Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 47

Uniting American Families Act-inclusive bill introduced by CA Congressman

The Washington Blade reports that Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) has introduced family immigration legislation -- the Reuniting Families Act -- that would address the issue of discrimination against bi-national same-sex couples.

"RFA also ends discrimination in our immigration system by allowing same-sex permanent partners to sponsor their foreign national partners for immigration benefits," Honda said.

...Until comprehensive immigration reform can be passed, Honda called on Obama to issue a moratorium to stop the deportation of foreign nationals in same-sex unions who would eligible for married-based green cards if not for the Defense of Marriage Act.

"The president has at his disposal certain kinds of statutory existing powers that he can stay a deportation process," Honda said. "He can put in a place a situation where folks will be held in abeyance and allowed to work and allowed to continue their lives until such time that we correct our immigration system."

This bill's provision for same-sex couples is identical to the aim of the Uniting American Families Act,  submitted and sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in the House and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the Senate. Click over for more details in Chris Johnson's story at The Blade.

Video break - Bill Maher shreds pea-brains: tells 'Repub crackers' to get off of Obama's ass

Hat tip to PoliticusUSA for this one -- the May 6 ep of Bill Maher's New Rules includes an epic rant against the tin-foil hat-wearing, birther, defense-flaccid wingnuts. Includes a snippet of transcript:

"Now that it's become clear that the Republicans, the fiscally conservative strong on defense party are neither fiscally conservative nor strong on defense, they have to tell us what exactly it is they're good at. It's not defense. 9/11 happened on your watch, and you retaliated by invading the wrong country, and you lost a 10 year game of hide and seek with Osama Bin Laden, and you're responsible for running up most of the debt, which more than anything makes us weak."

"You're supposed to be the party with the killer instinct, but it was a Democrat who put a bomb in Gadhafi's bedroom, and bullet in Bin Laden's eye like Moe Green. Raising the question how many Muslims does a black guy have to kill in one weekend before crackers climb down off his ass? Let's look at some facts. Now for you Fox News viewers feel free to turn down the sound until the flashing facts light at the bottom of your screen disappears."

Maher had it right. Obama had an incredible week last week, but within 48 hours the right was back hard at work trying to delegitimize his accomplishments while at the same time taking credit for themselves. What is absolutely eating the Obama haters up inside right now is that he got Bin Laden. Since 9/11 Republicans have treated the issue of national security as their birthright, but Obama showed them what a real commitment to keeping America secure looks like.

NY Rangers winger Sean Avery supports marriage equality - and what it means

NHL hockey player Sean Avery became the first New York pro athlete to publicly support marriage equality as part of HRC's NY4Marriage campaign. (NYT):

Avery, a 31-year-old from Pickering, Ontario, has played nine seasons in the N.H.L. Known as a fashion-conscious, on-ice agitator, he has never been afraid of what others think of him.

"The places I've played and lived the longest have been in West Hollywood, Calif., when I played for the L.A. Kings, and when I moved to New York, I lived in Chelsea for the first four years," Avery said in a phone interview. "I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends."

Avery, who lives in the SoHo section of Manhattan and keeps a home in Los Angeles, said some of those friends had wanted to marry, and he saw no reason they should not.

"I'm certainly open to it," he said. "Maybe I can help, and I jumped at this opportunity."

This is no overall controversy at this point, since the latest polls show a majority of Americans are in favor of marriage equality; however in sports, support moves at a glacial pace. Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo Sports had this to say about Avery's impact.

[I]t's inspiring to see an NHL player have an actual on-the-record opinion on something beyond frivolity. Hate the player, hate his politics ... how many fans are going to sit there and condemn Avery for doing this? For speaking out? Isn't it nice to know at least some of these guys give a damn about something?

Granted, this is good business for Avery, too. They're his politics, but they're also part of his brand: Fashion, restaurants, whatever sort of commentary he enters into after his playing days. To say something off the cuff is different than a calculated effort to endorse a movement, at least for someone as well-known as Avery.

