Victory against Prop 8!

 

Huffington Post:  Prop 8 Overturned

This is no stock photo! It's my daughter and daughter-in-law who were married at City Hall, San Francisco in October of 2008, during that small window before Prop 8 passed. Their marriage is considered legal because of its timing, their marriage is considered legal in California but the ruling today can only strengthen their union. This is such a victory for California's LGBTQ community and a step-forward toward a national awareness of this issue as being unconstitutional; not just in California but in all fifty states. A small step, but a victory, none-the-less!

A Letter to Friends

Hi to you, the faithful blog friends of the Slightly Erratic Pagan Sphinx. Now that Bobbie has passed away, I think the regular readers remain Susan, Singing Bear, Dianne, Mac and Jams.The Photo Pholks stop by for the memes but probably don't read the art or personal posts.  Thanks, Beautiful People. 

I'm writing to you briefly from San Francisco, California.  I didn't expect to be here for the last four days of my California trip but it was indeed a nice surprise to be parceled out from Santa Barbara, where I was visiting my daughter and daughter-in-law, and join WP in SF until July 5.  

Today's delights were crepes, fresh orange juice and dark coffee for breakfast and Filmore Jazz off and on all day. 

We are staying in Japan Town, which is very chill, as the San Francisco denizen, Lovely Step-Daughter #1, says.  We met her boyfriend for the first time and we had a genuinely great time out with them last night for dinner, over lots of wine and bustling city-cool restaurant atmosphere. Chill, indeed. Living-wise, I'd much rather San Francisco than New York City. Though I will visit the latter at the Drop of a Hat.

Both states need to get their act together regarding Marriage Equality. It's beyond sad that California rejected the equal marriage law, by popular vote.  Ouch. 

I digress ; sorry.

Listening to the strands of jazz music on Filmore straining up the the sixteenth floor of our hotel in Japantown.  Time to go back down to earth to groove.  :-)

Tomorrow:  San Francisco MoMA and more Filmore Jazz.

Next week:  lots of photos, here at The Pagan Sphinx.

Peace and Love,

Pagan Sphinx

Adorable Ronaldo Comes Out on Marriage Equality

Cristiano Ronaldo

Quite a young god, isn't he?     ;-)

 Cristiano Ronaldo Voices Support for Marriage Equality in Portugal

A Following?

I began The Pagan Sphinx blog almost two years ago not knowing exactly what it was going to be about. I wanted it to have some focus but with a personal touch. I knew I wanted to create a blog that contained some of my most passionate interests:  art, music, literature and films as well as some key social and political issues. At the same time, I didn't want it to be completely anonymous. I wanted to share snippets of my life, particularly my family and to reflect my gratitude for their love, support and appreciation. The only family members that occasionally visit my blog are my daughters and the future Mr. Pagan Sphinx, aka W.P. But it hardly matters, because what I contain here about my family and my passions is really for me. The fact that I've made connections here - and quite unexpectedly - is the cherry.

And yet despite the "followers" gadget that lists my entourage (heh-heh), I doubt if even a quarter of the people listed there read anything here at all.  I have mixed features feelings about that feature. Aside from the people who publish the blogs I visit most frequently, I really haven't heard from most of them. It appears that a lot of people use the feature as a bookmark. At least that's what I'm guessing from the fact that I seldom get more than 10 comments on a post these days. This is okay with me. But what if more people are reading the blog than I'm assuming and simply not commenting? Well, I suppose this is okay too but it doesn't really give me a sense of who my true readership is beyond the dedicated blog friends I've made here. I once had a site meter but it seemed to me silly, as a casual blogger, to have one, and I removed it a long time ago.

Not knowing who is reading sometimes worries me on a personal level. How personal do I get? Have I so established a certain tone in that regard that I can't let my hair down when I feel like it? How much do I reveal about my loved ones? I try to stay on top of these questions and so far I feel comfortable with the answers I've based my decisions on. It's a constant re-evaluation of these questions as the blog evolves. Or whatever it's doing.  ;-)

With that out of the way, I want to say that as time constraints have come up in recent months, I'm finding myself blogging a lot about art, posting a music video weekly that I've taken pains to find as a symbol of something meaningful to me:  a dedication, a memory, a new music discovery, a message. It occurred to me several weeks ago that I've not been posting on social, political and human rights issues; the issues that have been the mainstays of my activist backbone. It's not that I don't care. Sometimes I just can't dwell on it, or I get overwhelmed and depressed. In that state I am no good to anyone.

