In Order of Appearance (Ahem!) – the Professor, the Policeman and the President

Today history was made, when race relations in America turned a critical corner, finally a dialogue at the highest level with its focus on the more important ‘P,’  “Profiling.”  

Prof. Gates -SGT. Crowley –President Obama

art by Melanie Nathan

The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce reveals the most gay friendly corporations in the world

A  Group Posting on LinkedIn cited by Marion Mulder of  ING Global from Netherlands (here in full below) sent my mind tumbling into a political quandary.     I wondered about the dichotomy between corporate pride in achieving these milestones while functioning in societies where there continues to be disdain, invalidation and  inequality toward the LGBT citizenry.

This may not be the best analogy – but to illustrate my point – this is tantamount to Companies creating protocols to ensure they do not discriminate on the basis of color, making a point of patting themselves on the back with awards for being non-discriminatory and then functioning in a country where in effect there is apartheid. 

It serves certainly as ‘food for thought’ because here in the USA and all around the world LGBT communities grovel for recognition to be equally entitled in their coupling while no contemplation has been given to corporations that are willing to continue to do business with Countries that hurt their LGBT communities through a myriad of human rights and civil rights infractions. 

Nonetheless please note my criticism is not leveled at the profound voices of our Global Corporate Giants who  bring increasing attention to the issues of inequality by providing validation through recognition of their LGBT employees and leaders, but rather at the political slackness that prevails despite corporate correctness and the progress in acknowledging diversity.

 

28 July 2009
The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce reveals the most gay friendly corporations in the world: BT Group, IBM and The Dow Chemical Company  
   
Copenhagen, Denmark, July 28th 2009 – The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (IGLCC) is pleased to unveil the results of the first edition of the International Business Equality Index. The Index is a measurement of the performance of multinational corporations in relation to Diversity and Inclusion issues specifically focusing on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities in the countries where they operate. The leading corporations are BT Group, followed by IBM and The Dow Chemical Company. The announcement was made at a press conference during the closing of the IGLCC Second Annual Congress in Copenhagen.

The corporations participating in this year’s Index are: AMR (the parent company of American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle), BT Group, Cisco Systems, The Dow Chemical Company, IBM, ING, Intel, KPMG, Kraft Food, Merck, Novartis, Philips, SAP, TNT and UBS. They represent 1.7 million employees in 227 countries and sales of USD 800 Billion a year.

“On behalf of BT, I am absolutely delighted with this recognition” said Ian Livingston, BT’s CEO.” As one of the largest communication companies in the world, we provide service to customers in more than 170 countries and employ well in excess of 100,000 people across the globe. Diversity must be, and is, at the heart of our business and having the policies and the practices in place to support the LGBT community is essential to our success.”

Anne Heal, BT’s Senior Champion for Sexual Orientation added, “BT has been providing same-sex partner benefits to employees since the early 1980s and will continue to look at ways in which we can ensure that our people can be ‘who they are’ at work without fear of discrimination or prejudice. The IGLCC award recognises the efforts of out HR community and our LGBT network, Kaleidoscope, in their determination to ensure that equality of opportunity is reality in our business. I am also delighted.”

“The findings of the survey on which the Index is based are somewhat mixed, but definitively encouraging,” said IGLCC Secretary General, Pascal Lépine. “The vast majority of respondent corporations have Diversity and Inclusion programs and most explicitly include LGBT issues. We see from this survey that most of these companies take sexual orientation and gender identity matters very seriously. However, full equality is still years or decades away.”

While corporations scoring high on the index are powerful examples of how diversity and inclusion programs can be very successful, the 2009 Index findings also point to a darker side:  nearly 50% of global corporations participating in the survey do not have any LGBT Diversity & Inclusion managers; openly gay men or lesbians are hard to find among the ranks of management (fewer than one out of ten include gay men or lesbians in more than one of every sixteen countries they have a presence in); and, without regard to the level of internal focus on LGBT inclusion, these multinational companies are not proudly trumpeting their diversity programmes to the general public or the local LGBT communities through advertising or PR. In fact, only a handful of companies support local LGBT communities either through financial or in-kind support.

Despite these negatives, Mr. Lépine is optimistic. “To have such confidence shown towards our community makes me believe that there are still many good chapters to be written in the history of the international LGBT business community. It is especially important in these difficult economic and political times to salute all the participating corporations for their courage and example”, he said in today’s presentation. “But,” he continued, “we must be realistic and say that, even if today we see promise, there is much more work to be done. Far too often we see and hear of gay and lesbian professionals throughout the world that do not have access to basic employee rights and benefits just because of their sexual orientation”, added Mr. Lépine.

