Exxon - Mobil Will Comply

No hissy fits, so far.  Hey! it’s big money, you know.

Please note: I’m old.  I remember these things. 

Before the Merger with Exxon, Mobil Oil already had a non-discrimination policy and offered benefits to Lesbian & gay couples/families.  All that disappeared after the merger and seems to have been forgotten. I haven’t purchased their products since well before the merger, and still won’t.

So, this is good news on so many levels, especially after 15 long years of rejection by the shareholders and corporate heads. 

From the AP:
IRVING, Texas — Exxon Mobil Corp. has said it will comply with the new protections for gay and transgender employees required of federal contractors, while still sidestepping the question of whether it will formalize that by changing the language of its corporate policy.
Following President Barack Obama's signing of an executive order Monday expanding protections for federal workers and contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Labor Department has 90 days to issue regulations for how employers must comply.
Exxon, which according to government records won more than $480 million in federal contracts in 2013 and more than $8 billion since 2006, has long resisted pressure from civil rights groups and shareholders to enumerate such protections in its formal policy.
The world's biggest oil and gas company by market value will continue to "abide by the law," spokesman Alan Jeffers said Tuesday.
He wouldn't say if that meant changing the language in the company's formal equal employment opportunity policy, but stressed that Exxon prohibits "discrimination on any basis."

The rest is HERE.

I'm not sure if the originally covered Mobil employees were grandfathered in to the new company and were allowed to keep their benefits, or if they became instant second class citizens. Haven’t been able to track that one down, yet.

Yes, corporations are people.  Keep saying that over and over.

And so it goes.

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Small Town Boy: 30th Anniversary

When this tune was released in 1984 I was a caregiver and up to my eyeballs with AIDS, but something about Somerville’s voice and the tune got into my being. Down deep.  Perfect song for the perfect time. The story of gay-bashing, rejections by family, fear and ultimately - survival.

It became a huge hit world-wide, an anthem, and a sort of watch-cry for gay youth. I was in my 30s and still could easily identify with the pain, anguish, and determination of the song. I've posted the original video a while back, so I'll just go with the new one.

So, here we are 30 years on.  Jimmy Somerville decided to record it again.  This time a more plaintive, low-key version.  Nice to note, he’s still got that fabulous voice.

h/t: JMG

And so it goes.

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Pet Shop Boys Call For Mass Pardons

Pet Shop Boys To Call For Pardons For Thousands Of Men Convicted Of

Homosexual Acts

From the Independent:
BRITAIN: Pet Shop Boys are to use a new orchestral work about the computer pioneer Alan Turing to call for the “tens of thousands of men” imprisoned or fined for committing homosexual acts to be pardoned.
A Man From the Future, created by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, will premiere at the Proms on July 23 .
The Pardon, the last song, references the posthumous pardon granted to Turing, who was prosecuted for gross indecency and chemically castrated in 1952. Tennant and Lowe will urge the government to pardon others convicted before homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967.
“So very many lives were ruined over such a long period,” said Tennant. “Frankly it rather disappoints me that Stonewall [the gay rights group] has not done more. So we’re making the statement ourselves.”

The rest is behind a pay wall.

(Alan Turing, code-breaker and father of the computer, was finally pardoned posthumously last December, 2013.)

And so it goes.

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Historic Presidential Proclamation

Since June is officially Pride Month, I’ve saved this for today. 

Never thought this could be a reality in my lifetime. I thought marriage equality was surprise enough, but this?  I’m happy that I’ve lived to see it happen.

30 May, 2014

"As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

"Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married same-sex couples.

"My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT

rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

"Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending

the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

"This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too. 

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people. 

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth." - Barack Obama.

Proud of the years I spent with the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberation Front. They had no money and little support from closeted well-to-do gays. We were angry, scared, pissed, had guts, and more than a few dreams. The image below is that of my friend Craig Rodwell, standing outside of his book store, The Oscar Wilde Booke Shop on Christopher Street, 1969.

And so it goes.

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The AFA on the Harvey Milk Stamp & a Counter Suggestion

When I first read this “suggestion” yesterday the flaws in the plan became shockingly clear.  Evidently, not so much to the AFA. 

Incensed by the release of a postage stamp honoring Harvey Milk, the American Family Association is urging its members not only to avoid purchasing the stamp…but to refuse to accept or open any letter or package postmarked with one.
1. Refuse to accept the Harvey Milk stamp if offered by your local post office. Instead, ask for a stamp of the United States flag.
2. Refuse to accept mail at your home or business if it is postmarked with the Harvey Milk stamp. Simply write 'Return to Sender" on the envelope and tell your postman you won't accept it.  