There are so many people out there who blog politics consistently and with focus. The writers at the Peace Tree (to which I submitted a few contributions in my first year of blogging) comes to mind. And Godless Liberal Homo, among many I don't have time to visit. Then there is the fact that I don't post everyday. In fact, except for the youtube videos, my posts generally take several days to put together, particularly if they are art posts. And most of them have been art posts. They are a labor of love and they take a long time.

Going back to the I-don't-know-exactly-who-reads-this-blog issue, I want to make it clear what I care about if isn't obvious:  issues of war and peace, the freedom of all people to live and worship (or not worship) as they please and to marry whomever they are in love with. Not to mention world hunger and health and the dysfunctional U.S. health care system.

So if I originally attracted some readers who found common political ground here but who didn't care much or at all about the art,  I can see where those people may have stopped visiting a long time ago.

So are my pet issues not a priority? Oh, they very much are. It's just that they're not a priory in my blogging for some of the reasons I mentioned.  Please feel free to alert me to posts - yours or others' - that touch on these issues. Leave a comment or email me. One of the reasons I don't blog everyday is because I like to reserve some time to visit blogs. I don't make it to everyone's, which I regret.

To conclude, here is a list of things that have been on my mind but that I haven't had time or emotional reserve to think about, let alone blog about. Some items more recent than others.

World AIDS Day

Obama details Afghan war plan

I'm fiercely opposed to troop increases. The president and the media have held us in suspense over what the commander-in-chief would decide but I believe it's been decided for him for a very long time. Obama said so in his campaign. If this is a political move on the president's part to gain support from the Republicans, I don't believe he will ever win them over. Meanwhile, he is risking the lives of more American troops and not divulging enough about what this eighteen-month mission will actually accomplish. It's mind-boggling to think that my country is shouldering the burden of a war to ostensibly ally with Karzai, a man who was put into power as a result of a fraudulent election; head of a government replete with corruption and shady intentions. As I strongly suspected, Obama has turned out to be a real disappointment.

 Eight Years in Afghanistan - How Many More?
From the Codepink website

Maine Gay Marriage Law Repealed

They have repealed marriage equality but they can't repeal the love that exists between two people. That's a small comfort for those couples who are together but cannot, by law, partake of the same advantages the majority enjoys.

Happy Birthday, Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk
(May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978)

Maine and D.C. Move Forward & More

Maine Statehouse Votes in Favor of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples

Washington D.C. Recognizes Same-Sex Marriage


This article at the Gay Rights blog @ change. org

Here is Ms. Vienna Teng with City Hall. I wish she would write a song about Massachusetts but that's okay. My daughter was married at this city hall, so I love the song.

And if you never read the post here on this painting...



it was painted by my dear friend Steve Emery, whose inspiration for it were my daughter and daughter-in-law's wedding photographs at taken at San Francisco City Hall last Fall. Every time I try to write about how much this painting means to my family and me, I get a bit chocked up and completely lose the words. But I think you know. Visit Steve's gallery. It is a very uplifting space.

Governor of Vermont Jim Douglas Sucks

Jim Douglas, Republican governor of Vermont, says he will veto a gay marriage bill if it passes the state Legislature. The senate overwhelmingly passed the bill - 26-4. Vermont was the first state in the nation to legalize civil unions.

Douglas says that during this time of economic uncertainty the Vermont legislature shouldn't be wasting its time trying to push through this bill. In other words, he doesn't consider it a priority. Which is bullshit because he's against gay marriage. All the work is done; all he has to do is sign the damn thing! Douglas is making it so that the people behind this bill have to go back to the drawing board. So he can then accuse them of wasting more time.

Governor Douglas: move on! GLBT people and their allies will not go away!

What's At Stake

An Alert from Equality California

Dear Gina,

Tomorrow, all eyes will be on California as we ask the state Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 8.

Join the fight and make your voice heard! Take Action Now!

• March in tonight’s candlelight vigils across California with the Eve of Justice Coalition as we ‘light the way for the Supreme Court’ together. Find the location nearest you >>
  
  
• Rally Tomorrow! See History Made! Join our community and allies outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco as we make our voices heard! If you can’t join us in the streets, join us online – watch the hearing live at eqca.org starting at 9 a.m. PST at home, work, or at the Los Angeles and San Francisco viewing parties.
  
