The findings actually blow the lid off accepted notions that users control the flow of their information with privacy settings and what they choose to add, such as photos and status updates. According to the Globe, the research found:

"Just by looking at a person’s online friends, they could predict whether the person was gay. They did this with a software program that looked at the gender and sexuality of a person’s friends and, using statistical analysis, made a prediction. The two students had no way of checking all of their predictions, but based on their own knowledge outside the Facebook world, their computer program appeared quite accurate for men, they said. People may be effectively ‘outing’ themselves just by the virtual company they keep.
“’When they first did it, it was absolutely striking — we said, “Oh my God — you can actually put some computation behind that,”’ said Hal Abelson, a computer science professor at MIT who co-taught the course. ‘That pulls the rug out from a whole policy and technology perspective that the point is to give you control over your information — because you don’t have control over your information.’”

Read more about the implications of the new research in The Boston Globe here.

Tell us: Do you "stalk" prospective friends, dates, employees, and/or associates on the Internet? Is information sharing on social networks hurting or benefiting interpersonal relationships?

Image courtesy of Getty

by Lily

"There was no greater hero for advocates of LGBT equality than Sen. Ted Kennedy," Solmonese reflected. "From the early days of the AIDS epidemic to our current struggle for marriage equality, he has been our protector, our leader, our friend. He has been the core of the unfinished quest for civil rights in this country, and there is now a very painful void."

Senator Kennedy hailed from a famously influential family. Two of his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and onetime attorney-general and presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy, were tragically assassinated, in 1963 in and 1968, respectively. Years earlier he lost his oldest brother, Joe, who was killed in action during World War II.


The senator from Massachusetts was a strong proponent of LGBT rights and opposed the ban on gays in the military. Initially elected to the Senate in 1962, during his tenure he fought to strengthen and expand hate-crimes laws to cover victims who were targeted specifically for their sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. In the 1980s, while conservatives dismissed AIDS as a "gay plague," Kennedy called for action and fought for the funding of AIDS research. He was a tireless warrior for liberal causes in his 40-plus years of public service.
A champion of women, minorities, and LGBT people, Senator Kennedy believed “the controversy about the Moral Majority arises not only from its views, but from its name — which, in the minds of many, seems to imply that only one set of public policies is moral and only one majority can possibly be right.”
He supported Barack Obama's successful campaign for president in 2008 and told voters, "With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion. With Barack Obama, we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay."
Tell us: What advocates and politicians (past and present) do you look up to? Which great quotes from great men and women inspire you?

Permits for the National Equality March are being issued, as the city has approved its route. According to Equality Across America, the organizing group, the march was approved last week, but the application needed a final signature from an official who was out of town.

The map of the 2.33-mile march is available on the Equality Across America blog.

Tell us: How are you preparing for the October 10-11 National Equality March in Washington D.C.?

Judy Shepard has written a book, The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed, about her path toward gay rights campaigning. In addition, a new play, The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later (An Epilogue) will be performed in over a hundred theaters in all 50 states and seven foreign countries. This sequel to The Laramie Project reflects new interviews with Laramie, Wyo., residents and Aaron McKinney, one of the men convicted of Matthew Shepard's murder. The new play debuts October 12, the 11th anniversary of Shepard’s death.
Judy Shepard remembers her son as "so much more than 'Matthew Shepard, the gay 21-year-old University of Wyoming college student.'" She writes in the book, "He had a family and countless friends. He had a life before the night he was tied to that fence."
Judy Shepard says what she now refers to as her "first life" came to an end on that night, in that spot, as well. And her second life has been devoted to enhancing the "ripple effect" of rallying true believers in the fight to protect people from hate crimes and prosecute those who commit them.
"We all knew we couldn't do nothing" after that night, she says. "We owed it to Matt to do something."

Tell us: Have you ever known a victim of hate crime or been one yourself? What can be done to defend, aid, and rehabilitate victims after a crime?

