Lurleen and Red Triangle (welcome to the Blend, btw!) had an interesting exchange today:
Red Triangle: I've often thought that we "allies" could use a badge of our own, like a red triangle or something. There are a lot of us around.Lurleen: an allies badge. that is a really interesting idea. as i said to Louise below, you can always use the rainbow flag. but it might be nice to combine the rainbow flag with an another symbol that makes it clear you are a straight ally. not because you're uncomfortable with being confused with lgbt people, but because it is good to sent the message that there are straight allies out there. interesting idea. maybe a subject for a whole diary in itself.
And Gawd help us, between them and Radical Russ' diary, it got me to thinking. Google searching provided no answers (but close to what I was looking for)as to how straight allies are currently displaying support.
So after more time and effort than this pseudo-Luddite wants to admit, this image was born:
Decided to go with the old tried and true adage of "KISS"- Keep it Simple, Stupid! (and yes, I have seen the PFLAG ally stickers...)
Someone far more adept and patient than me could create one for all 50 states! ;)
For years, I had an Autism ribbon on my car to raise awareness (finally cracked and broke last winter when it got covered with ice and snow- whoops...). That was about 4 years ago and in the time since I started displaying mine, I noticed many more popping up.
They are simplistic, minimalistic- AND VERY EFFECTIVE IN RAISING AWARENESS. Look how many popped up after 9/11 to support the troops, then branches out to cover other causes, including breast cancer and autism?
So let me ask:
Can you imagine a day when instead of individual state rainbow ally stickers, we saw these instead or as well?
I CAN.
A new pro-life organization, Personhood USA, plans to assist local pro-life groups in different states to put personhood amendments on their states ballot by using the petition process.I wrote about this back in February, and this asinine attempt to give a fertilized egg "right to life, liberty, equality of justice and due process of law" raises all kinds of issues that Personhood USA doesn't have an answer for. See below the fold.The 17 States that allow citizens to place constitutional amendments on ballots will be the target states. Personhood USA will also help with opinion petitions to encourage politicians to run personhood amendments in other states. During the Colorado Personhood campaign, organizers were contacted by individuals in many different states with excitement and the desire to start personhood efforts in their own state.
"Praise Jesus! The pro-life tide is rising in America, now is the time for the entire pro-life movement to turn the focus off from permitting murder but attempting to 'regulate' it, to pushing for the recognition of the God given right to life for all innocent persons. Persons are humans beings from the moment of fertilization." Cal Zastrow, Co-Founder of Personhood USA
What I said then still applies -- creating a "fetus citizen" status has real-world applications and will necessitate laws and regulations that the womb control advocates need to think out and explain to the rest of us.
* Will the highway patrol need to carry pregnancy testing kits to confirm the ability for them to use HOV lanes on the spot?
* Can airlines charge a woman for two seats since the fertilized egg is a person?
* Can an impregnated woman be punished for poor eating habits, or consuming alcohol or artificial sweeteners?
* Is the boyfriend/husband an accomplice to a crime if he drives her to the abortion clinic?
* Can a woman claim her fetus as a tax deduction?
* For couples who fertilize multiple eggs for in vitro, are they guilty of murder if the unused eggs are discarded?
* Should a woman register with the state whenever she has unprotected sex (without using any form of birth control), since she might be carrying a fertilized egg?
* What about a woman who skips her birth control pills, has sex, the egg is fertilized and she later resumes her contraception, unknowingly causing an "abortion." What punishment should she receive?
* And, of course, the current bar people on both sides banter about -- consideration of the a medical emergency of the mother or cases of rape and incest -- how will the state-based fetus citizen council determine punishment?
The folks over at Pandagon had some howlers:
Will miscarriages have to be ruled either "accidental manslaughter" or "acts of God" and if so, can you buy an insurance policy for them? Will you need to register your Kotex as a crime scene and send it to the CSI department every month?I'm looking forward to three days of bereavement leave every time my wife has her period.
My first question when I heard about this nonsense was, "What crimes is the new 'person' guilty of?" If the woman does not offer to give nutrients willingly to this new person, is it not stealing? If the woman does not want this person in her home, is it not trespassing? If I stuck a tube in an unwilling woman and started draining blood from her, I would certainly be guilty of something, in fact I am pretty sure that the cops would come and make me stop, so can we expect the same treatment towards these fetal-American squatters?
I wonder about representation. Perhaps liberals in blue states could could engage in massive amounts of unprotected sex during the 2010 census so we can increase Democratic share of the House of Representatives.
