As promised, the NOM mandatory heterosexuality tour hit Annapolis today at noon. There, NOM leader Brian Brown demanded that Maryland voters have a chance to vote on same-sex marriage. Brown lives in Virginia. Derek McCoy of the Association of Maryland Families was on-hand to lend local support of the idea:

We will fight for marriage in this State until the end!… Our definition [of marriage] is not passe, is not outdated, is not stale; it’s the definition we’ve already had in a state statute, that we’ve all known for years . . . Let’s take this issue to the ballot box. Let the people decide! Let the people vote!

Maryland will truly never be free until its citizens have the right to restrict the rights of other citizens.

Also of concern: Anti-gay doctor lifts nickname from Julius Erving!

Tomorrow at noon, the NOM mandatory heterosexuality bus tour will hit Annapolis. The big anti-gay bus will pull up in front of the Maryland State House, where it will be joined star local anti-gay talent: The Bishop Harry Jackson, described by NOM as a "leader in the effort to take back marriage in Washington DC." Also on-hand at the rally will be Association of Maryland Families president Derek McCoy, an outspoken opponent of marriage, abortion, and gambling. Bring your lunch!

According to the New York Times, the District of Columbia has the lowest pay gap between male and female workers in the country, compared to the 50 states. From NYT: "in the District of Columbia, the median weekly wage of full-time women workers is 96.5 percent of that for their male counterparts, far and away the most parity in the country." The U.S. average is 80.2 percent; Louisiana women are trailing the rest of the country, making only 65 percent of men's wages. Some other local stats: Virginia women make 80.4 percent of what Virginia men do; Maryland women make 87.3 percent. Of course, in this contest, we're a tiny urban area competing with states filled with urban, suburban, and rural areas—so this is likely more a triumph for cities than it is for the District.

Photo via George Eastman House

The Washington Area Women's Foundation has a round-up of new laws affecting women and girls in Maryland and Virginia. Two highlights: In Virginia, "Domestic violence victims will be able to extend protective orders obtained in cases of family abuse or stalking" for two years, with no limit on the number of extensions. And in Maryland, the “Kids First Express Lane Eligibility Act” will use tax records to "identify families with children who may be eligible for Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Program," in an effort to encourage eligible families to apply for those benefits.

Photo via steakpinball, Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0

Hip-hop moguls have a long tradition of multitasking: Over the years, rappers have doubled as actors, restaurateurs, clothing designers, videographers, and snack promoters. But local rapper Imani the Misfit is pretty sure he's charting new territory, as far as side-projects go: He bills himself as “Maryland’s First Bisexual Porn Star Rapper.”

Sure, there are bisexual rappers—Nicki Minaj comes to mind. There are porn star rappers—porn performer Pinky recently entered the rap game. There could even be another bisexual porn star rapper somewhere out there. But Imani thinks he's the first to accomplish the feat in the state of Maryland. "It's basically a title I've never heard anyone claim before," Imani says. "I don't know if I am the world’s first, but I wouldn’t doubt it." And even if he were, he'd still hold on to the local flavor. "I want people to know that I’m from Maryland," he says. "It’s just kind of a rapper’s thing to want to put your area on the map."

Of all of Imani's qualifications, the "rapper" part was the first to emerge. "I was a musician first," Imani says. Growing up in Maryland and then New Jersey, he learned drums, keyboard, and vocals in his church's gospel choir. He started rapping at age 13, but focused on playing keyboards in friends' go-go bands before he starting rapping in earnest in 2004. Last Friday, Imani released his latest single, "My Definition of a Drug," on Amazon and iTunes; he's still at work on his upcoming full-length effort, "The Gold Pill."

After coming out two years ago, Imani started thinking of himself as a "bisexual rapper," he says. "But then I realized that just saying 'bisexual rapper' didn’t fully describe what I do. I also pose for nude erotic art. And I think that the combination of me being a musician and being in porn, it adds to the sensation of it all. It's a unique combination."

