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View Article  Dan Frankel says we need to vote for Onorato

LGBT champion, State Representative Dan Frankel penned a letter to the Post-Gazette urging Western Pennsylvania to support Onorato because he's the better choice on LGBT issues. The cruz of his arguement is that Corbett thinks existing anti-discrimination protections on the statewide level are fine and has no intention of expanding them.  Onorato has stated he will support the expansion to include LGBT folks.

In contrast, at the same debate, Dan Onorato said of H.B. 300, "As governor, I would sign it into law. ... No one should lose their apartment or their job or their home because of their sexual identity or their orientation."

As chief executive of Allegheny County, Mr. Onorato signed a similar nondiscrimination law that protects the county's 1.2 million residents. As governor, Dan Onorato will be committed to fairness for all Pennsylvanians, which is also vital for fighting brain drain and for our economic competitiveness.

So if Corbett (and the tea bagger commenters) think all is well, that's clearly wrong and dangerous.  However, as wit most Democrats, I believe Frankel oversells Onorato. It took many, many months for him to make a public announcement supporting the Allegheny County legislation. He has a voting record of opposing these protections when he was a City Councilman.  That's not exactly a mindblowing change of position.  It is incremental and it took nearly twenty years to happen.  (Don't forget he lost his cool at an endorsement meeting b/c a certain lesbian blog published his voting record.  Ahem.)

I'm just saying that Onorato's track record AT BEST says he won't stand in the way, but there's no public evidence that he'll work to advance HB 300 or similar legislation.  We simply have to take his word for it.

And truth be told, when you think of all the promises President Obama actually made to the gay community and has yet to work on, there's just no evidence that the Governor of Pennsylvania will do any better.  Obama had significant majorities and poll data to prove that repealing DADT was fine, yet he's actually got the Department of Justice fighting to defend it.  Groan.

My point is that the Governor won't have majorities in both chambers, regardless of who wins.  The Senate still wants to defend marriage from gay people. The House just hasn't had the muscle to push HB 300 through. 

What we need is to unify as a community and put the pressure on Onorato to make this happen.  And I don't think he has the political will or muscle to do it.  He needs our votes and fundraisers on Mt. Washington, but he knows we'll be forced to support him. 

Frankel's point is short, sweet and to the point.  Onorato is the only chance to expand civil protections.  I get that, but I'll be a believer when I see some public action.  More behind the scenes machinations with the elite white gay men on Pennsylvania won't cut it with the suburban soccer mom lesbians and the many, many unemployer and underemployed LGBT folks who face a stagnant economony and the legal realities of being fired for being gay. 

I think Onorato needs our votes b/c Pennsylvania would be better if this legislation passed.  But I also believe a full court press for him to ante up on this issue is necessary. 

How about that?  I think Onorato is like Obama and man that just blows my mind.

Vote.  It is all we got, folks.

BTW, I like Nancy Pelosi.

 

 

 

View Article  The Big Gay 2010 Political Wrap Up ...

I got nothing.  You can vote Team Democrat and hope for the best.  Or you can vote for the best commercial.  Or the candidates least likely to have to defend themselves from being labeled a witch. 

I tried to write a thoughtful analysis, but the only person I have any respect for is Joe Sestak.  Well, I do like Pat Murphy but he doesn't live here and most of you do. 

I say go with the Democrats even though a lot of them suck on LGBT issues and will probably contribute to the Obama Administration complete failure to lead. Yeah, we'll get a few more crumbs.  But, frankly, Onorato's lackluster do nothing attitude toward providing health insurance for his current employees (aka domestic partner benefits) does not bode well for him to develop a spine in the next four years.  Let's hope Dan Frankel and Daylin Leach can beat back the Christian whackos for awhile and someone else emerges in 2014.

You know what I feel like?  The woman who thinks Charlie Batch is the best human being on the entire team and yet has to sit back and watch the most horrible excuse for a man get all the glory.  Does that seem like the American way? 

Yep.

Go team. 

View Article  LGBTQ folks rally to reelect Congressman Patrick Murphy - PA

Congressman Murphy is possibly the only candidate in the entire nation that has the backing of the entire gay community, from Beltway insiders to jailed activists. He's been on the frontlines about repealing DADT and makes no apologies. 

If you've been paying attention to LGBT politics, you're most likely aware that the rift between Gay, Inc and well, the rest of us, is deep and divisive and damaging.  There is no gay body politic and that won't change soon.  Still, something very unique has transpired.  The community has rallied to demonstrate that our collective political will can make a difference by rallying around Congressman Murphy. 

See for yourself.  Recognize anyone?

There's a concerted push to get gay and allied attention on this election.  You can follow Congressman Murphy on Twitter http://twitter.com/patrickmurphypa which helps you stay in touch during this final push but also puts you in the drivers seat in a critical race, rather than continuing to sit back and wait. 

Rather than a laundry list of reasons to support Murphy (watch the video), I want you to consider the magnitude of the video. This is exactly what a defined constituency should be doing ... finding common ground and pouring energy into that cause, both to effect change (electing an ally) and to develop a cohesive identity that is driven by the grassroots and Gay, Inc.  In other words, organizing. 

I do not believe LGBT people should be contributing a single penny to the national, statewide or local party, period.  The Democrat party has abandoned the gay community and doesn't deserve our support.  Focusing on the candidates who have earned our support through their deeds (not just their words) is clearly the best way to go.  We sidestep the ridiculously murky bashing tactics of claiming "any Democrat is better than a Republican" which is an immature attempt by politicos to control your vote rather than encourage you to think for yourselves. 