The Index is the product of an international committee that includes gays, lesbians and transgender professionals living and working in eight different countries from Europe and North America. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and its European Region (ILGA-Europe) have played an instrumental role in the development of the program. “It is obvious that with the impact of globalization the LGBT community has its eyes on what corporations are doing at the international level, not just in one single country”, said David Pollard, Chairman of the Index Committee.

“BT Group’s outstanding commitment, policies and investment in LGBT diversity merits them the title of the most LGBT friendly corporation in the world. We challenge all multinationals to follow the example and leadership shown by those who saw a chance to be ahead of the curve. The IGLCC is proud of this historic moment and extends the invitation to all international corporations to participate in next year’s Index”, concluded Mr. Lépine.

To download a copy of the Index report, go to: www.iglcc.org/index2009 ”

Melanie nathan

Precursor to Future Obama Visit to South Africa

Post Apartheid South Africa where -the poverty is apalling; the crime is outrageous, the suffering is disgusting, the corruption is voluminous, Unemployment forty percent - HIV-AIDS – one in five!   Jacob Zuma what now?    asks Melanie Nathan.

The  protest poster says “AWB was better than ANC”  and appeared in The Star Newspaper, Johannesburg, South Africa, “A strong suggestion in the statement about the AWB being better — appalling thought  ( as they were the most extreme right wing white supremicist branch of the Afrikaner Apartheid Regime) — is that these people felt it was better to live under apartheid rule.  And that is not a laughing matter. It is a profound statement and reflects, at grassroots, a complete loss of faith in the ruling party. Yes, South Africa taught me to weep, not to laugh. What the current ruling party is doing to the poor is far, far beyond a joke. ”   This statement appeared in the BLOG of Rod McKenzie, on THOUGHT LEADER at http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/rodmackenzie/2009/07/27/china-taught-me-to-laugh-sa-taught-me-to-weep/ … interesting read!

Keep the UAFA Momentum with New Co-sponsors

Two New UAFA Co-Sponsors in the House
by Kathy Drasky
Published July 20, 2009 @ 09:24AM PT

The Tan Mercaso's in Parade

Thune Concealed Carry Gun Amendment Defeated… But Did it Open a Door for LGBT Equality?

melanie nathan

Paula Brooks has quoted the author of this blog on Lez Get Real, in a featured Article this week , Thune Concealed Carry Gun Amendment Defeated… But Did it Open a Door for LGBT Equality?  I want to thank Paula for the extensive quote expressing my views and for reporting on this interesting slant on the Gun issue. 

I for one like to take the hypocrisy and turn it around to see where it can serve as an opportunity and that was the motivation for the coments. I encourage you to read the full Article at http://lezgetreal.com/?p=18608

Designer Nicole Miller – Boycott

I found this fascinating quote today:

Well readers, I am telling you now that the wife of  the President of the company that distributes the cosmetics line by Nicole Miller gave a $100,000 to Yes on Prop 8; which is eerily similar to the large donations made by the wife of Erik Prince of the Blackwater corporation. lezgetreal.com, Boycott Nicole Miller!, Jul 2009

You should read the whole article.

Happy Birthday Madiba – Nelson Mandela turns 91.

Comments about UAFA- do not be put off – be motivated

As my readers know I have expressed a great deal of concern with how the  Uniting American Families Act has been handled by our self-appointed-by -ommission-leadership  and it is interesting to note the recent article quoting Rep Jackie Speier on UAFA’s unlikely passage which appeared in the Bay Area Reporter.   However I do not believe this article is negative at all but it ought to be a big wake up call to bi-nationals and their supporters.  Its time to fight for UAFA and it must be NOW.  It can be read in full at….

 http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4072 

 Congresswoman  Speier mentions that UAFA is low on  Congress Agenda and hence unlikely to see passage.   I too have heard that many members of Congress have not even heard about UAFA, the bill that will allow an American Partners in same-sex relationships to Petition under the immigration law for their Permanent Partners.  While Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado’s case created astonishing awareness, I agree withRep Speier’s (San Mateo) comment – “

” Speier also raised doubts about Congress’ ability to approve other legislation of importance to the LGBT community during the nearly 90-minute sit-down at her district office in downtown San Mateo Saturday, July 11. In regard to a bill that would allow LGBT Americans to remain in the country with their foreign-born partners, Speier said the issue had not gained enough traction in Congress to become a priority.”

