You know I've been helping with this little shindig at the Warhol, known as the "Unofficial" Official After Party for NetRoots which I in turn dubbed the "Gay Immaculate Reception" when I learned Mr. Franco Harris was planning to attend.
The party began at 9:30. We arrived about 9:45 and the place was holdin 150 or so folks. I was asked to drive someone back over to the Convention Center who was able to get the "Voice of God" to announce that the party was extended to 1 AM at the end of the Clinton speech. By the time I was parked back at the Warhol and had reclaimed my drink from Ledcat, the hordes descended. Orange lanyards could have stretched for miles as hundreds of people showed up over the ensuing few hours. They estimated 650-700 people (or 18,000) showed up.
It was packed. You couldn't move. I had lanyard envy. I also learned that I am even more horrible with the name/face recognition skill that I previously believed. Michelangelo Signorile was introduced to me and I acted like a doofus welcoming him Pittsburgh as if I had no clue who he was. I also ran up to Pam Spaulding and asked her if she got my tweet as if my tweet would stand out to her. She was very gracious. I can only chalk it up to post-visitation/hours with my extended family stress.
Do you have intrafamily politics about funeral flowers? I mean is that normal?
Anyway, I had a great time at the party. Ledcat hung out with Miranda from Dykes on Bikes for awhile and I ran around to see who I could spot among the guests. Mitch from the Pittsburgh Gay & Lesbian Film Society was there. Gary McKillop from the GLCC was there. Several board members from Steel City Stonewall Democrats came. Local blogger Kira was there. Maria from 2 Political Junkies stopped by and had a chance to go on camera with Pridecast.
Another ally stopped by and chatted with the cameras.
I did make a new friend. Gave me a good ice breaker with the family. Plus, everyone loved the pink shirt.
sdf
ps: any excess NetRoots tote bags? We can use them to help local families at their food banks.
She was not pleased when I came out as a lesbian, until she realized I was getting an award (40 Under 40) and would be wearing a skirt to receive it. She came around and embraced Ledcat like another one of her grandkids. Same gifts every holiday. She even remembered her as her dementia increased, a sure sign of a bond.
Not many people reach 38 and still have a living grandparent (my oldest cousin is 52). I was pretty darn lucky. I was also lucky that a lot of her personality shone through even into her last year. She still smiled and enjoyed retro television. And ice cream. Ah, how she loved her ice cream.
There's some strange little "coincidences" popping up here. She died the same month as her husband, albeit 8 years later. The night of my grandfather's funeral, I went to an Indigo Girls concert (where I finally cried). The night of her funeral, I'll be at the Decembrists. Same funeral home, same arrangements. New sense of finality. All four of my grandparents have passed which leaves me feeling somewhat adrift from my past. She's left me hundreds of photos to sort through and almost every letter she's received, including all of my grandfather's letters from WWII.
She took care of me when my mother was hospitalized while I was a child. She sent me Calvin & Hobbes comic strips every week for the 4 years of college and 2 years of grad school. She baked a date and nut pudding every holiday. She took me to Kaufmann's. She was annoyed with me when I discovered that our family was not Irish Catholic, but in fact German Catholic and Irish Protestant. But she still trusted me with her final wishes which made yesterday's visit to the funeral home relatively painless. I just had to pick out a prayer card and a guest book. She took care of everything else including her obituary.
I was pretty good until I went to Macy's to purchase her funeral outfit. She's been wearing casual clothing for two years so there was nothing dressy enough for her final outfit. I found this awesome print jacket combo and began to sob in the middle of the store when I realized it was the last outfit I would buy for her. I've been shopping for her over the past 6 years. I know she would like it, but it was really tough when the sales clerk told me I'd get a lifetime of use out of it.
I certainly had a lifetime of love from my Grandma. She was a fierce little woman who made some very human choices over her lifetime and leaves behind a lot of stories and memories.
This is a sad time, but not tragic. A 93 year old woman being able to stay at home (thanks PDA Waiver program) her final year and passing in her sleep just an hour after a tender exchange with her daughter in law is pretty much a good way to pass.
This afternoon I was a guest on the local podcast, PRIDEcast, sponsored by OUTonline. It was a lot of fun even though I was struggling with a cold. I had a brief flirtation with a radio career so I was fine with the banter although anxious about the camera. We chatted about a wide range of topics -- the homophobia of Julia Child, the latest video of Shakira, LGBT v GLBT, lesbian bars, sexism, my blog, etc. I'll post a link when its up online.