The "porn star" part is still in development. Imani began posing nude within the past year—including shoots with local photographer Sean Dibble, for whom he's posed naked and dripping in blood. He's yet to get into the video market. "In Maryland, the porn industry is mostly guys starting up a porn company and looking for girls," says Imani. "I've had a few opportunities to do movies, but every time an opportunity comes up, something stops it from happening," he says. "I'm starting to wonder if there’s like some spiritual force trying to stop me from doing a movie."

There are more immediate forces attempting to stop Imani from speaking out about his sexuality. "Especially in hip-hop, that's something that you don’t say," says Imani. "I’ve heard rumors of people being on the down low, but they're not going to say it because in hip-hop, being bisexual is like the last thing that you want to be," he says.

Imani says he's received death threats over his sexual orientation. He's also received letters from fans thanking him for helping them come to terms with their sexuality.  "There is a fascination that some people have. I’m kind of one-of-a-kind. I say a lot of things that will alienate me, but those things also make me special in other people’s eyes. And a lot of people who are bisexual or gay will support me just [because I'm] open about it."

There's only one demographic he's not representing: "My age is something I don’t really like to talk about," he says.

Ever catch an arial view of Greenbelt, Md., and think, "penis in vagina"? Now, you're not alone! Sex map shot via Jess.

Last week, Montgomery County high schoolers brought home an extra special science lesson with their report cards: A flier from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) informing parents that their gay kids don't have to stay that way.

The flier, which claimed to be in the business of promoting "diversity for the ex-gay community," contained a series of "scientific" ruminations on human sexuality. It's all good, but this is my favorite part (emphasis mine):

According to mainstream psychological associations, there are no replicated scientific studies to support that a person can be born "gay." No "gay gene" or gay center of the brain has been found. No medical test exists to determine if a person is homosexual. Sexual orientation is based on feelings and is a matter of self-affirmation and public declaration.

The gay center of the brain: The final frontier.

So, while the world's most brilliant scientists are busy mining the deepest recesses of gay brains in search of that elusive chocolaty center, I've got a related question for PFOX: How many real, live ex-gay people has PFOX discovered at this point?

PFOX claims that the ex-gay community grows by the thousands each year. But last time I checked, PFOX's ranks were overflowing with "everstraights"—heteros who say they have never been gay, not even once in college—and positively hurting for members who had really, truly successfully prayed the gay away. I can only conclude that the world's ex-gays are all on a very long vacation to somewhere just out of our reach—the gay center of the brain, perhaps!—sipping on Mai Tais and having enthusiastic heterosexual sex with their spouses, far away from the uncomfortable glare of scientific fact.

—

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) promotes diversity for the ex-gay community. Ex-gays demonstrate that those with unwanted same-sex attractions can seek help and information on overcoming their feelings. All individuals deserve the right to self-determination and happiness based on their own needs, and not on the needs of others. PFOX supports tolerance for everyone regardless of sexual orientation.

PFOX can provide: resources for parents and students, ex-gay speakers for your school or club, books for your school library, and brochures on same-sex attractions, bullying and tolerance.

Who are ex-gays?

Every year thousands of people with unwanted same-sex attractions make the personal decision to leave a gay identity through gender affirming programs, including therapy, faith based ministries, and other non-judgmental environments. Their decision is one only they can make. However, there are those in society who refuse to respect an individual's right to self-determination. Consequently, formerly gay men and women are subjected to verbal and physical attacks simply because they dare to exist. Ex-gays and their supporters are denied equal access and support, forcing them to remain silent for fear of negative reactions and disapproval, while gays are affirmed for their decision to come out as gay. Former homosexuals do not think something is wrong with them because they decided to fulfill their heterosexual potential by overcoming unwanted same-sex attractions.

But aren't some people born "gay"?

According to mainstream psychological associations, there are no replicated scientific studies to support that a person can be born "gay." No "gay gene" or gay center of the brain has been found. No medical test exists to determine if a person is homosexual. Sexual orientation is based on feelings and is a matter of self-affirmation and public declaration.

