechumanist @RogersParkMan @fakedansavage Opps, sorry for the misunderstanding Bill
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) June 15, 2014

@BockMcMillan @libsechumanist @fakedansavage No worries! The Internet is all about misunderstandings.
— Bill Savage (@RogersParkMan) June 15, 2014

At this point my hero made an appearance in the feed...

@BockMcMillan @RogersParkMan @libsechumanist But there should be a "shut up!" pin for Billy too - would come on handy at family reunions.
— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) June 15, 2014

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All is well that ends well, but hopefully I have - yet again - learned the lesson that I should not charge into things like an elephant into a china shop and that I sometimes need more information to make a better assessment of a situation.

In closing, I would like to thank Bill Savage for accepting my apology and @libsechumanist for seeing my predicament and taking the time to correct it.

The Tardis Appears at Southern Charm

@TomaisAshdene @BockMcMillan - I sent this to myself 5 years ago and I forgot I programmed it for 2014. Showed up ! pic.twitter.com/lExPiQEANQ
— Dejerrity Mycron (@Dejerrity) May 27, 2014

@TomaisAshdene @BockMcMillan - Finally a way off this bloody planet. I promise to write... pic.twitter.com/x3sib6bAju
— Dejerrity Mycron (@Dejerrity) May 27, 2014

Self Awareness?

The Russian Orthodox Church opposes bearded men in dresses this tweet by Rustem Adagamov informs us.

РПЦ категорически против бородатых мужиков в платьях! pic.twitter.com/b1TLmsRI4s
— Рустем Адагамов (@adagamov) May 14, 2014

This is of course a reaction to Conchita Wurst's win in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Isn't it simply hilarious what an unfathomable lack of self awareness the churches representatives must have, seeing that their whole clergy consists of bearded men in frocks? of course I had to favorite it and re-tweet it!

My Tweet to Ebbe Linden

Hi @ebbealtberg, @SecondLife I hope you received an invitation to the celebration of @SecondPrideSL June 20th-29th, 2014.
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) May 8, 2014

In Your Face, Mr. President!

My hero of the day is Neal Gottlieb, ice-cream manufacturer and mountain climber who summited Uganda's highest mountain two days ago, placed a gay pride flag on it's peak and then wrote a message to the hateful homophobe and bigoted President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

April 22, 2014

Dear President Museveni of Uganda,

On April 16, 2014, after a 6-day climb, I summited your country’s tallest peak, Mount Stanley’s 16,753 foot tall Margherita Peak, and mounted a gay pride flag at its summit in protest of your country’s criminalization of homosexuality. Your country’s highest point is no longer its soil, its snow or a summit marker, but rather a gay pride flag waving brilliantly, shining down from above as a sign of protest and hope behalf of the many thousands of Ugandans that you seek to repress and the many more that understand the hideous nature of your repressive legislation.

The wiser of us understand that humans possess certain unalienable rights. These rights include freedom to express oneself, freedom to worship one’s god or none at all and freedom to live and love as one is born.

Despite this, you recently signed legislation into law that allows those born homosexual to be imprisoned for life. This is a disgusting, despicable act that threatens to ruin countless lives. If you had a son, daughter, niece or nephew that was homosexual, would you want her or him to be imprisoned for life? What if you have friends that are closeted homosexuals? Should they be locked up for the rest of their lives? If you were born gay, would you deserve to be imprisoned?

In a country that is dependent on the United States to fund the majority of its HIV/AIDS care, where less than 5% of those with cancer have access to treatment and where those with access to electricity is still a small minority of the populace, does it make any sense to devote precious and limited resources to imprison those who should be free? Does it make any sense that your administration never successfully prosecuted anybody from Amin’s reign of terror that resulted in over 100,000 murders, yet you wish to imprison for life those who have not committed atrocities but are simply born gay?

As the president of a nation you have the opportunity to be a great man and lead your country forward. Instead, you choose to hold your people back like the imperialists, the dictators and the warlords that have held Africa back generation after generation. The people that you wish to imprison are the same people who can help Uganda grow into a great nation.

When you choose to deny the people of Uganda their human rights, you are no better than Amin.

If you don’t like said flag on your highest peak, I urge you to climb up and take it down. However, you are an old man and surely the 6-day climb through the steep muddy bogs and up the mountain’s glaciers is well beyond your physical ability. Your days are more limited than most. Do you want your remaining days to be yet another blight on the history of your nation or will you find the strength to reverse your actions and allow all Ugandans to be free?

