Gabi Clayton ~ inside the outsider . . .

At the White House

2009-11-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

Rather than write my own version, I am posting a link here of what Alec wrote about our trip this week to the other Washington. Here is his: At the White House.

A huge thank you to Liz Latham, the Seattle based filmmaker and wonderful friend who made this happen. Liz has been working on a documentary about the murder of James Byrd, Jr. called Remember His Name since his murder. Filming the signing of this bill was the dream footage she was hoping for.

And a big thank you to Elizabeth Becton, Washington State Congressman Jim McDermott's Executive Assistant/Office Manager who helped Liz Latham get Alec and I cleared to go to the White House for the reception following the signing of The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

It was wonderful to see Matthew Shepard's mom, Judy Shepard again, and to meet Dennis and Logan Shepard.

I loved having time to hang out again with Cathy Renna who I first met in Cortez, CO when I was there with Carolyn Wagner after the murder of FC Martinez. (Renna Communications).

I so wish Carolyn could have been there with us, but she was physically unable to make the trip from Tulsa.

Before we got there I promised her I would be carrying her with me, and I did.

We were finally able meet in person with Elke Kennedy and her husband Jim, parents of Sean Kennedy who are working so hard with Sean's Last Wish to bring change with hate crime legislation to thier home state South Carolina.

We saw other friends and allies there too. Marsha Botzer, Safe Schools Coalition's Co-Chair; Jody Huckaby, PFLAG's Executive Director; and so many others -- please forgive me if I don't list you here.

As Alec mentions, there is more on our trip to D.C. including photos on the Safe Schools Coalition site in Beth Reis' essay, October 28, 2009: Exciting day for human rights -- President Obama signed The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law today.

There are a few other photos on our Flickr account here:
WashingtonDC-October30-2009.

It was a fantastic whirlwind trip and an honor to be there at The White House on such a historic day. And now its good to be home and back to work.

Neurology update...

2009-10-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I went to see my neurologist Dr. Bell this morning and had the scheduled tests. It helped (a bit) that I had these tests on my feet/legs/knees before.

So I knew what was going to happen. I knew enough to seriously consider canceling the appointment. My sister said I was a wus. Maybe I should show my wussiness?

But I decided to go and get it done. This time the tests were on my hands/wrists/forarms/elbows.

First he did a nerve conduction study

OUCH!!

And then he did electromyography (EMG) tests on the same poor parts of me.

Somewhat smaller OUCH!

Today he diagnosed:

Mild right (possible left) carpal tunnel syndrome. I have to wear a wrist brace at night.

Mild ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. I need to not put weight on my elbows, and I need to sleep with my arms straight even if I have to wrap them in towels held wrapped with bandages. This is in addition to the mild neuropathy in my hand and my feet/legs.

and

Martin-gruber anastomosis in both of my forearms. So, double Martin-gruber anastomosis. Say that quick?!

I go back to see him in three months.

Jay Smooth: No Accounting for Taste

2009-10-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Here is another brilliant video blog post by Jay!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a fan. :-)

ill Doctrine is a hip-hop video blog hosted by Jay Smooth, creator of the hip hop music blog and founder of New York's longest running hip-hop radio show, WBAI's Underground Railroad.

Barbara Ehrenreich: The Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America\

2009-10-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Positive thinking is different, she says, from being cheerful or good-natured -- it's believing that the world is shaped by our wants and desires and that by focusing on the good, the bad ceases to exist.

Read: Barbara Ehrenreich: The Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America | | AlterNet By Emily Wilson, AlterNet. Posted October 10, 2009.

Matthew Shepard’s legacy - looking back and ahead on this anniversary.

2009-10-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Matthew Shepard was murdered eleven years ago today.

"... despite the passage of time and increased cultural visibility, the realities faced by LGBTQs today are 'no different than when Matthew Shepard was murdered."
~ Charles Robbins (Executive Director and CEO of The Trevor Project.

Please read this excellent article:
Matthew Shepard’s legacy :: The fight continues
by Scott Stiffler, EDGE NYC, Monday Oct 12, 2009.

