The trial challening California's Proposition 8 is underway. While the video is on hold pending a Supreme Court review, you can follow it pretty well on Twitter using hashtag #Prop8.
Potter has the latest take on the Prevailing Wage legislation. My new City Councilperson, Daniel Lavelle, is the latest cosponsor. From a queer perspective, very important local discussion to watch ... remember, economic issues are often at the top of the list for our families. Hand in hand is my attempt to discern the "gay friendliness" of local unions. I'm not making much headway in that regard, BUT I am trying. I'm especially intrigued by the County employee unions ... where do they stand? Kevin McCarthy, what say you?
In other local news, one of our strongest allies (and still relevant) City Councilman Bill Peduto has brought Pittsburgh City Council into the 21st Century. Meanwhile, one of our strongest (and still relevant) leaders, City Councilman Bruce Kraus, is tackling the nuisance that is the Southside strip o'bars AND endorsing Congressman Joe Sestak for Congress. The progressive goodness does my heart good. Plus, I'd love to stroll the Southside post-Cambodican dinner without tripping over drunken Duquesne University honor roll students (aka future "good Catholic" community leaders).
A good read (what isn't, really?) from Pittsblog 2.0 on the future of Pittsburgh's leadership. Note the hopeful note for diversity.
Cyril Wecht for Governor? What? KDKA just said it. Did she just go there again?
Paul McKrell, State House Rep hopeful - again, has moved - again. Yes, he's left Facebook in the largest Burgh "unfriending" in recent history, but the ever popular McKrell's social media savy move may pay off.
Local gay news? The Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee is having a sit down with their "LGBT Leadership" designees (including yours truly - must be the Xena video) sometime in February. I'm sure looking forward to seeing City Councilman Bruce Kraus there. They wouldn't dare not invite him, would they? I mean ... we are moving forward in the spirit of cooperation, right? Left?
I'm off to the Steel City Stonewall meeting tonight at Panera Bread in Oakland. Hope to see you there.
A few of you probably know that I'm wrapping up the Comet after a mere three years -- so the idea that Sue has been blogging for four and is still working with a full head of steam is just mind-blowing to me. Mind-blowing and impressive. One thing I can salute Sue for is that the quality here has stayed remarkably consistent -- consistently high and thoughtful.
The Burghosphere would get along okay without most any of the individual blogs, but I honestly don't think it could without this one. It just adds so much more in the way of meaning and purpose. I would not have had the courage to write about GLBT issues to the extent that I have without taking advantage of this blog as a reference, and for that I am grateful.
For example -- did you know that there are political subdivisions in our gay community? IT'S TRUE! I know that seems like a banal observation -- for how could it be otherwise -- but it's something I never would have fully appreciated without this window. In fact the political and socioeconomic divides perfectly mirror the ones in the broader community -- and without getting into too much detail, observing how they play out on these issues has been a very illuminating way to notice what's going on everywhere else.
I also subscribe to Sue's twitter feed, and we exchange e-mails and what have you. Once in a while I do feel like groaning ... "Jeez, Sue, not everything is a gay emergency!" Then before too long I step back and remember -- you all are not in possession of your full compliment of civil rights, are you? Not exactly fully and equally protected under the law? Then I am reminded -- yes, these are not boutique issues, this is not just another ornament on the tree of pet causes. This is my brothers' and sisters' very lives. This is the struggle we are due to see won in our lifetimes. This deserves all the energy and attention a talented volunteer can give it and more. I honestly feel sorry for cities and regions that don't have somebody like Sue.
I don't want to take up too much more space here, but one thing I want to add is that one of my favorite memories of blogging was Blog for Equality Day. That was Sue's idea, and it was the only time the Burghosphere got together around a cause and pulled off a little stunt. We should do more of it. Behind the scenes, Sue has always been a voice of organization in the wider blogging community and I'm grateful for her contributions and for her friendship. More than anything, I look forward to another four years of reading her, and to continued victories for freedom and love in Pittsburgh.
