Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 73

Q of the day: pain at the pump

The level of volatility at the gas pump is fascinating, if frustrating to watch. It seems to go up and down on some days for no reason at all, at other times you flip on the news, see that bombs are dropping on Libya and you figure the speculation about oil will make it pop up 10 cents.

Brace yourselves, Wolf Blitzer is speculating, so expect prices to tick up some more:

When I filled up at a Shell station this AM it was $3.53/gallon. I only have a 9-mile commute, so a tank lasts a while. Kate, on the other hand, works in Raleigh/Cary and has to drive for her job (~20 mi one way), so the jumps hurt more.

What is it going for in your area?

It Costs Something To Get Equal

...And so this social revolution taking place can be summarized in three little words. They are not big words. One does not need an extensive vocabulary to understand them. They are the words "all," "here," and "now." We want all of our rights, we want them here, and we want them now.

Now the other thing that we must see about this struggle is that by and large it has been a nonviolent struggle. Let nobody make you feel that those who are engaged or who are engaging in the demonstrations in communities all across the South are resorting to violence; these are few in number. For we've come to see the power of nonviolence. We've come to see that this method is not a weak method, for it's the strong man who can stand up amid opposition, who can stand up amid violence being inflicted upon him and not retaliate with violence.

You see, this method has a way of disarming the opponent. It exposes his moral defenses. It weakens his morale, and at the same time it works on his conscience, and he just doesn't know what to do. If he doesn't beat you, wonderful. If he beats you, you develop the quiet courage of accepting blows without retaliating. If he doesn't put you in jail, wonderful. Nobody with any sense likes to go to jail. But if he puts you in jail, you go in that jail and transform it from a dungeon of shame to a haven of freedom and human dignity. And even if he tries to kill you, you'll develop the inner conviction that there are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

~Martin Luther King Jr., Speech at the Great March on Detroit, June 23,1963

On Friday, March 18th, 12 of the 13 activists who joined together for a direct action on the White House fence met for a court date in Washington DC. The 13 of us who'd handcuffed ourselves to the White House fence on November 13, 2010, were a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community military service veterans and LGBT community activists -- we wanted to see Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) repealed.

The 12 of us who were at the courthouse (1 of us was ill and couldn't make it) and our 2 attorneys agreed, before going into court, to go to trial over our arrest. There is an issue for the 12 of us -- we as a group perceive that the U.S. District Attorney representing the federal government is too aggressively prosecuting this case. There is a free speech issue that appears to be at play here, and the zealous prosecution by the federal government appears to us to be one of message censorship.

The facts of our case aren't in dispute. The 13 of us handcuffed ourselves to the White House fence, chanting "I am somebody" and raising our free fists to send the message that the President and Congress needed to act to repeal DADT, and allow lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers to serve openly.

In previous direct actions by GetEQUAL direct actions at the White House -- as well as other organizations that have protested other issues about the vicinity of the White House -- those involved in the direct actions and protests have usually been charged under the District Of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) under the Disorderly Conduct or Failure To Obey A Lawful Order (given by a law enforcement officer) have been given the opportunity to "post and forfeit" bond to resolve their/our cases. There is no history of a conviction with this action.

This time the federal government has charged the "GetEQUAL 13" under the Code Of Federal Regulations (CFR), and pleading would result in a federal conviction on one's record.

Our bottom line was that in unanimity the 13 of us were ready to go to trial, but that decision has been postponed until May because we still aren't sure what the final charge against us will be. If there is a trial -- or even if we end up pleading to lesser charges that have us ending up with no federal record -- the next court date set for either of those two outcomes will be September 19, 2011.

To transport those of the 13 of us to Washington DC who need financial assistance to get to DC, along with the GetEQUAL staff required to handle logistics and pay for representation, is about $5,000.00. That means that the November 15th direct action by the GetEQUAL 13 has cost about $10,000.00. Besides the human cost of being sent to jail for the ordinary equality of LGBT community members, there has been real financial costs as well.

But the 13 of us who spent time in jail for this direct action spent time in "a haven of freedom and human dignity." I believe our efforts helped move LGBT community closer to the ordinary equality we fully deserve.

Do we in LGBT community believe "that there are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for"?

Ordinary equality for members of the LGBT community is going to take sacrifice. That sacrifice is going to include engaging in sit-ins, pickets, direct actions, and direct actions where participants are willing to be arrested and mistreated -- as well as costing us something financially. We should all already know that it's going to take more effort than just lobbying alone to see the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) pass into law. The question has really become how much we, as a community, are willing to sacrifice -- are going to sacrifice -- for ordinary equality.