Fifty-seven years and counting

2009-10-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today is my fifty-seventh birthday. I remember when I turned 29. That was a hard birthday. I was stuck thinking oh my I'm almost thirty and what have I done with my life??! I got through the day and back to living and doing and by the time I was about to turn 30 I had realized that actually I had done a lot in all those years. In 1995 Bill committed suicide I was not sure I would survive 42 and I found my way held close and held up by so many amazing people. Soon after when I turned 44 it was another hard birthday because my dad died of a heart attack while he was forty-four there was a weird part of me that had always believed I would die at that age also. I found out later that my sister had also felt that. And yet I lived to be now fifty-seven. I have had a mostly quite interesting life.

so far.

I've not posted much here lately and will try to do more because there is much to share. I'm pretty active on Facebook these days.

I'm happy to be getting ready to fly to Jackson, Mississippi tomorrow for the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition conference. I'll be home on Sunday afternoon, hopefully in time for PFLAG-Olympia where the program is a screening of "Straightlaced by Groundspark.

So I'll be in Jackson and then in the air coming home when the National Equality March happens in Washington DC on October 10-11 and when there are several solidarity events over the weekend in Seattle.

For my birthday I want to leave you with this video by Staceyann Chin, spoken word poet, performing artist and political activist - created to support the equality march and the grassroots work before us all.

love to you all,
Gabi

some thoughts on Referendum 71 so far

2009-09-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't written anything here for almost a month. Among other things that kept us busy, Alec and I observed the signature verification process of Referendum 71 along with a group of great volunteers. It was a longer than expected and grueling process. We were only able to do some two hour shifts because we aren't able to stand for longer than that. Living in the state capital town, we had it much easier than folks who were commuting from Seattle.

I was surprised that it is going to the November ballot, and sorry that the court challenge failed.

And now I am deeply disturbed by the attempt to hide the signatures of those persons who signed Ref. 71 from being public, as signatures on Washington State ballot initiatives have been.

I've been reading some about that and today I found two articles that are encouraging because they are about Washington state attorney general Rob McKenna's upcoming appeal in the court regarding this:

SEATTLE — The Washington state attorney general's office says it is appealing a federal judge's decision to keep secret the names of people who signed petitions calling for a public vote on expanded domestic partnership benefits.

Read: Wash. to appeal ruling in gay rights referendum
By GENE JOHNSON (AP) September 12, 2009

And this:

Rob McKenna: “Just as we don't run our legislative processes in the House and Senate in secret, it's not appropriate to operate the initiative and referendum process in secret.”

McKenna says Judge Benjamin Settle's ruling sets a bad precedent.

Read: WA AG Appeals Judge's Ruling Sealing R-71 Petitions
BY AUSTIN JENKINS - Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Olympia, WA September 11, 2009

This reminds me of a quote I have always loved in a book my father bought for me before he died. Here is that quote:

How shall we bear ourselves in this great movement? What part shall we play in it? I cannot say what part will fall our lot; but whatever it may be, let us remember that we can do nothing which may bring discredit to our cause or dishonor to our people. If we are to be India's soldiers we have India's honour in our keeping, and that honour is a sacred trust. Often we may be in doubt as to what to do. It is no easy matter to decide what is right and what is not. One little test I shall ask you to apply whenever you are in doubt. It may help you. Never do anything in secret or anything that you would wish to hide. For the desire to hide anything means that you are afraid, and fear is a bad thing and unworthy of you. Be brave, and all the rest follows. If you are brave you will not fear and will not do anything of which you are ashamed.

On page 6 of Glimpses of World History by Jawaharlal Nehru -- a collection of 196 letters Nehru wrote from prison during the British rule in India to his young daughter Indira.

... Never do anything in secret or anything that you would wish to hide. ...

Yeah, a message that rings as true now -- and holds what I think is an important truth for this specific issue.

I would never sign a ballot initiative for something that I was not willing to be public about, and I question the integrity of anyone who would want to hide theirs, and anyone who acts to hide those of a whole group of persons.

