Thanks to the Post-Gazette, we now know to avoid Chocolate Celebrations and the Milkshake Factory on Southside. 

It is the family business of siblings Chris and Dana Edwards, both of whom are proud members of the Bush Administration.  Dana coordinates POTUS travel and Chris, who bears the title SPECIAL assistant to the President, oversees logistics for the press corp.

For some reason, a Post-Gazette editor decided to waste valuable feature space gushing over the Edwards candy store -White House connection . There's some inane reasoning that running a candy store prepares you to work in the White House.  It is good that at least someone in the White House has run a successful business. 

The best part is that Dana got her job because of her brother.  It doesn't get more obvious that this Administration is not run by the most talented people, but by the most connected. 

After annoying us with some pathetic jokes about Chris buying her a pearl necklace and how much money they make (poor Dana makes less -- imagine a woman making less!), the PG gives us this total line of garbage:

Both display the unswerving loyalty to the administration that George and Laura Bush seem to inspire in many of their young staffers. In interviews, Chris continually tried to turn the conversation about his own family back to how the president's emphasis on family inspires him.

The PG thinks its news that two bright young Pittsburghers have been hoodswinked by the "family value" lies dripping out of the White House.  Or, more likely, that Dana and Chris are young, upwardly-mobile, heterosexual, white adults who are willing to trade every bit of decency and intelligence they may posess for their own personal advancement and career trajectories.  Chris and Dana are perfect examples of privileged hypocrites who don't give a flying fig about Pittsburgh families.

All the while selling us chocolate.  And milkshakes.

Thus Pittsburgh queers and allies, you are duly warned that Chocolate Celebrations and the Milkshare Factory are owned by traitors who contribute to the Administration that wants to strip us of every civil right we deserve. 

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UPDATE:  Click here for the latest derring do of the ice cream twins.

This week Catherine Specter starts off strong with a well-phrased dose of withering advice for a woman manipulating her husband with a "did he notice my haircut?" test.  Nicely done.  Could I be wrong about Specter's Carrie Bradshaw ambitions?

Not so much.

In the next letter, a reader asks whether a lack of compliments from a guy indicates a lack of interest.  It takes THREE sentences for Specter to fall back into her superficial obsession with looks, clothes and makeup. 

It's de rigueur to tell your girl how pretty she is, or how nice she looks, but sometimes shyness or inexperience or faulty logic about ego-boosting keeps the words from coming out. Try complimenting him and if the gesture is never reciprocated ...

Wait a minute.  Isn't this passive approach sort of the same manipulation she so tartly ripped to shreds in the previous letter?  Why not talk with the guy?  After all, even pretty girls have the ability to speak.  Last time I checked, they don't even have to wait until they are spoken to.  

What's worse is that this is the gussied up version of the mentality whirling through Mt. Lebanon these days --- girls are objects who should be evaluated on their external characteristics.  Maybe the PG should just print a family-friendly version of the Mt. Lebanon score card right next to Specter's column. 

Why is being pretty or looking nice the default compliment Specter assumes this reader is seeking?  How about complimenting her intelligence, wit or compassion?  Maybe her work accomplishments?  Or her strength, bravery, resourcefulness, loyalty, etc? 

Because, in her own words:

Cat's Call: Never give a woman time to ruminate.

'nuf said.

PG writer Sally Kalson tackles the thorny issues of surrogate pregnancy custody in response to a recent court ruling removing custody of triplets from their surrogate mother.  It is a complicated, sticky mess and certainly deserving of some attention for our legislature.

However, PA plans to establish a legal framework in surrogacy matters will tap into the age-old battle on family values.  Legislation proposed by Senator Jane Earll, R-Erie, permits only an infertile married couple to establish a surrogate contract.  Obviously, LGBT couples are left out since marriage is not an option for us.  At least in Pennsylvania. 

But consider how this legal restriction will impact heterosexuals.  Single adults would not be able to use surrogacy to conceive a child.  Nor would married couples who perhaps have their own reasons for not wanting to carry a child.  As Kalson points out, issues around frozen embryos only make the situation more complicated - what if the the couple divorces?  or one partner dies?  Under this legislation, that would eliminate surrogacy.

My point (and, I hope, Kalson's point) is that when the government legislatively imposes an ideal family framework on Pennsylvania citizens, it usually doesn't fit.  Heterosexual marriage does not automatically confer some special degree of happiness or healthiness on any family unit.  What is does confer is a two-tiered family status: the married, reproducing heterosexuals and all the rest of us. 

