A gay visitor (Anthony M. Brown) to Pittsburgh (Greensburg) took a few minutes to share his thoughts with the Tribune Review.
We don't want anything more than what all other committed couples have: the tax, health, pension, visitation and death protections that are a part of marriage. These are not special rights. They are protections offered by the government, not the Catholic Church.
Anthony, thanks for making time to share your thoughts. Another quarter heard from is the American Family Association of Pennsylvania where Diane Gramley was stomping her faith-clad furry boots because "homosexual organizations" got the jump on her in broadcasting this legislative flurry. Here's an interesting claim:
Pennsylvania?s primary election is April 22nd. Are you registered to vote? The last day to register is March 24th. An important fact mentioned by David Barton during my interview with him: over 90% of homosexual men and lesbians voted in 2006, while 30 million Christians stayed home!
As always, Diane asks for your money but not your prayers.
This was an ugly victory last time around in 2006 and a clear example of social conservative Democratic values clashing with the interests and civil rights of the entire LGBT community. Here's how the last round of elected officials voted on the marriage amendment. Many of those in the House took the straightforward coward's way of voting in favor of amending the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The Senate did this elaborate dance of "yes, I am, no I am not" switcheroos so they could vote against the "concept" while not having to deal with a pro-homo vote.
Don't let them get the jump on us. Contact your Senator today and ask her/him to oppose amending hate into our Constitution.
From the PG's Forum section comes this reflection on the pontifical peace perspective.
On World Peace Day, Jan. 1, most of the world's citizens will be too poor, too hungry, too surrounded by violence or too worried by this century's other basic challenges to pay attention. Those who do pay attention likely will think first of war in places like Iraq and Eastern Congo, genocide in Sudan, a looming crisis in nuclear Pakistan and widespread poverty all over.
The spiritual leader of more than a billion of the world's people will be thinking about homosexuality.
Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI issued his message for World Peace Day. Entitled "The Human Family, A Community of Peace," the message argues that peace begins with the family. That's a reasonable point. But then the pope writes, "Everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and woman ... constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace."
Having implicitly named homosexuality as an obstacle to world peace in his fifth paragraph, the pope then waits until the seventh paragraph to mention the environment, the ninth to mention poverty and the second-to-last to mention war and violence.
Thankfully, Pope Benedict is wise to the ways of the Pink Menace.
By using World Peace Day to promote an anti-homosexual agenda and to demote the importance of poverty, the environment and war, Pope Benedict XVI is behaving scarily like his predecessor of 100 years ago. It is easy to imagine in the coming years the arrival of more explicitly anti-gay encyclicals, oaths against homosexual-friendly scholarship and perhaps even secret informers.
The predecessor was Piux X who was more concerned with modernity and mixed (Catholic/non-Catholic) marriages than any mere trivialities such as looming war or natural disasters. Pius even set up his own secret leauge of informers. Cool. Cause that never goes badly.
At this point in history, Pope Benedict XVI must choose his path. He can follow the paranoid, intolerant and inward-looking path of Pope Pius X. Or he can focus on the real problems of the day.
Pope John Paul II, no friend to homosexuals, focused most of his energy on building bridges across the Berlin Wall and then helping to prevent the Cold War from turning into World War III.
On World Peace Day 2008, our pope should imagine the place he might gain in history if he chooses to focus on poverty, the environment and war -- and while he's at it, on accepting the hundreds of millions of homosexuals inside and outside his flock. He may never condone their behavior -- sadly, such progress may have to wait for a future pope -- but he can at least treat them with peace and humanity.
Excellent point. Until someone ponies up a real heterosexual marriage that has been negatively impacted by a gay relationship, how about we focus on the myriad of social problems that have been demonstrated to prevent world peace? Or just one! Pick one problem and then attempt one solution. Like Bono. Minus the cool, but add a gajillion dollars of weekly tithes.
Pittsburgh wants to host the world's largest wedding vow renewal ceremony and the homos are invited! On February 10, 2008, 700 couples will participate in the world record setting event. Including gay couples. According to event organizers, the Guiness folks will accept any US or International marriage certificate.
It costs $30 per couple to participate. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the ceremony is at 7:30 p.m. The secular ceremony will be performed by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.
The Guinness world record for a group vow renewal is 272, set Sept. 16 in Sydney, Australia. To qualify, each couple must present a copy of their valid wedding certificate, which will be kept by Guinness officials.
Participating couples will receive a champagne and cake reception, gift bags and the chance to win prizes.
