blue-style-canopy

Bless you Teddy

2008-05-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

My prayers go out to Ted Kennedy and his family.

Cancer sucks!

Maybe the liberal lion's brain tumor will compel this country to clean its environment and give its people quality affordable health care - two things Teddy worked so hard for.

What is Massachusetts going to do without him? He's probably the most famous senator ever and embodies what it means to be a successful Irish-American and to be a citizen of Massachusetts.

-Will this help Obama, a John Kennedyesqe figure for my generation?
-Will Massachusetts lose its clout?

I feel a light is dimming on Capitol Hill.

The Nun Theory

2008-03-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal has a new name for Hillary's strong performance among Catholics. They christened it 'the nun theory.'

The theory holds that Hill is doing so well with Catholics because we are familiar with strong female authority figures who can be both tough in their approach and specific in their remedy of social injustice. This fits in with my own feelings of Hillary that I shared here last summer.

In recent weeks I've actually attended mass a few times: both Roman Catholic and American Catholic. The latter is a liberal and gay-friendly Catholic denomination that is under no authority of Rome. The American Catholic community meets in an Episcopalian church in my hometown right across the street from the Roman Catholic parish where I was brought up and had my first communion and my confirmation. I'm not too religious, but you have to admit this is a pretty strange coincidence, especially in light of the fact that the first American Catholic mass I attended was at Northeastern University, not in the South Shore.

But back to HRC:

In a separate "Financial Times" article, Clive Crook had this to say about our own Iron Lady:

"If Mr Obama surges back in Pennsylvania, all this will be moot. If Mrs Clinton wins comfortably there, as the polls say she will, I would hesitate to bet against a Clinton-Obama ticket.

More than anything, this is a tribute to her titanic will to win. Here is the oddest thing about this peculiar race. Totting up the arithmetic, almost every political commentator in the US regards Mr Obama as the favourite to get the nomination – while harbouring, it seems to me, an inner conviction that Mrs Clinton will somehow find a way to steal it. You cannot imagine her giving up, short of being bound, gagged and sedated." [It's such a dark line, I couldn't help but laugh!]

I do hope Sister Hillary comes through. I just hope she doesn't rap Obama's knuckles in the process.

Discipline and flow

2008-03-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it's been a while.

First things first, I'm cancer-free and have been since late October 2007. Four and a half months later I find myself a full time secretary and part time gym bunny. Recently I've enrolled in a beginner's creative writing class at the BCAE (Boston Center for Adult Education) called "Getting Started." It's the perfect antidote to a late winter malaise. My professor, an old, Southie retired firefighter named Jack Canavan, is having us do homework inspired by Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." Namely:

1.) Write morning pages (3 pages of stream of consciousness a day).
2.) 30 minutes of "artist walking a day" (seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing the world around you).
3.) One date per week with your artist within (nice way to treat yourself).
4.) Read and become familiar with a little poetry.

It's good advice. A little 'discipline' applied each day doesn't make the word so crotchety. I'm not averse to 'discipline' but I do fancy the word 'flow.' Like a stream you have to let your creativity flow wherever it may wander. A flow is a stream's own discipline, an innate sense of its' own ways. Having 'discipline' however is having the humility to accept outside advice. I want both.

'Socialism,' the lackluster boogeyman

2007-10-12T03:54:00.000-07:00

I could not have written a better diatribe. This was reprinted from Real Clear Politics.

October 11, 2007

Why 'Socialism' Evokes No Fear

By Joe Conason

Once among the most frightening epithets in American political culture, "socialized medicine" seems to have lost its juju. Today that phrase sounds awfully dated, like a song on a gramophone or a mother-in-law joke or a John Birch Society rant against fluoridated water.
Yet despite that antique quality, the old buzzwords appear regularly in columns, press releases and speeches. Rudolph Giuliani, Mitt Romney and the rest of the Republican presidential pack run around squawking about socialism whenever anyone proposes health care reform. Syndicated columnist Robert Novak warns that the federally financed, state-run Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is essentially a socialist conspiracy. So does President Bush, who has threatened to veto a modest increase in that program's funding because he doesn't want to "federalize health care."

Although the red threat still triggers an autonomic reaction among GOP true believers, the rest of the country no longer twitches to that high-pitched, far-right whistle. Most polls not only show enormous majorities favoring extension of coverage to every child, but substantial support for a radical change in how we pay and administer health insurance -- including the possibility of a single-payer system.