Kalson sums it up neatly:

Current law considers gay couples and lone adults good enough to adopt children who are already born. They ought to be good enough to enter a legal agreement to produce a child through surrogacy.

That said, the state still needs a framework to protect the children born of such agreements, and we don't have to reinvent the wheel to get it. The Uniform Act covers the eventualities with sufficient clarity.

From the very beginning, it makes plain to everyone -- sperm and egg donors, gestational moms and their spouses (if any), intended parents and the courts -- what provisions are permissible and enforceable, and who has what legal rights and responsibilities. In Pennsylvania, no such clarity exists.

From The Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights comes word that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has recessed without taking action on the amendment.

What exactly does that mean?

For one thing,  your legislator is home in your district for the next month.  This is a good time to contact her/him in person AGAIN and reiterate your opposition to this amendment. 

Go here for more details on how you can get involved.  I'll have more later in the week.

It has been one week since the Post-Gazette article on the Rene Portland debacle ran (Penn State's 'Mommy Coach' a bigot?)

Given that women's hoops are fairly popular around here, I expected  ... well, something!  Between the lesbians, the parents of high school players, the Pitt b-ball fans, and those who actively support the criminalization of homosexuality, surely someone mustered enough umbrage to pick up a pen.

Only one person has done so and his name is Bill Earley of Merion Station, PA.  I have no idea where Merion Station is located, but it sounds like at least one resident has his head screwed on the right way.

Bill writes:

Her boorish behavior has grown bolder because university leadership offers no consequences for her actions. Nothing except another verbal warning and a note in her file.

Thanks for hitting the nail on the head, Bill.  Portland gets away with discrimination because Penn State lets her. 

I wonder if the local b-ball parents realize that remaining silent on this issue sends the right message to their daughters.

Who on earth would let their kid go play for this homo-bigot?  Only another homo-bigot, I'd assume.  And God knows we have plenty of those here in Pgh.

How could I not post this (Mike Tidmus blog)

Last night, we took a drive into Regent Square to hear singer/songwriter Eve Goodman perform at the Square Cafe.   

She's great.  We heard about her performance through a local Queer Events email list and thought it sounded like a nice evening.  So off we drove.  It was well worth the $98.34 in gas (kidding).  :-)

Eve is very personable and her music was thoughtful and entertaining.  I enjoy live music somewhat, but get kind of bored quickly as my attention wanders.  Especially when the artists performs 17 monotonous songs about their inner thoughts on, well, anything. 

Eve ain't like that.  Her introspection felt universal, not self-centered.  She has some delightful numbers on her partner's 94 year old grandmother and two best buddies, Big Dog and Little Wag.  Her parents were in attendance which made it just seem somehow more cool. 

Laura is defintely the musical one in the family.  I enjoy music, but sitting in a smoke filled club (or standing) surrounded by self-styled hipsters listening to someone whine about their life is not my idea of a good time.  The environment destroys any connection I may feel with the performer.  Hence, the Square Cafe is perfect -- no smoke, lots of seats and really delish hummus. 

Check out Eve's website for her performance schedule.  You'll be happy you did. 

ps:  I bought both her albums.  

From Raw Story comes news that Iraqi police accused a 14 year old child of corrupting the community because he had sex with men. His punishment was to be dragged from his family's home and shot more than 4 times. 

The child's name is Ahmed Khalil.

According to international lgbt rights group OutRage! Ahmed, like too many children in our world, was prostituting himself for money to help his impoverished family.

OutRage reports that the police have been infiltrated by the Shia paramilitary Badr Corps which has been violently enforcing Sharia law.  The Shia spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issed a fatwa against homosexuals.

Ahmed was being sexually exploited by adult men in his community.  To feed his family.  And, so, he was executed. 

Local Iraqi gay activists are working to rescue children forced by poverty into selling their bodies and documenting the increase in homophobic executions. 

Visit the Iraqi LGBT UK site for more information. 

He's Back!

Commence with the lesbian happy dance!

Today my good friend David over at 2 Political Junkies has an excellent skewer of Ricky Sanctimonious' <gasp> HYPOCRISY. 

Apparently, Ricky is willing to support Republican Don Sherwood who acknowledged that he had a five year affair and settled a lawsuit with his lover after she accused him of choking her. 

Ahem.  David does a good job on this one.  Go read it.