It was the best of times, and the worst of times, here in the Kingdom of LGBTQQIA. ( I am nothing , if not topical ) Sure things are going well.. but gosh darn it just not fast enough for the many, many factions of purists out there. The gay tea party if you will.... like that is not redundant. The rigid gay powers that be demand that you do A,B,C. Unless it is 1,2,3 that they want, which in that case, its all 1,2,3. They want it all, and they want it NOW! I guess if you were born in a post disco, post Aids era history seems a lot ....different. Life with out clones. It's Will and Grace's world, the rest of us just live in it.
I don't get this. Never being happy for the major victories that we, as a community have attained, ONLY dwelling on the fact that yes, DOMA and DADT are still the law of the land, and President Barack Obama did not come in and wave his magic wand, making Oklahoma disappear. ( really , a slap at Senators Coburn and Inhofe, not all of Oklahoma - where the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet...")
We are a scappy lot, and take one step forward, two steps back, but like I said the other day, or stole the other day, " how is it we are losing all the battles , and yet winning the war " ? Maybe it is just some folks are never happy.....
MY life on the Z list.
( photo from durbanbud)
Last March, Kathy Griffin and her Bravo reality show blew into Washington DC, to do what they do, and hold a rally for the repeal of DADT. She had , like we all do, her HRC overlords, and for the most part stayed the course. This is where the story gets a little long...
My good pal, Lt. Dan Choi, who I believe at the time was on the outs with the HRC, sort of bum rushed her, before her speech, and asked to join her. I could be wrong on this, but from all the reading I did at the time, the tweets and twits were aflyin! He was not asked to be a part of the show, but through Kathy, ended up on stage.
Now, as all you long time readers know, the son of a gun, still has my pen, and I have witnessed the vivacious Mr. Choi go from off stage Dan to on stage Dan at the drop of a hat. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. He is a man on a mission, and if his stage persona is a little over the top, so be it. I would guess most are. So, Lt. Dan goes up on stage with Kathy and is all " let's storm the White House" ( again, check today's date...) "ARE YOU WITH ME ,KATHY?"?? Caught up in the moment, and more than a little surprised , Ms Griffin, says "SURE, Big Guy!" .
News flash people: reality shows are not real. There was no way that the " My life on the D list " crowd could zip across the street and do this:
Yes, Lt. Dan and a buddy, hand cuffed them selves to the fence of the White House in uniform. In my opinion, and just that, it was a BRAVE and IMPORTANT gesture. Gallons and gallons of cyber ink were spilled discussing this event.Not all were in favor or supportive, " grandstanding" , " showboating", etc. Your National News, your KeithandRachel, your BillandSean. It was a big deal. Still is , he is fighting the charges and the news is now, he is going to try and depose the POTUS. Get it ? Dan Choi on his own, jumps off the stage at the Kathy Griffin " I ♥ my gays " tv show, and chains himself to the White House. The episode of her tv show was on last night. Night of the living typists.
We gays are a most territorial lot. " NO!, I know more about the latest _______, so you can not have an opinion. It is mine." And the activist set, to which I am witness to a tiny tiny , really minuscule corner ( even though MY husband was on stage at the big rally and you know GAGA and I are close...) can really, be the worst of the worst.
There was this very cool , well done documentary on the repeal of DADT, and from this film, I did my online stalking thing, found the two hot guys that star in it, and started chatting with them. Judge me all you want... it is a gift , I don't question it. They are very hard working guys, really, doing a WONDERFUL behind the scenes job at getting DADT repealed. We have some real life ,in the flesh, pals in common, and there is a Georgia connection, but I do not know these guys from Adam. 2010, we are FACEBOOK FRIENDS ( welcome to your future.. have a seat, we are going to be here for a while...)
So, this guy, GOES OFF ON KATHY GRIFFIN after the show last night. She is a liar, she is just there for herself, horrible person.. on and on. A choir of boo birds join in there on the facebook. For what? Ginning up a mid day crowd in DC fighting for YOUR cause? For talking about GLBT rights ALL THE TIME. She did what she could.. but ( and this is what this has all been leading up to ) SHE DID NOT DO ENOUGH.
I was hungry, you gave me beans and rice,
but why the hell did you not make a pie?
Example #2, and you may see a pattern forming here. There was this very cool, very well done documentary done on fight for gay marriage, and from this film, I found one of the stars online and started to chat. We are real life acquaintances of one of the other stars.. so we had something in common. I am not putting any names in here, because I hold to the illusion that people sometimes really read this blog, and are not just looking at naked pictures of Bill Goldburg. But in both of these cases it is pretty easy, through minimal googling to figure it out. Ok, this kid, and all of these guys are young, is over the top super accomplished, a joy to his parents and his community, and from my point of view, a serious future leader. ( and I am guessing his house or apartment looks FANTASTIC...)
Again with the long getting longer: Last week in Minneapolis, the Presbyterian Churh decided that gay was ok, and that they could have openly gay , married , out and proud clergy. SCOOOOOREEEEE! This is not your homo friendly alphabet churches, ( UCC, MCC, ACC, SEC, LMNOP) or even our overly refined, smells and bells and TINY ECUSA, this was mom and apple pie, bingo on Tuesday, softball on Sunday Presbyterians. Losing the battles, winning the war... odd.
It is a good thing, right? The gathered Calvinists also , by a slim majority, THIS GO ROUND, chose to shelve full out same sex marriage. Baby steps, right? I know , more than most, how this works, as I have had this ring side seat to a church fight for same sex rights for 10 plus years now. Nope, my pal and his mates went to this convention and got themselves arrested protesting something good. Not celebrating the major victory that had just happened, but choosing, CHOOSING to see the glass half empty, and protest the denial of marriage rights/rites. ( although ss partners of church employees will get full benefits).
No, no, really, you are great,
it's me.
So, last night, after what I thought was a funny my life on the D list, I come to the facebook god before bed and read this stuff, and with a little bit of digging find this horrible WAPO screed and was just scratching my head. All puffed up and Kyleish, I start to type , and the voice of reason ( B. Day ) thankfully chimes in my head. My after 7pm or three beers mantra : " Must channel my inner Beth Day, Facebook is no place for political rants with people that you do not really know. Must channel my inner Beth Day, Facebook is no place for political rants with people that you do not really know"
But, I just do not get it. I am FAR far from resting on our laurels , really. I know where freaking Rubin Diaz's office is ,and have been there, lots. I am doing my part. But the thing is people, learn to win. Every second Tuesday, put down your boxing gloves and see that there are lots and lots of folks out there willing , wanting and able to help us. This is not a quick battle, this is , sadly, still, a long war. That will come to an end. Eyes on the prize and all. IT is going to happen folks.... again, learn to win. ( and being nice never hurts.. firm, but nice )
BREAKING AS I TYPE
1 comment:
BRAVO! Couldn't agree more!
(there are naked pictures of Bill Goldberg??? WHERE?!)
Post a Comment