Your vote is precious and significant.  Those politicos wouldn't be scrambling otherwise, even if their tactics are irritating.  Your participation in an LGBT political movement is equally precious.  Lending your twitter account, your donations and your attention to the Murphy and Sestak campaigns is a way to be part of that momentum on your own terms.  And the politicos will be happy b/c the quasi allies like Onorato will get the coattail effect. 

If Murphy is successfully reelected, it will be fascinating to see if there's fallout for the LGBT community on a national scale.  Locally?  Eh, I'm not too hopeful we'll see any twitches left of center anytime soon.  Too few resources controlled by too few persons.  But one never knows. 

View Article  PA Senate Race - a dead heat?

Step back, naysayers.  It appears we have a race.  According to poll data released today, Sestak LEADS the race, 46-45. 

You can put Pennsylvania Senate back in the toss up category. Joe Sestak leads Pat Toomey 46-45 in our newest poll of the race, erasing the 9 point deficit he had in an August PPP survey.

Toomey's support has remained stagnant over the last 2 months while Sestak's has gone up 10 points from 36% to 46%. There are three main factors driving the increased competitiveness of the race:

-Democratic voters are getting more engaged as election day moves closer. Barack Obama won Pennsylvania by 10 points in 2008 but our August survey in the state found those planning to vote in November had actually supported John McCain by a point in 2008, suggesting a massive drop off in Democratic turnout. Now those saying they will vote next month supported Obama by 4 points in 2008. The enthusiasm gap is still there but it's not as severe a problem for Democrats as it was 2 months ago.

-Sestak has wiped out what was an enormous deficit with independents. In August Toomey led 50-27 with them. He hasn't really lost any support with them but Sestak has picked up most of the undecided ones and now trails only 49-48 with that voter group. Most Democratic candidates across the country are down double digits with independents so for Sestak to be running even with them is a good sign for him.

-The Democratic base is unifying more around Sestak. In August there was a considerable party unity gap in this race with Toomey winning 74% of Republicans while Sestak was getting only 64% of Democrats. Toomey is still benefiting from greater unity with his party's voters, getting 82% of Republicans, but Sestak is up to 77% of Democrats. While it persists that unity gap is half the size of what it was in August.

Interesting.  Pennsylvania could really be a battleground this year and this data can only help Dan Onorato. 

I'm mulling over the conclusions in my personal experiences.  My enthusiasm gap feels a little less rigid, but I'll admit that the "bash 'em over the head for turning traitor" approach is leaving a sour taste in my mouth.  I'm tired of people with privileges I don't have lecturing me about getting on board. 

The LGBT community is certainly rallying around Sestak from what I've seen in local social media.  It will be interesting to see how this plays our over the next few weeks. 

sdf

 

View Article  Star Struck?

This morning, Ledcat and I toddled down to Millvale to try out their incarnation of Pamela's Diner.  I expected to be thrilled and amazed by yummy strawberry pancakes, but turns out it took a chair to slay me.

Michelle Obama's chair.

Well, she doesn't *own* the chair.  She sat in it. When she stopped by Pamela's during the G-20 (I'm ducking so don't hurl anything at the computer).

 

 

We were both a little giddy that we were seated at Michelle Obama's table and got in each other's way vying to get the perfect Facebook photo op.  Our server patiently waited for us and confirmed that pretty much everyone does the same thing.

Then I was like "hold up, Sue." Well, I didn't actually say that so much as "May I have coffee and ice water, please?" as I settled into the chair NEXT to Michelle Obama's chair.  But it was swirling around in the pre-caffeinated brain of mine somewhere.  (Word: Ledcat beat me with the photo-to-Facebook thing).

It dawned on me that I was pretty giddy about a chair even as I feel rather despondent about the Administration.  So I'm making this chair the piece de resistance in my November 2, 2010 attitude -- something sturdy upon which to cast my Democratic votes ... perhaps, the sturdiest thing the Democrats have offered this little lesbian in the past two years? 

View Article  I find myself longing for Guy Costa ...

As reported in today's Rich Lord article, the attitude of Public Works Director Robert Kaczorowski pretty much exemplifies the worst type of entitlement so many public <ahem> servants exhibit.

The piece is on the official report on how to make things better if we have another snowmageddon.  Mr. Kaczorowski didn't even read it, but is quick to dismiss the findings. 

Mr. Kaczorowski said the city has purchased new trucks as part of its ongoing fleet build-up. If the city decides to spend proceeds from a proposed parking garage and meter lease on capital needs, he may buy more, he said.

He rejected any suggestion that the February storm revealed departmental inadequacies.

"There was a noisy minority" of complainers, he said, "and a quiet majority that knew the magnitude of the historical event we were up against and appreciated our efforts."

In February, he said, "We saw our shortcomings, and we're correcting them."

The storm cost the city $3.64 million, of which just one-third was reimbursable by state and federal governments. Curtis L. Mitchell, of Hazelwood, died waiting for an ambulance during the storm, and the city's response to 911 calls from him and his girlfriend is the subject of a negligence lawsuit filed Thursday in Common Pleas Court.

I wonder if he thinks the repeated calls to 911 from an African-American household count as a noisy minority?  Is he being flip in the face of someone's death or just flip in the face of criticism period?  Criticism from a <gasp> woman!?!

What a sad reflection on the lack of professionalism and maturity among the Ravenstahl Administration leaders.  It is embarrassing that this sort of childish tantrum doesn't get filtered through a spokesperson. 

Read the article.  Good stuff and plenty of positives about the hard-working women and men of DPW who helped us weather the storm.  The problem seems to be the attitude and forethought on the Administrative level, not the efforts of those in the trenches. 

I'll be honest though.  If they banned parking on my street, I'd probably ignore it.  Where do they expect us to park?  That's the piece I need to know.  Where can I park? 

sdf

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