Yes, you read that right. Mayor Ravenstahl is going to remarry upwards of 700 people. Including gay couples. Only a few months after he went on the record as opposing both gay marriage and gay civil unions in a televised WQED debate..
How the heck do you go from opposing any legalization of gay relationships to welcoming us to the MacDaddy of wedding ceremonies?
You might recall there was a big secret meeting between Luke and LGBTQ leaders on election eve. Do you think they were picking out china patterns? Maybe deciding on a floral arrangement? I can't tell you because the silence from our "leadership" has been deafening.
Do you think they'll be going to the chapel? More importantly, do I have to buy them a gift or has Luke taken care of that?
Interesting to note that the ceremony has been secularized. Do you think there was a flap about including individuals who are in marital relationships without the benefit of a legal wedding certificate? Gay or non-gay alike.
Does one homophobic Mayor trump a whole flock of homophobic religious chaps?
I'm sure by now you've made the rounds of the usual suspects ... Comet, Burgher, Junkies, McIntire, Smoke Ball ... I could go on and on .... frankly, I didn't have the gumption to drag my ass out of bed any earlier than usual to Wednesday morning quarterback the election -- with a gay twist. I was too damn tired from working a 12 hour day that ended after 10 PM to twist any gays. I heard DeSantis say "doggone" on the radio and called it a day.
However, fortified with samosas (not mimosas, John) and an energizing day at work, I'm now ready to pontificate on all things gay.
First, please note that there has been no official followup from the Secret Gay Meeting held this past Monday by some unknown gay folks and the Mayor. Sources have identified a few of the leader who attended, but I cannot get any confirmation. The only person who has publicly stated their plan to attend is our faithful reader and commenter, steelcitydyke, and she hasn't shared with us. Thus, we remain firm in our belief that Luke Ravenstahl is opposed to civil unions and gay marriage. This does not bode well for the expansion of gay civil rights or gay visibility in the City.
Second, a big hooray b/c Debra Todd has become the first female Democrat elected to Pennsylvania's Supreme Court. Todd had the endorsement of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats. You can read how gay friendly she is here.
The Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed the House 235-185 minus protections for our trans sisters and brothers. And, hey don't worry, your Human Rights Campaign folks have also made sure to get religious exemptions tied into the legislation. Sigh.
Michigan elected its first openly gay mayor in Ferndale.
Iraqui gays express feelings of abandonement and frustration. This is an article that puts electing a twerp as our Mayor in perspective, doesn't it?
What I cannot do for you, dear readers, is clarify if Mayor Ravenstahl has had a "Come to Jesus" moment with regard to civil unions. By that I mean the cool hang-with-the-great-unwashed sandal wearin' Jesus. Not the distorted lets-ignore-that he-never-talked-about-gays edition.
No one is saying anything. No message to the membership from the leaders of the Steel-City Stonewall Democrats (they haven't returned my check so I presume we are still members). No response from the Ravenstahl camp. No comment from private individuals. Only a few whispers from the Burgh Report.
Wouldn't you think that if Luke changed his mind about civil unions, it would be important information to share before the election?
I must be officially out of the loop. So we have to proceed with the information at hand. Luke is on the record opposing civil unions.
Does it really matter? Well, this morning I went to meet with the AFLAC rep who had previously told me they offered domestic partner coverage. Turns out they can't do that because the Commonwealth doesn't recognize domestic partnerships, including heterosexual. So the best they can do is sell me two individual policies at the group rate, which will still cost me more than a family policy.
Once again, I get a second-class benefit simply because I'm a lesbian. We already have to pay income taxes on our health insurance coverage because we are domestic partners. We face additional taxes on our life insurance policies. The list goes on and on and on.
Recognizing civil unions is a step in the right direction to remedy this second-class status. Opposing civil unions keeps us in second-class status.
Luke Ravenstahl doesn't think my family and yours have as much value and worth as the family he's built with Erin, his wife. His career trajectory won't stop at the City level.
Keep that in mind when you cast your vote. I know that I will.
I missed the debate last night, but have had multiple folks email me this morning with this very importantpoint.
When questioned about inclusiveness of the LGBTQ community in the City, the mayoral candidates were asked to specifically state their positions on "gay unions" and "gay marriage."
Luke Ravenstahl stated that he does not support gay unions or gay marriage. He said he was proud to participate in gay events and that he would like gay people to participate in City goverment.
Mark DeSantis, the Republican, is in favor of civil unions AND stated that he would appoint someone in his Adminstration to serve as a liaison to the gay community.
