Get a fire going

Yes, I am a child of the 70′s. I spent many a summer night around a campfire with my guitar and my peers singing camp songs. One of the songs I remember is “Pass it on.”

“It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.”

I thought of that song this recently when I saw that there is one Senator in the large state of Pennsylvania who is bold enough to introduce legislation to bring full marriage equality to Pennsylvania. Senator Daylin Leach is one little spark of hope in the otherwise (mostly) equality unfriendly state of Pennsylvania. In fact, there already others who are attempting to introduce an amendment to the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage (it is currently already banned legislatively). You can listen to senator Daylin Leach in a recent debate over marriage equality for Pennsylvania.

Here is hoping that this small spark can indeed become what is needed to fuel the fires of equality in the Keystone state.

An UPDATE: on protection of PA citizens: 

“As Pennsylvania’s top enforcer of the law, Pennsylvania Attorney General, Tom Corbett should be aggressively advocating for laws that protect ALL of Pennsylvania’s citizens,” Hoeffel charged Monday, calling on Corbett to support two statehouse bills that would create equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of Pennsylvania.

HB 300, introduced by Rep. Dan Frankel (D- Allegheny County), would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes. If passed, this bill will prohibit discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in housing, employment, and public accommodations.

HB 745, introduced by Rep. Josh Shapiro (D- Montgomery County), expands the definition of a hate crime to include crimes motivated by malicious intent toward an individual’s or group’s ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender or gender identity.

A recent poll showed that half of Pennsylvanians are in favor of marriage equality, so it's time to get a fire going for relationship recognition in Pennsylvania.

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Always Remember The Heroes

Recently on a morning radio show I was introduced to a hero from September 11, 2001. He was one of the pilots from Flight 93. That pilot was LeRoy W. Homer Jr. His wife Melodie Homer was on a local radio morning show.

She shared compelling memories and truths not immediately available in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks (mostly because the evidence in the trial against Zacarias Moussaoui had to be completed before all info. could be released). She shared the story of the bravery of her husband and others on that flight that terrible day. She also shed light on some of the “fish stories” or dramatic interpretations that were woven into movies created about Flight 93 that were not quite accurate or plausible.

Melodie Homer shared how her husband was alerted about the other attacks that had taken place that morning–knowing this he evidently did something to the auto pilot of the plane so that the hijackers would not so easily be able to fly the aircraft. Some dramatic depictions of Flight 93 show the pilots being killed/eliminated immediately when the terrorists took over the cockpit. Mrs. Homer and the transcript from the cockpit tell a different tale. The terrorists, unable to make the plane do what they wished in manual mode, call for the pilots to be brought back to the cockpit to remedy the hindrance.

The United Airlines Flight #93 cockpit voice recorder transcript also gives witness to the bravery of passengers who stormed the cockpit and thwarted the terrorists from fully carrying out their intended plan for this plane. Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham–two of the more mentioned passengers to lead the brave charge. On that day: straight, gay–African American, Latino, White–no racism, no homophobia… only united in a fight as Americans against terrorism.


Melodie Homer (who is also a nurse) started a foundation in her husband’s name which, in part, offers scholarships to individuals who want to learn how to fly but otherwise would not be able to afford flight school. The site also serves to ensure that this vital part of our history will not be forgotten.

We will always remember! And yet on this 10th anniversary of 9/11, our Country is at war within itself. It is my hope that all of us as Americans will remember the importance of United We Stand, and then leave the extremes of the partisan politics behind and work together to repair and reunite America.

There's no place like home...

For better or worse... it all starts at home. 
Whether children are raised to carry on their parent's homophobia as they go out into the world, or whether they are raised within a safe, loving but non-traditional home -- each next generation often lives their lives according to the framework that was initially built at home.  
One example of the way homes are changing is a 25 year study that shows kids of lesbian couples are the recipients of a great parenting environment in which to be nurtured and reared.

There are many struggles that gay and lesbian families cope with on a regular basis. Such as: not being acknowledged in their communities as “real” families, constant barrage of persecution from ex’s or other family and friends who come to the table with their own acrimony, compounded by the lack of family and relationship protections (“rights”).
All families have challenges! Whether they are comprised of “nuclear” or blended, or LGBT members… safely guiding children to adulthood is not for the faint of heart! No matter how many longitudinal studies there are, there will always be detractors. 

If you don't...

Everyone has skeletons in the closet

There seems to be a formula in life that looks something like this: “the louder a person decries the behavior of another, the greater the chances are that there are skeletons in their closet.”
When a person uses their energies to demagogue the immorality and inferiority of other people’s lives, it seems that it will eventually be inevitable that their own cracks in their armor will be glaringly brought to light.
We all have cracks in our armor. We all have skeletons in our closets. And yet, most of us at one point or another have probably felt compelled to shine the spotlight on someone else’s dark corner of the room. There is a reason someone said “people in glass houses shouldn’t  throw stones.” I am dismayed to say that in the past I have flipped on the proverbial flood light, or picked up stones during my life. Those are never our finest moments, so why do we all do it? There could be many reasons. But one could be that it is much easier to tear another down than to do the work to elevate our own thoughts and behaviors.

We are all so fragile in many ways. We are all riding the waves of our own cognitive dissonance--trying to maintain balance and not be enveloped by the pull of the undertow.
I just found a quote that ties in perfectly with this post, and I am thankful that I ran across it at my friend's blog.

"Remember that the first step is not to speak ill of others. All human beings have weaknesses and faults. They have their imperfections. Therefore, before trying to find faults in others and speaking ill of them, try to find your own weaknesses and correct those." 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

♫ "Find out what it means to me"... ♬
You know the song... 
But do you think our President knows what it means to the LGBT community that he has finally come out in support of the Respect for Marriage Act (important legislation that would finally repeal DOMA)? 

For one thing, it means that we can have the same rights, protections and privileges that opposite sex couples are afforded automatically by saying "I do." (Here's a list of some of the more than 1000 protections of "marriage").
It means that partners can be there by the side of their loved one without distant family members making the life-saving (or changing) decisions while the partner is left out in the cold. 
It means that LGBT people could actually have legal respect for the hard work they put in with their partner's children... and actually be acknowledged as a valid parent. 
It means so much more than these things. 
It means something different to each and every individual. 

What does it mean to you?


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HA!! Made you look!

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