In Bangladesh: LGBT Activist hacked to Death

This is horrifying to hear about.

LGBT magazine editor Xulhaz Mannan was murdered by 4 hooded men. They... they hacked him up with a machete in Dhaka and then shot him death. Reports say Mannan's murder fits the pattern of other killings on secular activists by radical Islamist groups.

Here's more

Xulhaz Mannan was one of two people hacked to death in an attack in the capital, Dhaka, police said.

Mohammad Iqbal, the officer in charge of the local police station, confirmed to the Guardian that about six people entered the house in the Kalabagan district and hacked Mannan and his friend to death. Two other people were seriously injured.

Mannan, 35, was the editor of Roopbaan, the country’s only magazine for the LGBT community and who also worked at the US development agency USAID. A security guard of the house told the Dhaka Tribune that five to six youths identifying themselves as courier company officials came to the house around 5pm.

He said: “But half an hour later, I heard shouting and shooting sound from the flat and went to look into the incident.”

“The assailants then attacked me with knives,” said the security guard.

Marcia Bernicat, the United States ambassador to Bangladesh, condemned the killing. “I am devastated by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi,” she said.“We abhor this senseless act of violence and urge the government of Bangladesh in the strongest terms to apprehend the criminals behind these murders,” she added.

Mannan had been behind an annual Rainbow Rally, which since 2014 has been held on 14 April Bengali New Year.

source 

My Social Justice Rant

My Social Justice rant...

So, I'm just read a gay male whine about not having a space to talk about gay men issues, and hated that other groups had a space.... Somebody, put a prayer cloth on me, because I literally just can't. It's sad to see and read stuff like that, because it is the prime example of privilege.

I mean, it's so blatant and ridic to the uttermost degree. Look, if you can't see why women, trans, POCs and Bi folks need a space to discuss issues, then please step aside and get the F***k out of the way, because clearly, you are done. You are no longer a fighter, an advocator, or a believer. You are miserable and have forgotten the real reason why you fight. So, if your reading this and it's you, have a seat. We don't need your energy up in here. We're trying to win equality for all, not for a few, all.

Real Talk...

Sadly, I think LGBT activism is slowly falling into two categories: 'If you don't agree with me, you're a Self-Hater' file and 'I'm Mad just to be Mad' file. We need a Critical Thinking file.

Quick Thoughts about Our Protesting Efforts over Sochi Winter Games and Russia's Anti-Gay Law

The Winter Olympics starts Thursday. We have protested, hijacked hashtags, and written tons of articles... But was it enough?

What was accomplished? We got attention... A few news places reported on the hijack, but at the end of the day, what really happened?

I want to say that something was done, hopefully, Russia will rethink their Anti-Gay law. Till then, I hope we think about our tactics and how to make REAL change, instead of powerless noise.

7 MLK Quotes LGBT Activists should Hold Close

Happy MLK Day!

As activists, we can stumble and lose the reason why we fight. So, I wanted to share some of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's strongest and inspiring quotes that should keep the eyes on the prize.

1. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
2. Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
3. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.
4. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
5. A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
6. Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
7. Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.