Today is primary day in Pennsylvania, and no I did not vote. In order to vote in a party's primaries in Pennsylvania, you must be a registered member of that party, and I've already been over that. Even for this race, I couldn't do it.
For the record, I feel a leaning towards Obama. Could I tell you why? No, not really. I know policy-wise, Obama and Clinton are very similar. So, it boils down to a gut feeling of personality, and in that area, while it's all a complete and total crapshoot, Obama wins for me. He had the integrity to not completely abandon friends when it would have been politically expedient to do so. He had the balls to get on Logo and explain why he saw a difference between gay marriage and equal marriage rights (and he paid the GLBTQ community a huge compliment by assuming we could understand that difference). A lot is said about how he doesn't have the experience in politics to be president...but to me, that's all the more reason to think that he should be president. His upfront and unabashed handling of issues that aren't usually addressed in polite company speak to a naivete and an idealism that draw me in.
What it comes down to is that I know next to nothing about how to run a country. I don't know which is the best way to save social security, try to defuse the situation in Iraq, or fix the health care system. All I know is that the people we've tasked with doing these things for the last eight years have really bunged it all up. The only thing I know is that the next person we put in office needs to be less concerned about repaying political debts and being afraid to need the advice of others, and more concerned about doing what is right, no matter who suggests it. I honestly think that either of the two will fit that bill.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Walk the Walk
I saw today that New Mexico governor Bill Richardson is endorsing Obama, which reminded me of something I thought a long time ago but never got around to saying on here.
Richardson took a lot of heat in the GLBTQ community for his appearance on the HRC/Logo presidential candidate debate last year. He fumbled when asked if he thought being gay was a choice, and he just looked very clearly uncomfortable. Folks jumped all over him, saying he clearly had a personal problem with GLBTQ people, he was defensive, we won't support someone who clearly has a problem with us, etc. etc.
It's true...he did come across as having personal issues related to accepting people of different sexual orientations, he did fumble the choice question, and he did get defensive (probably because he knew things weren't going well at all). But the truth is also that the guy has the track record. He has consistently pushed New Mexico to recognize greater equality for people of all orientations and identities, including hate crime laws, increased civil protections, and I think he even called the state legislature into a special session to address domestic partnerships.
My point is that even if he does have personal reservations about the GLBTQ community, he knows that despite those we still deserve equal opportunity under the law, and has pushed for that consistently. People are human, and people are flawed. Would it be nice if he openly and completely embraced all aspects of our community to the core of his being? Absolutely. But personally, I think it's very admirable for him to recognize that while his gut reaction might be discomfort, that gut reaction is flawed, and even if he can't change it, he still overcomes it to do what's right when push comes to shove. That kind of commitment to doing what's right, perhaps even at the expense of what you've been taught your whole life, is admirable and impressive.
In politics, you can't afford to be overly idealistic about your allies. To a certain extent, you need to embrace the people who are willing to help you, even if you don't like everything about them. Talking the talk is nice, but for the parents who want to adopt, for the partners who want to be able to care for and protect one another, walking the walk is far more important. It would be a shame for the GLBTQ community to disregard Bill Richardson on the basis of one clumsy interview.
Richardson took a lot of heat in the GLBTQ community for his appearance on the HRC/Logo presidential candidate debate last year. He fumbled when asked if he thought being gay was a choice, and he just looked very clearly uncomfortable. Folks jumped all over him, saying he clearly had a personal problem with GLBTQ people, he was defensive, we won't support someone who clearly has a problem with us, etc. etc.
It's true...he did come across as having personal issues related to accepting people of different sexual orientations, he did fumble the choice question, and he did get defensive (probably because he knew things weren't going well at all). But the truth is also that the guy has the track record. He has consistently pushed New Mexico to recognize greater equality for people of all orientations and identities, including hate crime laws, increased civil protections, and I think he even called the state legislature into a special session to address domestic partnerships.
My point is that even if he does have personal reservations about the GLBTQ community, he knows that despite those we still deserve equal opportunity under the law, and has pushed for that consistently. People are human, and people are flawed. Would it be nice if he openly and completely embraced all aspects of our community to the core of his being? Absolutely. But personally, I think it's very admirable for him to recognize that while his gut reaction might be discomfort, that gut reaction is flawed, and even if he can't change it, he still overcomes it to do what's right when push comes to shove. That kind of commitment to doing what's right, perhaps even at the expense of what you've been taught your whole life, is admirable and impressive.
In politics, you can't afford to be overly idealistic about your allies. To a certain extent, you need to embrace the people who are willing to help you, even if you don't like everything about them. Talking the talk is nice, but for the parents who want to adopt, for the partners who want to be able to care for and protect one another, walking the walk is far more important. It would be a shame for the GLBTQ community to disregard Bill Richardson on the basis of one clumsy interview.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Blatant Disregard for...Anything
I can't believe I missed out on one of the more blatantly disgusting quotes in Sally Kern's anti-gay tirade:
Obviously, she failed that class.
