"Sketchbook from Philly 3"; robrogers.com, 7/31/16

robrogers.com; "Sketchbook from Philly 3"

U.S. Navy To Honor Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk; NPR, 7/29/16

Richard Gonzales, NPR; U.S. Navy To Honor Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk:

"The U.S. Navy plans to honor slain gay rights activist and former San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk by naming a ship after him. The USNS Harvey Milk, which hasn't been built yet, is the latest in a series of Navy vessels named for civil rights icons.

The news came in a report published by the U.S. Naval Institute, citing a notification sent to Congress earlier this month by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, signaling his intention to name a Military Sealift Command fleet oiler after Milk. The Navy has not officially confirmed the plan."

Truth, Knowledge, and Academic Freedom; Huffington Post, 7/26/16

David Moshman, Huffington Post; Truth, Knowledge, and Academic Freedom:

"Microaggressions. Trigger warnings. Safe spaces. These are among the latest entries in the ever-expanding lexicon of campus censorship. There appears to be a new free speech crisis on campus, and it seems largely due to demands from a new generation of students to be protected from offensive ideas, emotional triggers, and feelings of being intellectually unsafe.

But not so fast. Two new books from the academic publisher palgrave macmillan expand the time frame and shift the blame from students to faculty. One of these, Unsafe Space: The Crisis of Free Speech on Campus, is a collection of short, readable chapters. The other, Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity: Confronting the Fear of Knowledge, is a systematic book-length analysis by Joanna Williams..."

Much campus controversy today revolves around issues of respect for others. Respect for others is crucial but, as both these books make clear, such respect is not enough. In the academic context, what matters most is respect for truth. But there is no final arbiter of truth. Instead we seek it through intellectual and social processes that require respect for intellectual freedom.

It’s worth adding that respect for intellectual freedom, even when motivated by a concern for truth, brings us right back to respect for others. Full respect for others includes respect for their freedom of expression, even when we don’t like what they’re saying."

The Complicated Process of Adding Diversity to the College Syllabus; The Atlantic, 7/29/16

Emily Deruy, The Atlantic; The Complicated Process of Adding Diversity to the College Syllabus:

"When Thomas Easley interviews people who want to teach statistics at North Carolina State University (NCSU), he poses a question most applicants probably aren’t expecting: How would you integrate diversity into your curriculum?

It’s a question more universities seem to be asking in the aftermath of student protests against the dearth of people of color on their campuses and in their coursework...

Proponents say that asking students to acknowledge and discuss ideas and concepts through a variety of lenses with classmates from different backgrounds is every bit as important in an increasingly global society as drilling the fundamentals of essay-writing into young minds. But the idea is predictably controversial, with critics saying the requirements are a left-leaning affront to academic freedom. And even professors who are generally supportive of incorporating conversations about diversity into their teaching sometimes say they don’t know where to begin; lots of schools like to talk about diversity, but it’s a nebulous if nice-sounding word, and schools that espouse the broad concept sometimes fail to define exactly what they mean or expect when they tell professors to weave it into their work."

‘Stronger together’ vs. ‘I alone can fix it’, Boston Globe, 7/29/16

Michael A. Cohen, Boston Globe; ‘Stronger together’ vs. ‘I alone can fix it’ :

"Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton did not deliver the best address of this convention or even the runner-up. Instead she gave a solid, substance-laden, and highly effective acceptance speech to her fellow Democrats. It never reached the rhetorical flights of fancy achieved by Obama the night before — but it didn’t need to. Clinton delivered rhetorical shot after rhetorical shot to Donald Trump as she laid out a clear vision for her presidency. She offered the nation an unabashedly liberal agenda — one surely intended to appeal to Bernie Sanders supporters — but in its wonkish, populist tone was eerily reminiscent of political speeches once delivered by her husband. She fully embraced the diverse and multicultural society America has become. But above all, she did the one thing that she and her party absolutely needed to do this week in Philadelphia — make clear the stark political contrasts between Clinton and Trump for the general election to come.

“Stronger together’’ has become the theme of Clinton’s campaign. In a country with the motto epluribus unum, out of many one — it’s an idea that would have resonance in any presidential race."

Watch Hillary Clinton Break The Glass Ceiling; Huffington Post, 7/26/16

Marina Fang, Huffington Post; Watch Hillary Clinton Break The Glass Ceiling:

"“What an incredible honor that you have given me,” she said in the video. “I can’t believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet. Thanks to you and to everyone who has fought so hard to make this possible. This is really your victory, this is really your night.

“And if there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, let me just say I may become the first woman president, but one of you is next.”"

Star Trek Was Among the Best Franchises at Representing People With Disabilities—Until Star Trek Beyond; Slate, 7/26/16

Marissa Martinelli, Slate; Star Trek Was Among the Best Franchises at Representing People With Disabilities—Until Star Trek Beyond:

"When Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966, its inclusivity was groundbreaking. The show featured a black female communications officer, a Japanese helmsman, and a Russian navigator (an unthinkable addition, during the Cold War).* Subsequent Treks strove to expand on creator Gene Roddenberry’s initial vision: Deep Space Nine gave us the first black man to lead a Star Trek series, while Voyager saw the first female captain at the center of the action...

To its credit, Beyond includes more women in substantial roles and has even subtly established the franchise’s first mainstream, openly gay character. But Star Trek has always been about boldly going where no man has gone before, not taking baby steps, and the new movies are missing out on a huge opportunity to give screentime to a group that’s often completely left out of conversations about representation, one that has long played a role in the Star Trek universe: people with disabilities."

