Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Can't wait til the Bar Examiners Find This...

Just came across this photo again last night. I think I'll rename the photo "Release from Law School"... But only if instead of heroin or meth, this needle is full of cyanide.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

And the most liberal moment of the night goes to...

Seeing Melissa Etheridge kiss her wife Tammy on the lips while on her way to the stage to accept an Oscar for Best Original Song Written for a Screenplay. For the song she wrote about changing our behaviors in the face of global warming. Melissa then got on stage, and thanked her wife. Using that actual word!!! Oh the horrors! Then, of course, she thanked Al Gore too.

Im thrilled! But I can hear the righties bitching right now about "liberal hollywood."

Maybe they're the ones that "need to wake up."

Thanks Melissa!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

A Day with Life

I spent the day today doing something important. It's funny, because I would so often like to think that the accomplishments of a day are "important." The minutia of law school helps us to lose ourselves in the self-love of what sort of things we can get done on behalf of clients, what kind of arguments we can make, what kind of battles we can win.

And today I blew all of that stuff off. I skipped most of the day's various obligations because a friend needed me. I called into my clinic and said, "I'm sorry that I won't be coming in. Actually, no. No. I'm not sorry. This is something I have to do." And it was.

A dear friend from school had to endure the horror of her partner going through emergency surgery. Another friend and I arrived at the hospital just as she was starting to contemplate what would happen if she lost this wonderful, dear person in her life. It immediately became clear how I needed to spend the rest of my day.

We didn't really "do" anything. We were just there. It was the only role we really could play. And yet it was the only one we really needed to.

I learned early in my life that there can be no greater appreciation of life than in the face of death. And there is no greater appreciation of love than in the face of loss. To see my friend anxious and upset over her love gave me a glimpse into the depth of their relationship, and the immensity of their love. I got to be a witness to how two people in this world have come to mean everything to each other in a way that takes my breath away. It gives me hope. Even in this sadness, there was hope.

It's truly amazing with these trials life hands us. They may be the hardest things that we ever bear, but they bring us closer to those around us. Remind us of what is important. And most amazingly they remind us of all the love that surrounds us. Lest I seem heroic or noble or whatever, I was only one of the core group of friends at school that has "been there" for this one. Each offered their distinct aspects of friendship. Whether it was humor, tact, listening, medical knowledge, administrative know-how.... each has supported this friend in their own way. And it fills me with great happiness to know that they would be there for me as well. That this trial, and our response to it, was not just a testament to my friendship to her, but to our friendship to each other.

I feel so blessed to have gotten to do something so important today as just being a friend.

Musical Fodder for my Writing:
"Tomorrow is a Long Time" Nickel Creek,
Why Should the Fire Die? TITLE

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Nevermind

Despite Andrew Sullivan's argument yesterday as to why so many more gays might be Republican if the party weren't antagonistic to us, I was reminded last night of the many other reasons I can't "do" Republican (in any sense of the word).

This reminder came from CityPage's article on the "new" Tim Pawlenty, governor of our fair state of Minnesota. The article details how Gov. Pawlenty continues to gut medical care for the poor, education in the areas of the State that need it most (special education and inner-city, heavily minority areas), and the transportation needs of the state. All the while smiling and claiming that he isn't doing any of it.

One more black mark for the Republican record as far as I'm concerned.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Vote for Rudy?

A good friend emailed me this blog post about Rudy Giuliani's run for president. In short, could the gay community support a candidate who has fully complied with our exceptions of a progressive candidate on "our" issues, even if he does happen to be a Republican? The entry seems to have a fairly disdainful view of the Human Right's Campaign and its historic support of almost exculsively Democrat candidates. However, the question I ask myself is, "Could I vote for this guy?"

I generally think of myself as a fiscally conserative moderate who in other eras could be considered an independent voter. However in my reply to my friend, I noted that in my entire lifetime as a voter, now going on 6 years, I haven't been able to vote for Republicans in good conscience because I know that doing so could continue to deny me rights I consider crucial to my basic citizenship (let's be honest, if the Scalites had their way, my bedroom activities would still be illegal). But without that imminent threat, could I vote Republican?

I have always found Log Republicans to be laughable. How a gay person can even think about voting for someone who will in turn vote with/for an administration that is deadset on a middle-aged ethic on sexual health and a republican congress that is happy to let it happen, it simply seems naive to me.

But McCain? Giuliani? I would seriously think about it. I'm sure it wouldn't take me too long to remember the other reasons that I vote Democrat, but this would take a seriously leg out of that argument.

Musical Fodder for my Writing:
"Black Horse & the Cherry Tree" KT Tunstall,
ALBUM TITLE

Boston Legal: Gender Compliance?

Don't get me wrong. I love me some Boston Legal. I think it's witty and hilarious, and legally totally absurd. But as the clip below indicates, at the end of the day with the show it often addresses very real societal concerns, often to an intelligent and ... ahem... liberal resolution.

But there is one story line that is deeply troubling me. It is that of a character who initially came on as "Clarise." "Clarise" was a large black man who felt more comfortable expressing himself as a female. I think that many of my fellow LGBT activists would feel comfortable classifying this character as Transgendered. The storyline began innocently enough, highlighting the difficulties of such a life path in today's world. However, then it took a significantly less educated and progressive turn.

