Aegletes

On the shortest day of the year, hope for brighter days to come

2010-12-21T07:20:00.003-05:00

Since the time they migrated to the cold northern latitudes of Europe so very long ago, our ancestors from that part of the world faced the long winter months with a mixture of dread and hope. Slaughtering most of their animals so as not to have to feed them during those months when feed for livestock would be scarce, they held one last banquet at this time of year before steeling themselves for the hard months of starvation and cold that lay ahead. I imagine, as they gathered in their great halls to feast on meat washed down with mead and beer, that they faced the shortest day of the year with some sense of hope. They would perform their propitiating sacrifices to the gods in the hope that the days would grow longer, that the sun would once again warm the earth, and that its life-giving rays would sow the seeds for new life in the coming year.

This, the shortest day of the year, thus came to represent the wheel-like motion of life on earth, moving from decay to growth back to decay again. And so it is that most civilizations in the northern hemisphere have come to identify this time of year with the cycle of death and rebirth and have marked it with celebrations such as the Yuletide of the ancient Norse and Germans or the Lenaia of the Greeks or the Saturnalia of the Romans. That the relatively new religion of Christianity adopted this time of year for Christmas is therefore hardly a coincidence. No matter what form our celebrations may take, the ancient roots of this day remain and echo a time when our ancestors saw the world as an endless cycle of death and life. They looked upon the sun as the male fructifying power of nature sowing the seeds of future life in mother earth, a power that would grow stronger from this point forward until it bore fruit in the spring.

So with that hope of warmer, brighter and longer days to come and with the bursting forth of new life in the coming year, I wish all my friends in these cold northern regions a joyous and hopeful Winter Solstice.

2010 Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge (Part II)

2010-08-30T14:56:00.028-04:00

Friday

Sean and I drove directly to the campus of Montgomery County Community College, starting point of the Philly Challenge, with our bikes firmly attached to Sean's car. I brought with me a printed listed of all the people I wanted to honor at "the wall" at the LIVESTRONG Village: the TC Forum Family, people who had been taken from their loved ones by cancer, and people my donors wanted me to honor. We got there as soon as the Village opened so the few cards clipped to the clothes lines fluttered in the strong gusts of wind blowing through the campus.

It wasn't long before we saw Kate, Mike and Miriam walking across the lawn at the Village to join us. Our extended family, in the fullest sense of the word, was coming back together. We went through registration which, at that early hour, had no wait although the folks behind the tables were still figuring things out. But after a few fits and starts, I walked away with my bibs, a screaming yellow t-shirt, a dri-fit cap, a water bottle to add to the growing collection, a running chip (paid for back in December when I thought I'd still run) and a very nice back pack. Nathan was still on his way so we decided to go check in so we could unload all our gear. Back at the Double Tree, which after three years was starting to seem very familiar, we saw Nathan and then Scott. Nathan had won a free LIVESTRONG bike helmet back at the Village. That guy has all the luck.

In what seemed to be developing into a tradition from prior Challenges, we went to P. J. Whelihan's for dinner. I was very excited for Kate and Mike who would be running the 5K and 10K courses, respectively, the following morning. Mike had us all laughing as he recounted the reaction he had gotten from complete strangers while running on the roads in Ohio (where he and the family had been visiting) while wearing a pink bandanna on his head.

Saturday

Early Saturday morning, we got to the Village and soon found Kate, Mike and Miriam. Kate looked ready to take on the 5K and Mike looked pretty good in his pink bandanna. Nathan joined us soon after as did our friend Michael and his partner David. Don, who had just driven to the area, soon found us. Not having had time to have breakfast at the hotel, I led the hunt for coffee, remembering last year's experience of downing cup after cup of Starbucks coffee. I was disappointed that all that was on offer this time was some lukewarm and bad-tasting Starbucks instant coffee. "Drink it fast" was Don's advice. He wasn't joking.

I recorded the start of the 5K and 10K runners on my PlaySport and couldn't help feeling a little wistful that I wasn't there among the runners. Ah well, I had the Sunday ride to look forward to. So off we went on the 5K walk, Sean holding little Miriam's hand the whole time. Along the way, I got a shout-out ("Hey, fellow survivor!") from a young woman who had seen my survivor tag pinned to my back. We talked about dealing with cancers that other people think are a walk in the park (thyroid cancer in her case, testicular cancer in mine) but that we know are not. Michael and I talked about returning to running. He had run the 5K in 2009 as well but had stopped training regularly.

Approaching the finish line, survivors are asked to step to the right of the lane at the end of which they each receive a yellow rose. It's one of those particularly powerful moments at these Challenges and reminds me of the mix of emotions I felt at my first Challenge. I remember thinking at the time "Wow, they really get it. They really know how terrifying and often lonely this can be." It's a humbling experience to get that honor and a reminder that with it comes a responsibility to help others.

Just like that first time, Sean and I had decided to hold hands over the yellow line that separated survivors from everyone else. I was vaguely aware of the photographers and the crowd but was a little surprised and very touched when one photographer asked us to stop for a picture while holding hands. Part of me always feels uncomfortable demonstrating so clearly that I'm part of the gay minority in this country. For all my self-assurance and advocacy for gay rights, I always expect somebody to say or do something unpleasant at any moment. But not in this case. At that moment, I genuinely felt welcome. I can hardly wait to see the photo and just hope I remembered to suck in my gut. After congratulating Kate and Mike, I joined Don, Nathan, Michael, David, and Sean for lunch at the Village. We then toured the vendors, had my picture taken pretend to ride a bike next to a virtual Lance, and got to talk to one of the members of the TC forum who had spotted me in the crowd.

Later that day, in keeping with what Nathan, Sean and I had done last year, we went to the Lucky Dog Saloon for lunch, joined this time by Don, followed by a trip to REI to pick up some bike gear. There, I struck up a conversation with a guy whose brother is a TC survivor. We members of the TC family have a way of finding each other, it seems. After that, it was back to the hotel to get ready for the Fundraising Appreciation Dinner. At the hotel, we saw Jason and Nanci and their two beautiful kids. Paul and Cathy were there ready to head off to the dinner.

Having raised $3400 this year, I qualified for the dinner and could bring Sean as my guest. I had declined to go last year but this time didn't want to miss it. Lance Armstrong was attending this time and the venue was very close to where we were staying. Thanks to the generosity of Sean's coworker Susan, Nathan and Don were able to go as her guests along with her friend Amy. At the dinner, we joined Paul and Cathy, Kevin and Melissa to make an all-LOVEstrong table near the stage. The dinner was a great opportunity to hear from the other teams that had raised so much money or who had a particularly powerful message or who had otherwise stood out. Everyone was very enthusiastic about this joint effort to fight cancer. A tough moment came, however, when the survivors were asked to stand up. We were clearly in the minority in that hall and I wondered at the stories each of those survivors could tell about their fight with cancer. Caregivers were then asked to stand up and I felt a lump in my throat seeing Don stand up. After the dinner, Kevin managed to intercept Lance as he was leaving and Melissa quickly took a picture of the two of them. We hurried back to the hotel where I prepared everything for the following day's ride knowing that we'd want to get to the starting line as early as possible to beat the crush. I got hardly any sleep that night.

Sunday

The morning started early, with the two of us waiting for an empty elevator to take our bikes down. Everybody at the hotel had the same idea so I eventually gave up and carried my bike down the fire escape stairwell. It had rained the night before but I hoped the weather would stay dry. The low-hanging clouds suggested it wouldn't. I had never ridden on wet pavement so I was already getting nervous, imagining I'd spill out on the slick roads of Montgomery County and thinking I might have to settle for the twenty mile ride instead of my planned-for 45 route.

At the LIVESTRONG Village, a photographer started taking pictures of me, Sean and Nathan as we unloaded our bikes. He seemed to took special interest in shooting me pumping up my bike tires. Go figure. Kate, Mike and Miriam caught up with us and we then found the rest of the gang, including Mark from the TC forum. As the time for the ride start drew closer, we separated into our respective groups: Nathan in the 100, Kevin in the 70, Don and I in the 45, everybody else in the 10 and 20. I stayed back to let the other 45 milers go ahead of me, having never ridden in such a large group and not wanting to get caught in the crush. Before long, I set out and was on Morris Road with the rest of the people doing the 45-mile ride. With that, came a surge of excitement. It was hard to hold back during those first few miles. The pavement was damp but it wasn't raining, the road was mostly downhill at that point, and it felt great to be pedaling among such a huge mass of fellow cancer fighters for my very first time. Nathan's sound advice to take it easy in the beginning is all that kept me from racing ahead of everyone. This was going to be fun.

By the time I got to the turn-off for the 20-mile route, it had started to rain. I could have turned off then and spared myself riding in the rain over a longer course but it seemed like taking the easy way out. I hadn't come this far just to turn back. Besides, there was a hill halfway through the ride I meant to take so I couldn't stop now. I pulled into the first power stop at Advent Lutheran Church where, listening to Nathan's voice in my head, I made a point of eating. My glasses and rearview mirror were doing me no good in the rain so I stowed them away.

It was there that, while waiting in line for a Porta John, a woman by the name of Ursula introduced herself to me and congratulated me on being a two-time survivor. But my own experience with cancer seemed like nothing once I asked her to describe her own experience. Suffice it to say that within a few minutes I realized I was standing in front of somebody who embodied the very idea of survivorship, someone who despite a series of past and current (and possibly future) challenges was here to do her part. She was a seasoned long-distance rider on top of it all. It was at that moment I was glad to be riding under the now constant rainfall on the windy and hilly roads of rural Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the company of people of Ursula's caliber.

Bill, Ursula's husband, motioned for her to get going. A short while later, I set off as well. Navigating some tight corners on the slick pavement was nerve-racking, leaving me wondering if the bike would slip out from under me. At about that time, Lance Armstrong and his entourage were coming down the road towards us on his return from the 45-mile course. That, more than anything, demonstrated just how much of a world-class athlete he really is. We all cheered as he passed.

Heading towards Perkiomenville and the next rest stop, I felt myself gaining confidence. By that point, I had noticed that many other cyclists would get off their bikes at the slightest uphill. I'll confess to feeling a little cocky as I pedaled past the walkers, most of whom had expensive road bikes, in my trusty but decidedly not sleek hybrid bike with its odd-shaped handlebar extensions. It felt odd breathlessly calling out "on your left" as I passed people trudging up the hills on foot.

I rolled into the power stop at the twenty mile mark thinking I'd stay only long enough to refill my water bottles and have some peanut butter sandwiches before tackling the big hill ahead. But then the rain actually started to pick up. Before long, it was coming down in sheets. My bike shoes were now water logged and I felt like I was carrying so many extra pounds as my bike clothes were soaked through. The power stop started filling up with more cyclists, perhaps all thinking like I was that we could wait this out. A few guys, not wanting to cool down or maybe wanting to show off, dropped to the ground and started doing push ups. My thoughts alternated between "cyclists are crazy" and "why am I doing this?" A few of us huddled under the trees and talked about how, after the next climb, we faced a steep decline that might prove perilous in the hard rain. I figured I could always walk down that hill after riding up to the crest, an odd reversal of the usual pattern.

Riders started leaving the power stop so, after about half an hour of hoping and waiting for the rain to calm down, I figured I should just press on. By the time I got to the base of the hill at Niantic Road, the rain was hitting my eyes so hard I could barely see. True to pattern, it seemed like at least half the cyclists were getting off their bikes to walk up the hill, often right in the middle of the road. So I had to pedal up this incline blinded by the rain and wind while swerving to avoid people walking all over the road. Yet, somehow, it was a great climb! The wind whistled through the glistening leaves of the trees looming overhead and the grade of the road eventually became less challenging as I moved along. The "big" hill I had so dreaded was actually rather exciting. Sure I was in the granny gear but that hill was far less daunting than I had feared.

The real excitement came, however, when I reached the crest of the hill and faced a 260 foot drop over half a mile on a road that more resembled a river. Down I went, unclipping from the pedals for fear of tumbling still attached to the bike and gently pressing the brakes for fear of accelerating out of control. Some riders road past me while others got off their bikes and walked down that flume. I can't recall if it was at the bottom of that hill or one of the next hills that lay before us that I saw an ambulance being loaded with someone on a stretcher, undoubtedly a rider who had lost control of his bike. Seeing that made it clear that this was indeed a dangerous ride. I hadn't faced cancer only to break my neck on a bike ride so I continued to engage the brakes to slow my descent.

