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voyager12

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that really depends on the University. Suppose we had Bob Jones University downtown. Really what it gets down to is what do the people in this city want? The fact they have voted for openly homophobic Pat McCroy for an unprecedented number of times speaks volumes to the real character of the city. Remember this is the same person that took on the role of attack dog for GW Bush in 2004. This is the same GW Bush that won the election by getting the homophobes of America to vote for him in 2004 by pushing an anti-Gay amendment to the US Consititution no less. And during this spectacle he had a loyal Pat McCroy by his side, a Pat McCroy that got re-elected by a wide margin as mayor of Charlotte last year. Sad but True.

All is very true, but I don't think most Charlotteans think of Pat as pro or anti gay. We know his positions, but he doesn't really speak publically about it that I've seen or heard. He more snubs than speaks. I haven't paid attention enough, though, has he rallied around getting anti-discrimination stuff to not pass or otherwise blocked it? Asking because I really don't know.

I don't believe gay bashing has been a platform he has used to get himself reelected so many times. i do think he has pandered to anti-gay folks in hopes of furthering his future in higher offices.

I emailed him about his fawning support of W in 2004 -- actually questioned his 'lock-step' following of the man. He personally emailed me back and seemed pretty pissed about the comment and defended his moronic reasons for needing to protect us. I was impressed that he took the time to email back, but that was all i was impressed with.

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Its not like McCrory is the Dictator of Charlotte. It was the Democratically controlled City Council that voted down Domestic Partner benefits and adding Sexual Orientation to the Non Discrimination Clause a few years ago. McCrory never had a say in the matter. It has been a Democratically controlled City Council ever since then and they have yet to bring the issue back up. Yet all it takes is just 1 City Council member to ask for it to be added to the agenda and bring it forward for a vote. So far no one has stood up. There have been a number of City Council members...both Democrats and Republicans that have shown up at Pride, HRC, and other gay events in town to show their support. I think that if they got a little prodding from MeckPac then we could bring this up for a vote and have it passed.

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that really depends on the University. Suppose we had Bob Jones University downtown. Really what it gets down to is what do the people in this city want? The fact they have voted for openly homophobic Pat McCroy for an unprecedented number of times speaks volumes to the real character of the city. Remember this is the same person that took on the role of attack dog for GW Bush in 2004. This is the same GW Bush that won the election by getting the homophobes of America to vote for him in 2004 by pushing an anti-Gay amendment to the US Consititution no less. And during this spectacle he had a loyal Pat McCroy by his side, a Pat McCroy that got re-elected by a wide margin as mayor of Charlotte last year. Sad but True.

I think most people kept voting for McCrory because who ran against him sucked. There really hasn't been anyone worth voting for against him.

Edited by nyxmike
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that really depends on the University. Suppose we had Bob Jones University downtown. Really what it gets down to is what do the people in this city want? The fact they have voted for openly homophobic Pat McCroy for an unprecedented number of times speaks volumes to the real character of the city. Remember this is the same person that took on the role of attack dog for GW Bush in 2004. This is the same GW Bush that won the election by getting the homophobes of America to vote for him in 2004 by pushing an anti-Gay amendment to the US Consititution no less. And during this spectacle he had a loyal Pat McCroy by his side, a Pat McCroy that got re-elected by a wide margin as mayor of Charlotte last year. Sad but True.

That's true. It definitely depends on the type of school. Generally speaking, larger research and highly ranked universities influence their towns in a progressive direction. Duke pressured The Durham YMCA to add domestic partner memberships for example. USC in Columbia has a strong LGBT student group and it's size attracts a diverse student body that influences their center city and local gvt in a variety of ways. I guess it is kind of pointless to talk about it because it does not apply to Charlotte.

McCrory seems to prefer letting Bill James, McGarry etc do the overt gay bashing that way he does not have to comment and can come across as moderate during election season. A lot of people seem to like McCrory because he has a very affable demeanor. He does not rant and rave about us like Mayor Naugle in Fort Lauderdale. He ignores Pride and HRC Dinners because he knows we have zero political power to hurt him. I don't think he privately supports us. We are simply not thought of. And really most gay people here could also care less which is just as pathetic.

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Just an FYI......Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins on 90.7 WFAE is hosting CMS Supt Gorman on Monday. The topic will be the bullying policy and will also feature a supportive counselor and an opponent. I have found in the past that getting through on the phone is tough. Sending in email comments the night before or early in the morning has worked several times for me. [email protected]

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I think most people kept voting for McCrory because who ran against him sucked. There really hasn't been anyone worth voting for against him.