If only one part of you has gay feelings, should your whole life be gay identified?

Many people would agree that just because one part of you feels a certain way, it doesn't mean you entire identity is that way. Having feelings of same-sex attraction may make you feel different. We all feel the need to fit in and be accepted. But no one should identify themselves based on sexual feelings alone,. There is more to your identity than your sexual attractions. Thousands of ex-gay men and women had those very same feelings when they were in school. You may have heard, "You must be gay!" But no one should be labeled based on the perception of others. Get smart! Explore the origins of your same-sex attractions. Why do I have these feelings? Where did they come from? The decision of a prom date, a car, or whether to super-size those fries can be based on a feeling, but important decisions should not be made on feelings alone. In order to make an educated decision, you have to be informed! Sexuality develops over time. It is not necessary to label yourself today.

Find out more at www.pfox.org !!!

(These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Board of Education of Montgomery County, the superintendent, or this school.)

Illustration by Robert Ullman.

• 32 of the dead are female.
• 21 of the dead are male.

Last year, in other words, 40 percent of people who died in Maryland as a result of domestic violence were male. Right about now, men's rights activists are surely waiting in the wings, ready to pounce on this statistic as irrefutable evidence that men are victimized by domestic violence at nearly the same rate as women. The truth is much more complicated.

Let's look at the numbers on the female side first (courtesy of the MNADV's extensive research).

Of the 32 females who died as a result of domestic violence last year:

• 3 were children.
• 29 were adult women.

Of the 29 adult women:

• 28 were victims of domestic violence.
• The one remaining woman was a domestic violence aggressor who committed suicide. She is the sole occupier of the category of "females who killed themselves or were killed after committing murder/attempting to commit murder."

Of the 28 adult female victims:

• 10 were wives or ex-wives of the offender.
• 17 were girlfriends or ex-girlfriends of the offender.
• One was a domestic violence victim who committed suicide.

And on the male side of things:

Of the 21 males who died as a result of domestic violence last year:

• 2 were children.
• 19 were adult men.

Of the 19 adult men:

• 9 were victims.
• 10 were domestic violence aggressors who died as a result of their own domestic violence—"males who killed themselves or were killed after committing murder/attempting to commit murder."

Of the nine male victims:

• 2 were husbands or ex-husbands of the offender.
• 3 were boyfriends or ex-boyfriends of the offender.
• 3 were killed by their current partner's ex.
• 1 was killed by his ex's current partner.

Of the ten men who killed themselves or were killed after committing murder or attempting to commit murder:

• 1 man was killed by the police.
• 3 were killed by their partners in self-defense.
• 6 committed suicide.

Of the 53 total dead:

• 27 were killed by gun or rifle.
• 12 were killed by knife.
• 5 were killed by strangulation.
• 4 were killed by vehicle.
• 2 were killed by "physical force/hands."
• 2 were killed by burning
• 1 cause of death was unknown.

Domestic violence kills in many ways. When it comes to male deaths by domestic violence, men are more likely to be killed as a result of attempting to murder their own partners than as a result of their partner's aggression. Men who are victims of domestic violence are almost as likely to be killed by a partner's ex than by their partners themselves. "Domestic violence is not as simple and straightforward as people think," says Michele Cohen, MNADV's Executive Director. "The work that we do attempts to capture the full picture of all the individuals who die as a result of domestic violence—both victims and offenders."

Tonight, the MNADV will hold its 22nd Annual Memorial Service for all the "women, men, and children" who died over the past year from domestic violence. Find more information about the Annapolis, Md. service here [PDF].

All this sex sting lacked was Chris Hansen hiding in a closet—who apparently has quite a following among underage prostitution enthusiasts!

Several men asked the girl if she was working for police, according to the documents, and a few said that they did not want to end up on Dateline's "To Catch A Predator" television series.