With all due respect,
Neal Gottlieb

P.S. This protest action is mine and mine alone. Neither my fellow climbers nor the Ugandan guides and porters had anything to do with it. The Ugandan guides present at the summit as the flag was mounted had absolutely no idea what the flag stands for, nor did they ask.

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And then I sent this tweet to the president who, as it happens, today joined Twitter!

In your face @KagutaMuseveni Man conquers Uganda’s highest mountain and claims it for the gays http://t.co/0DeFzdyuBo via @gaystarnews
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) April 25, 2014

Thank you @nealhgottlieb you are now officially my superhero! @MIA_UG
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) April 25, 2014

Mae West, Bock & Bad Porn

@Dejerrity @TomaisAshdene To quote Mae West “When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better.” Tom will never need bad porn...
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) February 20, 2014

Bock Joins the 21st Century

After some brutal coercion by my brother @Dejerrity, who sent me updates on his marital status (single, if you should wonder) every 20 minutes to an hour, I finally broke down and, with the help of Tomais, yesterday I set up an account on Twitter.

My first tweet to the world at large

Here is a link Bock on Twitter

The Swedish Hijab-Rebellion

A pregnant Muslim woman was recently knocked down on a street in Stockholm and had her headscarf ("hijab") pulled off by the assailant. Following the assault women who wear the veil testified that they are often subjected to name-calling and harassment of the most vile kind, both Islamophobic and misogynistic.

The incident lead to the so called "hijab-rebellion", in which women from all walks of Swedish society, wishing to show solidarity and "normalize" the wearing of hijab, started posting pictures of themselves in veils on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You name it, it was everywhere.

This "rebellion" lead to a counteraction from a combination of strange bedfellows, militant feminists and xenophobic ultranationalists on the far right of the political spectrum. They claim that the hijab is a sign of a patriarchal cultural and religious tradition of male oppression and control of women and is a tool to curtail women's freedom to dress as they chose and to express their sexuality. They also claim that it is counterproductive to integration as it creates barriers against the surrounding majority culture. Some even go so far as to say, that by wearing the veil in a Western culture the women are doing exactly the opposite of what they claim they wish to achieve, i.e not to draw attention to themselves.

Throughout Europe we are also receiving reports that young Muslim women are starting to don the veil for various reasons, some as a political statement or as a protest against the exploitation of female nudity in the Western cultures. There may be even more reasons.

I find myself a bit lost in all the rhetoric. As far as I am concerned the hijab in itself is most definitely a powerful symbol of male oppression and control and of a traditional chastity culture. However, I wouldn't dream of ever trying to regulate what a woman may or may not wear, just as I would not wish to regulate the length of her skirts or infringe on her complete right to her own body and sexuality.

Any woman should be allowed to dress as she chooses, for whatever reason. Just live with it and accept it!

The Swedish Wiener Incident

Lars Ohly, is the former party chairman of the Swedish Left Party (Vänsterpartiet), a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden. He is also a fan and supporter of  the English Premier League football (soccer for you Yanks) club Liverpool FC and a user of Instagram.

Two days ago Ohly proudly put up a picture on Instagram of the new Liverpool tattoo on the calf, of his left leg without thoroughly checking the picture he had taken first. As it turned out the picture happened to show more than he intended. Parts of his... ehmmmm... "junk" was showing in the picture.

The censored version

The picture provoked instant reactions from some of his followers.

Carl Bildt, the Swedish Foreign Minister congratulated him on Twitter for the fact that he had "finally made his breakthrough in social media after trying so many years".

Håkan Juholt, former party chairman of The Swedish Social Democratic Party, sent a text message to Ohly informing him that he - after seeing the picture - had changed his barbeque plans "from wieners to chicken".

Comedian Al Pitcher wrote: ”I think Lars Ohly showed loads of balls to admit he supports Liverpool”.

Comedian Robin Paulsson wrote: "The Left gained 7 centimetres in the latest opinion polls thanks to Lars Ohly"

You want the uncensored picture I hear you crying, my dear readers. I think I may have spoilt you too much, but I cannot be so cruel as to deny you this small favor.

The uncensored version

Ohly has since removed the picture, but seems to take all the attention he has gotten with lots of humor noting that he has gained many new followers and that his wife has told him that she will have to check all the pictures he uploads in the future.