June 2009 Archives

Very tired, but feeling very good here. The Pride Picnic yesterday went off very well. My mom was kind enough to agree to embroider shirts with her sewing machine, and gave me a call Friday afternoon and asked, “The picnic is next week, yes?” I panicked and said, “Oh no! It’s tomorrow!” I worried that I had dropped the ball. (The operative phrase for me for the week before the picnic is “neurotic blur.”) She then said, “Relax! I'm just jerking your chain.” and I resisted the urge to say (in my best Dorothy Zbornak growl) “Shady Pines, Ma!” I picked up the shirts late Friday.

The picnic itself went fairly well. I am SO deeply grateful for all of the wonderful people in the area. I had been worried that Pittsburgh having their Pride stuff that week, including something that evening, would be a conflict, but we actually had a few more people than last year. We had about 330 people or so, which is the most folks at a local pride ever! (Counting the 90’s and forward. There were some big events back in the 1970’s before the other large cities had their own events well established.)

The Stonewall Celebration at the UU this morning was fantastic and incredibly moving. There were several times during the service that I was close to tears. I was particularly close when Jeremy (who was one of the cooks yesterday and who did a HUGE amount of great work!) read a bit about honoring our Queer ancestors. It was sort of based on a Pagan charge that I have always loved. Jeremy’s other half, Eric, looked over from across the room and noticed that I was very close to losing it. Jeremy concluded with a “Blessed be!” and I responded in kind. I visited with folks at the coffee hour afterward.

I am taking tomorrow off to tie up loose ends. Tired but wow, am I ever lucky to have so many great people. Deeply grateful for all the reasons for joy in my life!

I had a call on Friday from Michael Robinson, who was writing an article about the gay and Christian communities co-existing. I guess that he found Erie Gay News online and contacted me. I explained that I wasn’t Christian, but I had several friends who were and I definitely knew Christians who are straight and gay supportive.

I feel like it went okay. I passed along info about other Christian folks in the area that he could also contact.

In May, when the California Supreme Court ruled that the voters’ ban on homosexual marriages should stand, that decision reverberated around the nation, sending a major blow to same-sex couples pursuing legal marriage. 

These two street signs in Nashville reveal the irony of the relationship between gays and the Christian Church. – TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Many in the conservative Christian community rejoiced and applauded the court’s ruling. The issue of same-sex marriages has polarized and created contentious reactions from both Christians and gays, which begs the question: Can homosexuals and the Christian community coexist?

“We (Christians) are obligated to love people, but it’s OK that we can disagree. In America, there’s a misperception that we are homophobic. We have a responsibility and right to share a Biblical viewpoint on the issue. Our first allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. Kimberlee Johnson, director of the Center for Urban Youth Development at Eastern University in St. Davids.

Mike Mahler, the co-editor of the Erie Gay News, offered, "Of course gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) people and the Christian community can coexist. I know gay people who are quite active with their churches and I also know straight people within the Christian community who passionately believe that justice and equality for all of God's children is very much a part of Jesus' message."

… read the rest of the article here.

Gay-religious harmony exists despite tensions

Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian, explains Biblical marriage standards to us unsaved trash. I must admit that I totally adore Betty, whose joie d’apres vivre is legendary. (“So close to Jesus that Communion tastes like left-overs.”)

I obviously disagree with former VP Dick Cheney on a great number of issues, but kudos to him for standing up for marriage equality. However, I must admit to stifling a giggle when I read the wording about “People out to get a shot at that.” Mostly due to recalling Cheney having the accident where he shot the guy in the face.

But the big idea is that he spoke up for equality, and that is great and praise-worthy!

It's not surprising when Vice President Dick Cheney disagrees with President Obama. But it is surprising when he takes a more progressive position than the president.
Said Cheney: "I think that freedom means freedom for everyone. As many of you know, one of my daughters is gay, and it is something we have lived with for a long time in our family. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish. Any kind of arrangement they wish. The question of whether or not there ought to be a federal statute to protect this, I don't support. I do believe that... historically the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level. It has always been a state issue and I think that is the way it ought to be handled, on a state-by-state basis... But I don't have any problem with that. People ought to get a shot at that."

Cheney Supports Gay Marriage
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:39:54 GMT

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Win a free t-shirt or hoodie from Whee! Design. Up to a $45 value! Choose from our ever growing collection of LGBT items or from any of our 1000’s of other fun, rude or topical designs.

Enter this contest by filling out the form below between May 29 and June 19.

Whee! Design offers a wide variety of designs on t-shirt, hoodies, stickers, buttons, home decor items and more. Our latest additions include a line of organic t-shirts, the recyclable and reusable SIGG water bottle and Flip Mino and MinoHD video cameras. We also have a range of fan merchandise for Twilight and American Idol.

Stop by the store today at wheedesign.com and get ready for summer and Pride!

Whee! Design... Things that make you go “Whee!”

Erie Gay News has been running a contest about every week or so, and it looks like we will be able to keep that up for at least a while. I worked on some code to enhance the page after folks enter to display current and upcoming contests. I am also working on some other enhancements for contest sponsors.

Okay, I guess it is now confirmed that I am a mechanical ignoramus. I had recently had some weirdness with my car when I would hit about 70 MPH or greater. The car was scheduled to go in to be checked out on Wednesday. Recently, I was giving someone a ride and he asked me why I had the car in the gear that I did. I always assumed that D in regular type was Drive (which is correct) and the normal gear when driving. Apparently, D in reverse type is Overdrive and the default. (Okay, I personally think that this is not intuitively obvious.) So, I drove the car down to Edinboro and back using the correct gear and the problem did not occur. Furthermore, it sounds like I didn’t do any damage to the car, I have just been getting slightly less fuel economy. Now I just have to retrain myself. Crisis averted, and I feel like a fool for not having caught this.

I was out at the Zone on Friday and catching up with some friends. I was chatting with the ever-delightful Season (“Come for the cleavage, stay for the sarcasm” as she recently quipped) and she mentioned that someone said that because she is letting her hair go back to its natural blonde, that she looks like a blonde in front and a brunette from behind. Her husband, Chris, remarked, “It’s like a threesome – without having to buy two dinners!”