Aside from the myriad of letters disputing the PG's review of An Inconvenient Truth and those from the stalwart "Great Americans" defending the Cheesesteak Bigot, a few homosexual themed letters appear ...
First, Martha Perego of Oakland wants to give us homos our very own second class status word or term to describe our unions. Her rational? No one objects to the usage of fraternity or sorority. No one? Huh. Cause I do. Of course, I'm more concerned about the elitism, snobbery, hazing, alcohol poisoning, date raping, exclusivity ...oh and that "frat boy" mentality that pervades adult life like stink on a dog.
Bless her two-tiered little heart, she's willing to permit us the same social and financial benefits. I'm not sure Martha has been reading up on all the latest homo-hitchin' up news b/c what she's describing is called a civil union. And our good friends over at the AFA of PA are onto that approach.
Next up is Bob Poropatich of Stanton Heights writing in response to the Post-Gazette's critique of the Pride Theate Festival. (This is the prancing queens part of the post). Bob takes affront at the PG's implication that the festival is too straight and minus the prancing queens. He compares the lack of drag queens and lisping homos to Fiddler on the Roof:
To match her ignorance one could say that if you go to see "Fiddler on the Roof," you won't see any jewelers, lawyers or Park Avenue doctors either.
This is what the Post-Gazette actually said:
But for a festival that purportedly spotlights GLBT themes, the plays are pretty, well, straight. You'd think there might be a few theatrical conventions challenged, but there aren't, and bisexual and transsexual/gender characters are conspicuously absent.
I didn't attend the festival so I cannot comment. But the lack of bisexual and transgendered characters is a common motif in most mainstream gay events, organizations, issues, causes, etc. And the further we strive to demonstrate how normal we are (not necessarily a bad thing) the more likely we are to turn our backs on those who don't fit in quite so easily. The Post-Gazette may have picked up on that.
The trick, Bob, is that we get caught up in normalizing our community to a heterosexual ideal. Perhaps we should focus our time, talent and art on how HUMAN we are regardless of where we fall in the alphabet soup acronyms.
From the cool chicks at Feministe (including the title which is just perfect) ....
* Women don't really understand Title IX or the variety of ways in which impacts education (not just sports and athletics)
* It is under continuous attack b/c we obviously discriminating against boys
* It hasn't been enforced effectively
* The current administration wants to deep-six it. Surprise, surprise.
The uber-cool Women's Law Project hosted a Title IX seminar a few years ago which your Correspondents attended. It was fascinating for moi as someone who did not really understand it, especially the aspects of gender discrimination underlying anti-bullying programs.
Here's a few tidbits from the WLP website on Title IX things you should know about here in Pennsylvania:
Slippery Rock University - The lawsuit was brought on behalf of twelve student athletes and a coach against Slippery Rock University (SRU). The lawsuit, filed three months after SRU announced it was going to cut three women's varsity sports, claims that SRU provides neither equitable athletic opportunities for its female students nor equitable treatment of female student athletes.
Back in the 80's, I decided to join the track team. The women's team had historically been just a goof off team -- they literally had been doing each other's nails at practice. Then the school decided to put the entire track program under one coach, Mr. Shar. That was my first year. We had the same resources, the same commitment, the same expectations. Only three women lettered, including yours truly and I got it b/c I was the only woman on the entire team who showed up for every practice and every event even though I only scored one point the entire season.
My point, aside from bragging about my glory days - ahem, is that a lot of people criticized the rest of the women's team for being uncommitted, undisciplined, lazy girls who preferred to do nails than develop their talents and skills. No one EVER said a word about all those years that these talented women had been shunted off to the side with a do nothing coach, no support, no equipment, nothing. It was like being set up for failure -- they give us the resources and a few of us succeed which proves that the rest of the girls weren't worth the resource invesment. What a load of crap. In fact, I think the fact that I excelled is due to having the best resources from the get go and not having to undo years of second class citizenship.
