a hymn for you

“There are some for whom this debate is all about gray areas. There is no gray area here. We treat each other with respect, or we find another place to work. Period. That’s why I also believe leadership will prove vital.

In fact, leadership matters most. The large majority of troops who believe they have served in a unit with gays and lesbians rate that unit’s performance high across virtually all dimensions, but highest in those units that are well-led. Indeed, the practical differences between units in which there were troops believed to be gay or lesbian and those in which no one was believed to be so, completely disappeared in effectively-led commands.

My belief is, if and when the law changes, our people will lead that change in a manner consistent with the oath they took. As one Marine officer put it, “If that’s what the president orders, I can tell you by God we’re going to excel above and beyond the other services to make it happen.”

And frankly, that’s why I believe that in the long run, repeal of this law makes us a stronger military and improves readiness. It will make us more representative of the country we serve. It will restore to the institution the energy it must now expend in pursuing those who violate the policy. And it will better align those organizational values we claim with those we practice.

As I said back in February, this is about integrity. Our people sacrifice a lot for their country, including their lives. None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well.

It is true there are no – is no Constitutional right to serve in the armed forces. But the military serves all the people of this country, no matter who they are or what they believe. And every one of those people, should they be fit and able, ought to be given the opportunity to defend it.

One final word. And with all due respect, Mr. Chairman and Senator McCain, it is true that, as Chairman, I am not in charge of troops. But I have commanded three ships, a carrier battle group and two fleets. And I was most recently a Service Chief myself. For more than 40 years I have made decisions that affected and even risked the lives of young men and women.

You do not have to agree with me on this issue. But don’t think for one moment that I haven’t carefully considered the impact of the advice I give on those who will have to live with the decisions that that advice informs. I would not recommend repeal of this law if I did not believe in my soul that it was the right thing to do for our military, for our nation and for our collective honor.
Thank you.”

-Admiral Michael Mullen
12/2/2010

Check out the Pentagon’s official report. -

Earlier this week, the Pentagon released its much-anticipated report on the potential effects of repealing don’t ask, don’t tell, the law banning openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the military.

Based on their findings since March, when Secretary of Defense Robert Gates commissioned the report, they found that “the risk of repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to the overall military effectiveness is low.”

The task force surveyed more than 115,000 Service members, making it one of the largest surveys in the history of the U.S. military. Of those questioned, 70 percent said the repeal of DADT would have a “positive, mixed or no effect.”

The Pentagon is now of the official opinion that the repeal is in the best interests of the Armed Services. President Barack Obama, who’s expressed misgivings about the law in the past, and the House agree.

By Jessica Newman

Yes. I pulled the MLK quote on him. lol

Rickey Smiley is my dude .. . but he pissed me the hell off today.  I’m assuming people were discussing Constance McMillen and all the controversy surrounding her Senior Prom.  (http://www.tonic.com/article/lets-throw-constance-mcmillen-the-prom-she-deserves/ ) Because as I’m playing around on twitter I see this:

“I’m As a parent my FUKIN JOB was the make her abide by all rules!! PERIOD!! Chiiid I knew she was gay from childhood! But RULES apply to everyon”

That’s a direct quote.  (He was referring to his daughter, 22, who is gay)  *sigh* Now.  Typically I wouldn’t respond to a post like this based on grammar alone.  However. As a fan of his morning show, his stand up comedy and his work in the community, I felt it was necessary to make an exception in his case. I replied:

“If we “followed the rules” where would Black people be now had someone not been brave enough to say “No. This rule is wrong.”  It’s about more than a girl wanting to wear a tux. If she behaved as if she & her girl were on a date, she’d be kicked out. Telling Constance McMillen that she can’t hold hands with her date Is Discrimination. And it’s WRONG. Rules be damned. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.  I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.” - Martin Luther King Jr.”

That whole “Keep your head down & Follow the Rules because that’s how it’s always been” logic is BULLSHIT.  It’s an excuse to remain ignorant.  It’s what people cling to when they refuse to think outside of the box that was handed to them and act on what they believe to be right.  Constitutional, hell!!  I find it ironic that this man is from Alabama.  He KNOWS the history of this country and how damaging a thing like apathy can be.  He Must know how trans-formative a single act of defiance can be.  Right? Surly he’s aware that his daughter would most likely follow the rules because that’s what she’s been taught.  But is that really the existence we really want for our children?  Wouldn’t we want them to be as brave as the hundreds of young women with much less media coverage than Constance who brave abuse & prejudice on a daily basis .. . and still refuse to let go of their girlfriends hands? I know I would. That’s an important lesson as well.  It requires a little bit more than a ”Yes ma’am.” “No ma’am.”  It’s a lesson on character.

