It is Freedom to Marry week and nearly 30 people showed in Harrisburg in support of SB 935 which would legalize same sex marriage in Pennsylvania. 30 is pretty impressive considering the weather.

Ha.

Sponsor Daylin Leach:

Now this legislation has 3 cosponsors.  3. 

I am not a proponent of pushing for marriage equality in Pennsylvania.  That doesn't make me an incrementalist because I do believe SW PA Democrats are ridiculous panderers to fear mongering bigots when it comes to civil rights for the LGBTQ community.  Granting domestic partner benefits is about fairness and equality.  I'm realistic enough to know that marriage legislation ignites the bigotry and sends quasi-Democrats even further away from their values (or closer to their real values?). Hence, the lack of domestic partner benefits.  Fear.  Caving into bigotry. Missing the point.

Still, I applaud 30 people for turning out on a miserable day to stand up for equality. 

Well, I'll Towleroad fill you in ...

West Virginia delegates are considering a "drastic" parliamentary move to discharge a bill from committee that would allow debate on a measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage:

"Bi-partisan support of the so-called marriage protection amendment includes the majority leader as well as minority leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha. He?s one of several delegates becoming frustrated over what he feels are stall tactics to keep the amendment from leaving committee. 'A number of states throughout the country have recognized homosexual marriage and we think we need a safeguard to keep that from happening here and we think the people of West Virginia want that safeguard, so there?s a frustration out there, and we think it should be brought to the House and debated,' said Armstead."

Here's an interesting tidbit from WV Public Radio:

Bi-partisan support of the so-called marriage protection amendment includes the majority leader as well as minority leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha.

Take note of that.  The Democrat leader of the House in West Virginia supports amending discrimination into their constitution. 

Thomas Waters has a thoughtful post about the potential for a similar amendment to make its way to the Senate Floor. 

SB 700  707 has bipartisan support.  Democrats Senator Musto (Carbon, Monroe and Luzerne counties) and Senator Kasunic (Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Somerset counties) are co-sponsors of this legislation. 

Is that cool with you?  If Democrats feel safe enough to cosponsor the legislation, more Democrats will safe enough to vote for it.  I bet you know someone in Kasunic's district.  Do you think they could pick up the phone on this snowy day and make a call? Phone calls matter. Let's break it down.

FAYETTE COUNTY
Townships: All
Boroughs: All

SOMERSET COUNTY
Townships: Addison, Allegheny, Black, Brothersvalley, Elk Lick, Fairhope, Greenville, Jefferson, Jenner, Larimer, Lincoln, Lower Turkeyfoot, Middlecreek, Milford, Northampton, Ogle, Paint, Quemahoning, Somerset, Southampton, Stoneycreek, Summit and Upper Turkeyfoot
Boroughs: Addison, Berlin, Boswell, Callimont, Casselman, Confluence, Garrett, Hooversville, Indian Lake, Jennerstown, Meyersdale, New Baltimore, New Centerville, Rockwood, Salisbury, Seven Springs, Shanksville, Somerset, Stoystown, Ursina and Wellersburg;

WASHINGTON COUNTY
Boroughs: Allenport, California, Charleroi, Coal Center, Dunlevy, Elco, Roscoe, Speers and Stockdale

You and your family/friends can call his district office at 724-626-1611.  Just tell him that you don't want to amend the Constitution to include discrimination and then mention ANY ISSUE you'd prefer he focus on -- jobs, health care, senior services, roads, public transportation, education, etc.  Just give him a reason to put his energy into something else.

Review the list, check it twice, and call your folks in these areas.  I know we have gay folks in Uniontown which is Fayette County.  Let's kick this up a notch.

Discrimination is NOT ACCEPTABLE from Democrat Leadership. This is why the inch-by-inch approach you Onorato supporters keep crowing about is holding us down. We need forward momentum (aka progress) not incremental "tolerance" from our next Governor. 

Well, I've been able to get out for work purposes, but Ledcat and I are both struggling with some cabin fever.  Don't get me wrong -- we are so very grateful that our power never failed us and that we managed to dig the vehicles out with some assistance from our neighbors. 

Note:  one real test of a relationship is reconciling different "plans" for desnowing a car.  Then two middle-aged women squabbling about how much of a shovelful is too much just adds to the fun.  Especially when one (moi) has a cold that has kept her in bed for 12 hours at a time. 

Fortunately, we survived and our relationship is stronger than ever.  Well, it better be because Ledcat's car ain't going nowhere for a few days and I have 4wd.  Ha.  I wonder when she'll read this?

Anyway, we've both been home from work (one non-essential City employee and one social worker at a closed agency).  I've been on the phone for hours upon hours addressing site issues and I have to say that I am so impressed with how much effort my team has put into getting to work.  If anyone deserves a big hand, it is someone who sleeps on a hard floor so they don't miss their shift or someone who walks from the Hill District to Oakland (and that means back up a big hill to get home at the end of the shift). The rest of us need to pick up the slack when we get back. 

Speaking of work, I made a grocery run for the sites yesterday.  Took me 25 minutes to get to the local Giant Eagle and then over an hour in the store simply  because I had to backtrack down each aisle to avoid the check out lines.  The frozen pizza section was almost wiped clean (I took the last 6 pizzas for my team in case they remained stuck).  The soda aisle also wiped clean (I snagged a few 12 packs of ginger ale to treat said cold).  Milk was well stocked along with eggs, toilet paper and cereal.  I'm glad the essentials are getting through for delivery. Cat food was also pretty low (at least the fancy schmancy flavors our spoiled felines like). 

Roads weren't too bad until I hit Oakland .... wow.  So terrible.  The Boulevard was horrible and it took me 30 minutes to go three blocks ON TUESDAY because the side streets weren't touched.  I had to back all the way down a street (being pursued by a mail truck) and finally go down the wrong way of a one way street to get near the office to drop off groceries.  Then I traveled to the other site, off Bates, and it was also terrible.  I finally stopped in the middle of the street to unload because horrible parked cars and mounds of snow kept me from the driveway ... it was beckoning me like a well shoveled light in the horrible dark, but alas, not for me.  So staff unloaded and I resisted the urge to scream at people honking at me. 

I came home down Bates and through town.  Town was terrible, too.  I was so happy to get onto the Ft. Duquesne Bridge (state road) that I almost didn't exit 279.  LOL.  We braved a bit more and stopped by Hoi Polloi for lunch.  We had hoped for crowds so we could feel normal, but it was pretty much just us and Christopher. I found an untouched patch of snow and just plowed right through to park.  Then we came home to stare at each other for the rest of the day.  LOL. Seriously, I did another round of shoveling ... I have my "shoveling jeans" in the kitchen so I can just hang them up to dry and then slip them on to head back out.  Then homemade chicken soup and I curled up with a book called "Snow" which is very dreary and makes me appreciate 1) this snow and 2) not being born in a remote part of the world where electricity is a luxury. 

Here's the intersection of North Avenue and Chateau at 9 AM Wednesday.  Neither has been touched by a plow, just tire tracks.

Right now the only problem for us is the wind.  Each time I let the woofers out, a huge gust of snow blows into the kitchen.  Having trouble convincing them to stay outside long enough to take care of business unless I go out with them. I prefer to stand at the kitchen door, making encouraging gestures through the window.  It isn't working. 

So let me get on with the blogging ...

Shamelessly stolen from the Post-Gazette (no paper since Friday so I think I'm entitled) ...