blue-style-canopy

A vote for Martha Coakley is a vote for decency and security.

2010-01-14T13:09:00.001-08:00

Okay it's been almost a year and I apologize to my readers (all two of you).

I'm back to remind everyone who lives in Massachusetts to vote during the U.S. Senate special election on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. And please choose Martha Coakley. Here's why.

The Republican candidate, Scott Brown, is certainly handsome and seemingly moderate. His victory, however, would be put the nail in the coffin of health care reform, the same all Democrat-driven health care reform that we've been hearing about for the past nine months, the same reform that Republicans have been opposing and obstructing in near lock-step.* This just cannot stand for Massachusetts, a state leader in health reform and compassion. We are in the final two laps of health care reform and House and Senate leaders are merging the two bills. Here are the definites to come out of negotiations before another last round of voting by each chamber:

---- Americans cannot be denied health-care insurance because of pre-existing conditions.

---- The estimates for subsidies to the American people will be in the ballpark of $800 billion to $900 billion, less generous than the House but more generous than the Senate version.

---- According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, those without health care coverage will be reduced BY 31 million people by 2019. As of right now, there are about 45 million people who are uninsured in the U.S.

If we let Scott Brown win in Mass., the Democratic job stimulus focus of 2010 will be lost. And forget about gay rights in a Senate that doesn't have dems strong at 60. What's even more worrisome in the short term is that if dems don't pass health care (again), we would see a repeat of 1994 when Republicans took over Congress.

As a cancer survivor, I can tell you that disease is never something that you suspect. Without Massachusetts' own health care reform drafted in 2006 with the help of Teddy, and believe it or not, Mitt Romney, I would have died or have gone bankrupt. The economy is still shaky and anyone could lose his job and his health insurance too. Vote for decency, vote for compassion for the average person.

Please vote for Martha Coakley on Tuesday, January 19. Do it for Teddy who worked his whole life on universal health care coverage.

* Exceptions over the string of votes so far have been Olympia Snowe (Republican Senator from Maine) and Anh Cao (Republican rep. from Louisiana).

A Rise in Do-Goodism in 2009?

2009-01-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

Will Do-Goodism make a comeback?

Hello readers.

Yes it has been a while. 2008 found us in foreclosure but we remain in Jamaica Plain, actually living in a cooler neighborhood. At the local dogpark the other day, I met a man named Joseph who told me about Neighbors for Neighbors, a JP-created template of neighborhood groups that the rest of the country would be wise to emulate. N4N is all about starting your own groups with your neighbors and keeping up on the local news. It's a great way to foster goodwill and fits in nicely with Obama's call for us to be one people: Americans. Guess I just wanted to throw this out as my first post for 2009.

One way I'm volunteering this year is through a student run organization at M.I.T. that invites local residents to teach whatever interests them to a number of local high school students who are willing to learn on Saturdays. I'm designing the curriculum for "The Short Fiction of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.," an eight-week class that will investigate some of his writing techniques and prominent themes. As an avowed humanist, Vonnegut thought that kindness was the one thing that would benefit us all in this thing called life. Now the hard part is teaching that to my students without being too square or didactic.

Happy New Year!

Bless you Teddy

2008-05-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

My prayers go out to Ted Kennedy and his family.

Cancer sucks!

Maybe the liberal lion's brain tumor will compel this country to clean its environment and give its people quality affordable health care - two things Teddy worked so hard for.

What is Massachusetts going to do without him? He's probably the most famous senator ever and embodies what it means to be a successful Irish-American and to be a citizen of Massachusetts.

-Will this help Obama, a John Kennedyesqe figure for my generation?
-Will Massachusetts lose its clout?

I feel a light is dimming on Capitol Hill.

The Nun Theory

2008-03-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal has a new name for Hillary's strong performance among Catholics. They christened it 'the nun theory.'

The theory holds that Hill is doing so well with Catholics because we are familiar with strong female authority figures who can be both tough in their approach and specific in their remedy of social injustice. This fits in with my own feelings of Hillary that I shared here last summer.

In recent weeks I've actually attended mass a few times: both Roman Catholic and American Catholic. The latter is a liberal and gay-friendly Catholic denomination that is under no authority of Rome. The American Catholic community meets in an Episcopalian church in my hometown right across the street from the Roman Catholic parish where I was brought up and had my first communion and my confirmation. I'm not too religious, but you have to admit this is a pretty strange coincidence, especially in light of the fact that the first American Catholic mass I attended was at Northeastern University, not in the South Shore.

But back to HRC:

In a separate "Financial Times" article, Clive Crook had this to say about our own Iron Lady:

"If Mr Obama surges back in Pennsylvania, all this will be moot. If Mrs Clinton wins comfortably there, as the polls say she will, I would hesitate to bet against a Clinton-Obama ticket.

More than anything, this is a tribute to her titanic will to win. Here is the oddest thing about this peculiar race. Totting up the arithmetic, almost every political commentator in the US regards Mr Obama as the favourite to get the nomination – while harbouring, it seems to me, an inner conviction that Mrs Clinton will somehow find a way to steal it. You cannot imagine her giving up, short of being bound, gagged and sedated." [It's such a dark line, I couldn't help but laugh!]

I do hope Sister Hillary comes through. I just hope she doesn't rap Obama's knuckles in the process.

Discipline and flow

2008-03-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it's been a while.

First things first, I'm cancer-free and have been since late October 2007. Four and a half months later I find myself a full time secretary and part time gym bunny. Recently I've enrolled in a beginner's creative writing class at the BCAE (Boston Center for Adult Education) called "Getting Started." It's the perfect antidote to a late winter malaise. My professor, an old, Southie retired firefighter named Jack Canavan, is having us do homework inspired by Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." Namely:

1.) Write morning pages (3 pages of stream of consciousness a day).
2.) 30 minutes of "artist walking a day" (seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing the world around you).
3.) One date per week with your artist within (nice way to treat yourself).
4.) Read and become familiar with a little poetry.

It's good advice. A little 'discipline' applied each day doesn't make the word so crotchety. I'm not averse to 'discipline' but I do fancy the word 'flow.' Like a stream you have to let your creativity flow wherever it may wander. A flow is a stream's own discipline, an innate sense of its' own ways. Having 'discipline' however is having the humility to accept outside advice. I want both.

'Socialism,' the lackluster boogeyman

2007-10-12T03:54:00.000-07:00

I could not have written a better diatribe. This was reprinted from Real Clear Politics.

October 11, 2007

Why 'Socialism' Evokes No Fear

By Joe Conason

Once among the most frightening epithets in American political culture, "socialized medicine" seems to have lost its juju. Today that phrase sounds awfully dated, like a song on a gramophone or a mother-in-law joke or a John Birch Society rant against fluoridated water.
Yet despite that antique quality, the old buzzwords appear regularly in columns, press releases and speeches. Rudolph Giuliani, Mitt Romney and the rest of the Republican presidential pack run around squawking about socialism whenever anyone proposes health care reform. Syndicated columnist Robert Novak warns that the federally financed, state-run Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is essentially a socialist conspiracy. So does President Bush, who has threatened to veto a modest increase in that program's funding because he doesn't want to "federalize health care."

Although the red threat still triggers an autonomic reaction among GOP true believers, the rest of the country no longer twitches to that high-pitched, far-right whistle. Most polls not only show enormous majorities favoring extension of coverage to every child, but substantial support for a radical change in how we pay and administer health insurance -- including the possibility of a single-payer system.

Why doesn't the traditional propaganda work any more? Perhaps the demise of the Soviet Union and the withering of Communism in China have had a delayed effect on public attitudes here. Both the Russians and the Chinese have turned more capitalist than the West, abandoning their former systems without substituting modern protections. The ex-Communists are more of a threat to the health of their own societies than to us. Most Americans may also have noticed that corporate bureaucracy and corruption, which figure largely in the present health care system, are not preferable to government bureaucracy. Doctors who used to wail about the dangers of Medicare have learned how unpleasant it is to deal with dozens of insurance companies, each creating different rules to cut costs and deny care. So have their patients.
This corporate model is more expensive and less efficient than the government plans that provide care in every other industrialized nation.

And most Americans may have learned by now that such systems prevail in Western countries that aren't normally categorized as "socialist," including the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Canada, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. All these nations manage to provide their citizens with high living standards, industrial and technological innovation, and broad political and economic freedom, even after 50 years of national health insurance.
Meanwhile, the credibility of conservatives has diminished steadily. These days they cannot even achieve clarity on the meaning of their favorite cliches. For instance, the president hates "federalized health care," but sponsors a Medicare prescription drug program that wastes hundreds of billions on drug companies and private insurers. Right-wing definitions no longer seem so clear, either. When the government awards a billion dollars in sweetheart mercenary contracts to a wealthy Republican family in Michigan, that's "private enterprise." But when the government helps a struggling middle-class family in Maryland send its children to the doctor, that's creeping socialism.

Conservative ideology's declining relevance is again encouraging the politics of personal destruction. That must be why right-wing voices on the Internet, talk radio and the Fox News Channel have launched a nasty attack on the family of Graeme Frost, a 12-year-old Maryland boy who appeared in a Democratic radio commercial endorsing the SCHIP program. He and his younger sister, both victims of a terrible car accident that left the little girl with permanent brain damage, have both needed federal assistance because their parents were unable to afford private insurance. Certain conservative bloggers and pundits, seeking to prove that the Frost family is too affluent to qualify for SCHIP assistance, have harassed them, their neighbors and their co-workers. They have spread myths and lies about the family, their house and the schools that their children attend. And they have made repeated telephone calls to the Frost home, demanding answers to questions about their personal finances.

