A little history

I am reading a history of the Daughters of Bilitis (bi-LEE-tis) which was the first lesbian organization in the country.

I see how far we have come but have remained in the same place. The arguments in the 50's and 60's were amazingly similar and yet we have made significant progress.

For instance, there was a lot of agreement that lesbians in the group needed to wear dresses in public- at their conventions, at gatherings, etc. Oh not just dresses but the matching shoes, also.

The main form of communication was a newsletter called The Ladder which was typed, stenciled and mailed in sealed manila envelopes to the 150-200 subscriptions around the country. Snail mailed, mind you.

There was considerable controversy whether to picket in front of businesses, the White House or political venues. many people did not think that was a good idea and that we should wait for our political leaders to come around to equality.

My point? I know we can continue to discuss the upcoming election. I know many will not be happy with whoever our candidate is but we all must make decisions at some point on who will vote for. Some will have to hold their nose and vote, some will be happy with the outcome. Either way, some of us are not wearing skirts or pumps unless we want to. And Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin will always be my sheroes for seeing into the future and doing something to change it.

Gay civil unions en Mexico

The Governator is in Mexico City on the same day the Mexico City assembly passed legislation allowing gay civil unions. Perfect. No fall of a centuries old civilization or riots in the streets, just equality. How ironic, how perfect. How unhappy the Catholic Church is. Ahh too bad.

Also there is election data about how Latinos paid back the ReThugs for all the talk about immigration. Talk about us like dogs, we'll vote for Dems. According to USA Today:

Republican gains among Hispanic voters evaporated in Tuesday's election, and some party leaders are blaming harsh rhetoric on immigration for the reversal.

Duh.

People on this side of the border don't know a lot about Mexico. As Ms Marinucci wrote today, Mexicans on el otro lado, the other side, hate the Governator. There are plenty of reason from that perspective including vetoing driver's licenses for undocumented people.

When I was working with AIDS organizations and LGBT groups in Ciudad Juarez on the border, I would give them big time props for the work they could accomplish in a small amount of time. One group, in a two month period, got their own radio show, got the Catholic Church to do a gay mass, started their own newsletter and were invited to sit on the Huma Rights Commission for the state of Chihuahua.

But yet, politicians have ignored the Latino community and do so at their own risk. Kerry spent a very small amount on Spanish language advertising in '04. His ads, at least in New Mexico, talked about Haliburton.

Dude, I have news for you. When a person is working 2 or 3 jobs, they don't give a shit about Haliburton.

On the other hand, Bush's ads talked about family values in the Latino community. Guess who won New Mexico?

So while Bush may have made some in roads in the past, it's all dust now. We don't forget nor should we. Ignore us at your own peril.

In the meantime, I guess it is time to get civil in Mexico City.

Que viva Mexico, viva.

New Senate

Here's some good reading. This is the list of all the new Senate Comittee Chairs starting in January.

Barbara Boxer in charge of Envirnoment and Public Works, Ted Kennedy in charge at Health and Education, oh MY GAWD! It just keeps getting better!

A landmark

I got a good lesson today on what the victories mean for us. My friend Bonny has a 12 year old son, Devon. Jo and I took Devon to his first political activity, we pushed his stroller in the Dyke March in Santa Cruz when he was less than a year old.

HE has NEVER seen a Democratic victory at the national level in his lifetime. And now he has seen it with his own eyes. YEAH BABY, we win the HOUSE and SENATE. Bush is toast.

Hope

To papraphrase my old friend Jeep, if I was any happier, I'd have to be twins. We took the House, are inches away from winning the Senate, Rumsfeld has resigned and Bush looked like a bitchy queen on his press conference. I got to spend yesterday afternoon with the wheel chair kids, go to the Sharks game and see them win and Evan Low won for Campbell City Council.

Now if only I could find a job, ah, life would be perfect. But I know a lot of folks were waiting on tomorrow before moving ahead so I am hopeful. Actually I feel more than hopeful, excited about the future is more like it.

Despite everything that has gone on this year, I feel really good right now finishing up this year. I am going to go plant tulips, make appointments with electeds to help with BAWSI, help get an event together with Billie Jean King in April at Stanford and get a good job.

Latest reports have Tester winning in Montana so if we win VA, and the count is going the right way for us, we will have the Senate, too. I am too happy to write much snarky stuff cus....there is no reason to do so today! These victories come too infrequently so I will celebrate.

To life, hope and the future, cheers!