Obama rocks the stadium

Wednesday at the convention

What an incredible day - from prowling the t-shirt booths in LoDo to waiting for Hillary to release the delegates at the convention center - then the dramatic roll call! I love the moment in a convention when exhaustion (or the drama of it all) allows my emotions to rise up and carry me away. That moment for me was as each state was called upon to tell their vote count. Each state representative had a moment to express their love of their home. "Maine, where the sun first rises", and so forth. Each speaker had a different approach, but I was flooded with love of the land. The sports teams were mentioned, as they are emblematic for pride in ones' place. The state slogans and geographical wonders were mentioned. People sure love their own home. Anyway, we got up to New Mexico in the alphabet when they ceded their vote to Illinois (who had passed before). Then Illinois ceded to New York! what is going on!!?

From my perch high up in the Center, the delegate floor waa a constantly changing sea of color, depending on the signs that were being passed out. Each speaker was preceded with a flood of volunteers in flouresent green vests, holding a zillion signs with the appropriate message. At this moment, the signs were red, and the floor was swirling with excitement. As I watched, the red sea below me suddenly parted, spread apart by a black river of men in suits. At the head of the river, there was a turquoise

My photos are here.

Family of Democratic Media

Here we are in Denver, at our first ever Democratic Convention. Despite the fact that I've been a Democrat since before I could vote, and have watched them all on tv, I never thought I'd actually be at one. The heat is extreme, the crowds are crazy (how CAN these men stay in their suits and ties is beyond me), but the thrills are greater. We pressed through the throng on the floor and got close to the California delegation, waving at our friends, the Marin delegates. Then we headed to the sky box where John was diligently working for KFWB, perched high above it all, but directly across from the stage. We tucked ourselves into the scaffolding and sat down to take in Hillary's brilliant speech.

The media seems determined to find conflict here. They are pressing everyone to say that the Hillary supporters are standing firm and will not accept Barack's nomination. But this is just looking for trouble - everyone we have talked to is ready to UNIFY and take back the reins of the country.

Here's a great shot of John in action!

The Personal is Political

You may remember the phrase “the personal is political”. This was written by Robin Morgan in a 1970 book entitled “Sisterhood is Powerful”. I carried that book around for my entire freshman year of high school. The phrase was coined to express that what was happening in women's personal lives was a political issue – from sharing household responsibilities to the lack of equal pay for equal work.

The phrase works in both directions. The political can also be very personal. The political action of leaders like Gavin Newsom has made possible this very personal experience of a wedding.

I can remember starting to deny marriage to myself when I was only in grade school. Others imagined themselves in white gowns and even started "hope chests". I scoffed at them. Children know without being told what is forbidden. I knew I would never grow up to be a bride, so why waste time dreaming about it? I refused to go to the prom, because it seemed like a wedding on training wheels.

Despite my generally optimistic nature, I could not believe that my family, my community or my country would ever give a stamp of approval on being gay. When I met Barb in 1982, I still could not imagine that our relationship could be anything we celebrated publicly. It was years before everyone in both of our families knew that we were in a committed relationship.

In 2004, when marriage was first dangled in front of us as a possibility, we jumped at the opportunity. After getting that license, we couldn’t believe how different it made us feel. We felt more connected and valued than we ever had before. Then, the marriage was annulled and we were disappointed but also defiant.

Now, we have finally achieved a level of equality. We are personally very happy and politically very committed to making sure that this marriage can never be annulled. The measure on the fall ballot that would deny the basic right of marriage to others must fail.

We Do, We Did, and We're Doing it Again

You could say we got married on May 16, 1983 when we moved in together.

You could say we got married on October 11, 1987 during a ceremony / protest action on the steps of the IRS during the March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights.

You could say we got married on February 14th, 1991 when the city of San Francisco set up the first registry for Domestic Partners, and we were first in line.

You could say we got married on February 14th, 1999, when we registered as Domestic Partners with the State of California.