As if there wasn't reason enough to be concerned about her comments simply from the angle of her hateful, anti-gay rhetoric, the fact that she is so clearly willing to cast aside such basic Constitutional rights has got to raise some questions. Namely, is this person fit to hold public office? Even the more conservative folks out there must see that this is troubling, to say the least.
The sad part is, if there does not develop a loud and public cry for her to resign or retract her statements due to her obvious inability to recognize the rights of all religions to exist, it will be because those religiously hateful comments are buried in the anti-gay rhetoric, which the public at large will either gloss over or, sadly, mutter agreement with.
Ah, sorry...I'm not an optimist today. Try again tomorrow.
Not all lifestyles are created equal. Just like not all religions are created equal.At this point I'm not even concerned with the anti-gay slurs. It rocks me to the core that an elected official would so clearly assert, while assuming a public role, the superiority of one religion over another. I mean, this is basic stuff here, guys! Freedom of religion, separation of church and state...this is Constitution 101.
Obviously, she failed that class.
As if there wasn't reason enough to be concerned about her comments simply from the angle of her hateful, anti-gay rhetoric, the fact that she is so clearly willing to cast aside such basic Constitutional rights has got to raise some questions. Namely, is this person fit to hold public office? Even the more conservative folks out there must see that this is troubling, to say the least.
The sad part is, if there does not develop a loud and public cry for her to resign or retract her statements due to her obvious inability to recognize the rights of all religions to exist, it will be because those religiously hateful comments are buried in the anti-gay rhetoric, which the public at large will either gloss over or, sadly, mutter agreement with.
Ah, sorry...I'm not an optimist today. Try again tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I Can't Tell Who Should Be More Offended
I'm sure some of you have heard the fantastic musings of Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern, when asked to share her thoughts on homosexuality to a small group of supporters. Some choice quotes:
Rep. Kern is also currently backing bills in the Oklahoma legislature that would prevent foreign companies from owning or leasing state turnpikes (yay xenophobia!), and that would protect students' freedom of religious expression in schools. Regarding the latter, some go so far as to say that she wants to protect kids who speak out in school against homosexuality, but I really don't give her enough credit for that much forethought. In fact, I think she has put so little forethought into it that if it passes, I would like to see the look on her face when someone uses it to defend an expression of Islamic faith. Tee hee.
Rep. Kern did not know she was being recorded, but she says she would have said the same thing regardless. And just to show that there is enough stupid hate for both sides, she is of course now getting a lot of emails, some of which are at least vaguely threatening. Thanks guys, way to lower yourself to the occasion. No thanks, really, we can do just fine without that.
It is sad and scary that this level of hatred is still considered acceptable in a leader at any level. I'm having a tough time even forming sentences about this...the hypocrisy of people's accusations of others compared to their own actions right here at home...the arrogance and ignorance of such blind hatred. It's just sad and scary. Every time a leader stands behind such hateful ideas, it gives validation to those who would do more than speak.
Oh, but let's end on a lighter note. Do you want the fun twist at the end? Of course you do! It would seem that Rep. Kern has a big gay homo fairy son!
One of my colleagues said, ‘We don’t have a gay problem in my community, and that’s why I voted against this bill.’ To me, that is so dumb. If you’ve got cancer in your little toe, do you say, ‘Well, you know, I’m going to forget about it because the rest of me is fine?’ It spreads, and this stuff is deadly. It’s spreading, and it will destroy our young people.
Studies show that no society that has embraced homosexuality has lasted more than a few decades. It’s the death knell of this country.
They want to get our young children into government schools so they can indoctrinate them. They are going after our young children, as young as two years of age, to try to teach them that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable.But, probably the most shockingly bigoted has got to be the following.
I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam.Wow. Forget for a second that she thinks gays are worse than 9/11, I am stunned by the blatant bigotry against Islam. The whole religion. Not militant extremists who use religion as an excuse to fight for power and control (hello, Crusades anyone?), and forsake Islamic values of peace, just Islam. All of it. Usually even the most hateful politicians are careful to at least publicly distinguish between a religion and those who use that religion as an excuse to kill. But apparently Rep. Kern has no such qualms. The Islamic faith is just bad and dangerous.
Rep. Kern is also currently backing bills in the Oklahoma legislature that would prevent foreign companies from owning or leasing state turnpikes (yay xenophobia!), and that would protect students' freedom of religious expression in schools. Regarding the latter, some go so far as to say that she wants to protect kids who speak out in school against homosexuality, but I really don't give her enough credit for that much forethought. In fact, I think she has put so little forethought into it that if it passes, I would like to see the look on her face when someone uses it to defend an expression of Islamic faith. Tee hee.
Rep. Kern did not know she was being recorded, but she says she would have said the same thing regardless. And just to show that there is enough stupid hate for both sides, she is of course now getting a lot of emails, some of which are at least vaguely threatening. Thanks guys, way to lower yourself to the occasion. No thanks, really, we can do just fine without that.