Why doesn't the traditional propaganda work any more? Perhaps the demise of the Soviet Union and the withering of Communism in China have had a delayed effect on public attitudes here. Both the Russians and the Chinese have turned more capitalist than the West, abandoning their former systems without substituting modern protections. The ex-Communists are more of a threat to the health of their own societies than to us. Most Americans may also have noticed that corporate bureaucracy and corruption, which figure largely in the present health care system, are not preferable to government bureaucracy. Doctors who used to wail about the dangers of Medicare have learned how unpleasant it is to deal with dozens of insurance companies, each creating different rules to cut costs and deny care. So have their patients.
This corporate model is more expensive and less efficient than the government plans that provide care in every other industrialized nation.

And most Americans may have learned by now that such systems prevail in Western countries that aren't normally categorized as "socialist," including the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Canada, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. All these nations manage to provide their citizens with high living standards, industrial and technological innovation, and broad political and economic freedom, even after 50 years of national health insurance.
Meanwhile, the credibility of conservatives has diminished steadily. These days they cannot even achieve clarity on the meaning of their favorite cliches. For instance, the president hates "federalized health care," but sponsors a Medicare prescription drug program that wastes hundreds of billions on drug companies and private insurers. Right-wing definitions no longer seem so clear, either. When the government awards a billion dollars in sweetheart mercenary contracts to a wealthy Republican family in Michigan, that's "private enterprise." But when the government helps a struggling middle-class family in Maryland send its children to the doctor, that's creeping socialism.

Conservative ideology's declining relevance is again encouraging the politics of personal destruction. That must be why right-wing voices on the Internet, talk radio and the Fox News Channel have launched a nasty attack on the family of Graeme Frost, a 12-year-old Maryland boy who appeared in a Democratic radio commercial endorsing the SCHIP program. He and his younger sister, both victims of a terrible car accident that left the little girl with permanent brain damage, have both needed federal assistance because their parents were unable to afford private insurance. Certain conservative bloggers and pundits, seeking to prove that the Frost family is too affluent to qualify for SCHIP assistance, have harassed them, their neighbors and their co-workers. They have spread myths and lies about the family, their house and the schools that their children attend. And they have made repeated telephone calls to the Frost home, demanding answers to questions about their personal finances.

It doesn't seem to occur to any of these strict Christian moralists that the Frosts have enough trouble trying to care for their disabled daughter, or that the state of Maryland, under the SCHIP regulations, has determined that the Frost children are fully eligible for the help they obviously need. Let us not hear again from these mean-spirited people about "family values" or "compassionate conservatism."

Such is the devolution of conservatism in our time -- from a philosophy concerned with overweening state authority to a movement that bullies children in the name of freedom.

Copyright 2007 Creators Syndicate Inc.

Book Review: Boston Boys Club by Johnny Diaz

2007-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is the anti-freeze of queer Beantown lit and I mean that in the most generous way possible. Boston Globe Living/Arts writer, Johnny Diaz, came to Boston from Miami a few years ago and with open Cuban arms embraced this city and its quirky ways. His first book, Boston Boys Club, maybe is not a love letter to Boston, as other book reviews have chanted, but definitely a loving, friendly post card from Columbus Avenue. It’s light summer reading but gratefully so.

It centers on four characters who patronize Club Café in the South End: friendly Tommy, horny Rico, opportunist Kyle and messy Mikey. By the end of the book each has been granted a second lease on life. There’s a light spirit of redemption and renewal that (I have a feeling) is part-autobiographical for Diaz, as character, Tommy Perez, explains to a “cutie pie” he meets at Club Café:

“I love Boston, Mikey,” I say as I break his stare by taking sips of my DCV (Diet Coke and Vodka.) “It’s one of the prettiest cities I have ever seen. Big but not too big, or overwhelming like New York City. And the seasons make time fly and make me appreciate the moments in life. I love Miami, and it will always be a part of me, but sometimes, you need change to grow.”

Diaz, at one point, alludes to the (paraphrasing) “sometimes icy nature of this city” and any gay Bostonian will instantly know what he means. In this way, he recasts the city’s image into something more approachable once you get to know some of her citizens.

There is also a sub-theme of recovery which is always welcome even in works of fiction. Some people think that Alcoholics Anonymous is a place where the bottom of the barrel end up, but as my many friends in AA can attest, this program of recovery has changed people’s lives for the better. And at Club Café, there are probably many candidates for AA who have no clue about the program’s own openness and inclusion.

