Maria and David were highlighted in a nice article in The Morning Call

''When someone says, 'Two plus two equals five,' I think it's my responsibility to say, 'Two plus two equals four, you idiot,''' [David] said.

Chris Potter has gone round the bend, perhaps due to reading too many rants about Pittsburgh driving habits.  I know he's got this whole young, hipsteresque, artsy street cred from editing the city's only alternative paper, but I think his white middle class male roots have reared their ugly head ....and he may be heading for membership in the Allegheny County Young Republicans Democrats.  They might even make him Deputy Chief White Guy.

In this week's column, Potter delves into the Thursday Morning Massacre to question the potential political motivations (and machinations) of former Chief of Staff BJ Leber and City Solicitor Susan Malie.  He concludes that both "sides" engaged in backroom politics, a fair conclusion.  But Potter goes one step further defending the Irish Mafia machinators against the label of "old boys network":

Except that Zober, whose appointment triggered this mess, is not a particularly old boy. He?s a 31-year-old professional, with a law degree and everything. Even some of my ?progressive? friends ? people who backed City Councilor Bill Peduto for mayor last year ? say Zober is a smart, decent guy. After years of whining about how Pittsburgh?s ?young people? are ignored, should we be outraged if one is poised to become deputy mayor?

Give me a freakin' break, Chris.  Only another young white heterosexual middle class male would possibly try to defend this as a young people issue.  There are hundreds of uber-qualified women, people of color, people with disabilities, people with same sex partners and so forth living in this region.  And we will NEVER have entree into the old boys network.  Zober may be the nicest guy in the world with all the qualifications one would desire in an appointed mayor, but its ludicrous to somehow distance him from the old boys network. If Zober were a chick, black or spoke with a funny accent, he would be safely tucked away somewhere on a semi-defunct advisory committee. 

Potters' column is a classic example of how far we have to go in the struggle for equal representation here in our fair city.  He claims we shouldn't have to choose between  having smart women and smart young people.  Yet all of his political columnists are white middle class heterosexual men. 

Frankly, I am tired of being reassured by white middle class heterosexual men that you have my best interests at heart.  Yet every time we turn around, more of your kind land the big jobs, the columns, the media slots, the appointments, etc.  God love all the progressive white men out there but you need to share some of your actual privilege with us. 

Next up, which white middle class guy will fill Alan Cox' slot on WQED's "Off Q"?  Wait and see ...

I think my brain is still on Chicago time.  Here are some interesting tidbits for your LGBTQ news ....

First, intrepid Post-Gazette columnist and all around ace-homosupportive dude Tony Norman contemplates Mel Gibson's homophobia in a little online chat vis a vis the PG.  Homophobe, anti-semite -- surprised?  Guess which one he's going to "repent" to save his career?  Let's just agree that his hairdresser shouldn't expect a mea culpa anytime soon ...

Yes, Mel is terribly sexist. He's definitely homophobic. Remember an interview he gave to Playboy roughly 10 years ago or so in which he went on and on about being mistaken for "gay" simply because he's an actor? What hogwash! He went out of his way to say "Hey, I don't walk like them. I don't have a limp wrist like those guys and I'm macho." When told he was hurting the feelings of his gay fans, he responded with a profanity or two or three. It was pure Mel. I don't know if he was overcompensating, but he was definitely expressing some less than charitable feelings for a whole segment of movie ticket buyers.

Moving west to the Ohio/Kentucky border, the Creation Museum just received a $1 million donation.  Creation museum, you ask?  Yes, lezzies and queers, you and your beloved will soon take a guided tour through biblical history. (h/t Pam's House Blend) 

The Creation Museum is a 55,000-square-foot center that will take future visitors on a walk through the history of the Bible. They will be treated to animatronic dinosaurs, a planetarium (nearly finished), a special effects theater, 55 videos and high-tech, family-friendly exhibits that will show that the Bible, including its creation account, is the true history of the world. It will also present the gospel in many parts of the museum.

Be sure to visit the Mel Gibson snack bar.  Rumor has it that they will have a live-action reeducation camp panorama so visitors can witness firsthand the salvation of the homosexuals who renounce their filthy ways.  There will also be plenty of nearby hotels for those who feel compelled to exorcise/exercise those filthy ways. 

Moving on .... the spokesman for the National Republica Senatorial Committee is <gasp> - a flaming queer!  Mike Rogers has the whole scoop on Brian Walters and his self-loathing attacks on Pittsburgh's very own Steel-City Stonewall Democrats.