Indeed. McCroy has never been in a difficult election. It amazes me the democratic party is such a joke in Meck, but it is. Drunken clowns could run the party better.

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Indeed. McCroy has never been in a difficult election. It amazes me the democratic party is such a joke in Meck, but it is. Drunken clowns could run the party better.

Considering the laughable Beverly Earle run last election (i didn't ever find out anything about her, still don't know anything about her) it makes one wonder if the Dems in Mecklenburg even care.

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Well, it was a marathon session tonight at the CMS School Board meeting. But we came away with a great victory :good: 6 to 3. The usual suspects : Gauvreau, Gjertsen, and McGarry voted against. Common sense prevailed over ignorance, hate, and fear. What was truly inspirational to me and many others were the students. The turnout was fantastic and I am glad I got there an hour early because it was packed. 42 people spoke during the public comment period and the entire CMS agenda ran from 6 until almost 11:00. The outcome was well worth the wait though. The level of anti-gay vitriol, especially from McGarry and Gauvereau was quite stunning even though their reputations are already well known. CMS took a progressive leap forward tonight and it was great being able to see it in person.

Edited by voyager12
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Well, it was a marathon session tonight at the CMS School Board meeting. But we came away with a great victory :good: 6 to 3. The usual suspects : Gauvreau, Gjertsen, and McGarry voted against. Common sense prevailed over ignorance, hate, and fear.

The results of the vote are certainly great news! The sad part is that the "gay thing" was even an issue, courtesy of those 3 bigoted board members, not to mention so many parents and county residents. It's people like them that serve to reinforce precisely why there IS a need to add sexual orientation to the anti-bullying policy.

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I watched about an hour or so of the public comments and was really stuck by the personal stories people told of being bullied in CMS schools...down to the graphic details that just made me wince. I applaud everyone who stepped up to the mic to share their personal stories with the public...that took a lot of guts to do. The school board definately made the right decision last night.

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I've been grinning from ear to ear since reading about this in the paper this morning!! It's nice to have a little victory here and there, baby steps! No one can be surprised, I guess, by the people against it, but it still amazes me to see adults openly saying the junk they say about agendas and what homosexuals are trying to 'do' to youth. Foolishness. If the stories of harrassed and bullied kids doesn't make anyone see the need for help then they are beyond hope.

Can't wait to see the headlines about this in the Rhino Times -- Gavreau himself is the publisher so I'm sure we'll see plenty about how the gays are forcing their agenda on the city. Regardless, though, I'm happy and delighted at the signal this sends. I'm also happy that the three that voted against it can see they are easily outnumbered and even if bigots or idiots elect them they don't have too much power -- enough for sure, but not too much!!

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It's important to point out that none of the supporters last night think this will be a panacea. What the policy does is give backup to teachers that want to intervene and were afraid of losing their jobs for being pro-gay. And it gives bullied students and their parents the much needed tool to confront teachers that refuse to protect gay kids because of their personal beliefs. The members who voted in favor deserve a lot of credit and thanks for taking such a strong stand. They will all get a lot of flack. I am glad that they saw through McGarry's ruse of an "alternate" policy. The only purpose of that was to make sure gay students had no written protection at all and therefore nothing to base their complaints on. And therefore pushing her personal "christian" agenda. I also can't fathom the parents that spoke against this rule. The world is a big diverse place. Don't they think it might be a good idea to introduce their kids to differences or do they think they can just keep the gay bogeyman away forever? If one is so offended by public schools since by their very nature, they have to make room everyone then send your kid to a Christian fundamentalist private school.

Gavreau was so angry he was practically spitting out the word "gay". I just don't know where such anger comes from. He accused Trent Merchant of being behind a gay "trojan horse", ranting on and on about activist MECKPAC funding his campaign. He also accused The Wesley Mancini Foundation which backs gay causes of money laundering through The Charlotte Coalition of Social Justice, which helped to organize the great student turnout. George Dunlap then reminded him of "LizardKing" Morrison funding his campaign. Larry's last ditch effort was to ask CMS's counsel if it was legal to pass this policy. She pretty much told him what an idiot he was in legalese. You had to be there to sense the context. It was great :lol: McGarry continues to be obsessed with "indoctrination". She really needs to get some new material.

The students were the most eloquent speakers because it was so personal to them. Rabbi Judi Schindler of Temple Beth El and Rev Stephen Shoemaker of Myers Park Baptist Church were also very impactful. They serve as a great counterbalance to the conservative religious leaders in this town.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rev. Shoemaker of Myers Park Baptist Church spoke to the Guild this month. He retold the process his church went through during their dismissal from the NCBC. Shoemaker went to Union Theological Seminary in New York during the height of the Liberation Theology movement. So this sheds some light on his committment to social justice. Mecklenburg Ministries, an interfaith clery group that works to bridge religious differences is meeting at MPBC on thursday at 7pm. They are holding a public discussion on gay marriage, civil unions, and the status quo. Should be interesting.