I once heard a quote that the real Americans are not the ones born within its borders, but the ones that arrive here from other lands: hardworking immigrants with a dream. Is the same true of Boston? Having grown up on the South Shore, I would’ve thought that seniority comes with permanent residence. Diaz shatters that myth as he brings fresh insight and gratitude to the “Athens of America.” We, Bostonians, contrary to popular belief, are happy to open our homes to people with staying power. The city is not as icy as we sometimes believe and Diaz supports that latent openness with “Boston Boys Club.” Best to be read before summer’s end!

Why I like Hill: The Ultimate It Girl, August 2007

2007-08-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Maybe ‘like’ is too weak of a word to describe my bewitchment of all things Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Here are my reasons:

“I’m your girl”

“For fifteen years, I have stood up against the right wing machine and I’ve come out stronger, so if you want a winner who knows how to take them on, I’m your girl!”

My whole life I’ve been surrounded by strong, impressive women who’ve picked up the slack of wayward men or shined in their own brilliance. Hillary Clinton does both these things and her desire to win the nomination and general election is about as much as restoring Bill’s presidency and repairing his broken promises to some of his constituents, (i.e. lowering incarceration rates for African-Americans, equal access to federal job protection for gays and lesbians, etc.), as it is about Hill restarting the 21st century with America as a beacon not as a threat, to the rest of the world.

Her recent “I’m your girl” speech during the early August AFL-CIO debate hits upon her secret popularity: the ability to fight back. Although, I believe that conservatism is dead (which I will discuss in a future string), the Republican-right-wing-hate-machine still churns, albeit not as pervasively and effectively as the mid to late 90s.

As a queer man who has weathered social anxiety, addictive behaviors, love and loss, general Irishness and now, chemotherapy, I know, like many others, how the ruthless attacks of bigots can ruin a good party. After reading Carl Bernstein’s biography on the first lady, "A Woman in Charge," it became clearer to me that Bill and Hill had come to Washington to “do good” but much like Deval Patrick in his few months at the state house, the Clintons stumbled.

Part of the fault lies with Hillary herself but part of it lies with the celebrity, expose culture of the 20th century’s last decade. Remember OJ, the rise of Fox News, Waco, Monica? Although my fondest memories are from the 1990s, I believe that television was at its sickest. The boob tube during the 1990s seemed like a free-for-all, a barrage on the American viewer who had no healthy way to respond to the stories and images. The internet is decidedly more democratic, but the net was nascent during the Clinton years.

It was also very this television orgy that the Republican Revolution took its second breath during the election of 1994. Yes, Hillary’s faulty attempts at health care reform from the previous year contributed to the Republican takeover of Congress. But how prescient was she? What other first lady or elected official had the gravitas to take this on? And look where we are now under a do-nothing Republican president with a recently ejected do-nothing Republican Congress.

“Nearly 47 million Americans, or 16 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2005,” according to the National Coalition on Health Care, a group who lobbies for “better, more affordable health care for all Americans.” Under Bush’s presidency, “the number of uninsured rose 1.3 million between 2004 and 2005 and has increased by almost 7 million people since 2000.” It’s a national disgrace!

This is a battle that Hill wants to win for the American people. She lost the first round in 1993 due to D.C. naiveté and not extending an olive branch to the press. She’s learned from Round One … she knows the tactics of the opposition and has promised to file a bill in the Senate sometime this year or early next year.

In Massachusetts, right now, as most of my readers know, there is a new compulsory mandate for health insurance. Since my salary falls under 300% of the federal poverty line, I started researching ways I could get into this new health care system back in November 2006. After a little bit of correspondence and missing paperwork, the folks over at “MassHealth” gave me a Neighborhood Health insurance plan when I disclosed that I had cancer. So far, neighborhood has been a god-send, fully covering every appointment and procedure related to my illness.

This is what happens when you live in a compassionate society like the one in Massachusetts. When people are sick, they should go to the hospital and not have to go bankrupt in the process. Hillary knows this; she has fought hard for this and that is one of many reasons why she will receive my vote twice in 2008.

Bad Tourism Director

2007-08-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, check out this story I scooped for the venerable Boston's Weekly Dig. It's all about Provincetown Tourism Office Director, Bill Schneider, who lied repeatedly about a Book Club endorsement from Oprah. You can even read the phoney interview transcript at http://www.billschneider.us/.