  
• Share this brand new grassroots video, created by activists at the Sacramento Lobby Day and Rally. Capture the spirit of the LGBT Movement and learn how all our rights are under attack.

Now is the moment! Join us!

It Breaks My Heart

I'm still on vacation! When I'm on vacation, my Lovely Man, WP always makes sure to indulge me in one way or another. Perhaps I'm easy to please, but when it's around 1:00 a.m. and I can't sleep, he senses that and invites me to watch a movie with him. I just love him so. Hold on a minute, I'm now going to interrupt his conference call to give him a hug. :-)

That was early this morning. We watched Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us. I must've been content after seeing Shelly Duval, one of my favorite actresses of that era, because I conked right out until about a half-hour ago. Bliss. To sleep until just after nine when ordinarily The Adorables (my little students) are sitting bleary-eyed before me as I tell them what day it is and what sorts of torture we have in store for them. For some reason, they keep coming back every day anyway. ;-)

This is supposed to be a post-Valentine's Day sort of tribute or ramble, or something. I'm really losing my way here. May I just put it plainly?

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of those mean-spirited, narrow-minded, fear-mongering, twisted people who are the force behind trying to brutally beat into the ground marriage equality in California. They won't do it here in Massachusetts because they wouldn't dare. We'd kick them out on their collective, pointy little ear.

Look at the happy face on my beautiful kid! How can anyone have the cruel heart to try to take that bond away from my daughter and daughter-in-law? For those of you who do not already know, they were married at San Francisco City Hall back in October, in the hope that Prop 8 would not pass. They currently live at college in Massachusetts, where marriage is legal. The couple, however, plan to move to California for graduate school, so it made sense for them to marry in California. After the passage of Prop 8, however, their union is uncertain. They're preparing themselves for inevitably seeking a domestic partnership instead.

I want to encourage you to visit Thorne's World, where I saw and borrowed this video to share with you. Thorne and her wife are dealing with the same issue as my daughter and daughter-in-law. And please meet Thorne - she'll make you laugh and cry and shake your fists; and you'll love every moment of it. I promise.


And to those people who have taken to wearing such huge boots to trample on the happiness of others: I'm Sick of You. (There's also an Iggy Pop song with the same title, but it was Lou Reed's song I was really thinkin' about.)

Supreme Court Hears Prop 8 Case Thursday

California Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments
in Prop 8 Legal Challenge on March 5

The California Supreme Court announced today that it will hear oral arguments on Thursday, March 5, 2009 in the Proposition 8 legal challenge.

On November 19, 2008, the California Supreme Court agreed to hear the legal challenges to Proposition 8 and set an expedited schedule. Briefing in the case was completed on January 21, 2009.

The California Supreme Court must issue its decisions within 90 days of oral argument.

On January 15, 2009, 43 friend-of-the-court briefs urging the Court to invalidate Prop 8 were filed, arguing that Proposition 8 drastically alters the equal protection guarantee in California’s Constitution and that the rights of a minority cannot be eliminated by a simple majority vote. The supporters represent the full gamut of California’s and the nation’s civil rights organizations and legal scholars, as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups.

In May of 2008, the California Supreme Court held that laws that treat people differently based on their sexual orientation violate the equal protection clause of the California Constitution and that same-sex couples have the same fundamental right to marry as other Californians. Proposition 8 eliminated this fundamental right only for same-sex couples. No other initiative has ever successfully changed the California Constitution to take away a right only from a targeted minority group. Proposition 8 passed by a bare majority of 52 percent on November 4.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU filed this challenge on November 5, representing Equality California, whose members include many same-sex couples who married between June 16 and November 4, 2008, and six same-sex couples who want to marry in California. The California Supreme Court has also agreed to hear two other challenges filed on the same day: one filed by the City and County of San Francisco (joined by Santa Clara County and the City of Los Angeles, and subsequently by Los Angeles County and other local governments); and another filed by a private attorney.

Serving as co-counsel on the case with NCLR, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU are the Law Office of David C. Codell, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

The case is Strauss et al. v. Horton et al. (#S168047). Click here for more information.

Encouraging Study on Prop 8 Voting Patterns

I just received this email:

I am very excited to share with you a major study of voting patterns related to Proposition 8.