It was a relief to arrive at the next rest stop where I saw Bill again. After talking to some of the other riders, I set out again and started hitting some more hills, none of them particularly challenging. A pattern seemed to emerge on these hills: people would race past me on the downhills as I braked to control my speed out of fear of losing control. I was keenly aware of my inexperience riding in the rain. Yet at the next climb, I would pass the very same people who had all unclipped and were walking their bikes up. At one point, one of these other riders started to walk towards the middle of the road and I narrowly missed hitting her as I rode past.

I also had a few close calls in some narrow stretches and in some tight turns of the road but was, by that point, eager to get back. Riding back to the Lutheran Church power stop, the last on the ride, I was pedaling a little too hard up a hill and tried to switch my chain ring, something I know can cause my chain to drop out. Sure enough it did but before I could even finish putting it back on another rider stopped to help out. I had witnessed other riders helping each other out during the ride and, despite my embarrassment at having made such a rookie mistake, was grateful for the sense of community spirit.

There were many such moments that made riding a far better experience than running at the Challenge, the bad conditions notwithstanding. On one straight stretch of road when the rain had calmed down, I found myself riding alone but noticed a group of cyclists riding in a tight formation and coming up fast on my left. "On your left, survivor, sir" the first rider called out as he passed me. That left me speechless.

By the time I reached the final few miles of the ride, my brakes were effectively gone. I started wondering if I would be able to stop the bike quickly enough if needed but I kept on pedaling, eager to get back to the Village on the college campus. The rain had started to pick up again and I found myself having to pass slower riders in the midst of heavy car traffic. One last bit of excitement lay ahead. I came to a busy intersection with a right turn lane, forcing me to come up behind the other riders waiting at the red light between the right turn lane and the lane for through traffic. The driver of the third car at the light decided to change her mind and make a right turn from the middle lane through the cyclists. A lot of yelling ensued as the confused driver insisted on crossing the now fast-moving line of riders proceeding straight. I couldn't slow my bike fast enough and so had to swerve so as not to get hit, yelling at the driver in colorful language.

After that, I couldn't wait to get back. I unclipped from the pedals as soon as I turned into the return chute before the finish line, afraid of hitting somebody should they stop short ahead of me. I had visions of running over one of the volunteers handing out roses to the survivors. In the rain, the faces in the crowd of cheering people looked like a blur save for one: Joe from our the TC forum, whose bald head stood out like a beacon. Seeing his smiling face and bare pate put a smile on my face like nothing else that day.

Grabbing my rose, I looked around to see if I could find Sean. The first person I saw running up was Kate, who gave me a warm embrace, with Sean right behind her. We were joined by my friends from the Voices of Survivors Foundation Rich and Jess. Within minutes, we were joined by Bill and Ursula. Wet, tired, and filthy, I couldn't be happier. Despite the conditions, I felt strangely energized and even imagined that, but for the rain, would gladly have gone on riding.

Sean took my bike back to the car, Don found me before making the return trip to his house, I managed to find Joe so I could joke about how he and his head stand out in a crowd, and I was off back to the hotel. By the time Nathan and Scott returned to the hotel from their rides, the sun was actually starting to shine. Great timing. But this Challenge wouldn't have been as, well, challenging had it taken place in the sun. After cleaning up, Scott, Paul, Cathy, Sean, Nathan, Kate, Mike, Miriam reminisced about the day over dinner at California Pizza Kitchen at Plymouth Meeting Mall where we briefly debated whether it was better to ride in the rain or in humid sunny weather. I unequivocally voted for the latter. You can always rehydrate, after all, but riding wet roads on smooth bike tires is just treacherous.

Nathan, Sean, Kate, Mike, Miriam and I regrouped the following morning at Blue Bell Diner in one last nod to last year's Challenge. The service and food were disappointing but what mattered was the companionship. The skies were clear as we left but it was raining by the time we got home, somehow fitting given the weather we experienced this weekend.

This, my third Challenge, was indeed memorable. The sheer length of this blog entry reflects just how important the weekend of August 20th-22nd, 2010 was to me. I reconnected, even if briefly, with some wonderful people and met some new people who are nothing less than amazing. The volunteers at the Village and at the power stops were all lovely people and I made a point of thanking every one with whom I interacted. The police controlling the traffic for the riders gave us all an added sense of security on some of the busier intersections. Everything went smoothly short of the one thing nobody could control: the weather. And nothing was as delicious as the peanut butter sandwiches at the power stops.

I learned a lot about cycling, too: I never want to ride in the rain again if I can avoid it. I can't count on other cyclists signaling their intentions or calling out when they're passing. I actually prefer to climb a hill than to go down it, as insane as that may seem. I can take on longer rides by simply breaking them down into segments interrupted by stops to eat and hydrate. I'm sure there are other things I've learned but these stand out.

But above all, I learned that this event, like cycling itself, can bring out the best in people: a sense of community and working in common cause to do good for others.

2010 Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge (Part I)

2010-08-30T13:01:00.012-04:00

I've been putting off writing this account of my participation in the 2010 LIVESTRONG Challenge in Philadelphia on August 21-22 because I genuinely dislike writing. But out of fear of forgetting some wonderful moments from a mere week ago, I figured I should commit these memories to paper or, in this case, bytes before too long. If this account is long, it's because there is just so much I experienced that I fear forgetting let I put it down here. In particular, since this is the first time I'm blogging about the Challenges, I thought I'd provide some background before going into the events of the Challenge itself.

This was my third Challenge since my second cancer diagnosis in 2008. Prior to that year, I had only a vague sense of who Lance Armstrong is, had never heard of the foundation bearing his name, had next to no interest in running or cycling, and had mostly put my first cancer diagnosis (in 1996) behind me. I understood cancer could change one's life. I just never imagined exactly how when I was diagnosed for a second time two and a half years ago.

For the 2008 Challenge, my partner Sean and I joined a team (Team LOVEstrong) consisting mostly of fellow TC survivors and caregivers, most of whom I had already met online on a cancer forum or in person. I walked the 5K event at that Challenge, hardly a challenge for me. Much more difficult was receiving a yellow rose, given to all survivors, at the finish line and struggling not to break down emotionally. That was hard. The previous months of surgery, recovery, sense of loss, anxiety, anger, and relief at being given yet another chance at life all came together in a mix of emotion.

For the 2009 Challenge, I decided to do something more demanding so I started training to run the 5K beginning in February of that year. I had always hated running, associating it with a particularly sadistic high school phys. ed. teacher. By the time of the Challenge, however, I had gotten myself to the point at which I was able to squeeze out a 5K run at a respectable pace of 8.17 minute mile. Not bad considering I had drunk so much coffee before the run that my bladder was literally bursting by the time I finished. I still remember clenching my survivor's rose in my teeth in the Porta John within minutes of reaching the finish line. Watching Sean come back from his bike ride, cheering Nathan on his very first century ride, raising more than $3000 for that Challenge and helping to recruit several new people to the team all made that a great Challenge.

But cycling seemed like so much more fun than running at that point. When you run, there is no such thing as coasting. And while completing a run can leave you with a huge endorphin rush and sense of satisfaction, starting a run has always been difficult for me. Had it not been for that year's Challenge, I probably would never have bothered. I was also aware that, in my forties, I couldn't count on being able to run pain-free indefinitely. Finally, I was done with my ride in no time while everyone else spent much of the day seeing beautiful scenery and interacting with fellow riders. So off I went to buy a bike for the first time since I was twelve or thirteen years old. I was apprehensive, wondering if I could really take up cycling, feeling overwhelmed at all the technical aspects of the sport and, ever the frugal shopper, preparing for sticker shock from all the many things cyclists seem to spend money on. I settled on a Trek 7.5 FX, a bike that has proven ideal for me. I've since customized it with Shimano pedals and extension bars.

By the time this year's Challenge rolled around, I had taken to cycling much faster than I could have imagined. I owe a lot of that to my friend, coworker and fellow former economics grad student Nathan whose enthusiasm for all things cycling is infectious. He thought nothing of challenging me to join him on rides that he would admit, always after the ride was over, had challenged him when he first started riding years ago. His devil-may-care attitude could be exasperating sometimes, especially whenever we came to a hill he seemed to climb effortlessly while I lagged behind with my tongue hanging out, gasping for breath at each pedal stroke. He would chide me for recoiling from tough climbs but then praise me every time I completed our rides together particularly when they broke new ground in terms of hills, speed or distance. As much as I felt like a complete neophyte to the sport, Nathan helped me feel like I actually belonged to this strange group of people in lycra shorts known as cyclists. Yes, I did succumb to wearing bike clothing. Thanks to a lean build and years of weight-lifting, I have to say I don't look half bad in lycra.

While the number of people on our team was much smaller than in 2009, I was looking forward to Nathan participating for his second year, seeing my friend Michael join us for the 5K walk, being joined by our Brit friends Kate and Mike (both runners) and their daughter Miriam, and seeing some of the people I had come to know over the past few years of raising money and awareness to fight cancer. Sadly, this effort had found a new member in my colleague and friend Don who had, just a few months ago, lost his wife to this terrible disease. It was shaping up to be a memorable and cathartic Challenge for so many of us. The only thing that remained was to decide on what distance to shoot for at the Challenge and to hope for good weather after a particularly scorching summer. So on to the Challenge in the second part of this blog entry...

Upgrading an iPhone 3G (not 3GS) to iOS4

2010-06-29T08:52:00.003-04:00

I've been reluctant to upgrade my two year old iPhone 3G (not the 3GS that was released later) to the recently-released iOS4, the first time I delayed doing an upgrade. The 3G doesn't support all of iOS4's new features because of the new OS's RAM requirements but there are plenty of new features to make the new OS very appealing, not least of which is support for iBooks. But I was scared off by user reports of significant performance degradation and crashes after performing the update on the 3G. That is, until I came across this link suggesting that performing two hard resets after updating the phone would prevent the widely-reported slowdowns. So I bit the bullet last night. Downloading the update didn't take long but doing the actual upgrade did. The 3G essentially gets backed up, wiped clean, updated, then has its user content restored, a process which will take hours. But after doing all that, I hard reset the phone a couple of times. Not only is the phone not slower than it was before, it actually feels more responsive. Some apps seem to be running better with even (in my experience) the buggy Facebook app now much more stable. So for you second-generation iPhone (meaning, the iPhone 3G) users out there who, like me, had been fence sitting, go ahead and follow this procedure. Assuming your phone isn't jailbroken, it should make a big difference.

Hyperactivity, and it feels so good

2010-03-16T07:48:00.006-04:00

Those who know me often tell me that I can't seem to stand still. My idea of a vacation is to see things. My idea of relaxation is, well, to do something. My idea of an ideal beverage is strong coffee. Notice a pattern? While I often think it would be nice to stop and just relax, I don't think I'm really capable of that. I go through life with a long list of things I want to do, never actually having the time to do it all. As with all things, I suppose I could blame my parents: two people who never stop thinking of the next chore they want to take on or the next thing that needs to be fixed. I guess I see the world around me as a place that needs fixing.

I write this now because over the past few months I've taken on more things to do. For starters, I participated in the lobbying days at the New Jersey State House from November to January to support civil marriage equality for same-sex couples in our state. While that effort was unsuccessful in the state legislature, it sharpened for me the degree to which lesbians and gay men are still thought of as second-class citizens and how much work remains to be done to educate the public and our political leaders about that inequality. The fight has moved on to the state Supreme Court but, in the meantime, it has energized many of us who spent many cold mornings outside and inside the State House to continue the fight at the state and Federal levels with the ultimate objective of securing full equality in all matters governed by the law.

Much of the testimony before the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee in December, as that committee considered the marriage equality bill, touched on matters relating to health insurance coverage, hospital visitation rights, and medical decision-making power for same-sex couples. That testimony highlighted just three examples of the disparities faced by lesbians and gay men in the medical setting. As a two-time cancer survivor, I realized all the more the extent to which we in the LGBT community are vulnerable to bias in the law as well as in common practice. Add to that some of the cancer risks more prevalent among LGBT people and some of the other unique obstacles we face, and I realized that we needed a resource for New Jersey's LGBT community specific to the experience of cancer. So, aided by two other gay men who are cancer survivors, I started up the New Jersey LGBT Cancer Support Group which now holds monthly meetings at the Pride Center of New Jersey.

I was asked soon after that to become a moderator on TC-Cancer forum, a site that was a critical element in my clinical treatment for and emotional recovery from my second cancer diagnosis. Through that site, I've made many wonderful friends, learned a great deal, rejoiced in victories, mourned the loss of far too many people, and discovered that one of the best ways of overcoming cancer is to help others in their own fights. Being a moderator means doing more of what I've discovered has been a win-win: by helping others, I help myself come to terms with my own cancer experience.

