Last week, we crossed a bridge and went through a tunnel to see a little show.  A final little show at The Square Cafe which serves delicious waffles and hummus.  Not that I would suggest them as a combination.  The hummus comes with veggies, not pita which greatly saddened the Correspondents. 

So this was a special little show because it was the final edition.  We must note further sadness at losing a performance venue that is both smoke free and hummus friendly.  Without pita.

The show was hosted by a recent acquaintance, Gab Bonesso, and someone named Neil Rosenblat from SOA. I  don't know what SOA is b/c during the introductions I was distracted by ordering some decaf.  But he seems like a genial enough fellow and he was cute in a sort of blond sensitive guy kind of way.  He actually looked like Riley from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  But I digress ...

So Gab did her stand-up thing and was a riot.  She was WAAAYYY more edgy than the first time I saw her.  Ledcat thought she was dead on.  I admit I had my politically correct sensibilities in a little knot.  I mean it was definitely funny, but she nailed me and that was a little "bleaahhhh" but in a good way.  I kept thinking "I can't laugh at this" even while I did. 

So that was a nice little journey down Liberal Guilt Trip lane.  :-)

Next up was Bill Eberle, aspiring folk singer and poet.  He was a pretty fierce guy.  I admit that at first I thought "oh here's another white guy poeting about being one with the minorities"  What a dismissive bitch was I!  Because mere moments later, he did this excellent piece talking to the other white guys who think they are one with the minorities ....second time I was on the hot seat that night.  He sang my favorite line of the night:  "You are a creature of God, but they are the ones who are heaven sent."  (I might be paraphrasing b/c I was scrambling to find a pen without spilling my coffee).  So I really liked him.  He was accessible and sweet and fierce.  And he said he was a feminist.  He should do more poety b/c he was very good and he said it was his first time.

Then, the funny guy got on.  Jason Kirsch.  Waiter, actor and aspiring comedian.  Oh my God, he was funny and never once did I feel guilty for laughing.  He covered the whole angst of growing up gay where you mix up He-Man with My Little Pony.   In my favorite riff of the night, he was talking about white women buying babies from China and the annoying bourgeoisie moms in Target.  So with you there brother. 

And that proves how much of a hypocrite I am  ... I can laugh without compunction at the foibles of suburban yuppie moms and homosexuals, but not deaf people or people with developmental disabilities.  Because they are special and I am a PC idiot.  LOL. <NOTE:  I came back to delete this twice because I feel guilty even writing about feeling guilty about laughing at this ...>

Last up was local singer-songwriter Autumn Ayers.  I'm going to let Ledcat do this review to give Autumn due justice b/c I am a music no-nothing and Ledcat has 14,000 cd's or something like that.  I can tell you that I really liked her singing and she's very charming.  She reminds me of the big girls who used to babysit me back in the 70's ... like she could be the cool sister on the show "Family" with Kristy McNichol that I used to love.  Which is kind of a weird sensation because I am probably 10 years older than her.  But you know what I mean ....This apparently is the paragraph of endless prepositional phrases. 

Go visit Autum's myspace page to hear a few songs from her album.  Her song "Drunk Again" is especially moving. 

So that's the end of the Variety Show.  It was nice and I would go again if it existed.  What I really liked (beyond the lack of smoke) was how supportive the entertainers were of each other -- they seem like a little family and that translated nicely into the performances.  We may have been the only outsiders there, but you wouldn't have noticed because they even took the time to include us! 

Hopefully, we'll get word of where these various and sundy performers will be performing in the future. 

The Correspondents concur that all of these performers should be at PrideFest next year, gays and gay-friendlies alike. 

h/t Shakespeare's Sister for the image.  Check out the full story from The House Blend.

From a LA Times article reprinted in the Post-Gazette:

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. doesn't see it that way. Since 1999, the Columbus, Ohio-based company has offered its 35,000 employees benefits for same-sex partners, as well as for aging parents, adult children and roommates.

"As the traditional household has changed, we decided to let our associates define family," spokesman Eric Hardgrove said.

When Ohio voters amended the state's constitution in 2004 to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, Nationwide Mutual didn't change its policy.

Mr. Hardgrove said the benefits plan "goes along with our commitment to building a workplace that fosters respect, is inclusive and nondiscriminatory."

With the release of HRC's State of the Workplace, evidence is mounting that the economy is becoming more gay friendly despite the desperate scrambling on the social-cultural front.  A fair and inclusive workplace is paramount to attracting talented employees.

I like that Nationwide covers aging parents, adult children and roommates.  That is a heartening trend.  Several of my friends and acquaintances are caring for their parents, finding the struggle to provide health care often overwhelming.  A few are single parents and grandma/grandpa has joined the household to help with raising the children.  Yet another example of the modern "classic" family. 