What are they afraid of?

Now we face a vote on this in our November ballot, and the election ballots will be in the mail soon.

Please be sure to mail in your ballot and vote to APPROVE Referendum 71 and affirm retaining Washington State's domestic partnership law.

See Washington Families Standing Together for more information & resources.

Jay Smooth: Michael Jackson - Dance You Into The Sunlight

2009-08-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. Been really busy with work and various and sundry things.

I haven't said anything here about the death and life of Michael Jackson. I've had a lot of thoughts and a lot of frustrations about the media hype. Then today I finally had a chance to listen to Jay Smooth's Dance You Into The Sunlight and I really want to share it with others. So here it is:

You can also go to Jay's site to read what he wrote about this:
Dance You Into The Sunlight

Thank you, Jay.

Jay Smooth on 'All Things Considered'

2009-07-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

I've posted here before about Jay Smooth and his great video blog (aka vlog) ill Doctrine.

I was delighted to find out that he was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered on June 29th. I missed hearing it on the broadcast but Jay has a link to it on his site

Jay Smooth: On Hip-Hop, Blogs And Race where you can read the article and listen to the 5 min 49 sec audio recording.

Jay, it was a good interview and it's good to know a little more about you.

Various and sundry

2009-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted. I have been busy (as usual) with a few extra things thrown into the mix. Summer with this city woman actually doing some gardening or having other folks do it - some for pay and some by amazing friends helping us out. The yard looks better and is better other than fixing some mistakes and getting some more mulch and then watering and weeding for the rest of the summer.

I was in the hospital Monday and Tuesday. I had been having tight chest feelings (pain) mild for a couple of weeks and then it got a little worse last Friday - not bad enough to go to the doc or hospital but I did go to our family doc Monday. He did an ekg in his office and it was a bit abnormal so he sent me to the ER for more evaluation - especially because of my risk factors. My dad died from his 3rd or 4th heart attack at 44 years old when I was 12. I have high cholesterol, diabetes, and I smoked from age 16 to 50 - among other things. The er did another ekg and blood tests and admitted me for observation and a medically induced stress test which happened on Tuesday. Great news - I passed. The docs said my heart is healthy. Yay! We don't know what is causing it but its just mild and barely noticable when its there usually, and they told me to chew a tums three times a day and see my family doc for a followup in two weeks.

Our BIG news is that Alec's new book The Backside of Nowhere has been published!

On Friday he posted on his blog:

Here's a bit of a teaser, a little scene from The Backside of Nowhere.

Read more here: Under water.

More information about this book and his others is posted on his website:
http://www.alecclayton.com/
and on our ClaytonWorks site:
http://www.claytonworks.com/Publishing/index.html

Father's Day & Pride

2009-06-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

We are off to do the PFLAG table at Capital City Pride (here in Olympia) for the day.

Check out Alec's blog post: Surprised by a story on the web

Besen: Obama’s empty words

2009-06-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

In "Obama’s empty words" Wayne Besen wrote:

For what seemed like forever, Democrats told us that when the big bad Republicans went away, our lives would improve. Well, the Republican nightmare is over, so why do I still feel like I’m in the middle of a political Friday the 13th movie?

Read: Obama’s empty words
by Wayne Besen, columnist, 365gay.com - 06.18.2009

Forty Years from Flashpoint Stonewall

2009-06-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

In her blog Trans Political Vanessa Edwards Foster writes:

As the LGBT community been enrapt in Pride celebrations in numerous cities across the globe this month, there's been plenty of news that's hit the wires. Most all of it in America has centered around Don't Ask, Don't Tell (a campaign promise by President Barack Obama that has yet to be addressed) and marriage issues or the Dept. of Justice's recent amicus curiae brief filed regarding DOMA (the Defense Of Marriage Act of 1996).

Individual organizers in the GLBT community are using this anniversary and devoting media to capitalize on the event to address the recent outrages in the gay and lesbian community.

It's a notable anniversary for Pride celebrations and marches this month as it is the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. That occasion was also about outrage. The folks that night had had enough of being treated like crap. No más!

