Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Matters of context



L'Ailee and I don't have fingernails left. Mayor Bloomberg says he supports SSM. Mayor Bloomberg says if marriage becomes legal in our city, he'll keep it that way. But it's not legal in the state of New York. Not yet. If the Appeals Court goes our way, we'll have another wedding, a small one. We'll know for sure what our legal relationship is, which is better than the situation now. But it could take months! Oh Gods...I'm so glad for this, but I'm so tired of this all at once. I just kind of want a remote control like Adam Sandler's in "Click", and to press fast-forward, and to speed up to the day where it's accepted everywhere and nobody feels the need to question the right of consenting adults to love and care for each other anymore. At the same time, I know we're living history. We're not at the forefront, but we're part of the rank and file, and it's a privilege.

I'm sorry to be so political, for those of you who are turned off by such things, but I hope y'all can appreciate why this cause has a very personal and emotional meaning to me, and why it stays at the forefront of my mind. I can't separate it out from the rest of my life; it has a very direct effect on me.

Random things...

Once again, I danced fairly well in front of everybody this Memorial Day. My costume was a sheer white djellaba, embroidered in gold and turquoise by L'Ailee, with a turquoise camisole and turquoise-and-white floral board shorts underneath. I feel really pretty in flowy clothing like that. Still, I felt relieved once I could just *watch*. A couple of Middle Eastern guys came on to me. Yasmeen told me later that I must have seemed "exotic" to them. Exotic is a matter of context; I'd almost forgotten.

I did get to surf after all. The board shorts really came in handy, but I had to rent a boring, too-long, too-wide white surfboard instead of riding my beautiful, girl-sized, moonphase-and-star-spangled purple one. A couple of teenage boys laughed at me--such cognitive dissonance, after guys at the picnic looked at me like I was breakfast! But at least I got the opportunity to yell, "Fat girl in flowered board shorts WIPED YOUR ASS OUT!" I did, too. Totally stuffed one of the little brats into a barrel while I rode.

I also learned that if L'Ailee is wearing a zebra-printed bikini, it doesn't impress her when I impersonate the Pearls Before Swine crocodiles. But it's fun anyway. Hullloooooo, zeeba neighba!

One of my favorite MySpace bloggers says the Tuesday after a Monday off is like a double Monday. He is *so* very right. It was madness at work yesterday! But the weekend was still worth it.

Links...

Jonathan Rauch on why Republicans want to pass the FMA. Make people focus on boogiemen and women, they'll forget real problems...

Anti-gay violence in Russia this weekend. It made L'Ailee and I both very glad she was here.

Mark Morford on "if it bleeds, it leads" journalism

The Conscience of a Carnivore An, um, interesting solution to the problem of having to kill critters in order to eat meat. Chili sin carne seems like an easier solution to the dilemma!

A comprehensive list of egg substitutes. This made me very happy today!

Finally, want a drink? Food and Wine has all kinds of intriguing ideas for summer!

9 comments:

Peterson Toscano said...

Egg Substitutes -- yay!

Anti-Gay Russian Attacks -- ugh!
I missed that story, and I have a feeling I will hear it again in the near future--even in our own RED states.

TFLS said...

You always make me smile, kiddo! What a weekend - sounds like you both had lots of fun. And wouldn't that second wedding be wonderful! Look - eventually this anti-gay bullshit will evaporate. It has to. To continue with it would set humanity so far back it would shrivel and die. 50 years from now people will look back on this and wonder what all the fuss was about.

LeLo said...

I'm totally with you about the ability to marry: now when I hear the radio stories about what's going on in New York I'll think of you. I understand the emotion, and I understand the incredibly personal aspect of it. It's the first time when politics have become personal for me. Some people understand, some people don't. I don't spend much time with those who don't anymore.

Kel-Bell said...

I agree with the "Fat Lady". Every time there is a great shift in a society, just before that shift, people will pull back and resist. They will become very conservative and fundamentalist simply because they fear change. But this phenomenon is very brief, and never stops the shift.

I think thats where we are at right now. Progressive democracy is marching forth, and new ideas about equality, eco-sustainability, and matriarchial theology are bubbling up all around us.

We just need to keep stiring the pot while its cooking.

Kel-Bell said...

Hi all,
This post is a request for help. The Ohio House of Representatives has legislation on the floor to ban all abortions in The State of Ohio. I am scheduled to speak before the House on the issue in two weeks, and would like to hear your views before I do. Speech

sttropezbutler said...

Yov've been busy, dancing, surfing, movies, Nascar...I've been...boring and moving.


I'll be back...you know that!

STB

Dr. Deb said...

OMG, that sign on the church marquis is so FUNNY!!!!

BostonPobble said...

You know, a woman I admire very much once taught me the phrase "living in fear sucks." Sadly, that's not something many people understand. Keep living without it though, as best you can, and keep living in hope.

And isn't it great when you get to yell "Fat girl WIPED YOUR ASS OUT"! It's a cognitive dissonance I know too well. In some circles, I'm practically a walking, living goddess. In others, I'm just a fat, old lady. It's always a little jarring to go from one directly to another.

Jon-Marc McDonald said...

When the news broke that Bloomie indicated that he would allow SSM in NYC I LFJ.

If it does become legal, Ric and I will have a huge wedding. If not, we will still have a huge wedding and then send a big fuck-you bouquet of dog shit to all the judges who voted against SSM.

Glad to see you are busy and enjoying life in this fair city of ours.

Keep well and keep happy,

Jon-Marc