I wonder if Nationwide needs a social worker?

Tune into KDKA from 4-7 for your favorite irreverent host John McIntire. I'll be joining him during the 7 PM hour live from Lesbian Central ... we'll be talking about homo marriage!

Call in ....

A press release from the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights indicates that the Pennsylvania General Assembly has recessed for the summer without passing the anti-gay marriage amendment.  Differing versions of the legislation passed in each chamber -- the House including civil unions in the ban, the Senate excluding them.  Because they could not pass concurring legislation in both chambers, the measure fails and our opponents will have to start over again from scratch if they want to revisit the issue. 

From The Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights ...

?We are pleased that the Pennsylvania legislature chose to not advance legislation which would have written discrimination into the state constitution. The Value All Families Coalition appreciates the efforts and leadership of many legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, who understood that this legislation was unnecessary, divisive and dangerous,? said Stacey Sobel, Executive Director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights.

Larry Frankel, Legislative Director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said, ?Over the last six months, Pennsylvania?s legislators learned a great deal about this state?s non-traditional families. The bill?s failure is due in large part to our lawmakers? better understanding of how this amendment could have adversely impacted thousands of Pennsylvanians.?

According to Marriage Equality USA, 17 states have amendment their constitution to ban gay marriage (AK, AR, GA, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, MT, NB, ND, NV, OH, OK, OR, TX, UT ).  Five more states have the issue on the ballot for this year (AL, AZ, CA, TN, WI).

On the bright side,  Massachusetts has legalized marriage, Connecticut and Vermont have civil unions and California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Maine offer some sort of domestic partnerships. 

So what's next for the PA issue?  It could be reintroduced at a later date which would mean it might be on the ballot for 2010.  The thing to do now is to pay attention to what your state rep and senator are doing.  Stay connected and continue to make them aware of the fact that they have progressive constituents who do not support bigotry and hatred.  Watch their votes on immigration which will be the next big target of repressed Republican wrath.  And get involved --- take a few extra steps to support candidates who actually reflect your values, not just those who aren't so bad. 

Avoiding a vote is not at all the same thing as promoting and respecting diverse families.  Don't let them spin you --- there is a world of difference between Rep. Dan Frankel who stood up to bigotry and Senator Jay Costa who stood behind a political maneuver.  I'd rather choke on my own vomit than thank someone for not being too much of a bigot.  This little article about Rep Tony DeLuca is a classic example of the slippery slope Western PA Democrats seem to be heading down.

And I'm sure our troll will post more anonymous little hissy slaps at me for failing to blindly adhere to the guidance and reasoning of self-styled gay leaders who have our best interests at heart ....wouldn't want the lesbians, bis and trannies to start thinking on their own now would we? 

Penn Hill State Representative Tony DeLuca seems to be slowly peeling away the thin veneer of Democrat in which he's been encased for the past umpteen years.  In addition to having voted in favor of the legislation to protect marriage from homosexuals,  DeLuca is now moving deeper into Rick Santorum territory by persecuting employers for hiring immigrants.  The legal kind (PG). 

DeLuca is upset with the Fox Chapel Golf Club for hiring six men who immigrated from Mexico to tend their grounds.  Its all legal with taxes being paid and everything.

DeLuca has his second-generation knickers in a wad because those jobs should go to college students.

"I have no problem with immigrants. I find it ironic that an affluent country club has to go and bring H-2B visas in here to cut grass when we've got college kids trying to earn a buck to pay their tuitions," Mr. DeLuca said yesterday. "You mean to tell me we're short of people cutting grass now in this country?"

In a letter released through his office, DeLuca also chides the Golf Club for providing housing.  Note the phrase "supposedly legal"

"It is of concern that the immigrants, who are supposedly legal, are being provided with adequate housing and they only have to provide a small portion of their salaries to pay for lodging," Mr. DeLuca writes. "The country club has certainly devised a sweet deal for non-American workers."

The Golf Club contends that it did advertise the job and received exactly zero applications.  What's a haven for rich mighty whites supposed to do when the not so mighty whites refuse to do manual labor? 

Adding to the bigotry, Thoms Smith, Mayor of Blawnox, contends that it is a matter of public safety that he see verification that the immigrants are legal.  DeLuca apparently likes that approach and will introduce legislation making it mandatory that employers provide the information so the good townspeople can rest easy at night.

Do you think this will include European immigrants or just those who aren't white?

Declare cheesesteaks the official Blawnox sandwich and be done with it!

How are these people Democrats?  Could someone explain that to me?