It doesn't seem to occur to any of these strict Christian moralists that the Frosts have enough trouble trying to care for their disabled daughter, or that the state of Maryland, under the SCHIP regulations, has determined that the Frost children are fully eligible for the help they obviously need. Let us not hear again from these mean-spirited people about "family values" or "compassionate conservatism."

Such is the devolution of conservatism in our time -- from a philosophy concerned with overweening state authority to a movement that bullies children in the name of freedom.

Copyright 2007 Creators Syndicate Inc.

Book Review: Boston Boys Club by Johnny Diaz

2007-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is the anti-freeze of queer Beantown lit and I mean that in the most generous way possible. Boston Globe Living/Arts writer, Johnny Diaz, came to Boston from Miami a few years ago and with open Cuban arms embraced this city and its quirky ways. His first book, Boston Boys Club, maybe is not a love letter to Boston, as other book reviews have chanted, but definitely a loving, friendly post card from Columbus Avenue. It’s light summer reading but gratefully so.

It centers on four characters who patronize Club Café in the South End: friendly Tommy, horny Rico, opportunist Kyle and messy Mikey. By the end of the book each has been granted a second lease on life. There’s a light spirit of redemption and renewal that (I have a feeling) is part-autobiographical for Diaz, as character, Tommy Perez, explains to a “cutie pie” he meets at Club Café:

“I love Boston, Mikey,” I say as I break his stare by taking sips of my DCV (Diet Coke and Vodka.) “It’s one of the prettiest cities I have ever seen. Big but not too big, or overwhelming like New York City. And the seasons make time fly and make me appreciate the moments in life. I love Miami, and it will always be a part of me, but sometimes, you need change to grow.”

Diaz, at one point, alludes to the (paraphrasing) “sometimes icy nature of this city” and any gay Bostonian will instantly know what he means. In this way, he recasts the city’s image into something more approachable once you get to know some of her citizens.

There is also a sub-theme of recovery which is always welcome even in works of fiction. Some people think that Alcoholics Anonymous is a place where the bottom of the barrel end up, but as my many friends in AA can attest, this program of recovery has changed people’s lives for the better. And at Club Café, there are probably many candidates for AA who have no clue about the program’s own openness and inclusion.

I once heard a quote that the real Americans are not the ones born within its borders, but the ones that arrive here from other lands: hardworking immigrants with a dream. Is the same true of Boston? Having grown up on the South Shore, I would’ve thought that seniority comes with permanent residence. Diaz shatters that myth as he brings fresh insight and gratitude to the “Athens of America.” We, Bostonians, contrary to popular belief, are happy to open our homes to people with staying power. The city is not as icy as we sometimes believe and Diaz supports that latent openness with “Boston Boys Club.” Best to be read before summer’s end!

Why I like Hill: The Ultimate It Girl, August 2007

2007-08-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Maybe ‘like’ is too weak of a word to describe my bewitchment of all things Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Here are my reasons:

“I’m your girl”

“For fifteen years, I have stood up against the right wing machine and I’ve come out stronger, so if you want a winner who knows how to take them on, I’m your girl!”

My whole life I’ve been surrounded by strong, impressive women who’ve picked up the slack of wayward men or shined in their own brilliance. Hillary Clinton does both these things and her desire to win the nomination and general election is about as much as restoring Bill’s presidency and repairing his broken promises to some of his constituents, (i.e. lowering incarceration rates for African-Americans, equal access to federal job protection for gays and lesbians, etc.), as it is about Hill restarting the 21st century with America as a beacon not as a threat, to the rest of the world.

Her recent “I’m your girl” speech during the early August AFL-CIO debate hits upon her secret popularity: the ability to fight back. Although, I believe that conservatism is dead (which I will discuss in a future string), the Republican-right-wing-hate-machine still churns, albeit not as pervasively and effectively as the mid to late 90s.

As a queer man who has weathered social anxiety, addictive behaviors, love and loss, general Irishness and now, chemotherapy, I know, like many others, how the ruthless attacks of bigots can ruin a good party. After reading Carl Bernstein’s biography on the first lady, "A Woman in Charge," it became clearer to me that Bill and Hill had come to Washington to “do good” but much like Deval Patrick in his few months at the state house, the Clintons stumbled.

Part of the fault lies with Hillary herself but part of it lies with the celebrity, expose culture of the 20th century’s last decade. Remember OJ, the rise of Fox News, Waco, Monica? Although my fondest memories are from the 1990s, I believe that television was at its sickest. The boob tube during the 1990s seemed like a free-for-all, a barrage on the American viewer who had no healthy way to respond to the stories and images. The internet is decidedly more democratic, but the net was nascent during the Clinton years.

It was also very this television orgy that the Republican Revolution took its second breath during the election of 1994. Yes, Hillary’s faulty attempts at health care reform from the previous year contributed to the Republican takeover of Congress. But how prescient was she? What other first lady or elected official had the gravitas to take this on? And look where we are now under a do-nothing Republican president with a recently ejected do-nothing Republican Congress.

“Nearly 47 million Americans, or 16 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2005,” according to the National Coalition on Health Care, a group who lobbies for “better, more affordable health care for all Americans.” Under Bush’s presidency, “the number of uninsured rose 1.3 million between 2004 and 2005 and has increased by almost 7 million people since 2000.” It’s a national disgrace!

This is a battle that Hill wants to win for the American people. She lost the first round in 1993 due to D.C. naiveté and not extending an olive branch to the press. She’s learned from Round One … she knows the tactics of the opposition and has promised to file a bill in the Senate sometime this year or early next year.

In Massachusetts, right now, as most of my readers know, there is a new compulsory mandate for health insurance. Since my salary falls under 300% of the federal poverty line, I started researching ways I could get into this new health care system back in November 2006. After a little bit of correspondence and missing paperwork, the folks over at “MassHealth” gave me a Neighborhood Health insurance plan when I disclosed that I had cancer. So far, neighborhood has been a god-send, fully covering every appointment and procedure related to my illness.

This is what happens when you live in a compassionate society like the one in Massachusetts. When people are sick, they should go to the hospital and not have to go bankrupt in the process. Hillary knows this; she has fought hard for this and that is one of many reasons why she will receive my vote twice in 2008.

Bad Tourism Director

2007-08-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, check out this story I scooped for the venerable Boston's Weekly Dig. It's all about Provincetown Tourism Office Director, Bill Schneider, who lied repeatedly about a Book Club endorsement from Oprah. You can even read the phoney interview transcript at http://www.billschneider.us/.

This is a proud moment for me as a reporter and as a lover of the Outer Cape, for Provincetown is the last place on Earth that needs fabrication!

The photo provided was taken by my partner, Eric Hess, during P'Town Carnival 2003. Really no lie, I swear. This is the kind of image on Commercial Street that you can't make up. Provincetown shouldn't pay liars to tell tales.

Simply Stated

2007-08-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

GAY

80 Border Street East Boston
August 3–29, 2007
Please join us - Opening Reception: August 9, 6-9 pm
Third Thursday Potluck Reception August 16, 6-9 pm

What do people think of when they hear the word ‘gay’? Pink triangles, black leather? Disco and gardening? Is the word still a cause for celebration for some or has it become banal in marriage-friendly Massachusetts?

Twenty odd artists of Atlantic Works Gallery are tackling the word ‘Gay’and all its visual implications. Presentations stretch from a queer riddle of the sphinx, to a lascivious Craigslist montage to an actual closet that urges the viewer to stay huddled inside. The full spectrum of GAY will be shown in the freshly renovated gallery on the coast of East Boston.
Only four of the presenting artists are in fact, homosexual, giving the show a visionary twist and hetero vantage. Artists’ media will range from paints to photography to jewelry to installation to Video. Entertainment includes gay, vocal house by DJ Dylsnick and surprise guests.
“Gay” will run from August 2 through August 29 at 80 Border Street, East Boston. The opening party will be held on Thursday, August 9 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. “Third Thursday,” the open-house reception will run on Thursday, August 16 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, connect to www.atlanticworks.org or call 617-549-4911

Testicular Cancer

2007-07-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Since half the world knows already, I may as well announce it to the other half.

I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in May and start chemotherapy on Monday, July 30th at Beth Israel hospital, Shapiro Building 9th floor. The hospital already took one of my boys away in mid-June. Someone asked if I feel like half a man and I said "No, I feel like twice a man cuz my remaining boy does the work of two!"

I've been keeping the day-to-day light and easy and as a result of this medical discovery, my values system has definitely changed. I have no idea how long this humility will last, but I feel definitely humbled by this whole ordeal. It's as if my last shred of invincibility was burned along with my 20's. Even though I am still a pissed-off liberal, I am going to go a little easier on the political outrage (I've read that anger can be just as bad for your arteries as nicotine and alcohol). I do plan, however, on keeping my readers abreast of my life experiences and fleeting thoughts.

I am going to end with a book review that has nothing to do with the aforementioned content. Dry Manhattan, written by Michael Lerner, is a really fun history read of New York City in the 1920's. The book relays how one fanatical lobbying group had the power to make a country look ridiculous for 13 years by banning booze! And it wasn't just a behavior-purity thing for them to pass prohibition, but a vicious anti-immigrant policy. Sound familiar to nowadays? Religious conservatives, whether annointing George W. Bush or getting a boner for jihad, cannot be trusted with sound judgement. It is my estimate that the Iraq War will be as detrimental for the Republican Party in 2008 as the "dry cause" was for them in the 1932 election (when Roosevelt went on to serve three-plus terms after first repealing Prohibition). Although I'm not a drinker, I support the freedom for people to choose how they want to live their lives within a reasonable margin of safety. Soon you'll be hearing more from me about the medical marijuana bill being reconsidered in Massachusetts.