I've never seen a Shakira video. I made allusions to Duran Duran and talked about the symbolism of her being caged. I'm not sure if that was he was looking for, but I had fun. Plus, Ledcat swung by to pick me up just before the skies opened up for our daily shower.
NetRoots Nation is here which means the LGBT Blogging Initiative is in town. Tonight was a casual Happy Hour. Tomorrow will be the "unofficial" official welcome reception at the Andy Warhol, sponsored by the Lambda Foundation and the Initiative. Due to the last minute scheduling of President Clinton to speak that same evening, our party has been pushed back to 9:30 PM. Come on down and be part of the big queer hello to the NetRoots Bloggers and check out the latest Warhol exhibits.
Saturday is the National Kiss In.
Meanwhile on the local front, no word from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office on the LGBT Advisory Committee he announced in December 2008.
You must remember this A kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh The fundamental things apply As time goes by And when two lovers woo They still say, "I love you" On that you can rely No matter what the future brings As time goes by
Recently, a few folks have not perceived a kiss as just a kiss when it comes to same-sex couples. So, here's what is going on ...
8/15/09: 2PM
After nationwide incidents in which gay and lesbian couples were harassed or detained by for the simple act of kissing in a public place, we need to make a strong statement to everyone everywhere: kissing is not a bad thing, nor has it ever been. It's not vulgar or inappropriate. It's a sign of affection that is as old as time itself -- a beautiful thing that we share with our loved ones every single day.
At 2pm, bring your husband/wife/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend/friend to the public space in front of Westin portico/driveway on 10th between Liberty Ave and Penn Ave (1000 Penn Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15222) as we participate in this national event.
Talk about delayed reactions. On July 1, Allegheny County Council passed the Countywide Non-Discrimination Ordinance. On August 11, the American Family Association of PA prez Diane Gramley's ridiculous screech was printed in the Post-Gazette.
Not even worth quoting. She's completely on to our hidden agenda to forcibly convert the Boy Scouts and send men in dresses into ladies' restrooms across the County. Damn. I thought all the talk about not being fired and finding decent housing would distract her. Ah well ... she's too canny for the likes of us.
Busy day. We stopped by the Mall to discover that I have a "proprietory" watch (Fossil) which translates into driving to Grove City to buy a watch band. Not cool, Fossil. Not cool. I'm planning on wearing my pocketless culottes tomorrow so I can't even carry around my Blackberry as I galivant between offices. Not cool, Fossil. But I do love the watch.
Then we headed up to goose-killing country er, North Park for the Lambda/GLCC Family picnic. It was really nice. Tom Michalow (County Council candidate - District 1) stopped by. I finally had my photo taken by OUT. Buzz manned the grill most excellently AND made cupcakes for the party. Someone caught a 3 inch fish. All in all, a good way to spend a few hours on a lazy August Sunday.
Tonight, we took a walk around the block with Amadeus who was sooo good meeting new people. He was rather indignant that I would not allow him to eat a chicken bone, but otherwise a good time was had by all. He only "rested" one time.
How far do you tolerate another person?s intolerance? When is it important to swear off an artist or a public figure and when is it just silly? And why will my brain let me enjoy some of them and not others?
Questions I ponder all of the time. People tell me I am too PC for anyone's good. It irritates me quite a bit when people use the term Chinese Auction, but try being the girl that explains how the term is offensive. People are very taken aback and think that I'm way over the top.
The issue of homophobic support popped up in a conversation I had about gay friendly candidates accepting campaign donations from homophobes. Not organizations, but general people. You can see how quickly this could get out of hand?
We saw Julie & Julia on Friday. It was entertaining. Meryl Streep was her usual delightful self and owned the movie. No mention of anything gay related.
It isn't a lack of queer news to report. HB 300 is still alive and kicking in committee, but the lack of a budget puts that squarely on the back burner. An inclusive-ENDA has been introduced in the House and Senate. Doyle, Specter and Casey are all co-sponsors so Altmire is the rogue guy. His "blue dog" status on health care reform is the bigger issue.
