Time with Sister

Proof that Oklahoma has hills.

I spent today and yesterday with my sister, her son, and her husband at their house. They've got 10 acres and it's just beautiful out there. They've got a large creek and pond, which floods their pastureland, but their house is on a hill so they don't have to worry about it flooding their home. Lots of trees and space for them to have a large vegetable patch.

Once she finished work today, we went to the coffee shop, which is a really cool locally owned place that outlasted Starbucks (and also made the best chai latte I've ever had) and chatted. It was nice to get to talk and relax - and the little man was an angel. We talked about perceptions and how meeting people does amazing things to change that. For example, anyone who went to Basic Training at Ft. Sill knows that Oklahoma is not flat. The three counties of the panhandle are, but the rest of it is foothills, mountains (little ones, but still mountains), and lots and lots of water (the most man made coastline in the country). The dirt, however, is red and will stain your clothes. That's true.

We also talked about the idea that exposure reduces the harsh opinions of other groups. People are people, whether they be straight people, gay people, black people, white people...I explained the idea in the gay community that if everyone were to come out to their families, it would go a long way in reducing the hate that comes with the unknown. It's so much harder to hate all gays when that includes your child. That doesn't make it easy, certainly, and I understand the fears. But Kellie seemed to get the concept and we talked about gay marriage and such.

I remember when my sister asked me how it's possible for it to be okay to be gay. She was in high school, barely, and encountering the issue for the first time. What she wanted to know was how to reconcile it with the Bible. I set her up with a dear friend of mine who answered her questions, someone who was gay and had studied the issue. Living with me in DC, she got her first exposure to members of the community, rather than just individuals. And she came out of it with an incredibly mature understanding that people are people and you have to love all people, you can't pick and choose. It makes me so very proud of her.

And the President Makes Me Proud

So today, President Obama officially supported same-sex marriage. I'm on his mailing list and received this message:

Jenn -- Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer: I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. I hope you'll take a moment to watch the conversation, consider it, and weigh in yourself on behalf of marriage equality: http://my.barackobama.com/Marriage I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought civil union laws that conferred legal rights upon gay and lesbian couples were a solution. But over the course of several years I've talked to friends and family about this. I've thought about members of my staff in long-term, committed, same-sex relationships who are raising kids together. Through our efforts to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I've gotten to know some of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving our country with honor and distinction. What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens. Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends' parents should be treated differently. So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. I respect the beliefs of others, and the right of religious institutions to act in accordance with their own doctrines. But I believe that in the eyes of the law, all Americans should be treated equally. And where states enact same-sex marriage, no federal act should invalidate them.

I've been watching responses from bloggers and news outlets. I've heard responses from friends. Here's what I know - I've always supported same-sex marriage because it seems like a no brainer to me that all people who are citizens should be treated the same. I am incredibly proud of President Obama's stance. Even if it was a calculated political move (in which case I'm also impressed by the shrewdness), it's an important move. The presidency may not have the legal authority to make same-sex marriage legal, but the president's words mean a lot to this country, and in this case, a lot to a portion of this country who is currently in the struggle for what is a basic freedom taken for granted, and exploited and abused, by many.

Well done, Mr. President.

NPR Bits

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. My didn't got the least bit as planned, but it was a lot of fun and the vacation from school was well needed. Back to the grind now and completely swamped, but it's winding down in a few weeks.

NPR has been interesting this week. I listened to a report on SIPR, the secured internal government internet that I spent a lot of time dealing with, but have never heard referred to in a civilian capacity. It was a really weird experience hearing on the radio something that existed in my other life (i.e. the military one). I was so astounded that I called a friend who used to be a coworker just to explain my amazement.

Also, an interesting idea was broached. I didn't get to listen to the piece because I was late for class (shocker) but the basic gist is that if DADT is repealed (fingers remain crossed), what will that mean for openly gay married servicemen and women? If they were married in a state that has legalized gay marriage, will the military be required to honor their union with all the support that it honors heterosexual marriages? And if so...imagine the effect. The military, one of the largest government institutions, is required to honor gay marriage. What other institutions will fall under the same banner? Of course, what of the reverse? If the military refuses to honor a legal marriage, what happens then? Service members can't sue the military, but I think their spouses can...

Other interesting news of the day has lead me to a video game I'm actually excited about. Disney's Epic Mickey! If you haven't heard about this, Disney has recently regained the rights to Oswald the Rabbit, Walt's first commercially successful cartoon character. He lost the rights in 1928 in a fallout with his distribution company and they were just regained a couple of years ago. So the creators of the video game were able to use him. The story is that Oswald and other forgotten or discarded Disney things (amusement park rides, costumes, characters, etc) live in a world called Cartoon Wasteland. Mickey makes a mess, basically, and has to save Cartoon Wasteland. He gets paint thinner and a paint brush as tools. Apparently, he also takes on the personality of the player. If your choices with him are helpful and supportive of the locals, Mickey is helpful and supportive. If your choices are driven on winning the game (and, say, sacrificing the occasional collateral damage), his attitude becomes more cranky, etc. Can't wait!

"You can't punch the gay out of me anymore than I can punch the ignoramus out of you! "

No surprise for those who know me, but I love Glee. Musicals plus high school drama and really awesome characters = Love. Also no surprise, Kurt is my favorite character.

Kurt has had a pretty awesome arch. Last season was the coming out and his father's reactions, as well at the beginning of the problems with Finn. This season we've seen so much from the actor, who is the youngest in the cast. The bullying issues, his relationship with Finn developing, etc. Tonight's episode was amazing and painful. I wanted to hug him...and punch the other kid. Right in his scared, fat nose.

The bullying issues around the country aren't new, they're just getting coverage. I've had friends tell me about the nightmare of high school because they were known to be gay - or even just suspected of it before they came out themselves. After a strikingly similar episode of Queer as Folk, a friend cried to me about taking a baseball bat to the ribs. I spent my teenage years in a medium town in the Midwest, where you'd expect this kind of thing to be prevalent, but I was blissfully unaware if it was happening, with one exception. In high school, my best friend got thrown up against a wall and was being strangled when someone finally intervened. It was horrific, but literally the only episode like that I can recall.

Watching it on TV breaks my heart as much as hearing about it on the news or online. Kurt is a character, but the experiences are real. Chris Colfer, the actor, brings such a beautiful and horrific reality to the situation. I hope he's not gone from the show. I hope his transfer is temporary. I think he's too valuable as a character for them to lose. His story has been the most compelling one in this show.