SwimFinsSF

On Marriage

A friend of mine just pointed me at this article entitled Holy Matrimony: What’s really undermining the sanctity of marriage? By Dahlia Lithwick on Slate. She has done an outstanding job of distilling down the issue in a clear and meaningful way. Many of the arguments I’ve heard a number of times but and still ring true. However this part of the article really hit the nail on the head for me:

Here’s why marriage will likely survive last week’s crushing decision out of Massachusetts: Because despite all the horrors of Section 4, above, human beings want and deserve a soul mate; someone to grow old with, someone who thinks our dopey entry in the New Yorker cartoon competition is hilarious, and someone to help carry the shopping bags. Gay couples have asked the state to explain why such privileges should be denied them and have yet to receive an answer that is credible.

What really gets me about these arguments is the tone they take. Those who support basic human rights for gays and lesbians (marriage, domestic partner benefits, or whatever) consistently do so with clear logical arguments which seem to be presented with calmness and dignity. I was pawing through the archives that our GLTB group at work kept on the process of lobbying for DP Benefits back in 1992. After reading the justification, the research that backed the presentation, as well as watching the video tape of the presentation I couldn’t imagine any opposition to its adoption because they made it clear that it was just the right thing to do – from every angle.

Those who oppose these basic rights seem to base their arguments on historical dogma that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny and they do it with a very thinly veiled contempt (and hate) for those who don’t share their beliefs. I’m the FIRST to admit I’m clearly biased on this issue, however I would be very interested to read an opposing position that was introspective, well thought out and divorced from prejudice. Even if I didn’t agree with the points making I could at least respect the case presented. As it stands these arguments come across as thinly veiled justification for bigotry using the same arguments that have been used throughout history against numerous other groups of people. There’s a good reason why the keep finding the way they do – because they have to. The arguments don’t hold up to scrutiny.

I won’t even START on this Constitutional ammendment thing – I need breakfast and don’t need to get riled up.

Anyway… Enough preaching…

Queer Eye

Oh my LORD… The full hour long Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is on NBC at 8pm tonight.. Maybe I just haven’t been paying attention but 5 gay boys on the biggest network in prime time seems pretty big to me… This is the kind of shit that must send Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell into a RAGE.. I LOVE it! 🙂 ( I just checked too – its playing in central Illinois and North Carolina too – so its not just San Francisco… woo hoo! :):) )

And I really liked this episode too (the one with the 70s model turned taxidermist in the suburbs).. Was a really great family – very sweet.. :

Anyway – probably not news to anyone else but made my night… ( and I still think Kyan is still hot as balls! :):) )

oh – and Cirque du Soleil – Varakai is on bravo tonight. Kevin and I saw it when it was in town – FANTASTIC

( in case you can’t tell – I’m reveling in being a home body tonight… 😉 :):) )

Random fun for a Sunday

Just waking up and finding a bunch of silly things I thought I’d share! :):)

• Cyndi Lauper’s new album is Flippin GREAT… That womman has some pipes on her..
  
• Madonna is 5’4″ Tall… (Found that here – The Movie Times site is kinda cool)
  
• Turns out Ringo Starr, Pierre Cardin, Shelly Duvall, Michelle Kwan, and Doc Severinson all have the same birthday as I do and Darrin Fletcher (whoever he is) was both born on the same day (though I’d bet money I was born earlier in the day)… Found this here
  
• I freakin LOVE The West Wing… Its a very smart show that does a great job of depicting a moral and noble President and a staff who truely want to make the country a better place – all things we could REALLY use right now.. Right now I’m watching an episode where the father of a gay man who died in a bashing is refusing to support the President’s hate crime bill, not because he’s embarrassed by his son’s sexuality, but because the President isn’t doing enough… That and this speech to a Dr. Laura like character (Here is the actual text of the speech – well worth a read)… Gives me Chills.
  

YES – I’m alive

Just a quick note to say yes – I AM Alive… but work has been SO CRAZY BUSY that when i’m not working or spending time with Kevin i’m lying on my back staring at the ceiling and going ‘bu bu bu bu bu’…. (Go see Overboard with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and you’ll know what I mean). They did take our division to see the new Matrix movie (Matrix Revolutions) friday morning which was nice of them. I thought it was better than the 2nd one but still only marginal. Effects were pretty kick ass and the plot as slightly better than 2 (but not as good as 1) but the writing was AWFUL… No… REALLY AWFUL.. I was laughing hysterically during a couple of what were supposed to be touching scenes because of the writing…

Weekend was mellow but worked casually most of it. Watched Finding Nemo friday night while Kevin was out getting drunk with his co-workers and sunday we spent most of the day running errands and shopping.

Aside from that not much to report – I’ll try to come up with something clever later… or just do my friday five and other blog exercises for fun (feels like I haven’t been doing my homework! 😉 )

happy Monday! 🙂

Oh… And i wanna see this movie, and this one, and this one – but definitely NOT this one (not a big fan of this kind of movie)…

We survived

Well… It looks like we’ve survived the mayhem of last night just fine… I was actually kinda flipped out last night (ask kevin) because EVERYONE that was taking MUNI to get to the festivities last night had to walk right by our house so there was a CRAZY stream of loud traffic passing our house all night… But it actually stayed fairly well under control and the news paper this morning said it was actually MUCH better behaved than it was last year. Kevin and I are about to duck out for breakfast and survey the area to see if there was any major damage – but out the front window all I see is a gorgeous sunny day and wet streets from overnight rain! 🙂

Oh… and in the mean time? here are some fun pictures from last night… The mustard bottle is my sister (from Colorado). The two guys and the baby are our friends Patrick and Chuck and their baby Nathan, and the big crew was from Matt’s birthday dinner last night (Matt, Brian, Britton, Kevin, Nathan, and me on my Knees)! Woo hoo! 🙂

Update: Just got back from breakfast and the castro looks none the worse for the wear.. Lots of beer bottles and trash in places that the street sweepers couldn’t reach – but all in all it looks pretty good

San Francisco Halloween

Uggg… This is SUCH an Odd Halloween… Kinda fits the mood actually… The sun is setting as we speak and it really is kind of a spookey evening. Its has been overcast and rainy all day and as the sun sets the dark grey billowey rain clouds are broken up enough to glow orange as the sun goes down. And the darker it gets the more the orange turns to purple and grey. Bikes and cars are riding by outside the window and there is a damp chill in the air. Little kids are starting to appear in their costumes as more grown up ghosts and goblins pass on the streets. I kid you not. And the neighborhood is bustling. For those of you who haven’t experienced Halloween in San Francisco its quite an experience… I’m not saying its a good thing – or a bad thing… Just odd.. Hundreds of thousands of people decend on the castro in costume. IT can be kind of fun but its also a bit intimidating… There are so many people its pretty hard to move and some times hard to breathe.. And now that i’m a home owner in the neighborhood I’m not super thrilled about the prospect.. The city is running it this year and is trying to take control of it but I”m not sure how well that will work – its always been kind of out of control. My inclination is to sit on the porch in a rocking chair with a shotgun and a jug of moonshine and protect the homestead.. Instead i’m gonna just take it in stride. See how it goes… Could be fun…

Anyway… Happy Halloween…

Oh.. and wish Matt a happy birthday! 🙂