Ask any artist or writer what intimidates him or her the most and the answer is likely to be “a blank page.” It is a space of endless possibility—a journey without a map and often without a clear destination. The challenge is finding the first few footsteps.
As some of you may know, I was the owner and editor of the Gazette for nearly seven years. In that capacity I had the great opportunity—and greater responsibility—of attempting to give voice to a community. My “Last Word” column was my monthly rant about whatever tripped my trigger. Sometimes the words flew through my fingers as fast as I could type; other times they had to be pulled out by sheer force. Such is the challenge of committing to a recurring column.
When declining revenues forced me to make the painful decision to stop publishing the Gazette, of course I was devastated, but a small part of me was also relieved. Publishing the Gazette was an all-consuming labor of love, but as anyone who’s been there can tell you, sometimes love can wear you out! Working full time as a Registered Nurse pays much better than publishing a gay news magazine, and while nursing is hard work and has its own stresses, at the end of the day you can go home and leave it to the next shift.
You might find it odd, then, that here I am, writing for “the competition.”
Actually, Tom Dyer, who publishes this fine newspaper, and I, have been friends all along. At a recent event we were talking and I joked that maybe I could do some writing for him. I hadn’t thought about a regular column, but a few weeks later, when he suggested it, I said yes.
You see, losing the Gazette didn’t diminish my passion for news and politics. I’ve been pretty much invisible for over a year now, and every time some politician or religious crackpot did or said something stupid I felt like I’d explode. Yelling at the TV only scared the dog and he’d cower in the corner like he’d just been caught wetting on the rug.
Think of it! I’d had to sit out the entire 2008 presidential election! There was a lot of stupidity there! So indulge me for a minute while I recap a few things:
Our pretty-boy gay-vernor grew a “beard” to look more vice-presidential before McCain insulted women all over America by picking a moose-hunting beauty queen as his running mate. Personally, I still can’t believe that, once he was out of the running, Good-time Charlie didn’t call off his wedding faster than Levi Johnston. I guess he knows something the Log Cabins can’t seem to grasp: It’s only ok to be gay and Republican if you’re married—to a member of the opposite sex.
Speaking of the Governor, Charlie is showing his true Republican roots with his latest social program, Explore Adoption Day. If he really wants to explore adoption, how about exploring ending the asinine (not to mention dehumanizing) ban on gay people adopting children in this state! With thousands of kids needing permanent, loving homes, otherwise qualified people are still prevented from adopting them simply because they’re gay or lesbian. But let’s not explore that.
Explore Adoption Day sounds like it comes right out of the Bush playbook. With one hand they launch this big “No Child Left Behind” program while, with the other hand they gut the funding from education and children’s health programs. When are these guys going to stop paying lip service to the welfare of children and actually start showing a little compassion and caring? Don’t they realize that healthy, educated children grow up to have better jobs and, thus, pay more taxes?
But I digress.
