It Girl, Friday, September 29: Dianne Wilkerson?

The question mark above is very much intentional.

Laura Kiritsy of Bay Windows wrote a great article this week called "Abandoning Ship" about Wilkerson's fickle GLBT voters on primary day. As an inspector in JP's Ward 11, Precinct 9, I can tell you that Chang-Diaz did win by a 3 to 1 margin, but instead of it being because of Wilkerson's past financial indiscretions, I think it had everything to do with the home neighborhood advantage of Chang-Diaz. But what about GLBT voters who did vote against Wilkerson? Should they be burned at the stake? Are GLBT voters allowed to see beyond gay marriage when it comes to issues and personalities at the ballot box?

For the record, I met Dianne at her primary after-party almost two weeks ago. I found her very warm, funny and charming. Dianne said of Patrick's victory: "That's what we lovingly call a 'whooping' of monumental proportions!"

Personality aside however, I do think we have a right to expect that our elected officials pay their taxes. According to www.city-data.com, legislators' salaries are $50,123 in 2002 ... that's three times more than I make as a freelance reporter. All she needs is a good accountant; it would help her image so much. Ms. Wilkerson has been getting into financial trouble since before I came out of the closet! What's more is that the Boston Globe editorial for today demands to know why the public had to wait until after the Sept. 19 primary to find out Wilkerson owes $13,000 in back condo fees. We've all bounced checks, but after awhile, the story gets to be a little tiresome. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

And then there's this implication here that we should stick with Wilkerson because she goes to church. This made me want to puke; I don't care who you are. If anything, observing Sundays is more of a deterrent than an asset when it comes to who I vote for. However, the writer does make a very good point that Wilkerson is seen as a hero in communities of color because of her stance against environmental racism ... and if anyone has ever been to the bus station in Dudley Square, you'll understand this. Why should black people get a dirty bus station, when the state is building a state of the art train station at the Charles/MGH red line stop!

As a progressive, I think it's important that communities of color have somebody strong to represent their issues (which is what the BW article implied). Also, Wilkerson does deserve total kudos for standing up to religious fundamentalists on our (GLBT community's) behalf. But to say we are being fickle and ungrateful may be missing the point.

The fact that Wilkerson received three major endorsements (MassEquality, Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, Bay State Stonewall Democrats) belies the fact that the hierarchy is not communicating with us, gay hoi polloi, down here. A Beacon Hill lobbyist told me that "Wilkerson is very tight with the Senate President, we need her on our side." Great, I wish we knew that! Maybe that could help shape our voting decisions. But what about the insiders listening to how we want to shape our own future and elect the leaders we want.

Book Review: American Theocracy

This is a great book written by Kevin Phillips, a former GOP strategist who reveals how dangerously far the Republican party has come into being America's first religious party. Excellent read!

It Girl, Friday, September 22: Jim McGreevey

Former New Jersey Governor, Jim McGreevey, was outed by blackmail in August of 2004 as outlined in his new book "Confession." While many critics have a distaste for the tone of the book, McGreevey should be commended for at least talking about the shame of a closeted life in a public manner. Unfortunately, young, Republican Elizabeth from "The View" clearly didn't get McGreevey's struggle, berating him for cheating on his wife ("I hope you used condoms") and completely missing the point that he lived a double closeted life. While McGreevey's 12-step speak may be nauseating for people who are not privy to it, the former governor is now living his life in a positive, open and life-affirming way ... even if he does seem a little brainwashed by psycho-babble.

It Girl, Friday, September 15: Colin Powell

Let me explain.

It surprised even me that Colin Powell made It Girl status this week. Powell is male and a member of the GOP. But he brings some much needed logic and moral sanity to the savage argument about streamlining torture. Powell yesterday wrote a letter to John McCain criticizing the president, saying, "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

Bush is trying to define the terms of the Geneva Convention stating that it is too vague.

As the Boston Globe reported today, "Since the Supreme Court struck down his system of using military tribunals to try detainees on criminal charges, Bush has used the presidential "bully pulpit" to try to save the tribunals and the CIA interrogation program by specifying acceptable interrogation techniques."

Powell should be applauded for standing up against his former boss. If you read Ron Suskind's "Price of Loyalty" you will see how Powell was very much a moderate going against the grain of a tight, little, neo-con clusterfuck in Bush's top circle.

As for the Geneva Convention, the part about treating detainees is MEANT to be vague, to promote the use of conscience when it comes to treating prisoners and fellow human beings. McCain said is rightly worried about how our own troops will be treated if the U.S. starts interpreting the limits of the Geneva Convention in our own special way.

Politically, this open talk of torture is going to backfire on Bush in a big way. If the American public didn't want to think of covert torture before, they'll most likely reject the notion now that it's out in the open.

This is the American justice system, not Lord of the Flies. Although some true blue readers of this blog will be horrified that I am honoring Powell, I think it's time we support the words of people who make sense.

It Girl, Friday, September 8: U-Meleni

On Thursday, I attended JP's "First Thursday," a monthly event dedicated to the local arts. At what I call the snake-charmer tent outside my house, the Jamaica Pond Poets were having an open-mic gathering and it totally reinforced my faith in humanity and my hope in the power of language.

U-Meleni was the lovely young woman sitting next to me and we struck up a conversation. She is from Zimbabwe and is an international traveling performance/spoken word artist. U-Meleni had just gotten back from Harare, Zimbabwe where she had a performance at a place called Book Cafe.

On Thursday night she got up before the crowd and gave a performance about the importance and self-love and respect (my description cannot begin to do her justice). U-Meleni was kind enough to supply Blue-Style-Canopy with one of her own lyrical treats:

WISEDOME

I see wisdom in spaces only trained eyes can see
you see the third eye is invisible to the naked eye
and I know you are wondering why eyes are referred to as naked
as if eyes are ever clothed
and if they were
what colors would they wear?
I hear drumbeats on faces of strangers dancing to the beat of
capitalistic delusions
mountains and mountains of dimes
i would rather have pennies in my palms
dreams stitched to my soul
if only to feed my spirit,

Happy Labor Day

Wake up America! How can we best articulate the need for a clean environment, real living wages and a just, equal and peaceful world? What's it going to take?

It Girl, Friday, September 1: Sonia Chang-Diaz

Since it's an election year, many of the It Girls are candidates for office. The latest female candidate is 28-year-old, JP resident, Sonia Chang-Diaz who is running for Dianne Wilkerson's Second Suffolk Senate Seat (that's a lot of s's!).

Chang-Diaz is a serious Aries who has a history of dedicated civic service. She was on the board of the non-partisan MASS VOTE, a portal that protects voting rights and even campaigned for MASS EQUALITY. Chang-Diaz is a practicing Catholic and equal marriage supporter. Her ethnic background is Costa Rican and part Chinese; she's very easy on the eyes, but more importantly she is ready for the job as a freshman Senator!

We met at the lovely Cha Fahn Tea House in Jamaica Plain, my new serenity spot. It was there that Eric Hess took Sonia's photo. Sonia's only joke of the whole day was saying "Welcome to my Asian house" to the camera.