How the DNC Is Subtly Rebuking Donald Trump’s Mockery of a Disabled Reporter; Slate, 7/26/16

Ruth Graham, Slate; How the DNC Is Subtly Rebuking Donald Trump’s Mockery of a Disabled Reporter:

"It is worth contrasting Trump’s casual cruelty with the tone the DNC has set on disability issues so far. On Monday, disability rights advocate Anastasia Somoza delivered a powerful speech in which she said she felt sorry for Trump. “I honestly feel bad for anyone with that much hate in their heart,” she said. “Donald Trump doesn’t see me, he doesn’t hear me, and he definitely doesn’t speak for me.” Somoza, who has cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia, delivered her talk from a wheelchair to the roars of an approving crowd.

In his keynote speech on Tuesday, Bill Clinton acknowledged Somoza in the audience as he talked about his wife’s early work on equal educational access for children with disabilities. Hillary “never made fun of people with disabilities,” he said, alluding not-so-subtly to her opponent. “She tried to empower them based on their abilities.”

On Tuesday, the 26th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, several other disabled people took the stage in Philadelphia to share their stories."

Michelle Obama delivers a passionate defense of Hillary Clinton; Washington Post, 7/25/16

Krissah Thompson and Ed O'Keefe, Washington Post; Michelle Obama delivers a passionate defense of Hillary Clinton:

"Obama did not mention Donald Trump by name, but she had a pointed critique of the Republican nominee.

“When you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can’t make snap decisions. You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well informed," Obama said...

“When they go low, we go high,” she said, repeating a mantra she heard as a child.

She delivered a passionate defense of Hillary Clinton — touting her “lifelong devotion to our nation’s children -- not just her own daughter – who she has raised to perfection, but every child who needs a champion.”...

"“When I think about the kind of president I want for my girls and for all children, that’s who I want,” Obama added. “I want someone with the proven strength to persevere. Someone who knows this job and takes it seriously. Someone who understands that the issues that a president tackles are not black or white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.”...

“I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I’ve watched my daughters, two beautiful intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States,” she said."

Democrats And Republicans Agree: Michelle Obama Absolutely Nailed It; Huffington Post, 7/26/16

Ed Mazza, Huffington Post; Democrats And Republicans Agree: Michelle Obama Absolutely Nailed It:

"First Lady Michelle Obama won praise for giving a stirring and optimistic speech in which she managed to attack Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump without once mentioning his name.

Praise for the speech came from across the political spectrum..."

Hillary Clinton Broke One Glass Ceiling. When Were Others Broken?; New York Times, 7/25/16

Karen Yourish, Larry Buchanan, Adam Pearce, New York Times; Hillary Clinton Broke One Glass Ceiling. When Were Others Broken? :

"Hillary Clinton made history by becoming the first woman poised to accept a major political party’s nomination for president. Her achievement comes 180 years after the first non-white man was elected to a major political position. A look at milestones in politics for women and minorities..."

Comic-Con Fans Find Diversity With ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Captain Marvel’; New York Times, 7/24/16

Brooks Barnes, New York Times; Comic-Con Fans Find Diversity With ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Captain Marvel’ :

"Comic-Con, which ran from Wednesday to Sunday, started in the 1970s as an almost entirely male gathering of comic book enthusiasts. It has grown into a sprawling event for fans of superheroes, horror movies, animation and television shows of all kinds, attracting roughly 140,000 people to downtown San Diego every July. The nonprofit organization behind the event does not release demographic information about attendees, except to say that crowds are now roughly 50 percent female."

[San Diego Comic-Con]: G. WILLOW WILSON, MS. MARVEL AND THE WOMEN OF MARVEL; Comic Book Resources, 7/24/16

Albert Ching, Comic Book Resources; [San Diego Comic-Con]: G. WILLOW WILSON, MS. MARVEL AND THE WOMEN OF MARVEL:

"It's the last day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, but Marvel ended the show in a big way -- with a crowded and high-profile "Women of Marvel" panel, hosted by Marvel digital producer Judy Stephens and including Director of Character and Content Development Sana Amanat, Marvel social media manager Adri Cowan, Marvel live host Lorraine Cink, "Ms. Marvel" writer G. Willow Wilson, upcoming "Captain Marvel" writer Margaret Stohl, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." costume designer Ann Foley and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." cast members Chloe Bennet, Ming-Na Wen and Elizabeth Henstridge...

The last person to ask a question at the panel asked where the panel thought things would be in another five years, given that a few years ago Marvel had no female-led titles (and now has 20). Amanat said she hopes that Marvel will be in a place where the number of female-led books no longer needs to be countered, and different genders and sexual orientations are "completely normalized.""

Donald Trump reminds me of Vladimir Putin — and that is terrifying; Washington Post, 7/23/16

Garry Kasparov, Washington Post; Donald Trump reminds me of Vladimir Putin — and that is terrifying:

"It is painful to admit, but Putin was elected in a relatively fair election in 2000. He steadily dismantled Russia’s fragile democracy and succeeded in turning Russians against each other and against the world. It turns out you can go quite far in a democracy by convincing a majority that they are threatened by a minority, and that only you can protect them.

The final and most worrying similarity between Putin and Trump is that so many are unwilling to believe that someone like Trump could ever become the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed to great jubilation, we never would have believed that a former KGB agent would become the president of Russia just nine years later. The moral: Be careful whom you vote for, it could be the last election you ever have."

