To begin the story of Congressman John D. Dingell, Jr., we should look back to his father, John D. Dingell, Sr. Known as a New Deal stalwart, Dingell Sr. was elected to the newly formed 15th Congressional District of Michigan following the creation of four new seats after the 1930 Federal Census. He was re-elected … Continue reading
On Personal Reflection “Reflection must be reserved for solitary hours; whenever she was alone, she gave way to it as the greatest relief; and not a day went by without a solitary walk, in which she might indulge in all the delight of unpleasant recollections.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Such a great deal … Continue reading
From time to time, I do receive my flack for identifying as an Atheist, and for it, there is a certain amount of hurt that can come from that. Not all language towards people like myself are entirely favorable, such as this: There is no religion called Atheism. If atheists resided in the Middle East, … Continue reading
To begin to talk about ambition, I would like to cite this single paragraph from US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s memoir, Off the Sidelines (Chapter 6: Ambition Is Not a Dirty Word, page 85): It frustrates me how many people automatically assume the worst about ambitious women. You must be cold. You must be calculating. You … Continue reading
I cannot in good conscience among others adhere to a belief in a deity that doesn’t exist at all. So for this day, I offer a Nonbeliever’s Grace for the meals I have taken during this holiday: I offer my deepest appreciation and my most profound apologies to the plants and animals whose lives were … Continue reading
Yesterday night there was protest in the city of Boston, and I couldn’t help but read this tweet below: Woman leading chats& speaking on the microphone referred to “those pigs across the street.” Woman next to me groans. — Lauren Dezenski (@LaurenDezenski) November 26, 2014 And this one as well: BPD officers look on outside … Continue reading
I couldn’t help but understand the news I read today about Michael Sam stating the following: “If I had it my way, I never would have done it the way I did, never would have told it the way I did,’ says Sam, a former all-star at the University of Missouri, in GQ’s latest issue. … Continue reading
Today, I know one particular thing came up that I had no intention of speaking about, but should address in this post. Let’s start with this: The bridge to the homeless shelter and drug rehabilitation programs on Long Island — the largest island in Boston Harbor — is structurally unsound and out of commission. Also … Continue reading
I couldn’t help not notice that in Professor Cunningham’s (of the MassPoliProfs) post about President Obama’s Immigration Speech (President Obama’s Immigration Speech: Conservative Means to a Liberal End) the following: Playing by the rules is important – so important that the president invoked that language twice. President Obama empathized with families who play by the … Continue reading
Reading today’s Boston Metro, I could help but notice an article on page 19, “Gossip makes everyone involved a victim” sounding like wonderful music to my ears. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” One can only wonder what she would have made of two recent … Continue reading
Maura Healey In two previous posts, I covered some awesome folks who ran for office this past election cycle. I supported these three women from the Primary right up to Election Day. Running for office for the first time, Maura was elected the first openly gay Attorney General in the country. This is just another … Continue reading
Steve Grossman In a previous post, I covered why it was important to me to support the Coakley-Kerrigan ticket. I’d like to express how joyed I was at supporting Treasurer and Receiver-General Steve Grossman to be the next Governor of Massachusetts during the Primary leg of the election. Steve Grossman’s work with communities is exemplary, … Continue reading
What is a Purpose? A purpose by definition is “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” For many religious, and non-religious people, we function with an intent to get something died tied to what our passion is. What is a passion? It’s “any powerful or compelling emotion or … Continue reading
One of the topics I consider is sexualization and how it affects me personally, and my community. This topic was brought up to me again by this article, Desexualizing the Modern Gay Man (via The Good Men Project): The Warwick Rowing Team, the official rowing team of the British University of Warwick, puts out a … Continue reading
I have only started reading some of the works of Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, an agnostic. When asked by The Post in 1878, “What punishment, then, is inflicted upon man for his crimes and wrongs committed in this life?” Ingersoll responded: “There is no such thing as intellectual crime. No man can commit a mental … Continue reading
One of the longest debates of my life, since I had come out at 12 years old in 5th grade, being very young what being gay actually meant. Many have tried to define for me what that has been, being no better than the religious fundamentalists who preach against my rights, along with many within the … Continue reading
Reverend Increase Mather I couldn’t help but discover that the Puritans once banned dancing. They had gained power in Parliament by the time of the reign of Charles I and decided to pass their views and ways of living, being imposed on all English people. One of the figures was Reverend Increase Mather. Dancing Written … Continue reading
Originally posted on National LGBTQ Task Force Blog:
guest post by Monica Roberts: Today is the 15th anniversary of the Transgender Day of Remembrance(TDOR). TDOR was conceived by Gwen Smith in response to the murder of African-American trans woman Rita Hester on November 28, 1998, and Hester’s subsequent mis-gendering in gay and straight Boston media.…
The Progressive Democrat 