They didn't end up on "To Catch a Predator." But the Gazette has stepped in to assume Hansen's role of disseminating all the johns' life-ruining details to the public. No cookies and lemonade, either:

* "Montgomery County firefighter Wayne A. Mothershead, 44, of Taneytown responded to the ad using his work e-mail and arranged to meet for sex in his truck outside the Bohrer Park Activity Center in Gaithersburg on July 20, according to the documents."

* Mothershead's attorney chimed in with the classic excuse: "attorney Rebecca Nitkin add[ed] that the girl in the photographs viewed by the men appeared older than 16."

* "A Wheaton man, who was instructed to meet the girl near Gaithersburg High School, admitted to having a semiautomatic handgun in his trunk and was also charged with carrying a deadly weapon on school property and transporting a handgun, according to the documents."

* "Benjamin R. Cary, a personal trainer at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington in Rockville for 10 years, was arrested March 25, according to the documents. He told police he was 'trying to stop a girl from doing something bad' but later said 'I will do whatever you want me to do, pay a fine go to class … just don't tell my wife,' according to the documents."

* "Barry M. Lebowitz, a married optometrist at Potomac Eye Care in Gaithersburg, was charged with soliciting a minor on April 9, according to the documents. When the girl said she was too young to rent a hotel room, Lebowitz, 46, wrote, 'this might get expensive … any discount if i get hotel?,' according to the documents."

UPDATE: Today, the Gazette issued an update and correction to its story on the prostitution sting. You can read it here.

They're just waiting for it to die.

This happened last year, too: The bill was proposed, testimony was heard, no vote was called. Lawmakers cite the bill's "controversy" in wanting to make sure everything is Goldlilocks on the bill before they make a decision. I think they're just a bunch of pussies. Reports WTOP:

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has had several scheduled votes on the bill this year, but chairman Sen. Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery, said committee members keep requesting he delay votes.

"It's very controversial and people have lots of questions," Frosh said, explaining that committee members have worried about definitions of terms used in the bill and how it would be applied. The measure also has not been voted on in the House Health and Government Operations Committee, chaired by Baltimore City Delegate Peter Hammen.

Equality Maryland calls the legislature on its bullshit:

Activists say they are frustrated lawmakers won't take a stand on legislation that exists in 13 states and many local jurisdictions, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

"In our current economic state, it seems the legislature would want to do anything possible to make sure people maintain jobs and housing right now," said Kate Runyon, director of gay and transgender rights group Equality Maryland.

If the legislature ever gets its shit together and fucking votes on the bill, it will likely gain the Governor's support.

Transgender people do have Gov. Martin O'Malley on their side, however. O'Malley signed the Baltimore city anti-discrimination measure into law when he was mayor, and submitted written testimony in support of Madaleno's bill.

"We must continue to work toward a legal and social environment in which all Marylanders enjoy the same guarantees of freedom and individual rights on which our State and country were founded," O'Malley wrote.

Just vote on it already.

The Maryland Catholic Conference has come out against the Maryland Senate Bill 566, legislation that would protect against discrimination of transgender persons in the state. According to the group's executive director, Mary Ellen Russell, the church generally would totally support something like this:

Consistent with our long-standing advocacy on behalf of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized persons, the Church recognizes the intent of this legislation to uphold the dignity and value of every individual. In keeping with that principle, the Church firmly opposes undue harassment or discrimination against any person.

One caveat: According to the MCC, the bill missteps in actually making Catholic groups adhere to that principle!

Senate Bill 566 is a transgender rights bill that would codify in law a distinction between one's "gender identity" and one's "assigned sex at birth." The bill is well intentioned and the Church respects the dignity of each individual. However, such a distinction manifests an egregious violation of our society's basic understanding of the human person, and the natural complementarity of the sexes. As written, the bill does not include protections for religious institutions, which would be required to comply with the employment and other provisions of the bill in regards to transgendered individuals.