At 75, Wonder Woman Lassos In A New Generation With An Ageless Fight; NPR, 7/24/16

Petra Mayer, NPR; At 75, Wonder Woman Lassos In A New Generation With An Ageless Fight:

"Arriving on comics pages just as the horrors of World War II were descending, Wonder Woman would rise above male aggression — she almost never kills — and she would leave her home on Paradise Island to fight for America, described in her comics as "the last citadel of democracy and of equal rights for women!"

"She really is the first superhero humanitarian," says Jim Lee, the co-publisher of DC Comics and a former Wonder Woman artist himself.

He says Wonder Woman's lasted so long partly because of good timing — she was just one of the first female superheroes.

But also, he says, "It is an interesting, unique tale of someone who is basically giving up a life of comfort to take on conflict and to be a crusader for justice and peace. And I think those are the things that give characters their longevity.""

Uncle Sam Wants You — Or at Least Your Genetic and Lifestyle Information; New York Times, 7/23/16

Robert Pear, New York Times; Uncle Sam Wants You — Or at Least Your Genetic and Lifestyle Information:

"People can sign up through academic medical centers at Columbia University, Northwestern University in Illinois, the University of Arizona and the University of Pittsburgh, each of which is working with local partners. Columbia, for example, is collaborating with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Harlem Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine.

Participants will be recruited to reflect the geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the nation. To help achieve that goal, officials have enlisted community health centers, where more than 90 percent of patients have annual incomes less than twice the poverty level (less than $23,760 for an individual). About one-third of health center patients are Latinos, and about one-fourth are African-Americans.

Officials said they wanted patients to be partners in the research, not just “human subjects.” To that end, patients will have access to all the information about themselves, including laboratory and genetic test results. Doctors could eventually use the data to shape treatment for an individual patient, rather than using standard treatments that may not work for everyone. Patients will help guide the research, sitting on its steering committee and advisory board."

"Options", Bizzaro, 7/22/16

Dan Piraro, Bizarro:

"Options"

The fall of Roger Ailes: He made Fox his ‘locker room’ — and now women are telling their stories; Washington Post, 7/22/16

Manuel Roig-Franzia, Scott Higham, Paul Farhi and Krissah Thompson, Washington Post; The fall of Roger Ailes: He made Fox his ‘locker room’ — and now women are telling their stories:

"“Boorish behavior is Murdoch company behavior — boorish behavior as defined by tough-guy behavior,” Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff said in an interview. “The tough-guy behavior sometimes intersects with sexual harassment, and this is very strong within the organization.”

In a statement Thursday announcing Ailes’s resignation (which made no mention of the claims against Ailes), Lachlan and James Murdoch said: “We continue our commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect. We take seriously our responsibility to uphold these traditional, long-standing values of our company.”"

Turns Out, Fighting Fat Shaming And Racist Trolls Is Also A Ghostbuster's Job; NPR, 7/22/16

Tanya Ballard Brown, NPR; Turns Out, Fighting Fat Shaming And Racist Trolls Is Also A Ghostbuster's Job:

"I don't know what makes trolls attack so viciously on social media. Is it that they don't like it that some women — in this case a 6-ft.-tall, larger than size zero dark-skinned black woman — are confident and comfortable with themselves?

Who knows, but now that Leslie has returned and is once again engaging on social media with her fans, maybe she can reach out to help some of the women who aren't comedians or actors in summer blockbuster movies navigate troll attacks."

Why Do Women Inventors Hold So Few Patents?; Atlantic, 7/21/16

Adrienne LaFrance, Atlantic; Why Do Women Inventors Hold So Few Patents? :

"“The most significant determinant is women's underrepresentation in patent-intensive fields,” Frenkel wrote, citing a 2013 paper about why women patentees are underrepresented, “especially in electrical and mechanical engineering, and in patent-intensive jobs, especially development and design.”...

There’s evidence to suggest the inclusion of women inventors is good not just for women, but for business. Technological innovation is a huge driver of economic growth in the United States—it accounts for three-quarters of the nation’s postwar grown, the Commerce Department says. This kind of growth also produced high-paying jobs."

An appeal to Mike Pence: Leave your anti-LGBT views behind; Washington Post, 7/20/16

Chrys P. Kefalas, Washington Post; An appeal to Mike Pence: Leave your anti-LGBT views behind:

"Pence’s vice-presidential nomination, and this Republican convention, make it seem like it was so long ago when leading Republicans such as Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, among others, joined former vice president Dick Cheney and former George W. Bush administration solicitor general Ted Olson in embracing marriage equality. But it wasn’t. Progress, however, is full of setbacks and false starts.

But Pence can still do a lot to turn the page — and take an important step to making the Republican Party great again by renewing the legacy of Lincoln, disavowing his old thinking and embracing a future of inclusion."

Banning Leslie Jones’s trolls won’t change a thing — hate is still the norm online; Washington Post, 7/20/16

Mikki Kendall, Washington Post; Banning Leslie Jones’s trolls won’t change a thing — hate is still the norm online:

"This is not just a matter of speech, despite the persistent notion that online harassment is easy to escape because in theory you can close the tab or turn off the computer. Online harassment spilled offline years ago. Harassers may imitate a deceased parent, contact employers in an attempt get a target fired or track someone down and drive them from their home. The last is often accomplished via SWATting, a tactic where a harasser files phony reports alleging a hostage situation or something similar so that police will in theory send the SWAT team into their target’s home.

Can we really claim that the trolls are outside the norm when the norm dismisses their behavior or even supports it on flimsy free speech grounds? After all, the people behind those keyboards sending hateful messages and imagery can vote. They can work on political campaigns; they can run for election. Ignoring bigots in our midst and failing to take them seriously can have a negative impact on everyone.