In his daily email alert yesterday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also attacked the Obama administration for issuing the stamp, linking the move to the imprisonment of a Sudanese mother who is facing the death penalty for her conversion to Christianity: “(T)he Obama administration -- which had more than enough time to throw a party in honor of homosexual activist Harvey Milk -- hasn't had a spare second to demand the freedom of two of America’s youngest citizens.”

Here’s the suggested counter PSA (with a side of stupid) for those paranoid AFA members, courtesy of DU. (click image to embiggen.)

The stoopid.  It burns!

More later.

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Damn! I Was There!

I had happily forgotten about this. After all, it was just one of many that continued after the Stonewall Riots.  Found this item over at Box Turtle Bulletin and realized, hey!  I was there. I was not quite 24 that winter, working long hours (noon to midnight) and fast becoming what we used to call a "nightcrawler" - and these illegal after hours places were where we thought we'd not be bothered. Someone didn't pay off the right people, I guess. What did we know?  

New York Police Raid the Snake Pit: 1970. It may come as a surprise to those who are not of a certain age, but raids on gay bars by the New York police department didn’t end with the Stonewall uprising in the summer of 1969. In fact, raids continued, virtually uninterrupted. At about 5:00 a.m. of March 8, 1970, New York police descended on the Snake Pit, an after-hours unlicensed bar in Greenwich Village. Deputy Inspector Seymore Pine showed up with a fleet of police wagons, and without bothering to sort out the owners from the clientele, arrested all 167 customers and took them to the station house, an act which violated police policy. One patron, Diego Vinales, panicked. An immigrant from Argentina who was in the country illegally, he feared what would happen to him in the police station and tried to escape by jumping out a second story window. He landed on a fence below, its 14-inch spikes piercing his leg and pelvis. He was not only critically wounded, but was also charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. As paramedics attended to Vinales, a cop told a fireman, “You don’t have to hurry, he’s dead, and if he’s not, he’s not going to live long,” sparking a false rumor that Vinales had died.Following on that rumor, the Gay Activist Alliance immediately organized a protest for later that night. A pamphlet publicizing the protest read, “Any way you look at it, Diego Vinales was pushed. We are all being pushed. A march on the Sixth Precinct will take place tonight, March 8, at 9pm, gathering at Sheridan Square. Anyone who calls himself a human being, who has the guts to stand up to this horror, join us. A silent vigil will occur immediately following the demonstration.” Nearly 500 people showed up for the protest. After Rep. Edward Koch accused New York City Police Commissioner Howard Leary of green-lighting the resumption of raids and illegal illegal arrests on the gay community, Leary resigned and Pine was reassigned to Flatbush in Brooklyn. And the gay community, which had already witnessed a burst of organizing activity since the Stonewall uprising nine months earlier, became even more politically and socially active, setting the stage for a very successful Christopher Street commemoration later that Summer for the first anniversary of Stonewall.

Many legal (meaning they paid off) establishments were hurting because of the intimidation of the police. During a raid *everyone* was taken to the precinct, though not always arrested. After the raid, and when the bar was eventually allowed to reopen, there would be cop stationed at the door checking identification, and writing everything on a tablet. (there were no computers back then.) Scary stuff when being out at the time could mean the end of your career, and life as you would like it to be.

Another bit of forgotten history, remembered.

And so it goes.

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She Did the Right Thing - For Once!

The Harpy milked this controversy for all it was worth, for as long as possible. Finally did the right thing.

Heads exploding everywhere.  Snoopy Happy Dance here.

Indeed.  Now I can plan a visit to Dr. Spo, Someone, and Harper (not Harpy, that's Brewer) in Phoenix.  Not that one was in the stars, mind you, but it's grand to have the option once more.

Found these two quotes online this morning @ JMG and thought I'd post them too.  One of these papers is owned by Rupert Murdoch...can you guess which one?

It's all in how you look at it, isn't it.

h/t JMG

More later.

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Sochi Olympic Surprises

Imagine my surprise when I logged in to Chrome this morning and spotted this.

I found this backhanded slap yesterday.  Love that BBC 4.  Sorry, that's Channel 4, an independent, commercial station.
(h/t to Raybeard for the correction.)

How the world has changed.