...You also can't mention Sean Avery in support of gays without recalling the problems the New York Rangers have had with that community in years past, with gay fans claiming MSG was a cesspool of homophobia. Having Avery, in his Rangers sweater, in these ads can only be a good thing image-wise and for building stronger bonds with that community.

Avery doesn't speak for hockey, but he speaks as a hockey player, and that's important.

More Rapture-readiness: Wisconsin jeweler launches 50% off Second Coming Sale

After my post "Are you rapture ready - fundie billboards say the end is near: May 21, 2011" went viral on Twitter, people were taking shots of billboards pimping the same message -- including Ghana, which includes the purported date of the earth's actual destruction, Oct. 21.

But how's this for End TimesTM capitalsm? Larry Falter, owner of Superior's LTD Jewelers in Wisconsin and the head elder for Beth Yeshaa Twin Ports, a Messianic Congregation, has decided a fire sale related to the Rapture is a way to drum up business. And he has an apocalyptic ad to go with it:

"I thought, 'I am going to have some fun here, be bold about my faith position and make a commercial that would tell people how I believe things are in the world' " before transitioning into a sales ad, Falter, 65, said Wednesday.

"I'm trying to be upfront with my faith and my position," he said. "If anybody wants to see my jewelry or talk about the Lord's coming, I'm here."

..."The first thing that crossed my mind was the line 'Diamonds are forever,' and I thought, 'Is he going to go there with that?' And he didn't," Michael Gatlin, Vineyard Christian Fellowship senior pastor, said after viewing the commercial.

 

Happy Mother's Day, fashionistas!

Wedding Day. My mom Shirley and her mom, Emeline.

Happy Mother's Day. I hope everyone has a wonderful one. Last week I wrote about the feelings of loss when your mom passes away, but time moves on, grief diminishes and we acknowledge a new generation of moms. In fact, just last night, Kate's brother and his wife became proud parents of a early arrival baby girl (I don't have clearance to put up pix yet, lol).

When I go through photos of my mom, particularly ones before I was born (her wedding album captures 1950s Brookyn finery on MacDonough Street in Bed-Stuy). But as adults, my mom and her sisters were fashionistas in their day.

I try to see myself in my mom; there's some resemblance. I definitely share the same body shape with my grandmother; I guess my mom was a more like a petite, graceful version of me; I'm more of a hobbit. But that's OK. I have no idea, however, how my grandmother produced 14 kids with her body. And quite a few of those kids were born during the Great Depression.

Anyway, I'm sure all of you have Mom stories to share!

  

Above: Photos on the left and right were taken at some resort in the 50s; the center photo shows my aunt Sandra with my mom. I'm not certain but I believe this was from a trip to Europe.

***

Speaking of finery and fashion, on Saturday I was out and about, and we went into a store and the sales woman told me I looked like someone "out of the 60s". I didn't really think about it, but what I had on represented the usual "Blogmistress Bargain Basement" find. It was a Macy's Alfani Tunic from the clearance rack (why pay more!), originally ~$60; I snared it for $19.97:

Of course fashionistas robbed blind by copytrolls like Righthaven have to pinch pennies, but of course I've already been doing that for a long time. Hearing those Depression-era stories from my mom make it easy to have thrifty notions.

I have a little feature on Facebook, "What is the fashion today?", just making fun of myself; I upload pix of me and my eccentric wardrobe from time to time. I'm certainly not a glamour gal like my mom was, of course. Back in the day (1950s) they didn't leave the house to go to work unless it was in a dress and heels. Oy. I obviously know I'll never be a size 4 model, but geez, one can look decent on the cheap, even if you're "abundantly endowed," lol. As I said, I'm hobbit-sized (5'3"), so most tunics like the one above become short dresses on me. NOTE: I'm also bringing knee socks back into style!

Eugene Delgaudio on the value of Mother'$ Day

Mother's Day means different things to different people I guess.  To anti-gay-for-pay Eugene Delgaudio, Mother's Day is a day to list build and fund raise.  Check out this cynical email from the "Public Advocate of the United States".  It starts with this sympathy-building set-up for the Martyr Behind the Man:

With Mother's Day fast approaching, I am constantly reminded how grateful I am that Sheila agreed to marry me.