It's 11pm. Do you know where your fertilized eggs are?
If a fertilized egg is miscarried, should religious organizations which think it is a person, be required to hold a funeral? Every time a woman is late would also count. After all, every person should have the last rites, no? Methinks they would be doing nothing but funerals.
That LGBT child is seeing openly gay Jared Polis become a Colorado Congressman. They are witnessing open bisexual Kate Brown become Oregon's next Secretary of State (not to mention highest elected openly bisexual political figure in the U.S.). One kid who knows they're not the gender assigned to them by society will discover by chance the fact that the people of Silverton, Oregon elected the first openly transgender mayor in U.S. history, Stu Rasmussen.
Harvey Milk was the first openly-gay man to be elected to public office in the US in 1977. His most recognized speech, "You Cannot Live On Hope Alone," was given in 1978, shortly before he was assassinated.
Harvey stated it well in one of his most famous political speeches of his career, a speech which convinces me that he was the LGBT movement's Barack Obama:
This election cycle LGBT representation in Congress increased by 33%, with the election of Jared Polis to the House of Representatives. This brings the amount of out LGBT people in Congress (really, just out gay and lesbian people), to 3. Along with Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank, Jared Polis is all we have. Of course I'm sure there are many closeted, semi-self hating queers in Congress, but they don't count.
Political, cultural and corporate representation for the LGBT community is an essential goal of the LGBT movement. Our community needs to see visible & powerful leaders so that our aspirations, often lowered due to our own fear of discrimination or hostility, are instead only limited by willpower.
Much talk has been made about Rahm Emmanuel's appointment as Chief of Staff in the upcoming Obama administration, but one as of yet little discussed topic is his replacement in the House of Representatives. LGBT people may have, even in the dark aftermath of prop 8, a glimer of hope for national leadership:
Right now there are three out gay congressional representatives, Jared Polis (CO), Barney Frank (MA), and Tammy Baldwin (WI). But when Rahm Emanuel accepted the chief of staff position in the Obama administration a short list of replacements was released. The great surprise? Deb Mell, the first out lesbian elected in an Illinois race, has thrown her hat in the ring. For those who are reeling from Prop 8 losses, this is a glimmer of hope.
I don't know much about Deb Mell, but from what little I know of her, she would sure be a great way to bring LGBT voices literally to the table.
Deb Mell is an interesting figure, obviously a product of a political dynasty, but nevertheless a person with a story and struggle of her own.
Deborah Mell was expecting a peaceful event when she joined hundreds of demonstrators in downtown Chicago for a pro-gay marriage rally in March 2004.
Instead, things got rowdy, and Mell was arrested. A female police officer said Mell attacked her, and Mell was taken away in a paddy wagon...
In the end, though, getting arrested was one of the best things that happened to Mell, because it prompted her to become more of an activist. That same year, she won the NOW Chicago chapter’s award for activist of the year. She also received the Howard Brown Cornerstone Award for community excellence.
And this year, Mell’s candidacy earned the endorsement of the Victory Fund, whose research shows that gay candidates need twice the amount of financial resources of their straight counterparts to win office.
“When someone breaks a barrier, it takes more to let folks know, and more money is needed to prepare for attacks,” said Tressa Feher, the Victory Fund’s leadership network director. “Mell will definitely bring another chair to the leadership table.”
Whether or not Deb Mell is elevated to the House of Representatives, I look forward to a continuing expansion of open LGBT office holders in the country.
The Victory Fund highlights other races that are historic markers for the LGBT movement this election cycle:
Among the winners in 2008:
* Sam Adams was elected mayor of Portland, Oregon earlier in the year. He will become the first openly gay mayor of one of the 30 largest U.S. cities when he’s sworn in next year.
* Jason Bartlett, who came out as gay in his current term, was reelected to the Connecticut State House. He is only the second openly gay African-American state legislator in the nation.
* Thomas Robichaux and Seth Bloom, both gay men, simultaneously became the first-ever openly LGBT elected officials in the state of Louisiana when they were elected to the Orleans Parish School Board in an October primary.
* John Perez became the first openly gay person of color elected to the California Assembly.
* Lupe Valdez was reelected to a second term as sheriff of Dallas County, Texas. First elected in 2004, Valdez was the first woman, the first Latina and the first out lesbian ever to win the post.
* Kevin Beckner won a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission in Florida, unseating an anti-gay incumbent and becoming the first openly gay man elected in the county.
* Rebecca Kaplan will be the first out lesbian to serve on the Oakland, Calif. City Council after winning her race Tuesday.
