PRINTThe Good, The Bad & The Ugly
April 24, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
The Good
CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE: Former (and potentially future) first daughter Chelsea Clinton joined Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on a gay bar crawl of Philadelphia. She was greeted with cheers for both her blond highlights and her parents’ gay-friendly politics. “These are important voters,” Rendell was quoted as saying. “They’re smart, they’re sophisticated, and they turn out in large numbers and always have.” Vox will drink to that.
The Bad
BOOKS BAGGED AT BORDER: After fighting Canadian policy for more than two decades, the owners of Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium have decided to sell their gay and lesbian bookstore. Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth fought against Canadian customs officials that prohibited their importation of books for 23 years. The store is celebrating its 25th anniversary and has been a prominent player in the fight against censorship in Canada.
The Ugly
SHANGHAI SHAKEDOWN: Dr. Wan Yanhai, China’s best-known AIDS activist, said a recent rash of police raids on gay hotspots in Beijing and Shanghai is evidence of a national crackdown on gays in order to prepare for the Olympics. During the month-long raids, police arrested and interrogated gay citizens in parks and nightclubs. Nothing goes better with the goodwill of the Olympics than a Gestapo-like raiding frenzy.