You probably know this, but it deserves repeating. Sheila deserves most of the credit for my success in stopping the radical homosexuals.

You see, when I grew weary, Sheila stood strong, knowing how important our work is.

This Mother's Day, I want to ask you to help me do something special to thank Sheila for her courage over the past 29 years.

I want to be able to present her with a huge pile of Mother's Day Cards from all of Public Advocates' friends and supporters.

Sounds almost genuine.  But soon enough Mr. Delgaudio gets down to the business of getting your data and picking your pocket.
A bit further into the email, we get to the smoking gun.

Mother's Day is May 8.  I would love to present her with a stack of Cards and donations to let her know just how much we all appreciate her strength.  But that's not much time!

Your signed Card and most generous contribution will make this Mother's Day one Sheila won't forget.

Click Here to sign the Mother's Day card to my wife Sheila

Your Card will mean a lot to Sheila.  I know her face will light up with joy and gratitude to you for remembering her on Mother's Day.

But to really put her fears to rest, please enclose a contribution as well.

That last line tells me all I need to know about how Mr. Delgaudio value$ mothers and motherhood.  When you click on the link, you get this screen (right) which asks for your name and email address and zip code.  There is no need to capture your email address or zip code unless the organization is list building and wants to be able to contact you later to solicit donations or urge you to take action.

Most non-profits engage in list-building -- there is nothing unusual about the exercise per se.  But few are so cynical as to do so on the backs of our mothers or wives.

Once you fill out the initial form, you're taken to this donation solicitation page (left).  Again, there is nothing unusual about a non-profit directing you to a donation page after taking some other action on-line.  The difference here is that Mr. Delgaudio is trying to slip one past you in the guise of appreciation for his wife on Mother's Day.

If you fall for the ploy, you'll help fund Mr. Delgaudio's $1.3 million dollar anti-gay operation (FY 2008 numbers - the most recent available).  His organization Public Advocate of the United States paid Mr. Delgaudio a "management" fee of almost $150,000 in 2008.  Public Advocate of the United States shares an address with the company Eugene Delgaudio & Associates which also paid Mr. Delgaudio $86,909 in 2008, according to the most recent data available to the IRS.  

Cozy.

And as if we needed confirmation that Eugene Delgaudio is all about the greed and nothing but the greed, after signing the card this is the warm message you will receive in reply.

Dear Public Advocate Supporter,

Thank you for your recent participation.

With your voice, I will prove to Congress that Americans are fed up with their pandering to the Homosexual Lobby.

But it's vital we mobilize millions of Americans to ensure we preserve our nation's pro-family values.

You can help Public Advocate of the United States defend against the attacks on our family values by chipping in with a secure contribution here.

Sincerely,

Eugene Delgaudio

President, Public Advocate

Can you feel the Mother's Day sincerity?

Are you rapture ready - fundie billboards say the end is near: May 21, 2011

I'm ready for Jesus to come and take these pea-brained, anti-gay, racist, pitiful people and suck them up to ParadiseTM.

I see some of these fundie videos and have a clear understanding of the sad state of education in this country. No critical thinking skills, most of these Rapture-ready individuals just turn on Rush/Sean/Glenn or their local wingnut radio and take it as the gospel truth. And of course, most of them probably still think our President was born in Kenya.

Maybe we don't have to wait that long for Jesus to arrive -- May 21st -- if you believe the fundamentalists at WeCanKnow.com. This organization has billboards in NC (in this case the Charlotte area) and, by the way, they say the world itself will cease to exist on October 21st, 2011. Let me share some of the local reactions (Fox Charlotte):

East Charlotte resident Ashlie Spratt says, "I don't feel that nobody can determine when he's coming back, I think he'll come back on his own." And east Charlotte resident Travonta Spratt adds, "It really can be harmful because you can have people doing any type of things just because they think it's the end of the world."

But east Charlotte resident Gregory Frank, who didn't notice the billboard until we pointed it out, says he does believe it. FOX Charlotte's Morgan Fogarty asked him, "So will you be getting your affairs in order?" He replied, "I will, I've got my affairs in order." Fogarty asked, "OK, what do you think people should do if they don't have their affairs in order?" Frank replied, "Start repenting."