"If the police came in, they were going to check your ID, rough-up some people. The drag queens always seemed to get roughed-up first." — Larry Stansbury of Capital Pride.

Today, of course, those surviving veterans of Stonewall are all near, or in their sixties or above. They still remember that night well. And though this is a milestone anniversary, there appears to be a collective yawn in this country at least in recalling our history and having these pioneers of Queer history around for the retelling.

Odd. We want to revel in this special anniversary with parades and parties and such. Yet the organizers and perhaps a sizable portion of at least the gay and lesbian community would rather just forget what this date memorializes or the people who created the flashpoint on June 28, 1969.

Included is a quote from Stonewall veteran Miss Major:

I am hoping against the reality that the gay community will get off it's ass & do the right thing by the girls that are still here from the 1969! The shit stops here. (The) riot at Stonewall – when you think about it – that was 40 years ago. If you can add, that makes us elders, ones that need the respect for what we began and for living with the bullshit they throw at at us.... WE ARE STILL HERE, DAMNIT!!!

We are not going to disappear or fade away. I have no closet to hide in – I burned the house to the ground. NO HIDING PLACES.

Vanessa continues:

We march in the Parade and point to the history of Stonewall. But simultaneously there's no sense that anyone wants to know or to remember the community's warriors or even know the history of that night.

People want to mouth the words "Stonewall" as it's become only an occasion in which to party. Unfortunately there will be no lessons learned from it. In Twitter-ese, time to bring out the Fail Whale.

Please read all of: Who Cares About The Stonewall Girls (And Guys)?
by Vanessa Edwards Foster ~ posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Cleve Jones Speaking at Utah Pride 2009

2009-06-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wow this speech by Cleve Jones is amazing.

Video: How I Got To Play John Lennon's IMAGINE Piano.

2009-06-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Steve Schalchlin describes "how a simple Internet posting of a friend's son's death (Bill Clayton) turned into the opportunity of a lifetime, thanks to pop star George Michael and Kenny Goss, a chance to play the piano upon which John Lennon wrote the song "Imagine."

The interview is by our friend Tracey Thornton.

A special production of 'Romeo and Juliet' in Olympia

2009-06-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Alec and I hope to see this show and I wanted to help spread the word.

Theater Artists Olympia is pleased to present 'Romeo and Juliet' done with a fresh, intriguing perspective: the title roles are played by two young men.

The director, Chris Cantrell, has emphasized that this is not a "drag show," but a serious production. He is handling it with the utmost sensitivity and care.

We would like to reach out to those organizations that support the gay and lesbian community and tap into an often-neglected audience.
Please encourage everyone you know to support this important production.

Where: Minnaert Performing Arts Center
South Puget Sound Comm College
2011 Mottman Road SW; Olympia, WA 98512 (map)
When: June 25 - July 11 at 8:00 p.m. (Wed.-Sat.) / July 12 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $12 at door or buyolympia.com / Pay What You Can on 7/8
Info: http://www.olytheater.com/ or 360-357-3471

If you have any questions, feel free to call Heather McMahon at 360-951-5346.
She'd be delighted to help. Thank you so much

Howard Zinn: Changing Obama's Military Mindset

2009-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

I love Howard Zinn. He is one of my heroes.

In Changing Obama's Military Mindset he writes:

Some people might say, “Well, what do you expect?”

And the answer is that we expect a lot.

People say, “What, are you a dreamer?”

And the answer is, yes, we’re dreamers. We want it all. We want a peaceful world. We want an egalitarian world. We don’t want war. We don’t want capitalism. We want a decent society. ...

Please READ the whole article.
Changing Obama's Military Mindset
by Howard Zinn, The Progressive. Posted May 15, 2009.

Steve Schalchlin: Live Online May 22

2009-05-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Were you at the Olympia concert and want more?
Did you miss the Olympia concert?
There is going to be a Steve Schalchlin webcast!

Steve Schalchlin: Live Online from Kulak's Woodshed.
May 22 - 8 pm Pacific time. More information: here.

