April Fools Fail

I'm sorry, Sheldon Anderson, Republican candidate for the Minnesota House from Wyoming, MN, but how is this an April Fool's Joke?

It just makes you sound like an asshole.

The Declaration of Independence says that all people have unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think many of the things you list would fall under at least one of those categories for people out there. I may parse your use of "entitled," but I think we're talking about almost the same thing.

Saturday Links

Sharing a bit for you:

New Law Requires Women to Name Baby, Paint Nursery Before Getting Abortion
via Feministing

Some people may find the satirical video funny, but the sad truth is that some women DO name their babies and paint nurseries before getting abortions. Most often these are late-term abortions done for health reason where the women very desperately want the child. I can only see this video as poking at an open wound for those women and their families.

Two articles from the Minnesota Independent:

GOP bill could bring "Choose Life" plates to Minnesota

Anti-abortion license plates could appear on vehicles in Minnesota if a new bill passes the legislature this year. Legislators submitted a flurry of new bills on Monday well ahead of the start of the session in February. One submitted by Republican Rep. Larry Howes of Walker would initiate a “Choose Life” license plate program in the state.

Franken bill to give servicewomen access to emergency contraception

“All servicewomen should have the same access to this medication as civilians do,” Franken said. “The fact that more than 2,900 sexual assaults were reported last year in the military—a nine percent increase—only heightens the need to ensure emergency contraception is always available.”

Say what you want about Al Franken, but I've been repeatedly impressed with his actions and bills during his short time in the Senate.

Have a great weekend!

"it's a feeling of freedom, you know?"

Quote of the Day: Pro-Choice Michele Bachmann

"That's why people need to continue to go to the town halls, continue to melt the phone lines of their liberal members of Congress and let them know, under no certain circumstances will I give the government control over my body and my health care decisions." - US Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

I hope Planned Parenthood and NARAL put her on their mailing lists ASAP. Another woman for choice!

ELCA Churchwide Assembly - Homomentum?

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination, is holding their Churchwide Assembly this week in Minneapolis, an event which expects to be controversial this year. The body is voting on a set of GLBT clergy recomendations, which if passed, will open the denomination to ordaining openly gay and lesbian clergy in longstanding partnered relationships.

The recommendations follow four steps which are built on one another, which means step 2 cannot pass if step 1 is not approved and so on:

Step One
Step one asks the assembly whether, in principle, it is committed to finding ways to allow congregations and synods that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.

Step Two
Step two asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church.

Step Three
Step three asks this church whether, in the future implementation of these commitments, it will make decisions so that all in this church bear the burdens of the other, and respect the bound consciences of all. This means that any solution that serves only the conscience-bound positions of one or another part of this church will not be acceptable.

Step Four
Step four proposes how this church can move toward change in a way that respects the bound consciences of all. It recognizes that such respect will lead to diversity of practice. However, the majority of the task force believes that the conscience-bound lack of consensus will be respected most faithfully by providing some structured flexibility in decision-making so that congregations and synods may choose whether or not to approve or call people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve on ELCA rosters.

In reaching this conclusion, the task force acknowledges that the existing policies and practices of this church give responsibility for decisions related to the approval or disapproval of candidates for rostered service or for a specific call to synodical call committees, bishops, and congregations. That is, individuals and groups are trusted to make these decisions. The task force also acknowledges that such decision-making takes place within a carefully determined process of mutual discernment by those seeking call and the representatives of this church.

As expected, some churches in the synod are in favor while others are not. In a survey of ELCA clergy, 54% of clergy are in support of ordaining GLBTQ clergy with no restrictions while 32% say GLBTQ clergy should be able to be ordained if they remain celibate. 14% of clergy say gay and lesbian shouldn't be ordained at all.

Goodsoil is an organization working for full inclusion of GLBTQ folks in the ELCA church and is maintaining a blog during this week's Assembly. From yesterday's post:

Starting tomorrow, as the Assembly takes up (yet again) the matter of “us”—debating whether the Bible or the tradition can support the wonders that God is already busily doing in our lives (of which the stoles are just a hint)—we will send some portion of ourselves into deep prayer. Carrying all the anguish of our past and all the hopes of our future into the presence of God, we will wrap ourselves in these shawls. Clothed in this love, we will tend to maintaining a contemplative quiet, steadying the words that others of us will speak in Assembly and enlivening the stories that others of us will tell over meals.

