Daily Archives: November 12, 2011

QNotes has teamed up with White Rabbit to provide you with an assortment of affordable and unique gift giving ideas from their Charlotte store (920 Central Ave.) and from around the web. The gift list ideas range from the geeky to the cool and rom the kid to the grown and sexy man.

Tar Heels across the state reacted in myriad ways to state Sen. James Forrester’s death in October. For LGBT families and their children, news of Forrester’s passing came as a relief. Many said as much, as did I. “Good riddance, bigot,” I noted on Twitter, and for good reason.

Do you believe it is appropriate to openly discuss the harm caused by a deceased person or leader? Is it disrespectful for harmed communities to speak honestly about their experiences with the deceased?

My partner and I are both going through withdrawal. It ain’t pretty. We’re not addicted to drugs, alcohol, porn, sex, love, cigarettes, texting or gambling. I’ll bet you a case of gin we’re not. No, our addictions have a lesbian flair. Anne is mad for the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, while I’m obsessed with women’s professional basketball.

Damn. I hate writing this particular column. Each year I hope this will be the year I can write that trans homicides have subsided, that trans violence has taken a downturn and that we no longer need to gauge progress through the measurement of death and beatings. Sadly, that is again not the case in 2011.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) has filed a landmark federal lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, on behalf of current and former service members seeking equal recognition, benefits and family support for equal sacrifice and service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance will be held on Nov. 20 across the globe. The annual celebration allows the community to pay respects to those who have lost their lives to bigotry and hatred. It was spearheaded by Gwen Smith and is in its 13th year.

AIDS Leadership Foothills-area Alliance (ALFA) has announced that its current executive director, Rodney Tucker, will be leaving at the end of November after a two-year stint at the helm of the organization.

Originally slated to be a one-time event on the Transgender Day of Remembrance observance on Nov. 20 at Fullstream Brewery, 726 Rigsbee Ave. in Durham, a number of transgender community members have now decided to get together on a regular basis to exchange clothing.

The Wesley Mancini Foundation is accepting applications until Nov. 15 for the grant period of Jan. 1, 2012 through Dec. 31, 2012.

Worried about gift-giving this year? Don’t stress. With a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of detail, it’s easy to whip up the perfect present with the right personal touch, says Emmy award-winning chef and cookbook author, Giada De Laurentiis.

Tablets are among the hottest tech gadgets and holiday gifts on the market today and with loads of multimedia functionality and on-the-go portability, many of us are looking to tablets to complement our laptop or desktop PCs.

Small businesses across the country will be getting a little financial aid on Saturday, Nov. 26, courtesy American Express.

You’ve spent the entire day in the kitchen cooking the perfect holiday meal. But it’s an hour before your guests arrive and you find yourself standing in front of the table listening to that little nagging voice inside your head….

It’s official: The Material Girl is the halftime performer for Super Bowl XLVI. Madonna has declined the high-profile Super Bowl gig in the past, but now there’s no way she’s anything but delighted by the opportunity since she gets to unveil the first single from her forthcoming 12th studio album on the nation’s most-watched TV program.

Aggressive Mars careens into Virgo while Mercury retrogrades in Sagittarius, setting off an eventual square aspect. Welcome a whirlwind of possibilities…and some false messages. Can you control your thoughts and actions? Before you crash into an off limits area, use some common sense to create a buffer zone.

A reader poses, “After dating the same woman for three years, I recently found out that she cheated on me. I love her and don’t want to lose her, but what about my integrity and my pride. She doesn’t know I know. What should I do?