People like Yiannopoulos and his supporters are the symptom, but the real disease is the way that bigotry is being normalized as something harmless. It’s not. Some of the world’s darkest moments have happened because hate of “the other” spread like wildfire and stripped people of empathy, reason or basic human decency."

"Complements My Campaign"; robrogers.com, 7/19/16

robrogers.com; "Complements My Campaign"

"Not a Racist"; Doonesbury, Go Comics, 7/17/16

Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury, GoComics:

"Not a Racist"

With Obama, the Personal Is Presidential; New York Times, 7/15/16

Timothy Egan, New York Times; With Obama, the Personal Is Presidential:

"It’s not fair to give him his due as a person, his high grade for character, for being scandal-free in his private life, just because a potential successor has no character, no class, and breaches a new wall of civility every time he opens his mouth. If Obama had bragged about infidelities and the size of his genitals, if Obama had talked about wanting to date his own daughter and reduced women to a number on a hotness scale, it would be about race. But when Donald Trump says such things, nobody ties it to his being white, nor should they. Trump is a singular kind of vulgarian.

And those who praise Obama as a model father or husband for the black family do him a disservice. He’s a model, without asterisk for race. It’s a hard thing to go nearly eight years as the most powerful man in the world without diminishing the office or alienating your family. He’s done that, and added a dash of style and humor and a pitch-perfect sense for being consoler in chief.

As we saw again this week, when he took the deep breath for us, when he begged us not to let hearts turn to stone when the world is a quarry of hate, he is at his best when the rest of us are at our worst. We will long remember him singing “Amazing Grace” at that service for people slaughtered in a Charleston church, their deaths a hate crime. And we may well remember him trying to wring something teachable from the ambush of police officers; their deaths also a hate crime.

“All of us, we make mistakes,” he said. “And at times we are lost. And as we get older, we learn we don’t always have control of things — not even a president does. But we do have control over how we respond to the world. We do have control over how we treat one another.”"

J.J. Abrams: ‘It’s About Time’ For A Gay Character In ‘Star Trek’; Huffington Post, 7/14/16

Bill Bradley, Huffington Post; J.J. Abrams: ‘It’s About Time’ For A Gay Character In ‘Star Trek’ :

"“It’s about time that there’s a gay character in this universe,” the director told HuffPost.

“It is done, as you saw, in a way that is not in the story of the movie, which is one of my favorite things about it. It’s beside the point. I feel that George Takei’s reaction ― I’m sure has more to do with George Takei, and the baggage he brings to the proceedings. I think it may be his perception of having played a character a certain way. It might mean something personally to him. I have nothing but respect for the man, but I think it’s a preposterous thing for, of all people, a ‘Star Trek’ actor — who’s come out himself — to say that Gene Roddenberry wouldn’t have wanted this.”

Abrams, in fact, believed the “Star Trek” creator would have applauded the decision over Sulu.

“One of the many things I admire about [Roddenberry] was … how he was so about inclusivity, and I can’t imagine that he would not have wanted one of these characters, if he had been allowed ― which, of course, he would never have been allowed to in that era ― [to] have them be gay.”"

Meet Your New Librarian of Congress; Smithsonian.com, 7/14/16

Erin Blakemore, Smithsonian.com; Meet Your New Librarian of Congress: Carla Hayden will make history as the first African-American in the role—and the first woman:

"In the past, presidential nominations tended to focus on patronage and vague qualifications, and the role did not require that the librarian have served as a professional librarian at any time. Former Librarians of Congress carried out what was, in effect, a lifetime term. As a result, the the institution has only had 13 leaders in its 216-year-long history. That recently changed when Congress passed a bill limiting the term of the Librarian of Congress to 10 years.

Hayden had to undergo a confirmation hearing and political gridlock before being confirmed to the position by a 74-18 vote, McGlone reports. Just what does her post entail? In short, she’ll be responsible for overseeing the nation’s largest cultural institution, but her job will have other perks (and challenges). Not only does the Librarian of Congress name the nation’s Poet Laureate, but she oversees the Copyright Office, makes critical exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, oversees the National Recording Registry and National Film Registry and serves as the public face of books in the United States.

It’s a tall order—but one that America’s newest Librarian of Congress seems enthused to take on. Hayden tells Fritze that she looks forward to opening “the treasure chest that is the Library of Congress even further and [making] it a place that can be found and used by everyone.”"

To Boldly Go Where No Fan Production Has Gone Before; Slate, 7/13/16

Marissa Martinelli, Slate; To Boldly Go Where No Fan Production Has Gone Before:

"The issues at the heart of the Axanar case are complex—in addition to copyright infringement, CBS and Paramount are accusing the Axanar team of profiting from the production by paying themselves salaries, among other things. Abrams, who directed 2009’s Star Trek and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, promised during a fan event back in May that the lawsuit would be going away at the behest of Justin Lin, the Beyond director who has sided, surprisingly, with Axanar over Paramount. But despite Abrams’ promise, the lawsuit rages on, and in the meantime, other Trekkie filmmakers have had to adapt. Federation Rising, the planned sequel to Horizon, pulled the plug before fundraising had even started, and Star Trek: Renegades, the follow-up to Of Gods and Men that raised more than $132,000 on Indiegogo, has dropped all elements of Star Trek from the production and is now just called Renegades. (Amusingly, this transition seems to have involved only slight tweaks, with the Federation becoming the Confederation, Russ’ character Tuvok becoming Kovok, and so on.) Other projects are stuck in limbo, waiting to hear from CBS whether they can boldly go forth with production—or whether this really does spell the end of the golden age of Star Trek fan films.

Axanar may very well have crossed a line, and CBS and Paramount are, of course, entitled to protect their properties. But in the process, they have suffocated, intentionally or otherwise, a robust and long-standing fan-fiction tradition, one that has produced remarkable labors of love like Star Trek Continues, which meticulously recreated the look and feel of the 1960s show, and an hourlong stop-motion film made by a German fan in tribute to Enterprise—a project almost eight years in the making. It’s a tradition that gave us web series like Star Trek: Hidden Frontier, which was exploring same-sex relationships in Star Trek well before the canon was ready to give us a mainstream, openly gay character."

An Open Letter From Technology Sector Leaders On Donald Trump’s Candidacy For President; Huffington Post, 7/14/16

Alec Ross, Huffington Post; An Open Letter From Technology Sector Leaders On Donald Trump’s Candidacy For President:

"We are inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, investors, researchers, and business leaders working in the technology sector. We are proud that American innovation is the envy of the world, a source of widely-shared prosperity, and a hallmark of our global leadership.

We believe in an inclusive country that fosters opportunity, creativity and a level playing field. Donald Trump does not. He campaigns on anger, bigotry, fear of new ideas and new people, and a fundamental belief that America is weak and in decline. We have listened to Donald Trump over the past year and we have concluded: Trump would be a disaster for innovation. His vision stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy—and that provide the foundation for innovation and growth."

Sulu, “Star Trek” and queer sci-fi: LGBT diversity has been there all along—now it’s gone mainstream; Salon, 7/12/16

Scott Eric Kaufman, Salon; Sulu, “Star Trek” and queer sci-fi: LGBT diversity has been there all along—now it’s gone mainstream:

"Which is, of course, the most significant issue — how to represent historically underrepresented communities, especially when doing so within the confines of a franchise that, however progressive it was when originally produced, was still originally produced in America during the 1960s. Should members of the LGBTQ community be treated as deviations from the “norm” who require acceptance, or simply as people whose sexuality or gender identification is a fundamental, if incidental, fact of who they are?

Roberts clearly argues that it should be the latter, whereas Takei believes that the character of Sulu will be fundamentally altered — an “unfortunate” revision of his original conception — if he happens to homosexual in the new film. In this respect, Takei is out of step with how science fiction has evolved since Roddenberry first envisioned life aboard the Starship Enterprise, at least inasmuch as straightness is no longer considered the default among characters whose sexuality isn’t a central feature of the narrative."

Diversity Drives The Story In The Latest Incarnation Of Superman; NPR, 7/13/16

NPR Staff, NPR; Diversity Drives The Story In The Latest Incarnation Of Superman:

"If you've stepped foot in a comic book store in the past few years, you'll have noticed a distinct shift. Superheroes, once almost entirely white men, have become more diverse.

There's been a biracial Spider-Man, a Muslim Ms. Marvel, and just last week, Marvel announced that the new Iron Man will be a teenage African-American girl.

Joining this lineup today is Kong Kenan, a Chinese boy who, as part of a reboot of the DC comics universe, is one of four characters taking up Superman's mantle.

"Kong Kenan inherits some of Clark Kent's powers," says Gene Yang. He's one of the writers on DC's New Super-Man. "These powers will change him; they'll change him both physically and morally.""

Soledad O’Brien: Seek Out the Curious and the Fastidious; New York Times, 6/10/16

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Soledad O’Brien: Seek Out the Curious and the Fastidious:

[Interview with Soledad O'Brien, chief executive of Starfish Media Group, a production company]

"How do you hire?

You hire for character and teach people skills. And environment is very important to me. It’s important to me that people aren’t unpleasant and that they treat each other respectfully. It’s hard to be creative when there’s someone or something that’s really irking you.

So are you a person of integrity who makes the environment a really nice space? I will watch how they treat the person at the front desk versus me. We have people spend time with other people who they think wouldn’t necessarily be assessing them for a job.

I also think there are two qualities you can’t teach people. You have to want to understand something, and I don’t think you can teach people to be curious. You can interest people in a topic and they become curious, but I think you’re born interested in things or you’re not.

And I’m obsessed with attention to detail. I don’t know that you can teach that — either that triggers you to stay for the next two hours to fix something, or you’re the kind of person who will just let it slide.

What advice do you give to new college grads?

It goes back to what my parents always said. I think hard work does get you really far. And treating people well gets you really far — farther than I think it gets credit for in the greater world."

Don’t Klingon to the past, George Takei. A gay Sulu is right for Star Trek 2016; Guardian, 7/10/16

Ryan Gilbey, Guardian; Don’t Klingon to the past, George Takei. A gay Sulu is right for Star Trek 2016:

"There is always a tension in sexual identity between being accepted as normal and insisting on difference. There’s no manual for handling it in fiction. But if there were, Pegg’s approach would deserve a special mention. It is the nearest equivalent to the manner in which most heterosexual people will experience LGBT lifestyles: regardless of how strongly some might insist otherwise, they will already know people who are gay, bisexual or transgender. They may be friends with them, related to them, or work alongside them. They just might not know it yet.

Where Takei has erred, it seems, is in misunderstanding a modern phenomenon – the movie reboot, which by its very nature starts again from scratch.

He may well be interpreting the reinvention of Sulu as an act of hostility, as though the filmmakers are overwriting his old Sulu with their sparkling new one. But the two can exist side by side. One doesn’t cancel out the other – the TV episodes haven’t been removed from syndication, and you can still see the many Star Trek movies Takei was in. (Although, as Pegg pointed out in his late-1990s TV series Spaced, you might want to avoid the odd-numbered ones.) The newer Star Treks are like cover versions that introduce unexpected flavours. They no more tamper with Roddenberry’s vision than Talking Heads’ herky-jerky post-punk spin on Take Me to the River diminishes Al Green’s jubilant original.