Ravenstahl puts the onus on us to participate, dismissing the responsibility of his Administration to create a culture that respects and values the contributions of City residents who are gay. However, he is willing to come to our events.
Read this very carefully all you who lauded Luke for showing up at PrideFest: that's all he's gonna do -- show up. He's not gonna walk the walk. He's given us ample evidence of that.
Luke Ravenstahl didn't take the time to complete a questionnaire from the Gertrude Stein Club during the primary race.
Luke Ravenstahl didn't take the time to attend the first ever LGBTQ forum sponsored by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.
Luke Ravenstahl doesn't think we have the right to get married. This is a litmus test question, people, even if it is not a local issue.
And you delude yourselves if you think helping get a permit for a street party is going to translate into anything more concrete for gay City residents. He doesn't care about us and he isn't moving forward with us to build a more inclusive community.
Ask yourselves this on Tuesday morning ... do you want your Mayor to be there for us as PrideFest or to be there for us in City Hall?
Mark DeSantis is the candidate who will walk the walk when it comes to local LGBTQ issues.
Vote DeSantis and vote for the gay community to move forward.
The Newark city school district redacted this photo from the high school yearbook after labeling it "illicit" even though the book featured multiple heterosexual kissing couples. So the district blacked it out. After a brouhaha erupted, the school district offered to provide an "unredacted" version to anyone who wanted it. Huh.
?I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me,? Elizabeth Edwards said at a news conference before the parade started. ?I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage.?
She made the remark almost offhandedly in answering the final question from reporters after delivering a standard campaign stump speech during a breakfast hosted by the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club, an influential San Francisco political organization. California's presidential primary is Feb. 5, one of the earliest contests in the nation.
She conceded her support puts her at odds with her husband, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina who she said supports civil unions among gay couples ? but not same-sex marriages.
?John has been pretty clear about it, that he is very conflicted,? she said. ?He has a deeply held belief against any form of discrimination, but that's up against his being raised in the 1950s in a rural southern town.?
No serious presidential candidate from either major political party has publicly supported gay marriage.
The Post-Gazette reports that as part of our city's 250th anniversary, we'll be host to the "World's Largest Wedding Vow Renewal" in February, 2008. Organizers hope to attract 1,000 wedded couples to renew their vows. Why?
Two of the themes of the 250th celebration are attracting reunions and homecomings to the city and underscoring family and community ties. Getting a thousand couples to reaffirm their vows is a way to do both.
"It's something that comes straight out of the word 're-union.' I was surprised no one had thought of it already," said Kitty Julian, marketing director of Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, who came up with the idea. "Pittsburgh is all about love of family, tradition, nostalgia ... This is exactly in that neighborhood."
Something about the phrase "straight out of the word 'reunion'" got me thinking -- would event organizers welcome LGBT couples who are legally married, albeit not in Pennsylvania? Would they recognize couples who are domestic partnered and civil unioned? So I dropped Ms. Julian a line to find out.
Turns out, they will! Here's what she had to say via email:
Wedding vow renewal isn't a legal event, but is a celebration of love and family. We'd be honored to have LGBT couples participate. Since this is a Guinness World Record breaking attempt we are following their requirement that, "all couples must provide a copy of their original marriage certificate." They don't seem to specify that it must be from a specific state. So, as long as people have such a certificate, and pre-register they are in! I don't know what Guinnness says about civil unions or even if one gets a certificate in that situation, but we'll contact them to find out, and will report back what we learn.
So that means all you crazy gay couples who married in Canada, Massachusettes, Europe and beyond ... you get to participate. Does anyone who has been civil unioned know about the certificate thing?
After the Guinness ceremony, there will apparently be a mass blessing (no pun intended) led by leaders from multiple local faith communities. Now that could get interesting...
The date of the ceremony is Sunday, Feb. 10. Those wishing to preliminarily register for the event may contact Carnegie Museums marketing assistant Leigh Kish at 412-578-2571 or kishl@carnegiemuseums.org.
I'm blogging from a Holiday Inn on Long Island where I've been ensconsed for the wedding of my college roommate, BJ, and her now-husband Ron. I flew into JFK and discovered that one of my bags went missing, thankfully not the one with my wedding attire. I was not in the wedding party, but showing up in clothing purchased from the Wal-Mart across the street would not be my idea of good fun. The missing bag contained my wedding gift and eventually turned up the following morning. Dude at luggage central was a little perplexed why I wanted it delivered to a rectory, but I've been embedded with priests and priestly family members all weekend. This is a cool group of priests - when we rolled in for the wedding rehearsal, the rectory Cocker Spaniel, Ricky, was hanging out near the sanctuary.