In this world it is possible to achieve great material wealth, to live an opulent life. But a life built upon those things alone leaves a shallow legacy. In the end, we will be judged by other standards.

~Cesar Chavez

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If you want to help GetEQUAL cover the costs associated with the actions of the GetEQUAL 13, please consider donating here.

As a head's up, GetEQUAL is in early planning for direct actions in support of an ENDA without added bathroom language. Just as the logistics of the DADT direct actions cost money, so will logistics around ENDA direct actions. Donating to GetEQUAL will help the organization fund multiple ENDA focused direct actions in the coming year that will specifically be targeted at changing public discussion around the "bathroom bill" meme.

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Autumn Sandeen is a provisional board member of GetEQUAL. She's pretty obviously biased in favor of direct actions and GetEQUAL.

Take the Pam's House Blend survey...and miscellany

Take the survey here (or click the icon). It's been a very long time since I've asked people in the coffeehouse about your experience here, and what you might like to see 1) more or less of; 2) why you come over here, and 3) what makes you keep coming back.

As head barista, it's been a long road since launching the blog in 2004, a labor of love - certainly not for money -- and I've been thinking about the blog's direction for some time, and with my waning health and 2012 coming up (esp with a marriage amendment in my state on the menu), I'm trying to hone in on what's important to do to simplify things and keep the blog going. For instance, I've been mulling what to do with the blog's format - redesign, platform change (to WordPress, Posterous, etc.), I don't have time to mess with coding and design...and write, so I've tended to just do nothing.  Burning the candle at both ends has resulted in a bit of a crisis point - there's even a question in the survey asking what might be the impact of shutting down the blog.  So your help and input are greatly appreciated.

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Miscellany...

Which carrier is your daddy now? So we're getting pretty close to having Ma Bell reunion: AT&T and T-Mobile merger to create largest mobile provider in US.

In what would be one of the biggest deals since the financial crisis broke, the US telecoms giant AT&T has agreed to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39bn (?24bn), creating the biggest mobile operator in the US.

The deal would bring together the second and third largest mobile groups in the US and will thus face intense regulatory scrutiny. If approved, the merger would shrink the number of major national wireless operators in the US to three from four.

Together, AT&T and T-Mobile would have nearly 130m customers, about a third more than current market leader Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between the UK's Vodafone and Verizon. The combined firm would be more than twice the size of the third largest carrier, Sprint Nextel.

T-Mobile's service in our area sux, according to a few people I know who took a chance on it. AT&T when I had it here several years ago, wasn't too bad (I wasn't even charged for roaming in Canada), but its prices started to rise. Verizon is solid almost everywhere I've been in NC, but holy crap, they charge way too much.

Our local Verizon service (landline), was taken over by Frontier recently, and the amount of phone spam calls we've experienced in the last month has us both ready to ditch the landline service. Kate took one of the spam calls one evening and told them to stop calling and the asshat on the line tried to trick her into agreeing to stay on the call list! I know people who earn a living telemarketing need to bring home the bacon, but it makes you wonder how many elderly or people not paying attention get ripped off and exploited by these tactics? How to they sleep at night?

Let's just say that the calls stopped cold after Kate spoke with Frontier.

Health hell. It's been a helluva week health wise; I couldn't work for most of the week because of a fibromyalgia flare paired with diabetic neuropathy in my feet that rendered me nearly bedridden all day in pain, feet on fire, joints hurting, blah, blah, blah; the thought of going up/down stairs or driving a car was unimaginable. All shoes felt like knives on my feet. And I have a pretty high pain tolerance (I have driven myself to the ER during a kidney stone attack -- 2X), but this pain had me in tears. No pain killers work; and meds that help with the neuropathy usually make you feel dizzy or sleepy. I had to take one of the pain killers from my surgery that went unused just to sleep.

Since a bad fibro flare results in a phenomenon called "fibro fog" that meant my short term memory is also toast, and word confusion (aphasia) occurs. It passes when the flare up goes away, but since I was so out of it I rarely checked or answered mail, let alone wrote many posts last week. Thankfully the other baristas were serving up a lot of fresh Blend. What a f*cking mess.

The downward spiral began after the trip to Miami for the Outgiving conference, since plane travel usually kicks off a flare, but stress always makes things worse. There's a lot of stressful sh*te going on these days that I wish I could share, but alas I can't; if I didn't have my lovely wife to pick up the pieces, I'd be completely MIA right now. Anyway, I'm still upright (at least part of the time). I'll limp my *ss into work this week, since I have to, given I have no sick time left. But I have to keep reminding myself that at least I have a job (or rather 3 jobs - the day job, the blog, and now a monthly class I'm teaching on social networking).