More later.
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Dido Covers "Smalltown Boy" on BBC Radio

It's good to see that some pop songs still have a shelf life after 3 decades. I wrote about this song last month and linked to videos as well, but this is very recent - on BBC radio covered by Dido! Makes me feel good and happy, too. Enjoy.

And so it goes.

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Remembering Harvey: 35 Years

Hard to believe it has been so many years.

And so it goes.
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From Russia: Sad

Thanks to current US - Russia policy meltdown due to the Snowden & LGBT mishugas  the visas of all students from Russia, Ukraine, are cancelled as of this week. At least here at the beach, we will lose important staff members before the busiest holiday of the year. We will be saying good-bye to young friends who've worked with us for 2 or 3 summers.  They will lose valuable income that was to supplement the cost of their education back home.

This is going to create a vacuum that will go unfilled; most American college students are already back in class or return this week - before the Labor Day weekend.  Here at the beach we are already close to burnout, so extra care needs to be taken to ensure that we don't actually reach that point. 

And, please don't go off on "hiring Americans is better for business" because it's a moot point.  From my perspective:

• They have no work ethic. 
• They are unable to complete a standard job application. 
• They will work only when they want to work.   
• Too many tattoos & piercings assures them no job in service industry.
• They are caught stealing far too often.  

I won't even attempt to describe how they dress (or not) for a job interview; too gruesome.

I now have 5 seasons under my belt and in all that time only 3 Americans have survived and thrived at the restaurant. Most last less than a week.  Yes, the work is hard, but the payoff is well worth the effort.

Getting through the next five days is the focus of the moment. Things ought to let up a little after that. 

And so it goes.
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Largest Mass Murder of GLBT People in HIstory: 40 years ago.

This  horrific event in our history may be unknown to you, but story continues to haunt many, including Troy Perry the founder of the Metropolitan Community Churches. (click the plaque image to embiggen.) As usual in those day, as now, there was little press coverage and many families of the deceased refused to claim the bodies.  Unfortunately, some things haven't changed, even 40 years on.  The perpetrator(s) were never found. Sad, that.

On June 24th, 1973 a popular gay bar, The Upstairs Lounge, was brimming with patrons even though it was a Sunday. It was the last day of Pride week. A Time Magazine article described the bar as a,

 “safe haven for gays in 1973. Every Sunday night from 5pm to 7pm, the second-floor bar held its weekly “beer bust”—all you can drink drafts for $1. It was a refuge where patrons could laugh, love, and even worship without fear. The Metropolitan Community Church, the only denomination at the time that welcomed gays and lesbians, often held services in the bar’s back-room theater.”

On that night one man, Luther Boggs, ran down the stairs to answer the doorbell. What he did not know was the man at the door had doused the steps in lighter fluid and set it alight. The next 20 minutes were complete chaos; 35 quickly made it to safety, 15 got out injured but alive, 29 died immediately in the fire, and 3 died later due to injuries.

The Upstairs Lounge was on the second floor of a three-story building, and was only two blocks away from the fire station.  Firefighters were slowed down by stalled vehicles in the street and crowds of drunken bar goers. By the time the first responders arrived on scene, flames were shooting from the building.

The story of the Upstairs Lounge Fire from the Times Picayune. 

I tried posting this yesterday, but the damned links wouldn't cooperate.  Better late than never.

And so it goes.
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Uncle Frank Rich on Ancient Gay HIstory

The man in the image here is Clayton Coots and you'll read more about him in this powerful story by Frank
Rich in New York Magazine. Though published in May, I've saved it for Pride Month, so enjoy.