I honestly think Blog for Equality (2008) was Bram's idea, but it *was* fun and I'd love to see something like that happen again. Bram is author of The Pittsburgh Comet which came into existence a few weeks before the Burghosphere gave birth to our blog. He's an important ally and a voice that will be missed. I think his very humbling praise reflects the importance of local blogs, LGBTQ and otherwise --- we translate the national issues down to the local community and then project local issues onto the national radar. We aren't the only ones, but we do tend to be a big dogged. Along the way, we are fortunate enough to attract the attention of allies like Bram, Maria, and others who take the "gay emergency" ball and run back to the straight community with it.
Looks like we need to bring back Blog for Equality 2010. Trademark Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents (ha).
ps: Xena + Gabrielle + Holding Out For a Hero = best (and most likely to cause eye rolling) compliment evah
I must say that Utah and the Mormons are a very interesting lot. This from the Post-Gazette:
State Rep. Christine Johnson will serve an additional role when the Utah Legislature convenes this month. The lesbian lawmaker announced she's a surrogate mother, carrying a baby for two gay men.
Ms. Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, said she decided to become artificially impregnated with sperm from one of the men after the two close friends expressed frustration over the difficulty of adopting a child.
Utah law prohibits unmarried couples from adopting and does not recognize gay marriage.
Ms. Johnson, 41, who has a 17-year-old daughter from a two-year marriage, is four months pregnant and expecting on June 21.
Now, that's an interesting public stance for an elected official ... pretty gutsy to take on what might be perceived as a controversial step in your personal life while serving in office. According to the story, however, her colleagues aren't responding with the xtian outrage one might expect.
Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said he thinks having both a mother and father in the home "is the optimum, and what every baby deserves."
But he added: "I do respect any woman who will carry and bear a child for a childless couple ... It's my responsibility to show respect and love for one of God's daughters."
House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara, also a Mormon, agrees. "At the end of the day, it's the gift of life" that is important, he said.
Interesting. Does this mean state law, which essentially forbids LGBT persons from adopting, is the "optimum" standard? I'm not sure that is the role of law -- to set the bar high, especially when it denies children families that meet all the criteria for health, welfare, safety and love with the exception of marriage.
While I'm glad her colleagues across the aisle are respectful, it is actually sad that a couple who wished to provide a home for an existing child, must instead bring a new life into the world because of state adoption laws. I think Speaker Clark's sentiments might ring a little more true if "the gift of life" extended to children who are waiting to be adopted as well as the uborn fetus.
However, Representative Johnson appears to be unabashed about her belief that her gay male friends will be good parents and willing to put her own life on hold (and risk her career) to support them. That's quite laudable. Perhaps her access to the lawmaking realm with educate her colleagues and help them address the legal ban on adoptions.
For the record, second parent adoptions are legal in Pennsylvania.
Marriage equality dealt another blow in New Jersey when the NJ Senate votes down the bill. Please, please don't let this issue drive PA in 2010. Please.
The Mayor plans to introduce rules which would expand his "zero tolerance" approach to domestic violence to the entire City workforce, not just the police.
One of my main duties as mayor is to make sure that residents feel safe in the presence of all city employees, be it an officer, a Citiparks employee, a school crossing guard, a firefighter, or a snowplow truck operator," Mr. Ravenstahl said.
Mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven said rules for all city employees would be somewhat different from those applied to police, since other employees don't carry guns or investigate crimes. The mayor will consult with unions and then mandate the new policy by executive order starting later this month, and will ask City Council to make it an ordinance
The response in the blogosphere has been tepid and skeptical. I'm sort of shaking my head. It is all strange.
The Post-Gazette obituary for a local attorney references his anti-gay beliefs which is ... inappropriate, I think? Or was it important enough to highlight who he was in life?
In one from February, he took offense at Hollywood stars, who he said used the Academy Awards as a "platform for their far-left political and social agenda."
