Friday, December 22, 2006

Yes, Virginia, there is diversity in America

What is it about these Virginia republicans?

U.S. representative Virgil Goode is freaking out over new U.S. rep, Keith Ellison's decision to use the Koran in his PRIVATE swearing-in ceremony. Keith Ellison is a Muslim Democrat from fair-minded Minnesota. His private decision concerning congressional tradition has been linked to a free-for-all in open immigration. At least according to this shmuck, Virgil Goode.

The AP wrote: 'In his letter, Goode wrote that strict immigration polices are necessary "to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America."

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," he wrote.'

You can read an article about the situation here.

This Boston Globe editorial got it right in expressing outrage at Goode's remarks. The Globe pointed out that Ellison is not an immigrant, but an African-American who can trace his ancestral roots to 18th century America. And that there are two other representatives in January, Buddhists Mazie Hirono from Hawaii and Hank Johnson from Georgia, who are also going to forgo swearing on the bible.

The Washington Post reports, "But Ellison, who could not be reached for comment, would not be the first member of Congress to forgo a Bible. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) took her oath in 2005 on a Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, that she borrowed from Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.)."

'"I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference.'

[That's the great thing about this country you idiot ... we are not compelled to swear allegiance to any religious text or belief.]

When the conservative right talks of "religious liberty," they are really talking about force-feeding strict Christianity to the rest of us. This is an outrage.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

It Girl, Sunday, December 10: Glory Dodge

So I finally saw "North Country," the 2005 fictionalized film that dealt with the first successful sexual harassment lawsuit in the U.S. I loved it.

I chose Frances McDormand's character - the no-nonsense "Glory Dodge," because she was one of the first women to work in one of the northern Minnesota coal mines (with all that obnoxious testosterone). What's more impressive is that Dodge elbowed her way into union leadership and stood by lead character, Josey Aimes, when push came to shove.

African-Americans have their Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird," but what role models, in film or literature, does the queer community have, or more specifically, the trans community?

Regardless, Frances McDormand rocks!