Thursday, August 28, 2008

A Sad Day, A Great Day

Del Martin died yesterday, age 87, after a long and well-lived life as a lesbian rights activist. You can find obituaries here and here.

A founder of the Daughters of Bilitis, the pioneering lesbian organization; the author of several books; the first openly lesbian NOW board member; the loving partner for 55 years of Phyllis Lyon, who survives her, Martin will be missed by, well, everyone who knew her or her work. She lived long enough to marry Phyllis; their wedding, this past June, was the first legal marriage in California of a same-sex couple, as well it should have been. 

Deepest condolences to Phyllis. Rest in peace, Del - you fought the good fight and won a lot of battles for millions of people.

Some hours afer Del's passing, Barak Obama received the Democratic nomination as the party's presidential candidate. Over the last few days, Senator Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Senator Henry Reid, Senator Joe Biden (the nominee for vice president), President Bill Clinton, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have all made kick ass speeches at the convention. Senator Obama accepts the nomination tonight. 

It is a great day, and it's also a matter of considerable shame that protestors at the convention are confined to "free speech areas." 

Shades of the Bush presidency! Hello? Are you turning Republican? This is no way to start a new era.

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