"During this year's ceremony, Bill Maher blasphemed God and insulted millions of viewers who worship God by saying that our creator is 'silly,' " he wrote. "Sean Penn then compounded the insults by stating that the millions of Californians who voted for the gay marriage ban (a ban which has been approved in every state in which it has been voted upon) had brought 'shame' upon their children and grandchildren.
"These instances illustrate how liberals, who love to preach tolerance, actually are themselves among the most intolerant of people, and have no regard for the feelings and sensitivities of those who disagree with them."
How sad that your exit from this world includes highlights from putting down people. How also sad that he felt more indignant about Sean Penn's words than the long litany of hate lobbied at the gay community.
What are you doing on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 7 PM?
You could be part of planning to make a big ole LGBTQ political whallop during Pride month ... remember when Pride was an activist event in and of itself? Just the act of standing next to other queer identified people in a public venue was incredibly political (ask Uguanda and Nigeria).
If you'd like to see a Pride themed political rallyt which includes your point of view, doesn't it make sense to get involved in the planning so you have the best opportunity to shape the dialogue?
Competing agendas will be at the table. I don't just mean those who apologize/defend Onorato-Ravenstahl and those who don't (ha ha). I mean those who think marriage is the goal and those who want to shore up hate crimes and those who need to remind us that AIDS is killing our brothers and sisters and underfunded. The value of working together to organize an event is the ability to shape the event agenda to be as inclusive (and interesting) as possible.
(I'm going to pass out "name dropping" bingo cards at the door just to keep the meeting interesting! Kidding)
937 Liberty Avenue, 3rd Floor Downtown 7-9 PM.
Yes, I know you have children, commitments, work schedules, early busses, volleyball, etc. But this is important. The County Anti-Discrimination ordinance would not have passed without both a strong coalition of organizers and a strong community response.
It has been suggested to me that the Post-Gazette and other local media sources are weak on coverage of LGBTQ stories, suggested that this is conventional wisdom. I disagree. While our local media needs improvement, the PG is particularly attentive to LGBTQ issues. I suspect the issue is that the local media doesn't act as a PR vehicle for LGBTQ events rather than coverage of LGBTQ issues. I don't see that as a problem. There isn't a single local group that has effective PR resources (believe me, I am often promised press materials that never materialize). It is a growing pain.
They picked this up off the wire (or whatever serves to bring in national tidbits these days).
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island lawmakers voted yesterday to allow same-sex and unmarried couples the right to plan the funerals of their late partners, overriding a veto by the governor, who warned it eroded traditional marriage.
The bill passed 67-3 in the House and 31-3 in the Senate, and enjoyed support from several Republican lawmakers, who in the same party as Gov. Don Carcieri, an adamant opponent of same-sex marriage in a state that does not recognize gay unions.
The new funeral planning rights also apply to unmarried heterosexual couples
Ah, the erosion of traditional marriages extends into eternity. I wonder if Governor's Carcieri's version of religion passes out virgins to dead defenders of marriage?
Equality Advocates PA goes through another leadership change with the resignation of EX Lynn Zeitlin after one year. Zeitlin isn't leaving for some specified opportunity and a replacement hasn't been identified so we can only imagine what has been going on. The LGBTQ community has zero attention for organizing infrastructure when it comes to advocacy which really hurts us. Yet, it is hard to donate to an organization that is out of touch with Pittsburgh. This literally leaves us at the mercy of those who play Western PA political/Democrat ball which is an unsettling place to be. Even if their hearts are in the right places, the fact that it is January 6, 2010 and there are no domestic partner benefits for Allegheny County employees shows that they just don't quite have the muscle we need to be significant players. I don't think we'd be well served by continuing to pay obeisance to that approach.
We need a dedicated organizer and to get that, we need to get behind an organization that can unite fractured organizations as well as truly represent the diversity that is the LGBTQ community Pittsburgh.
????
More from the PG on the Uguandan death penalty bill.
It is just hard to know where to focus. KDKA on-air staff need GLAAD media training. The Trib actually managing to pull off any positive coverage is just amazing. Those national investments aren't going to come to Pittsburgh if we continue to struggle with the advocacy leadership vacuum.
