No surprise here. We were visiting some of Frank’s family in Coral Springs/Ft. Lauderdale a few weeks ago. We stopped to pick up lunch at a massive deli that was packed with shoppers, none of whom appeared to be under the age of 80. I felt like a spring chicken. From the list of 10 states with the oldest populations: 1. Florida
2. West Virginia
3. Maine
4. Pennsylvania
5. Iowa
6. North Dakota
7. Hawaii
8. Montana
9. (a tie) South Dakota, Rhode Island]]>

Marriage Equality Film Project – David Wilson Interview Excerpt In what is probably the most eloquent case made for marriage equality I’ve come across, Jonathan Capehart at the Washington Post introduces us to a black man named David Wilson. Wilson’s first partner died in their driveway, and Wilson was arrested, considered a stranger and assumed to have committed a crime. He includes a lengthy quote from Wilson that is must-reading, in which Wilson discusses his parents and how his mother was treated by the black church she cherished. It’s convinced me more than anything else I’ve seen that there is a connection, and a justified one, between the civil rights movement of African-Americans, and our struggle for marriage equality. This is heartbreaking stuff but absolutely essential to understanding why we need not shy away from claiming this as a mutual struggle, a cry for human rights and dignity that transcends racial division. From the Washington Post/Jonathan Capehart:

There is no question in my mind that there is a seamless arc connecting the civil rights fight waged by African Americans in the 1950s and 1960s and the one underway by gay men and lesbians. But not everyone agrees. Least of all other blacks and the black church in particular. We saw this conflict play out in Maryland, where a bill to legalize same-sex marriage went down in defeat in March in part due to pressure from the black church. A new documentary looks at the black-gay civil rights divide by centering on Massachusetts Rep. Byron Rushing (D) during the commonwealth’s push to legalize same-sex marriage. The African American legislator eloquently weaves the two movements together in the 15-minute film. Following a screening of the movie last month, I moderated a panel discussion at Aaron Davis Hall in New York City that looked at the marriage equality push in New York state from a black perspective. The panel was filled with luminaries, including media and fashion mogul Russell Simmons. But the star of the event was a soft-spoken man named David Wilson. [SNIP] In the film, Wilson tells the heartbreaking story about the death of his then-partner. The trauma of finding him lying in the driveway. The terror of being arrested by the police on suspicion of breaking and entering or assault and battery before neighbors convinced police otherwise. The indignity of being denied information by the hospital because he was a legal stranger to his partner. Only after his partner’s 75-year-old mother told the hospital who Wilson was did they inform him that his partner of 13 years was dead on arrival. Continue reading Cross-posted from MadeMark.net]]>

I’m a Skype fan, ever since I got it at work and have been able to instant message Frank at his office. Sometimes we use the webcams, but it’s great for IM without the video. No need to log into Yahoo or Google or any of that. Just Skype to Skype. I’m also going to be using it for interviews here at lgbtSr, now that I have a software called Vodburner that records video calls on Skype. It rocks. Here’s hoping Microsoft doesn’t find a way to ruin in now that they’re buying it for $8.5 billion. The last thing we need is more Microsoft tentacles in our lives. If it works, don’t fix it, and really don’t screw it up.]]>

In a first, the Library of Congress is displaying documents from the history of the LGBT rights movement. The documents were donated by the estate of Frank Kameny, one of the earliest gay rights pioneers. From the Washington Post: WASHINGTON — Documents from gay rights history are on display for the first time at the Library of Congress as part of an exhibit on the nation’s constitutional history and civil rights protections. The documents come from gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, who was fired as a government astronomer in 1957 because he was gay. The library is showing Kameny’s 1961 petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, contesting his firing. Though it was denied, Kameny’s was the first petition to the high court for a violation of civil rights based on sexual orientation. He argued the government’s actions toward gays were an “affront to human dignity.” “This inclusion is an epic milestone in the telling of gay history because it places gay Americans’ struggle for equality where it belongs — in the story of the Constitution itself,” Charles Francis, a founder of the Kameny Papers Project, told The Associated Press. The library quietly placed the documents on view at the end of April in an exhibit called “Creating the United States,” which traces the evolution of the nation’s founding documents and legal framework. Organizers of the Kameny Papers Project, which donated about 50,000 items to the library in 2006, announced the display Monday.
]]>

From Hawaii News Now: HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Going back to school can be scary after spending decades in the workforce, but some senior citizens are skipping retirement and returning to classes to compete in Hawaii’s tough job market. Leona Pereza worked as a pediatric nurse in a private practice for 34 years. In 2003, at the age of 57, she found herself out of a job when the doctor retired. “I know the daunting feeling of being in that situation at that age and saying, ‘Now, what do I do?’ It’s frightening,” said the Enchanted Lake resident. After a lot of soul-searching, she decided to go back to school to become a social worker. Her husband, Arnold, wasn’t working anymore because of a heart condition. Paying for tuition stretched the family’s finances. Pereza said at first, she was intimidated by the younger students, but the long hours of studying paid off. After five years, she earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Now she loves her job as an admissions coordinator and social worker at Shriner’s Hospital for Children. “I have done everything I could possibly do to gain new work skills to be marketable, to be able to be here and compete and stay employed, but there’s so many uncertainties,” said Pereza. There are other seniors like Pereza in classrooms across the state. Enrollment at the seven community colleges in the University of Hawaii system is up. The number of students age 50 and older rose from 906 in 2006 to 1,228 last year. Continue reading]]>

I’ve had my issues from time to time with Meredith and Matt, mostly around the stupidity of some of the segments they’ve had to do (do we really need to see another laughing baby YouTube video?). But she’s a familiar face at 7:00 am every morning, and I’ll miss her. I think it’s great that she’s leaving in part to spend more time with her husband. When it comes down to it, my life with Frank is what matters most to me. The rest is, as they say, gravy. From the HuffingtonPost: NBC announced Monday that “Today” show anchor Meredith Vieira will be leaving her position at the anchor desk in June. Longtime newsreader Ann Curry will take Vieira’s place alongside Matt Lauer. In addition, Natalie Morales will take Curry’s place as newsreader, and Savannah Guthrie will become a co-host of the third hour of the show. An emotional Vieira also announced the news on Monday’s show. Calling it a “difficult day,” but said that, after “months of personal reflection” and conversations with her family and friends, she had decided to step down. “Even as I say this, and I know it’s the right thing, I’m really sad,” she said. This has been my second home.” She said she “really hope[d] to stay in the NBC family.”]]>