Another character in the show forced "Clarise" to gender-comply and become "Clarence." I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for it to become clear that such forced gender-compliance can only have negative repercussions on someone' s personality. However, the show's producers seem intent on making it clear that by forcing "Clarence" to forgo his wig, dress, and fairly outlandish female persona, the character has accepted a better life. A life where "he" now has a girlfriend, a phenomenally good career, indeed is even trying murder cases (where before he couldn't date and wasn't able to find a job, and then only as a law clerk).

While the clip below makes a phenomenal case about the absurdity of the whole "ex-gay" movement, it concerns me that out of the other side of the proverbial mouth comes the idea that while gays can't be changed, transgendered people can. It makes me so angry that I end up yelling at the television each and every time I see that story line. I hope that the producers fix this dreadful storyline to make it more in tune with what we know about gender compliance. Cause more scenes like this would be amazing:

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Dancing Christian, Dancing Buddhist, Dancing Queens

Haven't posted in a while. Nothing too exciting going on, except at my legal clinic. And everything I deal with there is confidential. Not like, "Oooohhh... this is gonna piss-a-bitch off," but more like "Ooops, I can't become a lawyer anymore" confidential. So.

I went to our Law Prom this last weekend. I was kinda dreading it really, and only went because I am on the team of people that helps plan these events. I thought my date was being reticent about the whole thing, and I was kinda forced by default to hang out with a group I had barely even talked to in a while.

Well, I had a freaking blast. The folks I hung out with are great people, and I was reminded why I loved hanging out with them so much last year. And my date... he was charming, sexy, didn't mind meeting a million law school folks, and we had a blast getting down on the dance floor.

On that point, I give my school great credit. Attending a Catholic law school in the Midwest, I have had to put up with my fair share of crap as a gay man at the school. If I had to make my decision to attend here again, I would heavily reconsider. But at this dance... it was almost utopian. Nobody seemed to give a crap that I was dancing up on a hot guy, or that he was dancing right back up on me. After thinking about the whole thing in the fog of hangover the next morning, I realized that in the 7 years that I have been out and in education, I have never once brought a guy to a school dance. In fact, I can hardly think of an official social function where I have brought a true "date." Admittedly, most of that is the fact that I have been perpetually single for most of my life, but that only made the experience more fun: I had someone to bring to this dance, and then everyone was amazing about it.

And speaking of amazing, the guy I brought is, well, quite something. He's Buddhist (like a for-real practicing Buddhist) which gives him far more depth than most of the other guys I have met in a really long time. Witty, fun, and a great kisser on top of all that. There are moments when I looked at him on Saturday and just felt very lucky to have him with me.

I had met the Buddhist a few weeks back at a party on an idle Friday night. I had found myself at a party with a bunch of people who shouldn't have been drinking, and was kinda in a mood about that, cause that is really not a good situation for me to be put in. I was a bit salty for much of the evening, and finally I had this guy call me out for being a giant dose of negative energy. I went to mentally tackle this interloper on my negative streak when I realized that the guy was totally right. And he was cute. We ended up talking for a while, but when my friends made to leave I oddly told this guy, the Buddhist, that, "Hey, I look forward to bumping into you again." No numbers exchanged, just left it up to fate.

The next morning I woke up and wanted to slam my head against a wall for that decision.

Later that night (this is Saturday now), I was riding around in a limo for a friend's birthday. We were having a blast and ended up at one of the gay bars I never go to (seriously, this was my second time there). And who do I bump into? The Buddhist.

We started dancing there, and may have made out a little bit on the dance floor (I am indeed a classy guy). Needless to say, numbers were exchanged that night.

Sooo... After the dance this last weekend, I officially like this one. I know that in my last posts I have talked about the wonder of being single, and I am pretty sure that it will take someone pretty amazing to make me want to give that up anytime soon. The Buddhist just might be amazing.

Of course now that I have opened myself up to that possibility, the nervous part of me starts to react, and wonder whether "He's just [that] into me." Well, he's given me some interesting indications that he is taking this thing rather seriously (pulled me aside on the dance floor to let me know that he's not interested in children, responding to my idle expression of interest in a family one of the first times we met. My reaction? "I'm pretty sure we are still on our second date.") (feeling that he needed to express to me that he is still seeing other guys). It sounds as if we are still on the same page as far as interest in each other and interest in pursuing the "relationship thing."

Which is good. Very good.

Musical Fodder for my Writing:
"Easy" Barenaked Ladies,
Barenaked Ladies Are Me

Friday, February 02, 2007

Long week..

It's Friday night, and I'm still in my apartment, still in my pajamas from last night. This recuperation day was much needed.

This week was truly truly draining. Seems like I was just barely able to keep my head above water. Along with a night out with the Professor on Monday, my computer meltdown on Tuesday (Toshiba sucks! Toshiba sucks! Toshiba sucks!), and having to buy a new computer on Wednesday, last night I had to deal with some homophobic asshole who tried to pick a fight with me at Bar Review. Oh, the gems that St. Thomas attracts.

Sooo... It's a night in for me. I can get back to the work and play tomorrow. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

One more reason to love Texas

I have no idea if this is real, but it had me laughing uncontrobaly during my Jurisprudence class. Definitely worth the read, if for no other reason than professional aspiration. Without further adue, a Texan Divorce.