Hello, (Gay) Young Lovers, Wherever You Are

Yesterday and the day before, while riding public transit in Ottawa, Canada, I've seen the same couple of twentysomething gay men openly displaying affection at the front of the bus -- leaning their heads on each other's shoulders, embracing, giving each other a peck on the lips.

I wonder if they realized the two middle-aged men next to them were also a gay couple, even though we did not engage in such an open, public display. I wonder if they realized that, at their age, to have done so might have put us at risk of being expelled from the bus, or verbally and physically harassed and abused.

I came out in 1974, five years after the Stonewall riots. I have been involved in the gay liberation movement, mainly in the mid-1970s and the late 1990s. I legally married my partner in 2005.

But, to this day, I do not feel comfortable holding hands with my husband in public -- let alone exchanging a kiss -- except in a darkened cinema, or the safety-in-numbers of a Pride celebration.

On the hit television show Glee, Chris Colfer is the poster boy for gay teens. He gets to be outrageously, screamingly, flamingly gay. His blue-collar father supports and goes to bat for him. But I notice that, even in the 21st century, poor Chris still doesn't have a boyfriend or a lover. Glee is about as realistic a portrayal of gay life as Queer as Folk was a decade ago, which is to say not at all.

Equal rights and same-sex marriage are laudable goals. But real equality, real freedom, will not come until gay men and lesbian women can walk down the street, arm in arm, hand in hand, and hug and kiss like any straight couple would do, without blinking an eye.

The words of the poet Robert Frost apply admirably to the gay rights movement:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

100% of Herman Cain Is Stupid

Herman Cain says 50% of America is stupid. Has this man never read Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People"? Apparently not. My immediate reaction to his comment was, "Gee, I wonder which 50% Herman Cain belongs to?"

Ditto for Newt Gingrich. Why on earth is he allowing Cain to stump for him in Georgia, or anywhere else for that matter? After Cain's campaign self-destructed, I would have thought he was surely damaged goods. But I guess birds of a feather stick together. Perhaps Gingrich could get Tiger Woods to stump for him, too.

Of course, Mitt Romney's not much smarter, getting Donald Trump to endorse his candidacy. Really, Mitt, you wear jeans and you ditch the jacket and tie, to promote a populist image -- and then you cosy up to another multi-millionnaire like yourself. Way to go, Mitt!

On a brighter note, an Iowa poll showed Ron Paul as beating out Barack Obama and the other Republican candidates. Too bad Ron Paul doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the GOP nomination.

No wonder things are looking better and better for Santorum...

Testing ... 1, 2, 3

Testing ... 1, 2, 3

Governor Christie: The Real "Situation" in Jersey

Move over, Mike from Jersey Shore. There's a situation even worse than you in Jersey, and his name is Governor Christopher James "Chris" Christie.

Gov. Christie has shamefully and shockingly flouted the democratic process and turned a deaf ear to the voice of the people, by vetoing the state assembly's vote in favor of same-sex marriage. (You could say Gov. Christie's motto is, "If they've got it, flout it.")

Meanwhile, Gov. Christie wants to fly flags at half-mast for Whitney Houston's funeral. (He lowers the flag for Whitney, he lowers the boom on gays. Go figure.) Yes, sir, this guy's definitely got his priorities "straight" (pun intended). Funerals and honoring the dead, good. Weddings and honoring the living, bad. Uh-huh.

Maybe Mike "The Situation" ought to run for Governor of New Jersey. He's certain got the brawn -- and, judging by recent events, he probably has a heap more brains than the current incumbent of the position.

Vote Mike. Veto Christie. Enough said...

Last Stand in Arizona: A Debatable Decision

The buzz today (February 16, 2012) on Twitter is that, after the GOP debate in Arizona on February 22, there may be no more such events.

That would be a real shame. Personally, I have found the debates the best way to assess and compare the candidates. They have provided some psychological insights into their characters, how they behave under pressure (the glare of the camera, the crossfire of their opponents), how they deal (or fail to deal) with the issues. I may be a Canadian but, if I were American, I would vociferously object to the elimination of this venue or forum for public political discourse.

Does this mean that the candidates will now be surrounded by a bubble? That prospective voters will have access only to their pre-packaged thoughts, with no room allowed for spontaneity?

When things come to such a sad, sorry state, it's bad news for democracy.

In Politics, Words Matter

In politics, as in life, words matter. They mean precisely what they say, not necessarily what we mean them to say. Once they are uttered, once they enter the public domain, they cannot be unsaid. All the explanations and clarifications in the world are of no use. Words take on a life of their own.

This morning (February 15, 2012), CNN trumpted a "surge" in support for Rick Santorum over Mitt Romney as the Republican presidential nominee. Yet the gap between them is only 2%. This is a surge?

CNN also raised the specter of "class warfare" because Santorum is the favorite by a wide margin among blue-collar voters, whereas white-collar voters prefer Romney. By the same token, gender warfare could be said to have erupted between the two camps (men for Santorum, women for Romney).

Meanwhile, Santorum himself says he is a "full-spectrum conservative". This could be interpreted as meaning that his base is wider than merely Tea Party patriors and white evangelicals. But it can also be seen as an attempt to please everyone at the risk of pleasing no one. At least he's not "severely" conservative as Romney claimed to be at CPAC.

Santorum has previously said that he "cares about 100% of America". This is patently false. He clearly does not care about pro-choice advocates, or about lesbians and gays who want their relationships to enjoy the legal status of marriage.

CNN and Santorum, how about a little truth in advertising? Let's take the rhetoric down a notch, shall we?

Santorum is the Next Washington? By George!

I'm beginning to feel like a late-night comic. Rick Santorum keeps supplying me with fresh new material. The latest ammunition in my arsenal is the news of his ad claiming he's the next George Washington. Santorum had better get himself some new copy writers. This is a gag just waiting for a punch line. (Insert your favorite one here.) I can well imagine, for instance, what Saturday Night Live will come up with.

I sort of know where Santorum and Co. were going, or trying to go, with this. After all, Washington was "first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen", and he couldn't tell a lie. All good stuff.

But he also had wooden false teeth and a powered wig. And he lived more than 200 years ago. Come to think of it, I'm not surprised Santorum would make such a comparison. His understanding of the Constitution is stuck in the 18th century. He doesn't realize that the Constitution is a living document, not a dead letter.

Will Santorum make it to the White House? Maybe. At this stage of the game, anything can happen. If he does, let's hope the place doesn't burn down over his head. Because then -- like Washington, in effigy at least -- he'd have to rely on Dolley Madison to rescue him from the flames.