Edited by voyager12
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There was a good profile on Paperskyscraper in The Observer recently. It's certainly a Charlotte institution. While there is a gay reading section the owners never set out for it to be a "gay" store. Simply a business that happens to be gay owned. They definitely have a niche on unique gifts and books on art and design. While PS is not focused on gay clientele exclusively their great longevity and success is a testament to Charlotte's relative tolerance. Decades ago a gay owned business certainly raised many more eyebrows. The story mentioned an earlier location on East before their move to the present spot, but did not specify. Anyone know where it was?

Edited by voyager12
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The Community Center is hosting an Open House on the 11th from 6:30 to 9pm at their new digs in the NC Music Factory. As someone who was surprised by their new obscure location I also think it's important to show support. The search committee tried hard to find reasonable space to lease in Plaza Midwood and NoDa but nothing was affordable. The new space has great potential for hosting a wide variety of events. There will be munchies and drinks provided. Look for the rainbow flag :fun:

Kaye McGarry wants absences from school during April 25th' s Day of Silence approved by CMS. The Day of Silence encourages students to be mute in support of stopping bullying against gay students who are often the most harassed and everyone in general. I would think McGarry would love this. The whole point is not to talk about "teh gays" ^_^ CMS's Diversity head logically pointed out that this event is no different than other non-curricular activities sponsored by student clubs that have included conservative themes in the past.

What concerns me the most are these ignorant parents. I have an idea. The parents objecting to the policy should go to school with their kids on the 25th and see if they turn gay. Apparently these moms and dads think it's contagious :rolleyes: Unreal. What kind of adults are these children going to grow up to be if they are ever allowed to leave the basement and go out into our diverse world?

Oh I know, ignorant,bigoted,carbon copies of their parents. It's an endless viscious cycle. Sad.

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I went to the community center's Open House on Friday evening. The turnout was decent but not packed. Although it went on from 6 to 9 and we got there late so it could have been busier earlier. The entranceway around back is subterranean and the front room/hall is very narrow but I like the old mill style and the main room is more spacious and can be used for a variety of events. The connecting road should be finished soon so getting there will not be so spooky as it is now.

The guild is having it's monthly meeting at the center tomorrow to show support for their new home. The topic is grassroots organizing focused on improving activist skills. I plan on going, I already excel at being a bumpersticker activist and more pointers on other ideas will be helpful.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pride Charlotte ( the genesis for this lengthy thread :D ) is going to happen on July 26th. I had a great time and plan on doing the same this year. The only downside: the heat was brutal last year :( I wonder why our event cannot be pushed into the fall and cooler months. Perhaps it's a turf thing. The Triad and Triangle Prides have had fixed dates for years and they may not want competition. Another exciting addition to this year's Pride....we are coming out of the closet of the Gateway Village Atrium and onto Trade St. This year passersby will have a better vantage point to see there is a vibrant, proud, and diverse gay community in this town :fun:

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Just anectdotally, I seem to be in a minority of a minority of gays supporting Obama in this town. I went to several parties this weekend and got glares and looks of disbelief when I said I don't support Hillary. It got contentious enough that I did not feel comfortable and left. I also dropped by Liasons on Friday and Hillary supporters were blithely handing out flyers automatically assuming we all supported her. I was tired of it by then so I just said nothing. Takeover is hosting a rally for Hillary this week. In fairness, neither candidate is with us all the way on gay marriage. I am not a single issue voter but one of the reasons I lean Obama's direction is because he has made a point of discussing gay rights in front of hostile audiences and that is significant in my opinion. The Donnie McClurkin incident was badly handled but I have never supported a candidate without having disagreements on certain issues and incidents. We have to look at the big picture. Hillary's brand of politics is old news and divisive in my opinion.

I suppose her stronger gay support could hinge on her gender: women are largely seen as being more sympathetic towards other minority oppression. Gay men can relate to other men cheating on them and they want to support her after what she went through with Monica. I thought about going to a rally with an Obama button. That would be obnoxious though so I am just steering clear of all Hillary events in Charlotte. I met the Clintons years ago when they used to come to Hilton Head yearly for "Renaissance Weekend" a more elitist intellectual gathering is hard to find, <_< And dislike of her aside I would have no issue voting for her if she wrangles away the nomination. I am not so blinded by loyalty to vote for McCain or stay home in spite. Democrats that do feel this way are the biggest threat we have and they need to grow up.