To me this is indicative of the very problem that we have all been concerned about and I believe it has not gained traction for the following reasons:

1. Lack of involvement and utilization of grassroots groups;

2. Failure to use the stories of bi-nationals as a poignant tool, beyond mere display on websites;

3. Lack of effective leadership by Immigration Equality organizations– good leaders gather the best brains in the Country and do not make decisions without consultation, alliances, strategies and delegation.  When alliances are made, we should never lose sight of the prize by being swayed into battles that deplete our minimal resources.  Losing sight of the prize is when we minimize the fight for equality by shifting to a fight for immigration reform for those who already have the right to petition for spouses.  UAFA is an issue of Equality and not an immigration issue.  We have been manipulated to look at the issue from the perspective of the immigrant.   UAFA should be seen and advocated through the eyes of the suffering of the American partner citizen who has been denied the same rights as other Americans in permanent committed relationships having the option to marry.    Immigration is a privilege for the immigrant and inherent in the Immigration & Naturalization Act is a right for an American citizen spouse/ fiancé. Lesbian and Gay Americans are denied these rights. That is the fight and we should not be led down other paths.

I believe as do many that the Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado story hit the mark.  However the very day after their testimony, Immigration Equality shifted the focus to RFA.  This was a big mistake in my opinion.  Of course LGBT language should be included in immigration reform as a matter of course as it is the right thing to do.    However, our fight is still the equality fight and we are selling our community and those who have funded and advocated the work, short if we fail to focus on UAFA.  I believe a great opportunity and momentum may be lost if we do not take Shirley and Jay’s advocacy to the next level and that should be to speak to and motivate other couples to deliver and share their stories with their own congressional representatives.  There is no time like now.

4. Failure to provide actual personal advocacy in the most difficult of cases –instead these cases are rejected by organizations if they do not fit the mould, with “sorry we can’t help you” and “which country will you move to?”  Hundreds of bi-nationals have been turned away such as Shirley/Jay and Britta /Carla at the time they made calls to LGBT organizations. They did not fit the regular asylum mould and hence there was no help.  Unfortunately they also did not receive referrals of any kind or guidance at all.     These are the very cases that will draw attention, such as suggested by Rep Speier in the Article in the Bay Area Reporter; and all such cases should be propped up by organizations who could direct on how to prepare and approach congressional reps with pleas for direct assistance.  Imagine if half of congress received such a request and all Senators were informed, then I think Congress would have this issue higher on its Agenda. 

 Rep Speier suggested that bi-nationals can only apply through extraordinary means to stay in the US.  She is referring here to Private Bills which are introduced into Congress and then instead of being voted upon, are reintroduced in each new congress.  These are rare and few have made it to introduction.  Maybe if Congress were inundated with these requests, such as in Shirley’s case, they would wake up to the problem.   I applaud Rep Speier for her remarks in this regard, because she seems to give license to use this as a possible solution, in a milieu where we are discouraged from this as a solution and very fearful of abusing the process.  However maybe now its all up for grabs.

5. We are notorious for being quiet on the issue andwe are all tired of being told to wait; another ten years.  ‘Be quiet and don’t make a noise’ has never been a model for change.  Based on what Rep. Speier has said as quoted in the article, I agree; we do not have the consciousness in congress. However that does not mean we cannot gain it.  We must do so especially now with our recent visibility and impending action by President Obama  given the majority in Congress and Senate.

Our issue may be the underdog issue, but does that mean we are going to sit back and allow that to happen? Now is the time and we have to stop being children relying on the Pater-mater-familias to make decisions and take direction purportedly on our behalf, yet without consulting us.

It is not too late but we have to move quickly.  I had a great conversation this week with a source who has much more experience in D.C. than me.  He explained his view and the reigning sentiment amongst LGBT organizations such as Immigration Equality, on the importance of  the LGBT alliance with bigger immigration community, via the Mike Honda Bill, Reuniting American Families Act that seeks to incorporate UAFA.   He also conveyed, similar to Rep. Speier, that D.C. intelligence is clear that UAFA stands less chance than Comprehensive Immigration reform of passage; and that for this reason some organizations may be seen taking a new path which clearly veers from the absolute focus on UAFA. I was really appreciative of our discourse yet remain unconvinced.

However at no time has the beast been unleashed, truly unleashed; and believe me there is one waiting…. If all the bi-nationals band together on a grassroots level and strategize and if more Shirley and Jays and Carla and Britta’s have the courage to show up on doorstep of congress with their reporters, cameras and bloggers in tow, and if people like me are willing to advocate for Private Bills  and in arenas that most say are impenetrable, I really believe that UAFA can move in a direction that would provide a format of a Bill that will pass. 

