Last night, the queens showed up for the first meeting in the workroom and it was easy for me to pick out who else I've got my eye on and who's just annoying as hell. I love that big queen, Latrice Royale. Don't get her confused with Vogue editor-at-large, Andre Leon Talley. I want to see more from The Princess the way I saw Nina Flowers from Season 1 in the coming weeks and I feel assured that we will get that and more. Milan and Kenya seem like they have enough personality and beauty to do well, but I'm not getting attached. And I have to say I was fortunate to meet Chad Michaels last summer when she made a stop in Tuscaloosa for an event and not only is she a beauty and a flawless Cher impersonator, she was extremely genuine and no diva. I offered to carry her stuff for her and she politely declined and hauled her shit ton of equipment off into the darkness. Now she may have just thought this queen was going to run to the hills with all of her sequins if I got as much as a pinky toe near her stuff, but she was definitely a sweetheart and I think we will see her do very well and show the judges more than just an impersonator.

Last week, the 25th Senate vote in favor of marriage equality for Washington was gained through Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen. The House is expected to have plenty of support once it comes their way, which means we can expect Washington to be the 7th state in the US to allow equal gay marriage. Thank you to Governor Chris Gregoire for her words that so articulately make clear the situation of the gay equality fight in America. When our lawmakers begin to focus on every family and every person rather than just what seems like a whole family or a whole person in their personal eyes, we can begin to see real change. Gregoire wonderfully defines the importance of keeping faith out of the legal governing of a people. This is a must-watch.



What I'm really interested in is Starbuck's open support of gay marriage equality with the following statement from Karen Holmes, a Starbucks executive vice president:

To: U.S. partners Date: January 24, 2012 Re: A Message from Kalen Holmes: Starbucks Supports Marriage Equality

Dear partners, Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion. This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work. For the last 20 years, our benefits program has offered domestic partner benefits in the U.S. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs and alternative health care coverage. All partners (part-time and full-time) in all work locations, whether in a store, a roasting plant or a corporate office, adhere to the same eligibility requirements for health coverage and have access to the same comprehensive health plans. We are deeply dedicated to embracing diversity and treating one another with respect and dignity, and remain committed to providing an inclusive, supportive and safe work environment for all of our partners. We look forward to seeing this legislation enacted into law. Regards,

Kalen Holmes executive vice president, Partner Resources

In the light of the seemingly fading Occupy Wall Street movement, I have to think about how corporations can be using their power for good. The OWS movement highlighted the bad that really does need to be addressed, but it's easy for people to let choices of the bad outweigh the actions of good. Microsoft, Nike, Google and others have all come out to publicly support marriage equality. These corporations have shaped the last few decades of this country and will continue to do so in a major way. They are accepting their roles as stewards of the customers that support them and making a bold statement that is risky in this very tense political climate. We've got a lot at stake right now. The gay movement is on the forefront. People don't even care if their legislators know anything about the crippled economy, how to promote their communities or what the hell they had for breakfast. All they want to know is, "How do you feel about the gays?" Our country is selecting leaders based on what they think of Bert and Ernie's living situation. We need the activists who lobby for legislation and the legislators who cast the vote for right or wrong, but we also need the big kids on the playground that you pick first for the kickball game. Those corporations I listed above have done WAY more for the shaping of our country than any group of legislators if you really think about it. Maybe that's stretching it a bit, but I honestly don't think it is.

I think it's time for the LGBT community to stop being lackadaisical about how their lives are limited and controlled. Nothing changes until we make change ourselves. As far as this post goes, that means expressing appreciation from support of corporations with the power to make good change and not supporting those who do not. I know we can't keep up with every dollar whoever spends where or who's beating Bibles today and gay-for-pay tomorrow, but we have to accept some responsibility. I know most of you are UA students with (quickly dwindling) Dining Dollars, so make it a point to go grab a Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte this week at the Ferg as an appreciative nod to Starbucks. I sure will.

If you know of any corporations that deserve our support or need to be knocked off our list, please let me know in the comments or on FB or while I'm in my heels at Icon even. I haven't given a dime to Chick-Fil-A in over a year so I'm looking for a new cart to hitch to my wagon that everyone can hop on. If corporations are going to rule our country, then I'm going to stop watching the national primaries and start sucking down Frappuccinos. It's the new voting system of Corporate America.


Over and Out,
CampusQueer

It never ends. Dr. Witt has promptly addressed that racial slurs were chalked onto a column at Moody Music Building at some point on Tuesday, October 11. I've included the above photo to document what all students received and here is the quote a little more legibly:

“I learned late Tuesday afternoon that an unknown person or persons had chalked offensive words on a column of Moody Music Building. While the entire community would certainly be offended by this language, it could be particularly upsetting to African Americans.

“The words were removed as soon as they were discovered. However, I want to emphasize in the strongest possible terms that The University of Alabama finds this behavior totally unacceptable and strongly condemns any use of these words on our campus. Every effort will be made to identify and appropriately punish the individual(s) responsible.

“This University respects and values each member of our community. I hope that every decision will reflect that commitment.“  - Dr. Robert E. Witt, UA President

Have we not learned anything this year? It's time after time after goddamn time that we as a campus allow these things to anger us, but be swept away by most until we realize that the cockroach in the corner is indeed not dead and crawling over our face at night . . . with a piece of chalk. I grow more ashamed every day of individuals who tarnish the reputation of the school that will hand me a degree and more so by the community as a whole that lets this happen day in and day out. Governor Wallace might as well be running up and down the steps of every college at UA. I'm sick of the parents that have raised these sick children of theirs to perpetuate the hate they demonstrate because they're so goddamn elitist and too stupid to realize they have no right to set themselves so high.