Lurleen and Red Triangle (welcome to the Blend, btw!) had an interesting exchange today:
Red Triangle: I've often thought that we "allies" could use a badge of our own, like a red triangle or something. There are a lot of us around.Lurleen: an allies badge. that is a really interesting idea. as i said to Louise below, you can always use the rainbow flag. but it might be nice to combine the rainbow flag with an another symbol that makes it clear you are a straight ally. not because you're uncomfortable with being confused with lgbt people, but because it is good to sent the message that there are straight allies out there. interesting idea. maybe a subject for a whole diary in itself.
And Gawd help us, between them and Radical Russ' diary, it got me to thinking. Google searching provided no answers (but close to what I was looking for)as to how straight allies are currently displaying support.
So after more time and effort than this pseudo-Luddite wants to admit, this image was born:
Decided to go with the old tried and true adage of "KISS"- Keep it Simple, Stupid! (and yes, I have seen the PFLAG ally stickers...)
Someone far more adept and patient than me could create one for all 50 states! ;)
For years, I had an Autism ribbon on my car to raise awareness (finally cracked and broke last winter when it got covered with ice and snow- whoops...). That was about 4 years ago and in the time since I started displaying mine, I noticed many more popping up.
They are simplistic, minimalistic- AND VERY EFFECTIVE IN RAISING AWARENESS. Look how many popped up after 9/11 to support the troops, then branches out to cover other causes, including breast cancer and autism?
So let me ask:
Can you imagine a day when instead of individual state rainbow ally stickers, we saw these instead or as well?
I CAN.
A new pro-life organization, Personhood USA, plans to assist local pro-life groups in different states to put personhood amendments on their states ballot by using the petition process.I wrote about this back in February, and this asinine attempt to give a fertilized egg "right to life, liberty, equality of justice and due process of law" raises all kinds of issues that Personhood USA doesn't have an answer for. See below the fold.The 17 States that allow citizens to place constitutional amendments on ballots will be the target states. Personhood USA will also help with opinion petitions to encourage politicians to run personhood amendments in other states. During the Colorado Personhood campaign, organizers were contacted by individuals in many different states with excitement and the desire to start personhood efforts in their own state.
"Praise Jesus! The pro-life tide is rising in America, now is the time for the entire pro-life movement to turn the focus off from permitting murder but attempting to 'regulate' it, to pushing for the recognition of the God given right to life for all innocent persons. Persons are humans beings from the moment of fertilization." Cal Zastrow, Co-Founder of Personhood USA
What I said then still applies -- creating a "fetus citizen" status has real-world applications and will necessitate laws and regulations that the womb control advocates need to think out and explain to the rest of us.
* Will the highway patrol need to carry pregnancy testing kits to confirm the ability for them to use HOV lanes on the spot?
* Can airlines charge a woman for two seats since the fertilized egg is a person?
* Can an impregnated woman be punished for poor eating habits, or consuming alcohol or artificial sweeteners?
* Is the boyfriend/husband an accomplice to a crime if he drives her to the abortion clinic?
* Can a woman claim her fetus as a tax deduction?
* For couples who fertilize multiple eggs for in vitro, are they guilty of murder if the unused eggs are discarded?
* Should a woman register with the state whenever she has unprotected sex (without using any form of birth control), since she might be carrying a fertilized egg?
* What about a woman who skips her birth control pills, has sex, the egg is fertilized and she later resumes her contraception, unknowingly causing an "abortion." What punishment should she receive?
* And, of course, the current bar people on both sides banter about -- consideration of the a medical emergency of the mother or cases of rape and incest -- how will the state-based fetus citizen council determine punishment?
The folks over at Pandagon had some howlers:
Will miscarriages have to be ruled either "accidental manslaughter" or "acts of God" and if so, can you buy an insurance policy for them? Will you need to register your Kotex as a crime scene and send it to the CSI department every month?I'm looking forward to three days of bereavement leave every time my wife has her period.
My first question when I heard about this nonsense was, "What crimes is the new 'person' guilty of?" If the woman does not offer to give nutrients willingly to this new person, is it not stealing? If the woman does not want this person in her home, is it not trespassing? If I stuck a tube in an unwilling woman and started draining blood from her, I would certainly be guilty of something, in fact I am pretty sure that the cops would come and make me stop, so can we expect the same treatment towards these fetal-American squatters?
I wonder about representation. Perhaps liberals in blue states could could engage in massive amounts of unprotected sex during the 2010 census so we can increase Democratic share of the House of Representatives.
