REPORT: Anti-Gay Violent Crimes In 2009

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs today issued their annual report on the reported violent crimes against LGBT people in 2009. The news isn't great.

Anti-LGBTQ hate violence continues to be a pervasive social problem at the same time as vital resources and support for hate violence survivors are at risk amidst economic crisis. This year, 22 victims of hate murder were reported by NCAVP, the second-highest rate in a decade, reflecting a pattern of severe and persistent violence against LGBTQ communities. Notably, NCAVP saw the highest spike in reported incidents of violence in October 2009, coinciding with the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This statistic seems to reflect a correlation between increased visibility and increased vulnerability and targeting. Despite these disturbing trends, financial support and much needed services for hate violence survivors have only declined due to ongoing economic conditions.

Of the 22 reported hate murder victims in 2009, 79% were people of color, and most were transgender women or were feminine-presenting. As evidenced in this report, members of traditionally marginalized communities continue to be disproportionately targeted for severe violence. “These facts are deeply disturbing as these are the same people who are more likely to face discrimination, criminalization or further violence when interacting with criminal legal and social service systems. What we see is that they are less likely to seek and access support from these institutions,” said Maria Carolina Morales, Intervention Director of Community United Against Violence (CUAV) in San Francisco.

The report stresses that since many of the coalition's member groups suffering funding cuts last year, an unknown number of violent crimes probably went unreported and uninvestigated.

RELATED: The New York City Council has declared today a "Day of Solidarity" with the LGBT community in Puerto Rico following the seventh murder of a gay person there in 2010. The City Council denounced the "unacceptable, deafening silence from Puerto Rican authorities in response to the brutal violence and murders" of LGBT people.

The Central Valley Tea Party

The above photos were taken at a teabagger protest in California's central valley last year, but are offered up here today because: 1) We haven't seen them yet, 2) Teabagger photos are ALWAYS funny, and 3) The photography is simply gorgeous. More photos here.

(Tipped by JMG reader Paul)

2009: Fewest NYC Murders In History

In 2009, NYC saw the fewest number of murders since comparable records began being kept.

The city's police department says the 2009 year-end total was 466, down from 523 in 2008 and 496 the year before. It's the fewest since comparable records were kept in the 1960s. Overall crime is down in the city 11 percent from last year and 35 percent from 2001. The only major crime on the rise is felony assault, which was up 2 percent this year according to a city program that tracks crime statistics daily. The figures reflect a nationwide trend. Preliminary FBI crime figures for the first half of 2009 show crime falling across the country. Murder and manslaughter fell 10 percent for the first half of the year.

Several other major U.S. cities have reported similarly record-setting low numbers.

NYC Tops For Domestic Tourism

Long the #1 destination for international tourists, for the first time in 20 years New York City has topped Orlando and Las Vegas as the most popular vacation spot for Americans too.

Speaking at the Greenhouse Cafe in Brooklyn, Mr Bloomberg said: 'Over the past eight years, our efforts to make New York City an even more exciting place to visit have helped produce a record number of tourists and create thousands of jobs. 'Last year, while tourism declined significantly in cities across the country, we fared far better than most. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, we were the most popular tourism destination in the country, surpassing Orlando.' Visitor numbers are expected to increase further this year to reach 46.7m.

NYC's 2009 tourism figures are down 3.8% over 2008, a much smaller drop than was predicted. The now moot Orlando-Las Vegas rivalry for the top spot has long been a topic in Florida's newspapers. Orlando remains the second-favorite destination for foreigners.

Beware The Attack Of The Marching Band!

The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission has published their "Top Ten Anti-Christian Attacks Of 2009." As you would expect, those dirty queers made the list three times, include the top two "attacks."

1. The Federal Hate Crimes Bill that attacks religious liberty and freedom of speech. For the first time in our history ministers are vulnerable to investigation and prosecution for telling the truth about homosexuality.

2. President Obama's appointment of radical anti-Christians like homosexual activist Kevin Jennings as the "safe school czar;" pro-abortion advocate Kathleen Seblius made Secretary of Human and Health Services, and Chai Feldblum, pro-homosexual and anti-religious liberty judge nominated for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

7. The overt homosexual participation in Obama's presidential inaugural events by "Bishop" Vickie Eugene Robinson, the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington D. C., and a homosexual marching band.

