Mideast Piece

Some of you might prefer things other than my usual human rights/activism/save-the-world kind of entries, and I understand that. For those of you who just want to see some flesh, I have arranged a full week of Mideast Piece beach shots, one piece for each of the next seven days. Enjoy!

It’s hard to remember a time in the US when there were no “public” gays a la Ellen and Rosie and the “Queer Eye” guys; however, we should remember that “coming out” has always been costly and it’s only recently that public figures have come out of the closet. Twenty-four years ago today, Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) came out, making him the first member of Congress to do so.

We can only imagine how many dozens of Congressmen and Congresswomen before him pitched for our team, right? Here’s to Gerry (pictured here) for helping to pave the way!

P.S. - We should mention what Studds is also well-known for - a consensual affair with a 17-year-old page that earned him the censoring of the House of Representatives. It was the discovery of this affair that prompted Studds to come out. Oh well.

- “Cairo Freeze!”

- “Cairo Freeze!”

Today is the American Independence Day, and two years ago the GLBT world received a nice dose of liberty from an unlikely source:

The United Church of Christ’s rule-making body voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so. ”This is a significant moment,” said the Rev. Rebecca Voelkel of Cleveland, coordinator of a church coalition addressing gay and lesbian issues. She said the decision emphasized that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are ‘’spiritual people who love and are loved by God.”

But Becker also said he doesn’t think the vote yesterday was representative of the wishes of most church members. ”If we had put it to a vote of the people in the pews, it would have failed overwhelmingly,” he said.

Some day…

Were you wondering how to make a Lebanese Couscous to knock the socks off that certain someone you’ve been trying to impress? Look no further than this expert recipe, courtesy of our friends at AHBAB:

This dish is entirely unlike North African couscous. In the first place, the grains are quite large, more like small peas than the tiny fluffy grains of Tunisian or Moroccan couscous. In the second, the fiery flavors of North African couscous are missing from this preparation, which relies on warm, rounded Middle Eastern aromatics, like cinnamon and cumin, offset by cooling cilantro. The dried chickpeas need to soak overnight, so plan accordingly.

SERVINGS: 6 TO 8

1 cup dried chickpeas (7 ounces), soaked overnight
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
One 4-pound chicken
Two 1-pound lamb shanks
1 1/2 pounds pearl onions, peeled
3 small cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
Kosher salt
1 pound maghrabiyeh couscous
Boiling water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Lemon wedges and toasted pita triangles, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, cover the chickpeas with 1 inch of water and stir in the baking soda. Let soak overnight.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, skimming as necessary. Cook the chickpeas over low heat until very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

3. In a food processor, puree all but 3/4 cup of the chickpeas until smooth; add some of the reserved cooking liquid if the puree is dry. Add the tahini and lemon juice and process until satiny. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid until the consistency is that of sour cream. Transfer the hummus to a bowl.

4. Remove the skins from the reserved chickpeas. Mash the garlic with the salt until smooth. Stir the garlic into the hummus and transfer to a shallow bowl. Add the parsley to the olive oil and drizzle it over the hummus. Garnish with the whole peeled chickpeas and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The chickpeas can be cooked 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

NOTES: Good tahini (sesame paste) has a sweet, nutty flavor without a trace of bitterness. Be sure to stir any separated oil back into the tahini before measuring.

- “Cairo Freeze!”

Oh Life!

On this day in 1964, Life magazine did a 14-page article titled “Homosexuality in America.” It referred to the “gay world” as sad and sordid, and presented promiscuity, leather bars, and S & M as typical of the gay experience.

It’s hard to imagine a US before “Will & Grace” and “Queer Eye” and Ellen. But one did exist, and it was a much darker, more dangerous place for GLBT individuals. Just look at this text from the article:

Homosexuality shears across the spectrum of American life — the professions, the arts, business and labor. It always has. But today, especially in big cities, homosexuals are discarding their furtive ways and openly admitting, even flaunting, their deviation. Homosexuals have their own drinking places, their special assignation streets, even their own organizations. And for every obvious homosexual, there are probably nine nearly impossible to detect. This social disorder, which society tries to suppress, has forced itself into the public eye because it does present a problem — and parents especially are concerned. The myth and misconception with which homosexuality has so long been clothed must be cleared away, not to condone it but to cope with it.