The study, authored by Professor Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College-CUNY and Professor Patrick J. Egan of New York University, was funded by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund and released in collaboration with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Freedom to Marry and Equality California Institute’s Let California Ring campaign.

Based on polling data funded by Equality California Institute and conducted by David Binder Research, the study found that voters who supported Prop 8 were primarily influenced by:

• Ideology – 82% of voters who identify as conservatives voted “Yes”
• Party – Republicans voted more than 80% in favor of Prop 8
• Religiosity – 70% of weekly church goers voted “Yes”
• Age – 67% of voters born before World War II voted “Yes”

The study also showed that race was not a driving factor in the election, as was purported by the National Election Pool (NEP) poll which said 70% of African-Americans voted for Prop 8. Our study found the number closer to 57% to 59%.

One of the most important--and rewarding--findings was the movement in all groups, except Republicans, toward support for full marriage equality. From 2000 to 2008 we moved Californians 9% in support of same-sex marriage – an amazing change in such a short time!

Find out more about voters and Proposition 8 and download the study at the Let California Ring website.

We will continue our outreach in all California communities and we encourage you to continue sharing your stories with the people in your life as a powerful tool to create change.

Warmly,

Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California Institute

Who Will I Give My Twenty Bucks To?

National Rally Against Prop 8
Northampton, Massachusetts
November 15, 2008

Don't get me wrong about Barack Obama. I supported his campaign by sending a little dough and I hoped with everything I had that he would make it. He's the single most inspirational American politician to come along in my lifetime. I hold out a lot of hope that he will work hard to get this country back on its feet economically and that he will work through diplomatic chanels before resorting to more violence in with Iraq.

Despite this, today I was confronted with two emails asking for money. One from the Obama campaign asking for a donation toward making the inaugaration a success and one from The Human Rights Campaign asking for money to keep on fighting for equal rights for all Americans; including marriage equality. Anyone who knows even a little about me can probably guess which campaign I sent money to. It was only $20 but I'll keep dishing it out in dribs and drabs for as long as it takes.

Because when it comes to GLBT issues, the Obama campaign and transition team have been a large disappointment. Not that I held much hope that this issue would have much backing from Obama and Biden, both lukewarm supporters of civil unions; which don't do nearly enough to socially sanction GLBT partnerships, never mind protect them legally.

And then there is the matter of Rick Warren's participation in the inauguration. Yeah, I'm still sore about that. I think it's inappropriate that someone who has said such negative things about marriage equality should hold any position of importance and relevance at the inauguration of a president whom I thought would, at the very least, not give homophobes a spotlight at such an event. I already posted about this here, so I won't go on and on.

Suffice it to say that if our new president was the living embodiment of Martin Luther King Jr. and he held the position he does, I would still get after him on the issue of equal rights for GLBT people. Especially and not in spite of, the fact that Obama is African-American. Since it wasn't too long ago in our history that black Americans weren't allowed to marry; nor could a white person marry a black one.

This inability to see marriage in a progressive light is either due to religion or bigotry or both. If a president who is supposed to represent change can't see that civil unions discredit GLBT relationships when what they're asking for is marriage; when a president invites a known anti-marriage figure to perform a convocation on his behalf; when a California constitutional amendment that allows GLBT people to marry is torn to shreds by bigots with lots of money; we know there is a long, uphill battle ahead. We'll get there but I'm afraid it won't happen when my daughter and my gay brothers and sisters are still the victims of vicious intent on the part of religious right-wingers and benign neglect and dismissive actions on the part of a new president.

On a happier note, if you'd like to see what I believe is the last great sunset of 2008 (at least in my neck of the woods, check out my Sky Watch post at The Pagan's Eye. See you there!

On Rick Warren

I agree with Joe Solmonese of Human Rights Campaign, that Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at the presidential inauguration, is insensitive and insulting to the GLBT community. In affect, insulting to any of us who support inclusion and equal rights for all Americans.

Rick Warren, a right-wing religious fundamentalist has attacked GLBT people, putting their sexuality in the same category as pedophilia and incest. Further, "non-believers" have been attacked by Warren as having no place in public office. Does he also mean unless they worship a Christian god?

When Obama strives to "reach across the isle" to include many points of view, I wish that he would do so with a little more tact. If Warren was on record as having made racist comments about blacks or Asians, he certainly would have been disqualified from taking on this role. As one pundit on MSNBC stated earlier this evening, gays and "non-believers" are still fair game for attack.

