Open Thread – Standing on the Side of Love
Yesterday was the first day that same-sex marriage was legal in New York. Phillis Siegel (76) and Connie Kopelov (84) were the first to marry at Manhattan’s City Clerk’s office. They have been partners for 24 years.
Congratulations to all the couples who tied the knot today in New York, the sixth and largest state to recognize marriage equality.
get ur popcorn ready, Palin will be talking to her BF Greta tonight about what else-Debt Ceiling!!!
President Obama requested that we contact our Senators and Congressmen to tell them what our thoughts are on raising the debt ceiling and whether we prefer a balanced approach (increasing revenues/modest cuts) or a cuts only approach to reducing the deficit.
If you do not know who your representatives are (or how to reach them) the link below can give you that information. All you need to do is to enter your zip code. Please call your congressman and senators today. It doesn’t take long, the volunteers/interns accepting your calls are nice people and will just keep a track of the calls and what they support. If you can’t reach them by phone (line’s busy or voicemail is full) please fax them a short to the point comment about your preference on the deficit plan.
http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/getLocal.jsp
Here’s another story of love…and light.
This is an amazing story and video about a project called ‘Liter of Light’. Designed and developed by students at MIT, it is an effort to bring light to desperately poor homes which have no electricity.
The students discovered that placing a 2-liter soda bottle filled with water and bleach (to prevent algae) in a hole in the roof of a shanty home will provide light equal to a 50-60 watt bulb. The water in the bottle refracts the light and so creates a much brighter light than putting a plain hole in the roof would do.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/07/letting-the-light-in.html
That was an uplifting story. Reminds me of the beautiful Leonard Cohen song: There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.
Here it is, captured live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e39UmEnqY8
My state has done the right thing. This will be an economic boon (caterers, couturiers, banquet halls, florists, tux rentals, hotels, resorts, etc.) that will help the entire state.
On a personal note: a couple I know has been together 30 years. They plan to marry. Why isn’t just continuing to live together enough? Well, some years back, one of them got cancer. The other was NOT permitted to visit her in hospital, and NOT included in medical decisions that affected both of their lives. Once they’re married, that will no longer be an issue.
I wish all the newlyweds — and everyone else — health and peace.
…now if we can just get Fed to recognize that a legal marriage is a legal marriage is a legal marriage.
Just for starters: If DH and I get tax breaks for being married, why can’t Connie and Phillis? If DH and I ‘share’ Social Security benefits upon the death of the other, why can’t Connie and Phillis? If Connie and Phillis were younger and one were in the now-DADT-less US military, why can’t Connie (or Phillis) get medical care through Phillis’ (or Connie’s) service? Or survivor benefits (percentage of service member’s retirement pay)? Or commissary, BX/PX, legal assistance, recreation privileges? Or military sponsorship –moving, housing etc.– for Phillis (or Connie) if there’s a change of station for their *legal* spouse? As I said, that’s just for starters.
I’m tickled as all get out that consenting adults are *finally* able to legally marry the person they love in places like NY, but there is still an awful lot of work to be done to get to anywhere near anything even remotely resembling marriage *equality*. One hell of a LOT of work. beth.
True…but it’s a big and visible step in the right direction. As is DADT repeal. As is the new challenges to DOMA.
On the local news last night, a man who was part of a group of protesters outside of our City Hall was interviewed. He was strongly opposed to the new law and said that a change like this should be on the ballot for the voters to decide, not the legislators.
What he doesn’t seem to realize is that a greater and greater majority of people in this country support same-sex marriage, and if this measure was put on a state ballot, especially in NY State, it would likely pass easily.
Public opinion has changed significantly in recent years regarding civil rights for LGBT people and that trend will only increase as the younger generation grows up and become more politically active. In just 2 years, the NYS legislature went from defeating the bill to passing it WITH the very public support of several Republicans who knew that their constituents were behind them.
Equality may be slower in coming than many of us would like, but it IS coming!
This story is a perfect example of why voting in your state and local elections can sometimes be even more important than voting in the national ones. The new crop of Republican governors and state legislators are doing irreparable damage to our states with little recourse for the people who are being hurt.
“Traditional public schools in Florida will get no money from the state this year for additions or needed repairs to thousands of aging buildings, but charter schools will score big.
All of the state cash budgeted for school construction and maintenance is going to the independent, tax-financed charters favored by the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott.”
The 350 charter schools in FL will split $55 million dollars but approximately 3,000 public schools will get…yup, that’s right…NOTHING, NADA, ZIP, ZILCH!