And there are other evangelical outfits running billboards around the country. Take a look at this article about billboards in San Diego sponsored by Family Radio Network, run by 89-year-old Harold Camping. Harold gives a more detailed description of the End Times...it's EXPLOSIVE:

Getting their message out on billboards around the country, he and his followers say believers will be taken to heaven while a massive earthquake will cripple the entire planet, which he says God will later destroy in a giant fireball on October 21.

"The underground is getting ready. Earth is burned up," he said.

...Others point out this isn't the first, or only, apocalyptic prediction out there. In fact, Harold Camping had inaccurately forecast that the world would come to an end back in 1994, 17 years ago. He later admitted those calculations were off, but believes this time he has it right.

Obviously, the Rapturees will leave a ton of stuff behind - cars, homes, etc. This will mean the largest yard sales ever around the country and unprecedented items going up for sale on eBay.

Gender Expression And Gender Identity Are Two Separate Concepts

Gender Identity is not the same thing as Gender Expression...Some miseducate that they are two peas in a pod, which is delaying legislative change. We must counter the miseducation and make a distinction, or those with medical and legal needs urgently will be compromised.

~Ashley Love, May 5, 2011

Within trans community, there is a misconception by some that antidiscrimination protections based on gender identity are about transsexual people, while antidiscrimination protections based on gender expression are about crossdressers. The oversimplifying, boiling down of the term gender expression to apply to a narrow subset of trans people strips out the broad concept of what the term gender expression actually is, and its ramifications towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights.

Gender identity and gender expression are terms for two fully separate concepts. From a legal perspective for transsexual people, as well as for transgender people who don't identify as transsexual people, these are very related terms. And, these terms really can be two peas in a single pod, but at the same time these two terms are definitely not a single pea in a single pod.

For pretty much everyone else in broad society gender expression still applies -- it's just that their gender identities matches the societal sex and gender norms for their assigned birth sex of male or female.

So what do the terms gender identity and gender expression mean? Well, per the GLAAD Media Reference Guide:

Gender Identity: One's internal, personal sense of being a man or a woman (or a boy or a girl). For transgender people, their birth-assigned sex and their own internal sense of gender identity do not match.

Gender Expression: External manifestation of one's gender identity, usually expressed through "masculine," "feminine" or gender-variant behavior, clothing, haircut, voice or body characteristics.

The GLAAD Media Reference Guide then adds regarding transgender people:

Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression match their gender identity, rather than their birth-assigned sex.

And that second line isn't entirely accurate. This is how the GLAAD Media Reference Guide defines transgender:

Transgender: An umbrella term (adj.) for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexuals, cross-dressers and other gender-variant people. Transgender people may identify as female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF). Use the descriptive term (transgender, transsexual, cross-dresser, FTM or MTF) preferred by the individual. Transgender people may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.

With transsexual and genderqueer people -- 24/7/365 people who live as a gender that doesn't match the sex they were assigned at birth -- seek to make their gender expression match their gender identity. Crossdressers and drag performers are part time expressers of gender that doesn't match their birth-assigned sex -- these folk aren't seeking to make their gender expression match their gender identity, but are only sometimes expressing gender that doesn't match their gender identity.

But for the majority of society members who don't identify as transgender, gender expression still applies -- pretty much everyone who functions within society expresses gender. For the majority of societal members, gender expression conforms within the range of gender norms for the sex they were assigned as birth.

Even genderqueer, androgynous, and intergender identified people are expressing gender -- they're just expressing it in a gender neutral manner.

And males who express gender with what are perceived in our culture as more feminine expression, and females who express gender with what are perceived in our culture as more masculine expression -- these folk are perceived to be gay or lesbian, whether or not these folk actually are actually gay or lesbian.

There is a reason why male-to-female trans women who are victims of hate violence aren't usually referred to by the antitransgender pejorative "she-male" by their attackers, but instead -- when called pejoratives -- are usually referred to by the antigay f-word. And, that reason is that people who are perceived to be male who have what are perceived to feminine gender expression are perceived to be gay.