But for now, Bottoms up!

Outrage

2007-03-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

On the subject of repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the 1994 law that helped to rid the U.S. Army of over 10,000 gay and lesbian soldiers, many of who had extraordinary technical skills and/or a fluency in Arabic, General Pace was unmoved.

"I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," General Pace, the military advisor to President Bush, said.

This is the last straw in a war that was started on a false premise (no WMD's found in Iraq whatsoever),
-by an army that is granting waivers to military recruits with violent and criminal backgrounds,
-by a general hand-picked by an administration that fired federal prosecutors who weren't right-wing enough.

This is the last straw for an administration that lied about Iraq,
-and left poor, black people to the flood in New Orleans,
-and minimized global warming,
-and replaced science with Christian ideology,
-and used gay rights to draw the votes of bigots,
-and committed treason by leaking CIA undercover-operative, Valerie Plame's name,
-etc,
-etc,
-etc.

feel like adding to the list?

March to end the war, March 17, 2007 in Washington, D.C.
www.marchonpentagon.org

This has to end.

It Girl, Saturday, February 24: Sophia Coppola

2007-02-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sophia Coppola is my latest It-Girl for her stunning direction in Marie Antoinette. Based upon English historian, Antonia Fraser's biography Marie Antoinette: The Journey, the book and film cast the traditionally wretched queen in a completely different light, as a young woman who was more naive than anything.

The movie combines a 1980's pop and new wave soundtrack, and the values of that materialistic decade, with Marie's time and place and circumstances of being a teenage girl with, essentially, a trust fund that never disappears. The movie touches upon the fact that her famous evil line "Let them eat cake" was never actually uttered. Coppola paints young Marie Antoinette as a victim of revolutionary propoganda ... and this fact is startling in and of itself, for I have always considered propoganda to be a fascist tool, used from the top on down.

In many ways, I wonder if the United States of America is similar to Fraser's and Coppola's image of Marie Antoinette, naive, spoiled and ignorant, a teenage girl having the time of her life ... but not malicious. If the queen was congnizant of the misery of the masses, she may have taken a compassionate angle of public policy and changed the course of history. Likewise it's so important for us to spend less time with the television and more time getting active. Our fate may depend on whether we touch and respond to the world's suffering.

Screw the Brite-Lite Bombers

2007-02-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I felt the need to jot my opinion on the "brite-lite bombers" from Wednesday, January 31st.

What a couple of idiots!

Even though I usually identify as a progressive, I think this time around the suspects should be tarred and feathered. I have complete pride in my city's best and brightest for taking action to dismantle these blinking items, suspicioulsy attached the the sides of bridges. In a post-9/11 world, such actions are inexcusable.

But worse is the action of Turner Broadcasting System for being so out-of-touch with the everyday citizen that it thought these gurerilla marketing tactics would fly. Not in this town; I think in Boston, we have a higher degree of caution because the terrorists of September 11th departed from Logan. We should take these irregular happenings seriously.

And why should we tolerate illegal advertising on our public property and infrastructure? Aren't we already bombarded enough by advertising and marketing ... now we have to spend time, money and manpower reviewing whether something is an ad or a bomb?

Another year, another fight

2007-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

So the amendment moves forward. What a rude awakening.

To review: Legislators opposed moving the amendment forward to the next legislative session by 134-62; still not enough however ... the anti-gay right needed only 50 votes to keep the issue alive.

Anti-gay propaganda will continue for another year. And this will be detrimental to the health of the commonwealth.

One saving grace, noted by the Globe, is Patrick's comments on the atmosphere of divisiveness:

"I am disappointed by today's vote in the Constitutional Convention," Patrick said in a statement. "We have never used the initiative petition to limit individual freedoms and personal privacy, but today’s vote was a regrettable step in that direction."We have work to do over the next year to turn this around," Patrick continued.

"I am heartened by the fact that the overwhelming majority of the members of the Legislature – a margin of over 2 to 1 -- voted to move on. I pledge to do what I can to build on that momentum, so that our Constitution will continue to stand for liberty and freedom, and not discrimination."

It's all about dusting ourselves off, getting a good night's rest and waking up to fight another day!

Yes, Virginia, there is diversity in America

2006-12-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

What is it about these Virginia republicans?

U.S. representative Virgil Goode is freaking out over new U.S. rep, Keith Ellison's decision to use the Koran in his PRIVATE swearing-in ceremony. Keith Ellison is a Muslim Democrat from fair-minded Minnesota. His private decision concerning congressional tradition has been linked to a free-for-all in open immigration. At least according to this shmuck, Virgil Goode.

The AP wrote: 'In his letter, Goode wrote that strict immigration polices are necessary "to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America."

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," he wrote.'

You can read an article about the situation here.

This Boston Globe editorial got it right in expressing outrage at Goode's remarks. The Globe pointed out that Ellison is not an immigrant, but an African-American who can trace his ancestral roots to 18th century America. And that there are two other representatives in January, Buddhists Mazie Hirono from Hawaii and Hank Johnson from Georgia, who are also going to forgo swearing on the bible.

The Washington Post reports, "But Ellison, who could not be reached for comment, would not be the first member of Congress to forgo a Bible. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) took her oath in 2005 on a Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, that she borrowed from Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.)."

'"I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference.'

[That's the great thing about this country you idiot ... we are not compelled to swear allegiance to any religious text or belief.]

When the conservative right talks of "religious liberty," they are really talking about force-feeding strict Christianity to the rest of us. This is an outrage.

It Girl, Sunday, December 10: Glory Dodge

2006-12-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

So I finally saw "North Country," the 2005 fictionalized film that dealt with the first successful sexual harassment lawsuit in the U.S. I loved it.

I chose Frances McDormand's character - the no-nonsense "Glory Dodge," because she was one of the first women to work in one of the northern Minnesota coal mines (with all that obnoxious testosterone). What's more impressive is that Dodge elbowed her way into union leadership and stood by lead character, Josey Aimes, when push came to shove.

African-Americans have their Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird," but what role models, in film or literature, does the queer community have, or more specifically, the trans community?

Regardless, Frances McDormand rocks!

Alternative Holiday

2006-11-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Conscious Consuming, a Boston-based non-profit devoted to the idea of less is more, is having their annual Alternative Gift Fair at Arlington Street Church on Saturday, December 2nd from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Called "Gift It Up," the fair is a way of helping out non-profits instead of buying crap at Walmart for our friends and family members.

I recently spoke with CC spokeswoman, Susan Donohoe who told me:

"There was a great statistic from the editor of ADBUSTERS who said that since 1950, American consumption has increased 300 percent. And the American savings rate is now is negative territory which affects us financially, culturally and spiritually." Donohoe said that the infamous "Black Friday," the biggest shopping day of the year that shadows Thanksgiving is also "Buy Nothing Day" for people who are more conscious in there consuming habits.

"This is a way to give back to the community and give gifts that really matter," Donohoe said.

--------------------------

In a very serious way, Gift It Up is just another example of the beginning stirrings in this country for something more meaninful; something that supports generosity with others and a gentleness with the Earth's resources.

There will be at least fourteen non-profits available at Gift It Up, including Nework/La Red, All Paws Rescue, MassBike and Prison Book Program. Seven Dollars, for instance, would supply a dictionary to a person in prison, Ten Dollars could provide consumers with recipe cards teaching them about the nutritional benefits of locally grown food, etc., etc.

If your friends and family members are anything like mine, they would be disappointed if this was the only gift they received. So I plan on supplementing these do-gooder gifts, with something just as green, but more utilitarian: rechargeable batteries.

And if still come up short I am going to get my loved ones each a gift certificate to the independent Trident Bookstore on Newbury Street.

Any other indie/alernative/green gift ideas out there?

A Transgender Conversation

2006-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night I went to the Boston-area Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil, held at the Arlington Street Church and the Public Gardens. It was mostly a young, knowledgeable crowd and the tenor of the night was quite sober, as we remembered all the known transgender murder victims around the world.

On Monday I bumped into an acquaintance in the South End (a gay man) who said some pretty nasty things about the trans community (i.e. "they're dragging us down," "they should get their own movement," "a man wants to cut off his junk so he can then be straight, I want nothing to do with them!") He even compared the trans community to NAMBLA (!) for wanting to attach to "our" civil rights struggle.

To hear such hostility was pretty awful.

In retort, I reminded him that there is a wide spectrum of gender identity as well as there is for sexual orientation and that the two are in fact discrete, but that when others discriminate they attack similar fundamentals ... like our personal freedom, liberty, privacy and freedom of expression.

Granted, it takes time for many gay individuals to understand how hard it is to live with the gender that you were assigned ... just as it is hard for straight people to understand same-sex love. But to hear such open hostility only sets us all back. I only wish I had a better line of defense at the time.

What do you think?

It Girl, Friday, November 17: Andrea Zuckerman

2006-11-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Since election season is over, I've taken comfort in the shameless pop culture part of my blog. That's why this week's It Girl is Andrea Zuckerman. She's a serious young woman trapped in a hot show that marked the '90s.

