shame on me

so i’m lame in updating this second blog.. I have many things I would like to get out there but with the start of school, the election of Obama and the gay marriage ban – well i’ve been asleep at the keys – oh and yeah there was an expansion to WoW.

Anyway, where have I been, why haven’t I watch the Rachel Maddow show? why do I seem to be late to the party on things like this – I guess better late than never, and though I’m a staunch supporter or Rosie Odonnell – I think she was right on her blog – that she didn’t finish negotiations with MSNBC for a similar show – and thank god I was already watch Rachel so I didn’t have to google her name and wonder what else I had missed.

long in coming update

hi all who are following the lawsuit – things are proceeding – normal motions and amendments done – it’s all filed electronically so if you are truly interested go to the 11th cir. court in Florida federal and you can read what is filed.  peace all

GLAAD

New York, NY, August 14, 2008 – On August 14, Fox News Channel aired a crude and obnoxious segment concerning the recent announcement of America’s Next Top Model’s first-ever transgender contestant. Isis, who will begin appearing on the new cycle of the popular CW program when it premieres on September 3, was interviewed exclusively in the current issue of Us Weekly.
 
Fox News anchor Gregg Jarrett and Us Weekly Editor-at-Large Ian Drew spent the segment gratuitously insulting the America’s Next Top Model contestant, using dehumanizing terminology, inaccurate and inappropriate pronouns and offensive references to her anatomy. 

While laughing and joking, Jarrett mocked Isis’ description of herself as a woman whose “cards were dealt differently,” and said, “That’s an understatement!”  Drew referred to recent instances of transgender visibility on reality television as “The Crying Game ’08,” going on to call the show “America’s Next Top Tranny.”  Drew then said that she doesn’t look any different from other contestants because “they are not exactly the most high-class group of women.” Throughout the segment, Jarrett switched back and forth between male and female pronouns, and both Jarrett and Drew suggested that Isis “fooled” people by “blending in.”  They went on to make crude remarks about her genitalia and the pitch of her voice.

Soon after the segment aired, GLAAD contacted both Fox News Channel and Us Weekly, calling on both to apologize.  Us Weekly issued the following statement: “We apologize if any group was offended by our editor’s comments as it was by no means his intention.”  Fox News did not respond.

The segment can be viewed on YouTube.

Please contact Fox News Channel and call on them to apologize for these obnoxious, insulting and dehumanizing comments.

Fox News Channel

Gregg Jarrett  – Anchor
(212) 301-3000
gregg.jarrett@foxnews.com 

Jay Wallace – Executive Producer
(212) 301-5168 
jay.wallace@foxnews.com

Tom Lowell – Senior Producer
(212) 301-3000 (outlet)
tom.lowell@foxnews.com

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visitwww.glaad.org.

too much work

keeping up two blogs seems like a good idea but as I see i’m not good at doing it, and hits here are much less.. so this one will be updated much less.. and will be more of cut n pasting from other sites to keep up with important issues.  thanks all

Lambda Legal Blog

http://communities.justicetalking.org/blogs/day15/archive/2008/07/14/out-of-tragedy-a-lesson.aspx

About Kevin Cathcart

Kevin M. Cathcart, executive director of Lambda Legal since 1992, is a leading strategist and spokesperson in the movement to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV. Under his leadership, Lambda Legal’s groundbreaking work reached new heights in 2003 when it won a U.S. Supreme Court victory, Lawrence v. Texas, striking down Texas’ “Homosexual Conduct” law and every law like it in the nation. Cathcart graduated from Richard Stockton State College (New Jersey) in 1976 and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1978. He received his J.D. from Northeastern School of Law in 1982.

Out of Tragedy, A Lesson 

Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond were together almost 20 years. They had adopted foster children and created a good life for their family in Washington State. Last summer they decided to take three of their children on a family cruise — but they never left the port in Miami.
 
Lisa, a healthy 39-year-old, had been cheerfully watching her children play basketball on the boat’s upper deck, when she suddenly collapsed. She was rushed by ambulance to Jackson Memorial Hospital and diagnosed with a fatal brain aneurysm. 

When Janice and their children arrived at the hospital, a social worker was confrontational and rude to them. He told Janice that she was in an antigay city and state. Hospital staff would not give Janice any information about Lisa and kept the family from seeing Lisa for hours. Lisa lay dying alone with her family just feet away in the next room. 

No one should have to go through what this family went through at the hospital, making a horrible tragedy worse. That seems like common sense. But even as we are making enormous strides for equality in America, this case is a stark reminder of the kind of discrimination that LGBT people and people with HIV continue to suffer. And it’s particularly egregious when it comes during medical emergencies, when everyone deserves to be treated with compassion. 

Lambda Legal has filed a lawsuit against Jackson Memorial Hospital on behalf of Janice and her children. We hope to win justice for the family and also to educate people about discrimination in hospitals and health care settings. We’ve also launched a petition campaign urging the next President of the United States to create a health care plan that ensures equal access for LGBT people and people with HIV in hospitals and health care settings.

Equal access means treating people without discrimination and honoring the wishes of all patients. It also means that hospitals must create visitation policies that have a broader definition of who is considered “family.” It never occurred to Janice, for instance, that she would not be treated like her partner’s family. “We had spent almost 20 years of our life together, were raising children together,” Janice recalled. “If that’s not family, I don’t know what is.” 

On top of their deep commitment to each other, Janice and Lisa had created medical power of attorney documents, which Janice had a friend fax to her at the hospital as soon as she got there. A power of attorney or health care proxy allows you to choose the person you want to make medical decisions for you and authorizes doctors and other medical staff to release information to this person. (For more information on health care documents, see “Take the Power,” Lambda Legal’s life-planning toolkit.