Got my Raleigh Journey tix: The concert is August 20 at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre. Even though I had early access to buy via the fan club, I only managed to get row Q in Section 1 on the first day they went on sale.

By the time the tix went on sale to the public (Saturday), all the good seats were already gone; not only that, there were already tix for re-sale on Stubhub, including first row seats going for $1799!

Um, I'd love to be in the first row, but I'm in no financial position to drop that kind of money for one seat, let alone two since Kate's going to this concert with me. Sigh.

The sad truth is my first thought when I got the tix was whether I'd be healthy enough to hoof it from parking lot out in the boonies to the seats at the amphitheatre. </ End of the pity party.>

Love the Straight Supremacist--Hate Straight Supremacy

Cross posted from A Musing:

Are programs that tell people they need not be gay simply silly, misguided throwbacks? Surely the media has gotten a lot of mileage out of covering the "ex-gay" phenomenon.  It can be a sexy and entertaining story. But the portrayals of the people who run these programs run counter to the aims and ideology behind the treatments they offer. It's time to see these "ex-gay" programs for what they are--Straight Supremacist groups.

Two leaders of the Ex-Gay Movement, Alan Chambers and Janet Boynes, recently received a sympathetic treatment on Lisa Ling's Our America episode Pray Away the Gay? And some have asked, "Why not? It was not a 'hard' news story, rather a portrait of overlooked Americans on the fringe." Hmmm, if it were that simple.

Another story getting buzz has to do with an Apple iphone app. A petition (with over 30,000 signatures) demands that Apple must remove an Apple approved app linking people to Exodus International, the world's largest ex-gay group which for a long time has claimed people can find freedom from homosexuality through Jesus Christ. Alan Chambers, the man prominently featured in a positive light on the Lisa Ling program, has headed Exodus since 2001.

Why all the fuss? Why not let these folks have their freedom of speech even if what they have to say is wacky, antiquated, and panned by proper medical folks?

In the case of Exodus, here's why. For one, we are NOT talking about a freedom of speech issue. Exodus is free to say whatever they want on their blogs and pulpits. No private company like Apple has to use their resources to promote Exodus' message. Apple has the right to say, no.

Exodus spokespeople  paint themselves in the media as kindly folks who simply want to help those who are unhappy with being gay. They don't force anyone to do anything against their will. They do not want to interrupt the lives of happy homosexuals who are content with their sexuality or identity. That's what they say, but that's not what they mean. They are being wise as serpents and gentle as doves. They are duplicitous.

Exodus is a Straight Supremacist group that believes that heterosexuality, straight marriage, and gender normative behavior are superior to anything lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) people have going on in their lives. At Exodus conferences, in their books, through their many local programs they state that LGBTQ people are inferior to heterosexuals. They say over and over that LGBTQ folks are morally, spiritually, developmentally damaged. Just last week Alan wrote that even celibate gays who still identify as gay "fall short of God's best." In fact, he makes it clear that God's best is for people to be heterosexually partnered, even if they are not heterosexual. They do not seem to consider the needs of a straight person who may well suffersas a result of this union (which is often the case.)

Under Alan Chambers' leadership of Exodus, the group has made aggressive moves to target young people--in the words anti-gay Christians have often used concerning gays--Exodus has attempted to recruit and convert queer youth to a straight lifestyle. Exodus came under fire in 2005 when their flagship program, Love in Action, began to take teenagers against their will into their youth program, Refuge. A young man by the name of Zack cried out to his friends for help before he was cut off from the world and forced to attend a straight camp.

Under Alan Chambers' leadership Exodus has taken over the Love One Out conferences, a day long event that assures parents and church youth workers that their queer youth need not stay that way. They offer testimonies of people who claim they have changed, and project photographs of former homosexuals now heterosexually partnered surrounded by spouse and children. They provide false hope and leave out important information--namely that the vast majority of people who attend their programs (70% by Alan Chambers' own reckoning) find that a straight (or straightish) life is not realistic or healthy to pursue. At Love Won Out they do not mention the psychological, emotional, and spiritual damage many of us experienced as a result of going to war against our sexuality and identity. They do not mention that ever major medical association has denounced reparative therapy and ex-gay treatments saying they do not work and may likely damage those who try them.

And what is Exodus' big goal for 2011? To reach out to youth in middle school and high school with a message of hope! You don't have to be bullied for being gay because you can chose the superior identity of being straight. They have a new iphone app in large part to reach out to the younger generation with their straight supremacist message. In essence they say, "The bullies are right. You are a worthless piece of shit, but we can bring value to your life. We can help you leave all that gayness behind and become holy and valuable to the world around you."