That a President-elect would overlook this homophobia and divisiveness at a time when we need him to bring us together is truly disappointing. It reinforces for me that while Obama is willing to say he supports GLBT rights, he is not really committed to this issue. It's a reflection too of the many Obama supporters who voted for Prop 8 and the evident lack of regard Obama is showing for the many gay Americans who voted for him, in hopes that he would embrace their community as part of his over-all desire for unity.

Further, I don't understand why the separation of church and state doesn't apply to this religious invocation ritual to begin with. If Obama wants a blessing for his presidency he should do it in the privacy of his church. Since his decision to invite Warren to proceed appears largely to be a political move, it lends an especially phony and hallow tone to the whole inauguration.

A Beautiful Elopement

My daughter and daughter-in-law
October 28, 2008 San Francisco City Hall

View the entire wedding album and leave comments if you'd like; the brides will love it!

Album 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050368&l=6004e&id=10403044
Album 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050371&l=ee098&id=10403044
Album 3: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050372&l=d1a50&id=10403044
Album 4: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050373&l=9aa6c&id=10403044

She Comes in Colors

Patrick Hughes

My Lovely First Girl: I dedicate this song to you. It is perhaps selfish of me to choose this song for you. You'd probably say that The Rolling Stones are a gang of old men with misogynistic fantasies woven through their music. But just listen, you may even like it. And it reminds me of you, what can I say? ;-)

And it's a happy song; meant to cheer you up yet as I type this, I'm almost about to cry again. We need to move forward. And keep moving. Even if it's just one step a day. We need to make ground and not stop fighting for what's right and just.

All my love. Always. Mommy

A Sad Day for Marriage Equality

I am, of course, deeply saddened by the probable defeat of marriage equality in California. Not only am I personally affected by this because my daughter was married in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, but also for all GLBT people who have married or wish to marry.

The fact that the religious community, predominantly the Catholic and Mormon Churches saw fit to pump so much cash into an effort to take away the civil rights of others only makes me more certain how bigoted and anti-humanity they really are.

These are the same people who want to take away our reproductive rights and re-write the science curricula in our schools to exclude evolution as well as deny our young people the information and resources they need to make decisions about their sexuality.


But Equality California is not ready to concede defeat:


“Roughly 400,000 votes separate yes from no on Prop 8 – out of 10 million votes tallied.Based on turnout estimates reported yesterday, we expect that there are more than 3 million and possibly as many as 4 million absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted.Given that fundamental rights are at stake, we must wait to hear from the Secretary of State tomorrow about how many votes are yet to be counted as well as where they are from.It is clearly a very close election and we monitored the results all evening and this morning.As of this point, the election is too close to call.Because Prop 8 involves the sensitive matter of individual rights, we believe it is important to wait until we receive further information about the outcome.”

Further, there is a lawsuit in the works:

Legal Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Proposition 8, Should It Pass

I'm still holding out hope that Prop 8 will be defeated once all the votes are counted but it's doubful. I'd also love to hope that the lawsuit described in the article link above results in fairness for the GLBT community but the massive amounts of money put into the Prop 8 effort will likely also be pumped into contesting any lawsuit that comes along as well.

We're terribly dispondent in the Pagan Sphinx family right now. While we celebrate the monumental victory of Barack Obama, there is also this sadness which reflects our awareness of just far we have to go before all people are treated equally and given the same civil rights.

No on Prop 8

If you haven't already, please think hard about sending a donation, in any amount you can afford, so that Equality California can keep the ad below running through the weekend in an effort to defeat Proposition 8.

Help to allow couples like Supergirl One and Beloved to realize their futures together, legally.

Thank you and peace to you and yours. And don't forget to check the post below for pre-wedding photos of my daughter's wedding in California. The professional wedding photos won't be available for another three weeks or so. :-)

Pagan

The Peace Tree: Civil Unions & Domestic Partnerships are NOT Equal to Marriage

My post Civil Union & Domestic Partnerships are NOT Equal to Marriage, is up at The Peace Tree. It would mean a lot to me if you'd stop by and take a look. Especially if you don't understand why same-sex couples are so passionate about marriage.

The Foes of Liberty & Justice For All

This, folks, is what the bigots have for propaganda to undo marriage equality in California. It's really hard not to be snarky. Thoughts please!