I was going to try to stay away from the topic of sexual orientation for a while so as not to alienate my hordes of straight readers, but I am sitting in a coffee shop in the San Diego gayborhood watching a happy crowd of triumphant homos, and as is the case with my gayness itself, I simply can’t help myself. This impromptu pride parade is in celebration of today’s court decision to overturn Prop 8, a measure that reaffirmed the proper definition of marriage for these pesky California queers back in 2008. From what I can remember, the definition goes something like, “Marriage, queers, is between a man and a woman, even if they are considerably less compatible and attractive than you and your same-sex partner. ”
Tag: Politics
Man I’m Judgmental: Part II
It’s been a really long time since I’ve written about one of my stances. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty of unnecessarily bitter opinions about life’s trivial annoyances since blogging about the mutual disappointment Jenny and I felt when America selected Taylor Hicks as its Idol (not that we were wrong; does anyone even remember Uncle Taylor and the way he embarrassed the family by dancing on TV anymore?), but I haven’t had the motivation to put any of them down on paper until now. Lucky for you all, I’ve been back in California for just under two weeks and I’ve already become so irritated by the driving situation here that I’m ready to boldly publish my latest stance:
The cell phone law in California is fucking ridiculous.
Can I get an Amen?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the controversy over Obama inviting the evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation prayer at his inauguration in January. At first I sort of scoffed at all the political gays who were up in arms about Obama’s decision to include someone so openly hostile toward the homos on this important day. I mean, give the poor man a break – there are too many deeply divisive issues in today’s political landscape to find a speaker who wouldn’t be considered offensive to SOMEONE. He can’t have Wayne Brady lead the prayer for Christ’s sake. And sure, Warren has made statements lumping gays in with child molesters and sibling fuckers, but who hasn’t? As the passage of Proposition 8 reminded us all back in November, there are plenty of people in even the most liberal of states who find us undeserving when it comes to basic human rights because of our deviant lifestyle. Obama gave us a subtle show of support during his first speech as president-elect, let him court the other side in the name of political compromise this time around. Let’s swallow our pride and stand behind him with the hope that bowing our heads for a prayer from a homophobe will buy us some legislation from Washington that will significantly advance our cause – obviously we’re not doing so hot on our own.
God Bless America
Last night I went to the classy Blue Chip Inn of Monticello, Iowa to watch the presidential election. If the half-assed effort I put into my Political Science major yielded anything other than a degree that makes me virtually unemployable, it’s a healthy cynicism toward the political process, particularly the ability of one candidate to make any significant change. Still, as I watched Obama deliver his acceptance speech, I was drawn in by his charisma and passion (and the fact that he gave a shout out to the homos in the first few minutes), and I actually began to feel a sensation that resembled genuine hope. It could have been the beers talking – I was expressing my patriotism by downing Sam Adams Winter Ale for $1.75 a pint (hella value) – but I really did find myself getting the chills despite Barack’s occasional platitude. As I watched my country take an enormous step toward equality, I started to experience something that for the past few years has been unfamiliar to me: a pride in my president and my citizenship.
Occupation: Cubicle Monkey 