Emphasis theirs. Hmm, okay, so the Catholic church rejects discrimination of all kinds, except for its favorite kinds of discrimination, which it just can't quit!

Photo by guntzooki

Last week, the Maryland state legislature threatened to withdraw $424 million dollars in funding to the University of Maryland if its College Park campus proceeded with its plan to screen the satirical hard-core porn "Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge."

University officials nixed the screening, but allowed a campus student group to show portions of the film "in an educational context"—with ACLU reps speaking on free speech issues.

Now, Republican state senator Andrew P. Harris, who led the anti-porn charge, is moving to ensure that, in the future, hard-core pirate sex will be contextualized in an educational setting that will address more than simply his own ass-hattery:

Mr. Harris said Monday he plans to insert language in the state's capital budget that would require the university to come up with a plan that will address the health and social concerns that are attributed to pornography, in the event an adult film is ever showcased on campus again.

Photo by St3ve

Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government have come up with a pithy little campaign to oppose those pushing to end discrimination against transgender citizens in the state: "Not My Shower."

The Maryland state senate has proposed legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on "gender identity" in employment, housing, and public accommodation.

Hell, no, not in their shower! Dr. Ruth Jacobs, head of the MCRG, explains the real intent of the law: "to give special rights to men who want to dress like women," allowing them access to women's restrooms and—gasp—public showers. Because making sure that people who choose to clean themselves in public are comfortable being naked in front of strangers is clearly more important than eliminating discrimination in employment and housing for all citizens.

The "Not My Shower" campaigners continue: "With the bill’s vague wording, all an adult male has to do to gain legal access to facilities normally reserved for women and girls is to indicate, verbally or non-verbally, that he has a sense of being female at the moment." Ugh. Men who would put on dresses in order to scam on naked ladies do not need the help of anti-discrimination laws to follow their creepy molestation dreams. THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT TRANSGENDER, and—

Let's pause here for a second. Who do you think is put at the most risk by the shower situation, REALLY?

- Those women and girls who were born male, identify clearly as female, and and are currently being forced to shower alongside groups of dudes who think they look feminine enough to harrass;

- Whining Republican ladies who surreptitiously inspect other women's genitals in the gym shower to make sure the other ladies' vaginas are vagina-looking enough to shower alongside them;

- Us all, who must endure lengthy discussions about who may access public showers that, strangely enough, nobody was clamoring to access before. If you're so scared of being naked in public, wear a bathing suit for Christ's sake.

Read the full text of the proposed bill here.

Photo by AlmazUK.

Putting a saw in your vagina is very dangerous, even if you put a rubber dildo over that saw prior to putting the saw into your vagina. A Southern Maryland couple learned that the hard way over the weekend when a man put a saw in a dildo into a woman's vagina, only to have the saw cut through the dildo and then, inevitably, through the woman.

In a call to 911, the man explained that "he had placed a sex toy over a saber saw blade, and then used the power tool on his partner, but the blade cut through the plastic and injured the woman." The 27-year-old victim, "injured and bleeding," was " flown to Prince George’s hospital center by Maryland State Police."

Now, normally I would say to you: Saws! They are for cutting. Don't be surprised if they cut through things, such as your genitalia, or your rubber thing molded to approximate genitalia. However, if you do want to stick a saw in there, you'd do well to invest in the FuckSall Fucking Adapter (pictured), a $98 gizmo that can be used "alone if you like raw metal," or "with the Doc Johnson 8 inch vacu lock penis for a more realistic fuck." The adapter "works on most Sawzall's or that type of reciprocating saws" (like this one, available on Amazon from $79.99).

That's a $177.99 investment to harness the natural power of a saw (hurting) and bring it into your sex life (pleasure). It's a steal, really.

Photo via eXtreme Restraints

If passed, Maryland would join thirteen other states and the District of Columbia in protecting transgender citizens. The D.C. Human Rights Act was amended to add protections for "gender identity and expression" in 2006, but District institutions are still ironing out the hick-ups.