Facts: They’re Just My Opinion
A few months ago a listener to my radio show delivered a fresh new conspiracy/scandal. He was certain that President Obama had orchestrated the Sandy Hook school shooting to help get himself re-elected. Really. When I pointed out to the caller that the president had been reelected more than a month before the shooting, he responded, “That’s just your opinion.” So, now actual historical events are JUST MY OPINION because they don’t fit into the narrative that Obama wants to take your guns so badly he’ll send a Manchurian nut-job to shoot up a school. OK, so this guy may…
Stories We Missed
Between the news from Boston, Watertown and Texas the 24 hour news media seemed to be like a pig in… well you know what. MSNBC, FOX, CNN all seemed unable to cover anything else other than the two big stories – they threw their entire media machine at them. Meanwhile, stories that would normally be headline news went by the wayside – and weren’t even talked about. While I could never pretend to have caught all the really important ones here’s a bunch of the news stories that we at TheMudflats thought were really important and deserve a second shot…
The View from Juneau
An old saying goes something like this, “We hate in others what we hate in ourselves.” I don’t think I’ve seen a better example of that than this 28th legislative session. I flew to Juneau to watch the last days of the session for myself. Home in Anchorage, I spend a remarkable amount of time watching Gavel to Gavel – I even Tivo it. But the cameras don’t show what’s really going on in the Capitol, restaurants and bars; they don’t show the lobbyists following lawmakers into the bathroom or to the smoking porch. (I have to wonder whether the…
“Active Homosexuals” to be “Embraced” by Boy Scouts?
Read it and weep. Jim Minnery, of Alaska Family Council sent out an email calling supporters to show up at a Town Hall meeting of the Boy Scouts to address whether “active homosexuals” will be “embraced” by the Boy Scouts. Not sure about those inactive people who have let their homosexual memberships lapse, but “embracing” is definitely a red flag. If you get his meaning. *ahem* Next month, the Boy Scouts of America plans to vote about whether to lift the ban on gays in scouting. And one 16-year old Maryland Eagle Scout candidate who has come out, may be…
Bisbee, AZ Fights for Same-Sex Unions
Like Alaska, Arizona has a constitutional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. And like Alaska, their Constitution doesn’t say anything about civil unions. And although Arizona has a reputation for leaning far-right on many social issues, there are progressive communities who don’t believe that civil rights only apply to heterosexuals. One such community is Bisbee, Arizona. An old copper mining town that was reinvented as an artists’ colony in the 1970s, Bisbee sits close to the Mexican border just southeast of Tucson. It’s a charming community (pop. 5,633) full of old historic buildings, cute eateries and…
The Story Behind the Meme: Equal Rights Equal Sign
As a person who’s worked on branding and social media in the non-profit sector I’ve always admired the Human Rights Campaign. Their branding, use of social media is at a level that most corporations can’t match. In a country where it seems there’s a 100 groups for every cause the HRC stands out and has become the go to organization on GLBT rights. So this past week when the HRC logo went viral I was wondering to myself – how did they decide on something as elegant and straightforward as the equal sign. Well I’m guessing they’ve been asked that…
Begich Supports Same-Sex Marriage
Alaska Senator Mark Begich has come out with a definitive statement in support of same-sex marriage. Monday night, the Senator’s office sent the following statement to BuzzFeed: “I believe that same sex couples should be able to marry and should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as any other married couple. “Government should keep out of individuals’ personal lives—if someone wants to marry someone they love, they should be able to. Alaskans are fed up with government intrusion into our private lives, our daily business, and in the way we manage our resources and economy.” The comment comes after…
GOP Responds to LOLing at Civil Unions
[A similar story is cross-posted at The Huffington Post HERE] Well, that didn’t take long. Apparently, the House Majority Caucus got an earful, and learned that laughing out loud at the mere thought of Alaskans having legal recognition of same-sex partnerships was inappropriate. That’s what happened Friday during a press availability in Juneau. Late this morning, a statement was released to the press by Majority Leader Lance Pruitt (R-Anchorage) and Speaker of the House Mike Chenault (R-Nikiski). Caucus leaders were asked for their position on providing legal recognition for same-sex partnerships, a position which 70% of Alaskans favor….
Same-sex Civil Unions? Republicans LOL.
[A similar story is posted at The Huffington Post HERE] Oh, it was a rollicking good time at the House Majority press conference this week. Mark Miller of the Juneau Empire pointed out that only 30% of Alaskans were opposed to legally recognizing same-sex partnerships in some way. That means 70% of the population in our great state thinks that gay people should have the right to a legal union. That’s what they call, in statistical terms, “a ginormous majority.” In light of these overwhelming results, Miller asked the Republican House caucus if they would support legally recognized civil…
FOX Punks Self with Same-sex Couple
Oh, Fox News. In a video about how nobody will be happy until we admit that the sexes are not equal, and “traditional” gender roles in marriage, Fox News went to the internet and nabbed a gorgeous photo of a gorgeous couple taking their traditional vows atop New York’s Empire State Building. One problem. The happy couple just happens to be two women. Lela McArthur and Stephanie Figarelle from Anchorage, Alaska won a contest last year for their dream wedding, and got married last Valentine’s Day at the famous landmark, on the first day that gay marriage became legal in…