My boyfriend and I rented all of Season One of Beverly Hills 90210, which just came out on DVD. We have about 12 more episodes to watch before it's due back on Saturday! I chose Andrea (pronounced "On-Dreeya") because she is a great reporter and superb editor in chief for the "West Beverly Blaze" and is sadly underrated as a character. Andrea had some great one-liners and a surprising sense of humor. She is also, however, the conscience to Brandon's dark side (especially in the high school years).

Thank God the dems won the House and Senate and that Deval is kicking Mitt out of the corner office. Now we can concentrate on more important things!

It Girl, Friday, November 10: Sal DiMasi

2006-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Salvatore DiMasi, progressive Speaker of the Mass. House, is primarily responsible for the recess of Thursday's Con-Con. The anti-gay ballot measure was put off until January 2, 2007, the last day of the legislative session, effectively killing the ballot measure. Per TakeMassAction, DiMasi is being inundated with nasty anti-gay phonecalls. Give him a call of support for protecting your constiutional right to marry the one you love! Sal's office number is 617-722-2500.

For more info on Thursday's backstory, read In Newsweekly.

" ... To make you feel proud"

2006-11-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

We did it!

Deval Patrick had a decisive victory and the Dems took back the U.S. house. We're still waiting on the Montana and Virginia Senate races, but it looks like Tester and Webb, respectively, are going to pull on through ... giving the Democrats control of the Senate.

Did anyone pick up on Deval's theme song ("What have you done today to make you feel proud?") is the same gay-techno number for the last scene of the last episode of QUEER AS FOLK? An upbeat coincidence for sure.

On Pastor Ted: The Collision of Sex, Religion and Deception

2006-11-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

To review: Pastor Ted Haggard of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO was accused of having a three year sexual tryst with a Denver-based male prostitute, Mike Jones. One year into the relationship Haggard started buying crystal methamphetamine and snorting it to enhance these secret liasions. Haggard, a married man and the father of five kids, has since stepped down as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and was dismissed from the church as its active pastor.

Upon hearing the news, my inner partisan Democrat laughed maniacally at the hypocrisy of it all. As many readers know, Haggard had a close relationship with Bush and was responsible for organizing support for all those traditional marriage ammendments on sundry state ballots, including eight more states whose citizens will decide on Tuesday. In some ways, this issue is yet another boon in 2006 for progressives and Democrats. However, a spiritual advisor to President Clinton said that Haggard does enormous damage to the gay and lesbian community as well ... painting a picture that gay men, especially, are all meth-fused prostitutes waiting to home-wreck the marriages of respectable heterosexual men of the cloth.

Would people jump to such conclusions?

Or do people understand that the culprit is certainly not the GLBT community, but this idea of the suffocating closet? A dark secret life that betrays the impossible moral standards.

Do church-people realize that GLBT people really have the capacity for boring lives as well? It's true we tend to travel and go out dancing more because of extra income and fewer kids, but we also have to do middle-American things like washing the laundry and cleaning the bathroom. For instance, a typical night for me is ordering pizza and watching Golden Girls reruns with my boyfriend, my cat and my dog. And I love my quiet life.

I am, however, not opposed to prostitution (not necessarily for me, but for society). I see prostitution as a business transaction between two consenting adults. Haggard looking for "meth" is certainly a stupid idea, but we can't blame him for wanting to take risks.

There was part of me that did hurt when I saw his two kids in the backseat of the car in an off-the-cuff interview. In that video clip he alleged to having bought "meth" once, but decided instead to throw it away. Anyone could tell that the man was lying, but still it was the only moment where I felt a little sorry for him ... just a little.

David Kuo, who was #2 in charge of Bush's faith-based initiatives office, recently wrote a scathing book about faith-based power and political hypocrisy, called "Tempting Faith." He was recently on NPR, asking that evangelicals take a "fast from politics."

An even better proposition is if evangelicals started voting Democrat. If anything, they could vote to restore accountability and honesty in government ... and support the poor by helping to boost the minimum wage in this country. It could be a vote to end American bloodshed in Iraq, and a step towards protecting the natural resources of planet Earth.

Poor Aaron Maloy

2006-11-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

As a reporter for In Newsweekly, I have the opportunity to cover some pretty peculiar people and stories, especially duing election season.

One such case is Aaron Maloy, the openly-gay (mind you) Republican candidate for State Rep. in Barnstable 4th.

First off, the race may be unprecedented. Two major party, openly gay candidates (the other being Democrat Sarah Peake) are running to represent a sea-hugging corridor that includes one of the gayest towns in all of America: Provincetown. Sarah Peake is endorsed by Freedom to Marry Coalition, MassEquality and is widely known as a staunch supporter of full equal marriage rights. With that said, it wasn't long before I gave Maloy the litmus test (ie his thoughts on gay marriage).

I.N.: Why are you against gay marriage?

A.M.: "Basically I see it as being a right to vote and I think it would be voted down; the issue would go back to the Supreme Court who voted it in. The vote would be like a poll and it would give them a voice. If people wanted to collect 170,000 signatures, we should let them vote."

On the question of campaign fundraising, Maloy implies on his blog that his opponent, Sarah Peake, is not being a true Cape Codder because she has collected so many contributions from beyond Barnstable County.

I.N.: Don't you think Peake is soliciting financial contributions from state citizens who want to protect their civil right to marriage?

A.M.: "Of course, it is, but that doesn't make it right ... the gay lobby shouldn't be deciding our elections and our issues. I consider it dirty money. If that isn't a quote gay agenda, I don't know what it is. I don't think her campaign should be financed by the gay lobby."

To his credit, Maloy did bring up other local issues that he is passionate about. And this is when he sounds more like a generous liberal than a self-loathing Republican.

A.M.: "Affordable housing is one, people can't afford to live here. Young people are leaving the cape in droves, they are being marginalized into poverty and homelessness. So I am concerned about public welfare and quality of life."

But then he has the gall to tell me that he is trying to bring people together since they have been so divided over the gay marriage issue. But his antidote is to introduce very progressive legislation, once elected, that will grant gay and lesbian couples all the rights and benefits of marriage, without calling it that. Basically he wants Massachusetts to turn back its own clock and become more like New Jersey.

A.M.: "I think gay marriage is an oxymoron. If I wanted to be married, I'd be straight, it's a heterosexual thing ... What's really dividing people is that people feel like their right to vote is being taken away."

Unfortunately, I was not able to contact Sarah Peake in time for press. From Maloy's feedback, however, I don't think it was necessary.

It Girl, Friday, October 27: New Jersey

2006-10-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

There is marriage equality (sort of) in the state of New Jersey!

I didn't want to rely for a plain-jane map of the Garden State, so I borrowed a picture of gay-friendly, Jersey Girl, Kelly Ripa (of who I am a secret fan).

The New Jersey Supreme Judicial Court decided on Wednesday, October 25th that "Although we cannot find that a fundamental right of same-sex marriage exists in this State, the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our State Constitution."

Basically the court gave the legislature 180 days to put gay partners under the banner of "marriage" or construct some parallel civil union status.

I think this is wonderful news. What's more is that Chief Justice Poritz dissented in part because the ruling didn't go far enough, i.e. gays should be allowed to get married, and should be allowed to embrace the same term that straights do.

Obviously, the Massachusetts SJC decision is much more sweeping and gratifying, but we have to look at the fundamentals of New Jersey which undercuts the reasoning for all those other DOMA laws out there: gay couples deserve the same rights as straight couples. If we have to pay taxes, we are entitled to the same benefits and programs and essentially, symbols and language.

I know some friends will be upset with my joy ... but this "hairsplitting" New Jersey decision is still a step forward ... now hopefully the NJ legislature can have a civilized discussion of why there should be no "separate but equal."

The Ground Game and the Politics of Togetherness

2006-10-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix wrote a great article talking about Deval's "extreme Grassroots approach" to capturing the Dem primary. He says Deval succeeded by "methodically building a network of committed supporters in every portion of the state" and cites perfect storm attributes of the campaign, namely:

-a charismatic speaker and leader
-a great field manager (John Walsh)
-fatigue with sixteen years of ineffectual Republican governing

But there are two factors missing from this equation.

First off: Deval has been an early and unequivocal supporter of marriage rights for the GLBT community and In Newsweekly showcased his progressive views early on. We had an article about him in June of 2005. With that endorsement of same-sex marriage, Deval picked up A LOT of GLBT steadfast supporters. This significant point was absent in Adam Reilly's article.

The next thing factor is Deval's politics of togetherness which was adopted from his former boss' President Clinton's playbook ... a style that includes embracing everyone including GLBTers.

Tom Reilly tried to have it all ways with the gay community, running from cold to lukewarm to wannabe-warm on same-sex marriage. He basically voted against it before he voted for it. Gabrieli, poor guy, got into the game a little late and didn't have the innate charisma or the wide and authentic appeal (even though he was great on gay issues).

The Rovian, divisive style of politics is on its way out. Wedge issues are so 2004 and Massachusetts will soon prove it.

It Girl, Friday, October 20: Ziggy

2006-10-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Our new puppy, Ziggy (or Sigmund) is a gift from God. He's a Japanese Chin stray who we found at a shelter in Roslindale. He's a total lap dog and loves to take walks around JP. The only connection to blue-style-canopy is that Ziggy's owner feels like Paris Hilton and she fits into Shameless Pop Culture category.

The obvious choice

2006-10-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

(photo by Eric Hess)

Blue-Style-Canopy endorses Deval Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts.

He's bright, capable and has been a steadfast of GLBT rights. He is also a product of opportunity, having come from the tough South side of Chicago to win a scholarship at Milton Academy. And he still lives in my hometown!

