So today I heard a strange rumor about the whole Casey anti-abortion thing. . . that he is actually pro-choice [but has to play the role of Good Catholic Boy] and that if he beats Santorum, he won't vote for any anti-choice legislation. Hmmm.

In the meantime, yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 53-46 to reject an amendment that would have stopped violent protesters -- i.e. like those at abortion clinics -- from using bankruptcy law to avoid paying court-ordered fines. This also worries me on the "gay front" as the protestors at pride rallies and marches have been getting a bit vehement for moi, now that I am with child at these events.

However, PA Senator Arlen Spector voted like the Democrat he used to be and actually supported the measure, even though it failed. [Maybe it was The Cancer talkin'.] You, Go! Mr. Blue State Man!

"Happy" International Women's Day.

While the rest of the world was busy marching, protesting and organizing, here in the States, I'm pretty sure my workplace is the only one which gives us the day off.

From the United Nations web site, a brief herstory / chronology of the most important events:

1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day was observed across the United States on 28 February. [Note: The Gal's birthday!] Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.

1910
The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.

1911
As a result of the decision taken at Copenhagen the previous year, International Women's Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.

Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on labour legislation in the United States, and the working conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International Women's Day.

1913-1914
As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.

1917
With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.

On the eve of International Women's Day and as the U.N. continues to meet on the status of women (Beijing + 10), I can't help but think we've taken one step forward, two steps back in many ways.

See, last week I caught a bit of a PBS documentary on the National Women's Conference of 1977. Some of the women who were present: Bella Abzug, Rosyln Carter, Betty Ford, Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Barbara Jordan, Betty Friedan, Ellie Smeal, Annie Richards, Gloria Steinem.

Name one woman today who has made a difference like those women above. Ok, Hillary. Nancy Pelosi, but how many of you can "name" her? Martha Burk?! Can you even name who the current president of N.O.W. is? Or one important feminist author? (Camille Paglia? Puh-leese!)

Shirley Chisholm has passed away. Audre Lord. Susan Sontag. Who will carry their torch?

The women in the news today, role models for our youth? Brittany Spears. Martha Stewart. Janet Jackson (okay, old news). Oprah (who, by the way, has more money than god; does she give any of it away?).

First Lady Laura Bush never talks about "women's issues." The President of Harvard ponders, aloud mind you, that perhaps women aren't cut out, genetically speaking, to be scientists and mathematicians. The Master's golf tournament decides to run without ad revenue rather than force Augusta National Club to 'accept' women as members. Condi Rice took us into an unjust war.

Where can a young girl today get a good, feminist role model?

Back in PA, the Governor has decided to support Mr. anti-abortion, anti-gun control Bob Casey Jr. in the 2006 election for Ricky Boy Santorum's U.S. Senate seat, angering many pro-choice Democrats (yours truely amongst them) and alientating former State Treasurer Barbara Hafer, who was also planning to run for the seat.

In all fairness, I didn't think Hafer could beat Santorum; plus, she only became a Democrat recently ("switching over" because of she did not like where the Republican Party was headed re: "social issues"). She did have the support of EMILY's List, however; which now must possibly "sit-out" this hugely important national election.

Gov. Rendell, previous chair of the DNC, apparently pulls a lot of weight on the national level still. Hafer pretty much withdrew from the race as soon as Rendell announced his support of Casey. So much for "democracy" still being a part of the Democratic party / process / nation anymore, eh?

Meanwhile, the Gal just wants to know, "Where's Joe Hoeffel ?"

Meanwhile, back in New York, there were actual "jeers and catcalls" on the usually-staid floor of the U.N. today. For whom? you might ask. Well, for none-other than U.S. Delegate Ellen Sauerbrey, as she took a momet to "stress Washington's opposition to abortion and support for sexual abstinence and fidelity."

Ms. Sauerbrey : "We have stated clearly and on many occasions ... that we do not recognize abortion as a method of family planning, nor do we support abortion in our reproductive health assistance." [You may recall that one of Mr. Bush's first acts in office was to deny federal funds to any foreign agency which provides 'abortions or abortion counseling' services.]

