Yet another doctor has been murdered for his choice to support and protect a woman's right to choose. This morning Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed as he attended Sunday morning church service. Dr. Tiller provided abortions, including late term abortions, in Kansas and had an attempt made on his life sixteen years ago. The identity of the shooter is unkown at this time, but incoming reports state that Kansas police may have a suspect in custody.
Dr. Tiller is the fourth provider to be killed in the United States since 1991. He was one of the few providers in the United States who provided late term abortions, predominantly for patients whose lives were in danger due to complications with pregnancy. He leaves behind a wife, four children, ten grandchildren. His death is a significant loss to women seeking safe abortions. I hope that soon we will live in a country where women, and doctors, can exercise freedom of choice without fearing harm and death.
For more information on how you can protect a woman's right to choose, please visit NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Prop 8: WTF
Last week, the California Supreme Court issued a 6/1 decision to uphold Proposition 8, a ballot initiative to amend the California constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman that passed on November 5, 2008. The issue before the court was not whether or not marriage should be limited to heterosexual couples - the Court had already held that marriage rights should be extended to all couples in California - but whether or not the initiative was the proper way to amend the state Constitution. Those challenging Proposition 8 argued that adding this to the constituion was such a significant change, especially because the state had just legalized marriage equality months prior and had already issued 18,000 marriage licenses - that it should be considered a revision instead of an amendment, and thus could only be passed through a constitutional convention. The state, represented by Ken Starr, argued that it was merely an amendent and thus could be passed through a popular vote. The Court, unfortunately, agreed.
In its opinion, the Court stated that this was merely a procedural issue. That gays still have rights and that in "every other area but marriage" those rights would be protected using strict scrutiny (that they would be considered a somewhat protected class). Unpacking that phrase - "every other area but marriage" - means this: every other area but survivor rights, remedies for loss of consortium, hospital visitiation, free name changes, tax free insurance benefits and on and on and on. The idea that this is merely a narrow issue of the nomenclature of a relationship is simply not correct.
This opinion is additionally problematic because it implies that, in California, ballot initiatives can be used to avoid the protections afforded by the constitution's equal protection provisions. If a popular vote is all that is needed to amend the constitution to reduce civil rights that have already been granted, that means any number of other rights can now be infringed upon.
For the reasons listed above, this opinion has set of a wave of anger and upset in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Not to be left off the bandwagon, the attorneys who were on opposite sides of the Bush v. Gore case have filed a federal law suit challenging the Court's decision. This is a highly risky move. Neither of the attorneys have a history of same-sex litigation. They haven't been on the front lines or part of the decades long strategies that have been put into place. Bringing this lawsuit could, should it not succeed, create federal precedent that would set the movement back in a significant way. In short: this suit could be highly destructive. Thanks, dudes, for using our movement for your glory.
In its opinion, the Court stated that this was merely a procedural issue. That gays still have rights and that in "every other area but marriage" those rights would be protected using strict scrutiny (that they would be considered a somewhat protected class). Unpacking that phrase - "every other area but marriage" - means this: every other area but survivor rights, remedies for loss of consortium, hospital visitiation, free name changes, tax free insurance benefits and on and on and on. The idea that this is merely a narrow issue of the nomenclature of a relationship is simply not correct.
This opinion is additionally problematic because it implies that, in California, ballot initiatives can be used to avoid the protections afforded by the constitution's equal protection provisions. If a popular vote is all that is needed to amend the constitution to reduce civil rights that have already been granted, that means any number of other rights can now be infringed upon.
For the reasons listed above, this opinion has set of a wave of anger and upset in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Not to be left off the bandwagon, the attorneys who were on opposite sides of the Bush v. Gore case have filed a federal law suit challenging the Court's decision. This is a highly risky move. Neither of the attorneys have a history of same-sex litigation. They haven't been on the front lines or part of the decades long strategies that have been put into place. Bringing this lawsuit could, should it not succeed, create federal precedent that would set the movement back in a significant way. In short: this suit could be highly destructive. Thanks, dudes, for using our movement for your glory.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Video Fridays: "Private Idaho"
I want Kate Pierson's hair. Seriously.