Takei, who came out in 2005 at the age of 68, is a marvellous ambassador for equality. However, a person who has found openness and acceptance in his own life but who imposes restrictions on the means by which others do so in theirs can easily risk looking ungracious. It would be better for all concerned if he didn’t cling on – or Klingon – to the past."

Twilight Zone: Eye of the Beholder; Archive.org, 1960

[Video] Rod Serling, Archive.org; Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" :

"A young woman lying in a hospital bed, her head wrapped in bandages, awaits the outcome of a surgical procedure performed by the State in a last-ditch attempt to make her look "normal"."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Marches In Toronto Pride Parade; Huffington Post Canada, 7/3/16

Huffington Post Canada; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Marches In Toronto Pride Parade:

"Canada's largest Pride parade marked another milestone Sunday as a sitting prime minister marched for the first time in a colourful celebration that was tempered by last month's shooting massacre in Orlando, Fla...

Trudeau said the Florida tragedy is a reminder that "we can't let hate go by.''

"We have to speak up anytime there is intolerance or discrimination,'' he said as the 36th annual parade kicked off.

Prominent in the procession was a pair of marchers who held a large black banner that read "Orlando'' and "We march for those who can't.''"

John Cho’s Sulu is Gay in ‘Star Trek Beyond’; Comic Book Resources, 7/7/16

Kevin Melrose, Comic Book Resoruces; John Cho’s Sulu is Gay in ‘Star Trek Beyond’ :

"In a nod to series veteran George Takei, John Cho’s Sulu will be revealed as gay in the upcoming “Star Trek Beyond.” He will be the first openly gay character in the franchise’s 50-year history."

The New Iron Man Is A Black Teenaged Girl, And She Slays; Huffington Post, 7/6/16

Zeba Blay, Huffington Post; The New Iron Man Is A Black Teenaged Girl, And She Slays:

"Riri is brilliant — a scientific prodigy enrolled at MIT at the age of 15. She gets on Stark’s radar after she manages to build her own fully functioning Iron Man armor. She also looks like a total badass. On the cover of the next “Invincible Iron Man,” Riri is featured rocking an amazing fro and holding the iconic Iron Man helmet...

Brian Michael Bendis, who is also responsible for creation of Jessica Jones, and Miles Morales, conceived of the Riri Williams character as a young woman who decides to become a hero in response to the tragic street violence she experiences growing up. Speaking exclusively to TIME on Wednesday, Bendis said that he hopes the inclusion of Williams will add to the recent wave of diversity within the Marvel Universe.

“Talking to any of the older creators, it’s the thing they said they wish they’d done more of ― reflecting the world around them,” Bendis said.

“Now, when you have a young woman come up to you at a signing and say how happy she is to be represented in this universe, you know you’re moving in the right direction.”"

Adding Classes and Content, Resurgent Libraries Turn a Whisper Into a Roar; New York Times, 7/4/16

Winnie Hu, New York Times; Adding Classes and Content, Resurgent Libraries Turn a Whisper Into a Roar:

"In Queens, which has a large South Asian population, a library in Jamaica offers sewing classes in Bengali for Bangladeshi women, some of whom now earn a living as seamstresses. Libraries in Flushing and South Jamaica teach social media skills to small-business owners...

Linda Johnson, the president of the Brooklyn Public Library, said 552 satellite libraries had been set up in schools, senior centers and homeless shelters to promote literacy and bring books, technology and other services to those who are unable to visit their branches. Twenty of the satellites are at Rikers Island, the city’s main jail complex, where inmates can now read books to their children at outside neighborhood branches through video conferencing."

Brazil Is Confronting an Epidemic of Anti-Gay Violence; New York Times, 7/5/16

Andrew Jacobs, New York Times; Brazil Is Confronting an Epidemic of Anti-Gay Violence:

"“We live off this image as an open and tolerant place,” said Jandira Queiroz, the mobilization coordinator at Amnesty International Brazil. “Homophobic violence has hit crisis levels, and it’s getting worse.”

Brazil’s near-mythic reputation for tolerance is not without justification. In the nearly three decades since democracy replaced military dictatorship, the Brazilian government has introduced numerous laws and policies aimed at improving the lives of sexual minorities. In 1996, it was among the first to offer free antiretroviral drugs to people with H.I.V. In 2003, Brazil became the first country in Latin America to recognize same-sex unions for immigration purposes, and it was among the earliest to allow gay couples to adopt children.

In 2013, the Brazilian judiciary effectively legalized same-sex marriage.

Some experts suggest that liberal government policies may have gotten too far ahead of traditional social mores. The anti-gay violence, they contend, can be traced to Brazil’s culture of machismo and a brand of evangelical Christianity, exported from the United States, that is outspoken in its opposition to homosexuality."

House Republicans Are Truly, Madly, Deeply Obsessed With Queer People; Huffington Post, 7/6/16

Jennifer Bendery, Huffington Post; House Republicans Are Truly, Madly, Deeply Obsessed With Queer People:

"If anything is clear about House Republicans, it’s that they spend a lot of time thinking about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

For the past two months, GOP lawmakers in the House haven’t missed an opportunity to slip anti-LGBT provisions into bills. They passed a National Defense Authorization Act with language to let government contractors fire people for being gay or trans. They tried to pass a 2017 water and energy spending bill with a provision barring the Obama administration from blocking funds to North Carolina over its transgender bathroom law. When Democrats tried twice to strip the anti-LGBT provision from NDAA, Republicans overruled them...