Jay Smooth: Asher Roth and the Racial Crossroads

2009-05-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine wrote:

A commentary that was supposed to be about Asher Roth but turned into an extended tangent about race in America.

Watch and listen to "Asher Roth and the Racial Crossroads"
by Jay Smooth, May 8, 2009

Excellent again Jay. Thank you.

Steve Schalchlin: The Big Voice in Olympia

2009-05-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

I just posted this on the PFLAG-Olympia blog but I want to put it here too:

Earlier today in his blog - South Sound Arts etc. - PFLAG-Olympia chapter president (and local theater reviewer) Alec Clayton wrote a review of our very special Mothers Day benefit concert:
The Big Voice in Olympia

Steve Schalchlin posted Alec's review on his own blog - Living in the Bonus Round - with more photos and his own comments. Check it out:
A Review of My Olympia Concert.

Both Steve and Alec love comments which you can do on their blogs.

Enjoy!

The Safe Schools Coalition Blog: Open Letter to Oprah

2009-05-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Read this great post by Beth Reis - Public Health Educator and Co-Chair of the Safe Schools Coalition: The Safe Schools Coalition Blog: Open Letter to Oprah

Thanks, Beth!

Like to read novels? Good news!

2009-04-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

A message from Alec:

My first novel, UNTIL THE DAWN, is now being serialized on the new website The Daily Novel.

A chapter a day will be posted on the site, and you don't have to buy the book to read it. That's right, it's free. If you've already read it, tell your friends. The plan is that after the entire book has been posted it will be made available as a pdf file you can download for a minimum charge.

This is a brand new online venture. If they're successful, they will follow up with some of my other books.

I hope this will stimulate sales of my actual printed books -- you know, the kind you hold in your hand that has paper and is bound and has a cover -- which are available on amazon.com or (autographed) directly from me.

Alec

Check it out and enjoy!
Let us know what you think.

Schalchlin - back from the brink!

2009-04-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Its Schalchlin's fourth time singing in Olympia!
Read about it in Alec's blog...
The big voice back from the brink and alive in Olympia
and please get your tickets before they sell out!

Pilobolus "Symbiosis" - A performance merging dance and biology

2009-04-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Get past the very short commercial for TED at the start - the rest of this is amazing!

Two Pilobolus dancers perform "Symbiosis." Does it trace the birth of a relationship? Or the co-evolution of symbiotic species? Music: "God Music," George Crumb; "Fratres," Arvo Part; "Morango…Almost a Tango," Thomas Oboe Lee.

---

This collaborative dance company is acclaimed for its mix of humor, invention, and drama. Drawing inspiration from biology (how many dance troupes would name themselves after a fungus that thrives in cow dung?), Pilobolus has created a dance vocabulary all its own.

Why you should listen to them:

Pilobolus began as an experiment among three guys and one puzzled professor in a Dartmouth dance class back in 1970. It was survival of the giddiest, as the three non-dancers goofed around with the material they'd been given -- themselves -- and got entangled in science-inspired poses (think: "soft-belly protoplasmic thing") and movements. From these humble, biological beginnings has emerged an innovative, unlikely and almost-uncategorizable dance company that combines athleticism, grace and humor with a profound sense of unity.

Their smooth, organic choreography -- featuring unusual partnering and lifts -- often blurs the lines between individual performers, creating a sense of dance-troupe-as-organism. Still evolving after 35 years, Pilobolus has built up a repertoire of more than 85 works and received numerous awards, including the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement in choreography. Their hilarious appearance at the 2007 Oscars -- where they built witty silhouettes to punctuate the ceremony -- brought the troupe further into the public eye.

Pilobolus - their site is timing out this morning but hopefully that won't last long.

This was a TED 'talk' - TED - stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The annual TED conference "brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes)."

Wow! A Republican Vet Destroys Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. on Torture

2009-04-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is amazing. Check out what Steve posted on his blog Living In The Bonus Round:
Living In The Bonus Round: Wow! A Republican Vet Destroys Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. on Torture