Invert(e)

Homelessness Isn’t Over

Social issues trend. Some of it is media-driven, some celebrity-driven. Some issues simply grab interest in ways others do not.
 

For example, breast cancer has been the health issue for women in the past decade. Yet lung cancer is actually the primary cancer killer of women. And heart disease trumps both.

In the early- to mid-1980s, when former President Jimmy Carter was deeply involved with Habitat for Humanity, homelessness was the issue du jour. 

Yet as 2008 draws to a close, with an economic recession/depression that put a half million Americans out of work in November alone, homelessness is barely mentioned, even though, according to homeless advocates, it is on the rise.

According to the most recent U.S. Census reports, there are 4 million homeless in America–slightly more than one percent of the population. But homeless advocates say that number is far lower than reality and that the number of homeless in America will likely double in the next year or so, due to the current economic climate.

When most of us think of homelessness, we think of the unwashed schizophrenics mumbling to themselves and lying on park benches. These are the homeless people of the 1970s, when mental institutions released vast numbers of people into their own care, to mixed results. Some thrived, others ended up on the streets, unmedicated and unable to care for themselves, but with nowhere to go and no one to care for them.

Propassimilation 8

I was at our local Denver anti-Prop 8 rally yesterday at the City and County Building - which took place, oddly enough, between two hay-stuffed mangers which are part of the annual Christmas display. About a thousand people gathered, listened to speakers for an hour and a half, then began a march down to the 16th Street Mall. Banners were waved, rainbow flags were hoisted, speeches were made and "We Shall Overcome" was sung. We heard from community activists, our GLBT community center, politician's offices (not from the politicians themselves - they were far too busy), reverends, gay choruses and one woebegone queen who regaled us with a horribly off-key version of "Give Peace a Chance" regardless of the fact that the rally had nothing to do with war. Maybe he'd forgotten the words to "Kumbaya."  Relationships, families and children - crying, playing and climbing the hastily erected fences, clearly bored by the event - were extolled as often as the Mormon Church was demonized. Straight people in SUVs honked their horns in support as they drove past. The rally was heralded as a call to action, a call to arms and a wake-up call for our community. 

And it didn't make a damn bit of difference.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for gay visibility and rallies. The more we're out there, the better off we all are. And sights like the one opposite these words do wonderful things to my old activist heart. I can say that I was moved several times during the speeches, especially that of Holly Landre, a community organizer whose speech was all the more affecting for her choking up and cracked-voice delivery. The march was awe-inspiring, not as big as the one I saw in San Francisco, but it made me happy and proud of my community.

So why am I so fucking ambivalent about the whole thing?

In the Heart of the Heart of the Country, a Protest

 Yesterday there was a Proposition 8 protest rally at Mill Creek Park in Kansas City, and Ralph and I were there. As fate would have it, it was the first bitterly cold day of the season, and we weren't prepared for wind chill temperatures below freezing. We even saw a few snowflakes drift down.

But the weather was secondary to the excitement of the crowd. Kansas City isn't the kind of place where people regularly get out in the streets and yell, so this was something special.  We couldn't get near enough to the speakers' platform to hear very much, but we broke into applause on cue, and Ralph took pictures.

A lot of people carried signs--my favorite said HUSBAND MATERIAL--and rainbow flags. And of course there were, on the sidewalk across the street, a few lone anti-gay picketers. Unfortunately for them, their signs had too much text on them and were very hard to read. They weren't very colorful, either. Clearly they needed a gay person to design their signs for them. Maybe some Log Cabin Republican would volunteer to do it. 

An Unmarried Hore

I can’t go. My heart is not in it. I live in San Francisco, it’s Saturday, there’s a demonstration going on at City Hall over the passage of Prop 8, and I’m not going to be part of it. I have the day off, and still . . . I’m not going.

This issue doesn’t really work for me. I’m not even convinced we’re on the right side of this one. If heterosexuals want to keep the word ‘marriage,’ I say let ‘em. As long as we have equal rights under the law—which is what our President Elect is offering to us right now!—I don’t see the problem with calling it a ‘civil union.’ Legally. We could call it ‘getting hitched.’ We could call it ‘ga-marriage.’ ‘Les-marriage.’ Whatever.

If we were equal under the law, and if we believed that homo-ceremony rituals were as powerful as anything that happens in any church in the world, then I don’t see where inequality is happening.

Am I being naive? Yeah, probably.

California: So Nice They Lost It Twice

In the history of gay civil rights, Californians will have the strangest story to tell. They had gay marriage...twice...and lost it...twice. It's hard to beat a record like that.

Now comes all of the second-guessing about the No on 8 campaign--what should have been done differently, who should have been in charge, etc.

But something much more important than that is going on: protest. Thousands filled the streets of Los Angeles, and there are more protest rallys to be held this weekend, in both Northern and Southern California.

