General Gayety
News item: California is the first state to require public schools to include the contributions of LGBT people in social studies curricula.
I had a peachy time marching in Seattle’s Pride parade. My partner Anne and I, members of a Unitarian Universalist church in Seattle, marched with a host of Unitarians representing churches from all over Puget Sound. Now it behooves me to make a few notes about this year’s experience, just to ensure next year things go downright seamlessly.
Among the security guards at Target Field in Minneapolis, one stands out for his overriding moral concerns. The fellow is a little tin Moses and the stadium is his Mount Sinai. With mustard and relish.
At the start of June, citizens of Richmond, Va., noticed an addition to the flagpole outside the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Underneath the American flag waved a rainbow flag. The two banners, Old Glory and Newish Pride-y, flapped in the breeze.
In just a week, four male sports figures came out. From the basketball world, Rick Welts, the CEO of the Phoenix Suns, and Will Sheridan, a former player at Villanova, went public. Pro bowler Scott Norton and ESPN sports reporter Jared Max decided it was time, too.
There’s been a lot of marriage news lately. But, enough about the Royal Wedding. On these shores, the struggle for same-sex marriage has been as wobbly as a tipsy bride. Look at Rhode Island. Hopes were high that Little Rhody would become the sixth state to allow gay marriage. But, House Speaker Gordon Fox announced the legislation wouldn’t pass the Senate, so he was backing civil unions instead.
If you haven’t heard of Fred Karger, you have an awful lot of company. Karger is a retired political consultant from California. He’s also a gay activist and he’s running for the presidency. As a Republican. Clearly this is a fellow who fancies adventure.
In my last column, I discussed the role T-shirts with slogans play in the battle over gay rights. It occurred to me, aside from the T-shirts I’ve read about that have caused ruckuses in schools and elsewhere, I don’t know what kinds of pro-gay and anti-gay T-shirts are available these days.
We Americans like to express ourselves with our chests. I’m not speaking of Jane Russell or even Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m talking about our proclivity for wearing T-shirts with slogans on them. Americans have been human billboards for decades.
At Wayne State University in Detroit, the Word Warriors wave the banner on behalf of the English language’s neglected words. Last year the Warriors released a list of words they hoped to rescue from disuse. As the obliging type, I wanted to assist the restoration effort. So, I tested all 15 words to see if they fit snugly with my LGBT subject matter.
Ever heard of the Lingerie Football League? It’s a women’s football league where the women wear helmets, shoulder pads, bras, panties and garters. Billed as “true fantasy football,” the teams have names like the Los Angeles Temptation and the Dallas Desire.
You might want to do a few stretches before reading this. We’re about to race through the GLBT news and I don’t want to be blamed if you strain something. I don’t have insurance.
Brannon Braga, who produced many of the episodes and feature films in the “Star Trek” universe, told AfterElton.com that the franchise’s lack of gay characters was “a shame.” His new show, “Terra Nova,” so far also has no gay characters.
I’ve kept a secret for years. Now, it’s time for me to come out — as a stamp collector. I’m throwing off my shame. I’m a nerd and I’m proud!
It’s always quiet at Santa’s Workshop in the first half of January. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are in Hawaii and the elves are sleeping. But not one elf. Smizzle, the lead choo-choo train builder, kept his eyes open long enough to call for an end to “Shut Up, Make Toys” (SUMT), Santa’s long-standing policy on gay and lesbian employees.
As 2010 drew to a close, I’m was looking ahead. Here are some of my hopes for the LGBT community in 2011, along with a few predictions.
Scientists in Florida have discovered that when male white ibises eat too much mercury, they turn gay. Don’t blame an overbearing ibis mother. Blame the metal.
Recently our community marked the 12th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a somber day devoted to memorializing those murdered for their gender identity.
It was a North Carolina author, Thomas Wolfe, who wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again.” My partner Anne decided to ignore him and go home to North Carolina anyway.
I looked in my partner’s eyes. “Go on without me,” I breathed. “Leave me behind. I don’t have the strength. Promise me you’ll keep going.” Tenderly she said, “Leslie, it’s just a damn movie.”