This is a proud moment for me as a reporter and as a lover of the Outer Cape, for Provincetown is the last place on Earth that needs fabrication!

The photo provided was taken by my partner, Eric Hess, during P'Town Carnival 2003. Really no lie, I swear. This is the kind of image on Commercial Street that you can't make up. Provincetown shouldn't pay liars to tell tales.

Simply Stated

2007-08-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

GAY

80 Border Street East Boston
August 3–29, 2007
Please join us - Opening Reception: August 9, 6-9 pm
Third Thursday Potluck Reception August 16, 6-9 pm

What do people think of when they hear the word ‘gay’? Pink triangles, black leather? Disco and gardening? Is the word still a cause for celebration for some or has it become banal in marriage-friendly Massachusetts?

Twenty odd artists of Atlantic Works Gallery are tackling the word ‘Gay’and all its visual implications. Presentations stretch from a queer riddle of the sphinx, to a lascivious Craigslist montage to an actual closet that urges the viewer to stay huddled inside. The full spectrum of GAY will be shown in the freshly renovated gallery on the coast of East Boston.
Only four of the presenting artists are in fact, homosexual, giving the show a visionary twist and hetero vantage. Artists’ media will range from paints to photography to jewelry to installation to Video. Entertainment includes gay, vocal house by DJ Dylsnick and surprise guests.
“Gay” will run from August 2 through August 29 at 80 Border Street, East Boston. The opening party will be held on Thursday, August 9 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. “Third Thursday,” the open-house reception will run on Thursday, August 16 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, connect to www.atlanticworks.org or call 617-549-4911

Testicular Cancer

2007-07-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Since half the world knows already, I may as well announce it to the other half.

I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in May and start chemotherapy on Monday, July 30th at Beth Israel hospital, Shapiro Building 9th floor. The hospital already took one of my boys away in mid-June. Someone asked if I feel like half a man and I said "No, I feel like twice a man cuz my remaining boy does the work of two!"

I've been keeping the day-to-day light and easy and as a result of this medical discovery, my values system has definitely changed. I have no idea how long this humility will last, but I feel definitely humbled by this whole ordeal. It's as if my last shred of invincibility was burned along with my 20's. Even though I am still a pissed-off liberal, I am going to go a little easier on the political outrage (I've read that anger can be just as bad for your arteries as nicotine and alcohol). I do plan, however, on keeping my readers abreast of my life experiences and fleeting thoughts.

I am going to end with a book review that has nothing to do with the aforementioned content. Dry Manhattan, written by Michael Lerner, is a really fun history read of New York City in the 1920's. The book relays how one fanatical lobbying group had the power to make a country look ridiculous for 13 years by banning booze! And it wasn't just a behavior-purity thing for them to pass prohibition, but a vicious anti-immigrant policy. Sound familiar to nowadays? Religious conservatives, whether annointing George W. Bush or getting a boner for jihad, cannot be trusted with sound judgement. It is my estimate that the Iraq War will be as detrimental for the Republican Party in 2008 as the "dry cause" was for them in the 1932 election (when Roosevelt went on to serve three-plus terms after first repealing Prohibition). Although I'm not a drinker, I support the freedom for people to choose how they want to live their lives within a reasonable margin of safety. Soon you'll be hearing more from me about the medical marijuana bill being reconsidered in Massachusetts.

But for now, Bottoms up!

Outrage

2007-03-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

On the subject of repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the 1994 law that helped to rid the U.S. Army of over 10,000 gay and lesbian soldiers, many of who had extraordinary technical skills and/or a fluency in Arabic, General Pace was unmoved.

"I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," General Pace, the military advisor to President Bush, said.

This is the last straw in a war that was started on a false premise (no WMD's found in Iraq whatsoever),
-by an army that is granting waivers to military recruits with violent and criminal backgrounds,
-by a general hand-picked by an administration that fired federal prosecutors who weren't right-wing enough.

This is the last straw for an administration that lied about Iraq,
-and left poor, black people to the flood in New Orleans,
-and minimized global warming,
-and replaced science with Christian ideology,
-and used gay rights to draw the votes of bigots,
-and committed treason by leaking CIA undercover-operative, Valerie Plame's name,
-etc,
-etc,
-etc.

feel like adding to the list?

March to end the war, March 17, 2007 in Washington, D.C.
www.marchonpentagon.org

This has to end.