You could even say we got married when we got married - on February 15th, 2004, when Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized San Francisco City Hall to allow same-sex marriages. That is, until the State Supreme Court annulled our marriage a few months later.

The California State Supreme Court must have felt bad about that decision. They have changed their mind!

On June 27th, WE'RE GETTING MARRIED AGAIN! It's been 25 years since we fell in love. Don't you think it's about time?

Delegated

.Photos from the caucus

Barb ran to be a Democratic delegate at the Denver convention this summer. She has always been passionate about politics, and every four years, we watch the convention on television gavel to gavel. She grew up watching it and discussing politics with her mom, so she has a very strong connection to the convention and the democratic process. This year, I encouraged her to GO.. her sister lives in Denver and it couldn't be easier. I found out how she could fill out an application and just run locally for a delegate slot. I became her campaign manager and emailed everyone we know, to get them to show up at the caucus and vote.

Last Sunday was the caucus. We had no idea what the procedure was. You had to show up at a local gym and sign in. If you weren't a Democrat, you could register. All the delegate candidates were standing out front, handing out flyers and shaking hands. After an hour of check-in and hand shaking, the doors were closed and the candidates all had 30 seconds each to speak. Barb came near the end of the line (it was alphabetical). She jumped out of the pack with her energy and speed of delivery. It was fabulous.

It took 90 minutes for them to count the votes, and Barb came in second to the two women who won the two slots for women delegates for Hillary. They seemed very surprised at the large turnout (for which we took the credit). One of the women who won encouraged Barb to run for the delegate-at-large slot. To do that, she'll go to Sacramento in May and the delegates who were elected will vote for her. In the meantime, she is planning to write about the experience, and is trying to get a press pass to the convention as a writer for the local paper.

What's up, doc?

I really meant to begin regular posting here in February, but here I am, a week behind! what's up with that? The other funny thing is that my counter shows that people hitting this site have doubled in number recently... just goes to show you that the writer's strike is giving bloggers new audiences! Now if only I can generate some content.

There are day-to-day topics, like going to the dentist (yesterday) and then stumbling to the polling place, still a bit high on nitrous. You can make your own guesses as to whether the gas had any effect on my vote. The remodelling drags on, this is supposed to be the "final" week. The punch list is getting very short. We'll be very glad to have our second bathroom done. My quartet is preparing for contest the first week of April and is rehearsing more regularly.

There are more cerebral topics, like politics or what to do about an email inbox that is bursting at its seams (actually a topic at a workshop here at my office today), but others seem to be more informed than I am on stuff like this.

For entertainment lately, we discovered that the game show network is showing "I've Got A Secret", hosted by Gary Moore. It's odd to see the grainy black & white past in contrast with the current commercials. Gary is constantly smoking on screen, and we googled to confirm that he later died from emphysema. In fact, all the men on that show died from smoking related illnesses. It's strange when the men stand to greet women coming onstage, and the other women stay seated. It's strange to see how dressed up they are, and how slow the show's pace is. It's strange to think about how this era seems so long ago, and yet it's the era that made up my formative years. I was ACTUALLY ALIVE when all this was going on. It seems impossible.

Politics unusual

It's fabulous to be watching a campaign where I feel there is a choice! I would truely feel great if either Hillary or Barack were nominated to run for President. I will be even happier the day that either one of them takes office. But in the meantime, we have a primary to vote in, and that's where the choice comes in. Obama is an inspiring figure. A young man would bring a whole new generation to the polls. A black man whose assent to power can symbolize the hope of a new beginning.

But really, Hillary is my gal. I bought a Hillary for Prez in 08 button in 2000 and still have it. She has the kind of no-nonsense leadership and powerful friends who will hit the ground running when they get in the white house. I am looking forward to voting for her on Tuesday. But whatever happens, I'll do my best to make sure that one of them makes it in. It's fun to be discussing and comparing and debating.