And, finally, San Diego police have arrested three men in connection with a gay bashing incident involving a group of gay men leaving the local Pride celebration this past weekend.  The attackers wielded a baseball bat and knives, injuring one man so seriously that he made need facial reconstruction surgery.  Average age of the assailants?  15.

Shakespeare's Sister has a great post up on recent violence against the LGBTQ community and the ensuing lack of coverage in the mainstream media (h/t Pam's House Blend)

It seems that the MSM is more intent on manufacturing "epidemics" that affect the average yinzer than covering actual violence being intentionally perpetuated on a specific class of persons.

How little it takes to whip up the media into an exploitative frenzy, all in the name of ?protecting? us. How little it takes to move our Congress to pay attention to an issue and pass legislation to ?protect? us. (Which is, of course, ever an excuse to limit our rights, but they nonetheless claim it?s about ?protection.?) One or two incidents, or, sometimes, just an imaginary scenario of what might happen. That?s all it takes.

But in the course of two months, there have been at least six vicious attacks on the LGBT community, and the media is silent. And Congress, well, they were pushing for an amendment to deny equal rights to same-sex couples. Their focus was ?protecting the sanctity of marriage.? They?re more concerned with protecting an institution, an abstract concept, than protecting people.

When churches throughout the South were being burned, it was national news. When a hate crime at Seattle?s Jewish Federation claimed the life of someone the other day, it was national news. And it should have been, in both cases. But an epidemic of hatred against the LGBT community in this country is not garnering the same attention?even as Congress pursues discriminatory legislation and courts are ruling against challengers to marriage inequality.

Think there?s a correlation?

The anti-gay hysteria that?s leading to an epidemic of hate crimes against the LGBT community is constantly being inflamed by the GOP?s use of gay rights as a wedge issue, their use of anti-gay rhetoric, their exploitation of anti-gay sentiment. And even with people being attacked and their homes being burned, the Dems can?t be arsed to take a bloody principled stand. And the media doesn?t care. They?ve finally got a real epidemic on their hands and it?s utter silence.

Does our local media care?  The PG gives us a reasonable amount of gay positive stories on a range of social, political, religious, cultural issues etc.  Talk show hosts John McIntire on KDKA and Lynn Cullen on WPTT give ample coverage to LGBTQ community issues.  

But the PG rarely covers national issues or pulls these items from the AP (if they make it there).  It does seem like we get caught up in the gay marriage or gay ordination issues and lose track of the very real violence we face on a day to day level.  And no one locally has taken a critical look at the impact of the GOP fueled anti-gay hysteria.  I wonder if the media sat down and talked with Betty Hill at Persad or Jim Fischerkeller with the GLBT phone line or the Pittsburgh Transgender Support Group or the Thomas Merton Center or GLSEN, if there is a hint of consequences from the ongoing anti-LGBTQ assault vis a vis the rethuglicans?

I just returned from a weekend in Chicago which required a long drive through Ohio and Indiana.  How sad that I have to censor myself in an Ohio rest stop because the homophobia emanating from that state makes me wary of a confrontation if someone discerns that Ledcat and I are a couple.  Do you know what that feels like, to have to make sure I don't accidentally say "honey" or don't touch her in a way that betrays our relationship?  While I doubt we'll get jumped in the restrooms, who wants to be called a fucking dyke or worse on their vacation?  It makes Pittsburgh look positively progressive in comparison (before the Irish mafia takeover).   

First, the exciting news.  John Stamos will play a wedding planner who is gay in the upcoming A&E movie "Wedding Wars" due to air this winter.  In the movie, Stamos' character boycotts his brother's wedding b/c his brother's boss and future father in law is a governor who opposes marriage equality.  Hilarity ensues as an important point about tolerance and equality is made. Plus, thousands of gay and bisexual men can fantasize about marrying John Stamos. (h/t Good as You)

Another amusing must-view is a video parody GAY put together around Fred Phelps and his merry bunch of phelpsians.  Rather than telling us "You are are going to hell"  GAY informs us "You are going to HELENA"   (another h/t to Good as You).  On a related matter, the Phelpsians were fined $5,000 for wasting police protection when they didn't show up for a funeral protest in Michigan.  Fred's whacky daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper told the press that the Holy Ghost told them to stay home and they would throw any citations in the trash can.