My endorsement is not only for Deval, but against Healey/Romney and their Rovian-style playbook, whose rules want to divide instead of unite. Having not lived in a swing state during the 2004 prez election, this Mass. gov 2006 election is the dirtiest that I've ever seen. And unfortunately, it seems to be working in Healey's favor as she closes the gap.

Spirtual Homes

2006-10-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Now for something a little softer and more organic.

My "big boy," my cat, Chester, died suddenly of a heart attack late Saturday night. We're all beat up about it and we spent Sunday and the holiday at Walden Pond where the weather was absolutely perfect. Surprisingly, being a Boston boy, it was my first time at the setting of Thoreau's famous book. Walden Pond is a magical, healing place that was the birthplace of the American conservation movement. I even started reading the book there on Monday.

Although Thoreau starts out in a somewhat bitchy tone, the pond itself is such a magnet for sanity and healing. We heard so many different languages; there were European families galore and a subgroup of American hippie baby-boomers who are regular Walden sunbathers. Then of course you have your nature fans and professional swimmers. It's a very pure place and being there helped with Chester's passing. I would love to say that Chester was carefree and a lover of leisure, but he was more fastidious than anything ... and simple. And simplicity is what Walden is all about.

My other spiritual home is Provincetown because it seems like the edge of the world and it's a great place to stroll naked on the beach. How can you argue with that?

Because nature is such a big part of these two places, I am going to start adding ENVIRONMENT under this blog's banner. Once a month I will interview either local, national or international groups or individuals who have made a positive environmental impact.

What is your spiritual home?

It Girl, Friday, October 6: John Laesch

2006-10-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.john06.com/

I'm on the boyfriend's computer and can't figure out how to download photos, but rest assured that IT GIRL John Laesch is capable (and kind of cute).

Laesch is running for Congress against embattled House Speaker, Dennis Hastert in Illinois' 14th district. The 32-year-old rising Democrat is a unionized carpenter from Chicago. AIR AMERICA paints it as a David vs. Goliath story. Laesch is corruption-free and maybe even has a shot since Hastert's credibility and popularity has been severely disabled by the Foley debacle.

Ah. There's nothing like a good sex scandal, especially when the Republicans can't get their stories straight!

Photo tomorrow!

Time for the herd to go

2006-10-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

This month's Washington Monthly magazine is devoted to prominent conservatives who believe it is in the Republican party's best interest to lose Congressional elections in 2006. It's a refreshing take when there is a degree of actual self-criticism going on over there!

Knee Jerk reaction

2006-10-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Although I was thrilled that Mark Foley resigned in shame, I think the situation requires further vetting.

A fellow blogger does make a good point that the age of consent for most sexual relationships is 16 in many states around the country. Ironically, Foley would not be in legal trouble if he himself did not co-sponsor the "Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006." This bill makes it a criminal act to even discuss sexual acts with somebody under age 18.

The bigger picture here is that Foley is the latest Republican to tarnish our form of democracy in the United States. I mean, these male pages were juniors and seniors in high school who went to Capitol Hill because they were interested in how the system works. What a rude awakening!

This embarassing situation for Mr. Foley also elucidates the fact that CLOSETED gay men are so repressed that when they do ACT OUT, they act out in a vile way, breaking all sorts of ethics and going after society's most vulnerable. Had Foley decided to come out years ago, he may have not pulled this blunder. The Republican party is just like the Catholic priesthood, trying to maintain a respectable picture at their own demise.

Click here for Foley timeline

2006-10-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

Think Progress has a great timeline of the scandal above. A joke is already circulating around Republican circles: "So who do you think will be the next MINORITY leader?"

Mark Foley: GOP Slimebucket

2006-10-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

FL Congressman, Mark Foley, resigns in shame after being caught text-messaging lewd remarks to teenager male pages.

And this is the party of family values!

Just one more reason why the Republicans need to go this November. And thanks to Foley the Dems' are one seat closer to restoring some dignity to the House.

It Girl, Friday, September 29: Dianne Wilkerson?

2006-09-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

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.

Jim Webb for U.S. Senate

2006-08-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

I contributed thirty dollars today to the Senate win of newly-converted Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate (in Virginia), Jim Webb. He's a veteran who opposes a ban on gay marriage and stands in stark contrast to the idiotic sitting Republican Senator, George Allen. Even though I live in Massachusetts, I feel a Virginian's pain with the embarrassment of George Allen.

Allen as you may remember, recently called Jim Webb's videographer, S.R. Sidarth, a twenty-year old of Indian descent, 'Macaca.' There's no excuse for a U.S. SENATOR(!)to belittle someone like that in public.

As for Jim Webb, read this ditty from TIME Magazine's political analyst, Joe Klein:.

The Dems just need six seats to take control of the Senate. The following look likely: RI, OH, MT, MO & PA. Hopefully more people will pitch in with the Virginia race!

It Girl, Friday, August 25, 2006: Abby Cadabby

2006-08-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today's "It Girl" is the female muppet, Abby Cadabby, born August 14, 2006! Her welcome has been mostly warm by the adult, news-reporting community with the exception of this nay-saying opinon piece (below) by the Boston Globe. The writers think that Abby is a fluffy, girly character that doesn't fit into the feminist paradigm. Well, boo-hoo ... what about letting people, or muppets, just be who they are? Read the doomsdayer opinon piece here.

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/08/10/
how_to_get_to_stereotype_street/

And it's not like there haven't been any muppet feminists in the past ... just take a look at Miss Piggy who was created in 1976, the world's first bicentennial strong female muppet who came into being during women's lib. We do have to make the distinction however, that Abby Cadabby is a morning-time Sesame Street muppet while Miss Piggy worked the night shift at the Muppet Show. It's like comparing the sunnyside humor of the Today Show with the racy wit of Conan.

What's the Matter with Kansas?

2006-08-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Thomas Frank is a native Kansan who thoroughly explains the "conservative" take over of his home state and other places on the plains. "What's the Matter with Kansas?" received accolades from political pundits as an explanation for Dubya's hair-pulling 2004 presidential win.

The premise is that the old enemey of the working class man was "the boss," or "the cold-hearted capitalist" ... but due to some Machiavellian calculating, the right-wing hate machine was able to pin the tail on the "liberal." In effect, Republicans got working people upset over Jesus issues without mentioning economic issues. Thus a whole slew of people are now voting against their economic and political interests!

It didn't help matters when the Democratic Party abandoned language of economic equality.

Frank certainly didn't reinvent the wheel, but this book has been the most comprehesive and enjoyable explanation of the last few decades' topsy-turviness in politics.

I guess you could call Frank's work the It-Book of August 2006.

It Girl, Friday, August 18, 2006: Grace Ross

2006-08-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

While the typical It Girl exudes fabulousness, others receive accolades for more Graceful virtues. Somerville resident, Grace Ross is intelligent, articulate and progressive-minded. Ross is the Green/Rainbow Party candidate for Massachusetts Governor in 2006. I had the pleasure of interviewing her at Francesca's Cafe in the South End this morning. She took considerable time discussing ways to benefit the local economy and environment. The following are some of her quotes.

On combating voter/citizen apathy: "You can't legislate social change; the best change comes from working hand-in-hand on the ground."

and

"We've been told by our government that we can't care about our dreams. But I want to support the things that a healthy community cares about!"

On leadership: "Leadership is facilitation."

On Massachusetts: "The best thing about our state is the progressive heart when tapped."

Violence at Tallinn Pride Parade

2006-08-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

These young democracies really are fragile and are prone to be engulfed by hate. I haven't yet been to Estonia, but can tell you it is Latvia's cooler neighbor to the north.

Violence surrounds Tallinn pride parade

Aug 14, 2006
By TBT staff

Youths attack gay parade marchers TALLINN - About 20 young men armed with stones and sticks attacked participants in a gay pride parade in Tallinn on Saturday afternoon, despite a stepped-up police presence, organizers said. The parade's spokesperson, Lisette Kampus, told the Baltic News Service that the attack took place at about 3:30 p.m. in Pikk Jalg in the Old Town. "It's the same bunch of people who gather to rally near the Bronze Soldier and call themselves Estonian nationalists," she said. Kampus said several participants in the parade sustained injuries in the attack, despite interference by police and security personnel. Paramedics treated victims on the scene. The spokesperson for the north police prefecture said police had detained six men for violating public order. One of the detained men was under the influence of alcohol, and one person turned to the Central Tallinn borough police department to report a case of sustaining bodily harm, the spokesperson said. Organizers said an estimated 500 people took part in the parade, the start of which was delayed by a false bomb threat to the gay bars on the street where the participants gathered.

Activist Christopher Mason launches Mass Action blog

2006-08-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a little ditty I wrote about a cool, activist kid named Chris Mason; another blogger.

---------------------

BOSTON - A new GLBT-rights blog has been making waves in the local blogosphere. "TakeMassAction" was founded by young gay activist, Chris Mason, an employee at the equal marriage lobbying group, MassEquality. "TakeMassAction" is Mason's way of keeping his eye on radical right activity in the state of Massachusetts. While a slight departure from his day job as Assistant Canvas Director, Mason's blogging-by-night is no less inspiring.

"I want to keep it totally separate from what I do at MassEquality," Mason said "and I just want to help regular people, who are otherwise not that into politics, get involved by taking simple actions."

Indeed, the lucidity for action is well-marked by different colored fonts and direct instructions; whether it be calling the governor's office asking him to not de-fund gay/straight alliances or saying "thank you" to pro-equality parent groups in the suburbs. Oftentimes, Mason will provide links to thought-provoking articles that concern the GLBT community. Another hallmark of "TakeMassAction" is what Mason calls "Opposition Research."