Last night, I took on developing a Central New Jersey chapter of the Voices of Survivors Foundation with the goal of bringing together cancer survivors in our region to celebrate our own survivorship not only for own sakes but to offer hope to others facing cancer. Survivorship begins the day one is diagnosed and encompasses an important mindset with respect to feeling empowered to fight and overcome the psychological weight cancer represents.

Then there's the Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge. I bought my first bike last October after resisting for a long time. I was afraid of the cars, didn't want to spend so much money on myself, and just didn't think I'd have the stamina for it. Well, I love cycling. I'm not particularly fast and I'm terrible at hills. But it sure beats running, an activity I had taken up for last year's Challenge, in that it's more fun for me and a lot easier on my middle-aged joints. So with the weather finally getting better, it's time to dust off the bike and hit the roads again so I can be in good form for Philadelphia in August. Meanwhile, my overpriced running shoes beckon so maybe I'll even fit a run in every once in a while.

There's also weight lifting, my plans to completely redo our family room, upgrade my computer, improve our garden now that spring is here, etc. Oh, and I'm also a mid-level manager at a large corporation. There's no end to the hyperactivity. I often feel I've bitten off more than I can chew. But if I didn't, I'd feel bored. I guess I'll just need to drink more coffee.

TUAW goes to the Mothership at Macworld 2010 - TUAW Galleries

2010-02-10T15:23:00.000-05:00

TUAW goes to the Mothership at Macworld 2010 - TUAW Galleries

Some fascinating results from a Daily Kos poll

2010-02-03T11:48:00.004-05:00

Daily Kos has published tables summarizing the results of a phone poll among self-identified Republicans taken in January 2010. Some of the results are predictable enough: Most believe that or are at least unsure if Barack Obama is a "socialist" (a term prone to incorrect interpretation, of course) and a racist who wasn't born in the US and who "wants the terrorists to win" (whatever that means). I pretty much expected to see results like that, despite many people telling me that the images of people yelling precisely those things on TV are a media distortion. The poll numbers seem to suggest that at least a very large proportion of self-identified Republicans actually believe those ideas or are at the very least open to them.

But what is interesting is to see a quantification across different demographic and geographic slices of the forms of anti-gay sentiment among those responding to these poll questions. Three-quarters do not think people like me and my partner should be permitted to be married. Two-thirds don't believe we should enjoy any Federal or state benefits (the same enjoyed by straight people) at all, although sadly the poll did not include a follow-up question regarding whether or not gay people should still be required to pay taxes.

Almost three-quarters don't even think people like my partner should be allowed to teach in public schools. Incidentally, he's a great teacher and much-loved and respected by his students and fellow teachers. But, alas, most Republicans seem to think that his being gay disqualifies him from teaching, his PhD and devotion to teaching notwithstanding.

One other thing jumps out: A majority oppose sex education and even think birth control should be illegal. Now there's a formula for teenage pregnancy if ever I saw one.

Now of course not all Republicans think the way these poll numbers suggest. But the fact remains that most self-identified Republicans seem to. It's small wonder that the GOP members in Congress and across the country in many state legislatures vote the way they do.

Here's the link to the poll: http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2010/1/31/US/437

Secaucus and cronyism

2010-01-27T13:57:00.001-05:00

Secaucus and cronyism

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Don't Ask, Don't Give

2010-01-22T11:37:00.004-05:00

On the Saturday after the marriage equality bill failed in the New Jersey state senate, thanks in large part to turncoats in the Democratic Party, I received a phone call from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee asking for money. I didn't give the caller money. I gave him a message: with no action on DOMA, ENDA and DADT despite having majorities in both houses of Congress and, for a year, a self-proclaimed "fierce advocate" for gay rights in the White House who has failed to exercise leadership of any meaningful sort on these issues, the DCCC cannot then come back and ask me for money. After all, they can then use that money to support candidates who will do nothing for my community and may even oppose our issues. I told the caller not to bother calling back until there is concrete action on DOMA, ENDA and DADT.

With that, it's good to read this blog entry on AMERICAblog showing one gay man's hand-written response to a fund-raising letter from the Democratic National Committee. It expresses the same anger shared by many of us who have given, time and time again, our money, our votes, and our volunteer hours to the Democratic Party, with little in return. AMERICAblog's John Aravosis has called for a Don't Ask, Don't Give campaign and I've gladly joined. I will certainly contribute to individual candidates who, by their actions (as opposed to their promises), have demonstrated support for the LGBT community. But for the Democratic Party at large, this ATM is closed for business.

Bicyclists of New Jersey: here's something you can do to increase access

2010-01-20T15:30:00.005-05:00

As reported in the WalkBikeJersey blog, the Scudders Fall I-95 bridge over the Delaware and which connects Ewing, NJ with Lower Makefield, PA will be undergoing reconstruction. The bridge currently does not include a pedestrian/bike path but, by writing an email through this link, you can petition for one to be included. The email is prepopulated and ready to go thanks the efforts of the folks at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. I'm doing my part. Please do yours if you value cycling as an alternative to cars or just for recreation along the beautiful Delaware River.

A message to gay youth everywhere: come out and be proud

2010-01-20T14:21:00.005-05:00

My friend Matt shared with me his contribution to I'm From Driftwood, a compilation of first-hand testimonials from young gay people across the country about their coming out experience. Here is Matt's testimonial to his coming out and serves as a reminder of just how important being out is and gives hope to teens across the United States who live in fear of coming out to their families and in their communities:

Apple adds iTunes Store page for Haiti donations

2010-01-18T12:03:00.001-05:00

Apple adds iTunes Store page for Haiti donations

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Scott Brown is NOM's man in the Mass. special election

2010-01-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the special election in Massachusetts to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat. The National Organization of Marriage, which has devoted itself to making sure same-sex couples never achieve equal rights anywhere in the United States (e.g. Maine and New Jersey), has launched robocalls in support of Republican and one-time Cosmo centerfold Scott Brown. A description of the call is in this article. Brown opposes marriage equality. His Democratic opponent, Martha Coakley, support equal rights for lesbians and gay men.

Legal analyst Jonathan Turley on the banning of cameras in the Prop. 8 trial

2010-01-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

http://jonathanturley.org/2010/01/14/supreme-court-votes-to-ban-telecasting-of-same-sex-trial/

I miss riding my bike on the roads

2010-01-13T14:08:00.004-05:00

The Oak King is taking his own sweet time to take over from the Holly King and we face a lot of cold weather still. Apologies to those who don't get the pagan reference just now. Suffice it to say that for anyone who enjoys riding a bike, the winter months here in New Jersey can be very bleak indeed. I'm a neophyte when it comes to cycling but I've ridden just enough last fall to get bitten by the bike bug and now must content myself with spinning at a gym. Spinning is a lot of fun but it's an entirely different experience from biking out on the road.

For now, my bike — a Trek 7.5 FX fitness bike as shown above — hangs dormant on my garage wall. It looks sad, cold and unloved as I pull into the garage at the end of each work day. All I have to console myself are maps of possible routes for when the weather warms up and videos like the one below, promoting Trek bikes. Springtime can't come soon enough.

Congressional Republicans seek to block DC marriage

2010-01-12T12:27:00.004-05:00

It's the height of hypocrisy. So often we hear conservatives decry what they call "judicial activism" when the courts uphold minority (e.g. gay) rights in the face of discrimination. Yet now thirty-nine Congressional Republicans, as reported by Joe Sudbay in AmericaBlog, have filed an amicus brief in DC Superior Court to try to put the brakes on the recently-enacted civil marriage equality law in the District of Columbia. In other words, some so-called conservatives believe the courts should be used to deny people rights but not to uphold minority rights. The latter would be "judicial activism" and that, in their view, would be bad. Either you believe in the courts as a place for appeal or you don't. But some highly-placed members of the Republican Party seem to think the courts are to be used only to deny people rights and impose a tyranny of the majority.

Incidentally, I say "so-called conservatives" because I'm reminded of a conversation I had while waiting at the security line to enter the New Jersey Statehouse last Thursday for the state senate vote on the civil marriage equality bill. As luck would have it, I arrived at the line alone and soon found myself standing immediately behind a large group of Hassidim, consistently present at the Statehouse as opponents to marriage equality over the past month or so. Behind me formed a line of people completely unassociated with the marriage equality issue and there, presumably, to visit legislators or testify in committee on unrelated matters. It was quite a study in contrasts: before me the Hassidim in their traditional clothing, behind me a group of grim-faced people in business suits. An evangelical clergyman walked by, saw me, and took the opportunity to chat up the Hassidim, raising his voice (perhaps for my benefit) as he told the Hassidim they were all in the fight together to do God's work. Alas, they didn't discuss whose definition of god they supported. Now that would have been fun to witness.

Soon, another gentleman joined the group as the line inched forward ever so slowly towards the security desk. That man, seeing me in my Garden State Equality t-shirt, told me "I'm just their friend. I don't necessarily agree with them." I really didn't care and didn't acknowledge him at all. I remained silent, not wanting to engage them, and just proceeded to text my friends in the Statehouse wondering where they were, half tempted to text "Help me!" The very businesslike couple standing behind me just rolled their eyes, smiled at me sympathetically, and told me they wished some people would just learn to mind their own business. I replied "Oh well, they can say what they want but we've been advised not to respond to any taunts or attempts to engage us." I just wanted to get my stupid security badge and get on with the day's business.

But the couple behind me wanted to make a point: "I'm a Republican and, for me, being a conservative means I don't want government ever telling people what they can or cannot do. You should be allowed to do what you want" said the man, the woman with him nodding in agreement. Of course, his statement struck me as overly simplistic since marriage does, inescapably, carry with it government-recognized protections. But he had made an interesting point with an important implication: For those who profess to dislike government intruding in private concerns to then say that government should favor some relationships (opposite-sex in this case) over others (same-sex) smacks of hypocrisy.

In other words, there are indeed conservatives out there who do recognize the hypocrisy inherent in opposing gay rights. Indeed, there are Republicans like Senator Baroni and former solicitor general Ted Olson (now challenging California's Prop 8 in Federal court) who understand this. That the Republican Party is still mostly represented by people like House Minority Leader Boehner and US Senator Inhofe and the other opponents to DC's marriage law demonstrates just how much the Republican Party is at odds with its own professed world view.

Names of NJ State Senators to Remember in 2011

2010-01-11T14:15:00.004-05:00

A friend asked that I post the names of who voted for or against (or, laughably, abstained) in the 01/07/10 NJ state senate vote on S1967 which would have included same-sex couples in New Jersey in the state's civil marriage statute and thus would have afforded those couples, like me and my partner, all the protections and obligations afforded in law and common business practice (e.g. insurance, hospitalization, etc.) to opposite-sex couples. That the bill failed was not, by the time the vote was finally scheduled, unexpected for a whole host of reasons (the governor's race and political cowardice to name two). But this post isn't about the vote itself or what led up to it. It concerns naming those who stood by us and their promises to us as compared to those who either went back on their word, acted on their professed hostility to us, or who dithered and sat on the fence on what is one of the most important issue to scores of same-sex couples in New Jersey.