She articulated U.S. policy on AIDS prevention for adolescents thusly : "We emphasize the value of the 'ABC' -- Abstinence, Be faithful, and Correct and consistent condom use where appropriate [read: when in the context of legalized, heterosexual union] -- approach in comprehensive strategies to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and the promotion of abstinence as the healthiest and most responsible choice for adolescents." [Italics mine]

Translation: So what if AIDS is a global pandemic? Kids shouldn't be having sex, we said so, and we're going to punish them and everyone else if they do so!

Oh, to have been there and been able to have heard the boo's. . . ;)

Down the road a bit from New York, there's another Feminist Battle raging between the so-called Borgata Babes and management.

Seems management wants the "right" to fire any Borgata Babes (a.k.a. the skimpily-clad cocktail waitresses in the Borgata casino in Atlantic City) who gain over 7% of their base weight when hired. The Babe's union challenged the weigh-in. Managment rejected the union grievance.

Ah, America. Land of the Free.

Personally, as long as the woman (or man) can get my drinks to me correctly and in a timely fashion while I gamble my life savings away, I don't mind a little meat on them. Prefer it, actually.

Of course, as one local (female!) reporter pointed out, A.C.'s new slogan is "Always Turned On" (no lie!) and "sex oozes from the walls" of the Borgata.

Guess someone forgot to tell HER and the Borgata management that THEY don't get to decide what's sexy, WE do. What's sexy to one person might, indeed, be large breasts, some weight around the middle, strong sturdy muscular (weighs more!) legs.

I'll take a few pounds over anorexic-stricken "babes" anytime.

Well, the U.N.'s Women's Conference began yesterday and already the U.S. has put its Big Brother Foot in its mouth.

The first proposal made was to merely reaffirm the platform adopted 10 years ago in Beijiing. But, U.S. delegates (lead by Ellen Sauerbrey - oh! how my Maryland years continue to haunt me!) expressed concern (now! of all times) that the Beijiing platform "might be interpreted as legalizing abortion as a human right".

God forbid the U.S. to allow any other nations to have free and legal abortion rights. Let's just send those women back into the closets and back-door abortions. Women who, in many developing nations, are raped, beated, tortured, mutilated in the name of "family" or "god" or "honor."

I don't see Ms. Sauerbrey or Mr. Bush or any other abortion-foes stepping forward to adopt those children -- born in poverty, dishonor, poor health, or in the middle of an unjust war -- let alone ANY children they "save" from abortion.

Remember all those "W is For Women" buttons we saw in the last election? Just Who Were those Women anyway? Apparently, they're the delegates to the U.N.'s conference!

Well, I can't believe I stayed up until 11:00 p.m. last night watching the season two premerie of The L-Word. It wasn't very good at all.

The Gal had issues with the show's "timeline" - I mean, just how pregnant is Tina supposed to be? Did Bette really stay with "the carpenter" for that long? And Dana and Alice are just getting around to discussing "the kiss" now ?

Personally, I thought the writers/producers took the whole how-did-Marina-try-to-commit-suicide-thing waaaay too far. Tasteless, nasty gossip about too series of a subject. Made me glad these gals aren't my friends!

I only read one review prior to watching the episode, and all I remember about it was that the new opening song is annoying. I agree; even though I love the group that performs it, BETTY ! (Hello! Betty!)

And what was up with that whole Tim-trying-to-mount-Jenny-one-last-time-before-he-moves-across-the-country scene? Trying to shock us queers with the heterosexual sex scenes right off the bat again?

Plus, this whole new focus on "the Look" of the women i.e. some high end fashions like Stella McCartney, new haircuts, etc. is a bit much when you have your garden variety dyke drama as the subtext.

Or, maybe that's the point: to show that, even fabulous looking L.A. Lesbians have troubles and heartache just like the rest of us. Only, they drive better cars and have the time to sit around a cool coffee joint and chat all day.

I think I'm jealous of them.

Welcome to The Day After.

The Speech, that is. You know: Bushie. State of the Union. Talking Heads. Laura on Botox (how else to explain the funny way that fake smile stays on her face the entire time her hubby is talking out of the side of his mouth?).

