I’ve been chillin’ during the heat wave by cuddling up to my air conditioner with lots of books. Here’s some I recommend.
I finished “The Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins and, boy, am I impressed. Media sound bites since the movie came out reduce the story to an “action adventure.” With its breakneck pacing, scenes of mortal combat and many cliffhangers, it certainly is that, but it’s also a fascinating character study and a strong anti-war statement.
June, which includes the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969, is the traditional month to celebrate LGBT Pride. This year many things are boosting the spirit of our celebrations, from the growing acceptance of marriage equality to the increasing numbers of LGBT celebrities coming out of the closet.
I get caught up in the excitement each June and sometimes wish that the spirit of the festivities could be extended throughout the year. Of course, there are many ways it can, so here are some suggestions.
I’m thrilled to report that two of the most enduring and joyous institutions of Second Wave feminism will be held here in Wisconsin once again: the WisCon Feminist Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention and the National Women’s Music Festival.
Wisconsinites should be proud of our role in sustaining these exciting feminist events, which are inclusive – not for women only. Everyone is welcome and accessibility issues, whether disability- or income-related, are taken seriously.
A series of events in recent weeks have me wondering if some brakes are finally being applied to the wrecking ball unleashed by Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-dominated Legislature.
Two judges have issued injunctions against the GOP’s voter ID law, which is one of the most restrictive in the nation. The judges said the law would disproportionately affect those with the fewest resources to comply: the poor, the elderly and people with disabilities. It’s worth Googling the decision by Dane County Judge Richard Niess, who issued a passionately worded defense of our state Constitution’s guarantee of the right to vote.
In the midst of recent Pride celebrations, I was struck by a small item in one of those birthday notices that pop up online. This one noted that June 23 marked the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing, the British math whiz often touted as the “father” of computer science.
Alan Turing was a gay man whose story should be better known. He is a prime example of why we march to assert our pride, why we fight to change society, and why we will never go back.
Coming out while remaining Christian poses several challenges.The apostle Paul’s acerbic comments about gay and lesbian sex come to mind. After one makes peace with 10 or so biblical passages, one challenge remains: pride.
The Christian tradition long looked askance at pride. Pride made the list of the “seven deadly sins.” These were seen as the gateway to all debauched behavior. The Christian tradition taught humility as the cure for pride.
One hundred and 50 years ago, on April 19, 1862, Gov. Louis P. Harvey of Wisconsin died in the cold waters of the Tennessee River.
The popular 41-year-old governor, in office for less than three months, was on a mission of mercy to take medical supplies to Wisconsin soldiers who survived the battle of Shiloh. The battle is named after the church in which Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Union army had its headquarters. Ironically, Shiloh means “place of peace.”
Zielinski has earned another term as 14th Ward alderman
Ald. Tony Zielinski has earned a third term representing the 14th District, which includes the heavily gay neighborhood of Bay View. His record of achievement in the district is one that other aldermen in Milwaukee can only hope to emulate.
Sharon Needles
Due to her recent victory on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Sharon Needles was one of the most requested personalities for PrideFest 2012. We worked with Producer Entertainment Group, her managing company, to negotiate appearances, costs and associated riders.
Woo-hoo, Pride season is again upon us! Time to don our gay apparel and boogie on down to that annual reunion known as PrideFest.
I’m getting to the age where blaring outdoor music doesn’t appeal to me that much, but what I love more than ever is the people-watching. I’m delighted every year to rediscover how many ways there are to be gay. Or, more precisely, to express our gayness.
Adrienne Rich, an acclaimed lesbian writer whose poetry, essays and activism defined the Second Wave of feminism and promoted lesbian-feminist ideals, died on March 27. She was the Virginia Woolf of our time.
The brilliance of Rich’s poetry was recognized by the arts establishment, which honored her with many literary awards and grants. But her greater, incalculable legacy is in the standards of feminist and lesbian ethics she articulated and in the transformative influence she’s had on two generations of women who found their deepest disappointments and aspirations reflected in her writing.
I’ve been wondering at what point in the ceaseless wave of misogyny we’re living through the vast majority of reasonable people will reject the ugliness of it.
The campaign to deprive Rush Limbaugh of advertising support in the wake of his latest assault on women and the furious reaction to the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to deny grants to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening are encouraging signs that women – and those who love them – are finally fed up and not going to take it anymore. But the onslaught continues.