Apple does not find the message of Exodus objectionable. Lisa Ling's Our America also did not find fault with the message. Perhaps they do not know enough about it. Perhaps they have mostly heard from Exodus which has developed a slick public persona over the years while politically opposing pro-LGBTQ legislation, while trying to eradicate gayness in themselves and the world around them.

Over at Beyond Ex-Gay, the site created by ex-gay survivors, we state,

We believe that ex-gay experiences cause more harm than good. Certain people who currently identify as ex-gay say they are content as such. We don’t seek to invalidate their experience. For us such a lifestyle was not possible or healthy.

If someone like Alan Chambers wants to live a straight life and he is happy with that life, that's fine. But that he insists that his lifestyle choice is superior to the lives and identities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer people is objectionable. Perhaps he has not yet allowed himself to meet happy, well-adjusted queer folks. Once we leave his programs and sort ourselves out, he wants nothing to do with us and his discounts our stories. But ultimately this is not about Alan Chambers or even Exodus, it is about a message that gets sent out by churches that make it clear that queer folks are not allowed at a seat at the table unless they conform to the heterosexual, gender-normative pattern of the world around us. In that light, perhaps some can see Alan Chambers as a victim of a system that in turn transforms him into a victimizer of others. And why would Lisa Ling or Apple want any part of that? Why not call it what it is and stop pretending or ignoring reality.

An intellectual fan of Sarah Palin drops an email to the 'bitch' of the Blend

Yesterday I wrote about the Thrilla from Wasilla,  Sarah Palin ("I'd have won in 2008 if I had been at the top of the ticket"). Apparently one of her biggest fans, a one Bill Carpenter, in Auburn, CA, decided to straightening me out regarding the failed VP candidate.  Please protect thy keyboards. I have warned you. aside from obscuring the phone number, this is exactly what the email looked like: 

I want you to know EXACTLY who sent you this mail, I have guts similar to Sarah Palin and I dare you to challenge me concerning my view of you and your posting. Bill Carpenter SrAuburn, CaliforniaXXX-XXX-XXXXbill@billcarpentersr.com I watched the entire interview ( LIVE ) so don't try to spread your bullshit around. Sarah Palin said no such thing. Only you liberal jerks would believe anything written on your pages. Look in the mirror BITCH, if you don't faint first you will see a serious lier. You wouldn't admit the truth if it was to your benefit.. Since I believe you are so stooooopid, the string end goes in last. The media..." Palin said pointedly, and then self-consciously softened it with a laugh. Attempting to pretend she has not taken pot shots at Obama on foreign soil before (see Hong Kong), she strangled this out through gritted teeth, "Candidate Obama had a strong campaign. Though he was inexperienced, he was change." This is as nice as she can be, folks. Live it up. She had to get the dig in about him being "inexperienced." As if she were somehow...oh well. (( HEY BITCH, HE IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER NOT A PRESIDENT)

I don't know why she couldn't use his proper title, ( BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SAY ASS HOLE IN FRONT OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE ) but Palin seems in many ways stuck back in 2008, constantly re-litigating her grievances and sure that if she just tells us that "candidate Obama" is inexperienced, we will believe her. It's as if she doesn't quite grasp that while she was doing reality TV shows, he's been in the White House.(( PLAYING GOLF, FIGURING OUT BRACKETS, WRONG I MIGHT ADD, ENTERTAINING MUSLIMS, BLACKS AND UNION LEADERS. ARE YOU TOO STOOOOPID TO SEE THAT.)

Purie didn't buy this excuse and pushed her, "You could have been change."

Palin was quick to fire back with just a tad of that infamous venom, snapping, "I wasn't the top of the ticket!" 

Congrats to Joe My God, honored with the first GLAAD Outstanding Blog award

NY-based LGBT blogger Joe Jervis, who runs Joe.My.God, was covering the red carpet ceremony at the 2011 GLAAD Media Awards and didn't learn until the after-party that his pad was the winner in the first-ever Outstanding Blog category.

The word went out on Twitter hours ago while I was still working the red carpet downstairs and I totally didn't know I'd won until at the after party when I congratulated another winner on the escalator and they said, "Oh, you too!" That sent me running to one of the video screens where the names of the winners were scrolling. Totally worth missing my traditional pre-Black Party disco nap! Many photos of the evening to come!

