Reese's World: 10/01/2007

A star trek halloween

A star trek halloween, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

standing star trek baby

standing star trek baby, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

photos from my mom of my niece (who'll be 14 in two weeks!)

here's another backgrounder on what happened last night in my work campaign world here in sf

it's been a bit busy, and a little wild, with the campaign lately, as you can see from the detailed articles below:
before the meeting
after the meeting

politics can be wild sometimes...

this was a great article. confirms a lot of how i've been feeling about next year's elections. this article focuses on the distinct possibility of democrats picking up more seats in the house. clearly, additionally, there is very good chances of doing the same in the senate. that's why there have been and are still further retirements coming from long time national republicans. because they know that they're about to lose badly again. and they don't want to mess with it any further. the same thing happened about ten/fifteen years ago when democratic incumbents starting retiring in droves and their seats were picked up by republicans and led to the crazy take-over by republicans over the 90's and 00's. but finally, finally, americans are exasporated by republicans and want to put democrats back in charge. and the great thing for my family back home is that they moved into a new swing congressional district when they moved out to blue springs and now they have a strong oppotunity to vote a right-wing republican house member out and put in a terrific democratic candidate-- former kansas city mayor kay barnes. and then of course on top of all that we get to put a democrat in the white house again next year. and that will be the icing on top of the democratic house and senate cake.

back here in good ol' sf, i get the pleasure of voting for the speaker of the house nancy pelosi again. not a swing seat, of course, but a powerful one and a privilege to have her as my representative. and locally i can concentrate on electing my boss to the state senate to help strengthen us here in san francisco and california further

i have a fever of a hundred and three

actually i have no idea how high it is
i just know that i've had a fever the last two days
i keep sweating profusely under my covers
which i have layered on me constantly because i'm freezing
all the time
freezing
which is not like me
normally i'm hot
always hot

so either i'm freezing or sweating
back and forth
and i feel very tired and achy all over
so i know i have a fever

but my grandma's turkey vegetable soup is helping!

Orthodic casts

Orthodic casts, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Soapy casting water

Soapy casting water, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Feet casts

Feet casts, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Orthodics casting

Orthodics casting, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Foot doctor's office

Foot doctor's office, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Got chocolate?

Got chocolate?, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Got chocolate?

Got chocolate?, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

a sampling of pictures from my mother on her trips through the west

New glen park library

New glen park library, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

New kids area of glen park library

New kids area of glen park library, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Dragonfly

Dragonfly, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

On a kids chair in the new glen park library. What a great touch!
--Reese

So spooky

So spooky, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Gay animals are out!

so i was so busy leaving town at the beginning of the month that i never posted my recent column or the latest newsletter. well, here they are:

newsletter

column:

"Coming Out Is Family Values"

The buzzwords back in the 80's and 90's were about 'family values.' This was the Republican Religious Right's way of saying that they were for families by being opposed to us Gay folk. Even if we were part of the family. Because to them, valuing the family meant getting rid of the Queers, making us 'straight,' denying our existence, and shaming us out of their lives. And then, from a distance, they could talk about how they were against us, rather than we were already part of them.

We have not only taken the word Queer back from the hateful use of its history, but we're now taking the words 'family values' back too. Since we have been coming out more and more over the decades, we have been making safer spaces for others to come out more and more, which makes it even more safe space for others to do so and on and on. And within these safe spaces, our families are coming out too. As allies. Like never before.

Witness the conservative Republican mayor of San Diego and his speech in favor of marriage equality. Because of his daughter. Because she is openly Lesbian. Because he loves her and values his family. Had this been 20 years ago, would he have even acknowledged her, let alone valued her and her human sexuality? Or would he have hidden her? Or shamed her? Or sent her to get saved? Or also possible, would she have even had the courage to come out in a space that wasn't safe to do so?

We have made these spaces safe for our fellow Queers and our families by coming out and speaking truth about our lives.

Witness my family. Had I never come out, would they even talk about or discuss issues of Gay life? Would they have ever started feeling comfortable in speaking about Gay issues with others in their family and social and church networks?

Witness your own community. Had we not continued on ongoing fight for our right to be who we are, and live our lives openly and justly, would our cities or states have ever enacted non-discrimination ordinances or hate crimes legislation or domestic partnership rights or even full marriage equality?

And witness our own lives. Had we not come out and lived our own lives, would we have the growing families of our own that we have now? Witness the numerous Queer couples who are having and/or raising children. Who are going to their family reunions. As they are. With their partners. And less and less people are batting an eye. And more and more people are feeling safer to be open. Even if it's just to be open to support equality.

Coming out of the closet is family values. We are valuing our family when we let them in to who we are as part of the family. They are valuing us when they hear us, accept us, and let us live openly as we are. And we are all valuing the family when we live together as one.