We cannot, as a community, forget who fulfilled their promises to us, who betrayed us, who voted purely out of self interest, and who sat idly by. Given the small size of the LGBT community, it's unrealistic to think that all the senators who voted against us or who abstained can be made to pay the price in 2011. But there are many who represent districts in which we or at least the progressive community as a whole can certainly affect the outcome of the next election (only a couple of years away). And that's just in terms of votes. As a community, we have had and can still have an impact out of proportion to our voting ranks in the form of volunteering, canvasing and donating money to candidates. What we lack in sheer numbers we more than make up for in commitment. We can support those who have supported us as well as support challengers to those who have not so long as those resources are husbanded and used strategically. In any event, here is the list of heroes and villains from last Thursday's vote with full names, party affiliation and district number:

Yes votes (totaling 14):
Bill Baroni (R-14)
Barbara Buono (D-18)
Richard J. Codey (D-27)
Sandra B. Cunningham (D-31)
Nia H. Gill, Esq. (D-34)
Robert M. Gordon (D-38)
Raymond J. Lesniak (D-20)
M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29)
Nicholas P. Scutari (D-22)
Bob Smith (D-17)
Brian P. Stack (D-33)
Joseph F. Vitale (D-19)
Loretta Weinberg (D-37)
Jim Whelan (D-2)

Abstaining (totaling 3):
James Beach (D-6)
Paul A. Sarlo (D-36)
Stephen M. Sweeney (D-3)

Absent (totaling 2):
Diane B. Allen (R-7)
Andrew R. Ciesla (R-10)

No votes (totaling 20):
Christopher Bateman (R-16)
Jennifer Beck (R-12)
Anthony R. Bucco (R-25)
Gerald Cardinale (R-39)
Christopher J. Connors (R-9)
Michael J. Doherty (R-23)
John A. Girgenti (D-35)
Philip E. Haines (R-8)
Sean T. Kean (R-11)
Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (R-21)
Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. (R-13)
Fred H. Madden, Jr. (D-4)
Kevin J. O'Toole (R-40)
Steven V. Oroho (R-24)
Joseph Pennacchio (R-26)
Ronald L. Rice (D-28)
Nicholas J. Sacco (D-32)
Robert W. Singer (R-30)
Shirley K. Turner (D-15)
Jeff Van Drew (D-1)

District 5 is vacant, thus accounting for why the numbers total only 39. Among Democrats, 13 voted for the bill while 9 either voted no (6) or abstained (3). They are the Democrat 9. We'll remember them. Among the Republicans, only one voted for the bill despite the fact that among Republicans there were other supporters, that is before the election of Chris Christie as governor. Among the 16 Republicans who either voted no or abstained or were absent, a few stand out as having betrayed earlier promises to the LGBT community in this vote. We'll remember them too. The next election, in 2011, can't come soon enough. The time to start laying the groundwork to defeat some of the most vulnerable among those who voted no or abstained is now.

An open letter to NJ state Senator Stephen Sweeney

2010-01-09T10:24:00.004-05:00

What follows is my open letter to Senator Stephen Sweeney, who is taking over as New Jersey Senate president in the new legislative term and who abstained from voting on S1967 — the marriage equality bill — last Thursday.

Senator Sweeney:

I write to you today as a member of the Democratic Party, as a proud resident of the state of New Jersey, and as someone who is deeply ashamed of your complete lack of leadership as shown by your failure to cast a vote on senate bill 1967. As you must surely know, that bill would have extended civil marriage rights to same-sex couples in New Jersey. The citizens of New Jersey expect their elected representatives to be men and women of action. That you could sit by and take no action at all on what may very well be one of the most important pieces of legislation to come to the floor of the state senate in a long time, a piece of legislation having a direct practical impact on the lives of scores of same-sex couples in our state, says a great deal about your lack of leadership. By your unwillingness to cast a vote, you have shown yourself utterly unworthy of the post — that of incoming president of the Senate — to which you have aspired. I would hope, out of a sense of shame and regret at so seriously defaulting on your responsibilities to the people of New Jersey and to your new position as senate president, that you would do the right thing: resign your leadership position. After all, you are a leader in name only.

My education in New Jersey politics

2010-01-08T08:28:00.004-05:00

Yesterday saw the long-awaited vote in the New Jersey state senate on the issue of marriage equality. I won't go into the legal aspects of this issue, all stemming from a court case decided a few years ago by the New Jersey supreme court finding that the state was required to offer same-sex couples the same rights and protections as currently enjoyed by straight couples who are married under the state's civil marriage statute. That the state legislature's 2006 civil unions statute has failed to meet the requirements of the court decision has been amply demonstrated. What remained was for the legislature to do not only the right thing with respect to justice, but to do what it had to do to comply with New Jersey's state constitution. Yesterday, the New Jersey state senate failed to do that.

But the story is much more nuanced than simply focusing on a 20-14 tally would suggest. After all, three Democrats abstained from voting altogether: Senate judiciary committee chair Sarlo, who had voted no in committee in December, abstained rather than voting no again, with no explanation offered. Senator Beach, whose district includes the city of Collingswood with its large gay population, likewise abstained and promptly fled the chamber refusing to explain why. Incoming senate preside Sweeney, who admitted that our side had made a persuasive argument for marriage equality, abstained. Yes, the incoming leader of the upper chamber of the New Jersey state senate, a mean who through a power play was able to push aside a widely-respected leader like Senator Codey, demonstrated his idea of leadership by failing to vote on probably one of the most important pieces of legislation in quite some time. Senator Sweeney's brand of leadership is to see which way the political winds are blowing and to act accordingly. He's not a leader. He's not even a follower. He's a weather vane.

As for the Republicans, apparently there were many who this past summer would have voted yes for marriage equality. Many of them (senators Beck and Sean Kean immediately come to mind) represent districts with large gay populations. But then Chris Christie won election over a Governor Corzine, a weak candidate, a poor campaigner, and an unpopular governor. So unprincipled, so without independence of thought are those Republican senators that their support shifted to opposition. During the hearing in the judiciary committee, for example, senator Beck voted no without once (as I recall) asking a question of the witness during many hours of testimony. She never offered an explanation. Those Republican senators who took their marching orders from the incoming governor, who has made it abundantly clear he opposes marriage equality, are not fit to occupy their seats. They are not thinkers, they are not leaders, they are political weather vanes.

Sean Kean (not to be confused with the other marriage opponent Tom Kean) probably provided the most perplexing speech yesterday. He stood up and talked at length, often repeating himself, about how gay people move into neighborhoods and make great neighbors and improve property values. He went on to brag about how he has many gay friends and has held public events with gay people. He joked how he's been told he represents a particularly gay district. But he said he would vote no. So gays are good for increasing property values but not good enough to have equal rights. He didn't offer any explanation as to why he voted no. He simply went on a self-serving diatribe about how offended he was at the implication he was bigoted for voting no. How like a bigot to not recognize his own bigotry. In that respect, bigotry is a lot like body odor: those who stink seldom smell their own odor.

From ranking Republican judiciary committee member Cardinale, who had given a bravura performance in ignorance, bigotry and incivility during the committee hearing in December, we heard the same tired slippery-slope arguments. Newcomer Republican Doherty demonstrated his complete ignorance of this country's constitutional principles by arguing that the rights of a minority should be subject to the whims of an oppressive majority, something the founding fathers rejected by establishing a representative form of government.

But there was one Republican, Senator Baroni who represents my partner's (wait, make that husband's) parent's district and who had voted yes in committee, who spoke at length about the very nature of love between two people who have supported and cared for each other. He compared the love shared by Marsha and Louise, who have been featured so prominently in our campaign, to the love shared by his grandparents, finding that there was no difference at all. His speech was brilliant and moved many of us in the audience to tears.

Speaking of emotion, Senator Lesniak choked up on reading a letter from a constituent, Senator Cunningham spoke from the perspective of being descended from slaves, Senator Ruiz spoke briefly and eloquently about never denying others the opportunities that had been denied the Latino population. Senator Gill, as is usual for her, spoke calmly, quietly but with strength and passion about how this fight is at its core a fight about civil rights. As an African American woman who has practiced law and represents a district with a large African American population, she is certainly qualified to speak to issues of civil rights. She has earned our admiration for doing so on behalf of our community.

Finally, congratulations go to Senator Weinberg who has been so persistent on this and many other progressive issues. She opened and closed debate by reminding the members of the senate that their responsibility as leaders was to vote their conscience. It is to their shame that so many failed to do so. It is a lesson to all of us, straight and gay, who care about progressive issues, that many members and leaders in the Democratic Party cannot be counted on to exercise their responsibility to all the citizens of New Jersey. It is a lesson that there are many Republican senators who actually are reasonably progressive on social issues, reflecting the general mood in their districts, but who nevertheless put towing their party line ahead of thinking for themselves.

But the three biggest lessons I learned yesterday is that never should members of our community donate money to, volunteer for, and vote for members of either party who do not pass one simple acid test: Do you commit publicly to the principle that lesbians and gay men are entitled to the full range of citizenship in our state including the right to the protections and responsibilities afforded by civil marriage in name and in fact?

The second lesson is that we must each commit to supporting any challenger to the sitting members of the legislature who have, whether by voting no or by abstaining or by professing opposition to us (in the case of the assembly, which will not vote on this bill), by donating money to, canvasing on behalf of, and voting for those challengers so long as they are on our side. We must demonstrate that our resources, which for too long have gone to support candidates who do not support us or are cause, can be brought to bear against those who oppose us.

Finally, I can't help but think of how the concerns of women and African Americans and Latinos and so many other disadvantaged parts of our society didn't get addressed in fundamental ways until leaders from those same communities rose up, spoke out, and began to take positions of responsibility in the community at large and in government. There are still precious few out members of the LGBT community in prominent positions in government. We need to be everywhere in the public sphere. And that includes in all levels of government, from dog catcher all the way up to the executive. That begins with running for office. I heard one gentleman at our post-vote reception, say he would take that challenge. We all need to take an active role, even if it means volunteering on a municipal committee to start out. We can't be passive observers of the political process any longer.

Blue Jersey:: A new Marriage Equality letter - from 120 clergy in 19 NJ faiths

2010-01-04T10:34:00.001-05:00

Blue Jersey:: A new Marriage Equality letter - from 120 clergy in 19 NJ faiths

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Blue Jersey:: Joe Roberts: No vote on marriage equality unless Senate votes first

2010-01-01T10:50:00.001-05:00

Blue Jersey:: Joe Roberts: No vote on marriage equality unless Senate votes first

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Waiting for Equality: One Jersey City Couple’s Story

2009-12-24T12:46:00.000-05:00

Waiting for Equality: One Jersey City Couple’s Story

To Juan at the Winter Solstice by Robert Graves

2009-12-21T07:08:00.002-05:00

This is a tribute to this time of year by mythologist and poet Robert Graves. In keeping with Graves' concept of primitive European culture being matriarchal, this poem refers to the cycle of birth, death and rebirth of the consort to the great mother that is earth itself. At this, the shortest day of the year when the folkloric newborn oak king's power waxes while winter's holly king's power over the earth wanes, it seems an appropriate poem to reproduce here:

To Juan at the Winter Solstice by Robert Graves

There is one story and one story only
That will prove worth your telling,
Whether as learned bard or gifted child;
To it all lines or lesser gauds belong
That startle with their shining
Such common stories as they stray into.

Is it of trees you tell, their months and virtues,
Or strange beasts that beset you,
Of birds that croak at you the Triple will?
Or of the Zodiac and how slow it turns
Below the Boreal Crown,
Prison to all true kings that ever reigned?

Water to water, ark again to ark,
From woman back to woman:
So each new victim treads unfalteringly
The never altered circuit of his fate,
Bringing twelve peers as witness
Both to his starry rise and starry fall.

Or is it of the Virgin's silver beauty,
All fish below the thighs?
She in her left hand bears a leafy quince;
When, with her right hand she crooks a finger, smiling,
How many the King hold back?
Royally then he barters life for love.

Or of the undying snake from chaos hatched,
Whose coils contain the ocean,
Into whose chops with naked sword he springs,
Then in black water, tangled by the reeds,
Battles three days and nights,
To be spewed up beside her scalloped shore?

Much snow if falling, winds roar hollowly,
The owl hoots from the elder,
Fear in your heart cries to the loving-cup:
Sorrow to sorrow as the sparks fly upward.
The log groans and confesses:
There is one story and one story only.

Dwell on her graciousness, dwell on her smiling,
Do not forget what flowers
The great boar trampled down in ivy time.
Her brow was creamy as the crested wave,
Her sea-blue eyes were wild
But nothing promised that is not performed.

Happy Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T06:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we dug ourselves out of the first snow storm of the season. As usual, it wasn't as bad as predicted by the sky-is-falling weather forecasters. But it was plenty of snow nevertheless and, while I don't usually like the snow because of the hard work of clean-up, the house did look beautiful surrounded by an expanse of clean white. The sky was light blue, the deciduous trees bare but for the snow covering their branches, the house cast in a glow of reflected sunlight off the unblemished snow.

How ironic that this snow came fast on the Winter Solstice today. As the days in the northern hemisphere begin to lengthen and the promise of brighter days takes hold, we can be happy that the Holly King (the mythical figure of winter) will gradually lose hold and give way to the Oak King. The winter snows will ultimately melt, nourishing the roots of plants that will flourish once again in the springtime. The buds are set, waiting to break forth once the sunlight and warmth are intense enough. It's precisely the promise of life reborn that so many cultures throughout human history have celebrated at this, literally the darkest time of year.