Congratulations, Joe! You can see his photos from the event here. The other blogs nominated: OUTSTANDING BLOG

The Bilerico Project (http://www.bilerico.com/)

Blabbeando (http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/)

Pam's House Blend (http://www.pamshouseblend.com)

Rod 2.0 (http://rodonline.typepad.com/)

Live-Blogging the SLDN National Dinner: SLDN Making History

It truly has been a wonderful event to cover and truly worth the celebration.  The men and women who've risked so much to make is night possible from Bleu Copas, LT. Col Victor Frerenbach, Justin Crocket Elzie, Eric Alva, Brian Fricke, Darren Manzella and the thousands of others, many of whom were here in attendance tonight.  Congratulations!  As we move forwards to bringing full equality for all Americans we press on the in the fight.

Thank you, SLDN and Pam for giving me this wonderful opportunity!

10:30:  Chris Matthews closes out and gives the final speech.

Tonight has been special in many ways, a wonderful celebration. Several of you are pioneers in the movement for equality that spans generations of military service. You have defended our country and have seen first-hand why "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - what came before - is discriminatory and un-American. Your lives are a testament to courage and conviction, and without your heroism we would never have come this far.

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When repeal was signed into law last December, our country came closer to liberty and justice. In that great moment, we rose above the fear and ignorance of the past to welcome a future of hope and greater inclusion. In a time of national uncertainty and division, our leaders listened to the will of the American people and showed the world that out of many, we are still one.

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However, the fight to ensure that no service member is treated without full respect is far from over. Opponents of open service have not given up, so you too must remain engaged. You still have many battles ahead as you work toward full equality for all our brothers and sisters in uniform.

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I am inspired by the sacrifice and patriotism of the countless individuals who have led the fight for equality through the years, whether as veterans, active duty, advocates, or elected officials. They have shown us our country can answer the call to equal opportunity. Tonight, we draw on their resilience to keep moving on the long path to justice for all service members, for all Americans.

9:53: The air here tonite is very celebratory.  After a touching video presentation describing e beginnings of DADT and the recent timeline of events that led to repeal Aubrey Sarvis takes the stage.

Thank you.? Thank you and congratulations-for making it possible to stand on the brink of this huge victory for gay and lesbian service members.? Years ago you recognized how important it was to defend and speak for those service members who could not always speak or act for themselves.

And now flag officers acknowledge that gay and lesbian troops are serving among them, are serving with distinction, and have always been there. That, in itself, is a tremendous victory. These generals and admirals-and members of the House and Senate too, as well as the President of the United States-are saying this now because you fought hard and never gave up.? It WOULD not, COULD not have happened without you. I am in awe of what you have achieved, humbled by your sacrifice and generosity, and honored to serve with you.

Each of us in this beautiful hall tonight stands on the shoulders of others. Nearly 19 years ago Michelle Benecke and Dixon Osborne had the foresight and courage to establish SLDN.? These young visionaries came together to create the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network- to focus solely on helping LGBT troops when they needed help the most.? Michelle and Dixon, please stand so we can show our appreciation for your vision, your tenacity, and your hard work.? Let's hear it for Dixon and Michelle!

In Vietnam, Korea, World War Two, and World War One, THOUSANDS were drummed out because they were gay-humiliated, often treated like criminals, and denied honorable discharges. There was no SLDN around to help.? Ask Melvin Dwork. He was thrown in the brig in World War II for being honest about WHO he was - and then he was discharged for being WHAT he was: Gay. At 89, Melvin is our oldest client, but he is among our youngest at heart.? The youngest SLDN client is only 18, and he is under investigation this week for violating Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Tonight we celebrate, and rightly so. But is our work over? Can we finally move on?? YOU know, and I know, and CERTAINLY our 18-year-old client knows that this fight is not over.

The work of SLDN, the work we are doing together, will not be finished until Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been repealed and open service is proceeding smoothly and no more 18-year-olds need our help.

Our work is not done until legally married service members receive the same benefits and family support that their straight married comrades receive.

Our work is not done as long as federal statutes prevent pay parity.

Our work IS DONE ONLY when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender service members, willing to serve and fight and die for this country, are treated equally under the law. That day has not yet arrived.

So we will continue to help former service members kicked out under Don't Ask, Don't Tell who want their old jobs back, service members like Air Force Major Mike Almy, who is seeking to serve our country again.? SLDN will go to court when necessary and we will STILL be here-a day-to-day legal lifeline for service members-as the transition to open service finally goes ahead.

That transition will require close oversight FROM THE OUTSIDE to ensure it is quickly and properly executed by the services. SLDN will closely monitor the implementation of open service, and will take action if that implementation falls short.? SLDN will keep urging the President to issue an executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the armed forces.?

