Queer Sighted

I just discovered Queer Sighted, a multi-authored, diverse blog. Lots of cool links (and plenty of advertising). Richard Rothstein fumes today over the sense of entitlement shown by heterosexual culture as it decides what citizenship rights it will grant us queer folk. He gets the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence confused (see the comment I added to his post), but that can happen to the best of us when blinded by conservative-triggered fury.

Catchy name?

The title of this blog is accurate, if boring and perhaps a touch narcissistic. I doubt anyone actually reads it, but if you do, and you have an idea for a more imaginative, catchy title, let me know. "Queer Slant." "Assimilationist Perspectives." "In a Handbasket."

Something. Anyything!

Tax Me More. Cover Everyone.

Andrew Sullivan writes

I grew up with socialized medicine, and I know what a disaster it is. It's coming, of course. You can feel it. Bush paved the way. The golden era of American medicine and research will soon cede to more and more state control. It will exchange a great deal of its excellence for more access for more people. That's the bargain most democracies make.

There are people I love and care about with no health insurance. Mostly low-income, mostly self-employed, and many of the ones I know personally work in the arts, as part-time college faculty, etc.

And I know a lot of people, including myself, who remain in a full-time job they may not care for (I love much about my job, especially the teaching, and yet the negativity and pettiness that seems an inevitable part of academic life seems intolerable at times) or want to leave, stay in it to maintian health insurance for themselves and especially their dependents.

I know socialized medicine would bring with it many problems. But I'd rather pay some higher taxes and know that the people who can't get health insurance, and who can't pay the often higher-than-what-insurance-companies-pay-providers fees, are covered.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is eliminating its funding of national LGBTQ groups, while continuing support for its LGBTQ employees. National groups are being pretty understanding, according to the article, but many individuals feel hurt and, it seems, betrayed.

Wanda Sykes on Gay Marriage

Just to clarify,

I'm in favor of same-sex marriage, called marriage. Thinking pragmatically, the introduction of civil unions could, in some states, be an appropriate and helpful first step, and avoid a constitutional showdown. Which will come eventually, I'm sure. But it would be nice to put it off until the Supreme Court has a different balance.

Tide turning in favor of equality?

I'm delighted, of course, that the Massachusetts anti-gay marriage amendment didn't make it to the ballot, and that some day I might be able to be legally married there--it's a state I loved since spending a summer studying at Tanglewood almost 30 years ago. And New York is getting in on the act as well, or at least moving towards it. The State Assembly passed a pro-gay marriage bill yesterday after an emotional debate. The bill is being blocked in the Senate by its majority later, but sooner or later it, or a similar bill, will get through. Nothing is as powerful as an idea who's time has come, Victor Hugo pointed out long ago.

Andrew Sullivan puts it well:

The reason the civil rights movement for gay equality under the law has been so successful so swiftly is because gay people have an army of allies: our families. Among the most powerful advocates in particular are relatively conservative families of gay people.