Unsurprisingly, the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission takes no responsibility for the murders, bullying, beatings, and firings of LGBT people, all done in the name of their religion on every single day of 2009.

JibJab's Year In Review

Play 'em off, Keyboard Cat.

Glenn Beck: Why Weren't The Teabaggers TIME's People Of The Year?

Top Ten Wingnut Lies Of 2009

The wingnuts came up with some doozies this year. Huffington Post counts down the ten biggest lies.

1. The census will result in internment camps.
2. Health care reform = death panels.
3. Obama was born in Kenya.
4. Obama cedes U.S. sovereignty by bowing.
5. Obama indoctrinates school kids with speech.
6. Bill Ayers really wrote Obama's autobiography.
7. Dems are turning the country to socialism.
8. Obama is a Muslim.
9. Terrorist plan electromagnetic pulse attack.
10. The 9/11 planner will be set free in NYC.

Good Riddance Day 2009

Yesterday was Times Square's annual Good Riddance Day, in which the public was invited to "say goodbye to all those bad memories of 2009." Posted "good riddance" messages and items were ceremoniously shredded and hauled away.

On the positive tip, the Times Square Alliance is also hosting a New Year's Eve Wishing Wall, where your posted dreams and desires for 2009 will also be shredded, but this time to be turned into confetti that will be showered down on the estimated two million attendees of the ball drop at midnight. A sampling of last year's messages from visitors from around the world is here.

Best Video Of 2009: Big Fat Gay Collab

Lots of sites are posting their "Best of YouTube" recaps this week. We loved the parodies of NOM's Gathering Storm ad, we giggled at all the Single Ladies tributes, and we got all teary-eyed over the many inspiring clips of impromptu marriage rallies/protests. But for me, one clip stands out above all the rest. Still makes me laugh, still chokes me up. Best Clip Of 2009: The Big Fat Gay Collab's lip-sync of Lily Allen's Fuck You. The kids are alright.

RELATED: Check out Wayne Anderson's best-of clip recap at World Of Wonder.

Top 20 Gay TV Moments Of 2009, Pt .1

According to OURSceneTV, here are #11-#20 of the top 20 TV moments of 2009. The top ten comes out tomorrow.

DJ Earworm - United State Of Pop 2009

DJ Earworm has turned in his annual mash-up of the year's 25 biggest pop hits. I always enjoy these, but daaamn this year's is so much Auto-Tune. Last year's mash-up is here.

Billboard's 2009 Year-End Charts

Billboard Magazine has published its year-end charts for 2009. A sampling of this year's most popular music....

Top Singles-
1 BOOM BOOM POW The Black Eyed Peas
2 POKER FACE Lady Gaga
3 JUST DANCE Lady Gaga
4 I GOTTA FEELING The Black Eyed Peas
5 LOVE STORY Taylor Swift
6 RIGHT ROUND Flo Rida
7 I'M YOURS Jason Mraz
8 SINGLE LADIES (PUT A RING ON IT) Beyonce
9 HEARTLESS Kanye West
10 GIVES YOU HELL The All-American Rejects

Top Albums-
1 FEARLESS Taylor Swift
2 I AM...SASHA FIERCE Beyonce
3 DARK HORSE Nickelback
4 TWILIGHT Soundtrack
5 HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE Soundtrack
6 CIRCUS Britney Spears
7 808S & HEARTBREAK Kanye West
8 THE FAME Lady Gaga
9 RELAPSE Eminem
10 THE E.N.D. The Black Eyed Peas

Top Dance Tracks-
1 WHEN LOVE TAKES OVER David Guetta/Kelly Rowland
2 WAKING UP IN VEGAS Katy Perry
3 BEAUTIFUL U R Deborah Cox
4 THE FEAR Lily Allen
5 GIVE YOU EVERYTHING Erika Jayne
6 SEXY BITCH David Guetta Featuring Akon
7 I HATE THIS PART The Pussycat Dolls
8 LOVE ETC. Pet Shop Boys
9 EVERYBODY SHAKE IT Ralphi Rosario
10 HUSH HUSH The Pussycat Dolls

RELATED: I totally called the Kelly Rowland track back in June.

Amazon's Ten Best Dance Tracks Of 2009

Amazon has posted their picks for the best dance tracks of 2009. (Sample tracks here) I can't say I'm familiar with much of the list, but I'm happy to see Pet Shop Boys on there as well as my personal favorite track of 2009, Deadmau5's beautiful I Remember, the only song on my iTunes player to reach triple-digit plays this year. And the drum-n-bass mix is killer.