Congress can and will have a new attitude toward UAFA – but it is not going to happen until we empower our community to make appointments with their representatives in every district, to show up with their own stories asking for help and if they do not need help, then to show up with the stories of other constituents.  Congress will buzz if the dialogue between Rep and Constituent is prevalent and persistent.   Until this constituent push happens the D.C. insider intelligence is meaningless.  If congress has not taken the issue on after we do this, then I will succumb to the current D.C. Intelligence.

Shirley Tan’s testimony at the Senate Judiciary Committee has had almost 30,000 hits on YouTube – compared to about a couple hundred by Session’s witnesses.   I believe that speaks volumes for the clout of empowerment.

Melanie Nathan

I cannot say it any better – Thank you US Congress- finally!! Hate Crimes Bill passes.

 

” Dear Melanie,

Often it seems like I’m writing to ask you to help respond to an urgent crisis. Well, today, I’m proud to tell you about an important, hard-fought victory that we won last night.

Just before midnight Thursday, the Senate finally passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment to the defense authorization bill. This legislation is long overdue, and now we’re finally on the verge of getting it signed into law.

On Wednesday, I spoke out on the Senate floor about the senseless death of Matthew Shepard, a tragedy that showed us we have a long way to go before we can truly say in this country there is equal justice for all. More than 10 years ago, two men offered Matthew, a gay man, a ride in their car. Subsequently, he was robbed. He was pistol whipped. He was tortured. He was tied to a fence in a remote rural area. And he was left to die.

This was a brutal, vicious hate crime — and we’ve got to do everything in our power to make sure nothing like it ever happens again.

For nearly 10 years, our right-wing opponents have been trying to block us from passing hate crimes legislation at every turn. Again last night, they filibustered, throwing out excuse after excuse, but finally we got the 60 votes we needed to pass it.

We know our right-wing opponents are going to launch a last-ditch effort to try to stop us, and they’re not going to give up easily. So we can’t stop fighting until the bill is sent to President Obama’s desk for his signature. Please stand with me and show your support, right now — so I can share your support with my colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Click here to sign my petition in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act — and share your thoughts with me — so I can show my colleagues the strong grassroots support for this critical measure!

Passing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is so important. This legislation adds gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability as protected categories under our hate crimes laws and strengthens the ability of federal, state, and local authorities to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

We’ve tried to pass hate crimes legislation for years. In the past, there’s always been an excuse: We do not have the time, or it is not relevant to the bill being debated.

Well, the loss Matthew Shepard’s family carries in their hearts will never disappear. But one thing we can do to ease their burden — and make sure no other families have to go through this — is enact this bill into law.

Now we all need to speak out and add our voices to make sure we make this Hate Crimes legislation the law of the land.

Click here to sign my petition in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act — and share your thoughts with me — so I can show my colleagues the strong grassroots support for this critical measure!

Thank you so much for giving me the honor and privilege to serve in the U.S. Senate — so I can fight for you and all Americans on such important issues like this.

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senator”

Human Rights Campaign adds UAFA and RFA Speakers

Thanks to HRC for the recent additions of Political speakers, Rep Mike Honda and Rep Jerold Nadler on program for the San Francisco Gala event scheduled for June 25th.  Both are champions of LGBT immigration equality.

Again – Again and Again but are we following the right path?

Read this Article in full at;-   http://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/?ak=4388

at www.Metroweekly.com

Then please come back and read my highlighted section and comment… thanks,

I am highlighting the following part of the Report – those in the “know” please comment…. or anyone for that matter!!

“Sadly, Joe and Steve’s case is not unique. Immigration Equality, with offices in D.C. and New York, estimates there are 36,000 bi-national same-sex couples in this country either facing separation or who have already been separated by U.S. immigration law. About half of those couples have children. On Capitol Hill, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) has been pushing the Uniting American Families Act for nearly a decade.  His bill would allow partners to sponsor their partners of either sex, rather than opposite-sex spouses alone. That effort was recently integrated into broader immigration-reform legislation, the Reuniting Families Act, sponsored by Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.). Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is leading the effort in the Senate……….”

Seeing as Sessions is in the news I thought I would allow my June 3rd article to resurface with this link

Senator Sessions – A Man About Hate (UAFA)  can be found on this site at – http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/what-a-day-uafa/

Racsim: Alive and Well and Living in America

Racsim: Alive and Well and Living in America..

I came to live in the US some 24 years ago, in the earnest belief that there would be no racism in this my new country; I believed that this America was the greatest and most free place on earth.  Clearly my impression stemmed from the context of an apartheid South Africa and an America subscribing to economic sanctions and boycotts in an attempt to bring the Apartheid regime to its knees. To me that spoke volumes. 