In the fight for equality, the United States military has led the way before. They are rightly proud of their vital role in helping end segregation.? With SLDN's active oversight-and litigation and prodding when needed-I am confident that our armed forces will lead on this front as well.

So we are CLOSE, but THE JOB is not done yet. We must FINISH this critically important work. We must get it right before we rush to move on, AND IT IS NOT YET RIGHT.? Until that day comes, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops will continue to need you and to need SLDN.

And until then, as Winston Churchill once said, "We will never, never, never, NEVER give up."

Thank you.

9:38: Barney Frank is speaking now in his typical fashion.  Gruff. To the point.

9:34: Chris Matthews is telling a little bit of the tragic history of "Don't ask, don't tell"

That was fantastic! Thank you very much, Rock Creek Singers, let's give them a hand!

Folks, we celebrate tonight, but we also look back at our history and remember why we are here and who we are fighting for. On October 27, 1992, former Naval Petty Officer Allen Schindler was murdered because he was gay. Allen's mother, Dorothy Clausen, could only identify her son's body by his tattoos. The killing of this much loved young man renewed the debate to get rid of the regulatory gay ban, and Allen's death became a defining moment in the transition to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Five and a half years after Don't Ask, Don't Tell was enacted, on July 5, 1999, Army Private First Class Barry Winchell was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat as he lay sleeping in his barracks, he was only 21 years old. One of his attackers had started rumors that Barry was gay. Barry did not report the harassment this rumor caused, out of fear he would be kicked out under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Both Allen's mother, Dorothy, and Barry's mother, Pat Kutelles, have made repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell their goal. They are both with us here tonight. Please let's take a moment to recognize them both and honor their courage, service and mourn their loss.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, here is a man who never needs a long introduction. Please welcome your friend and mine, Representative Barney Frank.

An aside.  I'd like to thank David Hall for making sure I was able to do this tonight.  Due to a mistake on my part he's letting me borrow his iPad to bring this to you.

8:45:  The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington's Rock Creek Singers has just finished up a beautiful set of songs to help commemorate this special event.  Dinner is being served so the next updates should be in about an hour.  By then hopefully we'll have some video up of the Chorus.

Update: video

8:19: Representativae Steny Hoyer is speaking now and reading a letter from one of his constituents.

He's taking abut all we've lost under "Don't ask, don't tell." and how proud he is of all that we've accomplished together.  He's giving special recognition to his staff.

8:12: Representative Patrick Murphy just gave a personal speech talking about his efforts to repeal DADT and the personal letter he received from a gay soldier in the field contemplating suicide.

What an honor to stand before such an amazing group tonight. As I look out and see so many heroes of the repeal movement - veterans, active-duty service members, legislators, advocates and everyday Americans - I am reminded that this truly is your moment. We are close to ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell and we did it together!

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Your passion for equality inspired me to do what's right for all service members - gay and straight. When I served in Iraq, I was proud to fight alongside my gay and lesbian comrades to defend freedom. The battlefield knows no sexual orientation, race, gender, or creed. Bravery, love for country and the core military values of honesty and integrity are what matter because they are what make us one.

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My good friend Joe Lieberman understands what a majority of Americans have long known: No one who is willing to risk his or life should be denied the opportunity to serve our country.

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As you will see, Joe's belief in the promise of liberty and justice for all is what drives him to make America a better place. His determination to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a true profile in courage.

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Ladies and gentlemen, here's a special message from Joe Lieberman.

7:48: Sitting here at the blogger's table that SLDN has graciously set up for me in the beautiful National Building Museum.

8:03:  Chris Matthews is announcing the following people as recognized guests of SLDN

Representative Steny Hoyer ?

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Representative Barney Frank

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Representative Chellie Pingree

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Doug Wilson

Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy, Eric Fanning

Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Brian Bond

Colorado State Democratic Chairman, Rick Palacio

He also announced some of the supporting organizations including HRC, GetEqual, and "the somewhat conflicted" Log Cabin Republicans.

Sorry Equality Maryland: HB-235 Does Not Protect the Homeless

Equality Maryland has been misinforming the public that the current language of HB-235 would provide protection for transgender men and women who are homeless under the "housing discrimination" language.  As much as I have been hard on Equality Maryland on this, I am thinking that this has been a misunderstanding on their part.

Maryland law is very clear about what constitutes "housing" which is covered under the housing discrimination laws and what is considered "transient lodging" which is covered under the existing public accommodation law.

The first reading of HB-235 covers amending housing discrimination laws to include gender identity but does not amend the laws relating to public accommodation.