I would say that housing, employment, and especially public accommodation antidiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity are protections for people whose expression of gender is perceived to be non-conforming to societal sex and gender norms.

One important concept to remember regarding gender identity and gender expression is that gender is expressed on some level by pretty much all of us in our broad society. When gender expression doesn't conform to societal sex and gender norms is when that antidiscrimination protections for LGBT community become legally important.

The other, key concept regarding gender identity and gender expression is that gender expression is the glue -- the commonality -- that should bind trans community together.

It's also a glue that should bind LGBT community members together --  significant numbers of LGBT community members are indirectly perceived by people outside of LGBT community as gender nonconformists, and that indirect perception of gender nonconformity is the why and how they are percieved to be LGBT.

And too, that perception by people outside of LGBT community that gender nonconformity is an identifier of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people has civil rights implications.

Gender expression isn't gender identity, and vice versa -- these two terms really do represent two separate concepts. And gender expression? It's a broad concept: gender expression isn't just a transgender term that functions as code wording for crossdressers.

~~~~~

Related:

* Why Transgender Activism

Today's 'The Stupid It Burns' poll: Rick Santorum vs. Rep. Allen West

The sheer volume of @sshattery that has come out of the mouths of members of the GOP is astonishing. Today's bumper crop yielded two nominees for 'The Stupid It Burns' poll.

First, Little Ricky Santorum, who claims Obama 'Didn't Get Osama Bin Laden!'. He went on the Laura Ingraham show and showed his @ss over Osama bin Laden and who deserves credit for it, particularly to give the kudos to Bush for his torture interrogation tactics. Via Think Progress:

SANTORUM: 9/11 families and everybody else in America should be furious at this president that he's walking abound taking credit for, you know, getting Osama bin Laden. He didn't get Osama bin Laden! ... The president of the United States simply said - courageous act, give him credit for saying yes - but that's all he did, is say yes. He didn't do the hard work. The people he's going after did the hard work. And that is an outrage.

Santorum is referrering to his claim that Attorney General Eric Holder is "going after" CIA agents who used enhanced interrogation tactics under President Bush. But perhaps Santorum is too fixated on his Google problem to remember that Obama said two years ago that he wouldn't prosecute CIA agents who engaged in torture.

Number 2 nominee is Rep. Allen West (R-FL). The batsh*ttery here is hard to beat. At a town hall in Fort Lauderdale he opened his pie hole and a lot of truthiness of epic proportions came out.

Warning the crowd about the economic and national security dangers that China poses to the United States, West declared - twice - that "China is in control of the Panama Canal":

WEST: I had the opportunity to go down to the United States southern command which is headquartered in Miami, Florida. There is a huge threat coming up out of South America through Central America, through Mexico, and into the United States. Iran is in South America. Hezbollah is in South America. I already talked about how China is in control of the Panama Canal. And even about 50 miles away from here in the Bahamas, building a port there. You know, there is some serious threats to our country.

The notion that China controls the Panama Canal is patently false.

So who wins the poll? Cast your vote below.

Ugandan "Kill The Gays" Bill May Be In Danger Of Passing Soon

Press Release from The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission indicates that the infamous Ugandan "Anti-homosexuality bill" is not only not dead, but possibly in danger of passing soon:

Public hearings on the Bill took place today in the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. The remaining stages of the legislative process – namely second and third readings of the bill and presidential adoption – could be completed within the remaining week of the current parliamentary session.

The Bill reaffirms existing penalties for consensual same-sex relationships, and criminalizes the "promotion of homosexuality" and failure to report homosexual activity. The Parliamentary Committee itself has said that the provisions of the Bill are redundant and unnecessary. Most controversially, the Bill would punish "aggravated homosexuality" – including activity by "serial offenders" or those who are HIV positive – with the death penalty. To IGLHRC's knowledge, the provisions related to the death penalty remain part of the Bill, despite statements by the Bill's author that these would be removed.

Disturbing news. Representative Barney Frank introduced a measure that might provide financial disincentives to gay hostile states. The likelihood of it reaching fruition in Boehner's House is not good.



The United States Secretary of State has a contact information page here.