Here's a good site for an update on Prop 8, the California amendment that would make gay marriage illegal.

Pam's House Blend has an interesting post about Barack Obama's Caucasian family.

From PageOneQ:

I'm not joking when I say we need heroes right now. We need a Martin Luther King Jr. or a Gandhi. And, I wouldn't at all mind if a Wonder Woman or Superman flew in to help.

We should be winning. This year's electoral map looks increasingly liberal, yet we're still struggling. As I gaze at the political landscape, I can't help but wonder: Where have all our champions gone?

Personally, I think these people do exist, but they are impossible to spot unless we understand what it really takes to become a hero. To do that, first consider Superman and Wonder Woman. These fictional super folk illustrate the two characteristics shared by all heroes, imagined and real.

First, heroes have to have the ability to act. Because they face super villains, Wonder Woman and Superman need extraordinary powers. But even with their super strengths, these two couldn't claim the title of "hero," if they hadn't first decided they have a personal responsibility to help other people. Wonder Woman could have lived regally as an Amazon princess. Superman could have ripped apart bank vaults and lounged in luxury with his plundered millions. Who could have stopped him?

In real life, heroes don't need super strength. In fact, real heroes are quite ordinary before they ever do anything heroic. Martin Luther King Jr. was nothing more than the pastor of a church in Alabama before he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Gandhi was a lawyer before he launched his first crusade for freedom. However, both realized that they had a responsibility to act. Both brought their real-world gifts to the battles they faced.

I ask again: Where are the champions in LGBT America and among our straight allies? Who are the people who will save us?

Who are our heroes in Western Pennsylvania? It is something I struggle to understand and seem to question far too often for anyone's comfort. Including my own.  My therapist keeps asking me why I have to go there and I'm not sure I understand it myself.  First and foremost, I just think it should be okay to ask questions.  Second, it should be okay to have opinions.  And third, well, it should be okay to hold people accountable when they assume leadership roles and make promises/commitments/pledges to us.  Like the President. Only someone that I acutally believe.

Due to my radiator malfunction in Uptown during the afternoon, I was unable to attend the Electile Dysfunction event last night.  Missing Lynn Cullen was a definite downer.  Spending hundreds for the repair is another.  Sigh.  I keep repeating that I got luck enough to be able to pull into a parking space before the last of the fluid leaked from my car AND that my engine doesn't need to be replaced.  Right? 

Someone please book Lynn Cullen somewhere so I can get a little jolt.  You would not believe how much email I get asking for her email address.  It is cullenshow@yahoo.com, by the way. 

I'm in the process of wrapping up my tenure with my current employer and switching gears from the child welfare system to the adult MH system.  Just learning the acronyms is a challenge.  But I'm excited about moving from a literal closet office to one with a giant window.  Sunshine! 

I'm disappointed that Bill Peduto and Chelsa Wagner have still not identified the charity to benefit from tonight's Halloween party.  I'm a little more disappointed that they seem to be affronted that I would ask questions of them about a political event (we all know it is a political event).  I asked some folks in the know, including someone connected to another state level official, and it does seem that there is an "understanding" that we who identify as liberal/progressive are supposed to sort of grant more wiggle-room (for lack of a better term) to our progressives allies whom we've elected when they are doing the political/pre-campaign thing.  I violated a taboo when I shared my opinion with the 57 people who read this blog, most of whom are other bloggers and already knew.  Gosh.

I think failing to name the charity is a mistake in general and that's more from my social work/NPO perspective. But I'm much more concerned that Chelsa Wagner's team (the campaign team, the office staff, the behind the scenes supporters who are putting this shindig together) are completely ignoring my concerns about her lack of presence in Manchester.  It doesn't make sense that you could consider a run for Mayor when you haven't been tending to your current duties in a City neighborhood. 

The response from her supporters in the blog comments has been rather vile, but privately people keep asking me if I'd vote for Chelsa over Luke, even given this lack of attention to my community.  That's a ridiculous question at this point.  I mean Manchester has been pretty much ignored by the City anyway, so does it really matter on that point?  Well, Tonya Payne is at least putting in some effort to change that.  And BBI told me they are coming out in November to do a sweep of Manchester and clean up tons of vacant lots.  That's going to generate a feel-good buzz which will last until the weeds and vines really take hold in mid-summer.  Someone commented about that and I agree its a possibility. 

I just think as a resident that it is offensive that our State Representative would lend her political cred to OTHER neighborhoods in the Northside when she hasn't been doing a satisfactory job in our neighborhood.  And then complain to another blogger about "no good deed going unpunished" while her alleged supporters are personally attacking me and her other constituents.

Who exactly is being punished here?  Read the comments again.

I was planning to attend the party, but now I am carless and have several other invites that Ledcat prefers to attend.  So I don't know.  Clearly, if Bill and Chelsa aren't going to even reach out via private email or phone call in response to the racism and homophobia running through this discussion, then it doesn't seem worth my while to even bother.  Clearly, dissent is not a viable tactic in this dialogue.

This ran in Thursday's PG.  Kudso to Lee Marcuzzi of Shaler for noting a LGBTQ positive story. 

What a wonderful article. ("Taking center stage," Oct. 23.) It is so refreshing to see an article about drag queens and kings that is not biased and discusses the true talent and work that these performances require.

As a female, and concerned member of the community, I think that positive coverage like this will help people see that GLBT people are not threatening. Unfortunately, the bullying and harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth in our schools is a huge problem. It is a fact that nine out of 10 gay kids are victims of name-calling in the schools and four times as many gay kids attempt suicide as straight kids. Our schools should be safe and welcoming for all students, regardless of gender identity. We are all different! Let's embrace and enjoy our diversity as your writer has.

Here's a link to the original story about the Miss Tri-State All Star pageant. 

Lee hits the nail on the head.  Our community has been pretty fortunate that the majority of local coverage has been gay-positive, even in the Tribune Review.  The worst sin seems to be a tendency to rely on cliches, even if they are alleged to be "positive" by a predominantly hetero media (Mike Seate is a classic example).  But the vile tends to come from the columnists and most of that from the syndicated ones.  The local reporters tend to "get it" and I'm optimistic that this coverage has helped promote positive representations of our community. 

We are actually fortunate that the issues are being covered at all.  We have a lot of political balls up in the air, on the state and local levels so it is important that our straight allies speak up and speak out. 

Keep looking for opportunities to write letters.  Call the talk shows.  Be vocal and make sure the media continues to be aware that we are paying attention.