![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Political dork, but a happy one
Jun. 4th, 2009 06:51 pmAnything I say about Obama to people I work with is horribly cliche, so too is it if I say it to my hippie friends. I'm moving more to the middle politically with age. But...I'm thrilled with Obama. Thrilled.
I stayed at home late today because I got sucked into his speech from Egypt. It was fantastic - unapologetic, very direct, and addressing all major issues from USia's history to women's rights. I'm sure if you care you can hulu the vid, read the text, or scan the reactions from your favorite neocon/crunchster blog.
I walk into a government building most days of the week, and I used to pass a pic of Bush and a pic of Cheney. Bush looked like a smug twit, Cheney had an obvious sneer in his portrait. Today I walk past Obama - and I'm proud. I'm proud that this is the face, these are the words, that are emanating from the US today. He smiles, but looks serious and determined. I used to look away from the picture and wince when it was Bushy, now I have a tiny smile or just push my shoulders forward with resolve to tackle the day's obligations.
Poor Biden may be the most unnoticed VP in many generations.
Today I attended a gay/les/bi/trans/curious/identified/appearance/niceshoes presentation. I've gone to them for years at USDA. Just a year or 2 ago when I went, not only did the program suck, but there would be 25 or less people there. It was the only event that the office didn't make mandatory - the wymyn,black african, azn, latino, and native thingys were all mandatory attendance - while the fags and dykes were just ignored.
The room was packed, to my utter shock. I half went not because I cared, but so the room would be less empty. The beginning was a video montage, and it was fantastic (to me).
For the first time I can remember, the Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture came to our presentation. Usually they either schedule someone and a stand-in shows up, or they announce they'll be there and cancel. No, Tom Vilsack came in person and gave a long and touching speech. He noted that he had passed legislation, which the republicans overturned, to allow for gay rights/protections for state employees. He had elected 4 of the members of the Iowa Supreme Court - who just overturned laws against gay marriage. He joked about meeting the Mayor of San Francisco and mocking how he, from Iowa, had legal gay marriage before San Francisco.
Speaking about USDA, he noted that of all the Agencies you'd expect to be at the forefront of gay rights, you wouldn't necessarily put Agriculture at the top of the list; but you wouldn't expect Iowa to be one of the first states to allow gay marriage. He said, why not, and why not.
TO TOP IT OFF, he introduced his...oh what was she...chief of staff I think. She joked about how she had happily retired from the USDA after over 30 years of service, then free of the hatch act went to campaign for Obama. In Iowa. She was then thrilled and honored to be invited back to USDA by the Secretary. Then she noted that at her retirement party, when she no longer could possibly do anything to lose her job, she finally meshed her worlds and told the attendees that she was a lesbian. In fact, it wasn't just that she couldn't lose her job, it was that neither she nor her partner could lose their jobs by her employer knowing she was gay. She had worked for over 30 years in the closet...and after all that, she is now invited and serving in a high-ranking office of the USfuckingDA as an openly gay person. It is hard to imagine in this day and age, or without the level of threat gay issues can be in this country - especially in government jobs, how important it was to keep on the down low as an employee who is gay/bi/etc.
I have had a bit of an odd day - very emotional for me, but all based on international politics and work policies and presentations regarding equality. It is kind of embarrassing, but these issues are very important to me and I'm so happy to see positive change after all these years.
Oh, and Janna, the guest speaker was a friggin slam poet, as seen at the Nuyorican, Regie Cabico. I got to watch a slam poet doing work and ad-libbing, on the clock, in the USfuckingDA. Bwah!
I suppose the one down side was sitting next to the manager I've had so many problems with in the past. She applauded and lauged at the right parts, and like me left with a rainbow diversity button on her lapel. Damn...that blows another basis for any EEO case I might wanna file...
I stayed at home late today because I got sucked into his speech from Egypt. It was fantastic - unapologetic, very direct, and addressing all major issues from USia's history to women's rights. I'm sure if you care you can hulu the vid, read the text, or scan the reactions from your favorite neocon/crunchster blog.
I walk into a government building most days of the week, and I used to pass a pic of Bush and a pic of Cheney. Bush looked like a smug twit, Cheney had an obvious sneer in his portrait. Today I walk past Obama - and I'm proud. I'm proud that this is the face, these are the words, that are emanating from the US today. He smiles, but looks serious and determined. I used to look away from the picture and wince when it was Bushy, now I have a tiny smile or just push my shoulders forward with resolve to tackle the day's obligations.
Poor Biden may be the most unnoticed VP in many generations.
Today I attended a gay/les/bi/trans/curious/identified/appearance/niceshoes presentation. I've gone to them for years at USDA. Just a year or 2 ago when I went, not only did the program suck, but there would be 25 or less people there. It was the only event that the office didn't make mandatory - the wymyn,
The room was packed, to my utter shock. I half went not because I cared, but so the room would be less empty. The beginning was a video montage, and it was fantastic (to me).
For the first time I can remember, the Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture came to our presentation. Usually they either schedule someone and a stand-in shows up, or they announce they'll be there and cancel. No, Tom Vilsack came in person and gave a long and touching speech. He noted that he had passed legislation, which the republicans overturned, to allow for gay rights/protections for state employees. He had elected 4 of the members of the Iowa Supreme Court - who just overturned laws against gay marriage. He joked about meeting the Mayor of San Francisco and mocking how he, from Iowa, had legal gay marriage before San Francisco.
Speaking about USDA, he noted that of all the Agencies you'd expect to be at the forefront of gay rights, you wouldn't necessarily put Agriculture at the top of the list; but you wouldn't expect Iowa to be one of the first states to allow gay marriage. He said, why not, and why not.
TO TOP IT OFF, he introduced his...oh what was she...chief of staff I think. She joked about how she had happily retired from the USDA after over 30 years of service, then free of the hatch act went to campaign for Obama. In Iowa. She was then thrilled and honored to be invited back to USDA by the Secretary. Then she noted that at her retirement party, when she no longer could possibly do anything to lose her job, she finally meshed her worlds and told the attendees that she was a lesbian. In fact, it wasn't just that she couldn't lose her job, it was that neither she nor her partner could lose their jobs by her employer knowing she was gay. She had worked for over 30 years in the closet...and after all that, she is now invited and serving in a high-ranking office of the USfuckingDA as an openly gay person. It is hard to imagine in this day and age, or without the level of threat gay issues can be in this country - especially in government jobs, how important it was to keep on the down low as an employee who is gay/bi/etc.
I have had a bit of an odd day - very emotional for me, but all based on international politics and work policies and presentations regarding equality. It is kind of embarrassing, but these issues are very important to me and I'm so happy to see positive change after all these years.
Oh, and Janna, the guest speaker was a friggin slam poet, as seen at the Nuyorican, Regie Cabico. I got to watch a slam poet doing work and ad-libbing, on the clock, in the USfuckingDA. Bwah!
I suppose the one down side was sitting next to the manager I've had so many problems with in the past. She applauded and lauged at the right parts, and like me left with a rainbow diversity button on her lapel. Damn...that blows another basis for any EEO case I might wanna file...