It Girl, Saturday, February 24: Sophia Coppola

2007-02-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sophia Coppola is my latest It-Girl for her stunning direction in Marie Antoinette. Based upon English historian, Antonia Fraser's biography Marie Antoinette: The Journey, the book and film cast the traditionally wretched queen in a completely different light, as a young woman who was more naive than anything.

The movie combines a 1980's pop and new wave soundtrack, and the values of that materialistic decade, with Marie's time and place and circumstances of being a teenage girl with, essentially, a trust fund that never disappears. The movie touches upon the fact that her famous evil line "Let them eat cake" was never actually uttered. Coppola paints young Marie Antoinette as a victim of revolutionary propoganda ... and this fact is startling in and of itself, for I have always considered propoganda to be a fascist tool, used from the top on down.

In many ways, I wonder if the United States of America is similar to Fraser's and Coppola's image of Marie Antoinette, naive, spoiled and ignorant, a teenage girl having the time of her life ... but not malicious. If the queen was congnizant of the misery of the masses, she may have taken a compassionate angle of public policy and changed the course of history. Likewise it's so important for us to spend less time with the television and more time getting active. Our fate may depend on whether we touch and respond to the world's suffering.

Screw the Brite-Lite Bombers

2007-02-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I felt the need to jot my opinion on the "brite-lite bombers" from Wednesday, January 31st.

What a couple of idiots!

Even though I usually identify as a progressive, I think this time around the suspects should be tarred and feathered. I have complete pride in my city's best and brightest for taking action to dismantle these blinking items, suspicioulsy attached the the sides of bridges. In a post-9/11 world, such actions are inexcusable.

But worse is the action of Turner Broadcasting System for being so out-of-touch with the everyday citizen that it thought these gurerilla marketing tactics would fly. Not in this town; I think in Boston, we have a higher degree of caution because the terrorists of September 11th departed from Logan. We should take these irregular happenings seriously.

And why should we tolerate illegal advertising on our public property and infrastructure? Aren't we already bombarded enough by advertising and marketing ... now we have to spend time, money and manpower reviewing whether something is an ad or a bomb?

Another year, another fight

2007-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

So the amendment moves forward. What a rude awakening.

To review: Legislators opposed moving the amendment forward to the next legislative session by 134-62; still not enough however ... the anti-gay right needed only 50 votes to keep the issue alive.

Anti-gay propaganda will continue for another year. And this will be detrimental to the health of the commonwealth.

One saving grace, noted by the Globe, is Patrick's comments on the atmosphere of divisiveness:

"I am disappointed by today's vote in the Constitutional Convention," Patrick said in a statement. "We have never used the initiative petition to limit individual freedoms and personal privacy, but today’s vote was a regrettable step in that direction."We have work to do over the next year to turn this around," Patrick continued.

"I am heartened by the fact that the overwhelming majority of the members of the Legislature – a margin of over 2 to 1 -- voted to move on. I pledge to do what I can to build on that momentum, so that our Constitution will continue to stand for liberty and freedom, and not discrimination."

It's all about dusting ourselves off, getting a good night's rest and waking up to fight another day!

Yes, Virginia, there is diversity in America

2006-12-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

What is it about these Virginia republicans?

U.S. representative Virgil Goode is freaking out over new U.S. rep, Keith Ellison's decision to use the Koran in his PRIVATE swearing-in ceremony. Keith Ellison is a Muslim Democrat from fair-minded Minnesota. His private decision concerning congressional tradition has been linked to a free-for-all in open immigration. At least according to this shmuck, Virgil Goode.

The AP wrote: 'In his letter, Goode wrote that strict immigration polices are necessary "to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America."

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," he wrote.'

You can read an article about the situation here.

This Boston Globe editorial got it right in expressing outrage at Goode's remarks. The Globe pointed out that Ellison is not an immigrant, but an African-American who can trace his ancestral roots to 18th century America. And that there are two other representatives in January, Buddhists Mazie Hirono from Hawaii and Hank Johnson from Georgia, who are also going to forgo swearing on the bible.

The Washington Post reports, "But Ellison, who could not be reached for comment, would not be the first member of Congress to forgo a Bible. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) took her oath in 2005 on a Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, that she borrowed from Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.)."

'"I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference.'

[That's the great thing about this country you idiot ... we are not compelled to swear allegiance to any religious text or belief.]

When the conservative right talks of "religious liberty," they are really talking about force-feeding strict Christianity to the rest of us. This is an outrage.