Paul Fero of Monroeville, Repulican and former candidate for the State House of Shame er, Representatives in 2002, announced that the Rethuglican obsession with homosexual marriage has caused him to convert -- to a Democrat. Proving once and for all that while you may be born a breeder, you choose to be an slavish idiot to a hate agenda.
Fero's writes that his decision is based on the political priorities of the Republicans.
A constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage -- our elected Republican officials believe this is a priority?
This is absolutely ridiculous and I can't take it anymore. The endless positioning to support the conservative base of the Republican Party has truly hit a milestone.
Then he puts forth a clear statement of support
And I support the right for gay and lesbian couples to marry. Marriage shouldn't be about what sex you are but about love, compassion and caring for one another. Those qualities aren't exclusive to heterosexuals.
Fero's opponent in that 2002 election was incumbent Joe Markosek, one of the 20 House Democrats who voted in favor of the original constitutional amendment -- the really bad one as opposed to the hate-light bill that made it through the Senate.
To be fair, if Fero had been elected as a Republican who knows where he would be now -- would he have joined that other convert Mike Divin (opposite direction) in opposing the amendment? No way to tell.
Nonethless, hopefully this is one more vote for Bob Casey and one more sign that the Republican obsession with controlling my bedroom behavior is turning off the real party faithful.
In a move that makes one start to contemplate the early onset of dementia, Senator John McCain is all for DADT (PageOneQ).
When asked by [Boston]Edge reporter Peter Cassels his position on DADT, McCain replied, "All the senior members of the military say that it's working." When asked directly if he would vote for Massachusetts Congressman Marty Meehan's bill (H.R. 1059) to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, McCain said, "No."
Uh huh.
According to the Washington Post, the cost to taxpayers for discharging and replacing gay servicemembers between 1994 and 2003 was $364 million dollars. A total of 9,500 servicemembers were discharged in that time period because they are gay. That's 9,500 able-bodied people with essential skills, talents and training. That includes individuals versed in both Arabic and Farsi -- fired b/c of their sexual orientation. Is that really in the best interest of national security?
Meanwhile, recruitment has tanked, resulting in a lowering of standards, admitting people convicted of aggravated assault, robbery, vehicular manslaughter, receiving stolen property and making terrorist threats. That's truly an Army of One.
Oh yes, and this week the Army announced, for the second time since January, that it has raised the maximum age for recruits. The first bump was from 35 to 40. This week. the new ceiling is 42, for both active-duty Army or the part-time Army Reserve and National Guard.
Why I'm sure the homosexuals have been wrecking havoc throughout the military. What with our "I wanna get married" whining and the whole obsession on retaining custody of our children. Not to mention the fact that we insist on finding treatments and a cure for AIDS.
I was going to make a snide little reference to slaughtering civilians, but then I realized that it is not necessary. The stupidity of this policy and its infringement on our community's self-determination is the point. If homosexuals want to be part of the military, they should be evaluated on their qualifications period.
Surf on over to see what our good friend and ally David aka Political Junkie has to say about Santorum and the Tribune Review this morning ...one of his strongest blog posts.
According to the Trib, they want a constitutional convention. And guess who supports it? Wingnut grand poobah Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. See what Pam has to say about him
Again, I'm beating a dead horse, but the Democratic leadership better wake up. The Right is not going to leave gay marriage alone. You are going to have respond with a real position on gay civil rights. These folks are relentless and will continue to mobilize against candidates that take a mealy-mouth "position" and win. They have the money, the boots on the ground, and most of all, commitment to their agenda because they believe that they are right. Where are the Dems?
The position of voting FOR amending the constitution to protect marriage from homosexuals is not "a real position on gay civil rights." It is capitulation pure and simple. They want to have their cake and eat it, too. And Tony Perkins is going to continue pushing our regressive Democrats here in Western PA further and further back into a corner until they abandon homosexuals altogether. And he has the $$ to do it.
From Sunday's Post-Gazette comes a little "Aside" by the PG editors putting Rendell's PrideFest visit into the context of the larger movement by PA Republicans AND Democrats to write hate into our state constitution.