While I couldn't bring myself to watch it live (I just can't bear the thought of his smug 'smirk'), I caught bits and pieces of it, some commentary on PBS and CNN, and - of course - the recaps by The Girls: Unfiltered Radio's Lizz and Rachel. A few re-caps:

• Those of us under 55 = screwed on Social Security.
• There will be no making of body parts using embryos!
• Bushie will, of course, "defend the sanctity of marriage."
• Provide an additional $23M for drug testing in our schools.
• Double funding for abstinence-only programs.

Blah, blah, blah.

Hopefully, this will inspire a few of us activists to continue to Fight the Good Fight. Let's start with the next Chair of the DNC, shall we? Like, making sure whomever is selected is Pro-Choice!

A brief follow-up to yesterday's blog re: PBS 'pulling' an episode of the Arthur cartoon "Postcards From Buster" from it's schedule :

Tried to explain to The Banana just why her beloved PBS (she's even a 'Kids Club' member!) would not want to air an episode which shows kids who have 2 moms - like she has! - on it. Her well-put reply?

"That's mean!"

I apologize for not keeping up with The Blog, but sometimes I just don't want to read the newspapers or think about things, ya know? Of course, then along comes a train ride with my buds Bryan and Jon and they couldn't believe I hadn't heard the latest (ok: first! she only just started her job on Monday!) from our new Secretary of Leaving-No-Child-Behind, Margaret Spellings (I wonder if she's related to the Hollywood Spellings?) . . .

. . . she denounced PBS for spending public money ("Ready to Learn" grant funds) on a 'cartoon with lesbian characters', saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles! Heck, the show hasn't even aired yet!

The cartoon in question is the Arthur-spinoff Postcards from Buster and the episode, which was scheduled to air on Feb 2nd, is called "Sugartime". In it, there's these 3 kids see (!), and they live in Vermont (!) and Buster visits them ('cuz that's what he does) to learn about maple sugar (!) and, gosh, the kids have moms, you know (!), but they're in the background like most moms are on these kiddie shows, but there are 2 of them! And, apparently, if this airs, the world as we know it will end.

The thing is, the program was created in order to "build awareness and appreciation of" differences! And PBS, as we all know, prides itself on actually "educating" us mindless television viewers (as opposed to merely entertaining us after a long, hard day of work - like those wacky Queer Eye guys do).

So, anyway, PBS has folded to the pressure of the Great and Mighty Oz -- oops, I mean -- Spellings . . . and it will not distribute the episode to its 349 affiliates around the country.

On the local front, the Boston station that produces the program, the wonderful WGBH (which will always have a soft spot in my heart for creating "Zoom" back in the 70s) is going ahead and airing the episode on March 23rd and it's making the episode available to other affiliates, should individual stations choose to air it.

This means we have to spend our precious time urging our local PBS affiliates to do the right thing and not cave in to The Christian Right and The Republican Agenda / Mandate and air the episode and not make a big fuss over it, yadda yadda yadda.

Just when I was finally getting some reading-for-pleasure done on my train ride!

Fly, Eagles, Fly. . . on the road to Vic-tor-y!

Howdy sports fans! It was a good weekend for us here in PA. Steelers. Iggles. Boo-ya!

However, those of you who follow sports superstitions closely will understand how I felt when The Banana dropped our Donovan McNabb bobblehead doll - and his right arm broke off!

Gotta get out the super glue before next weekend. . .

What's wrong with this picture?

• An actress pledges $1 million dollars to the Tsunami Relief Fund.
• A race car driver : $10 million ! (who knew race car drivers made so much money?)
• The President of The Free World : $10,000.

Priceless.

Susan Sontag died over the holidays. While I was not that familiar with her work, I certainly had heard of her. The Gal has one of her books, "AIDS and it's Metaphors" which is kind of interesting in its own way.

I am, however, completely amazed and astounded that I, gossip-monger and popular culture lover that I am, did not know that she [according to some, select, obits] "is survived by" Annie Leibovitz. You know. The famous photographer. Another woman. And they had a young child.

Wouldn't know it from the so-called Liberal Media, though. While some did list Ms. Annie as her "longtime companion" and referred to a book they worked on together ("Women" in 1999), most of them focused on her heterosexual marriage which produced a son - and which she ended almost 40 years ago through divorce!