It Girl, Sunday, December 10: Glory Dodge

2006-12-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

So I finally saw "North Country," the 2005 fictionalized film that dealt with the first successful sexual harassment lawsuit in the U.S. I loved it.

I chose Frances McDormand's character - the no-nonsense "Glory Dodge," because she was one of the first women to work in one of the northern Minnesota coal mines (with all that obnoxious testosterone). What's more impressive is that Dodge elbowed her way into union leadership and stood by lead character, Josey Aimes, when push came to shove.

African-Americans have their Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird," but what role models, in film or literature, does the queer community have, or more specifically, the trans community?

Regardless, Frances McDormand rocks!

Alternative Holiday

2006-11-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Conscious Consuming, a Boston-based non-profit devoted to the idea of less is more, is having their annual Alternative Gift Fair at Arlington Street Church on Saturday, December 2nd from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Called "Gift It Up," the fair is a way of helping out non-profits instead of buying crap at Walmart for our friends and family members.

I recently spoke with CC spokeswoman, Susan Donohoe who told me:

"There was a great statistic from the editor of ADBUSTERS who said that since 1950, American consumption has increased 300 percent. And the American savings rate is now is negative territory which affects us financially, culturally and spiritually." Donohoe said that the infamous "Black Friday," the biggest shopping day of the year that shadows Thanksgiving is also "Buy Nothing Day" for people who are more conscious in there consuming habits.

"This is a way to give back to the community and give gifts that really matter," Donohoe said.

--------------------------

In a very serious way, Gift It Up is just another example of the beginning stirrings in this country for something more meaninful; something that supports generosity with others and a gentleness with the Earth's resources.

There will be at least fourteen non-profits available at Gift It Up, including Nework/La Red, All Paws Rescue, MassBike and Prison Book Program. Seven Dollars, for instance, would supply a dictionary to a person in prison, Ten Dollars could provide consumers with recipe cards teaching them about the nutritional benefits of locally grown food, etc., etc.

If your friends and family members are anything like mine, they would be disappointed if this was the only gift they received. So I plan on supplementing these do-gooder gifts, with something just as green, but more utilitarian: rechargeable batteries.

And if still come up short I am going to get my loved ones each a gift certificate to the independent Trident Bookstore on Newbury Street.

Any other indie/alernative/green gift ideas out there?

A Transgender Conversation

2006-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night I went to the Boston-area Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil, held at the Arlington Street Church and the Public Gardens. It was mostly a young, knowledgeable crowd and the tenor of the night was quite sober, as we remembered all the known transgender murder victims around the world.

On Monday I bumped into an acquaintance in the South End (a gay man) who said some pretty nasty things about the trans community (i.e. "they're dragging us down," "they should get their own movement," "a man wants to cut off his junk so he can then be straight, I want nothing to do with them!") He even compared the trans community to NAMBLA (!) for wanting to attach to "our" civil rights struggle.

To hear such hostility was pretty awful.

In retort, I reminded him that there is a wide spectrum of gender identity as well as there is for sexual orientation and that the two are in fact discrete, but that when others discriminate they attack similar fundamentals ... like our personal freedom, liberty, privacy and freedom of expression.

Granted, it takes time for many gay individuals to understand how hard it is to live with the gender that you were assigned ... just as it is hard for straight people to understand same-sex love. But to hear such open hostility only sets us all back. I only wish I had a better line of defense at the time.

What do you think?

It Girl, Friday, November 17: Andrea Zuckerman

2006-11-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Since election season is over, I've taken comfort in the shameless pop culture part of my blog. That's why this week's It Girl is Andrea Zuckerman. She's a serious young woman trapped in a hot show that marked the '90s.

My boyfriend and I rented all of Season One of Beverly Hills 90210, which just came out on DVD. We have about 12 more episodes to watch before it's due back on Saturday! I chose Andrea (pronounced "On-Dreeya") because she is a great reporter and superb editor in chief for the "West Beverly Blaze" and is sadly underrated as a character. Andrea had some great one-liners and a surprising sense of humor. She is also, however, the conscience to Brandon's dark side (especially in the high school years).

Thank God the dems won the House and Senate and that Deval is kicking Mitt out of the corner office. Now we can concentrate on more important things!