All people should execute these documents, but for LGBT people and people with HIV they become crucial for two reasons:

1. While different-sex spouses in every state automatically receive the right to make medical decisions for each other, same-sex couples, even those that have married, do not have this right in most states. A medical power of attorney is one of the few ways anyone can alert health care staff about their medical wishes and who should be making decisions about these wishes.
2. When discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status does occur, having this documentation gives Lambda Legal and other groups a stronger base that we can argue from.

Nothing can bring back Lisa Pond or the nearly eight hours Janice Langbehn lost with her dying partner. But we can all learn something from her suffering and help make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Another letter of support

this letter came via Lambda to me: Once again I am moved to tears that people are listening and saying what happened to lisa and the kids was wrong: Here is the letter – Thank you “allie” for writing!

After reading about this horrendous and incomprehensible situation, I would ask that you forward this letter of support toward Ms. Janice and her family. I am so appalled by the inhumane treatment of you, Lisa and your children. I am deeply saddened by your loss and that at your family’s worst moment, you were denied basic human rights as well as gross mistreatment, mental and emotional abuse. I am saying to you, PLEASE STAY STRONG! You are loved, you are being prayed for and in your victory, may it be in this lifetime or the next, you are making a positive difference in the lives of everyone whether they know it or not. Lets stop hatred, fear, ignorance and discrimination as it is handed down to the next generation. Janice, thank you for standing up for yourself and staying strong; I think your beloved Lisa would be so proud of you as we are! E-mail me anytime, Allie

Lost In Solitude: Rosie’s Speech At Hunter College

Listen, be still beautifully said

more about “Lost In Solitude: Rosie’s Speech At H…“, posted with vodpod

A letter from Anna

Today in the mail I received an envelop from North Carolina.. not knowing anyone there I was surprised. I opened it and this is what it said.. (I only wish I had an email to write Anna back – here is her letter because it brought me to tears):

Dear Janice (and kids),
You don’t know me but I just read your horrific story on CNN with regard to the tragic loss of you partner, Lisa, last year. I’ve enclosed a copy in case you haven’t seen it.

I just had to write to you because I can NOT believe that the hospital wouldn’t let you be your loved one’s side during her time of need. What the hell is wrong with society today?! I’m sure (after 18years together) you had more than enough information to provide to the hospital, as proof of your relationship, for them to let you see her. I can’t believe you had to have the Power of Attorney faxed over! Like, you didn’t have more important thingson your mind! I hope you OWN that hospital by the time your law suite(sic) is finished! But, I’m sure you’d just rather have Lisa back instead. I’m so sorry for your loss.

Anyway, I just wanted to write o you and express my anger. I’ve been married 20 years, and I’ve had to bring my husband to the Emergency Room on several occasions…. But not once did I have to show proof that I was his wife. The more I think about your situation, the madder I get.

Take care, and know that people in our country have read your story and they are OUTRAGED.

Anna
NORTH CAROLINA

~~~ what to say – another perfect stranger – understanding our grief and disbelief – Anna if you see this posting.. email me. I would love to thank you for your kind words of support.

Peace

20 yrs plus

20yrs this month – we became friends

though she knew me since the december before

she “disliked me” as a student – my A in human cadavar lab to her D

then we took summer Biology together and studied hard – she did better than I

off to camp and home – me to camp easter seals her to CT and Timber Trails one last time

spent the entire next year always together with our Kelly

Skiing at Lake Kachess, studying psych – her getting a 105% on the final, me just at 100%

late nights at E-9, UPS housing, my housing w/ the Stockstads, all was so good, fresh and new

Worked on the “trail”, Head Justice of the Honor Court, she in Luau on and on, different interest yet becoming one over that year

Then the whisper started – “they are a couple” no not yet, we didn’t know what we were thinking, feeling – just close best friends – then

then, then – 19yrs ago – it was true and real – we became a couple, living in our new apartment together

love flourished, beauty, orange and green, pure bliss

that bliss went on for years and years, as with any couples we hit rough spots – especially as we had 52 kids in and out

bought her  first dog – a sheepdog – Kachess, had our first daughter Rose and on and on we grew

she unwaverly supported me through two yes TWO Master’s degrees – 5+ years of graduate work, never easy for her

we adopted beautiful, soulful children so proud, she decided “i’m staying home to raise them – no more daycare”

on just my social work salary we did it somehow, happy always in the light of each other

she was a saint before death on 2/19/07, no need to cannonize her after death as grief books say we do

she was one before that and everyone who was touched by her agrees – no one EVER could fill her shoes

not me by far, we are different people but we were committed, loved, respected and had fun with each other

so though our 19yr anniversary is fast approaching – we knew each other longer than even that

thank you sweetie for who you are, for teaching me who i was and always, always being there

we (the kids and I) miss you every day and pray you help us continue to heal

you gave life to jerry and others – so unselfishly – the body is a vessel she believed – her soul was gone her body meant nothing

in the end – do what you want to help others – live and learn – her motto in life and death – truly

i love you always, peace

 

Help feed the world

Nightly there are reports about those that starve or die due to the lack of basics such as food and medicine and that only if you are a Bill Gates or Bono can you do anything about it.  Not so.  I found a website that all 3 of the kids must do for 10mins a day – it is at www.FreeRice.com.  This site will donate rice to an impoverished area in African for all vocabulary words correct a person chooses.  So there — you have been give a simply and free way to help with world hunger.  peace