In an important note, a federal court has ruled that the White County, Georgia School Board must allow a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) to meet.  The School Board had previously decided to disallow any extracurricular group, but those groups continued to meet.  The ACLU pursued the matter.  (h/t PageOneQ).  Here's a great quote from one the student plaintiffs:

"This has been the best civics lesson ever," said Kerry Pacer, one of the founders of the student group said in the ACLU statement, "I couldn't believe the school was so unfair to us when all we wanted to do was to try to address the violence and harassment against gay students. I'm relieved that the court is going to make the school let us meet."

You tell 'em, Kerry.  Kerry is my mother's name so I'm especially fond of young person Pacer.  Good for you for sticking up for your rights.

In the tolerance twist you knew was overdue, homo vacationeers in Provincetown are accused of making slurs against heterosexuals and Jamaicans.  Police received numerous complaints that people were being called "breeders."  One woman reported being verbally accosted after it came to light she signed an anti-gay marriage petition.  She was called a bigot.

She IS a bigot.  She chose to sign a petition that discriminates against her neighbors. Should they just accept that quietly?  I'm not saying they should target her or act out, but calling her what she is seems acceptable to me.  Her priest acknowledges that signing the petition would lead to repercussions, but called this a "dramatic experience"  Puh-lease.  Try having your brother deny you access to his kids b/c you are queer.  That's dramatic.  Try losing your job b/c you are gay.  That's dramatic.  Try having to control your simple desire to hold your partner's hand to avoid being harassed.  That's dramatic. 

Now the incidents with Jamaican residents is different.  They attribute the increased intolerance to the looming debate over immigration and I'd agree that's very likely.  Guess what homos?  Not all Jamaican's are anti-gay.  Don't be fueled by the Ricky/George rhetoric on immigration. 

Bigotry is as bigotry does.

OK, this lady I don't get.  Helen Gricks of Ross, a self-described Republican and Evangelical Christian, writes to the Post-Gazette about  her decision not to attend the upcoming Dixie Chicks concert in Pittsburgh. 

 My son and I would like nothing more than to go to the upcoming concert, especially with so many great seats still available. However, I don't want to go to a political rally, and I'm afraid that it will turn into one. I don't agree with their politics, but I do like the music. That's why people are buying the CD but not concert tickets.

To catch you up, the Chicks are coming to Pittsburgh at the end of the month (we have tickets!) and ticket sales have been reportedly slow.  

What's interesting about Helen's perspective is that she basically wants the Chicks to perform for her, to entertain her but not bother her with those pesky politics of theirs.  I'm guessing Helen hasn't really LISTENED to the new album (or bothered to read the liner notes) or she might note a striking parallel with the second stanza to "Not Ready to Make Nice"

I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing

Or my life will be over

It seems to be that Helen wants the same thing --- shut up and sing for crying out loud.  Yes, Helen wants the Chicks to crawl back into the nice comfortable "girl-singer" mode so they can entertain the men without creating all that stupid thinking and whatnot.  More precisely, Helen wants them to shut and sing so SHE can remain in her little delusional land where Jesus and W have got her back. 

If some right-wing loonie hypocrite like Toby Keith comes to town, wraps himself up in the flag he won't enlist to defend, and sings about killing Saddam Hussein ... will you object to him being "political" Helen? 

But wait ... here's the really interesting part .... guess who is an old college buddy of Helen?   That would be US Representative Melissa Hart.  And the right-wing apologist herself, Ruth Ann Dailey,  wrote a fawning column about Grick and her home-schooling buddies hanging out with Melissa ("Missy"). 

If I do decide to go, I will wear a T-shirt that says: "I love Jesus, W and The Chicks!"

Well, guess what Helen?  Unlike your buddy Malicious Hart, the Dixie Chicks want you to have the freedom to wear that T-shirt.  They believe that the Constitution of the United States protects your freedom to dissent and that the First Amendment in particular gives you the the liberty to wear whatever political T-shirt you want, even if its unpopular. 

The Dixie Chicks respect your right to love Jesus and W along with them.   Too bad you can't afford them the same respect. 

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

LIFEBeat succumbed to outrage over plans to stage an AIDS benefit concert featuring openly homophobic dance hall performers Beenie Man and group TOK.  Concerns flew around the blogosphere this week as a large coalition of AIDS advocacy groups, LGBT organizations, members of the African-American community and countless others united in opposition to this incredibly stupid decision.

The concert was cancelled, but LIFEBeat had to take a few swipes at the protestors on the way out the door.  Cancelling the concert itself was like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but LIFEBeat claims they feared violence at the concert. 

Uh huh. And there's no possibility that violence could be ignited by a performer singing ...

Hang the gay woman/lesbian with a long piece of rope

I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays.

