Like most normal people with feet and sensibilities firmly planted in the 21st century, I am appalled by Indiana’s odious pile of caca that is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. While proponents claim that the law will prevent the government from infringing on the peoples’ ability to exercise religious beliefs, anyone with opposable thumbs and a functional cerebellum knows the more egregious implication: The RFRA opens the door for businesses and other entities to legally discriminate against LGBT people. WTF, Indiana? During Sunday’s airing of…
This post has been temporarily removed. Kate Bornstein *** Stay with us. Don’t sink to the bottom like a fish going to sleep. Be with the ocean moving steadily all night, not scattered like a rainstorm. The spring we’re looking for is somewhere in this murkiness. See the night-lights up there traveling together, the candle in its gold dish. Don’t slide into the cracks of ground like spilled mercury. When the full moon comes out, look around.…
It’s been nearly a week since the election and I’m tired, elated and vastly relieved. My guy won. Big exhale. While I know that not everyone shares my thrill at President Obama’s reelection, I’m willing to bet that the majority of my fellow Americans–on both sides of the fence– are glad that the whole shebang is over. At least that’s one thing we collectively hold in common. Perhaps that’s a start. Many of the post-election speeches have made reference to the blistering separation in…
An Open Letter to LGBT Youth, My name is Katy. I live in Seattle. I am a writer, a jazz singer and the proud mother of a wonderful gay teenage son. You don’t know me. We’ve never met. But I am writing today to deliver this message: YOU MATTER You matter a lot. You are important. You are perfect just the way you are. You have a right to live with pride and dignity. You deserve your spot on this planet. By virtue of…
My son came out to me in the form of a text. I was working on my computer late one night last September. Enzo was staying at his dad’s house that particular evening. I had my nose deep into something I was writing when his text came in. The text, which was sent to both his father and me, was succinct, yet in my mind, absolutely beautiful. It said, “I’m gay. But I’m also very tired, so I’m going to bed. We can talk…
“There are certain things that government does that gives people privileges in order to promote activity that are healthy for society and are best for society. And those things we promote would give people advantages or benefits, government benefits because we think that is healthy activity. Mothers and fathers coming together, forming healthy marriages, having children and raising those children. Every American child has the right, and the government should support the right to have and know their mother and father and be raised by…