Edited by voyager12
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I don't really care too much which one of them wins the nomination, but I am going to vote for Obama in the primary because:

  • He is a change and we need a change. A wholesale change from the last 8 years of incompetence, corruption, lies and war.
  • I think Hillary might be a decent POTUS but she will bring Bill with her and I am uneasy about that, along with the Bush-Clinton tickets of the last 28 years. I know that if Laura Bush were running and dragging W back into the White House I'd be livid. Bill has had his term.
  • I think it's easier for Obama to fix his issues with working-class whites than it is for Hillary to fix her issues with independents. In other words, I think Hillary voters will more easily vote for Obama than Obama voters would vote for Hillary. I am completely befuddled by those who would vote for either in the primary and then vote for the Republican ticket in the general. That just makes no sense to me.
  • Make no mistake, Obama does need to fix his issues with working -class whites or he will lose the election to McCain, as mind-boggling as that may be.

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I'm another gay Obama supporter. I originally supported Edwards but once he dropped out I just was completely on the fence. I wavered back and forth between Clinton and Obama. But now I'm pretty firmly in Obama's camp. I just really really don't like the negative turn that the Clinton campaign has taken. I don't understand why Democrats feel the need to tear each other down. Republicans don't do it.

Anyway, I was pretty peeved about the McClurkin thing as well, but have forgiven him for it since with his speech to a (mostly) black audience saying that gays need to be treated better by the black community (paraphrasing what he said, of course).

I'm also just a little uncomfortable having a line of Bushes and Clintons in the White House for so long. After all it was Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush and now another Clinton? I just don't think that's a good thing for Democracy.

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In my opinion, it's meaningless to gay North Carolinians whether our next governor is an R or D. Pretty sad commentary but McCrory is probably the best on gay issues that we could hope for to win on the Republican side. He completely ignores our existence as opposed to verbally attacking regularly. Although I expect him to gay bait more as he has to appeal statewide now. Democrat Bev Perdue will behave just like Easley and do nothing and she opposes gay marriage just like Easley. The only reason NC has managed to hold off a gay marriage ban is by luck, the few liberal democrats in the House have positions of power to block it. The majority of NC Dems are just as anti-gay as the Republicans. Jim Neal got swamped by Kay Hagan. I wish it could have been closer. Even with a loss he moved us forward and made history as an openly gay senate candidate in NC.

Meckpac endorsed Jennifer Roberts led the pack in her primary. Vilma Leake was also endorsed by Meckpac and she knocked off incumbent Norman Mitchell in their district fight. Dan Murray who also advanced was lukewarm in his response to the Meckpac survey so he is classifed as "receptive". Vilma Leake can be rather outlandish in her statements at times but she has been a reliable vote for gay issues so I can understand the endorsement. None of the Republican candidates responded to Meckpac. Shocking!

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In my opinion, it's meaningless to gay North Carolinians whether our next governor is an R or D. Pretty sad commentary but McCrory is probably the best on gay issues that we could hope for to win on the Republican side. He completely ignores our existence as opposed to verbally attacking regularly. Although I expect him to gay bait more as he has to appeal statewide now. Democrat Bev Perdue will behave just like Easley and do nothing and she opposes gay marriage just like Easley. The only reason NC has managed to hold off a gay marriage ban is by luck, the few liberal democrats in the House have positions of power to block it. The majority of NC Dems are just as anti-gay as the Republicans. Jim Neal got swamped by Kay Hagan. I wish it could have been closer. Even with a loss he moved us forward and made history as an openly gay senate candidate in NC.

Meckpac endorsed Jennifer Roberts led the pack in her primary. Vilma Leake was also endorsed by Meckpac and she knocked off incumbent Norman Mitchell in their district fight. Dan Murray who also advanced was lukewarm in his response to the Meckpac survey so he is classifed as "receptive". Vilma Leake can be rather outlandish in her statements at times but she has been a reliable vote for gay issues so I can understand the endorsement. None of the Republican candidates responded to Meckpac. Shocking!

Maybe McCrory won't gay-bait. Historically, Republicans run to the right in the primary, then to the center in the general. Same for Democrats, except to the left, then to the center. As long as he is silent I will likely vote for him. No way am I voting for Bevver. Too creepy and disinterested at best in Charlotte. If McCrory starts bashing gay people I just won't vote. I agree that most NC Dems are just as anti-gay as the Republicans. And I am glad that Neal got 20% of the vote. That's historic and an advancement, even if a loss.

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