In a new century dominated by terrorism and recession, few would deny two big bright spots: the election of an African-American president and the expansion of gay civil rights. The first arrived nearly 150 years after the Civil War. The second happened with the speed of a fever dream. The modern gay-rights movement only got going in 1969, after the Stonewall riots. Now a dozen states have legalized same-sex marriage, a concept unknown in political discourse a mere quarter-century ago. More astounding is the likelihood that a conservative-leaning Supreme Court will expand those marital rights, however incompletely, next month—it took more than a century after the Emancipation Proclamation to end all bans on interracial marriage.
As we just learned, a man can still be murdered for being gay a few blocks away from the Stonewall Inn. But the rapidity of change has been stunning. The world only spins forward, as Tony Kushner wrote. And yet as we celebrate the forward velocity of gay rights, I think we must glance backward as well. History is being lost in this shuffle—that of those gay men and women who experienced little or none of today’s freedoms. Whatever the other distinctions between the struggles of black Americans and gay Americans for equality under the law—starting with the overarching horror of slavery—one difference is intrinsic. Black people couldn't (for the most part) hide their identity in an America that treated them cruelly. Gay people could hide and, out of self-protection, often did. That’s why their stories were cloaked in silence and are at risk of being forgotten.
This history is not ancient. My own concern about its preservation comes not from some abstract sense of social justice but from my personal experience. I grew up in the Washington, D.C., of the sixties, where the impact of racism was visible everywhere, front and center in my political education. But gays—what gays? No one I knew ever saw them or mentioned them. Not until the eighties—when, like many Americans of that time, I was finally forced by the rampaging AIDS crisis to think seriously about gay people—did I fully recognize that a gay man had been my surrogate parent in high school, when I needed one most. Not that I ever thought to thank him for it.
For younger Americans, straight and gay, the old amnesia gene, the most durable in our national DNA, has already kicked in. Larry Kramer was driven to hand out flyers at the 2011 revival of The Normal Heart, his 1986 play about the AIDS epidemic, to remind theatergoers that everything onstage actually happened. Similar handbills may soon be required for The Laramie Project, the play about the 1998 murder of the gay college student Matthew Shepard. A new Broadway drama, The Nance, excavates an even older chapter in this chronicle: Nathan Lane plays a gay burlesque comic of 1937 who is hounded and imprisoned by Fiorello La Guardia’s vice cops. Douglas Carter Beane, its 53-year-old gay author, is flabbergasted by how many young gay theatergoers have no idea “it was ever that way.”
Clayton Coots, the gay man who changed my life, fell somewhere between The Nance and The Normal Heart on this time line. He was one of countless gay people who were hiding back then, sometimes in plain sight, from their friends, neighbors, relatives, students, and colleagues. In historical terms, back then was only yesterday. Yet much as we might want to reclaim these invisible men and women from the shadows, they continue to slip away. It’s one thing to retrieve the story of a gay American from the pre-AIDS era who was famous or notorious. It’s quite another to track down a closeted gay American of no renown who lived shortly before the gay-rights revolution took hold. I have spent more than twenty years off and on trying to piece together Clayton’s life. Even in death he is still in hiding.

The story continues HERE. Trust me, it is a "must read" for all.

And so it goes.
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Response to a Bigot's Response to Marriage Equality

These people are dumber than a box of rocks.  No offense to the rocks. This delicious smackdown is from Delaware Liberal:

They are calling for the immediate repeal of the marriage equality law, I suppose not realizing that the 12 Senators and 23 Representatives are not going to repeal a law they fought hard to get passed. And apparently not realizing that once civil rights are expanded to new groups and classes of people, they are hardly ever rolled back. Indeed, the Hate Amendment in California is the only example I can think of, and even that attempt is about to be struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Here is a rescued comment from one Ecia. I moderated her (or his) comments on the prior Marriage Equality thread because she (or he) started spamming the thread with this drivel. But I decided to highlight this comment to reveal how bigoted and stupid the opponents of equality are.
Here is her (or his) comment:

Calling For Repeal SB75:
As The State Government has completely ignored the legitimate concerns of the People of Delaware, there is an urgent call for A Special Election to REPEAL SB75 or to do something to correct this unjust law that Desecrates God’s Word.

Let me stop you there. The General Assembly ignored your bigotry. They did not ignore the legitimate concerns of the People of Delaware. To the contrary, they addressed a very legitimate concern: equality for all. What is it with conservatives thinking they always speak for all the people of the state or country. And they loudly pronounce that they are speaking for all the people and all the people agree with them. They doth protest too much. They know their minority and bigoted views are not shared by the majority anymore and it scares the living shit out of them, so they have to scream louder that they do speak for all, I guess thinking that if you shout a lie loud enough and often enough it turns out to be true. But I digress…
Second, a special election? Did a Representative or Senator die or resign? No. So there can be no special election. But Ecia is talking about a referendum here. Thankfully, we don’t have referenda in Delaware. Not because I fear losing a referendum. In fact, the forces of good and equality would win such a vote. I just don’t think it is right to have a vote on someone’s rights. How would you like it Ecia if we voted on whether you could get married to the one you loved?

“A just law is a man-made code that squares with moral law or God’s law” If necessary, I am prepared to go to jail before complying with any law that so blatantly desecrates the most sacred gift from God, The Institute of Marriage.

Unless you are a Clerk of the Peace, as a citizen this law does nothing to you. It does not force you to comply with anything. You do not have to become gay married now. You do not have to become gay now. You even don’t have to stop hating gays now. But I guess because you are such a hateful evil bigot you are incensed that gays get to get married and live happily and be accepted in society now, and your living with that fact without doing something to stop it is “compliance” in your book. So go ahead. Do something stupid and violent. Get thrown in jail. Your incarceration will please me greatly.

Thankfully, these folks are dying off.  

Go and read the rest HERE. Some of the comments are quite funny, too.

And so it goes.

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What If...? Indeed, What If?

I am still processing the past weekend's events and a post will be forthcoming, but this arrived in my inbox and took my breath away.  I wanted to share.



If we could only imagine such a world. What if all these people were long-lived?  What might they have accomplished and given to the world?

But, they're not here.

And so it goes.
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Ali Forney Drop-In Center Destroyed By Hurricane Sandy

I have nothing more to add; the fact that young people are suffering this kind of hate from their own biological families in 2012 is mind-boggling enough.  Help if you are able.  These kids have no one, but our caring community. Reposted from JMG:
A terrible message from Carl Siciliano:

Dear Friends,  Yesterday we were finally able to inspect our drop-in center in Chelsea, half a block from the Hudson River. Our worst fears were realized; everything was destroyed and the space is uninhabitable. The water level went four feet high, destroying our phones, computers, refrigerator, food and supplies.

This is a terrible tragedy for the homeless LGBT youth we serve there. This space was dedicated to our most vulnerable kids, the thousands stranded on the streets without shelter, and was a place where they received food, showers, clothing, medical care, HIV testing and treatment, and mental health and substance abuse services. Basically a lifeline for LGBT kids whose lives are in danger.

We are currently scrambling for a plan to provide care to these desperate kids while we prepare to ultimately move into a larger space that will better meet our needs. The NYC LGBT Center has very kindly and generously offered to let us temporarily use some of their space, and we hope to determine the viability of that on Monday.

We have been deluged with kind offers from people who wish to volunteer and donate goods. Unfortunately, we will have to provide our services in the time being in much smaller spaces that won't accommodate volunteers or allow for much storage space. The best way people can reach out to help in this very challenging time is by making monetary donations. Please go to our website.

It is heartbreaking to see this space come to such a sad end. For the past seven years it has been a place of refuge to thousands of kids reeling from being thrown away by their parents for being LGBT. For many of these kids coming to our drop-in center provided their first encounter with a loving and affirming LGBT community. I thank all of you for your care and support in a most difficult time.

And so it goes.
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Matthew Shepard: Fourteen Years On...

It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that it's been 14 years.

Remember:

On October 7, 1998, Aaron Kreifels was riding his bike through a field in Wyoming. He wasn't expecting that day to be different from any other beautiful sunny afternoon in the vast plains surrounding Laramie, but that day would change many lives.
Aaron spotted what he initially thought was a scarecrow next to a fence. Then he noticed a glisten of blood. The sun sparkled on what he barely recognized as a face. What Aaron had discovered was 22 year-old Matthew Shepard, clinging to life.
Most of you know what happened next. Matthew held on for five more days and as his parents held his hand and prayed, Matthew slipped away quietly on October 12th, leaving in his wake a new movement for equality.
The outcries for justice and for greater protections were immediate and resonating.
Since then, Matthew's mother Judy has made it her personal mission to protect all young LGBT people from Matthew's horrific fate. In founding the Matthew Shepard Foundation, she has created safe spaces in and outside of schools for kids, and worked with parents to ensure their children learn to erase hate from their lives.
But overwhelmingly what you saw in 1998 was a community ready to act, ready to change something. And Matthew's story was the catalyst for that. Many of you have seen or read the Moises Kaufman play, The Laramie Project - Matthew's story as told through interviews of those who were living in Laramie at the time - some of his friends and some who just happened to be riding a bike through the plains of Wyoming that day. If you think of nothing else today, please consider the importance of telling your story - how your story can change the world around you.
This young boy, unbeknownst to him, has changed the world with his.

 If you have never seen The Laramie Project,  play or film, at least see the film.  It's almost as powerful as the play and has a great cast. You may be sad after watching, but that sadness is a sort of cleansing. At least it has been for me.

And so it goes.
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Happy PRIDE Weekend

Just Remember:

And lasted FOUR long days.

And so it goes.
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Rehoboth Beach: Seasonal Police Get Sensitivity Training

This is from the front page of one of our local weekly papers. I'm really proud of what our community has done over the past 2 decades and happy to know that today it appears to be news-worthy. Steve (image at left) is a friend as well as the executive director of CAMP Rehoboth.
From the April 18, 2012 edition of the Delaware Coast Press:

REHOBOTH BEACH -- May 16, 1993. Five males -- three juveniles and two adults, Miles Cuffee and Fernando Harris -- approached three gay males after midnight on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk and beat them with champagne bottles and an aluminum baseball bat.
One of the victims suffered brain damage, the other two were hospitalized with lacerations.
The incident spurred then-Police Chief Creig Doyle to put his foot down. He teamed with the recently founded CAMP Rehoboth, a gay and lesbian community center, to start a training program with summer police officers on how to appropriately handle minorities in the city.
Fast forward to last Saturday, when CAMP Rehoboth's executive director, Steve Elkins, conducted his 20th training seminar for the seasonal officers. The sessions have changed over the years, but the message remains the same.
"It's just to talk to them to remind them that the gay and lesbian community is the largest minority community that they will encounter in Rehoboth," Elkins said. "We're not looking for special treatment. It's reminding them of non-discrimination laws in Delaware. It's not illegal for two men or two women to hold hands walking down the boardwalk."
This year, 23 officers took the training, according to Police Chief Keith Banks, which is a crucial component to maintaining peace and safety in the city.
"What makes Rehoboth so great is we have a very diverse community," he said. "We hire seasonal officers from all over the Eastern Shore and Pennsylvania, and they may not come from an area that has as much diversity. We want to make sure they understand how important it is to us."
Donald Hickman, a 21-year-old student at the University of Delaware who hails from Georgetown, will start his second year as a summer officer, and so he's been through the training twice. He said it's helped him be more comfortable handling life in Rehoboth on the force.
"It's useful," Hickman said. "Being from Georgetown, people say things about Rehoboth. Not a whole lot of people have a lot of experience with the Rehoboth community. (The training) just increases our comfort, it informs us to be better prepared for situations we could see."
Every year, Elkins asks participants to raise their hands if they know someone who is gay. At first, Banks said, only a few would raise their hands. Now, it's rare if someone doesn't.
Elkins said he can still tell occasionally if "someone doesn't want to be there," but he said frequently when a participant makes an anti-gay comment, or something along those lines, another participant will step in and defend the gay community.
"When we first started CAMP Rehoboth, there was a lot of police harassment," Elkins said. "The relationship has changed 180 degrees. As we developed CAMP Rehoboth we wanted to make sure that we listened to other people's concerns as well."
A substantial portion of the police's job is educating the public, Banks said, which includes explaining the difference between a hate crime and each citizen's First Amendment rights. The issues are complex and emotional, so an educated police force can go a long way to settling disputes.

While there are occasional flare-ups from these young guys who feel that the uniform and badge are cool and give them license to be a little nasty, for the most part they are all pretty cool. My hat is off for Steve, Chief Doyle, Chief Banks, and the City of Rehoboth for continuing this program. We should all be proud of the results. This helps make Rehoboth Beach the unique town that it is.

And so it goes.
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Social Security, Weather, & Angels

Aside from the most recent missive from the SSA, essentially telling me that I am a good-for-nothing rich bastard and therefore will not receive Social Security benefits any time soon - and, blah blah blah, there is little to write about. But, there is this. It took me 4 days to work up the energy to open the envelope.

The weather has been miserable throughout the mid-Atlantic states with a mixture of fog, mist, and rain for over a week. I am grateful that is hasn't been cold with snow, or ice, but still...

Work has been a delight as regulars came in for good food and drink, looking for some 'cheering-up' - yes, I know how to help that along. It's been a great time though this afternoon I was feeling spent until the sister (dining with a regular customer) touched my arm as she was leaving to tell me that her sister made a list of what and who to see this weekend, and that I was the one person on that list.It was difficult to hold back tears.

I've never heard anything like that before.

When the customer approached us, she said, "You know, you are the reason we came in for lunch; to enjoy a margarita, and so my sister could meet you. I wanted her to meet you in person. I've talked about you for years, and she decided she had to meet you herself." As she gave me a hug she whispered that she was sorry she didn't get to see me often in the summer because she and family spend their days on the beach and come in to dine in the evenings. I could find no words. I was overwhelmed.

Please don't think that I write this to boast or toot some horn. It is a shock and I still don't know how to respond to, or process experiences like this. Do we ever know how we touch other people's lives?

There are human angels everywhere and I am happy to know a few. I'll leave it there.


And so it goes.
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