This is a metaphor of sorts for all the trials we face: It so often is indeed darkest before a new cycle of life can resume. While we don't always win every battle, the moments when things seem hopeless are often only temporary and but a prelude to new victories. This can often be the case when one loses a job, when one is diagnosed with cancer, or when one suffers a set-back in the fight for social justice for all people (gay and straight alike), all things I've experienced firsthand over the years. But hope renews just as surely as the days lengthen. So there is a lesson in this time of year when so much of the world celebrates the renewal of life and the resurgence of hope for the future. Even on the darkest longest night, the human spirit is strong enough to dream and work for brighter and longer days to come.

Happy Winter Solstice

Vermont to have 3G service...

2009-12-17T10:36:00.001-05:00

I fell in love with Vermont when my partner and I spent a few days there last summer. The state has so much going for it: beautiful landscapes, pleasant people, same-sex marriage equality, a viable third party (the Progressive Party), a great independent-minded senator (Bernie Sanders), and a live-and-let-live attitude. And now it will have AT&T 3G service for the iPhone. Now all I have to do is learn to be a dairy farmer or buy a B&B and I'd be set to live there:
Going to Vermont for a White Christmas? Relax - you'll have 3G service

Babs tells it like it is...

2009-12-09T11:40:00.004-05:00

I once had the honor of meeting Babs Siperstein. At the time, I didn't actually know who she was and how important she is. We simply talked about politics during a backyard barbecue at someone's house and she came across as simply an ordinary citizen who just seemed to know everything there was to know about state politics in New Jersey. Imagine my surprise when I later found out I had been talking to one very prominent member of the state Democratic party.

I write all this as preamble to Babs' post on the Blue Jersey blog concerning tomorrow's vote on marriage equality in the state senate. I particularly like her final point about making sure we hold Democrats to account and support those who support us. We in the LGBT community are a critical component of the Democratic coalition in New Jersey and, as such, are not to be taken for granted. I know I will do my utmost to support those Democrats who stood with us tomorrow. I will also do everything I can to support challengers to any Democrat who votes against my interests and those of all other same-sex couples in New Jersey in the senate tomorrow.

Here's the direct link to her post: http://www.bluejersey.com/diary/13731/marriage-equality-an-open-letter-to-nj-democrats

A long day at the New Jersey State House

2009-12-08T13:04:00.004-05:00

I'm still collecting my thoughts from what turned out to be a particularly long day at the New Jersey State House in Trenton yesterday. I was there along with well over one thousand fellow Garden State Equality members to make our presence felt and accompany our side's testimony on behalf of the state civil marriage equality bill (S1967) being considered by the senate judiciary committee. I got there at 6:30 AM and didn't leave until 8:00 PM, at which time the hearing was still going on and would continue to go on for at least another couple of hours.

There were many things I experienced that angered or saddened me, things that made me realize just how much willful ignorance of our laws, our foundational principles, and common decency and respect still prevail in our society. But there were some high points as well: I was met with a smile and a nod from a senator running to get lunch when he saw me wearing my Garden State Equality t-shirt. I got to spend the day with friends old and new (Rich, Rick, Boaz, Jane: you're all beautiful people). I shared my cancer experience with Rich, who proved all the more just how caring and compassionate man he is. I got to have a few moments of levity and silliness (I guess that's why we're called "gay") with my friends. I got to listen to powerful testimony from private citizens, supportive luminaries from the worlds of politics and public affairs, and a particularly rousing speech from Civil Rights legend Julian Bond.

Finally, as the evening wore on, I found myself in a small overflow room sitting next to Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the New Jersey ACLU. We shared some pizza, laughed at some of the funnier aspects of the day, we talked at length, and wondered when she would finally get to testify. It turned out she got her chance, the very last person to testify that day. I had let my ACLU membership lapse, much to my shame. I have so many charitable interests that I'm in danger of losing track of them all. But not in this case. Today I renewed my membership so I could justifiably say that I'm a proud member of the ACLU. And that's because I believe, fiercely, in individual freedom and dignity. I close with Deborah's own recollections from the overflow room: http://www.bluejersey.com/diary/13762/reflections-from-the-overflow-room

An open letter to NJ Democratic legislators

2009-12-01T11:41:00.003-05:00

I am very fortunate indeed to be represented in Congress by one of the most intelligent, thoughtful and dedicated politicians: US Representative Rush Holt. Congressman Holt has added his signature to scores of others such as Newark Mayor Corey Booker, DNC member and NJ activist Babs Siperstein (whom I once had the privilege of meeting) in an open letter to the Democratic members of the New Jersey state legislature calling on them to get behind the Marriage Equality bill during this legislative session. Individuals can add their names to the letter at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/njmarriage/. I urge all my friends who are registered Democrats to join this effort to remind our elected representatives in Trenton that equal protection under the law is not worthy of its name if it only includes some couples but not others. Please join me in signing on. Below is the text of the letter:

An Open Letter Calling on Democratic Legislators to Post Marriage Equality Legislation for a Vote

We believe that equality and fairness are fundamental principles of New Jersey's Democratic Party, and that is why we call on the state legislature to vote immediately on, and pass, the marriage equality bill.

New Jersey has a proud history of supporting civil rights. It was this legacy that encouraged many of us to become involved in politics. We believe that allowing committed gay and lesbian couples to marry is, at its core, about treating our family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors with dignity and respect.

We appreciate that this is a difficult issue for some state legislators. But marriage equality is an idea whose time has come. We are confident that the voters will stand by those elected officials who do the right thing.

When our children and grandchildren look back on this moment, we want to be able to tell them that we, too, did the right thing.

As Martin Luther King poignantly reminded us, "the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." That is why we’re proud to lend our names and our voices to this important cause. We do so in our capacity as private citizens and Democratic voters, and not on behalf of any particular office or organization.

What does one religion's doctrine have to do with civil marriage?

2009-11-30T11:05:00.003-05:00

That's the title of this great piece in today's Blue Jersey blog. The concept of separation of church and state, one of the pillars of our republic as enshrined in the very first article in the Bill of Rights, seems to be difficult for a lot of people, notably among established religious organizations, to understand. For example, the Roman Catholic Church seems to think it appropriate to use its influence and financial resources (arguably better spent helping the poor) to prevent people like me, who aren't even Catholic, gaining equal CIVIL legal marriage rights.

Most recently, the Catholic Church in Maine was instrumental in contributing money to overturn equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples in the recent Question 1 ballot initiative in Maine, thus stripping same-sex couples of equal civil protections regardless of whether or not those couples were even Catholic. The Catholic Church is also threatening to withhold charity services to the poor and sick in Washington, DC if the District council votes, as it is expected to, to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples there. Perhaps I'm picking too much on the Catholic Church when in fact many other denominations have been just as guilty of imposing their sectarian beliefs on society at large. But I can't help being disgusted as I see an institution that has its own checkered history with respect to morality (e.g. the ongoing scandal of priests abusing children while being protected by the Church, most recently in Ireland) seeking to impose its religion-based sectarian views on all of society, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Nobody is imposing anything on the Catholic Church. I wish they would return the favor.

Coverage of our lobbying effort at the NJ State Capitol

2009-11-24T08:27:00.003-05:00

Organized by Garden State Equality, almost 300 hundred lesbians, gay men, and our allies spent much of the day at New Jersey's state capitol in Trenton to lobby senators on the opening day of the lame duck session (the period between the recent election and the new term in January) for civil marriage equality in New Jersey. Here is a synopsis of the press coverage we received. I'm already looking forward to heading back to Trenton again and hope it is soon.

Biking in my home town of Porto Alegre, Brazil

2009-11-18T14:16:00.003-05:00

Ever since I watched and blogged about a video from this year's Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge, I've been intrigued by the idea of shooting video of bike rides. The bike, after all, offers such a unique perspective not available from within a car.

I've even been thinking of getting a dedicated helmet-mounted camera myself or improvising a handle-bar mount for my existing camera (which can shoot video). In the meantime, I've been exploring videos shot by other cyclists. Some of them are crazy, shooting through traffic while violating every traffic law in the book. Others are a demonstration of how, no matter how much a cyclist obeys the law, drivers can be inattentive, malicious and downright murderous.

But today I saw a series of videos posted on YouTube by Diego Hernando Szczesny Mancilha, a cyclist living in my home town of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He has improvised a helmet mount for a regular camera and has shot videos riding around the city. Having lived in Porto Alegre and faced the terrible driving manners of its citizens as a pedestrian, I think cycling is the last thing I would do there. If American drivers are disrespectful of cyclists, Brazilians are downright hostile. This guy is brave. Here's one of the videos, this one of Diego hurtling down some of the steepest drops in the city. Porto Alegre is well known in Brazil for its hills:

Frontline: "Sick Around the World"

2009-11-17T22:11:00.004-05:00

My partner and I recently watched a brief but reasonably informative documentary on PBS' Frontline program entitled "Sick Around the World" and providing an overview of systems for providing and insuring health care in very different settings: the UK, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and Taiwan. While there may be many people in the United States who believe, for whatever reason, that we have nothing to learn from the experiences other countries have had, I very much disagree. Each of these countries offers a lesson in how their societies made choices, often very difficult ones, to balance competing objectives with respect to health care: universality, flexibility, efficiency, low cost, good public health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. The results vary a good deal from country to country but one thing keeps emerging, at least to judge from the public health statistics: all these countries achieve better population outcomes (neo-natal mortality, life expectancy, popular satisfaction) at lower costs as a proportion of GDP than is the case in the United States. We obviously have much to learn from these countries and ignore their experience at our peril.

Urge FBI to Investigate Anti-Gay Hate Crime in Puerto Rico

2009-11-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

Urge FBI to investigate Hate Crime in Puerto Rico: "Please join me in urging the FBI to investigate a suspected hate crime involving the brutal murder of a gay 19-year-old in Puerto Rico particularly as local authorities seem to exhibit a "he had it coming" attitude towards this crime."

Ian McKellen reflects on 'The Prisoner,' Gandalf and gay rights -- latimes.com

2009-11-16T12:25:00.001-05:00

Ian McKellen reflects on 'The Prisoner,' Gandalf and gay rights -- latimes.com

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There's nothing like coming home to a dog...

2009-11-13T13:55:00.004-05:00

This blog entry includes videos of soldiers returning home from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and being greeted by their dogs. And by "greeted" I mean jumped on and loved in a way only a dog can. Who was it who said "the more people I meet, the more I love my dog?" Enjoy: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

Here's the first of the videos and my favorite:

LLS to participate in Gap's Give & Get program to support its blood cancer research

2009-11-13T09:34:00.001-05:00

LLS to participate in Gap's Give & Get program to support its blood cancer research

Here's the coupon link: http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/

The pressures of cancer on couples

2009-11-12T18:33:00.002-05:00

From today's The New York Times, this article on the impact of a cancer diagnosis on married couples: "Divorce Risk Higher When Wife Gets Sick" and which cites research published in the journal "Cancer" of the American Cancer Society showing that women diagnosed with cancer are far more likely to face divorce than men diagnosed with cancer.

Avoiding Factory Farm Foods

2009-11-11T15:20:00.003-05:00

There are some good rules of thumb to follow in this piece by author Nicolette Hahn Niman entitled "Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide" on how to improve the quality of what one eats (tip: avoid industrialized beef for starters).

Rubix Cubewich

2009-11-11T11:10:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of the Insanewiches blog, I present the Rubix Cubewich:

Silly? Of course. But I needed a little levity on the heels of so much bad news these days (Christie, Maine, homophobia, cancer, etc.).

Happy 40th, Sesame Street

2009-11-10T14:39:00.005-05:00

At my age, my memories of "Sesame Street" are from long ago but I still remember the "Manamana" song, among others. Here's the original version from 1969:

"Rubber Ducky" is my other favorite song:

Happy birthday, "Sesame Street" and welcome to middle age.

The Kids Are Alright: Some Thoughts About Same-Sex Marriage

2009-11-08T19:00:00.001-05:00

The Kids Are Alright: Some Thoughts About Same-Sex Marriage

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The high price of equality

2009-11-06T12:20:00.004-05:00

It's tiresome fighting for what others take for granted. It's also expensive. Last week, my partner and I attended one of several statewide sessions called by Garden State Equality to get the New Jersey LGBT community organized to lobby for civil marriage equality in our state. The window of opportunity for equality is quickly closing as the inauguration of New Jersey's recently-elected Republican governor, Chris Christie, approaches. Christie has made no secret of his opposition to gay equality. GSE needs funds to air ads on television in support of equality. Already, the opponents of equality are airing ads full of lies and fear-mongering. So my partner and I felt we had no choice but to pledge $500 to help air the ads. Another couple did the same and many others at our meeting in New Brunswick followed up with contributions. We did so so that someday we might have the legal protections afforded by marriage. That's not the first time we've made a contribution to fight for our rights and, sadly, it won't be the last. Incidentally, straight couples need merely hand over $28, the cost of a marriage license, to a clerk to obtain the same rights.