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform plans to meet July 12 to take up the so-called First Amendment Defense Act. It’s a sweeping bill that would let the people in charge of any taxpayer-funded entity — whether a business, a school or a nonprofit organization — ignore laws that conflict with their religious beliefs about marriage. That means a government contractor, for example, could fire an employee for being in a same-sex marriage. A drug treatment facility could turn away people for being LGBT. A federal employee could refuse to provide services, including veterans’ or Social Security benefits, to a surviving member of a same-sex married couple.

In effect, the bill would nullify President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive order prohibiting federal contractors from firing or harassing employees based on their sexual orientation."

President Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument; WhiteHouse.gov, 6/24/16

[Video] WhiteHouse.gov; President Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument:

"Today, President Obama designated a new national monument at the historic site of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City to honor the broad LGBT equality movement.

The new ‘Stonewall National Monument’ will protect the area where, on June 28, 1969, a community’s uprising in response to a police raid sparked the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the United States.

Check out the video to learn more about the Stonewall Uprising and how it sparked a movement for LGBT equality"

President Obama names the Stonewall Inn a national monument; Washington Post, 6/24/16

[Video] Washington Post; President Obama names the Stonewall Inn a national monument:

"Riots broke out at a gay bar in New York City on June 28, 1969, launching the gay rights movement. Now it will be the first national monument in honor of gays and lesbians in the U.S."

Juno probe enters Jupiter's orbit after 'amazing' Nasa mission – as it happened; Guardian, 7/5/16

Michael Slezak, Guardian; Juno probe enters Jupiter's orbit after 'amazing' Nasa mission – as it happened:

"Well, what a day. What an achievement.

After a five year journey from Earth, Juno the solar-powered spacecraft squeezed through a narrow band, skimming Jupiter’s surface, avoiding the worst of both its radiation belt and its dangerous dust rings.

It fired its main engine, slowing its velocity, and allowing it to get captured into Jupiter’s hefty orbit.

After it was complete, jubilant scientists fronted a press conference, and tore up a “contingency communication strategy” they said they prepared in case things went wrong.

“To know we can go to bed tonight not worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow, is just amazing,” said Diane Brown, a project manager from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Scott Bolton, principle investigator of the Juno mission told his colleagues: “You’re the best team ever! We just did the hardest thing Nasa has ever done.”"

Trump’s white supremacist tweets aren’t the problem. They’re a symptom of the problem.; Washington Post, 7/4/16

Paul Waldman, Washington Post; Trump’s white supremacist tweets aren’t the problem. They’re a symptom of the problem. :

"In my analysis of American politics I try as often as possible to put myself in the shoes of people I disagree with, to take their arguments seriously and understand where they’re coming from even when I’m convinced they’re wrong. And I’ve argued that there are perfectly rational reasons a committed Republican would grit their teeth and support Trump even if they found him to be an ignoramus and a buffoon. But there comes a point at which one would have to say: Even if a Trump presidency would deliver much more of what I would want out of government policy, from the Supreme Court to domestic policy to foreign policy, I simply cannot be a part of this. Donald Trump’s appeal to Americans is so rancid, so toxic, so foul that my conscience will not allow me to stand behind him, even with the occasional protest that I don’t agree with the latest vile thing he said, or the insistence that my fellow Republicans and I will do our best to restrain his ugliest impulses...

Donald Trump isn’t hoping that he can keep his bigotry a secret; he’s running on it and promising to enshrine it in federal government policy. He may not be responsible for all the things his fans say, and you might even excuse him for passing on some of their hate by mistake. What he is responsible for is all the reasons those people became his fans in the first place. It isn’t because of economic anxiety, or because he’s an outsider, or because he tells it like it is. It’s because Donald Trump appeals directly to the worst in us, and the worst of us.

And every Republican who stands with him, no matter how uncomfortable it makes them or how much they wish he would change, will have that stench on them for a long time to come."

Federal Judge Blocks All of Mississippi’s Vicious Anti-LGBTQ Law From Taking Effect; Slate, 7/1/16

Mark Joseph Stern, Slate; Federal Judge Blocks All of Mississippi’s Vicious Anti-LGBTQ Law From Taking Effect:

"Anti-LGBTQ activists just suffered their worst defeat since the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision—a rout so stinging and decisive that it calls into question the viability of their entire strategy post-Obergefell.

That drubbing came in the form of an astonishing 60-page opinion by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves blocking every single part of Mississippi’s sweeping, vicious anti-LGBTQ segregation law from taking effect...

This is a landmark ruling, one whose breadth, depth, and analytical incisiveness cannot be easily rebuked. Reeves has given LGBTQ advocates their biggest triumph since Obergefell. Any state looking to pass a similar anti-LGBTQ “religious liberty” law has now been warned: The Constitution will not tolerate your efforts to discriminate against LGBTQ people under the feeble guise of selective religious freedom."

Lack of Latino managers highlights MLB's ongoing diversity issues; NJ.com, 7/3/16

Maria Guardado, NJ.com; Lack of Latino managers highlights MLB's ongoing diversity issues:

"A study by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport showed that 28.5 percent of all MLB players on 2016 Opening Day rosters were Latino, yet that sizable contingent no longer has any representation among the league's managerial pool.

There are currently only two minority managers in baseball: the Washington Nationals' Dusty Baker and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Dave Roberts, both of whom are African-American.

