What a fantastic crazy past twelve hours, right?

First, this is what a badass democrat looks like:

Ms Davis conducted a thirteen hour long filibuster yesterday, in order to thwart a nasty piece of anti-choice legislation that would have made it nearly impossible to get an abortion in the state of Texas.  She was not allowed to lean on anything while filibustering, or take a bathroom break, or eat, either.  She was told she would have to stay on topic, and she was given three "strikes" re the filibuster.  The third time she broke one of the rules, the filibuster would end.  When the GOP controlled state Senate saw Ms Davis might make it, and they would not be able to vote (the session ended at midnight Texas time last night) on SB5, they hastily claimed three bogus violations on her (two of which were she mentioned Planned Parenthood, which they claimed not germane, and another was when she had a colleague adjust the back brace she was wearing) and tried to organize a vote at about an hour and a half before midnight.  The Dems stalled as long as they possibly with motion after motion until at about a quarter to midnight the GOP had had enough, broke the rules, and tried to organize a vote anyway.

The gallery crowd went ballistic, and made it nearly impossible for the Senate to conduct business.  The vote happened and the Dems lost 19-10, but it was after midnight.  The nasty GOP changed the time stamp on the legislation to two minutes before midnight, and claimed it had passed.  But the thousands watching online and at the Capitol knew better, and the GOP finally had to call it a night, saying the session was over and SB5 was dead.

Asshat Gubner Haircut will most likely call a special session, and this drama will play out all over again, but as my friend Jill T said on friendface, "Ms Davis, I would like to buy you a drink."

Here is some of Ms Davis' story.  And you all know Barbara Jordan and Molly Ivins were watching from the beyond, raisin' hell, and fighting with her.

(And, hey, do something to support Ms Davis today:  Donate to Planned Parenthood here.  I did!)

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And, then, of course the internets and friendface exploded at a couple of minutes after seven AM Cali time when Justice Kennedy killed DOMA.  It went just as I predicted, scenario two on the chart I provided last week, a narrow victory on Prop 8, and a resounding victory on DOMA.

A great flipping day for our country and democracy.  There are major battles still to be fought, on both these issues and many others, but the good guys won today.  Big time.

It is going to be the greatest Pride evah! Enjoy it you crazy kids! Be safe and make out with like a dozen people each for me.  I love you all,











xxxoooxxx,
Ardent

I am starting to believe the decision is coming next week.

Pride Week in the Bay Area.  Hoo-boy.

In just a little over three

Weeks it will be Pride here in the wonderful Bay Area.

Which could prove interesting, because do not forget, that sometime v soon, around the time that SCOTUS will completely eviscerate the Voting Rights Act, SCOTUS will also rule on Prop 8.

Literally, any day now.

I am sticking by my original positions:  They will either rule that the Prop 8 folks have no standing, meaning that the most recent court decision will be upheld, i.e. Prop 8 was unconstitutional in the state of California, and the Prop 8 folks would have to launch yet another appeal using a different method of attack -- and we would desperately need the California Supremes to lift the stay on Prop 8, so that could Marriage Equality would be the law of the land until the Prop 8 folks get their sorry act together for another stab at hatefulness.

Or, it could play out like this.

This could be one of the greatest Prides ever.  Or, an ugly depressed angry one.

Stay tuned, kids.

Mwah, ... 

Real quick here

(I have got to go to bed.  I have to be at work so early tomorrow.)

I just do not know a better period for me, these last six weeks where I have seen so many earth-shattering, game-changing films.

Completely just stumbling around, idly looking for things to watch, I came across Vito, a doc about Vito Russo, gay activist -- founding member of the Gay Activist Alliance, GLAAD, and ACT UP -- and famous author of The Celluloid Closet (one of the first power points ever, really.)

Vito is a stunning, wonderful documentary that I supremely recommend everyone to witness.

More on all this w/ my big movie recap tomorrow and Wednesday.

Thank you HBO and the filmmakers who produced this extremely touching and inspiring documentary about a great great man.

Here is the trailer for Vito.

All my love,







Mwah, ... 




















Michael









Good night, ...

"You will feel so much better."

"To the gay community all over this state, my message to you is:  So far a lot of people joined us and rejected Proposition Six and now we owe them something.  We owe them to continue the education campaign that took place.  We must destroy the myths once and for all, shatter them.  We must continue to speak out, and most importantly, most importantly, every gay person must come out.  As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family.  You must tell your friends, if indeed they are your friends.  You must tell your neighbors.  You must tell the people you work with.  You must tell the people in the stores you shop in.  You ... And once they realize that we are indeed their children, and we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed, once and for all.  And once, once you do, you will feel so much better."

Harvey Milk

You also gotta love Governor Moonbeam whispering in Jimmy Carter's ear to tell them to vote against Prop Six.

And, I still say you should always vote No on all state propositions.  There are parts of this country that would legalize segregation if it came up for a vote.

mds

Pride Week starts today, of course.

Pride Week is when San Francisco nearly turns in to Disneyland, The Happiest Place on Earth.

I remember way back in the late nineties going to a dyke bar with Nadja K and a bunch of her friends and kissing and hugging every single girl or guy on our way to the bar to order drinks. When Nadja and I finally got our drink orders in, Nadja looked at me and said, "I love Pride Week, everyone loves everyone."

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Cool day set up for me today:  Going to lunch with a friend at Sidebar in Oaktown; and then heading to the City to go see Turn Me On, Dammit.  So, part of my day is a Me Party, which I have been having a lot more of recently, which is great.

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Trying to stop rereading the same books over and over, and work on reading new books.  I am kicking off this new campaign (I always want to spell campaign with an e at the end, like Champagne, and always have to lop off the e right after I type, ...) with a book I have had my eye for years but finally bought, Ava Gardner "Love Is Nothing" by Lee Server.  It is a great biography. She had a tumultuous, crazy life.  And I have always loved difficult artists.  And Ms Gardner also did not give a fuck what other people thought of her, and said whatever she wanted to say, an attribute I also always admire in others.

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Euro 2012 is going okay.  The Russians got knocked out and the Czechs broke.  Germany is doing well, my pick to win it all.  France is looking in good form.  Spain looks great.  I still can not stand Italy, England, or (especially) Portugal, and they all look to make the Quarters, but there has been some lovely football on display at times and I am getting excited for the knock out stages.  

But I am still even more excited about next month's Women's Football Tournament at the London Olympics.  

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The Summer is heating up and the knives are seriously out for Obama on Fox News.  Yeh, big surprise, right? I love how Juan Williams has now become the official surrogate for Obama on FNC, and gets yelled at three or four times a day, as if Williams is Barack Obama.  Of course, Williams gets paid quite a bit of money to absorb such abuse, so, you can not feel too sorry for him.  Anyhoo, ...

That is all I got! Everyone have a splendid wonderful Monday and try and do at least one little something special for yourself even if it is naughty or decadent.  

xxxoooxxx,

Ardent