It Girl, Friday, November 10: Sal DiMasi

2006-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Salvatore DiMasi, progressive Speaker of the Mass. House, is primarily responsible for the recess of Thursday's Con-Con. The anti-gay ballot measure was put off until January 2, 2007, the last day of the legislative session, effectively killing the ballot measure. Per TakeMassAction, DiMasi is being inundated with nasty anti-gay phonecalls. Give him a call of support for protecting your constiutional right to marry the one you love! Sal's office number is 617-722-2500.

For more info on Thursday's backstory, read In Newsweekly.

" ... To make you feel proud"

2006-11-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

We did it!

Deval Patrick had a decisive victory and the Dems took back the U.S. house. We're still waiting on the Montana and Virginia Senate races, but it looks like Tester and Webb, respectively, are going to pull on through ... giving the Democrats control of the Senate.

Did anyone pick up on Deval's theme song ("What have you done today to make you feel proud?") is the same gay-techno number for the last scene of the last episode of QUEER AS FOLK? An upbeat coincidence for sure.

On Pastor Ted: The Collision of Sex, Religion and Deception

2006-11-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

To review: Pastor Ted Haggard of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO was accused of having a three year sexual tryst with a Denver-based male prostitute, Mike Jones. One year into the relationship Haggard started buying crystal methamphetamine and snorting it to enhance these secret liasions. Haggard, a married man and the father of five kids, has since stepped down as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and was dismissed from the church as its active pastor.

Upon hearing the news, my inner partisan Democrat laughed maniacally at the hypocrisy of it all. As many readers know, Haggard had a close relationship with Bush and was responsible for organizing support for all those traditional marriage ammendments on sundry state ballots, including eight more states whose citizens will decide on Tuesday. In some ways, this issue is yet another boon in 2006 for progressives and Democrats. However, a spiritual advisor to President Clinton said that Haggard does enormous damage to the gay and lesbian community as well ... painting a picture that gay men, especially, are all meth-fused prostitutes waiting to home-wreck the marriages of respectable heterosexual men of the cloth.

Would people jump to such conclusions?

Or do people understand that the culprit is certainly not the GLBT community, but this idea of the suffocating closet? A dark secret life that betrays the impossible moral standards.

Do church-people realize that GLBT people really have the capacity for boring lives as well? It's true we tend to travel and go out dancing more because of extra income and fewer kids, but we also have to do middle-American things like washing the laundry and cleaning the bathroom. For instance, a typical night for me is ordering pizza and watching Golden Girls reruns with my boyfriend, my cat and my dog. And I love my quiet life.

I am, however, not opposed to prostitution (not necessarily for me, but for society). I see prostitution as a business transaction between two consenting adults. Haggard looking for "meth" is certainly a stupid idea, but we can't blame him for wanting to take risks.

There was part of me that did hurt when I saw his two kids in the backseat of the car in an off-the-cuff interview. In that video clip he alleged to having bought "meth" once, but decided instead to throw it away. Anyone could tell that the man was lying, but still it was the only moment where I felt a little sorry for him ... just a little.

David Kuo, who was #2 in charge of Bush's faith-based initiatives office, recently wrote a scathing book about faith-based power and political hypocrisy, called "Tempting Faith." He was recently on NPR, asking that evangelicals take a "fast from politics."

An even better proposition is if evangelicals started voting Democrat. If anything, they could vote to restore accountability and honesty in government ... and support the poor by helping to boost the minimum wage in this country. It could be a vote to end American bloodshed in Iraq, and a step towards protecting the natural resources of planet Earth.

Poor Aaron Maloy

2006-11-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

As a reporter for In Newsweekly, I have the opportunity to cover some pretty peculiar people and stories, especially duing election season.

One such case is Aaron Maloy, the openly-gay (mind you) Republican candidate for State Rep. in Barnstable 4th.

First off, the race may be unprecedented. Two major party, openly gay candidates (the other being Democrat Sarah Peake) are running to represent a sea-hugging corridor that includes one of the gayest towns in all of America: Provincetown. Sarah Peake is endorsed by Freedom to Marry Coalition, MassEquality and is widely known as a staunch supporter of full equal marriage rights. With that said, it wasn't long before I gave Maloy the litmus test (ie his thoughts on gay marriage).

I.N.: Why are you against gay marriage?

A.M.: "Basically I see it as being a right to vote and I think it would be voted down; the issue would go back to the Supreme Court who voted it in. The vote would be like a poll and it would give them a voice. If people wanted to collect 170,000 signatures, we should let them vote."