Enter me into a racist free America, Los Angeles, 1985- five years before the release of Nelson Mandela. There was nothing more unlikely than the release of Mandela, nothing less likely than a “New South Africa” and least likely an all inclusive constitution and Bill of Rights that would seek to protect all South Africans regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.  That was the context of my arrival; preconceived and unlikely…..   

I arrived in the US having practiced law in South Africa for the preceding six years.  Relieved to find work, after having paid some hard labor dues as all good immigrants do, I found a job and was soon appointed as Director of Legal Affairs for a Property Development Company in downtown Los Angeles. 

My boss, stationed in his Beverley Hills enclave, so that he could snort cocaine while directing his downtown employees via speakerphone, asked me to hire a new receptionist for the office.  Having placed our ad in the classifieds (no internet at the time) he informed me that he did not want me to hire a “black person.”    I was absolutely astounded. Astounded!  “This is America where there is no racism,” my naïve little mind endeavored to remind me. 

Having left South Africa with the mere dollars allowed by currency control regulations for a new life abroad, I was desperate for this job.  My first job was a $5.00 an hour showing people to their seats in a restaurant job. So when I got my important job, albeit the lowest salary in the history of important jobs,  I was determined to prove myself and ‘do my time,’ pending the Amrican dream!   Never before had I been asked to discriminate in this way. Even though I had lived in South Africa I believed I had escaped the confines of a racism at its worst,  however now realizing that at least delineation by law, makes the parameters of one’s existence reliable and clear.  “But here in America?   How do I do that? What is going on? There is no racism here!”

Saddled with this confounding burden, and so far from the person inside of me; I questioned myself: “do I leave my precious yet disgusting  job or do I find a way around this situation?”  Here is where my “in the now” persona coupled with own desperation merged, as if one.   I decided I would see all applicants for the job, regardless of my mandate and then deal with the choices after I found the best applicants.   That would be it!  I would simply let it all unfold.  This was a perfect solution as far as i was concerned for a procrastinator such as myself – “dont deal now!”

So the interviews commenced.  I do not recall how many candidates I interviewed, it was a decent amount. I started the process by choosing the most suitably experienced from the resumes and then called the candidates in for interviews.  Mere months in the USA, I had no idea that names could denote race and so retrospectively I know for sure that any form of consciousness around name profiling simply could not have happened.

I narrowed the process down to top three candidates and then  spent time making my decision relieved that none were ‘black,’  tereby extinguishing the need to even face the problem my boss had potentially bestowed upon me.  I hired a very personable, well qualified young ladyfor the job. Her demenour and qualifications were exactly what would work in our set-up.   Darlene (her real name) was perfect – she had a great outward appearance, and was really smart and I truly enjoyed her company.   Darlene commenced work and was indeed perfect for the job and she enjoyed a good speaker- phone relationship with the boss who seemed pleased with her work.  About three months into her hire the boss decided to bless us with his physical appearance.  I will never forget his walking into my office saying, “I thought I told you not to hire a black person!”  I was puzzled, Darlene was not black!

I soon learnt a few things. I learnt that black in South Africa and black in America did not always involve the same physical characterizations. In apartheid South Africa there were racial classifications ascribed by law and they were:  Black; Colored, Indian and White, and these were indeed significant distinctions in South Africa which was divided by the Group Areas Act, placing us all in separate residential areas.   Retrospectively if I were to place Darlene into a South African racial category she would probably have been classified as “colored” but never “black.”   In my mind she was not black. So in my ignorance of US racism, I was duped, and my naivety certainly did not help; even if it would have made a difference to my decisions at the time. 

Well as time went by, Darlene and I struck up a friendship where we used to confide in each other; she would tell me how her boyfriend drove a Porsche and was constantly being pulled over by LAPD because people of his color were not expected to show up in fancy vehicles.  As it turned out Darlene’s boyfriend happened to be the now celebrated rapper, ‘ICE-T.’    The two of them were subject to awful racism in their leasing of apartments and through other forms of  racial profiling. 

Ironically and lucky for Darlene  (and me too), when it came to her job at that time, I was a product of apartheid, where strict racial classification may have served to trip me up; and who knows what I may have done when confronted with losing my precarious survival to racism.

Darlene was a great employee and was even promoted in her tenure. I think as Ice-T became more famous- she left the Company.  I left after one year as I had refused to participate in the boss’s -shall I say – “anti-tenant”  behavior.  I left with no job and no way to survive – but clearly made my way…

As we enter this mileu of  profound racial consciousness, here in the US  kids are  being thrown out of clubs and pools, others are dragging effigies behind vehicles, hate crimes prevail and I can only wonder what will it take for this insiduous behavior to truly change?