Happy Birthday Audre!

There’s always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself—whether it’s Black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc.—because that’s the piece that they need to key in to.

They want to dismiss everything else. But once you do that, then you’ve lost because then you become acquired or bought by that particular essence of yourself, and you’ve denied yourself all of the energy that it takes to keep all those others in jail.

Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat. You know how fighting fish do it? They blow bubbles and in each one of those bubbles is an egg and they float the egg up to the surface. They keep this whole heavy nest of eggs floating, and they’re constantly repairing it. It’s as if they live in both elements.

That’s something that we have to do, too, in our own lives—keep it all afloat. It’s possible to take that as a personal metaphor and then multiply it to a people, a race, a sex, a time. If we can keep this thing going long enough, if we can survive and teach what we know, we’ll make it. But the question is a matter of the survival and the teaching. That’s what our work comes down to. No matter where we key into it, it’s the same work, just different pieces of ourselves doing it.

-Audre Lorde

glass closets & violets

I’m kinda obsessed with Barbara Jordan right now.  I mean … I’m REALLY into her.  I’ve read 2 biographies on her life … looking for more.  She was an incredible leader.  A Scholar.  You name it.  She was the first. 



* First African American state senator of Texas since 1883 and the First black woman to serve in that body.

* First African-American female to serve as president pro tem. of the state senate.
* In 1972, she was elected to the United States House of Representatives … the first black woman from a Southern state to serve in the House.

* In 1976 she became the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. (That speech is ranked 5th in “Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century”)

* In 1994 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom … the highest honor awarded to a civilian by the President.

The list goes on.  She’s got 2 life sized statues in Texas.  One in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Another one at Texas Southern University.

She was bad ass.  She was fearless.  She devoted her life to protecting the rights of others … and she was fiercely closeted.  When she died, she left her partner, Nancy Earl, of 30 years almost everything.  They made a home together.  I’m curious as to what it was like for her.  What was her reality?  What made her decide to remain silent about her personal life?  Was she inclined to take up the fight for LGBTQ rights?  Or did she fear it would ruin her legacy?  Was she simply extremely private? 

I remember being on line for Delta (an organization we share in common) and the discussion turned to “Issues negatively affecting the African American Community.”  A variety of issues were tossed out there: AIDS, Teen Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Apathy, Literacy … and then someone said “Homosexuality.”  I’d yet to come to terms with my own sexuality then, but I knew I had to say something.  It wasn’t right.  “The way a person loves is not an issue negatively affecting our community.  It doesn’t make sense.”  I was immediately shot down and the conversation moved on.  I was disgusted.  But unfortunately, I wasn’t really surprised.  Black people are all a church based group of people.  If the preacher says it’s wrong.  Then it’s wrong.  Even if he’s sitting there with a trimmed beard (Lev 19:26-28), eating surf & turf (Lev 17:10 and Lev 11:10) wearing a cotton/linen blended shirt. (Lev 19:19)  ALL “Abominations”.  Anyway.  I digress. 

My point is this: As individuals, we all deserve the right to be happy.  Every privilege afforded to straight couples should be afforded to gay & lesbian citizens.  Period.  It’s only right.  It’s only constitutional.  Not many people would be able to argue this point better than Barbara Jordan … and yet she chose not to. 

Please don’t get it confused though.  When I realized I was a lezzie, I didn’t come out the gate, rainbow flags blazing, heading LGBTQ organizations on campus & taking a stand.  Not at all.  Honestly, it was terrible.  I was super involved on campus and probably had an opportunity to change some people’s opinion of “what a black lesbian looks like” … but I didn’t.  I was afraid of the popular opinion. And all she wanted to do was hold my hand.  I look back & of course I wish I would have come out sooner.  I wonder if Barbara had any regrets.  I wonder what her life was like beyond law and politics.  I wonder if she was happy.