Take a Bazooka and kill gay-fucker

All faggots must be killed (no translation needed here)

We burn the gay man and then we burn the sodomtie

And everybody cry out, say, that?s right!

(Click here for Jasmyne Cannick's wonderful post on anti-gay dancehall lyrics)

Why, it is obvious the violence would be fueled by protestors objecting to hanging lesbians with rope.  What are we thinking? 

Why couldn't LIFEBeat invite performers who weren't advocating the murder of well, anyone?  Is that really so much to ask?  Surely there must be Caribbean performers who aren't down at the level. 

Under WTF?  A prominent AIDS group recruits two notorious homophobes to perform at benefit concert.  They would be reggae artists TOK and Beanie Man.  Why, you ask, Beanie Man sounds familiar?   Yes, he was supposed to perform at a 2004 show here in Pittsburgh at the Boardwalk.  Til yours truly made some calls to LGBTQ leaders and the Post-Gazette complaining.  In the wake of negative publicity, the show sponsors (Salem cigarettes) cancelled.   As you can imagine, homosexuals, AIDS activists and the African-American community are up in arms over this stupid decision by LIFEBeat to ignore the cadres of talented reggae artists and bring in these two bastards for an AIDS fundraiser.  Follow the link for the full story and details on how to voice your protest.

There's not a lot of loal LGBTQ activity of late as we all recuperate from the marriage amendment battle.   Plus your faithful correspondent has been struggling with allergies and is tired .... so here's a quick round up of some national stories of interest ...

Broward County, Florida school to admit a transgendered five year old and test their progressive policies.  This is a really piece of good news coming from the land of Jeb Bush (and Katharine Harris).

Under WTF?  AIDS group recruits two notorious homophobes to perform at benefit concert.  They would be reggae artists TOK and Beanie Man.  Why, you ask, Beanie Man sounds familiar?   Yes, he was supposed to perform at a 2004 show here in Pittsburgh at the Boardwalk.  Til yours truly made some calls to LGBTQ leaders and the Post-Gazette complaining.  In the wake of negative publicity, the show sponsors (Salem cigarettes) cancelled.   As you can imagine, homosexuals, AIDS activists and the African-American community are up in arms over this stupid decision by LIFEBeat to ignore the cadres of talented reggae artists and bring in these two pathetic clowns for an AIDS fundraiser.  Follow the link for the full story and details on how to voice your protest.

It has been awhile since we've run across some gay-themed letters to the editor in either the PG or the Trib.  Today, Amesh Adalja of Butler comes to our rescue with a little missive in the City Paper.  Adalja bemoans the hijacking of the Republican Party by the "cancerous growth" of the religious right.

The Republicans, increasingly suffused with the gospel of the Religious Right, have completely shattered any semblance of respect for individual rights to which they may stake claim.

Shout out to the non-hating Republicans in Butler County! Kudos for acknowledging that not all Republicans are, well, Rethuglicans.  Take back your party damnit!  Take back your churches, too! 

While we are on the topic of the City Paper, I must sadly note the demise of the "Rant" feature.  Editor Chris Potter discussed this decision on a recent appearance on the John McIntire show on KDKA (see McIntire blog www.macyapper.com).  Apparently, they got sick of rants about Pittsburgh drivers and the like. 

The CP archives indicate that there have been 287 rants.  Number 284 featured my personal anti-PennDOT ramblings.  And while we are on the topic, I must tell you that I am completely disillusioned with the political/citizens activist thing.  NO ONE was willing or able to stand up to PennDOT and the fact that I kept being pushy and obnoxious about wanting them to maintain their property made me person non gratis.  It was only when the All-Star game drew near that Mayor O'Connor's office helped.  But at least they helped not only get it cut, but a commitment to keep it cut. 

Back to the Rant.  I enjoyed it, but it certainly did seem a bit repetitive at times.  Now it would be GREAT if the City Paper would fill that space with the voice of a columnist who is not a white, heterosexual, middle-class man.  God Bless Marty, John and Chris and their progressive, nay liberal ideals.  But Pittsburgh's alternative culture is filled with a multitude of people of color, females, gays, working class, disabled, etc.  We have ideas, too!  Good ones.  Ideas with multisyllabic words.  Ideas festooned with purpose, meaning and a liberal dash of snarkery. 

For crying out loud ... you can't shake a stick in Pittsburgh without knocking over a white, middle-class, heterosexual writer/columnist or writer/columnist wanna be.  You want a fresh rant  -- give voice to the rest of us.