(Also, I think the record they're lip synching to must have skipped during the filming, right around two and a half minutes in... either that, or it was a really bad edit. Fred seemed to recover pretty well, but Kate's subsequent confusion and blank stare are priceless. Hee!)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Shameless Self-Promotion
Hey, come see my band play!
Tonight! Double Door! 9PM! New songs! New merch! Hot pants! Exclamation points! Here's a flyer for 2 bucks off cover!
http://www.elliemaybe.com/maybenauts/maybenauts052809.jpg
Tonight! Double Door! 9PM! New songs! New merch! Hot pants! Exclamation points! Here's a flyer for 2 bucks off cover!
http://www.elliemaybe.com/maybenauts/maybenauts052809.jpg
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
You Win Some, You Lose Some: Sonia Sotomayor and Prop 8
Breaking news from the world of law this morning...
First the good news - President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. She would be the second woman on the court, and only the third to serve in the court's history. She would also be the first Hispanic person to serve on the court. Her biography is just starting to come out, but so far we know she grew up in housing projects in the Bronx, made her way through school on scholarships, and was inspired to go into law from reading Nancy Drew books and watching the Perry Mason television show as a child. Here's hoping for a quick confirmation process and another history-making moment in 2009!
And now the bad news - The California Supreme Court has upheld Prop 8, the ban on same sex marriage which passed in November. While the roughly 18,000 marriages that were performed before the ban passed, like that of our buddy Tony of Finn and Charlie are Hitched, will remain valid, the ban does explictly prohibit any new ones from being performed in the future. This is of course a huge blow to equality for glbt individuals, and to all Americans who believe in equality and justice for all. If you'd like to express your discontent, you can do so at protests across the country tonight, via DayofDecision.com.
First the good news - President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. She would be the second woman on the court, and only the third to serve in the court's history. She would also be the first Hispanic person to serve on the court. Her biography is just starting to come out, but so far we know she grew up in housing projects in the Bronx, made her way through school on scholarships, and was inspired to go into law from reading Nancy Drew books and watching the Perry Mason television show as a child. Here's hoping for a quick confirmation process and another history-making moment in 2009!
And now the bad news - The California Supreme Court has upheld Prop 8, the ban on same sex marriage which passed in November. While the roughly 18,000 marriages that were performed before the ban passed, like that of our buddy Tony of Finn and Charlie are Hitched, will remain valid, the ban does explictly prohibit any new ones from being performed in the future. This is of course a huge blow to equality for glbt individuals, and to all Americans who believe in equality and justice for all. If you'd like to express your discontent, you can do so at protests across the country tonight, via DayofDecision.com.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday Monday Monday
Who: The Glorious Vapors, with before and after sets by DJ Wondertwins, a.k.a. Emily (from WOW, duh) and Michael Flavor (of The Hidden Mitten and Hump Day Dance Party)
What: Rock music, cheap beers, carousing and carrying on, pretending like we don't have to go to work on Tuesday.
Where: The Whistler, 2421 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL
When: Monday, May 25th, 9pm til close.
Why: Why? Because we like you.
What: Rock music, cheap beers, carousing and carrying on, pretending like we don't have to go to work on Tuesday.
Where: The Whistler, 2421 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL
When: Monday, May 25th, 9pm til close.
Why: Why? Because we like you.
Video Fridays: "I Will Survive"
Well said, Miss Piggy. Well said.
(On a personal note, I wanted to thank Jenny and Elizabeth for the beautiful letters they wrote, thanking everyone for their support during our run at WLUW. I wholeheartedly concur: we've had the pleasure of working with some amazing people, and being an WLUW DJ has presented me with wonderful opportunities and experiences I doubt I would have been able to obtain elsewhere. I also wanted to thank you, our loyal listeners, for tuning in week after week, and year after year. Clearly, you are the reason why we do this show. I urge you to stay tuned in, because even though WOW may be retiring from the WLUW airwaves, we will keep rockin' out around the city, and right here on the blog. And that is why I will not thank Jenny and Elizabeth for being my awesome co-hosts... that just sounds way too much like goodbye to me.)
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