According to a post that was made on Equality Maryland's Facebook page in a note titled "FAQ - Censorship, HB 235 and the EQMD Facebook page", the official Equality Maryland made in a comment expressing concerns about homeless shelters:

[image error]

..the bill that we are working on actually provides protections for shelters, since they are included under housing.

I have seen Equality Maryland make this comment several times during the debate to assure supporters that homeless shelters are supported.

Let's look at the "definitions" within the current housing discrimination law (Title 20, subtitle 7):

? 20-701:

(d)  Dwelling.- "Dwelling" means:

(1) any building, structure, or portion of a building or structure that is occupied, or designed or intended for occupancy, as a residence by one or more families; and

(2) any vacant land that is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location on the land of any building, structure, or portion of a building or structure described in item (1) of this subsection.  

Key phrase here is "as a residence".  

Homeless shelters are emergency temporary housing intended for transient occupation not intended for short term or long term "residence".

Let's now look at what the existing housing law does not apply to:

? 20-704. Scope of subtitle.

(a)  In general.- This subtitle does not apply to:

(1) the sale or rental of a single-family dwelling, if the dwelling is sold or rented without:

(i) the use of the sales or rental facilities or services of any:

1. real estate broker, agent, or salesperson;

2. agent of any real estate broker, agent, or salesperson;

3. person in the business of selling or renting dwellings; or

4. agent of a person in the business of selling or renting dwellings; or

(ii) the publication, posting, or mailing, after notice, of any advertisement or written notice in violation of this subtitle; and

(2) with respect to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or marital status:

(i) the rental of rooms in any dwelling, if the owner maintains the dwelling as the owner's principal residence; or

(ii) the rental of any apartment in a dwelling that contains not more than five rental units, if the owner maintains the dwelling as the owner's principal residence.  

Pay attention to section (a).  What that says that in order for the housing rules to be enforced, there must be a SALE or RENTAL which is arranged through a real estate agent, broker, salesperson in the business of selling or renting dwellings or the agent of such a person.  

Someone requesting and receiving emergency shelter is not purchasing entering into a sales contract, lease or rental agreement in exchange for a "dwelling" as we have already read the definition of.  

Now.. let's look at the current Maryland public accommodation law.

First of all, as a matter of full disclosure and for those who just think "public accommodation" is only about restroom access.  Here's what's covered in Maryland law:

? 20-301. "Place of public accommodation" defined.

In this subtitle, "place of public accommodation" means:

(1) an inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment that provides lodging to transient guests;

(2) a restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain, or other facility principally engaged in selling food or alcoholic beverages for consumption on or off the premises, including a facility located on the premises of a retail establishment or gasoline station;

(3) a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, sports arena, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment;

(4) a retail establishment that:

(i) is operated by a public or private entity; and

(ii) offers goods, services, entertainment, recreation, or transportation; and

(5) an establishment:

(i) 1. that is physically located within the premises of any other establishment covered by this subtitle; or

2. within the premises of which any other establishment covered by this subtitle is physically located; and

(ii) that holds itself out as serving patrons of the covered establishment.  

As you can see, public restrooms are not even mentioned in here.  It just happens to be that public restrooms are in these places.  I want to focus on what is in bold.  

Users of a homeless shelter may stay for one night, they may stay for several nights and then they move on.  They have no intention of long term residence.  Therefore, it can be argued that a homeless shelter can be defined as an "other establishment" that provides "lodging to transient guests".  If you check into a shelter, you are not signing a 30-day month to month rental agreement or a 1 year lease.  You are allowed to come in for the night and in some cases, expected to leave the next morning.  Sounds like transient housing to me.  No different than when I travel and I check into a hotel for 3 days and then I leave.

What this comes down to is that Equality Maryland is misunderstood by the definition of the existing law.  If you read the first reading of HB-235 introduced into committee, you will notice there's nothing in the that places transient housing under the umbrella of "housing discrimination".  

In order for it to be considered "housing discrimination", the exchange of money or other consideration must take place through a rental or mortgage contract.  This does not happen when someone checks into a shelter.

Also remember, the housing discrimination law does not apply to rented rooms if the owner lives in the same establishment or apartment buildings with 5 or fewer units if it also the owner's primary place of residence.  This provision also applies to sex or sexual orientation in the existing law.  

Unfortunately, Equality Maryland has missed the mark on this one.  I think this is just a substantial oversight on their part.  I really think they feel that HB-235 would cover emergency transient homeless shelters.  