Unfortunately, achieving something better than second-class citizen status in our state will take a lot more than writing a check. At the very least, it will take calls every single day to our legislators not only from members of our community but also from our straight allies. The lesbian and gay community is small and, while attendance at the aforementioned meetings was inspiring, too many members of our community are too cynical, apathetic, or ignorant of their own oppression to participate in this effort. Others, after so many years of disappointment, have little hope and even less energy to fight yet another battle. The losses in California in 2008 and in Maine last week, when our rights were put up for a vote (in a way no one else's would be), have only added to this disenchantment. This is why it's all the more important for us to reach out to our friends, family members, and coworkers for help. We are too few in number without the help of our straight allies to offset the shouting and fear-mongering coming from the forces of bigotry.

The forces opposing marriage equality will tell you that marriage equality somehow redefines existing marriages. That's a lie. They will tell you that your children will be taught about homosexuality. That too is a lie. They will say that marriage is a religious institution and that religious institutions will be affected by marriage equality. That is false: civil marriage is granted by the state and New Jersey residents are free, and will always be free, to choose to have that marriage celebrated in a temple, church or mosque of their choice. The state has nothing at all to do with religious marriage and cannot therefore require that any religious institution do anything different than they currently do. The forces of bigotry will try to mislead the public and our elected representatives into thinking that marriage equality is something other than it really is: simply the extension to all New Jersey couples of the civil rights, protections and obligations before the law that currently only opposite-sex couples enjoy. In short, their voices are loud and shrill, qualities which seem too often to hold more sway in our society than the quiet voices of reason.

So I appeal to all my friends and colleagues to join me and my partner and scores of other couples in New Jersey in our effort to gain the same level of equality before the law that our friends in opposite-sex relationships are. If you live in New Jersey, please call your state assembly members and state senator every day starting now. All it takes is a few seconds on the phone with each of their office staffers to tell them your name, that you live in their district, and that you want them to vote to enact full marriage equality for same-sex couples before the end of the year. I do this regularly and it takes absolutely no time at all, the office staffer keeping a tally of how many people call to support marriage equality. Trust me, our enemies are doing the same thing and will stop at nothing to make sure we never achieve our dream of being treated as full citizens of our state.

Looking up your representatives in Trenton is easy. For a search engine as well as talking points, simply go to this link: http://www.gardenstateequality.org/officials/call.html .

Below is the ad my partner and I are helping to air. In addition to calling your legislators, if you would like to contribute to support this ad and the overall effort to persuade the state legislature to enact full equality, please do so by contributing to the Garden State Equality Action Fund.

ENDA Hearing in DC Today

2009-11-05T11:19:00.003-05:00

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is holding a hearing this morning on the pending Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). I've written to my two US Senators, Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez, this morning even though neither of them sits on the Committee (see letter below).

I urge my friends to please contact their senators, particularly if they sit on the Committee, to support passage of ENDA. A list of the Senators on the Committe is on the left side of this link. While those of us working in companies with explicit non-discrimination policies or living in states with non-discrimination laws on the books may not fear being fired for being gay, lesbian or transgendered, far too many Americans do not have that peace of mind. In particular, transgendered individuals are at special risk, with more than a third of transgendered people having experienced discrimination in the work place. Non-discrimination is good for business as it attracts and retains the best talent and it is the right thing to do. It's about fairness.

Below is the letter I have written to my two Senators:

As the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions holds a hearing this morning on pending legislation to ban employment and other discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgendered individuals, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my strong support for passage of ENDA.

I hope, Senator, that my partner and I can count not only on your support should a bill come to a vote in the Senate, but that you will urge your colleagues in the Committee as well as out of the Committee to support passage of ENDA.

As a resident of New Jersey and an employee of a company that has a nondiscrimination policy, I am aware of the fact that while I enjoy relative peace of mind, so many Americans elsewhere do not. I very much wish to see all Americans throughout our country be able to go to work without fear that their employer will fire them for their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Thank you.

A painful loss in Maine

2009-11-04T08:24:00.002-05:00

I could post about how the very idea that one group of people could vote out the basic rights of another group of people runs counter to the principals at the core of our republic, a republic established on the idea of representative democracy as a means of safeguarding minorities from the tyranny of the majority through the filter of deliberative representation. This comes to mind as I ponder the painful defeat as the No on 1 campaign in Maine lost to the forces of bigotry with the effect that the recently-enacted same-sex civil marriage law in that state has been voted out. Same-sex couples will continue to be treated as second-class citizens before the law.

But instead, I post a letter I received (and published on the No on 1 campaign site) from Jesse Connolly, who ran a valiant effort to sensitize Maine voters to the fundamental inequity of treating lesbian and gay couples as second-class citizens. This vote shows that the road ahead will indeed be very difficult, even in an otherwise progressive state, and that it may be years, many years, before lesbians, gay men, and transgendered people ever experience the level of respect and equality before the law they demand and certainly are entitled to:

Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of Maine voters stood for equality, but in the end, it wasn't enough.

I am proud of the thousands of Mainers who knocked on doors, made phone calls and talked to their family, friends and neighbors about the basic premise of treating all Maine families equally.

And I'm proud of this campaign because the stories we told and the images we shared were of real Mainers -- parents who stood up for their children, and couples who simply wanted to marry the person they love.

We're in this for the long haul. For next week, and next month, and next year-- until all Maine families are treated equally. Because in the end, this has always been about love and family and that will always be something worth fighting for.

Thank you. Thank you for everything you did. Thank you for digging deep and giving one more dollar to run our TV ads, for making those phone calls for one more hour. This campaign was, from the beginning, powered by people like you who rolled up their sleeves and did the hard work of change.

Stay the course.

Jesse Connolly
Campaign Manager
NO on 1 / Protect Maine Equality

Arianna Huffington: Obama One Year Later: The Audacity of Winning vs. The Timidity of Governing

2009-11-03T07:04:00.001-05:00

Arianna Huffington: Obama One Year Later: The Audacity of Winning vs. The Timidity of Governing

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Bea Arthur leaves $300K to gay youth

2009-10-30T14:46:00.003-04:00

Bea Arthur, the wonderful stage and television actress who died in April of this year, "included a $300,000 donation to New York's Ali Forney Center, an organization supporting homeless LGBT youth, in her will" according to this piece on CNN online. Young gay kids all too often find themselves homeless as they are rejected and abandoned by their own families. This bequest will certainly go a long way.

This is the spirit of meeting a Challenge

2009-10-30T11:53:00.003-04:00

The Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge, organized by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, took place last weekend. The stories of inspiration, sense of community, and feeling of accomplishment are coming back as the participants settle back into their regular lives. Among the accounts of that weekend is one by a man named Brendan as summarized in his entry on his Go By Bike! blog. He shot video of the ride itself, with a particularly inspiring moment at about the 11-minute mark in this video:

Livestrong Challenge 2009 from Brendan on Vimeo.

For me, this exemplifies the notion of facing a personal challenge, whether related to cancer or not, and conquering it.

At last, an online merchant who "gets it"

2009-10-28T09:06:00.002-04:00

I ordered a bike jacket and pair of shoes from Zappo's on Monday, my first ever transaction with this company. Free shipping, free returns for up to a year from purchase, and a wide selection of shoes and other clothing all lured me to try Zappo's. I was really surprised to see that I could expect to receive my delivery the day after my order. Unfortunately, there was a snafu with UPS, which reported the item as delivered Tuesday morning but which had not actually delivered the package to my house. With some trepidation born of past lackluster customer service interactions with other online vendors, I called Zappo's to get to the bottom of why a package marked delivered was anything but.

I expected to have to wait forever on the phone, or not have access to a live agent, or to be pushed back to UPS. None of that happened. I was connected to a live agent almost immediately who promptly apologized for problem (even though it was UPS' fault), filed an investigation with UPS, and put in a rush replacement order. That investigation must have awakened the folks at UPS because somehow the package appeared on my doorstep a few hours later. Another quick call to Zappo's to request that they cancel the replacement order was met with thanks for letting them know and some friendly banter with the customer service rep. Why can't all online vendors be like them? I suppose brick-and-mortar stores should hope this approach — easy returns, live agents, respect for the customer — doesn't catch on in the online world. I'll definitely be buying from them again and can only hope that Amazon, which has purchased the company, doesn't change their business model.

My friend and fellow cancer survivor Frank pointed me to an article in The New Yorker about their business model: Zappos, the online shoe shopping utopia: newyorker.com

Incidentally, the bike jacket — a Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Convertible — fit perfectly and will help me to keep on biking in cold weather. I opted for the Screaming Yellow color (more like a neon chartreuse) should help keep me visible to even the most absent-minded cell-phone-using careless drivers on the road. It was nice knowing that even had it not fit, I would have been able to return it hassle- and cost-free. Two thumbs up for Zappo's.

DOMA is used to separate two men married under Massachusetts law

2009-10-27T15:07:00.002-04:00

Genesio Oliveira, Gay Brazilian Married To Massachusetts Man, Is Denied Asylum:
Genesio Oliveira, Gay Brazilian Married To Massachusetts Man, Is Denied Asylum

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"Ready for Another March?" I am!

2009-10-23T14:25:00.004-04:00

Writing in The Advocate, writer and Sirius radio broadcaster Michelangelo Signorile suggests in his article "Ready for Another March?" the need for continued marches like the recent National Equality March if the LGBT community doesn't see concrete action on our issues (ENDA, DOMA, DADT). Obviously this doesn't at all replace the need for lobbying and direct contact with our elected representatives. But this is something I've been thinking of since my partner and I participated in the march earlier this month. This country has never seen fundamental correction of past injustices without people taking to the streets and making noise in every way possible (e.g. the suffrage movement and the African American civil rights movement). I'm ready.

"What do you think I fought for in Omaha Beach?"

2009-10-21T09:56:00.003-04:00

Andy Towle has blogged about an 86-year-old World War II veteran speaking about why he supports gay equality. Maine is in the midst of voting on ballot Question 1, an initiative which, if approved, would overturn the recently enacted same-sex civil marriage law and would thus deny lesbian and gay couples the right to equal state protections afforded by civil marriage in Maine. In his testimony, apparently recorded during public hearings held in April before passage of the same-sex marriage bill in Maine, this hero of World War II cuts to the core of the matter and speaks to his own experience: "My wife and I did not raise four sons [so that] three of them would have a certain set of rights but our gay child would be left out." My partner and I have contributed to the "No on 1" campaign and urge all our friends to do the same. It's about fairness, something I would hope we all can support. Watch the video. It's that moving:

Yet another gay bashing, this time in Oklahoma

2009-10-20T10:43:00.005-04:00

The past several days have seen a lot of news of vicious attacks on gay men and lesbians. Andy Towle reports on the latest crime, committed against a young man in Tulsa, OK. More graphic images of the sawing, stabbing and punching inflicted on Brandon Patrick are available as well.

While these crimes are horrific by themselves, what is all the more chilling is the common theme running through them: These are crimes motivated by hatred towards the lesbian and gay community and having the effect of terrorizing that entire community. At the federal level as well as in most states, crimes committed against LGBT individuals are not considered hate crimes even when motivated by hate and promoting fear in the LGBT community at large. Furthermore, these crimes are all too often not investigated and/or prosecuted to the extent they should be as a result of the homophobia present in the local police forces and prosecutors' offices across this country. Please call your US Senators to ask them to support the Matthew Shepart Act recently passed by the House of Representatives but awaiting consideration in the Senate. It would give prosecutors added tools to punish, and by so doing, deter hate crimes committed against our community and its members.

DavidMixner.com: Democrats: If You Are NOT on This List Then Not One Penny!

2009-10-20T08:37:00.002-04:00

DavidMixner.com: Democrats: If You Are NOT on This List Then Not One Penny!

