LGBTQI Month! Hooray!

Been working hard for the last three days:

* Working with YMCA of the Triangle or YOTA, who want to take over and merge fully with Chapel Hill Carrboro YMCA or CHCYMCA.  YOTA does not include LGBTQI employees with their health care policy.  We at CHCYMCA didn't include them because of the 50+1 rule of NC Insurance, in which you had to have 50 full time employees using the benefit plan for 1 LGBTQI person to start using the benefits. CHCYMCA had 38. YOTA has hundreds.

After delaying, tabling, and discussing this for five years, we almost gt to the merger without this being solved.  But through serious discussion, YOTA has seen the light and WILL include LGBTQI people in terms of benefit plan with BCBSNC.

And yesterday June 2, 2014 was Moral Monday in NC, and I protested for the rights of all NC to get quality education, health care, no fracking, and equal rights. The chicken Republicans of the NC General Assembly adjourned early, and thus the doors were locked to the Legislative Building.

We are not amused.

Forward together, not one step back.

Happy Holiday Month!

Action!

Pax!


B

Slow but steady wins the race at Chapel Hill Carrboro YMCA and YMCA of the Triangle

With Molly, Allison, Cathy, Lydia, and Mia, we are changing the HR practices of the YMCA of the Triangle, YOTA for short. YOTA wants to merge with Chapel Hill/Carrboro YMCA. This idea was brought forth five years when I was on the Board of CHCYMCA, and some people wanted to merge with YOTA.  The problem? CHCYMCA didn't give same sex employees the same benefits to same sex couples as they did non same sex couples because of the 50 + 1 rule of NC: you needed 50 full time employees to participate in benefits to let 1 same sex couple receive the same benefits (sigh). But YOTA has more than 50 but they didn't give the employees the same benefits. So we (the group mentioned above) publicized the discrepancy between the YMCAs. The reason YOTA didn't? Because of the evangelical Christians on their Board. But CH and Carrboro are more progressive.

Now that we are on the cusp of a deal, they YOTA are changing. Finally.  It took five years.

Progress was made by the voices of those who objected.

Inch by inch, row by row, growth.

Pax!
B

Celebration of Dean

Dean--the partner, the better half, the cuter half, the ones the kids like better than their old man--is celebrating his 20th anniversary of his 29th birthday.

Figure it out, friends!

Happy Birthday, Dean!

Love, B

Pax, B

And PA makes 19

Well done, PA!

You pulled the nation to number 19 of states approving of marriage equality.  Are we not at a tipping point?  After all, the entire West Coast is now a marriage equality zone, as is the entire northeast. Watch out, NC: It's creeping up on us quickly.

Pax!
B

A Kilt at a Wedding

I'm going to get a kilt.

The Mitchell part of my heritage doesn't have a decent tartan that is, well, authentic, given that it is an English name.  My mom's side of the family is Ferguson, so there's hope.

I've thought that when I marry or wed, one of us should have a kilt.  But those wedding plans are not in the work, given the sad state of affairs in NC.  However, my daughter is getting married to Scott in the fall, so I can wear a kilt for her wedding.

Men in kilts: its truly not a gay thing.  It is a thing about one's roots in Scotland.

Pax!

B

OR, and Possibly PA?

I have a pic above of PA State Rep. Brian Sims above (in the handsome beard).  In PA, they might actually be state 20 in moving the country toward marriage equality.  Yesterday, my second home state of OR (NY is the first state) went forward.

People called and wrote to see if we (Dean and I) were going to be married.  The answer is no. Why? Because it means nothing in the state of NC. While it is a wonderful thing to get married (Adrianne and Scott her boyfriend are marrying in October 2014), it costs a) money, and b) involves a community; and c) means nothing for LGBTQ couples in NC.  Nothing. Nothing for taxes. Nothing in terms of contract with the two of us with the state.  Nada.

So we wait.  But I loved listening to the stories from OR yesterday.  It was great.  I was jealous.  Envious.  Depressed.  But happy for those wed.

Not singing Pharell's "Happy" here in NC...yet.

Pax!
B

OREGON!

This is wonderful!

My first home state--NY-- and now my second home state--OR--has moved toward being part of civilization.  Equality rights for marriage for all.

Powerful and wonderful.  The west coast is looking locked up for marriage equality: CA, OR, WA, ID, UT...and the dominoes fall.

Pax!

B