Go figure. Just another way to make us lesbians invisible!

Feelin' like some Tidbits today:

• Still on the Sports Bandwagon, how great is it that the UConn women's hoops team has dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time since, like, the mid-1990s! That means other women's hoops teams are more organized, competitive, and recruiting blue chip players away from UConn. ;)


• From the Lesbian Front - good ole' Pastor Beth has decided to appeal her case and try to be reinstated as a Methodist Minister. Good for her! And, yesterday, some "conservatives" admitted it'll be very difficult to try to pass the FMA in the next Congress (but, they'll try!).


• Mommy Maria here: just how many times can a child watch the same DVD over and over again? In the case of The Banana and "The Sound of Music" (or, really, any movie with Julie Andrews in it) = an infinite number of times!


• Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind sitting through "Victor / Victoria" again someday (when she's older; much older!). And, personally, I kind of enjoyed "The Princess Diaries".

Ah, my ongoing love-hate relationship with NPR continues. . .

Today's 'Talk of the Nation' topic is "The Psychological Effects of Tramatic Incidents" (i.e. tsunamis; terrorism). No sooner than host Neal Conan made mention of the difficulties of surviving / seeing such trauma, then a caller ("Ali") phoned in from Southeast Asia noting how difficult it was to see "all the bodies" on the beach.

Neal asked, "about how many bodies?"

Ali continued with how he'd seen terroism up close (bombings and such) but this devastation was much worse.

Neal asked, "how many bodies do you think there are?"

Ali noted that he couldn't stay where he was and had to walk away, it was too difficult a scene to view, the bodies on the beach.

Neal, to his credit, DIDN'T ask "but what about those bodies?" (but I sense he was thinking it), and thanked Ali for his first-person account.

Cut to : guest psychologist who specalizes in trauma. Does SHE acknowledge Ali and his obvious emotional pain?

Nope. Moves right into "her" agenda - how volunteers and survivors can "get help" i.e. trauma counseling, in such situations (ya think she'd provide a bit of it, herself, to Ali, wouldn't ya?).

Ah, The Media.

"Sporty" (Spice) Maria here. Watchin' the Iggles. Feel kinda bad for those teams whose seasons are depending on them to win tonight. Won't happen. Oh well, we're holdin' out for the Super Bowl, ya know - 3 long years of losing in the Division Title game has made us ornery fans.

Speaking of ornery fans - I've pilfered an X-mas gift from my dad. He got the book "Faithful" from my aunt and hasn't had time to read it, so I felt it was my duty to do so. It's written by Stephen King (yes! that Stephen King) and Stewart O'Nan about last year's run by the Boston Red Sox to the World Series, from a Bosox fan's point of view.

Which, is not unlike a Philadelphia fan's point of view (pick your sport): defeatist, despondant, and downright dreary at times. Always hoping for a win, expecting a loss.

When I moved here I realized that Philly was the perfect Sports Town for me (with the exception of a lack of decent sports bars with satellite dishes for college basketball season!). We've got WIP radio callers trashing the home teams; in-depth news coverage of pre-season baseball (we get Thome!), football training camps (even the "mini's" and what Donovan is up to in Arizona), off-season hockey stories (Lindros! the strike!); A.I. and T.O. (and formerly A.J.) to keep the gossip columnists happy; and no hunting pix! (Can you tell I've been reading the Erie Daily Times lately?)

Anyway, this book is a great read for a sports fan (who reads). Day-to-day coverage of the BoSox season by two fans - their e-mails to each other, their diaries of the year, all in great sports "shorthand" (like we talk): with player nicknames ("Papi"! "Nomah"!), baseball verbage ("he served up 7 K's"), and game viewing experiences - via radio, TV, and "live" at the Fen. (O'Nan especially seems to spend a lot of time trying to shag BP balls on the Monster, even using a fishing net at one point!).

So, even though I can't get my Marquette on TV quite yet, and the Iggles are fielding the second string, I've got The Book!