Copyright 2009; Melanie Nathan/Oblogdeeoblogda/©

UPDATE

Okay so after I wrote this  Blog I went on line looking for links and look at what I found:- an interview with Darlene – whp probably does not know my side of her hiring story. I had no idea it was a fake resume until today….oh for the internet …. Iguess when you read about that ‘nice lady, it must be me -lol-  I did not remember Darlene’s last name until I googled her; she probably did not remember any of my name- Melanie Nathan!

“  …..the fall of 1985, she moved to Fullerton (an hour car ride from the city) with her sister and attended a local high school. After three months, she decided this situation wasn’t going to work. Darlene and Ice continued datingduring this time, although distance hindered the frequency of their rendezvous. “I didn’t drive and he didn’t have a car [Ice's Porsche had just been wrcked], so it was difficult. Sometimes he would borrow a friend’s car or someone would drive him out there. That’s a long way to come to see somebody. When I was ready to leave my sister’s house, One day, I just told him, ‘I’d like to move in with you.’ I don’t know if I just threw myself at him, but he said, “Okay.’”

Ice was still struggling to get signed in the music biz, and there was no real income coming in, so Darlene went out to find a job only to have a chance meeting with a woman who was fascinated with her look. At a graffiti exhibition featuring the work of one Fred Brathwaite (Fab 5 Freddy), Darlene was approached by the curator’s wifeand was asked to be the host of the Charmers French Market restaurant she was opening in Santa Monica. The project wouldn’t be finished for months, so Darlene was offered a position as a receptionist at Ace Gallery on Melrose until the restaurant opened. “

I loved it. Ice had just gotten the Porsche together. He’s had that Porsche forever, but it was wrecked and we could only afford to fix it up to a certain point. It had no seatbelt, no headlights, no windshield, no top. So here I am trying to go to work from Hollywood to Santa Monica. One night, I left the job at two in the morning. It was raining and I got my first ticket. I was scared. But I had to do what it took to get to work. The cops were busting two guys, but when they saw that car go by… Here I am, bleached blonde with a headband [in her Madonna phase] driving in the rain with no top, so I’m getting wet. I got no lights, no windshieldwipers. I thought it was too far to be taking the bus, and coming home late was too scary, so I was like, ‘we gotta do something about this.’ That was is. I quit that.

Though Darlene was still very much excited about L.A., things began to get tougher. “I had to get a job because he was persuing his music and, of course, his friends were still out there doing their thing that he stopped doing. There wasn’t any big money at the time, so for him to be doing the music and his friends still making money, it was hard for him. He was totally doing his thing legit and it was hard. I was behind him. I was in love with him. I was excited and thrilled to be here, so I went out and got a job and started going to night school at Hollywood High.”

Family and friends were skeptical of Darlene living with a Black man in big, bad Los Angeles, but she was out to prove that she had evolved beyond the small-town confinement. Since she was already capable of typing 78 words per minute, Darlene, then 20, created a fake resume and landed a job as a receptionist at Sassoony Developing, a company responsible for constructing mini-malls around the metro L.A. erea. “I loved that place because they gave me so much respect. I was the youngest person there and started off as a receptionist. I eventually moved up after a year when the lady who hired me made me her personal secretary. Then I got to hire my own person for the receptionist position. It felt so good. I was excited, like, ‘I’m moving up big time.” 
More than meets the eye
ARTICLE Story: Allen S. Gordon
Photography: Roger Erickson
Magazine: Rap Pages – September 1999
http://darlene-ortiz.com/Interview1.htm - full interview.

This entire BLOG was inspired by this in the DAILY BEAST:

Bullying Behind GOP “Racist” Win by John Avlon

Audra Shay, accused of endorsing racial slurs and hate, was elected to lead the Young Republicans yesterday. More shocking, reveals John Avlon, were the tactics: sexual innuendos, voter intimidation, near-fisticuffs.  Read on…..

http://www.thedailybeast.com/

 

My Comments: -How do we bring an end to this?  We live in the USA for goodness sake.  Is our failure to grow beyond the superficiality of hues and complexions a matter of mere education, a matter of poor leadership, a matter of  hypocrisy, a devilish evilness disguised by religious conviction in the shadow of  its own dogma – what is it?  Why is it? 

FYI- Thanks to the San Francisco / Bay Area Jewish Community

“On June 28th, the LGBT Alliance marched with 600+ people including 60+ Jewish organizations and synagogues and 20+ rabbis in the San Francisco Pride Parade.  While many individuals and congregations have been marching in Pride for years, this was the first time the Jewish community organized to march together.  Perhaps, this was one of the largest celebrations of Jewish people for LGBT rights in the country.”