Image courtesy of Getty

"There was no greater hero for advocates of LGBT equality than Sen. Ted Kennedy," Solmonese reflected. "From the early days of the AIDS epidemic to our current struggle for marriage equality, he has been our protector, our leader, our friend. He has been the core of the unfinished quest for civil rights in this country, and there is now a very painful void."

Senator Kennedy hailed from a famously influential family. Two of his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and onetime attorney-general and presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy, were tragically assassinated, in 1963 in and 1968, respectively. Years earlier he lost his oldest brother, Joe, who was killed in action during World War II.


The senator from Massachusetts was a strong proponent of LGBT rights and opposed the ban on gays in the military. Initially elected to the Senate in 1962, during his tenure he fought to strengthen and expand hate-crimes laws to cover victims who were targeted specifically for their sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. In the 1980s, while conservatives dismissed AIDS as a "gay plague," Kennedy called for action and fought for the funding of AIDS research. He was a tireless warrior for liberal causes in his 40-plus years of public service.
A champion of women, minorities, and LGBT people, Senator Kennedy believed “the controversy about the Moral Majority arises not only from its views, but from its name — which, in the minds of many, seems to imply that only one set of public policies is moral and only one majority can possibly be right.”
He supported Barack Obama's successful campaign for president in 2008 and told voters, "With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion. With Barack Obama, we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay."
Tell us: What advocates and politicians (past and present) do you look up to? Which great quotes from great men and women inspire you?

Permits for the National Equality March are being issued, as the city has approved its route. According to Equality Across America, the organizing group, the march was approved last week, but the application needed a final signature from an official who was out of town.

The map of the 2.33-mile march is available on the Equality Across America blog.

Tell us: How are you preparing for the October 10-11 National Equality March in Washington D.C.?

Judy Shepard has written a book, The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed, about her path toward gay rights campaigning. In addition, a new play, The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later (An Epilogue) will be performed in over a hundred theaters in all 50 states and seven foreign countries. This sequel to The Laramie Project reflects new interviews with Laramie, Wyo., residents and Aaron McKinney, one of the men convicted of Matthew Shepard's murder. The new play debuts October 12, the 11th anniversary of Shepard’s death.
Judy Shepard remembers her son as "so much more than 'Matthew Shepard, the gay 21-year-old University of Wyoming college student.'" She writes in the book, "He had a family and countless friends. He had a life before the night he was tied to that fence."
Judy Shepard says what she now refers to as her "first life" came to an end on that night, in that spot, as well. And her second life has been devoted to enhancing the "ripple effect" of rallying true believers in the fight to protect people from hate crimes and prosecute those who commit them.
"We all knew we couldn't do nothing" after that night, she says. "We owed it to Matt to do something."

Tell us: Have you ever known a victim of hate crime or been one yourself? What can be done to defend, aid, and rehabilitate victims after a crime?

Image courtesy of Getty

The findings actually blow the lid off accepted notions that users control the flow of their information with privacy settings and what they choose to add, such as photos and status updates. According to the Globe, the research found:

"Just by looking at a person’s online friends, they could predict whether the person was gay. They did this with a software program that looked at the gender and sexuality of a person’s friends and, using statistical analysis, made a prediction. The two students had no way of checking all of their predictions, but based on their own knowledge outside the Facebook world, their computer program appeared quite accurate for men, they said. People may be effectively ‘outing’ themselves just by the virtual company they keep.
“’When they first did it, it was absolutely striking — we said, “Oh my God — you can actually put some computation behind that,”’ said Hal Abelson, a computer science professor at MIT who co-taught the course. ‘That pulls the rug out from a whole policy and technology perspective that the point is to give you control over your information — because you don’t have control over your information.’”

Read more about the implications of the new research in The Boston Globe here.

Tell us: Do you "stalk" prospective friends, dates, employees, and/or associates on the Internet? Is information sharing on social networks hurting or benefiting interpersonal relationships?