Lots of second-guessing here, too. Is protesting going to do us any good? Some feel it will only do harm, attracting more negative attention. The way to improve our socio-political standing, they say, is to assimilate. Stop the outrageous behavior. Do away with Pride Fests, Southern Decadence, and the Folsom Street Fair. We need to keep our heads down and work quietly toward a better day.

Well, I have been fighting assimilation all my life, on several fronts, and I say: if we want to protest, then let's protest! Does it "look bad" if we snarl up traffic during rush hour? So fucking what? No more Mr. Nice Gay!

Because I grew up during the Vietnam War era, civil disobediance resonates with me, deep down in my soul. I am so proud of the people all over California who are standing up and expressing their rage. Those of us who live in other states have duties to fulfill, also: sign petitions, write to the evil Mormon church, and wage our own local wars against bigotry.

Trying to win, even when it looks hopeless, even if it takes more energy than we have to give, and more years than we have to live...it's so much better than just losing.

Straight Fucks Don't Get It

While socializing with some coworkers after work today (I know, bad idea, right?), I happened to mention that, as of today, gay marriage is legal in Connecticut. And they were all like, "Oh, how nice for you"--as if I had just won 25 bucks on a scratch-off lottery ticket.

I wanted to scream at them, "It is not nice for me, you stupid fucks--it is important to all of us, because it's a human rights issue!" Straight people--they just don't fucking get it!

In a related story, Proposition 8 is going to pass in California, just like a peach pit passing through a dog's colon, largely due to the financial support of the Mormon church. Look, I don't care if if the Mormon church wants to tell Mormons how to live, but who are they to tell everyone else how to live?

I saw the film Religulous, with Bill Maher, last weekend. I was impressed that Bill--who can be a real tool sometimes, as we all know--had a serious point to make: that it's time for the churches and church leaders to stop messing around in human rights and politics. The results have only been disastrous so far.

Straight people--coworkers, Mormons, whoever--they just don't fucking get it!

Whatever Happened to Hearts and Minds?

Andy Towle put out a special appeal on his blog for gays across the country to donate to defeat California's Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage. Apparently the prevailing wisdom, at the time of the post, was this: the Yes on 8 campaign has raised approximately $25 million, while No on 8 has raised $15.75 million; this means that Proposition 8 will pass unless the No side raises a lot more money.

Maybe I'm cynical--or not cynical enough--but why does it have to come down to which side raises the most money?

The money, of course, is used for print and TV ads. Have we become a nation of advertising consumers who only do what the boob tube tells us to do? Are our hearts and minds completely controlled by the media?

Just as a stupid, greedy country gets the stupid, greedy government that it deserves, a nation of sheep gets the shepherd that it deserves. And it ain't the good shepherd.

P.S. I hope that those in the gay community of spectacular financial means--including David Geffen and Ellen DeGeneres, who gets a $15 million salary for her TV show--are giving to No on 8. If they are donating, they're being awfully quiet about it.

A Sad Anniversary

Ten years ago tonight, on October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard was beaten, tied to a fence outside Laramie, Wyoming, and left to die. He died on October 12th.

More than anything else that has happened in my lifetime--including the assassination of Harvey Milk, which I also remember--the Matthew Shepard outrage left me feeling shattered. So much so that all of the pieces have not come back together yet. Maybe they never will. Maybe this is the brokenness that unites those of us who remember.

Wyoming still does not have a hate crimes law that covers sexual orientation. No one is surprised, including Judy Shepard, who continues to fight tirelessly for justice in the name of her son. She is truly one of my heroes.

Proving It

Randy comes over my house to go to Critical Resistance and I say this might be the last time I wear my hair like this, because I can’t find a spray that I’m not allergic to. But I also can’t find a new style that I like, something where my hair is down it just feels too understated and I feel like all the flaws on my face are magnified, like the bags under my eyes and it’s stressful because I’m going on tour and when I’m on tour it’s so important to feel like I can do something like my hair, I mean get it perfect and then feel like I can face the world, I mean face the world without feeling like a complete mess. So I keep trying all these new styles, but the other thing is that they make my face look too square, I mean I need to get a new haircut to figure it out so that the bottom is rounded and that will probably make a difference, but I need to figure it out first because I can’t go to get a haircut and just say what do you think we should do, I mean what do you think I should do, I mean I like to know exactly what I want ahead of time, so that I don’t end up hating it.

I forget how frantic I am at this time of the day, rushing to get out of the house I mean I’m not rushing but I keep talking in circles maybe I am rushing I’m not sure if I’m more frantic because Randy’s here or if I’m always this way it’s just in my head so I don’t notice as much. We get the bus and the BART right away, and right when we get off the train there’s Joolie, coming from the conference, and she gives me a great hug, says you look wonderful, which is nice to hear since I was obsessing. Although then I’m thinking will I look as good when I cut my hair, I mean I kept my hair really short for years and even shaved it all with clippers for a while but now I feel like that kind of style makes me look too severe.