 

Land of the FREE

Are you a Maverick?

 

ARE YOU A MAVERICK

Take the test   ….

I heard Presidential hopeful, John McClain calling himself a maverick I developed a rotten feeling about continuing to apply that word to my self- characterization.  Enter Sarah Palin and the word turned putrid.  

Now that both are out of any effective picture  I decided that I will no longer allow my self-characterization to be impacted by their respective claims on that word – however that I would first have to pass a self developed test to   see if I was truly entitled to the title.  So here is the test and you can take it too. If you get three out of six yeses you are entitled to the applicability of  the word maverick! 

Maverick	Score	Nonconformist	Rebel	unconventional	eccentric	One of a kind	Odd one out
McCain	1	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Palin	3	no	no	no	no	yes	yes
Melanie	4	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no
You

AP – PRESS – Attorney General Martha Coakley, MAssachusettes sues Federal Government

 Question: of course its me, mel – Because of prop 8 is California able to sue as well?  Is so why dont we? Answers welcome………  

Proposition 8 if not invalidated bu Courts, will create an awful and scary precedent.

QUOTE ARTICLE- See DENISE LAVOIE  Article at

“Mass. is 1st state to sue feds over marriage law

Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage, sued the U.S. government Wednesday over a federal law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The federal Defense of Marriage Act interferes with the right of Massachusetts to define and regulate marriage as it sees fit, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said. The 1996 law denies federal recognition of gay marriage and gives states the right to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Massachusetts is the first state to challenge the federal law. Its lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, argues the act “constitutes an overreaching and discriminatory federal law.” It says the approximately 16,000 same-sex couples who have married in Massachusetts since the state began performing gay marriages in 2004 are being unfairly denied federal benefits given to heterosexual couples.

“They are entitled to equal treatment under the laws regardless of whether they are gay or straight,” Coakley said at a news conference.

Besides Massachusetts, five other states — Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Iowa — have legalized gay marriage. Gay marriage opponents in Maine said Wednesday that they had collected enough signatures to put the state’s pending law on the November ballot for a possible override.

The lawsuit focuses on the section of the law that creates a federal definition of marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.”

Before the law was passed, Coakley said, the federal government recognized that defining marital status was the “exclusive prerogative of the states.” Now, because of the U.S. law’s definition of marriage, same-sex couples are denied access to benefits given to heterosexual married couples, including federal income tax credits, employment benefits, retirement benefits, health insurance coverage and Social Security payments, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit also argues that the federal law requires the state to violate the constitutional rights of its citizens by treating married heterosexual couples and married same-sex couples differently when determining eligibility for Medicaid benefits and when determining whether the spouse of a veteran can be buried in a Massachusetts veterans’ cemetery.

“In enacting DOMA, Congress overstepped its authority, undermined states’ efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples, and codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people,” the lawsuit states.

The defendants named in the suit include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the federal government.

Brian Camenker, leader of MassResistance, a group opposed to gay marriage, criticized Coakley for challenging the federal law.

“The federal government has a perfectly legal right to define marriage,” he said.

The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted when it appeared Hawaii would soon legalize same-sex marriages and opponents worried that other states would be forced to recognize them.

President Barack Obama has pledged to work to repeal the law, although gay rights activists criticized the administration last month after Justice Department lawyers defended it in a court brief. White House aides said they were doing their jobs to support a law that is on the books.

Charles Miller, a Justice Department spokesman, declined comment on the lawsuit itself, saying the department plans to review it. He noted Obama “supports legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act because it prevents (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) couples from being granted equal rights and benefits.”

Supporters of gay marriage predicted that other states where same-sex marriage is legal will also challenge the federal law.

“Every state has the right to determine who it will allow to marry, and the federal government always respects those decisions by states … except in this case,” said Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus.

“(Coakley) is going right for that vulnerability in the law,” she said.

This is the second lawsuit filed in Massachusetts challenging the law.

In March, the Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders claimed the law discriminates against gay couples and is unconstitutional because it denies them access to federal benefits that other married couples receive, such as health insurance and pensions.

In Maine, the Stand for Marriage Maine coalition said it took only four weeks to gather more than the 55,087 signatures necessary to put gay marriage to a vote.

The Maine law to legalize gay marriage had been scheduled to go into effect Sept. 12. It will be put on hold after the signatures are submitted and certified by the secretary of state’s office. Voters will then decide in November whether the law should stand.

The Man in The Mirror

Its all of us…”if you want to make a change – take a look at yourself – no one else can help YOU make a change!”
Michael Jackson’s eternal message. He did just that – he did just that!