"I think the focus on field managers can be difficult," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told NJ Advance Media in June. "There's only 30 of them, so it's a small sample and it's a high turnover job. A couple of changes and all of a sudden your picture looks different. I'm hopeful that during the next round during the offseason when there's changes, that we'll add diversity in those ranks."

Still, the number of managers of color in MLB has actually been on the decline in recent years, as the 2016 season opened with three minority managers, down from the highpoint of 10 in both 2002 and 2009.

It's a troubling trend for MLB, particularly because Latinos have represented at least 20 percent of the player pool since 1996, according to research by baseball historians Mark Armour and Dan Leavitt. And yet, of the 697 men who have ever served as major league managers, only 15 have been Latino."

X-Men: New look at origin; NJ.com, 7/1/16

Mark Voger, NJ.com; X-Men: New look at origin:

"Lee's scenario was an allegory for kids who didn't fit in. Loners, outsiders, nerds ... pick a term.

But at this moment, as the LGBT community is on a roll, becoming more vocal than ever about rights and inclusion, some of the language in Lee's 53-year-old script almost sounds like code for current situations.

"All my life, I've had to conceal this power of mine," Jean Grey (aka Marvel Girl) says to Professor Xavier, the university's dean. "Now, I must admit it's a pleasure to be able to practice telekinesis openly, without fear of being discovered."

Openly, she said.

Xavier explains to the newly arrived Jean and the team she has just joined — Cyclops, the Beast, Iceman and the Angel — that he was once as they are.

"When I was young, normal people feared me, distrusted me! I realized the human race is not yet ready to accept those with extra powers!"

Accept, he said.

Of course, Lee was no prognosticator, even if his script for "The X-Men" No. 1 was prescient. It merely validated a widely held notion: Certain feelings and struggles are timeless and universal."

Obama hails Elie Wiesel as 'conscience of the world' amid leaders' tributes; Guardian, 7/3/16

Alan Yuhas, Guardian; Obama hails Elie Wiesel as 'conscience of the world' amid leaders' tributes:

"Barack Obama led tributes to the Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, who died on Saturday at the age of 87, saying the author had been “a living memorial” and a clear voice against injustice in the world.

“Elie Wiesel was one of the great moral voices of our time, and in many ways, the conscience of the world.” Obama said. “He raised his voice, not just against antisemitism but against hatred, bigotry and intolerance in all its forms.”

In 2009, Obama traveled with Wiesel and German chancellor Angela Merkel to the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald.

“After we walked together among the barbed wire and guard towers of Buchenwald where he was held as a teenager and where his father perished,” Obama said, “Elie spoke words I’ve never forgotten: ‘Memory has become a sacred duty of all people of goodwill.’

“Upholding that sacred duty was the purpose of Elie’s life.”"

With Canada’s Entry, Treaty for the Blind Will Come Into Force; Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), 6/30/16

Parker Higgins, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF); With Canada’s Entry, Treaty for the Blind Will Come Into Force:

"The treaty was signed by more than 75 countries, but just signing a treaty does not make it law; it needed 20 ratifications or accessions before going into force. India became the first to ratify exactly two years ago, and Canada’s accession today is the crucial twentieth. According to WIPO, that sets in motion a process to bring Marrakesh into force on September 30 of this year.

That’s another significant step for a treaty that has already made some important breakthroughs as the first international treaty focused exclusively on the rights of users of copyrighted material. Typically, if user’s rights are considered at all, they’re relegated to a section on “limitations and exceptions” or even as non-binding introductory text. In the Marrakesh Agreement, they are front and center.

That focus, and the prospect that it could set a precedent for future WIPO agreements, led groups like the Motion Picture Association of America to oppose the treaty throughout its decade-long negotiation. Although the WIPO negotiation process is far from perfect, its transparency and openness allow public interest organizations to push back on industry group positions."

"Created Equal" Nonsense, robrogers.com, 7/3/16

Rob Rogers, robrogers.com

"Created Equal" Nonsense

Trump deletes tweet with image of the star of David, Hillary Clinton and money; Guardian, 7/2/16

Jamiles Lartey, Guardian; Trump deletes tweet with image of the star of David, Hillary Clinton and money:

"Donald Trump deleted an image of Hillary Clinton and a six-pointed star from social media, following accusations of antisemitism on Saturday given the star’s placement over an image of money and his repetition of the controversial phrase “America first”.

The original graphic, which depicted the Democratic presumptive nominee over a pile of money, contained the text “most corrupt candidate ever” in a six-sided star, reminiscent of the Jewish star of David.

Almost four hours later, Trump tweeted out a second image, with the text inside a circle instead of a star, though the star’s points were still visible on the edge of the circle."

Across the world minds are narrowing. We must fight back.; Guardian, 6/27/16

Molly Crabapple, Guardian; Across the world minds are narrowing. We must fight back. :

"If there’s one note of hope, its this. History keeps moving. Tomorrow always comes, and we help shape what that tomorrow will be. An MP and a singer made the world larger just by living. We build the world by living too. In spaces large and small, we can fight for universal ethics, cosmopolitanism, art, solidarity. On the beaches of Lesbos, across the mud of borders, in the streets of Chicago, against our lovers’ lips."

Here are the new rules for transgender troops; Military Times, 6/30/16

Andrew Tilghman, Military Times; Here are the new rules for transgender troops:

"Transgender people can serve openly in the U.S. military, effective immediately.

In an historic and controversial move, the Pentagon on Thursday lifted its longstanding ban on transgender troops and began outlining how the military will begin allowing — and paying for — service members to transition, medically and officially, from one gender to another.

Now transgender troops will no longer be considered “medically unfit” for military service. By October, transgender troops may begin an official process to change gender in the military personnel management systems."