It’s kind of fun being in Oakland – I go there so rarely, so I’m always somewhat surprised that it’s really a different city – the spacing of buildings, the air, the way people look at you, the foliage, the light. We’re walking towards the event, which is right by Randy’s house, and when we get close I realize there’s a stream of people and I remember Randy says no one walks around here so I know we’re all going to the event. We’re right along the lake, which I’m sure is polluted as hell but everything looks so sedate here with the sun lowering amidst the buildings reflecting the watery glow.

Congrats, Diane Schroer

& Thank you, ACLU, & NCTE.

WASHINGTON, DC September 19, 2008 — Today the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of Diane Schroer, supporting her claim that she was wrongfully denied employment by the Library of Congress after she notified them that she intended to transition.

In 2004, while still living as David, retired US Army Colonel Diane Schroer was offered and accepted a job with the Library of Congress. When she notified her new employers of her intention to transition, the offer was rescinded. After a highly distinguished military career, Col. Schroer decided to fight once more to uphold American values of fairness and justice.

“True to form, Diane Schroer has once again demonstrated her bravery and her commitment to American democracy,” noted Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “By fighting for her rights, she has defended the honor and rights of all transgender people who have been discriminated against on the job. NCTE congratulates her on this historic win and applauds the tremendous work of the ACLU in securing this victory for us all.”

In his ruling United States District Judge James Robertson stated, “After hearing the evidence presented at trial, I conclude that Schroer was discriminated against because of sex in violation of Title VII.” He went on to note, “None of the five assertedly legitimate reasons that the Library has given for refusing to hire Schroer withstands scrutiny.”

Judge Robertson concluded, “In refusing to hire Diane Schroer because her appearance and background did not comport with the decision maker’s sex stereotypes about how men and women should act and appear, and in response to Schroer’s decision to transition, legally, culturally, and physically, from male to female, the Library of Congress violated Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination.”

You can read the whole of the decision at the ACLU’s website (pdf).

Amy Goodman & Two Democracy Now! Producers Arrested at RNC Protest

From Democracy Now!

AMY GOODMAN: More than 280 people were arrested here in St. Paul on Monday, the opening day of the Republican National Convention. Among them were several journalists covering the protests in the streets, including three of us at Democracy Now! I was detained trying to question police officers about the arrests of Democracy Now! producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Nicole and Sharif were covering a police crackdown on a street protest against the Republican National Convention. Nicole’s camera captured her arrest and assault by the officers.

NICOLE SALAZAR: Watch out! Watch out! Press!
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of here! Move!
NICOLE SALAZAR: Where are we supposed to go? Where are we supposed to go?
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of here!
NICOLE SALAZAR: Dude, I can’t see! Ow! Press! Press! Press!
POLICE OFFICER: Get down! Get down on your face! On your face!
NICOLE SALAZAR: I’m on my face!
POLICE OFFICER: Get down on your face!
NICOLE SALAZAR: Ow! Press! Press!

What the World Needs Now Is Blog Sweet Blog

What’s Invert(e)?

Well, Invert(e) is a hold-in-your-hands journal that Greg Wharton created to take the place of his online journal, suspect thoughts. That was a pansexual playground of authors and artists that colored outside the lines in whatever art they created. Invert(e), this blog, is similar but not quite the same. This time, “queer” as a word, concept, identity, social construct, religion, revolution is the theme on which artists are invited to vary.

Invert(e), the name itself, is a play on an old-time-y term for queers: invert. Uranians was another coined-to-name-queerlings-before-the-jury-pigeonholed-everyone-into-the-homosexual corral and those identity rustlers—the trannies, the fairies, the bi-all-means—threw open the gates. But it sounds like someone from Uranus, and we welcome them to blog here when not jetting back and forth between the Io9.com-esphere and Captain Jack Harkness’s bedroom.

But why a blog when there's already a journal?

Because Greg and I don’t have a house in realtime anymore where we can throw a party and invite everyone we’d love to have there. And even if we did, not everyone could come. (It’s much cheaper to commute in cyberspace these days.) So, here’s our new house party and you're invited to revel in the dancing on the kitchen table or the fucking in the closet or the fighting on the front lawn.

It’s kind of like a kinkier, dorkier, queer-er version of Hugh Hefner’s old Playboy After Dark TV series meets the rancid right’s Free Republic (NSFW or NSFRT—not safe for rational thinkers)—but without that embarrassing rancid right smell.

So, if you want to know the secret connection between Camille Paglia, South Ossetia, and the Jonas Brothers, Invert(e) is the place to read all about it and become enlightened. Or a great place to find the recipe for McCain-endorsement-free homemade lube to use on your next Manhunt.net outing. Normalcy makeover tips? Ms and Ms and Ms Bigfoot sightings from the astral plane? And photos confirming the plane was flown by Rachel Maddow? We’ve got it all here!