Opinion: Palin Committs Political Suicide

trying to escape the heat… in alaska …  

UNLESS you too are fooled by – her incoherent bombshell speech -Palin alluded to her previous battle cry, “I said I was a Maverick!”   I canot resist my own \interpretation – ……..(in the first person) …   
I am going to save Alaska from me being a lame duck Governor, so I will quit… I do not want to have to defend all the crapo they are finding out about me as it will avert the agenda – I love Alaska and so I am going to put Alaska first and not myself – oh and by the way all that ethics nonsense and stuff thats just what it is – pure bullcrap – but now that I am ditching with a year left of my term I will no longer have to answer to that.  Oh ya what about that stuff about my hubby and sessation you betcha those e-mails from me were not from me…..   So I am going to hide until all of the crap goes away and then abra cadabra I will be back and everything will be back to normal and you will rent me as your next President.

There is a new comment on the post “BREAKING:  Sarah Palin to resign as Alaska Governor”.
http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/breaking-sarah-palin-to-resign-as-alaska-governor/

Author: reggie  Comment:
I happened to have Mudflats loaded before it crashed and it  contends that the cost of investigations was not in the millions.  <em><abbr>Today, we learn that “millions of dollars” is in fact, actually $296,000, as far as ethics complaints go. http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/breaking-sarah-palin-to-resign-as-alaska-governor/#comments

The complete breakdown is not yet available, but we do know this about the three spendiest ones:

$187,797 stemmed from the Troopergate investigation, a good chunk of which Palin initiated herself. We’ll get back to that.

$43,028 stemmed from a complaint by Andree McLeod which resulted in a recommendation that a state employee undergo ethics training for a series of “troubling emails.”

$29,962 most likely came from the “travel gate” investigation </em> &lt;/<abbr>&gt;

Sarah Palin a victim or a quitter or exposed….

 Sarah Palin avoids exposure and there is more to come, you betcha!    In her hollier than thou quit, Sarah Palin steps down trying to avoid further  sensational e-mail exposures.  WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS FOOLING – NOT this BLOGGER!   Imagine she is willing to risk her political career (because she failed to see her committment as Governor through) – clear indication of a red-herring tactic. What she is hiding must be bad!

  ”Here comes the tape KTUU – ” Thats not what is best for lack – the unconventional – not seeking reelection – quiting – to Lt. General.  Oh Alsaka alsaka alaska – millions of your dollars go down the drain because of me in this political enviromnment…. and so we will for Alaskans .  Basketball – picking away a good point guard… she knows when to pass the ball so the team can win and so that is what I am doing passing the ball for victory.  blah     The point guard….. Trying to bring it down… analogy to basketball -tra la la doo golly gosh

Yes Sarah are you victim   or a quitter  or   exposed? -”                  

Sarah Palin Playing Ball?

  – SARAH is waiting to be exposed and she is pre empting this !  Something is yet to come…. Why is media puzzled its so clear – the recent exposure would get worse but for this mammoth deflection…

DO you think this has anything to do with the recent revelation of the emails where she is trying to deny her husband’s membership and attachment to sessation of Alaska?   My take is there is a lot more that can be exposed and she is running scared. Now she believes she can affect change more so outside of government? Yes maybe she does because outside of government may denote less scrutiny to truth. The woman is a liar – it is apparant from these emails and now she is diverting her attention from these lies by blaming the media for a script she has written and not lived – that is her downfall!   Resign rather than fall.   Good move Ms. Palin/ ….

BOTTOM LINE this woman is still incoherent.

Dan Choi, outcome of come-out hearing……..

 Thanks to all my friends who responded to this request….. it was an astounding response. Well done…. will keep you posted. MEL         re DADT

 Dan Choi, a native of California and an Army Lieutenant, asked us to share the news of the verdict from his military trial with the Courage Campaign community.
Your overwhelming response to Lt. Choi’s requests for support has touched him deeply. In the last five days, 162,741 people signed Lt. Choi’s letter to the Army. And, a few weeks ago, 141,262 people signed Lt. Choi’s letter to President Obama. Combined, more than 300,000 signatures were collected and submitted to the Army by Lt. Choi as “Exhibit E: Courage Campaign.”

With Dan’s story attracting media coverage from CNN to the Associated Press, it’s time to take his cause to Congress. That’s why we are now teaming up with our friends at Knights Out and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to support Dan’s fight to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Will you join us today by signing our letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi by July 4th?

http://www.couragecampaign.org/RepealDADT

Rick Jacobs
Chair, Courage Campaign “

President Obama I did not hear you, can you speak a little louder please?

UAFA? any comments….