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View Article  Hypocrites & bigots

Some random notes...Rep. Randy Cunningham's loot came on the auction block last week. You remember Randy? The gentleman who ranted about the evils of gay people but then accepted bribes. The last time I checked, stealing was a big one in the ten commandments, but, uh...being gay ...WAS NOT.

Also, some observations about who might vote to take away gay folks right to marry. The pigeon sniper. The man who was seen walking on the roofs with an air rifle that looked like an assault rifle? Shooting piegeons. The person who locked down Pittsburgh for several hours and then, incredibly, tottered back to Fayette County. He can marry. He can breed. And they say gay people are a threat to society?

Finally, I attended the ACLU's annual meeting on Sunday and heard Randy Forrester speak. Seems among urban gays there's still a complacency about gay rights. A belief that being gay is becoming routine. Accepted. Let me say this, and not as eloquently as Mr. Forrester. The religious right, the self-righteous hypocrites that they may be, are coming after you. They don't like you. They want to establish a theocracy and, guess what? It won't include you. So wise up and get your head out of the sand.

Finally, I am also amused about the religious right's collective panties in a knot about the Afghanistan Christian that the Afghanistan government wants to execute. Bush came into that country and a "democratically" elected government was established. And this same government wants to execute this man. Not that I agree, but what did they expect? There also going after women and...gay people but you don't hear the focus on the family squawking about that, do you?

 

View Article  Catherine Specter: Hypocrites Shouldn't Point Fingers

   This week, I found Catty's advice to be fairly benign.  She does still deliver a healthy dose of hypocrisy along with a rather nasty scratch at a reader.  Overall, she continues to fall far short of the bar set by the advice goddesses, Ann and Abby.  How much longer will the Post-Gazette force us to endure her clumsy attempts to channel Sex in the City? 

Note to PG:  Sex in the City is off the air.  If you want to deliver a saucy pop-culture influenced dose of advice, find us an Earl or a Dwight Schrute. 

Correspondent's Call:  When she writes " Why should it be the right of a self-selected group of people to determine the proper attire at a social function,"  Catty should take a long hard look back at her comments on the proper attire for women to wear on dates.  I guess it is different for someone paid by the PG to dish out obnoxious advice. 

 

View Article  No particular reason to post this except its kinda cool
View Article  Cat Specter: Good girls don't challenge racism

I'm not a fan of Catherine Specter's alleged advice column in the Post-Gazette.  In fact, I'm secretly convinced she was planted by the Mellon-Scaife contingent to subtly shift PG readers back to "when men were men and girls were girls."  Her advice has mostly been ridiculous and demeaning.

Today, however, she took herself to a new low endorsing silence in the face of overt racism for the sake of self-preservation.  The question stemmed from a renter whose landlord made racist comments about other (african American) tenants.  Her question:


Question:  I don't feel right paying money to someone with those values, but I have a lease. Can you put my mind at ease until I can move out?

Cat's Response: Of course you kept your mouth shut; otherwise next week you'd have no heat. It seems callous, but there's a reason people separate business from personal matters. Look, for all you know your dry cleaner is a bigot, but he presses a shirt like nobody's business. Would you still go there if you knew? No, but only because you have the choice. You don't have that option when you're bound by a lease.

Cat's Call: Stay cool, remain friendly with your neighbors, and hightail it outta there when you get the chance.


Apparently, Catty was too busy applying lip gloss to pay attention in history class.  Because guess what?  Silence is complicit endorsement.  This reader wants to feel better for not speaking out against injustice and racism.  She doesn't get a pass from me or any other reasonable person. 

Guess what Catty?  There are LAWS to protect people from racist landlords.  Including retaliation by turning off your heat.  There are resources right here in Pittsburgh that your reader could call if she felt the need ... Fair Housing Partnership which enforces fair housing laws is a good place to start.  So your argument for self-preservation is complete crap.

Catty, this woman wanted to rationalize remaining silent in the face of racism. You had the opportunity to provide a thoughtful answer to educate people on how to respond to overt racism.  You blew it by minimizing the real issue. 

In 2003, PG columnist  Tony Norman wrote this about Ms. Specter "She believes the burden of living a good life means acting generously, even when it's against her best interests."

I don't see it.

Pgh Lesbian Correspondent's Call:  Tony Norman's sabbatical cannot end soon enough. 

 

View Article  Gay Bingo This Weekend in Pittsburgh

 

Saturday March 4, 2006    6:30 PM

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