On the question of campaign fundraising, Maloy implies on his blog that his opponent, Sarah Peake, is not being a true Cape Codder because she has collected so many contributions from beyond Barnstable County.

I.N.: Don't you think Peake is soliciting financial contributions from state citizens who want to protect their civil right to marriage?

A.M.: "Of course, it is, but that doesn't make it right ... the gay lobby shouldn't be deciding our elections and our issues. I consider it dirty money. If that isn't a quote gay agenda, I don't know what it is. I don't think her campaign should be financed by the gay lobby."

To his credit, Maloy did bring up other local issues that he is passionate about. And this is when he sounds more like a generous liberal than a self-loathing Republican.

A.M.: "Affordable housing is one, people can't afford to live here. Young people are leaving the cape in droves, they are being marginalized into poverty and homelessness. So I am concerned about public welfare and quality of life."

But then he has the gall to tell me that he is trying to bring people together since they have been so divided over the gay marriage issue. But his antidote is to introduce very progressive legislation, once elected, that will grant gay and lesbian couples all the rights and benefits of marriage, without calling it that. Basically he wants Massachusetts to turn back its own clock and become more like New Jersey.

A.M.: "I think gay marriage is an oxymoron. If I wanted to be married, I'd be straight, it's a heterosexual thing ... What's really dividing people is that people feel like their right to vote is being taken away."

Unfortunately, I was not able to contact Sarah Peake in time for press. From Maloy's feedback, however, I don't think it was necessary.

It Girl, Friday, October 27: New Jersey

2006-10-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

There is marriage equality (sort of) in the state of New Jersey!

I didn't want to rely for a plain-jane map of the Garden State, so I borrowed a picture of gay-friendly, Jersey Girl, Kelly Ripa (of who I am a secret fan).

The New Jersey Supreme Judicial Court decided on Wednesday, October 25th that "Although we cannot find that a fundamental right of same-sex marriage exists in this State, the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our State Constitution."

Basically the court gave the legislature 180 days to put gay partners under the banner of "marriage" or construct some parallel civil union status.

I think this is wonderful news. What's more is that Chief Justice Poritz dissented in part because the ruling didn't go far enough, i.e. gays should be allowed to get married, and should be allowed to embrace the same term that straights do.

Obviously, the Massachusetts SJC decision is much more sweeping and gratifying, but we have to look at the fundamentals of New Jersey which undercuts the reasoning for all those other DOMA laws out there: gay couples deserve the same rights as straight couples. If we have to pay taxes, we are entitled to the same benefits and programs and essentially, symbols and language.

I know some friends will be upset with my joy ... but this "hairsplitting" New Jersey decision is still a step forward ... now hopefully the NJ legislature can have a civilized discussion of why there should be no "separate but equal."

The Ground Game and the Politics of Togetherness

2006-10-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix wrote a great article talking about Deval's "extreme Grassroots approach" to capturing the Dem primary. He says Deval succeeded by "methodically building a network of committed supporters in every portion of the state" and cites perfect storm attributes of the campaign, namely:

-a charismatic speaker and leader
-a great field manager (John Walsh)
-fatigue with sixteen years of ineffectual Republican governing

But there are two factors missing from this equation.

First off: Deval has been an early and unequivocal supporter of marriage rights for the GLBT community and In Newsweekly showcased his progressive views early on. We had an article about him in June of 2005. With that endorsement of same-sex marriage, Deval picked up A LOT of GLBT steadfast supporters. This significant point was absent in Adam Reilly's article.

The next thing factor is Deval's politics of togetherness which was adopted from his former boss' President Clinton's playbook ... a style that includes embracing everyone including GLBTers.

Tom Reilly tried to have it all ways with the gay community, running from cold to lukewarm to wannabe-warm on same-sex marriage. He basically voted against it before he voted for it. Gabrieli, poor guy, got into the game a little late and didn't have the innate charisma or the wide and authentic appeal (even though he was great on gay issues).

The Rovian, divisive style of politics is on its way out. Wedge issues are so 2004 and Massachusetts will soon prove it.

It Girl, Friday, October 20: Ziggy

2006-10-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Our new puppy, Ziggy (or Sigmund) is a gift from God. He's a Japanese Chin stray who we found at a shelter in Roslindale. He's a total lap dog and loves to take walks around JP. The only connection to blue-style-canopy is that Ziggy's owner feels like Paris Hilton and she fits into Shameless Pop Culture category.