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Hundreds march in Queens against hate crimes

2009-10-18T10:58:00.001-04:00

In support of gay-bashing victim Jack Price, who has been left in a coma because of a hate crime in Queens, hundreds of people marched through Queens on Saturday. On hand were a few supporters, yes supporters (!), of the assailants currently in police custody:Hundreds march in Queens against hate crimes :: EDGE New York City

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Bangor Daily News endorses No on Question 1

2009-10-17T17:43:00.002-04:00

The "Bangor Daily News" has endorsed a No on Question 1 vote in Maine and, by so doing, has backed same-sex civil marriage equality in Maine: No on Question 1 - Bangor Daily News

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Senator Udall calls Pres. Obama's bluff on Don't Ask Don't Tell

2009-10-16T10:25:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of John Aravosis at AmericaBlog, here's the story and actual letter US Senator (D-Colorado) Mark Udall has written to President Obama requesting him to solicit input from the Secretary of Defense and the military establishment within thirty days to push forward the discussion on just how the elimination of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy should proceed. Udall rightly reminds the Obama that for sixteen years, dedicated men and women have been expelled from the armed forces, often after being subjected to what can only be described as a witch hunt, an injustice and a disservice to over-stretched armed forces that needs to end. Last weekend at the black-tie HRC dinner, Obama talked (as he is wont to do) very eloquently about the injustices endured by the LGBT community. Now here is an opportunity to turn that talk into action so that Congress can move forward in putting a repeal on his desk. Meanwhile, there is nothing to prevent him from putting a stop-loss order to suspend DADT so that more servicemen and women are not separated from the forces. The time for talk is long over. The time for action is overdue.

DC man gets a mere 180 days in beating death of gay man

2009-10-15T17:52:00.001-04:00

Hannah gets 180 days in beating death of gay man

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This is what homophobia looks like

2009-10-14T15:39:00.003-04:00

Jack Price, a gay man, was recently beaten by two attackers in Queens so severely that he now finds himself in a medically-induced coma. This is sadly not an uncommon event in this country. Surveillance video has come to light of the incident and warrants watching. It depicts what happens when two men, motivated by a hatred of gay people, proceed to act out on that hatred. By so doing, they harm not only the victim they attack but they also terrorize an entire community of gay people. This is a hate crime. Please call your US Senator to ask him or her to support the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill recently passed by the US House of Representatives but awaiting passage in the Senate, where it is far from certain to be passed.

More on the California ballot "initiative" to ban divorce

2009-10-13T15:42:00.002-04:00

I blogged last month about John Marcotte's satirical effort at an initiative to ban divorce in California. After all, if preventing lesbians and gay men from getting married hasn't protected opposite-sex marriage in California (shocking, that), surely banning divorce would be a much more direct and successful means to that end. Here's an ad as part of this very tongue-in-cheek campain. The satire-impaired are warned not to watch:

This about sums it up...

2009-10-08T21:50:00.004-04:00

There is so much that is wrong in the world and it's easy to be either complacent or cynical, to not care or to think things beyond hope. Effecting change is hard work, work it's tempting to leave to others. But the very least, the bare minimum that one can do is at least support those who seek to make the world a better place by joining in, standing up to be counted, and raising one's voice in unison with others. That's why I'm going to Washington, DC this weekend for the National Equality March. Not because I think it alone will wipe away all the hatred and oppression of lesbians and gay men and transgendered people in the United States. I'm not nearly that naïve. But this march is merely the beginning and the bare minimum of what we in this community need to do.

We need to make noise, be it on the phone talking to our representatives — yes, they're our representatives too just as surely as we pay taxes too — or in the streets or in the schools or in the workplace or in our families and among our friends. We each need to do this until this country wakes up to the fact that we are every bit as entitled to the same protections and responsibilities and, yes, respect that our straight friends, coworkers and family members take for granted.

We need to sensitize the people in our lives to stop hurting us by thinking our love somehow less than theirs, by voting for candidates who continue to maintain a body of tax and family law that oppresses us, by talking a lot about tolerance when what they should be doing is practicing respect. This is, sadly, a lifelong amount of work for anyone in the LGBT community who cares enough to want to change all our lives for the better. And it's work that won't get done simply sitting at home in front of the TV or going to a dance club all the while cynically putting down the efforts of well-meaning and hard-working lesbians and gay men to make a change. So this march isn't sufficient. But it sure beats sitting at home doing nothing and just feeling like a victim. Well-behaved and quiet people never effected any change worth a damn in this country's history. It's time to get vocal. That's why I'm going to Washington, DC and that's why I'm going to keep hammering away at issues that matter to this community until we gain full equality.

Pelosi Tells The NRCC Where Her Place Is

2009-10-08T14:15:00.001-04:00

Pelosi Tells The NRCC Where Her Place Is

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Evan Wolfson: President Obama's Maine Chance to Make the Case

2009-10-07T20:36:00.002-04:00

Evan Wolfson: President Obama's Maine Chance to Make the Case

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I'm heterosexual, and it's freakin' fantastic

2009-10-07T17:52:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of Daily Kos. This is great:

I'm heterosexual, and it's just freakin' fantastic

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Apple Quits Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Change

2009-10-05T18:38:00.002-04:00

Here's another reason why I've admired Apple as a company since my first Mac way back in 1984:

Apple Quits Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Change

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Garmin Connect Activity Details for Jockey Hollow Loop

2009-09-29T18:23:00.005-04:00

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for
Ride with Nathan

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My friend and coworker Nathan and I decided to take advantage of reasonably good weather today and the fact that our entire organization at work was having a United Way fund-raising event at Lewis Morris Park, adjacent to Jockey Hollow National Park near Morristown, to go on a ride in the area together while the rest of the team would stay behind at the park. The tricky thing for me, a novice with only one month of bike ownership, was mapping out a loop that would be long but not too hilly for me. That proved difficult on paper (er, MayMyRide) and, as it turned out, on the road too, the whole area adjacent to the park being very hilly indeed. This was one challenging ride and even Nathan, a seasoned rider (he rode the century at the Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge this year in great time) told me it was hillier than he expected. Well, I did it. Sure, I got off my bike and walked a few yards halfway up the worst two hills (at around mile 13 and mile 18), although in my defense they reached grades of 22% and 16%, respectively, and I was still in a lot of pain from a particularly tough leg workout a couple of days before. My leg routines always produce muscle soreness at their peak 48 hours after training. Not to be outdone by the hills, I managed to have my chain fall out near the very end of the ride as I switched the front gear from a particularly tough climb back into the park after almost 25 miles of riding. Who knew threading a chain back on was so easy?! It took little more than a few seconds to get that baby back on so I consider that yet another right of passage into the world of cycling. Hills, falling chains, aggressive drivers, and more hills. Bring 'em on! I'm ready and feel really good about today.

National Equality March Schedule of Events posted

2009-09-21T09:51:00.002-04:00

Schedule Of Events « Equality Across America

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My first Great Swamp ride

2009-09-19T12:30:00.001-04:00

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for
Great Swamp Short Loop

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Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary

2009-09-17T07:47:00.002-04:00

Mary Travers of the singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary has died as a result of complications from cancer treatment. Her voice very much represented the spirit of hope and rebellion (the two going hand in hand) of the '60s. The group's performances of songs like "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "If I Had a Hammer" and "Blowin' in the Wind" are, needless to say, so very representative of the time.

A California ballot initiative to ban divorce

2009-09-16T07:41:00.003-04:00

I love satire when used as a tool to point out hypocrisy. John Marcotte has introduced a ballot initiative in California, a state arguably left ungovernable thanks to ballot initiatives, to ban divorce. After all, if Proposition 8 was introduced and passed last year ostensibly to "protect" traditional marriage (whatever that means) by denying civil marriage to same-sex couples, the logical and probably more productive way to protect opposite-sex marriage would be to prohibit opposite-sex couples from divorcing. After all, not allowing same-sex couples to have the legal benefits and responsibilities of civil marriage has manifestly no effect on the stability of opposite-sex marriage. But prohibiting opposite-sex couples from destroying their own marriages through divorce would be far more productive. I wish this guy luck. He's doing a public service to all those opposite-sex couples who would gladly stay married if only they couldn't get divorced. As he says on his web site "You said 'Til death do us part.' You're not dead yet."

Here's a brief report on him from CNN:

John Marcotte: California Man Introduces Amendment To Ban Divorce (VIDEO)

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A view of a landmark before the world changed

2009-09-11T07:19:00.003-04:00

Today's The New York Times profiles a project by Seolbin Park, curator of New York's SB D Gallery, to collect images of the World Trade Center from before the September 11, 2001 attacks. The exhibition opens today and runs through October 15th. What's striking about these images is how our perception of them can't help but be colored by what we know now. Images that might have seemed whimsical or simply beautiful with the perception of someone on September 10, 2001 now have a very different cast. I can't look at images from the day of the attack and, to be honest, looking at these pre-attack images is painful enough. The sense of loss (of life, beauty, innocence) is palpable enough in these simple photos when viewed through the prism of that tragedy.

Meat Cake, the cake with no sugar

2009-09-10T15:22:00.004-04:00

It's been a slow afternoon so I started checking out some of the blogs and tracked one entry on the This is Why You're Fat blog (a collection of food oddities) all the way back to a recipe for something called Meat Cake, a concoction of meat loaf, mashed potatoes and ketchup in cake form. It seems a very efficient way of consuming a meatloaf-with-mashed-potatoes dinner by the slice. Stick a candle in it and it makes a great birthday cake for the meat lover.

Iraq's New Surge: Gay Killings | Foreign Policy

2009-09-10T07:36:00.001-04:00

Iraq's New Surge: Gay Killings | Foreign Policy

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Joe Wilson, Republican Rep. from SC and disrespectful liar

2009-09-09T21:19:00.001-04:00

POLITICO: A voice from the floor on illegal immigrants: 'Lie' - Ben Smith - A voice from the floor on illegal immigrants: 'Lie'

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My first hilly bike ride. Look ma, no walking!

2009-09-09T19:51:00.001-04:00

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for
Untitled

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A long overdue recognition of an injustice to a gay man and hero of WWII

2009-09-09T11:52:00.002-04:00

Alan Turing, a mathematician who played a critical role in World War II by helping to break German military codes, was convicted under British law for his sexual orientation after the war with ultimately tragic consequences. At long last, there may be a public apology for this gross injustice: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8226509.stm .

Laura Ling and Euna Lee: Hostages of the Hermit Kingdom -- latimes.com

2009-09-02T10:40:00.001-04:00

Laura Ling and Euna Lee: Hostages of the Hermit Kingdom -- latimes.com

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Calling right-wing lunacy what it is...

2009-08-19T11:24:00.002-04:00

One line of attack by the right-wing against Obama is this crazy comparison of him to, of all people, Hitler. It's offensive on so many levels, not only to reason, the President and common decency, but it also trivializes the horror that was Nazism. How does one react when someone spews this sort of lunacy in a public space? While I have a lot of problems with him, particularly in how he has become an apologist of sorts for the Obama Administration's poor record so far on LGBT issues, Barney Frank in this clip shows how it's done. When confronted with idiocy or insanity, you call it for what it is:

A voice of sanity in the health care screaming match, er, debate

2009-08-17T09:52:00.002-04:00

Paul Krugman writes in today's The New York Times on the health care discussion (I can't bring myself to call it a debate) that has gone quite off the tracks, thanks to demagoguery on the right, a leadership vacuum in the White House, and legislators beholden to the insurance and pharma lobbies.

Kevin Bishop, Subway Masturbator, Arrested, Claims His "Private Parts Fell Out"

2009-08-15T08:02:00.001-04:00

Kevin Bishop, Subway Masturbator, Arrested, Claims His "Private Parts Fell Out"

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British Health System Hits Back At U.S. Critics

2009-08-13T09:55:00.001-04:00

British Health System Hits Back At U.S. Critics

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Running and knee trouble

2009-08-12T08:06:00.002-04:00

I often hear, to the point of actually worrying about it, that running at my age can ultimately lead to joint problems, notably arthritis in the knee. I had never run at all until this year when I started to train for the LIVESTRONG 5K this year. I'm in my 40s so issues of cartilage damage become more relevant, perhaps, than they might be were I in my teens. So it's heartening to read this piece in The New York Times Health section concerning findings that running, at least if done free of injury, can actually support long-term knee cartilage health.