We, who are Goodsoil—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally people of faith—are as yet exiles in our own church. Even as we hold our heads high, even when our hearts are happy and our spirits sound, there is no denying that the policies in place and the attitudes that remain pervasive in too many places mark us as exiles.

But in this room, we are exiles in good company. Besides the wealth of ourselves—and the energy of faith and hope is tremendous here—between the stoles and the shawls we have all the colors of the rainbow in this room.

As people of faith who support full inclusion of everyone in the church body, it's incredibly difficult to see faithful people return to institutions who do not value their contributions. As a Methodist, my denomination tells me that we're a people of open hearts, open minds, open doors and yet we blatantly close doors on GLBTQ people. How can we say that all have sacred worth but that some are incompatible with Christian teaching?

Good luck and god speed to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. I fear the worst, hope for the best, and will mourn or celebrate accordingly. If you'd like to follow on Twitter, it's #goodsoil09 for GLBTQ-friendly Lutherans and #cwa09 for all tweets relating to the Churchwide Assembly.

I <3 Roller Girls

It's no secret - I flippin' love roller girls. LOVE them. My secret desire is to be a roller girl someday - I say someday because I'd have to practice a ton, spend money on equipment and I'm more than a little broke right now, and I know that lots of the roller girls are in their mid-30's. It's not a sport that considers you ineligible to play once you're past your mid-20's. So I've got some time. In Minnesota, we've got two leagues - Minnesota Roller Girls and North Star Roller Girls. If you're in the area and love roller girls as much as I do, be sure to check out a match.

I think this quote from Minneapolis-based City Pages sums up why I love roller girls so much:

These women are hardcore, and not just because they beat each other up on roller skates. From their ramshackle beginning in 2005 to the professional athletes they are today, people have always found the Roller Girls appealing for the same reason: They make no apologies for being themselves.

"If you think about it, all women have a little Roller Girl in them, but oftentimes they aren't allowed to show it," says Kelley. "That's all this is. Roller derby isn't about ink or being tough or whatever, it's about being empowered. Just look at veterans. There are girls with dreads and tattoos, and then there are ones who are in makeup looking absolutely nine-to-five. It just reinforces that this is about you doing what you want to do and being the person you want to be."

Homophobia at MPLS Pride

First, we've got this video of a group of young teens harassing a man as he leaves the Minneapolis Pride parade, including walking past some security guards from a local building:



The man in the video has utter composure and reacts in the best, most impossible manner. Also, don't read the comments on the video. It's a combination of racism and heterosexism.

Then some people were kicked out of a taxi by a homophobic driver (after being picked up in front of a gay bar).

And out of Minneapolis, there's this.

How? How in this day and age can people still be like this? How do we as surrounding society allow this to happen? Why do we create these spaces where homophobia thrives and grows?

To the people in these situations, my utter condolences.

via.

Hairstyles are not political news, pt 5

Minnesota Independent, you know I love you, right? I enjoy your local focus on progressive topics, often providing good information on local feminist/GLBTQ/progressive organizations and individuals for blogging. That's why it makes me sad to see this:

In a new official portrait photo issued today, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum appears to have moved the part in her hair from the left to center-right. The Democrat also has added a House of Representatives pin on what appears to be a mauve Mao jacket, effectively jamming attempts at easy ideological interpretation.

Seriously? Come on, that's the best you can do today? The clothing and hair of politicians is NEVER news, but especially when it involves women. Of the four Minnesota politicians mentioned in the article, three are women (Betty McCollum, Amy Klobuchar, and Michele Bachmann vs. Tim Pawlenty) plus a fictional woman (Betty Crocker). And the only reason you mentioned Pawlenty is because you wanted to make fun of his mullet.

Let's spend more time talking about something else, even though I'm sure you're getting tired of reporting on the Franken/Coleman Senate race. I'm sure you can either a) find something else, or b) not post at all.