Image courtesy of Getty

by Lily

"The California Hall of Fame celebrates our most influential women and men, and honors them for their drive, willingness to take risks, dedication and success in touching the lives of millions of people – not just in this state, but around the world," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

"Now more than ever, I see how the perseverance and passion of one person can have a lasting impact in the lives of people, not only in their community but across the world," said First Lady Maria Shriver. "When talent and a relentless drive are matched, the efforts of a single individual can create a legacy of change, hope and empowerment. Every individual inducted into the California Hall of Fame symbolize the biggest hearts, the greatest drive and the deepest inspiration. It’s an honor to induct these extraordinary individuals who have each made their own unique mark in history."

The California Hall of Fame was created by First Lady Maria Shriver, along with the The California Museum in 2006 to recognize legendary Californians who have influenced the state, the nation and the world.

"Today’s announcement by First Lady Maria Shriver recognizes the important leadership role Harvey Milk played in our state and nation and further illustrates the historic and international nature of his legacy," said Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). "I appreciate the First Lady’s support and admiration for Harvey’s work to further equal civil rights for all people. He gave his life for what he believed in, and in doing so gave hope to generations of LGBT Californians who continue to struggle for full equality. This honor, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Harvey by President Obama, should only underscore to the Governor the need for Harvey Milk Day in California, and I hope he will return our bill, SB 572, with his signature when it reaches his desk in the next few weeks."

The 2009 California Hall of Fame inductees are: entertainer Carol Burnett, former Intel CEO Andrew Grove, governor and U.S. senator Hiram Johnson, decathlete and philanthropist Rafer Johnson, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, philanthropist and peace activist Joan Kroc, film-maker George Lucas, football commentator John Madden, gay rights advocate Harvey Milk, artist Fritz Scholder, author Danielle Steel, fitness and bodybuilding pioneer Joe Weider, and Air Force test pilot General Chuck Yeager.

For more information on The California Hall Of Fame visit: http://www.californiamuseum.org/

Image: Getty Images

"The California Hall of Fame celebrates our most influential women and men, and honors them for their drive, willingness to take risks, dedication and success in touching the lives of millions of people – not just in this state, but around the world," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

"Now more than ever, I see how the perseverance and passion of one person can have a lasting impact in the lives of people, not only in their community but across the world," said First Lady Maria Shriver. "When talent and a relentless drive are matched, the efforts of a single individual can create a legacy of change, hope and empowerment. Every individual inducted into the California Hall of Fame symbolize the biggest hearts, the greatest drive and the deepest inspiration. It’s an honor to induct these extraordinary individuals who have each made their own unique mark in history."

The California Hall of Fame was created by First Lady Maria Shriver, along with the The California Museum in 2006 to recognize legendary Californians who have influenced the state, the nation and the world.

"Today’s announcement by First Lady Maria Shriver recognizes the important leadership role Harvey Milk played in our state and nation and further illustrates the historic and international nature of his legacy," said Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). "I appreciate the First Lady’s support and admiration for Harvey’s work to further equal civil rights for all people. He gave his life for what he believed in, and in doing so gave hope to generations of LGBT Californians who continue to struggle for full equality. This honor, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Harvey by President Obama, should only underscore to the Governor the need for Harvey Milk Day in California, and I hope he will return our bill, SB 572, with his signature when it reaches his desk in the next few weeks."

The 2009 California Hall of Fame inductees are: entertainer Carol Burnett, former Intel CEO Andrew Grove, governor and U.S. senator Hiram Johnson, decathlete and philanthropist Rafer Johnson, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, philanthropist and peace activist Joan Kroc, film-maker George Lucas, football commentator John Madden, gay rights advocate Harvey Milk, artist Fritz Scholder, author Danielle Steel, fitness and bodybuilding pioneer Joe Weider, and Air Force test pilot General Chuck Yeager.

For more information on The California Hall Of Fame visit: http://www.californiamuseum.org/

Image: Getty Images