Wednesday, June 03, 2009

While I was at work, all hell broke loose in a good way

I'm speechless. In the short hours between the time I posted my midday news briefs and when I logged on just now, two interesting things happened.

Forgive me for not making long comments; although I do say something at the end of this post about President Obama and the lgbt community.

But I just want to try and include these happenings in little bullets:

NH governor signs same-sex marriage into law - I believe this is number 6 with a sweet bullet. Right about now, my mind is wandering back to election night 2004 when President Bush got re-elected on the strength of those anti-gay marriage amendments. I love kismet.

Former SC Congressional candidate Linda Ketner calls out rumored Palmetto State queens - Aw damn. I know Linda Ketner and she has never been one for keeping it reigned in. This issue will probably go away. But then again maybe it won't. Man, I am loving the fact that I live in South Carolina right now!

Now . . . there seems to be some disenchantment on some levels of the lgbt community with President Obama. It seems that he is backtracking on many of the promises he made to us. Some folks have even talked about how they no longer support him. There is even talk in a few circles about sitting out the next election to show how angry we are.

You know what I say? Big fat f#%!! deal!

Please spare me the mantra about how "lgbts are second class citizens" because I've heard it more times than I care to. I want to be solution-oriented. And you don't be solution-oriented by thinking that you can pick up your toys and go home when the game isn't going your way.

Never in my life have I seen so many folks who want to make a show about how angry they are even at the expense of cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

No more of this ridiculous "I no longer support President Obama" bullshit. The man has been in office for less than a year. What are you all expecting? For him to wave a magic wand and make everything right?

It ain't going to happen. We need to put his feet to the fire and not let him forget what he promised us. Even President Kennedy had to be reminded about his commitment to civil rights in the 60s.

Such is the case with politics. There are so many issues to be considered that there is this constant jockeying for attention.

It ain't pretty but that is how it's done. Politics is a cynical, harsh world that has no room for these ridiculous Woodstockian notions of togetherness and one-world humanity. If you want to sing "We Are The World" then do it in the privacy of your own home.

We are not wrong for being a little miffed at President Obama and we certainly aren't wrong for letting him know that he promised our community certain things.

But we are wrong when we pull out of the fight simply because things seem to be not going the way we planned. This isn't a goddamn fashion show; it's politics.

I don't mean to be so curt, but the finality of the tone that many have expressed has gotten on my nerves.

It sometimes drives me nuts how as a community we get so caught up in "expressing our anger" that no one wants to take strategy and pragmatic planning into account.

Oh sure - have a march, do some shouting, call the media and poof- everything is fixed.

We have moved beyond that level of thinking so let's act like it.

For a long time, we have had no power. We have had to sit outside the circle and watch the religious right play the game with President Bush.

Now it's our turn with President Obama. That's right. We are in the circle now and the religious right are on the outside.

And I don't want to lose that spot just yet.

To hell with all of this righteous indignation. Let's have some cynical maneuvering for a change.




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Wednesday midday news briefs

Desired results misfire - You have to see this sure sign of the Apocalypse! We are winning in a One News Now poll. Apparently some folks don't mind President Obama's proclamation of June being LGBT Pride Month. Probably some poll crashing by folks who are on our side of the argument. BUT ISN'T IT NICE!!

NH Senate passes gay marriage revision; House next - Slightly derailed never means totally stopped.

Court Upholds LGBT Protections for Students - Uh oh. You know those "activist judges" making us treat everyone equally. It's soooo unfair.

Mental illness less likely for lesbians' kids - Here is one foreign study the religious right won't be trying to distort. Then again . . .

Rhode Island: No Equal Marriage, But Possible Funeral Rights - Okay, I'm one for sometimes being pragmatic and patient and taking a little bit and a little bit more until you have it all but DAMN!




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Facebook group advocated the murder of gays

From one of my favorite sites Box Turtle Bulletin comes a bit of disturbing news. Apparently there was a group on Facebook whose sole purpose was to advocate the murder of gays:

Facebook has become a ubiquitous communications and organizing tool encompassing a whole range topics. Many of the groups are based on entertainment, hobbies, religion and spirituality, history, politics — you name it. Even hate groups advocating the murder of gays and lesbians.

One such hate group with a Facebook presence is the “Kill Out Dem Batty Man” group. “Batty Man” is Caribbean slang for gay men. Most of the group members appear to be from Trinidad and Tobago, although the Jamaican person who tipped me to it identifies the patois dialect as Jamaican. The Facebook group is listed under “Beliefs & Causes.”


Thanks to Box Turtle Bulletin leading the charge of folks complaining, the group is now gone. But it bothers the hell out of me.

This group was not a joke. And it bothers me that someone would actually devote time and effort to the creation of something so hateful.

It bothers me that over 400 folks joined this group.

And it bothers me that a large number of those folks writing comments supporting the group were black.



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