Brrrr... I'm meeting with someone from the Pride Committee today to chat about their plans for 2010. It is very nice to think about Pride aka June on a day like this. I like days that lead to snuggling on the couch with a book, but not to going outside for errands. Unfortunately, I need to buy dog food for the woofers.
I'm also thinking about a Wii Fit Plus. I get a health stipend at work and I have a gift card so it seems like a good idea. Anyone have one?
Not much happening in Pittsburgh's LGBT community this week. The biggest item of interest will be Monday's election of a City Council President. Conventional wisdom says it boils down to Ricky Burgess and Bill Peduto. Some LGBT persons mistakenly think Burgess is anti-gay; I think he's just less gay friendly. Still, Peduto is my choice. Burgess has not completed an actual term on Council which makes him less experiences to be the second in command of the City. Peduto has the experience, both as a staffer and a Councilperson. He's capable of assuming leadership should Ravenstahl aspire to run for County Executive in the middle of his term. Peduto is a smart, capable man with proven leadership experience. He's certainly well-versed in local politics, including finance matters and has proven to be open-minded and fair.
Bilerico has the top ten LGBT stories of 2009. (I'm already saying Twenty-Oh-Nine!). Top of the list? The passage of federal Hate Crimes legislation. Keep this in mind LGBT burghers. 'Nother reason for you to join Steel City Stonewall Democrats. Yeah, I keep going there. Cause it matters to your family. Seriously.
My Dad joined Facebook. We were over there for the New Year pork/saurkraut meal and I loved his little "Dad cave" in the basement with computer and small television, where he is joined by the two cats and dog. I am counting the days until he is on Mafia wars. Or his niece Meggie gets him into Fishville. Either way, I predict my mother will be mad at me.
Glad to see MSM coverage of a custody/kidnap case involving lesbians. Ex-gay Lisa Miller has engaged in cat and mouse antics for years involving sharing custody of her daughter with her former partner. You know, the girl's other parent. She's gone AWOL, but the state isn't yet considering this a kidnap situation, but rather a civil matter. I hope the resources are in place to find this child so she doesn't end up in Brazil and seriously damaged by protracted custody battles. Lots of people deal with custody issues when they don't approve of their co-parent's lives. You deal with it for the sake of your child. So sad.
Have I written about yoga at the GLCC? Sundays 4:30 - 5:30 at the GLCC. I should really give it a try today because I woke up this morning with my arm extended straight out from the side of the bed (parallel to floor) which has left me with a strange muscle issue thingy going on. Not sure why I was sleeping like that, but my last dream remnant involved teaming up with Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle to infiltrate Christian oppressors keeping the gays hostage in our world on the first floor of the Southside Works cinema. Do you think seeing Avatar impacted my subconcsious?
Speaking of books, I'm in the midst of Brian O'Neill's "Paris of Appalachia" right now. Ledcat had him autograph a copy for me (i'm blushing) and it is a real gem. I have it on my nightstand to ease me into the night and my only sadness is that it will inevitably end. Ledcat is excited that she'll have a chance to read it then. I am a bookie and true black/gold Pittsburgher, but I can't quite capture how much I love this book. I will have to get a copy for my Dad's birthday. OK, enough. I love you Brian. There I've said it. You make me happy to live on the Northside, even if my drug dealing neighbor's friends menaced me today. I can deal with it!
Well, that's it for now, kids. Busy week ahead. But, tonight, Ledcat makes me a homemade meal and I don't have to wrestle 87 bags of recycling to the curb. Its gonna be a good night.
The Philly Gay News has named former Executive Director of the William Way LGBT Community Center, 'Dolph Ward, as Person of the Year.
The GLCC has copies of the Philly Gay News on hand if you want to read it. You can also follow on Facebook for updates.
So many thing about this story show how far Pittsburgh's LGBT community has to grow -- the Community Center includes the whole community in their name, they have paid staff -- they have a person of the year!