Anyway, the weekend involved lots of trips back and forth between Long Island and the Bronx/Queens. I lost track of how many times. My job was primarily to remember tasks (pick up this, call that person, etc. )and offer words of condolences during minor catastrophes (the wedding rings were locked up at a jewelers; his mother died and he left town -- it all worked out thanks to the owner of the liquor store next door -- I can't make this up!).
I've had three limo rides (I was a limo virgin) and two of 'em were Hummer limos (also a Hummer virgin). To compensate for the latter, I have kept almost every single recyclable item I've had this weekend and plan to bring home with me to recycle (not an option at the Holiday Inn), including 17 water bottles and two mini Pringles plastic containers. Thankfully, I have the extra tote bag. Did I mention that Ledcat and I put together a Pittsburgh basket as a wedding gift, thanks to the input of A Pleasant Present. Ledcat isn't going to be happy when I toss the bag o'recyclables into the car and I'm pretty sure she's not bringing the Hummer. :-)
I feel sort of maudlin tonight as I sit in my room waiting for the post-reception reception to start hopping in the bar. The wedding was beautiful and I have had a wonderful time catching up with the family -- it is as if no time had passed at all. Some of the family know I'm gay and some don't, but that wasn't a huge deal because I'm like family and it just didn't come up -- I wasn't going to do anything to cause a ripple for her day -- it was like a "don't ask, don't tell" veil.
Until the reception. Then the dj kept calling couples and lovers out to the table. Ledcat was supposed to come with me, but she stayed home to take care of our girl Mona. I realized even if she were with me, we'd be sitting at the table anyway. Song after song played, slow and fast alike, and I felt disconsolate listening to the words and missing the woman I love, knowing even if she were there I would have to keep quiet. Then it was time to toss the bouquet. At first, I demurred because I'm not single. Everyone kept urging me on and while the brother who knew the truth gave me a sympathetic glance, I had to get up or risk being either a poor sport or ripping the "don't ask, don't tell" veil away. I ended up catching a piece of the bouquet that fell apart as it was tossed. That's symbolic, huh?
I consider myself pretty out in most circumstances, but I think we all have moments when we have to deny this pretty important part of our identities for what seems a good reason. I thought my reason was noble -- to avoid darkening this important day for my good friend (who, of course, knows and invited Ledcat to the wedding) -- so why do I feel so cruddy? Because I lied to people who love me and, even though I think they really know the truth, I took the coward's way out.
Someone recently asked me what it means to be openly gay. I think the answer is about authenticity. Bruce Kraus, for example, never hid his sexual orientation, but didn't necessarily make a point to accentuate it. He is single and childless, so his website had no references to his sexual orientation vis a vis his family (no pictures with partner and child, etc). That's authentic. If voters asked, he answered honestly. If it didn't come up, it wasn't really relevant, was it? I'm sure many people just assumed he was straight, but it is not his responsibility to correct that assumption unless it has relevancy.
I don't often hide my orientation, but I sometimes have to be discreet. There would be no need for me to tell the groom's great-uncle that I'm a dyke, even if Ledcat were with me. But I kept this very important part of my life a secret from people that do matter to me because I'm afraid of their reaction. That's not easy to admit. I thought I was past this. I'm almost glad Ledcat couldn't make it because I can't imagine how awful I would feel if I had to deny her amongst people that are like family. To have to sit back and let all the rest of the lovers be recognized and venerated.
So what does it mean to be openly gay? I suspect very few people beyond Rosie O'Donnell know because society is heteronormative -- if you look straight, people assume you are straight. I only correct them when it is necessary (or when I feeling ornery and want to watch that look settle in their eyes). And sometimes I don't correct them even when I should. Because I'm still afraid.
I miss Ledcat tonight because, suppressed or not, I would still like to share these moments. And because she loved me enough to stay home to take care of our cancer-stricken dog, I know that she would understand all this angst and love me anyway.
And I'm looking forward to my own wedding. Someday.
First, I'll be around 2:20 this afternoon to chat about Mary Cheney and Heather Poe's baby son.
Second, I got a nice shout out as a "sometimes political" blogger who confirmed Bruce Kraus' gayness. If you want to know who else is gay, but not open about it and usually voting against our community, check aht www.blogactive.com If you want to read what John McIntire thinks about it all (Kraus, not closeted self-loathing Republican homos), click on "nice shout out" and check aht his City Paper column.