I'm sick of a campus that praises giant, incessant messages chalked for Unashamed and defaces those for Alabama Atheists. I'm sick of a campus that gives birth to and perpetuates corrupt government policy makers and covers for their ass when they've been caught doing exactly what we suspected them doing all along. I'm sick of a school that smiles and shakes their heads so solemnly to acts of racism and preach a doctrine of diversity that is only reflected in the profits. I'm sick and tired of this school and what my degree is going to reflect to the rest of the world. I went to a school that went against everything I believe in knowing full well what was happening on our sidewalks, in our classrooms, and behind closed doors.

I let myself remain a second-class student.

And an passive aggressive e-mail to the student body is not going to fix that.


Not Over But Still Out,
CampusQueer

Quidditch on the Quad II from UA Creative Campus on Vimeo.

So first of all, kuddos to Creative Campus for being basically just an awesome initiative at UA in the first place. Second kuddos for a well produced video ad. And lastly, I want to play Quidditch. I laughed at the idea last year. Now I'm having second thoughts. I refuse the reality that with the closing of the last movie this summer my childhood must swirl down the toilet to the sounds of Moaning Myrtle's . . . errr . . . moaning. I'm not adverse to the idea of a CampusQueer team. I've got shirts! They're black so I'm thinking something like "Queer Eaters." That obviously needs some development. Anygay, registration is this month until Oct. 21 so if you are ready to race broomsticks across the Quad you better dip your quill and get to signing some papers. The actual event is set to take place Nov. 13. 

My my. This new job and this semester of hellacious class is getting the best of my blogging self. I'm even letting LGBT History Month slip away without one measly post. But today my main concern is race. Over the past month, we've seen a lot of race debate in the CW, especially regarding race in our greek system. I've been in classrooms where greek members are outraged that they are being cast into a lump group of people who are racist on our campus. It's all very topsy-turvy and confusing when you start looking at all sides of it. I honestly don't know what to believe anymore.

On one hand it can not be denied that we have a prominently white greek system that conducts block voting to get their white candidates in offices to push their white greek agenda. In all the reporting I've seen, campus officials don't deny this uncomplicated truth, but instead wash their hands of these "private" institutions that are being handed land to organize on public property. On the other hand, the greek system can't be faulted for good organization skills (skills that produce driven students and impressive fundraising/volunteer efforts in our community.) People join these groups to feel validated. Oprah said on her final episode everyone wants to be validated. Kids show up to college and feel some kind of pressure to join these groups. It could be family, a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar social setting, promising career incentives, political gain, or just their own MTV-fed, brainwashed idea of what college is.

Based on that validation, these kids don't immediately realize that they are part of an elitist cult. Okay I said it, but they don't. I don't imagine they walk in and get handed a pamphlet of the racist agenda and how to proliferate it. It's just something that is bred and whispered through the ages because we are at the heart of a scar on American history that is centuries old. They don't look at their houses and see the resemblance of plantation houses. They don't look at their pledge brothers and see just white faces. They see faces they identify with. Just like I look at my friends and see LGBT and LGBT-friendly faces. We associate with people we have commonality with because we fear change.

The main thing to remember is that these things come from a select few. Leaders make decisions that affect the masses and hardly ever truly reflect the heart and soul of the people they are making decisions for. The nation is throwing a loathsome eye at Alabama with the upholding our newest immigration bill that make the streets unsafe for anyone of Latino descent, even if you are as legal as apple pie on a windowsill after church on Sundays. Comments on articles from people around the nation lump Alabama as a whole. We are all racist hicks even though we had nothing to do with this bill. Countries around the world have negative views on Americans because of the actions of our leaders that we as people have no hand in. The same is true for greek individuals vs. their leaders.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that the greek system is somewhat racist, but its not individuals' faults, but it is because if you're not a part of the solution you're a part of the problem, but really it's not about racism, but it is, but we're all a little elitist in our own ways already, but that's the nature of people, but there is a problem prevalent, but we don't have our finger quite on that problem just yet, but it's completely obvious to everyone what that problem is, but when do you stop playing the race card when maybe the problem is much bigger than just that.

Hate is an energy. It cannot be created nor destroyed. It can only change form. From black hate to gay hate to Latino hate to white hate to femininity hate and back and around 'til everyone gets some good ole hate. You can only hope that as the cycle comes your way, you don't let that hate become you. Pointing fingers directs attention away from ourselves. Maybe we all need to start focusing ourselves before we tell others what they need to fix?

Did I actually make a point? I think I might have. . .

Over and Out,
CampusQueer

This video is more than just a coming out video. It is the climatic point of a five month journey in which a US military serviceman shows his face in the light of the repeal of DADT just made. Under the account of AreYouSurprised on YouTube, this young man has made videos documenting his experience (headlessly and anonymously) as a gay man in the military -- telling his close friends, going through the mandatory DADT Repeal Training, turning 21, and everything in between. And get this . . . he's from Alabama as well. (Oh and he's very cute.) I'm all smiles watching this today and I think you will be too.

Over and Out,
CampusQueer