NYT's Buzzwords Of 2009

"Gay-marry" is one of the New York Times' buzzwords of 2009. Some of the other words on the list: birther, Tenther, Octomom, Tea Party, Cash For Clunkers, I'ma let you finish, mini-Madoff, netbook.

Sarah Palin - Liar Of The Year

Fact-checking political site PolitiFact has chosen Sarah Palin's "death panels" claim as its "Lie Of The Year."

Of all the falsehoods and distortions in the political discourse this year, one stood out from the rest. "Death panels." The claim set political debate afire when it was made in August, raising issues from the role of government in health care to the bounds of acceptable political discussion. In a nod to the way technology has transformed politics, the statement wasn't made in an interview or a television ad.

Sarah Palin posted it on her Facebook page. Her assertion — that the government would set up boards to determine whether seniors and the disabled were worthy of care — spread through newscasts, talk shows, blogs and town hall meetings. Opponents of health care legislation said it revealed the real goals of the Democratic proposals. Advocates for health reform said it showed the depths to which their opponents would sink. Still others scratched their heads and said, "Death panels? Really?" The editors of PolitiFact.com, the fact-checking Web site of the St. Petersburg Times, have chosen it as our inaugural "Lie of the Year."

Congratulations, Ms. Palin.

A Nice Mention From AfterElton.com

Entertainment/pop culture site After Elton has given JMG their 2009 Visibility Award as their "Website Of The Year." Very nice!

Like a little whiskey in your coffee and personality in your blog? JoeMyGod.com started out as an ever-changing Manhunt profile of cheeky observations that eventually started developing a following of its own, and became a full-fledged blog in March 2004. Author Joe Jervis, you have many fans among our staff.

Honorable Mention: You know you’re living in screwy times when you’re not sure if even the most bats**t insane rantings are real or satire – which is, of course, exactly the point of Christwire.com, some of the most insightful parody of anti-gay attitudes that we’ve seen in ages. And let’s not forget Andy Towle over at Towleroad.com, especially now that (curse him!) he’s even started blogging on the weekends!

Visibility Awards also went out to Hair (Best Musical Event), the story writers of One Life To Live (Men Of The Year), Tom Ford's A Single Man (Movie Of The Year), Adam Lambert (Musician Of The Year), Modern Family (TV Comedy Of The Year), and Jon Stewart (Straight Ally Of The Year.) My thanks to the team at After Elton!

TIME Names Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Person Of The Year

Via Los Angeles Times:

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was named "Person of the Year" by Time magazine today for leading the "most-powerful, least-understood government force shaping our lives," Managing Editor Richard Stengel said. Bernanke, 56, was picked for his efforts to shepherd the U.S. out of the biggest economic slump since the Great Depression, Stengel said while announcing the choice on NBC's "Today" show. "He was the great scholar of the Depression, and he saw what looked like another depression coming and he decided he would do whatever it takes to forestall that," Stengel said. "And I think he did. It could have been a lot worse; there were things he could have done better. One of his responsibilities is to put full employment in society and he hasn't really stepped up on that. But in terms of influence and how the economy went this year, Bernanke was the guy."

The finalists for Person Of 2009 were: "President Obama; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Steve Jobs, Apple Inc.'s co-founder and chief executive officer; the Chinese worker, an 'increasingly influential group'; General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan; and Jamaican sprinter and Olympic gold-medalist Usain Bolt."

Fox News In Review

Media Matters recaps the lies, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia of Fox News in 2009. Watch this.

2009 Golden Globes Noms

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. AVATAR
b. THE HURT LOCKER
c. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
d. PRECIOUS
e. UP IN THE AIR

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
a. EMILY BLUNT - THE YOUNG VICTORIA
b. SANDRA BULLOCK - THE BLIND SIDE
c. HELEN MIRREN - THE LAST STATION
d. CAREY MULLIGAN - AN EDUCATION
e. GABOUREY SIDIBE - PRECIOUS

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
a. JEFF BRIDGES - CRAZY HEART
b. GEORGE CLOONEY - UP IN THE AIR
c. COLIN FIRTH - A SINGLE MAN
d. MORGAN FREEMAN - INVICTUS
e. TOBEY MAGUIRE - BROTHERS

All the rest are here.