Driving across Pennsylvania this week (sounds like a good title for a book, eh?) I couldn't help but notice all of those Magnetic Car Ribbons that have become quite the fad. The Gal & I first noticed them when we traversed to Boston earlier in the year; mostly in upstate New York; mostly the Yellow "Support Our Troops" ones with a few Red-White-and-Blue "We Luv 'Merica" or Black POW-MIA ones thrown in for good measure.

Recently, my boss ordered Purple "End Domestic Violence" ones, as she wanted to jump on the Magnetic Car Ribbon Fad Bandwagon (which I felt was already over). Nevertheless, I put one on my car for the drive to and from the far reaches of western PA this week.

Saw many other, new, ribbons too. . . a Pink Breast Cancer Awareness one; the Yellow-and Red-White-and-Blue- flag one; and a Green one that I can only assume was Environmentally-related (couldn't get close enough to the car to check it out).

It wasn't until I saw the Black-and-Gold one, however, that I knew the fad has, indeed, worn out it's usefullness. It said, "Go Steelers" on it.

Drove across my home state yesterday - 425 miles from our home in Philly to the netherlands that make up the North Coast of PA. Also known as Erie, PA. Dreary Erie. The Mistake on the Lake. It's a long drive, a boring drive, but at least we have our luggage!

Sometimes I feel I could make the drive with my eyes shut. But I kept them wide open this trip, and noticed a very interesting thing: New billboards around the Harrisburg (our state capitol) area which make direct reference to some current legislation. While "educational" in nature, they could also be viewed as "lobbying." Although, whom, I don't know.

Me, the voter? To call my attention to an issue so I'll call my legislator?
My legislator? While he/she (I have one of each) is on his/her way to session?

Interestingly enough, I saw only 2 - and they both addressed a particular Philadelphia (the "Big Bad City" as it's known in the rest of the state) issue.

One billboard implored that KOZ (Keystone Opportunity Zone) $$$ be kept out of Center City Philly. The other, not so subtle, billboard pretty much said - in a nutshell, and I'm paraphrasing here - Comcast Has More Money Than God, why give it a tax break to build in The City? and referenced the legislation in question: HB 1321.

KOZ $, you see, was originally meant to foster development in "areas of economic distress" within first class cities in the Commonwealth (basically, Philly). While Philly does, indeed, have many areas of economic distress, Center City - where Comcast is building a high-rise office tower as its new HQ - is not one of them.

Nor do many folks seem to think that Comcast needs any tax break (myself, each month as I write out my cable bill, included) - although, labeling the area a KOZ would require Comcast to add jobs to the City.

And, thrown into the mix - the current PA Gov is non other than Former Philly Mayor Ed Rendell (who most certainly would like to see Philly and Comcast both benefit from a KOZ). Stay tuned, folks, it's Pennsylvania (and Philadelphia) politics at its finest hour.

Happy Hanukkah! Light those Lights! Make those Miracles happen!

One of which, it seems, did happen today : The PA State Supreme Court upheld Philadelphia's domestic partnership law! Ok, so parts of it. . .

Of course, now that The Mrs. is no longer employed by The City, the health insurance benefit no longer applies to us.

We were eligible for the "benefit" of not having to pay a real estate transfer tax (when transfering property amongst each other) - but that was struck down by the court, citing state tax law and the state's constitution.

I can live with that. The more imporant issue was their ruling that "life partnership is . . . not the functional equivalent of marriage" - which might go a long way for us in PA trying to obtain benefits as "life partners" i.e. medical visitation and decision-making, employee benefits like bereavement leave, insurance, etc.

It's all about being treated fairly and equally.

Of course, "marriage" does have, like, 1,049 federal benefits that go along with it. You may recall my previous musings on the subject. I'd like to have a joint fishing liscense with The Gal, as well as get her social security benefits (what will be left of them !) if she dies, etc. Oh, well, that's another fight, another day.

[P.S.: other big wins regarding this case. . . William Devlin, conservative foe of the LGBT community, lost! And his Arizona-based, right-wing legal representation, the Alliance Defense Fund - defenders of Traditional Family Values and the Sanctity of Life - lost as well! Go home, y'all, and fight the real battles: guns on the streets, the war in Iraq, poverty, homelessness, racism, sexism, et. al.]