It's 11pm. Do you know where your fertilized eggs are?
If a fertilized egg is miscarried, should religious organizations which think it is a person, be required to hold a funeral? Every time a woman is late would also count. After all, every person should have the last rites, no? Methinks they would be doing nothing but funerals.
That LGBT child is seeing openly gay Jared Polis become a Colorado Congressman. They are witnessing open bisexual Kate Brown become Oregon's next Secretary of State (not to mention highest elected openly bisexual political figure in the U.S.). One kid who knows they're not the gender assigned to them by society will discover by chance the fact that the people of Silverton, Oregon elected the first openly transgender mayor in U.S. history, Stu Rasmussen.
Harvey Milk was the first openly-gay man to be elected to public office in the US in 1977. His most recognized speech, "You Cannot Live On Hope Alone," was given in 1978, shortly before he was assassinated.
Harvey stated it well in one of his most famous political speeches of his career, a speech which convinces me that he was the LGBT movement's Barack Obama:
This election cycle LGBT representation in Congress increased by 33%, with the election of Jared Polis to the House of Representatives. This brings the amount of out LGBT people in Congress (really, just out gay and lesbian people), to 3. Along with Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank, Jared Polis is all we have. Of course I'm sure there are many closeted, semi-self hating queers in Congress, but they don't count.
Political, cultural and corporate representation for the LGBT community is an essential goal of the LGBT movement. Our community needs to see visible & powerful leaders so that our aspirations, often lowered due to our own fear of discrimination or hostility, are instead only limited by willpower.
Much talk has been made about Rahm Emmanuel's appointment as Chief of Staff in the upcoming Obama administration, but one as of yet little discussed topic is his replacement in the House of Representatives. LGBT people may have, even in the dark aftermath of prop 8, a glimer of hope for national leadership:
Right now there are three out gay congressional representatives, Jared Polis (CO), Barney Frank (MA), and Tammy Baldwin (WI). But when Rahm Emanuel accepted the chief of staff position in the Obama administration a short list of replacements was released. The great surprise? Deb Mell, the first out lesbian elected in an Illinois race, has thrown her hat in the ring. For those who are reeling from Prop 8 losses, this is a glimmer of hope.
I don't know much about Deb Mell, but from what little I know of her, she would sure be a great way to bring LGBT voices literally to the table.
Deb Mell is an interesting figure, obviously a product of a political dynasty, but nevertheless a person with a story and struggle of her own.
Deborah Mell was expecting a peaceful event when she joined hundreds of demonstrators in downtown Chicago for a pro-gay marriage rally in March 2004.
Instead, things got rowdy, and Mell was arrested. A female police officer said Mell attacked her, and Mell was taken away in a paddy wagon...
In the end, though, getting arrested was one of the best things that happened to Mell, because it prompted her to become more of an activist. That same year, she won the NOW Chicago chapter’s award for activist of the year. She also received the Howard Brown Cornerstone Award for community excellence.
And this year, Mell’s candidacy earned the endorsement of the Victory Fund, whose research shows that gay candidates need twice the amount of financial resources of their straight counterparts to win office.
“When someone breaks a barrier, it takes more to let folks know, and more money is needed to prepare for attacks,” said Tressa Feher, the Victory Fund’s leadership network director. “Mell will definitely bring another chair to the leadership table.”
Whether or not Deb Mell is elevated to the House of Representatives, I look forward to a continuing expansion of open LGBT office holders in the country.
The Victory Fund highlights other races that are historic markers for the LGBT movement this election cycle:
Among the winners in 2008:
* Sam Adams was elected mayor of Portland, Oregon earlier in the year. He will become the first openly gay mayor of one of the 30 largest U.S. cities when he’s sworn in next year.
* Jason Bartlett, who came out as gay in his current term, was reelected to the Connecticut State House. He is only the second openly gay African-American state legislator in the nation.
* Thomas Robichaux and Seth Bloom, both gay men, simultaneously became the first-ever openly LGBT elected officials in the state of Louisiana when they were elected to the Orleans Parish School Board in an October primary.
* John Perez became the first openly gay person of color elected to the California Assembly.
* Lupe Valdez was reelected to a second term as sheriff of Dallas County, Texas. First elected in 2004, Valdez was the first woman, the first Latina and the first out lesbian ever to win the post.
* Kevin Beckner won a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission in Florida, unseating an anti-gay incumbent and becoming the first openly gay man elected in the county.
* Rebecca Kaplan will be the first out lesbian to serve on the Oakland, Calif. City Council after winning her race Tuesday.
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