I don't know if you've heard this or not, but fashion and women's hairstyles are not political news. Parts one, two, three and four.

Twin Cities candlelight vigil for Dr. Tiller

Minnesota Choice Coalition is putting together a candlelight vigil for Dr. George Tiller, the doctor murdered this weekend for providing late-term abortions in Wichita, Kansas.

Where: Loring Park
When: June 2, 9-9:30
Bring your own candle

NARAL Pro-Choice writes, "There will be no speaking program, no bullhorns, no chanting and no political rhetoric. We just want to gather to silently reflect on one man's life and contribution to the pro-choice movement, and to mourn among other pro-choice supporters."

If possible, RSVP to danb@prochoiceminnesota.org.

Hope to see you there.

Crashing a car into a PP clinic is a VIOLENT act

There's been a lot happening at the Ford Parkway St. Paul Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota lately. The Archbishop of the St. Paul/Minneapolis diocese showed up at a Good Friday protest that the clinic traditionally uses to raise funds through "sponsor a protester" - by showing up himself, more anti-choice protesters showed up and inadvertently raised more funds for the clinic.

Also, back in January Matthew Derosia crashed his SUV into the front of the clinic, saying Jesus told him to do so. He plead guilty and sentenced to 111 days in jail last week, but the state is now looking to have him committed for mental illness.

Derosia's mother, Georjean Derosia, and the radical Army of God group have rallied to his cause, sending out fundraising emails. In an email explaining her actions to the Minnesota Independant, Georjean wrote, "[It is] the state of Minnesota’s intention to LOCK UP my son for a non-violent protest against Planned Parenthood for THE REST OF HIS LIFE!!!"

I don't know about you, but RAMMING A SUV INTO A BUILDING IS NOT NON-VIOLENT. It is violent at its very core, done with an intent of inflicting destruction. If you hit a person with a car, it is a violent act. Just because he didn't physically injure anyone doesn't mean it's not violence. I'd be willing to bet that the women and men who work in and go to that clinic have experienced emotional violence as a result of his actions.

While I hope Derosia gets the mental help he may need, his actions were certainly not non-violent. I hope Georjean and the Army of God recognize this, because it's certainly not helping their case at all.

Klobuchar proves women politicans can be funny

Remember how women can't be funny? Well, Senator Amy Klobuchar's (D-MN) got something to say about that.

Writing her own jokes, she stole the evening at a Washington Press Club Foundation event a few weeks back. The whole thing is pretty funny - lots of cracks at the Democratic Party, but here's a few of the best ones:

I set an all-time US Senate record, and this is true, I raised $17,000 from ex-boyfriends. Speaker Pelosi, I may have the all-time record in the Senate, but I know in the House, that record is held by Barney Frank.

...

When I got here I made all kind of committee requests: finance or appropriations, commerce, foreign relations.

So somehow I got placed on the subcommittee on Oceans. I’m from Minnesota and I was placed on the subcommittee on Oceans!

It’s like being from Illinois, Rahm Emmanuel and being placed on Ethics.

I finally figured it out why Harry put me on Oceans for one reason: I can see Lake Superior from my porch.

...

But I love [Minnesota's] lakes. And it was great to take Barack Obama to campaign in Minnesota. Because with 10,000 lakes he had plenty of water to walk on.

So good... SO good. Read the whole thing here.

MN school board changes policy on GLBTQ discussions!

I've been out of it for awhile (a cold and a broken laptop, but both are better now), but I want to share a bit of good news. Anoka-Hennepin, Minnesota's largest school district, has revised their official policy on homosexuality. Prior to this change, teachers and school staff were required to say that homosexuality was not a normal or valid lifestyle. It originally was restricted to health classes, but eventually became the policy for students and teachers. For example, a student couldn't talk about her two fathers and their family unless describing them as invalid or abnormal.

Now, GLBTQ topics are addressed “in a respectful manner that is age-appropriate, factual, and pertinent to the relevant curriculum.” No longer are same-sex parents and their families considered abnormal within school contexts! The policy change was worked on by the school board and several GLBTQ organizations in the Twin Cities - OutFront Minnesota and Rainbow Families are quoted in the piece.

Hoorah for the Anoka-Hennepin school district!