Locally, the County is asking for nomination for the Human Relations Commission. My understanding is that complaints and investigations will be conducted by the County Personnel Department. What's interesting is that the only thing they really need to investigate will be complaints, outside of the City, based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender discrimination as every other claim could be bumped to either the City or State Human Relations Commission which have paid staff investigators. I'm impressed with how quickly things are moving ... I got wind of the progress from someone's FB status indicating that they had been asked to apply. The ordinance was approved on July 1, 2009.
Meanwhile, the Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee is still in its formative stages. The conversation started in May 2008. The first meeting was December 2008. Hmmm.
This week, NetRoots Nation (#NN09) comes to town and former President Bill Clinton will give the Thursday Keynote. Wouldn't it be cool if he stopped by the LGBT Welcome Reception at the Warhol that evening? I mean I know President Clinton doesn't just stop by anywhere obviously. Still. Cool.
When I caught the Post-Gazette's latest attempt to generate G-20 buzz, I almost choked on my coffee. Leaders for whom I hold a great deal of respect sound like hysterical school-girls who missed the activity bus.
We have an opportunity for public dialogue around our region's role in significant global issues and we end up with a ban on PVC pipes as a public safety measure? What if there's a plumbing/contracting emergency? Will they use duct tape? My God.
What's next? Banning women wearing pink hats? Or eggs? Why can't the LAW be enough? This isn't an episode of Jericho.
Please keep things in perspective. Downtown is being shut down because of the G-20 Summit, not the handful of anarchists coming to town. I will be driving through Overbrook on my way from the Northside to Oakland because of the Summit detours. Not the anarchists. You will miss your Saturday morning trip to the Strip because of the Summit. Not the anarchists. The ambassadors, presidents, chief cooks and bottle washers. Not the anarchists.
If you give the anarchists the power to shut down Pittsburgh, they certainly have won quite a victory.
Do you know what the G-20 is and why people are protesting it? I'm going to spend some time trying to find those answers.
The G-20 is a forum for cooperation and consultation on matters pertaining to the international financial system. It studies, reviews, and promotes discussion among key industrial and emerging market countries of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability, and seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.
It doesn't take a lot of imagination to think of a few things people might want to protest related to world economies. It wasn't a few months ago that local non-profit groups were duped (along with the media and the County) into supporting the dumping of e-waste in foreign lands. Oh, and don't forget that they dumped in Homewood, too. Hmmm. I wonder if there is any connection between the disregard for the people living in Homewood and the people living in the two-thirds world?
My point is that policy issues sometimes come home to roost. Maybe some of the folks who care passionately enough about this issue to join themselves together with PVC pipes and handcuffs, knowing they will end up in jail anyway, are on to something folks. Maybe they see something, feel something about what should be our connection to people around the world. Or in Homewood.
Looking for a few local folks interested in volunteering with the NetRoots Nation conference on Wednesday, August 12 to help prepare welcome packets. If you can help welcome 2,000+ progressive bloggers to Pittsburgh, please let me know.
The Women and Girls Foundation is sponsoring a candlelight vigil tomorrow (Thursday).
The Women and Girls Foundation is organizing a candlelight vigil to be held in the portico of the City-County Building in Downtown, Pittsburgh, Thursday August 6th at 5:30pm to offer support and non-denominational prayers to the victims and families of the Collier Shooting.
?We are organizing this vigil so that we can join together as a community to send collective prayers to the families of the women who were killed and the women who are still in critical condition, as a result of this horrific and violent act against women,? said Executive Director Heather Arnet. ?From the murderer?s own blog and note, it is more than evident that the focus of his rage and violence was women. This vigil is intended to send strength and prayers to the families who are grieving and for those women and their families who are hoping to heal from this horrific event.?
All members of the community are encouraged and welcome to attend. Participating in the vigil will be representatives from the Women and Girls Foundation, local elected officials, the National Organization of Women, National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburghers Against Domestic Violence, local victims service agencies, and many other community organizations. All are welcome.
Also participating in the vigil will be members of Women and Girls Foundation?s Regional Change Agents, a diverse group of 15 teen girls and 15 adult women from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, who have come together to engage in civic advocacy in their communities to support women. The tragic events of Tuesday night have moved the Allegheny County team of Regional Change Agents to call attention to the inexcusable acts of violence against women within our community and beyond it.
Please help support WGF's efforts by passing this information to your friends and networks! For questions or more information, please contact WGF at 412.434.4883 or info@wgfpa.org .
