Max the Communist's Open Salon Blog

Republican WWII Veteran Stands Up for Marriage Equality

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:10:05 -0400

I'll get back into the swing of things writing for this blog.

In the meantime, a million thanks to Wayne Bryant of the BIACT-L listserv for bisexual activists, who alerted us all to an 86 year-old veteran's testimony for marriage equality in Maine. People like this make me proud to be an American.

Wherein I Blame Mom for My Bisexuality

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:10:36 -0400

Even though you've been dead for a while, Mom, there's something we've got to have out, here and now.

I've caught up to research that finally reveals the true cause of my bisexuality. And guess what? It's all your fault.

That's right. Last year, reports published from the University of Padua indicated that bisexuality, as well as homosexuality, resulted from having female relatives--grandmothers, aunts, and mothers--who were actually hyper-heterosexual, women more likely to reproduce lots of kids.

Before now, I generously blamed your reproductive tendencies on the Catholic Church. I presumed your devotion to the Pope and to the rhythm method was the cause of our fabulously large family. But now I can see in no uncertain terms that your unbridled heterosexuality was to blame.

Didn't you pause for a moment to reflect on how your hyper-heterosexuality would impact your children? Did you think how it would effect me?

Well, it's time to lay the cause for my sexuality at your doorstep. Oh, no, this is not about my life choices, my fall from the Church, my disregard for what our society laughingly calls morality. Not any more, it's not.

If only you had been less hot for Dad--if only you had been less procreative--if only you had been a little more lez, I wouldn't have been bisexual at all.

If you had been bisexual, you could have spared me a life of bisexuality. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

And no, wearing army boots is not enough, lady.

Never mind that, if you had been less procreative, I wouldn't have been born at all--coming in as I do at No. 5 in the line-up. Let's not go off on ridiculous tangents.

I'm washing my hands of all responsibility for my sexuality. You unleashed your hyper-heterosexuality on the world and I am your casualty. Shit. Malcolm X's mother was probably hyper-heterosexual, too. Tell that to the Nation of Islam.

Bi Condom Advertisement for Boundless Love

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:10:01 -0400

Many thanks to Ed from Chicago Bi/Queer Meetup for alerting us all to this condom ad, now showing on MTV.

Makes me wish I was young.

Illinois Steps Up to Same-sex Marriage Equality

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 15:10:15 -0400

It's official. Equality Illinois announced today that a bill was introduced in the Illinois State Senate to legalize same-sex marriage. State Senator Heather Steans of the 7th District introduced the bill. A companion bill, HB178, was introduced into the Illinois House of Representatives by Rep. Greg Harris of the 13th Representative District.

Harris had tried to make progress with a "civil unions" bill, but is prepared to start again in the House, this time demanding full marriage equality.

The House bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Deb Mell, Sara Feigenholz, Constance Howard, Harry Osterman, and John Fritchey.

"This is not an issue of sacred versus secular - there are plenty of synagogues, churches, and other houses of worship that both recognize and perform same-sex marriages," said Bernard Cherkasov, Chief Executive Officer of Equality Illinois. "Rather, marriage is a civil right - plain and simple. The state cannot have a civil institution of marriage - with its plethora of benefits, rights and responsibilities - and exclude from it an entire class of citizens."

This article in the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that Steans is introducing the bill as a political move, to garner support in the face of a gay Democratic opponent for February's primary race. She is up against Jim Madigan, former staff secretary of Lamda Legal and one-time interim director for Equality Illinois.

It's so nice to know that Chicago ward politics can impact the fate of the nation. Sausages, sausages. But I don't care how it gets done, people. I'm just tired of lagging behind Iowa, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont.

Update: This Cook County election site is your one-stop shopping for candidates, polling places, registration, etc. Includes links to DuPage, McHenry, Lake, Will and Kane Counties and the City of Chicago. You can even sign on to become a deputy registrar.

And the link that jules provided, now for your clickable convenience:

http://www.politics1.com/il.htm

Great reading, hot video, from Celebrate Bisexuality Day

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:09:18 -0400

I am liking GLAAD more and more. Soon, it will be a life-long love affair. Not that I didn't like them or anything before--just not really hooked on their work until they really started including bisexuals in their content, not just their mission statement. Funny how that works isn't it? When you really feel included in a group or organization, you start to care a hell of a lot more and devote more energy to it. What a difference fluid sexuality inclusion makes.

So, how pleased was I when I found their blog had posted a diverse series of bisexuals sharing their views on Celebrate Bisexuality Day? Like a kid in a candy shop? Like I had been welcomed home? You betcha.

Velvet Park: Dyke Culture in Bloom had this really sweet post on a lesbian woman's bi mom. Makes my heart melty-melty.

And then AfterElton.com posted "Our eight favorite bisexuals ever." Some on the list, like Jai Rodriguez from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," fall more to the homoflexible end of the Kinsey Scale, but so what? Come one, come all to fluid sexuality party!

My blessings on commenter Crawfish Po Boy, for introducing Cassidy Haley as his favorite Bisexual Celebrity (For Today). Hello, gorgeous!

This revelation definitely requires some more follow-up. According to Crawfish Po Boy:

"Model, Singer, Songwriter, Performance Artist and part-owner of Skin Graft Designs . His company designed a lot of Adam Lambert's jackets for American Idol and his definitive AI Live tour jacket.

"He's the bisexual son of a lesbian moms and a gay father (his father was a sperm donor whom he met when he was 15 and is now close to)

"He's done some great Q&A sessions on his Youtube Channel about being the queer child of queer parents. He's fabulously talented, articulate and a smartypants and very sexy."

I'm loving Haley's video, "Little Boys and Dinosaurs" a million different ways--not the least of them being the way it refers to our country's nasty history of committing LGBTQ people to insane asylums and electroshock treatment to "cure" them of queerness. The kind of stuff the ex-gay movement and NARTH would like us to return to. Haley turns the asylum into a teaming pansexual dance club. Now, that's revolution. Enjoy!