Truthdig Original

TD Original

Year of the Queer: Hollywood and Homosexuality

Larry Gross / Truthdig Feb 27, 2006 Truthdig's Larry Gross, a pioneer in the field of gay studies, argues that for all the hoopla surrounding "Brokeback Mountain" and this year's spate of gay-themed films, there is little about them that upends Hollywood conventions or challenges popular ideas about homosexuality. "Hollywood and much of the media may be awash in liberal self-congratulation," Gross writes, "but they--and we--are also soaking in the familiar hypocrisy of homophobia." Update: Down to the WireGross argues that for all the hoopla surrounding "Brokeback Mountain" and this year's spate of gay-themed films, there is little about them that upends Hollywood conventions or challenges popular ideas about homosexuality. Dig deeper ( 22 Min. Read )

Inching Toward Authoritarianism

Staff / Truthdig Feb 24, 2006 A legendary South African journalist calls himself "appalled" at the way America's policies of wiretapping and torture are beginning to resemble those of apartheid Cape Town. (Video available.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

TD Original

In Google, Yahoo, Should We Trust?

Mark Malseed / Truthdig Feb 15, 2006 For years, we've been supplying the oracles of Google and Yahoo with the most intimate details our personal health, political leanings, and secret obsessions. The government is already combing through Internet archives.Mark Malseed, co-author of the international bestseller "The Google Story," argues that it's time we started asking better questions about our queries. For years, we've been supplying the oracles of Google and Yahoo with the most intimate details our personal health, political leanings, and secret obsessions. It's time we started asking better questions about our queries. Dig deeper ( 10 Min. Read )

Andrew Sullivan on the Cartoon Furor

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 Sullivan, whose NY Times Magazine essay on the connection between Islam and 9/11 was perhaps the best ever mainstream treatment on the subject, now takes on the Islamic cartoon controversy | essayAlso, a German journalist talks about his mixed feelings about running the cartoons in his paperwashingtonpostcom/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/06/AR2006020601258html?referrer=emailarticle" title="Op-ed">Op-Ed . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

LGBTQIA+

The More Things Change…

Larry Gross / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 In 1983, Ed Asner, then president of the Screen Actors Guild, spoke to the Golden Gate Business Association, a gay and lesbian business and professional organization Asked about his advice to gay and lesbian folk not to come out of the closet in the entertainment industry, Asner replied, "Out of my own gut instinct, I [do] not consider this wise I know that within the gay acting community itself, many of the agents who are aware of the conflict, the bind, the grief that occurs with actors who cannot proclaim their sexual preference, [know] there's a lot of suffering and a desire to be open about it And these agents and actors support me to a very large extent in advising non-publicization" Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

TD Original

President Jonah, Meet Oliver Cromwell!

Gore Vidal / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 Building on his "President Jonah" theme, Gore Vidal offers another angle on Bush's presidency, illuminated by the recent spate of wildfires in Southern California.Updated: Internationally-acclaimed man of letters Gore Vidal issues a new conclusion to his essay about the corruption of the Bush administration: "This is what we call dictatorship. Dictatorship. Dictatorship. And it is time we objected." Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

Amos Oz on Hamas: ‘Termination of the Israeli Occupation Is Urgent’

Jon Wiener / Truthdig Feb 2, 2006 Fanatics are those people of any faith, color, persuasion or political belief who maintain that the end, whatever end, justifies all the means, including the bloody means. By this criterion I am afraid Hamas is a fanatic organization par excellence. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Kucinich on the State of the Union

Staff / Truthdig Feb 1, 2006 Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) blasts the president's speech in an exclusive Truthdig podcast. | Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Battle Scars: The War Within

Staff / Truthdig Jan 30, 2006 A Marine in Iraq who became the poster boy of the assault on Falloujah returns home to Kentucky, where he battles the demons of post-traumatic stress. | storyPowerful stuff. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

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Response to Reader Comments and Criticsm

Sam Harris / Truthdig Jan 27, 2006 While "An Atheist Manifesto" received considerable support from readers of Truthdig, a variety of criticisms surfaced in the reader commentary I summarize and respond. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Struggling Back From the Wounds of War

Staff / Truthdig Jan 22, 2006 Finally, an in-depth report on Iraq's forgotten wounded. | story and slideshowAlso, read Truthdig's Ron Kovic on his personal journey as a wounded veteran. | report Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gore for President?

Staff / Truthdig Jan 22, 2006 The transcript of the Al Gore speech that's got everyone talking -- as well as links to C-SPAN's downloadable video of the event. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )