Halloween Horrors & Happiness

In the wake of the depressing news that Iowa voters ousted three highly qualified judges (including the chief justice, a conservative Republican appointed by former-and-soon-to-be-Governor Terry Branstad), solely because of their vote on the gay marriage ruling, there are some welcome pro-gay links to share.

First, here's an interesting blog post from a mother whose 5-year old son decided to dress up for Halloween as Daphne from Scooby-Doo.  While his mother and his friends were fully supportive, let's just say the other kids' mothers ... disapproved.  Let's let his mother take it from here.

But here’s the point, it is none of your damn business.

If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja, so back off.

Dang it, now I want to be a gay ninja when I grow up!

In other gay friendly news, a major NFL star, the NY Jets Antonio Cromartie, has signed on to the "NOH8" pro-gay marriage celebrity campaign.  It's incredibly heartwarming to know that a major pro athlete, from one of the more "macho" and presumably chilly-to-gays sports, has the courage to stand up for gay rights.  I may not be a Jets fan, but here's a high-five to Cromartie for his public support.

I must confess, my friends, the road ahead will not always be smooth.  There will be still rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment.  There will be inevitable setbacks here and there.  There will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair.  Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted.  We may again with tear-drenched eyes have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs.  Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. ... When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.  Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

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As a note to my readers, I apologize for the slow posting recently.  I've been sidetracked by several work projects, unexpectedly coaching a junior mock trial team (now state-bound!), and a quick Vegas getaway this weekend.  Also, some posts recently required extra time to research, while a dozen or so posts are in various stages of drafting.  In any event, I hope to get back to a more regular posting schedule in a week or two.  Thanks for your patience!