WBEZ | Achy Obejas

Suit alleges Cuban ball player snitched on expat for a chance at defection

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:35:00 -0500

An $18 million suit alleges that 24-year-old Cincinnati Reds pitching ace Aroldis Chapman sold out two men to Cuban authorities in order to get back in the good graces of President Raul Castro, then defect to the U.S. where he could secure a multi-million dollar pro baseball contract.

NATO: A front for American unilateralism

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:22:00 -0500

Why, if NATO was built to contain Soviet aggression, does the military alliance continue to exist more than 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union? No one at the summit will pose that question — but demonstrators will.

Strategic? Desperate? President’s support for gay marriage is a gamble either way

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:08:00 -0500

Yes, gays and lesbians and their allies will rally to the president, not just with votes, but with money and manpower. But there are real political downsides to the Obama’s announcement.

Even watered down, Obama’s support for gay marriage is worth applauding

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:56:00 -0500

Should Obama’s sudden and somewhat conditional declaration of support for gay marriage be applauded? Achy Obejas says she'll take enlightenment, however weak the light.

The Obama administration’s gay marriage theater

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:31:00 -0500

Remember when just about everybody in the Obama administration had evolved to support same-sex marriage? Now black churches in contested states like North Carolina need Obama's denial through November in order to help him secure a second term.

In dissidents' arrest following Pope’s Cuba visit, a Cardinal neglects his flock

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:57:00 -0500

Should something happen to the two Cuban dissidents arrested during Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to the island, I point the finger of responsability squarely at Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega.

Identity crisis: Gay foot soldiers of the GOP

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:16:00 -0500

Richard Grenell, Ken Mehlman, Trevor Potter: What in heaven’s name is the issue that trumps human dignity for gay men who end up working for a Republican Party that ultimately betrays them?

Rubio eyes VP slot amidst new family history revelations

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:49:00 -0500

Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio insists he’s not interested in being presumed GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate. But Rubio's recent actions suggest he’s aiming for it far more than Romney may be.

Guns, gun control myths examined in 'New Yorker' article

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:17:30 -0500

The evolution of the Second Amendment is expertly detailed in a spellbinding New Yorker story, “Battleground America," in the current issue.Here are some takeaways:1.“After the passage of the Second Amendment, “People who owned and used long arms to hunt continued to own and use them; the S

Iowa gay teen suicide provoked by hatred—and stupidity

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:08:37 -0500

Kenneth, perhaps unlike Matthew Shepard in his time, aspired to the simple right of having a future love recognized by family and community. His Pinterest page, “When I get Married," reveals a tasteful array of things Kenneth wanted to import into his future wedding.