Wonkette : Important Editorial: If Stephen Hawking Lived In The U.K., He Would Be Dead

2009-08-11T10:22:00.002-04:00

More nuttiness from the crazy (and dopey) right wing:Wonkette : Important Editorial: If Stephen Hawking Lived In The U.K., He Would Be Dead

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What's Missing From The Health Care Debate

2009-08-10T11:07:00.001-04:00

What's Missing From The Health Care Debate

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Bill Maher: New Rule: Smart President ≠ Smart Country

2009-08-07T18:30:00.001-04:00

Bill Maher: New Rule: Smart President ≠ Smart Country

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How to Squat with Proper Technique without Injuring Yourself

2009-08-07T11:20:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about my weight-lifting routine specific to legs. I have the bad tendency to listen to any and all people, regardless of how qualified they are, and have often allowed the nay-sayers to mess with my head when it comes to some things. One of these is squats. Squats are the king of all leg routines but very much need to be done with absolutely correct technique to maximize effectiveness and reduce injury. I really started seeing my legs improve once I started going ass-to-grass (that is, below parallel) and have had absolute no knee trouble at all. This despite a lot of people, none of whom squats at all, telling me not to. Here's a great link on how to avoid injury and complete a squat. It's a must-do exercise and I love/hate it. I love it for what it does but dread doing it. It's that hard to do correctly:

How to Squat with Proper Technique without Injuring Yourself

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I care too much

2009-07-22T14:16:00.005-04:00

I think I care too much.

I care that my adopted country, the United States, has made one costly mistake after another with respect to issues of justice, war, peace, investing in the future, and economic development.

I care that its leaders plunged it into a war of choice at a tremendous cost in human lives and wealth, a cost which will haunt my country for a very long time to come.

I care that there are people in this country who have no access to health care while others, I among them, have access to the very best health care all by virtue of where we work or where we live. Yet the very same people who stood by and, in fact, cheered on the aforementioned costly war now wring their hands at the potential cost of achieving universal health care coverage, a cost that pales in comparison to the cost of war. Apparently it is better to spend a fortune destroying lives than to spend a lesser fortune helping to save them. These same people talk about foreign princes wanting to come to our country as an indication of our health care excellence, ignoring so conveniently the lack of access to that same health care to so many Americans, none of them foreign princes.

I care that we have allowed our cities to lose jobs, people, and quality of life while permitting the leveling of our once beautiful countryside to make way for isolated corporate centers, self-enclosed housing developments consisting of little more than oversized boxes, and shopping centers that have made the once diverse American landscape seem oddly uniform. All this at the cost of congested highways, inefficient transportation systems, and an alarming reliance on energy procured in unstable parts of the world ruled by despots.

I care that our country has all too often, when afforded the choices, sided with tyrants over oppressed people throughout the world, despite the lofty ideals professed by our leaders. The very same leaders who trumpet democracy while overturning democratically-elected governments elsewhere.

I care that in many fundamental respects, those politicians who so often talk about values and patriotism have been the quickest to depart from the ideals behind the founding of this republic more than two centuries ago.

I care that our elected leaders are often quick to do the bidding of industry and other special interest groups over the obvious needs of the people who elected them to office, figuring that campaign contributions from industry groups are more important than earning votes. That they remain in power only proves that their political calculus is correct.

I care that my country lectures other countries on human rights while using torture as a tool to extract confessions, notwithstanding the fact that torture has never been shown to reveal the truth. It only reveals what the tortured thinks the torturer wants to hear.

I care that a president, a constitutional scholar no less, can argue that he has the power to detain people indefinitely even if they have been acquitted of any crime, solely on the suspicion that that person might someday exact revenge for that very same indefinite detention. This is the stuff of Kafka.

I care that in a country which began its life as a refuge for groups that had been oppressed for failing to subscribe to an official religion in their home country, a country whose very constitutional framework enshrined the principal of government having absolutely nothing to say with respect to creed, a country founded by a group of men of diverse and often vague religious beliefs, we now see so many of lawmakers making law based solely on their personal religious beliefs.

I care that the very politicians who argue so strongly that their religious scruples should be the foundation of law are all too quick to violate those very same scruples in their personal actions. They go even further by condemning others for the very actions, such as adultery, they are guilty of.

I care that so many of my fellow Americans, including people I know and love, gladly elect politicians who are only too happy to continue to see people like me, by virtue of whom and how I love, be afforded less protection under the law than they are. I am told that this is for the good our country. I am told that were I treated the same as others, the very country would be in danger, ostensibly at the hand of the god in whom these same people believe. In fact, I am told that were I to enjoy the same civil rights, protections and responsibilities as my "straight" friends and loved ones, their opposite-sex relationships would somehow become meaningless. I am told this is for the sake of tradition, nevermind we have seen many traditions (women as chattel, slavery, perhaps someday torture) thankfully abandoned for the sake of justice and progress. But ignorance dies slowly, apparently. I fear I won't outlive this particular form of ignorance, the ignorance of heterosexism.

I care that my country spends its wealth on wars of choice while actually reducing what it spends on fighting a war of necessity against diseases like cancer, heart disease and AIDS.

I care that we have apparently become a country of people who, for the most part, speak of spirituality and who condemn consumerism, all while lusting after products produced in far-away lands by exploited people.

I care that my outrage isn't shared by everyone. And I worry that in merely expressing that outrage, I am little better than the objects of that same outrage.

I write all this not with the expectation that anyone will actually read it (the obscurity of this blog is protection enough) but merely to list out the many things I have to realize I can do little to change. And in recognizing one person's inability to change everything, I recognize how important it is, in the over-quoted words of Voltaire, to tend my own garden. Not only to focus on only those things I know I can do, but to enjoy the light even when surrounded by darkness.

This occurred to me when talking to a couple of musicians last Saturday at a party. I had only just met them but within moments learned of their knowledge of and commitment to music performance. Here were two people who seemed genuinely happy and satisfied and whose lives revolved around art. We talked about Bach and the topic of his music alone was such a breath of fresh air compared to the constant news of war, politics, corruption, bigotry, racism, homophobia, and hypocrisy.

I can't help envying people who don't evince the sense of outrage I feel. They are probably happier for it. After all, what good is feeling outraged about something (or everything, in my case) while feeling powerless about it. Why should life be robbed of the light (Bach, for example) just for the sake of worrying about the dark?

My partner Sean and I will be leaving on vacation soon, spending a mere week in some quiet out-of-the-way places in New England. Perhaps this will be a time for me to remind myself that it is possible to care too much about that which I can't single-handedly change. I should use it as an opportunity to return to those things, set aside since before my second cancer diagnosis, that dispel the darkness. My Bach recordings will be making the trip with me next week.

Republican Family Values in Action...

2009-07-10T18:53:00.002-04:00

These are the politicians defending traditional marriage. Ah, the hypocrisy is enough to make any thinking person crazy.

POLITICO: Ensign used job as "leverage" to woo lover, husband says - Glenn Thrush - Ensign used job as "leverage" to woo lover, husband says

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Howard Dean Liveblog: His Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform

2009-07-10T10:57:00.001-04:00

Howard Dean Liveblog: His Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform

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Obama takes yet another page from Bush's playbook

2009-06-27T11:29:00.002-04:00

Secret White House meetings with industry lobbyists. Extraordinary rendition. Give-aways to the financial industry. Holding people prisoner for indeterminate time without charges. All these are practices of the Bush administration that have survived in the Obama administration. An administration supposedly pledged to "change." Add to that list the much-abused practice of signing statements, as reported by "The Hill" with respect to legislation signed by President Obama yesterday. It's interesting, to say the least, that this administration will defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court using particularly offensive language, ostensibly because "it has no choice but to defend the law" while then issuing a signing statement in which the administration makes clear that it will not enforce some provisions of a law passed by Congress.

Another health insurance employee spills the beans

2009-06-26T09:38:00.001-04:00

Another health insurance employee spills the beans

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Pam's House Blend:: Sally Kern on Obama's radical homo agenda (?!) and her Proclamation of Morality

2009-06-24T13:44:00.001-04:00

Pam's House Blend:: Sally Kern on Obama's radical homo agenda (?!) and her Proclamation of Morality

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Special Interest Money Means Longer Odds for Public Option

2009-06-23T07:23:00.001-04:00

Special Interest Money Means Longer Odds for Public Option

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Yet more evidence that "change" is a meaningless word

2009-06-16T11:47:00.005-04:00

The Obama Administration is fighting to keep White House visitor records secret so the public will not know who drops by the White House to influence the chief executive. This is in keeping with Bush Administration policy, as are so many other things it seems (indefinite detention, rendition, aggressive enforcement of DADT, energetic defense of DOMA, etc.). This particular position contradicts Obama's promises of transparency. The group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is suing to gain access to the logs of visits from coal company executives.

The Department of Justice files a motion in support of anti-gay discrimination

2009-06-12T12:51:00.005-04:00

The Federal Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss a case seeking to overturn the Federal Defense of Marriage Act in Federal court. In its motion, the Obama Administration uses arguments in support of this discriminatory act which can only be described as straw men or even homophobic.

For example, DOMA is defended on the grounds it protects the Federal government's "scarce resources." By that line of reasoning, the Federal government should likewise not recognize opposite-sex marriage. Furthermore, the motion states rather broadly that DOMA is "well-reasoned" and doesn't deprive same-sex couples of any fundamental rights. I guess the over one thousand rights afforded opposite-sex couples under Federal law don't really count.

My favorite part is the statement that DOMA was not motivated by animosity towards gays! Really. So the fact that my partner and I, were we even able to obtain civil marriage in our home state (where we cannot), would not be recognized as a couple in most of the country or by the Federal government is something born out of what then? Is DOMA and act of love for same-sex couples? Is DOMA a gesture of compassion towards couples who simply want to live their lives together, free of fear of discrimination in taxation, in the healthcare system, when they retire, and when one of them dies? It sounds like the usual religious right claptrap about "loving the sinner." No thanks. I don't want this so-called Christian love. What I want is the same set of rights that my opposite-sex married friends take for granted. Please don't tell me that DOMA has nothing to do with anti-gay sentiment. I'm nowhere near stupid enough to buy that.

For more on this filing, check out John Aravosis' citations from this filing in his blog entry. Aravosis goes into more detail and his entry is a must-read for any same-sex couple that is interested in knowing what chance they have of seeing any progress on this issue for our community.

Meanwhile, I'm left saddened that my growing skepticism that the Obama Administration is in any way sympathetic to the LGBT community has found yet more evidence to support it. The president has described himself as a "fierce advocate" for LGBT rights. Yet the LGBT community has seen nothing but silence on issues fundamental to it and now outright hostility.

After all, this is an administration that continues to enforce Don't Ask Don't Tell by separating decorated and uniquely-skilled lesbian and gay service members from the armed forces at a time when our armed forces are already stretched. In fact, a bill written by my representative, Rush Holt, calling for the end of DADT is languishing, with no word of support at all from the White House.

The president continues to enjoy a great deal of forbearance across a wide range of issues, tackling as he does so many problems inherited from the previous administration. But the silence and now hostility from his administration on issues that matter to a community that had disproportionately supported him in the last election, thanks largely to his ostensible "fierce advocacy" for it, is inexplicable. And it's disappointing and discouraging. To judge from the evidence so far, I in my condition of gay man in a loving relationship with another man do not have a friend in the White House.

Dr. Chris McCoy: Dear AMA: I Quit!

2009-06-11T15:47:00.001-04:00

Dr. Chris McCoy: Dear AMA: I Quit!

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An opponent of health care reform tied to insurance fraud...

2009-06-11T07:56:00.002-04:00

From Nikolas Kristof's opinion piece in The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/opinion/11kristof.html

ABCNews report on a freed Guantánamo Bay detainee

2009-06-08T10:40:00.002-04:00

Officials of the former Bush Administration, starting with Dick Cheney, have much to answer for. This report covers the experience of a man working for the Red Crescent in Bosnia who was detained and held for over seven years, was abused and tortured, but was never charged with anything and against whom no evidence was ever produced:
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Gitmo Detainee Lakhdar Boumediene Details Torture - ABC News

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Emma Ruby-Sachs: Obama's Law Professor Says DOMA Unconstitutional

2009-06-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

Emma Ruby-Sachs: Obama's Law Professor Says DOMA Unconstitutional

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The ACLU LGBT Project Reaction to the CA Ruling on Prop 8

2009-05-26T18:28:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday, Harvey Milk. You were taken much too soon.

2009-05-22T12:37:00.003-04:00

Today would have been gay rights leader and San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk's 79th birthday had he not been, along with Mayor Moscone, murdered on November 27, 1978. The details of Harvey Milk's life and the circumstances of his death are well known through books, documentary films, and a recent bio-pic. I can't help wondering what he would make of where we in the LGBT community are today, of the progress we've made, but of the persistent level of ignorance and hatred that still manifests itself today. I suppose he would tell us, as he so often did, to cling to hope and to fight like hell. Happy birthday, Harvey.