SOMETIMES A POLITICIAN will speak out as a matter of principle even though it might offend some constituents (hey, it happens, and it is refreshing when it does). With many lawmakers in full cry to pass an anti-gay marriage amendment that would serve no purpose other that than to write bigotry into the state constitution, the politically smart thing for Gov. Ed Rendell to do last weekend might have been to stay far away from the gay pride march in Pittsburgh. Instead, he was there to kick it off
It would appear that the Post-Gazette editorial board is as politically unsophisticated as me in thinking that the Senate's passage of a the amendment (even in its amended form) by DEMOCRATS and Rethuglicans is not the most stirring sign of support for the homos.
It is refreshing to have witnessed some political principle firsthand and to see the PG acknowledge it.
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell speaks to the crowd at the beginning of the Pride Awareness March on Saturday, June 17, 2006. Click on the image to see other photos from PrideFest posted on the Gay & Lesbian Community Center website.
For those of you with great suggestions on how to improve PrideFest, you can find information on joining the PrideFest Committee. That would be the most effective way to actually make Pride more queer-friendly, more political, more-woman friendly, more youth-friendly, more vegetarian friendly, more low income friendly, recruit more pride merchandise venders, diversify the entertainment, increase the activities ... and the whole host of other things I have heard people complain about over the past weeks.
Or you can continue to complain and be part of the problem.
A gay affirming congregation, they proudly displayed a rainbow flag in front of their church building as a sign that everyone is welcome.
Earlier this week, some pathetic homo-bigot decided to steal the flag, an action the church's pastor attributes to the dischord caused by the marriage amendment debate. (Wanna bet it was a self-styled Christian who stole it?)
But the real story here is how the Church has responded to this prank, mischief, theft, whatever.
The Rev. Ginny Miles has one message for whoever stole a Rainbow flag from in front of Penns Park United Methodist Church in Wrightstown: Put it back or I'll put two more flags in its place.
And Miles says that each time a flag is stolen two more will go up until there is no more room on the church lawn.
Today our good friend Tony Norman takes the House GOP to task for "knuckle-dragging" on the renewal of the Voting Rights Act.
The House Republicans currently rebelling against President Bush and Speaker Dennis Hastert over the practicality of renewing the Voting Rights Act believe there's plenty of electoral advantage in embracing the politics of exclusion.
<snip>
These days, the object of their pitiless gaze has shifted from blacks to "non-English speaking immigrants" who have the temerity to say "I'm an American. I want to vote, too."
The icy fear among Dixiecrat-style Republicans like Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa and House members from other regions who have joined the cause, is that local and state governments will be forced to print bilingual ballots, provide interpreters at the polls and ensure access to the democratic process if the Voting Rights Act is renewed.
Not bilingualism! Haven't we had passified minority groups enough by withdrawing the tanks from the front of the public schools?
Who best exemplifies this latest brand of divisive hate? Our guy Ricky Sanctimonious:
Santorum turned up at Geno's Steaks in South Philly earlier this week to support Joey Vento, the beleaguered 66-year-old shop owner who was recently ordered by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to take down signs that read "This Is America When Ordering, 'Speak English.' "
Last night, Santorum apologist John Braybender stopped in to spin a bit on KDKA's The Flipside with John McIntire. It made me want to throw up. McIntire seemed to be just politely allowing him to spin his little heart out while trying not to laugh at the inane stupidity flowing from his mouth. The guy actually defended the cheesesteak-bigot by saying that there is a difference between legal and illegal immigrants and we cannot treat them the same. Huh?
And Santorum doesn't believe in polls so it doesn't matter what they say. He does believe in WMD. Ah the power of reckless disregard for reality. Its served him well thus far, so maybe he's onto something ... I'm sure Pat Buchanan can find him a nice job after November.
Santorum's latest bull has caused one of the Political Junkies to endorse Casey in her own unique style. And she despises Casey. That's big. Good job Ricky!
Aside from the myriad of letters disputing the PG's review of An Inconvenient Truth and those from the stalwart "Great Americans" defending the Cheesesteak Bigot, a few homosexual themed letters appear ...