"I read what MassResistance is up to and generally keep tabs on what the religious right is saying," Mason said.

Like most bloggers, Mason provides links to the guards of the old media, further strengthening the cooperation between old and new.

Interview with "The Telly Nelly"

2006-08-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

With us today, we have the venerable "Telly Nelly," a gay television critic and freelance writer who lives somewhere in New England. We both share a love, specifically, of "Project Runway," the high-fashion-tv-show created by German knockout Heidi Klum.

How are you doing today, Nelly? Is it okay to refer to you as this, or would you prefer your real name? Or maybe a combination?

Dear, sweet innocent Thomas, I can’t tell you how it pains me each and every day to share a moniker with a famous music star/producer – each and every morning I get up and shake the sleep from my eyes, hoping for a juicy Telly Nelly Google hit to complement my coffee. But it’s always Nelly raps this, Nelly hip-hop that…blah! (And help me Jebus, have you read his bio? http://www.nelly.net/main.html. Goodness!) Friends call me the Telly Nelly, but you can call me Hank. (No cuddling on the first date but we can shower together if you stay for dessert.) Just so you know, I don’t like Heidi Klum. I think she looks like souvlaki.

How does "Project Runway" fit into your world view of television reality shows?

Oh dear…”Project Runway” in my mind is the yummy chum of reality, no more so than this season. You see, most television viewers who espouse the hatred of the reality genre have done so out of a general dislike of seeing contestants eat live spiders or spear wild boar whilst pooping in some ditch in the steamy jungles of Borneo. How do you relate to that? Enter “Project Runway,” the reality show based on…talent and design! Immediately you raise the elitist factor by not just letting *anyone* in and then you add the fashion element to give it a programming hook everyone can relate to. (We Americans might not know what we like, but we sure do know what we hate!) Those former reality snobs smell the fresh blood in the water and come to investigate. Once you see the show once, you’re either hooked or not interested – but most stay on the line. And NBC (who owns Bravo) was brilliant to start airing season three on NBC a week late – the numbers for this past week’s “Project Runway” beat last season’s finale and was the most watched program on cable and broadcast TV. That’s huge! No other reality show can garner that kind of attention this summer and Bravo’s raking in the viewers.

Each season seems to invoke a different flavor. For instance, Season One was mockingly called "Project Drunkway" and Season Two was at times full of hot air (i.e. designers spending too much time defending their pieces with words more than actions). Do you feel like a tone has been set for Season 3?

Season three was supposed to be all about innovation, but I’m not sure that we’ve seen a lot of that. The designers on a whole do seem far more talented than last season, but I can’t say that any of the challenges so far have been overly novel. Though it was enjoyable when they had to tear the suites apart for material, I was hoping they wouldn’t get refurnished for some added drama! As always, the theme is expect the unexpected – Bravo’s rather good at that.

In PR3:3, the challenge involved America's favorite accessory - the toy-sized pooch. Is this long overdue or what? Are you an animal person? How else can fashion lead the way in an unpredictable and (sometimes) hostile world?

You know, I’m a big fan of the accessory pet. (Not necessarily of the elusive cat mind you, I need a pet I can flaunt in the now!) For a while I thought of starting up my own celebrity pet magazine, but it turned out one already existed and sweet Jesus, who needs that much competition in such a small niche. (Can you imagine Tori Spelling trying to decide on “Celebrity Pet” or “Celebrity Pet NOW!” at the checkout? There are no words…) I was hoping for more from the designers actually…I thought the dogs should have had little pets with outfits too, like salamanders or perhaps very well-trained daddy longlegs. (Oh, the footwear possibilities!) It’s interesting you should mention fashion and hostility, I think there’s definitely an unexplored link. Why do poorly dressed people (sometimes from other cultures, true, but still horribly dressed in the grand scheme of fashion) always start the wars? I think poorly dressed people are to blame for pretty much every war that’s ever happened in fact, and I’m not drinking! (And those little blue pills were aspirin, I swear!)

In PR3:4, Keith was kicked off (righteously in my view) for possessing dressmaking reference books? What an idiot! Please tell me you condemn such behavior.

Well, he was stupid, plain and simple. But wasn’t it odd that a first-time dress maker made such cool stuff? The shame, the shame. Those that don’t play by the rules get the boot and thems the rules baby. It was time. Kayne just kinda gave him a push in the right direction, that’s all. (Girlfriend, you can tell he’s got pageant experience, eh?)

If you had to kick anyone else off for other infractions who would it be in each season?

Oh god. Death to Wendy Pepper from season one for reasons of insanity – that damn Nancy O’Dell must die too, she’s the one that picked her dress over my favorite Austin Scarlett! From season two, I thought Chloe should go for basically designing the same dress every challenge. But then again, I’m a bitch.

I am quite partial to Cayne from Oklahoma this year, but also enjoy Uli's designs and that nice blonde girl, Alison. Do you have a favorite designer? What about in past seasons?

That’s Kayne with a K darling, not a C. He’d have to bedazzle your butt but good for that one! I have to say my favorites are always the grand personalities, so I am liking the Laura Bennett. I worry she can only design fur trimmed jackets, but she’s a favorite. Kayne is a treasure, of course, and I look forward to his evolution. Michael, however, seems to be getting the most buzz from my peeps – people just love his snazzy stuff and I must agree he’s proven quite apt.

Why does everyone hate Angela so?

Because she made her model into a hooker cupcake in the dog accessory challenge, that’s why. My god, the woman is in serious need of a few taste cells – just wait until she’s on her own again and see what she comes up with. But you never know, she may surprise us. And just for the record, I don’t hate her. In fact, I don’t really hate anyone this season but it’s still rather riveting nonetheless.

What are your top ten other television shows? How about five best reality shows? Do you have a favorite televised decade? What about creating your own dream show, either reality-based or fictitious (ie sitcom, drama)?

Oh my – and the questions keep coming! Okay, top ten TV shows (current) in no particular order: Venture Brothers, Weeds, So You Think You Can Dance, Who Wants to be a Superhero, CSI, Cash in the Attic (on BBC America), Real Rules/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat, Meerkat Manor, Survivorman, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (my guilty pleasure, it makes me feel like I’m giving to charity!). Five best reality shows of the year: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, The Amazing Race and The Evening News. My dream show has yet to be attempted on a grand scale, yet Bravo did manage to do a “Battle of the Reality Stars” that never quite took off. I’d like to put together a “Battle of the Network Stars” just like they did back in the 70s, the best years for television in my mind. The Vietnam War stuff was wrapping up, leaving time for frivolous pursuits like “The Super Harlem Globetrotters” and “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Hour” with Shaun Cassidy. (Don’t even get me going about “The Shazam/Isis Power Hour,” my heart can’t take it!) Anyhow, in my version of the “Battle of the Network Stars,” all those famous celebrities would compete against each other but mine would be wicked awesome and people would watch and that’s why it’d be different. Hell yeah.)

How can people stay tuned to your opinions? Are you syndicated?

You know, I’ve been trying to syndicate for some time now and I’m hoping to be available via print in more markets soon. But anyone interested in getting their daily fix of Telly Nelly GLBT television picks can check out my blog at www.TheTellyNelly.com and can also check out my weekly column published every Thursday in In Newsweekly, New England’s largest GLBT newspaper. (They made me say it or they’ll kill my mother!)

Thanks, Telly Nelly ... it's been a pleasure, keep in touch!

It Girl, Friday, August 4, 2006: Lulu

2006-08-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

I know the summer of love happened thirty nine years ago, but it took me back when Eric and I watched the nostalgic film "To Sir With Love" starring Sidney Poitier and of course, Scottish singer, Lulu. It's a very sweet movie about these troublesome English high school students in the East End growing up in London's Swinging 60s. They were badly behaved but compared to today's standards, they seem like little angels. Lulu played Barbara "Babs" Pegg, a gum-smacking songbird, blue-collar and pretty.

Are kids more disrespectful nowadays? And if so, why?

To Sir With Love

Those schoolgirl days
Of telling tales and biting nails are gone
But in my mind
I know they will still live on and on

But how do you thank someone
who has taken you from crayons to perfume
It isn't easy but I'll try
If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky
in letters that would soar a thousand feet high
To Sir with love.

The time has come
for closing books and long last looks must end
And as I leave
I know that I am leaving my best friend
A friend who taught me right from wrong
and weak from strong
That's a lot to learn.

What, what can I give you in return
If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start
but I would rather you let me give my heart
To Sir with love.

Those awkward years have hurried by, why did they fly away?
Why is it Sir, children grow up to be people some day?
What takes the place of climbing trees and dirty knees in the world outside?

What is there for you I could buy?
If you wanted the world I'd surround it with a wall,
I'd scrawl these words with letters ten feet tall,
"TO SIR WITH LOVE"

Riga Under Siege

2006-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Eric's family is from Latvia. This small Baltic country suffered greatly throughout history and turns 15 this year with its (newest) independence with the fall of the USSR.

Last weekend, Mozaika, an umbrella gay rights group, put on Latvia's second pride parade. They were denied a pride parade permit by the Riga city council, a ban that was upheld by a higher court in Latvia. This is in clear violation of EU principles ... what's more it opened the door for attacks and slurs on GLBT people (who met instead in a private hotel). Anti-gay protestors hurled rocks, eggs and excrement with hardly a slap on the wrist.

Blue-Style-Canopy is thinking of ways to respond.

Malan says good-bye

2006-07-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

Onto a lighter subject ...