Republican Sen. David Simmons defends the decision to give all the money to the charter schools by claiming that the public schools don’t need it because they had a boom of construction a few years ago. Anyone who has worked in a school, had a child in a school or has three working brain cells in their head knows that all school buildings, young or old, always need capital funds for repairs and upgrades. Sorry, Senator Simmons, but I just don’t believe that every public school building in Florida has recently been renovated and is in tip-top shape!
And does anyone besides me find this little tidbit particularly infuriating (although not surprising)?
“The charter school operated for children of employees of The Villages, the Republican stronghold in north Lake County frequented by Scott and former President George W. Bush, is expected to receive about $1 million.”
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/07/25/37mct_flcharter.h30.html?tkn=OXYF7BvT7RH4Zq3yKCFMpkNsR0ImpoR%2F2UXu&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2#comments
I’m so proud of my state!
Last night I watched the news reports of couples in NYC, Niagara Falls and here in Rochester, and they just brought tears to my eyes. How awful that some of these people had to wait decades for the same privilege that so many straight couples take for granted. Hearing some of the prospective spouses talk about their lives together, their families and what this change would mean to them was truly touching. I saw an interview of Phillis and Connie, and the love they have for each other was evident and very moving.
And for all of the LGBT couples throughout NY who have chosen to legally join their lives together, I wish them many years of love, happiness and joy. 🙂
My father’s younger brother was my Uncle M, and, boy, did I adore me some Uncle M! Tall, handsome, kind, loving, sunny-dispositioned, caring, ‘gentlemanly’, wickedly-sense-of-humoured, generous, smart, fun, sophisticated…you name it, that was my Uncle M.
I’ll admit to a sense of *major* green-eyed jealousy when he met L; my 12-yo self didn’t want to ‘share’ Uncle M with anyone other than my parents and 4 siblings. I needn’t have worried, though; I should have known Uncle M would never have fallen for L if L hadn’t been equally as wonderful and awesome as my adored Uncle was.
Did I mention Uncle M was handsome? — oh, Lord, was he ever handsome! And kind and generous and fun? — well, yeah…in spades. What was there not to adore? He was remarkable and incredible — I loved being around him; he always made me feel much more important than I was…or am. L did the same.
It *never* occured to me that I shouldn’t love and adore my Uncle M — or that anyone else would even consider judging him negatively. Uncle M and L were, individually, outstanding men; as a couple, they were the embodiment of unconditional love, mututal respect, and boundless contentment. To my way of thinking, they were, just as were my parents, the very model of what all couples should aspire to.
Nope, I’ve never understood all the hoopla over Teh Gay; what a sheer and stupid waste of energy over something that’s one of life’s most quintessential non-issues. I’m SO glad others are sloooooooowly starting to see this undeniable truth and are *finally* acting accordingly. beth.
That is a beautiful photo!
Pressed the button too soon. reply to crowwoman as to another song that is fitting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z45EB4TiYz4
Another song that fits———-Accentuate the Positive
Accentuate the Positive – Bette Midler & Bing Crosby
Fantastic photograph. So glad New York has the wisdom and the courage to do the right thing.
We all win when Love wins.
31 couples are right this moment getting married up in Niagara Falls. They’re showing a live shot on our local news and every is crying, even the Pastor who is trying to get through the words.
Unfortunately, we had a thunderstorm roll in which I just know the protesters are going to chalk up to God’s anger. What I’m hoping is that the storm will roll on through and a big ol’ rainbow over the falls will be left behind. Now THAT would be awesome !
Buffalogal just made me realize something. When we put labels on folks, don’t we tend to see the labels first, before seeing that each one of us is “merely” a human being with the same hopes and fears as the rest of us?
It IS a non-issue already! It’s just that for some, they’d rather hang onto their issues than deal with or rise above ’em. Gawd, that’s such a sad thing… to hang onto the negative cuz you’re afraid of the positive.
A cryin’ shame.
That photo made my day. Thanks!
Happy, happy day to you, Phillis and Connie. Enjoy !!
It’s not that I want to get married right now but y’know, it’s nice to know I can . Hopefully, 10
years from now this will entirely be a non-issue. It sure would be nice to have this battle be
done.
What the world needs now
Is love sweet love
No not just for some
But for everyone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMS2uMUQNnQ&feature=related
Good morning, all. Off to jury duty!
thatcrowwoman
I love this picture. It says so much about love, joy in one another and winning the good fight. Bless every couple who can now be legally united. For many, it was a long, long wait.
This photo is wonderful…and it says it all. If you find love hang on to it.
Beautiful . . . .