It is sad and scary that this level of hatred is still considered acceptable in a leader at any level. I'm having a tough time even forming sentences about this...the hypocrisy of people's accusations of others compared to their own actions right here at home...the arrogance and ignorance of such blind hatred. It's just sad and scary. Every time a leader stands behind such hateful ideas, it gives validation to those who would do more than speak.
Oh, but let's end on a lighter note. Do you want the fun twist at the end? Of course you do! It would seem that Rep. Kern has a big gay homo fairy son!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Why I Will Never Join the Stonewall Democrats
A whole lot of gay people are Democrats through and through. They back Democratic candidates, and to a very large degree, they swoon when you mention the Stonewall Democrats group, because it's all about GLBTQ rights. A lot of these folks also can't understand why I asked to be taken off the Stonewall mailing list, why I refuse to join, and why--even though I am very tempted with the Clinton/Obama race this year--I will absolutely never register with the Democratic party. Or any political party, for that matter.
Well, let me explain it to you.
I think hard-line party stances are killing this country. I think every time you blindly support someone based purely on party affiliation, you are pounding a nail into the coffin of rational thought and intelligent decision-making in this country. And every group, no matter what its good intentions, that blindly endorses candidates based on party affiliation is guilty of dangerous and irresponsible behavior.
Case in point, the mayoral elections this past year in Pittsburgh. I was aghast to see that Pittsburgh's Steel City Stonewall Democrats endorsed the Democratic incumbent Luke Ravenstahl. For one thing, he has openly said he opposes gay marriage. He also said he opposed civil unions, and when pressed on that later his defense was that he didn't know what civil unions were. OK, well, I also hate single-issue voting, so how is he as a candidate otherwise? Let's see...in the time he has been in office, he has proven to be inexperienced, immature, callous, at best ethically questionable, and at worst downright corrupt.
But he was endorsed. Because he was the Democrat. Fan-fucking-tastic.
You want to know why no matter who is in office, nobody shakes up "the system"? It's because people continue to blindly elect whomever their party puts on the ballot. We keep electing people who rose through the ranks of the system to get where they are, and then we are surprised when they don't change it.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result.
Well, let me explain it to you.
I think hard-line party stances are killing this country. I think every time you blindly support someone based purely on party affiliation, you are pounding a nail into the coffin of rational thought and intelligent decision-making in this country. And every group, no matter what its good intentions, that blindly endorses candidates based on party affiliation is guilty of dangerous and irresponsible behavior.
Case in point, the mayoral elections this past year in Pittsburgh. I was aghast to see that Pittsburgh's Steel City Stonewall Democrats endorsed the Democratic incumbent Luke Ravenstahl. For one thing, he has openly said he opposes gay marriage. He also said he opposed civil unions, and when pressed on that later his defense was that he didn't know what civil unions were. OK, well, I also hate single-issue voting, so how is he as a candidate otherwise? Let's see...in the time he has been in office, he has proven to be inexperienced, immature, callous, at best ethically questionable, and at worst downright corrupt.
But he was endorsed. Because he was the Democrat. Fan-fucking-tastic.
You want to know why no matter who is in office, nobody shakes up "the system"? It's because people continue to blindly elect whomever their party puts on the ballot. We keep electing people who rose through the ranks of the system to get where they are, and then we are surprised when they don't change it.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Countdown!
I poke my head up from personal busy-ness to note that as of yesterday, Dubya is in his last year of office! Here's to hoping that the person inaugurated on Jan 20, 2009, decides to look out for friends and business associates less and the public good more, lie to us less and stand up for us more, and rely less on cronyism and more on thoughtful devil's advocacy.
Wouldn't it be nice?
Wouldn't it be nice?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Follow-up to Massachusetts Bar Lawsuit
Some of you may remember, a few months back some guy failed the Massachusetts bar exam, and sued because he failed by one question--the catch being that he refused to answer a question about Massachusetts' gay marriage law on moral grounds.
Apparently he has had a change of heart, and has not only dropped his lawsuit, but also publicly apologized for his idiocy.
In the same way that I was happy to mock him earlier, I would like to applaud him now. It takes balls to admit that you were that wrong, especially when it would have been very easy to quietly withdraw the lawsuit and fade out of memory.
I hope that as a result of his lawsuit, he had the opportunity to meet and talk to people in our community who reached out to him, and learn to see beyond the prejudice and fear that society instilled in him. Effecting change on a grand scale will come as a result of effecting change in a lot of individuals.
Apparently he has had a change of heart, and has not only dropped his lawsuit, but also publicly apologized for his idiocy.
In the same way that I was happy to mock him earlier, I would like to applaud him now. It takes balls to admit that you were that wrong, especially when it would have been very easy to quietly withdraw the lawsuit and fade out of memory.
I hope that as a result of his lawsuit, he had the opportunity to meet and talk to people in our community who reached out to him, and learn to see beyond the prejudice and fear that society instilled in him. Effecting change on a grand scale will come as a result of effecting change in a lot of individuals.
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