PROJECT RUNWAY Season 3 is now being shown on NBC on Monday nights starting at 8 p.m. This is great news for anyone who leads a cable-free life.

Last Monday, Malan, was ousted. I thought the executives would keep him on for sure (that maniacal laugh had such entertainment value). Alas, Malan wasn't the villain everyone assumed him to be ... like any bad guy he was wielding his wickedness as cover for his insecurities. He told the camera that his mother disapproved of his artistic skills as a child. He even ended up crying at having to leave.

I hate to say it, but I'm going to miss him. Those designers can be so volatile!

Any predictions for the top three?

It Girl, Friday, July 28, 2006: Cheryl Coakley-Rivera

2006-07-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

So although this Beacon Hill brouhaha happened on Wednesday, July 19, Cheryl still gets her IT GIRL status for standing up to Representative Philip Travis. The following argument was centered around the creation of a statutory "Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth," a program formerly known as the "Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth."

William Weld instituted the panel in 1992 after he read a disturbing national report chronicling the high rates of suicide in gay and lesbian youth. Romney made news this May when he tried to dismantle the panel (because he's an asshole).

Rep. Travis sponsored one of the harshest and earliest gay marriage bills (H.4840) in 2001 which died in session. Anyone read what Cheryl has to say:

Transcript over Commission of Gay and Lesbian Youth
By Thomas E. Kilduff

Rep. Travis: “The only thing I wanted to say before we take a vote on this issue without any discussion is to tell you what it is. And you can determine yourself whether you wish to vote green or vote red. And I’d like to ask someone who’s carrying this particular section forward to come to the microphone and explain why it’s necessary to have a duplicate commission? The governor’s commission now is to have a governor’s commission on gay and lesbian youth … we fund that, that’s used in our school systems, explaining exactly what the title says.”

“Now there’s a brand new section in the budget the governor vetoed called the gay youth commission. It’s at least redundant number one and number two I would like to know if any of my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, could explain the need for this and the money and why it doesn’t come under any state department whatsoever. It’s redundant yet separate to something we already have on the books.”

“None of us, myself included, have ever voted against the original formation of that commission under the governor’s office and I for one would like someone, finally, to listen to what we’re doing this evening and explain why we need it. I don’t think we do … I think it’s redundant and it’s a program that’s being beat into our school systems and this money will be spent on the homosexual discussion within the community.”

Chairman Donato: “Chair apologizes to the gentleman at the microphone. For what purpose does the lady rise?”

Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (from afar): “Does the gentleman yield?”

Chairman Donato: “Does the gentleman yield?”

Rep. Travis: “The gentleman yields.”

Chairman Donato: “The gentleman yields … the Chairman recognizes Ms. Coakley-Rivera of Springfield.”

Cheryl Coakley-Rivera: “You know, Mr. Speaker, for a long time I’ve sat here, for eight years and you’ve talked about gay and lesbian youth and I’ve listened to the hate in this chamber and I’ve listened to the hate of the man who just walked away from the microphone and that is why we need commissions! So children don’t commit suicide, so people like the gentleman who just walked away from the microphone don’t continue to feed hate, so children don’t take drugs because they’re so confused at the mixed messages they’re getting, because they feel something is wrong with them! They feel that something is so wrong with them that they have to take their own life! This is why we have commissions. This is why we need two commissions.”

Chairman Donato: (slaps gavel) “The Chair apologizes to the lady. Chair will have a brief recess.”

Chairman Donato: “For what purpose does the gentleman rise?”… On a personal privilege.”

Rep. Travis: “A colleague does not attack a colleague … no matter how vehement they feel about an issue. I have not attacked anybody personally; the lady at the microphone attacked me. I would only want to make a point as a personal privilege that we have just done a line item on the question of suicide and voted that well over the two thirds needed to override the governor’s veto. We’re not talking on that point, that point has been settled. Therefore I wish to address the question I asked, that’s the only reason I took the microphone.”

Chairman Donato: “The Chair will pay close attention to the debate to ensure that the debate is centered around the issue.”

Rep. Travis: “I apologize to the lady at the microphone for interrupting her speech, go ahead, please.”

Chairman Donato: “The Chair recognizes Ms. Coakley-Rivera.”

Cheryl Coakley-Rivera: “So back to my point, because there is so much hate and bigotry about gays, about me, about my sexuality … but I was one of the few that made it out, that’s able to stand here tall and say that I am able to love a woman in such a loving and endearing way, but not everybody can do that and God made me and my straight parents made me and they love me for who I am and I love your children for who they are and for who they may be! So that’s why we create commissions … to help people understand the differences of the world, to help our children understand the differences of the world, so they can better deal with the hate and the bigotry of the world … so when we talk about do we have one commission, do we have two commissions on gays and lesbians and youth and this… C’mon we all know what this is about … this is about how people don’t like gays and lesbians and don’t like their lifestyle and they use the church to excuse their hate or their bigotry. The bottom line is, to the gentleman, we need as many commissions to deal with children who are committing suicide, who are taking drugs, who are dealing with gay and lesbian issues, that’s just one of many, we have so many other commissions to deal with so many different problems in the Commonwealth and this is just one of many … Thank you. Mr. Speaker.”

Chairman Donato: “Mr. Travis of Rehoboth, for what purpose does the gentleman rise? The Chair recognizes Mr. Travis of Rehoboth.”

Rep. Travis: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my lips have said to you what that lady has said to you, I apologize to all of you. I never spoke any word that she reiterated from this microphone. I asked the question simply, why do we need a second commission? She answered it for you without you saying a word. My grandchildren are exposed in first grade to what she says they have to learn early in life. Some people in Massachusetts feel that that’s too early. If the commission in place is doing its proper job and is exposing our children to different lifestyles under the law, I have to accept that. I have no argument with that; I don’t have any ground to say I have a problem with it because it is the law. We are creating a brand new commission, a second commission on the same activity and she said it, we need all the time and money or whatever we have to to influence our children. My point of view is different. My point of view is exposure at the earliest stages is wrong and parents tell me that on a day-to-day basis. If I don’t have the right to speak that at the microphone as a legislator representing the majority view of my district, then I’m sorry to the lady of Springfield, I’m not doing my job. My job is to not let this pass; it is not in the public interest. It is not in the best interest of the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and I stand on that premise, my honor, my word I do not attack any gay or straight person for any reason, I have never done that in my career in twenty-four years and I’m not going to start this evening, but I will not be put down by someone who is of the other persuasion who thinks that I am a bigot. You’re picking on me as a straight person and I resent that and I have the greatest respect for the lady from Springfield and I always will no matter what the circumstances while I serve in this House and beyond. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”

It Girl, Friday, July 21, 2006: Katya

2006-07-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

The It Girl for this week is none other than Katya! Click on www.truthserum.org for more info! An interview with Katya is below. The lovely photo of her was taken by Eric Hess of In Newsweekly.

BSC: Katya, how were you brought to the United States? And how long have you
been here?

Katya: I have been in United States for only short time. I arrived shortly after
Christmas 2005. I came from Paris, where I had been living for ten years.
I love Paris, but I had to escape very turbulent marriage to a scumbag
painter with whom I shared cock-roach infested apartment on the Seine. I
choose America because I have better chances of making millions here.

BSC: Are you single? Looking?

Katya: I am currently single, and yes, of course, I am looking. In spring and
summer months I feel extraordinary longing in my erogenous zones. Here in
America, I feel the freedom of aggressively fulfilling my sexual needs. In
Russia women are pursued, and taken care of---is very old-fashioned. I
ignore this back-ward thinking: I am woman of 21st century. I am also
bisexual.

BSC: How did you get involved with Traniwreck?

Katya: Well, I did not plan to arrive in Boston. I thought it was New York, so
straight from the airport, I told the taxi driver to take me to Broadway. I
arrived at Broadway full of confusion, because I was sure that there would
be bright lights and many tourists. Instead, there was only sleazy cabaret
on corner of street called "Jacque's." When I realized this mistake, I said
to myself,"Well, I do not have enough money to travel to New York, so let's
see what happens." I went into the club, I demanded they give me job, and
here we are. Is very strange club, though. It is filled with transvestites.

BSC: I notice that you perform to a lot of Russian pop music, what do you
like when it comes to American music?

Katya: American music is shit. Especially the popular music of the current moment.
Russian music is better, because it is art and it is poetry as well as
music. Of course, there is plenty of Russian music that tries to copy
American style, but that music is also shit.

BSC: What happened during the fourth of July? Did the authorities try to haul
you away? Are you here illegally?

Katya: It was very stressful situation. The immigration police entered the club,
undercover, and seized me during one of my numbers. Frankly speaking, I was
petrified. But after some very difficult, very taxing negotiations, the
agents and I were able to come to an agreement which grants me permission to
stay in the country for indefinite period of time. I cannot describe the
amount of verbal and physical gymnastics I had to perform in order to seal
that crappy deal.

BSC: Do you have a role model?

I have many role models. I draw inspiration from Alla Pugacheva, perhaps
the most well-known and cherished singer in Russia. My mother, whom I knew
for only short time (although not exactly role model---she was prostitute)
watches over me and gives me courage. I try to recognize strength and
beauty in everyone, even the crippled homeless woman who nearly vomited on
my shoes this morning. We are all children of God, and we are all special.

BSC: When and where can people hear you perform?

I perform on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Mondays at Jacque's Cabaret on 79
Broadway. Come see the show! I am also available for weddings, baby
showers, birthdays and any other special occaision (my fee is six figures.)