Based on this, leaving public accommodations out of HB-235 is now more than ever, a fatal flaw as it will defeat one of the primary intentions of the legislation which is to address the large percentage of transgender women and men who are currently living in the streets.  

Those inside and outside Maryland must continue to put the pressure on Equality Maryland, the NCTE, HRC and the Maryland House of Delegates and State Senate to insist that public accommodations are placed back into this legislation.  

Without protection for the transgender homeless, the exclusion of public accommodations from HB-235 is now a much more serious issue well beyond the bathroom.

Edited by Michi to add:

Just to clear something on this in case you read it.. I am referring to shelters (homeless, domestic violence, etc.) which are for temporary and transitory lodging to stay warm for a night or get away from a violent partner while determinin...g where to go next. My interpretation of the regulations would protect gender identity where it comes to public housing (e.g. housing projects, remaining in a location for a longer period). Establishment of residence is the key to the differences between what is considered "lodging" for public accommodation (you check in at the Hampton Inn on a trip to Omaha for a week, that does not establish your residency there and you don't change your address on your drivers license, etc.) but public housing is where you would establish your residence (e.g. change your address) and should be protected under the currently written 235.

Sarah Palin: I'd have won in 2008 if I had been at the top of the ticket

I really did a double-take on this delusional boast by the failed 2008 VP candidate: Sarah Palin Says She Would've Won in 2008 If She Had Been Top of Ticket . At a Q&A session with India Today Editor-in-Chief and Session Chairman Aroon Purie this is what she said when asked why she thought McCain/Palin lost in 2008:

"The media..." Palin said pointedly, and then self-consciously softened it with a laugh. Attempting to pretend she has not taken pot shots at Obama on foreign soil before (see Hong Kong), she strangled this out through gritted teeth, "Candidate Obama had a strong campaign. Though he was inexperienced, he was change." This is as nice as she can be, folks. Live it up. She had to get the dig in about him being "inexperienced." As if she were somehow...oh well.

I don't know why she couldn't use his proper title, but Palin seems in many ways stuck back in 2008, constantly re-litigating her grievances and sure that if she just tells us that "candidate Obama" is inexperienced, we will believe her. It's as if she doesn't quite grasp that while she was doing reality TV shows, he's been in the White House.

Purie didn't buy this excuse and pushed her, "You could have been change."

Palin was quick to fire back with just a tad of that infamous venom, snapping, "I wasn't the top of the ticket!"

Kyodo News: 'Renewed Nuclear Chain Reaction Feared' at one of the reactors at Fukushima

Just awful. Japan is still shaking - 15 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or higher hit stricken area off Honshu in the last 24 hours. And here is a status update on the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant from Japan's Kyodo News:

-- Reactor No. 1 - Operation suspended after quake, cooling failure, partial melting of core, vapor vented, building housing reactor damaged March 12 by hydrogen explosion, roof blown off, seawater being pumped in.

-- Reactor No. 2 - Operation suspended after quake, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing reactor damaged Monday by blast at reactor No. 3, blast sound heard near suppression chamber of containment vessel on Tuesday, damage to containment structure feared.

-- Reactor No. 3 - Operation suspended after quake, cooling failure, partial melting of core feared, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing reactor badly damaged Monday by hydrogen explosion, high-level radiation measured nearby on Tuesday, plume of smoke observed Wednesday and presumed to have come from spent-fuel storage pool, seawater dumped over pool by helicopter on Thursday, water sprayed at it from ground on Thursday and Friday.

-- Reactor No. 4 - Under maintenance when quake struck, no fuel rods in reactor core, temperature in spent-fuel storage pool reached 84 C on Monday, fire Tuesday possibly caused by hydrogen explosion at pool holding spent fuel rods, fire observed Wednesday at building housing reactor, pool water level feared receding, renewed nuclear chain reaction feared, only frame remains of reactor building roof.

-- Reactors No. 5, 6 - Under maintenance when quake struck, some fuel rods left in reactor cores, water temperatures in spent-fuel storage pools increased to about 64 C on Thursday.

-- Spent-fuel storage pools - Cooling functions lost at reactors No. 1 to 4, water temperatures or levels unobservable at reactors No. 1 to 4, no immediate threat to water level at common spent fuel pool.

H/t, The Brad Blog, where Brad Friedman interviewed BBC journalist Greg Palast on KPFK/Pacifica yesterday.

Earlier this week, Palast, formerly a government investigator of corrupt nuclear power companies, wrote at Truthout about the Obama administration's support of plans for TEPCO --- yes, the same TEPCO --- to build two new nuclear reactors on the Gulf Coast of Texas. What could possibly go wrong?