FMA fails miserably

2006-07-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

The vote to insill the Federal Marriage Amendment failed by 47 votes; not meeting the 2/3 majority. Is this an instance where the federal government is showing less discrimation than some of the states?

Nebraska and Tennessee swept up in discrimination craze

2006-07-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if people blame gay marriage in Massachusetts for Bush recapturing the presidency in 2004. It's hard to blame Nebraska and Tennessee for being a tough place for GLBTers, but New York and New Jersey. Maybe all these setbacks for marriage will be a prelude for the democrats taking Congress in November. Let's hope.

"It Girl," Friday, July 14, 2006: Praying for Hate

2006-07-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know who this guy is but he certainly stays on message. This photo was captured at the tail end of the latest constitutional convention (con-con) in which legislators decided to recess the con-con until Thursday, November 9, two days after election. He is this week's "It Girl". Photo courtesy of Eric Hess.

Just in case you can't see his sign, it says: "Praying for Hate is Evil"

Episode One: introducing the villains

2006-07-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

The First Episode

Last night I heard some bad news. My mother, in the suburbs, did not have *BRAVO*. Gasp. Needless to say, I was worried. It was 8 p.m. when I received word. Eric suggested I knock on Robyn’s door and ask her if we could watch the two-hour kickoff to “Project Runway: Season Three”. Robyn obliged, but was so tired by the end, that she said it didn’t look like a possibility for us to continue watching the show for the rest of the season in her apartment.

I am doing my best to convince us to watch it at her place *religiously*. I even bribed her by promising to make her a future “It Girl” on Blue-Style-Canopy, (the fact is because she oozes fabulosity independent of her generosity, and I was going to make her an “It Girl” already). Pray that events turn out for the best!

So …

In regards to the first episode as well as the preceding hour of casting calls, it is quite easy to see who the villains are.

But first my list of the likeable candidates:

- Robert Best (Parsons student who likes BARBIE)
- Uli Herzner (a German living in Miami)
- Kayne Gillapsie (the redhead, former vet technician who has a shop in Oklahoma and likes Dolly Parton)
- Michael Knight (great style, low-key, humble African-American)
- Laura Bennett (likeable)
- Alison Kelly (25 year old New Yorker who’s cute)

The first project involved designers’ ravishing their shared ATLAS apartments for raw materials. They went ape-shit. Keith Michael, 34, was the winner making a simple elegant navy blue dress out of bed sheets with his backside strewn with big red ribbons.

Corporate big-head, Stacey Estrella, was out due to lackluster, ill-fitting design.

Villains to watch out for:

- Malan Breton (didn’t anyone notice his AUSTIN POWERS laugh except the scary part is it’s not an imitation)
- Jeffrey Sebelia (Jeffrey was displaying some of Santiago’s egotistical quirks both in his language and design … can we say *foofaraw*?

Season Three: Project Runway

2006-07-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

There are two types of reality shows. The first is of the low-brow variety that regurgitates the same old formula and dog-eat-dog tactics (think “Survivor,” “Big Brother,” or MTV’s “Real World”) and then the superior type of reality show that actually involves talent or adventure.

One of my fave reality tv shows is “The Amazing Race” where people have to use their travel savvy to pursue a global scavenger hunt.

As for reality tv shows that involve art and talent, my first love was Tyra Banks’ “America’s Next Top Model”. It was lots of fun and deliciously addictive. Now, however, the crown goes to “Project Runway” produced by German supermodel Heidi Klum.

Every Thursday, Blue-Style-Canopy will review each episode of “Season Three: Project Runway,” offering critiques, trivia questions, news flashes and interviews. Season Three starts on Wednesday night, July 12 at 9 pm on BRAVO. Every week I will take the train to the suburbs to watch the show with my mother (I don’t have cable … we do Netflix). Such is my dedication to this 21st century gem!

The show is the pinnacle of pursuing your dreams and making the world a better place through fashion. If you missed the first two seasons, now is your chance to see what all the buzz is about.

Constitution Trumps All

2006-07-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

The following is a post by Globe Columnist, Eileen McNamara; aptly titled "Constitution Trumps All". If you have time, give her a big 'thank you' for shedding some logic on the gay marriage issue. Her email address is: mcnamara@globe.com.

-----------------------

EILEEN MCNAMARA
Constitution trumps all
By Eileen McNamara, Globe Columnist | July 9, 2006

If we had just ``let the people vote," black children would have been confined to segregated classrooms, wives would have remained the property of their husbands, and slaves the chattel of their masters.

That is worth remembering this week as both sides in the politically divisive issue of gay marriage use everyone from the owner of the New England Patriots to the cardinal-archbishop of Boston to argue for or against the right of same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts.

In the end, what the state Constitution says matters more than what Bob Kraft or Sean O'Malley think.

That document, written by John Adams to include equal protection guarantees 88 years before the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, requires the recognition of same-sex marriages in the Commonwealth as a matter of equality under the law. As Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall of the Supreme Judicial Court observed in the 2003 decision that legalized gay marriage, ``The Massachusetts Constitution is, if anything, more protective of individual liberty and equality than the federal Constitution; it may demand broader protection for fundamental rights; and is less tolerant of government intrusion into the protected spheres of private life."

That is why, in 1981, the SJC invalidated as unconstitutional a state law banning public funding of medically necessary abortions. To do so, the high court ruled, would treat poor women as a class separate and unequal to their more prosperous neighbors. That discrimination is illegal under the Massachusetts Constitution, the SJC ruled, even though the US Supreme Court had found no such protection for poor women in the federal Constitution.

The state Legislature will meet Wednesday to consider a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. The measure needs the votes of at least 50 lawmakers this year and again next year to be included on the ballot in November 2008. Lawmakers should not be cowed by cries of ``let the people vote." Fundamental civil rights are not a matter to be put to popular referendum.

It is not disrespectful to say to those with deeply held religious convictions against homosexuality that the law has a broader obligation. The question before the court in 2003, like the question before the Legislature meeting in Constitutional Convention on Wednesday, is about the civil, not the religious, definition of marriage. The issue is not who shall be blessed, but who shall be licensed.

As Justice John M. Greaney wrote in his concurring opinion in Goodridge v. The Department of Public Health, ``. . . as a matter of constitutional law, neither the mantra of tradition, nor individual conviction, can justify the perpetuation of a hierarchy in which couples of the same-sex and their families are deemed less worthy of social and legal recognition than couples of the opposite sex and their families."

For two years now in Massachusetts, same-sex couples have been marrying, rearing children, and contributing to their communities without causing harm to those who find their unions morally objectionable. That some take offense at same-sex marriage is regrettable, not actionable. The social disintegration predicted by many when laws against interracial marriage began to collapse across this country did not materialize either. That does not mean everyone in America is yet comfortable with interracial marriage; it means the law affords them no remedy for their discomfort.

The four Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts claim that those who allow the Goodridge decision to stand suffer from ``an exaggerated sense of entitlement." This is an odd perspective from religious leaders who aim to impose their doctrinal beliefs in a matter that is settled constitutional law in this Commonwealth.

Eileen McNamara is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at mcnamara@globe.com.

© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

It Girl, Friday, July 7, 2006: Lady Liberty

2006-07-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Jeez, this blog looks like it was created by Rush Limbaugh or worse, Ann Coulter. I assure you that the Canopy is not as jingoist as it looks ... next week's It-Girl will be a Russian trannie. I promise.

Lady Liberty still raises the window and torch to this great country. Now only if she could speak, she may tell us to improve our own lot, instead of spending time destroying others'.

New York Nixes Gay Marriage

2006-07-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-07-06T134245Z_01_N06375057_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-GAYS.xml

Now we have to wait from Washington State, where a Supreme Court ruling is pending.

Happy Independence Day!

2006-07-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.50states.us/state-flags/

I like Arizona's the best.

It-Girl June 30, 2006: Barbara Walters

2006-06-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

She's a professional journalist who doesn't mess around. Blue-Style-Canopy loves a woman who can take charge! That's why I'm still hopeful for Hillary in 2008.

How to Neuter the Republicans!

2006-06-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Check out the full article!

NetRoots in Dem circles

2006-06-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

David Bernstein of the Boston Phoenix wrote a great lead article about the rise of Netroots in Democratic Politics. The accompanying link lists ten political blogs to keep your eye on as we head into November 2006. I'm trying to get access to the full article.

Madonnarama

2006-06-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, a small group of us attended Buzz @ Aria in Boston's Theater District for "Madonnarama". It was quite possibly the gayest thing I had ever attended and was a ton of fun. Read Tony Giampetruzzi's preview article about the event in "In Newsweekly":

http://www.innewsweekly.com/innews/?class_code=Cu&article_code=2130

2006-06-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Blue-Style-Canopy, a blog devoted to Queerness, Politics and Shameless Pop Culture!

I am a progressive Democrat who is realistically open to the "Big Tent" theory propelled by FDR (see link below). Instead of calling my blog "Blue-Style-Tent," I thought that 'canopy' may have more adhesion. 'Blue,' shamelessly, refers to the description of the democratic-leaning states where I believe, in my heart of hearts, the positive future of the United States of America is best represented. As for 'style,' it's such a fun and fluffy word, I couldn't resist!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_tent

I have a confession ... I'm new to the blogger bandwagon, so bear with me. I do know that every Friday I will pay a little tribute to the "It-Girl" of the week, usually a female celebrity who deserves a passing infatuation.

You are welcome to post and share ideas. Thanks for visiting!

First Post

2006-06-24T13:54:00.000-07:00