June 15, 2006

This Day in My History

2000: It's Too Darn Hot
2001: Someone Else's Treasure
2002: Called on the Carpet
2003: Home to Mother
2004: Love and Marriage, the Other Side
2005: Welcome to My State

IN MY OPINION
"The Venetian Twins"

Books Read in 2006

FUNNY THE VLOG
"The Tomato Can"

click here to download

Click here for flash format

Mefeedia Video Archive

My Favorite Video Blogs

Rocketboom
Desert Nut
Missbehavens

(for others, see Links page)

New on My
Vloggercon 2006

Support liberty and justice for all

My "Things I Want" Wish List

(with the hope that everyone in my family will think about making a similar list before their birthdays and/or Christmas roll around!)

FIGHTING CITY HALL

15 June 2006

I am not a political person, comments in this journal notwithstanding. I can argue the big picture, express frustration about what seems to be injustice, and do "what I do" here. But I don't read the fine print, I don't follow issues thoroughly, except only occasionally. Basically, my righteous indignation aside, I simply don't consider myself a political person.

I've learned this week why that works best for me. It's not good for my health to get overly involved.

There is a Human Relations Commission here in town that is giving out citizenship awards. Each year I make nominations. This is what I wrote about Shelly, whom I nominated this year:

In 1984 she worked to help pass the Davis Civil Rights Ordinance (the first such ordinance in the country), which eliminated discrimination in Davis based on sexual orientation.

In 2000 she and her partner ran the No on 22 campaign, a proposition which seeked to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Yolo County was one of only six counties in the state which defeated that initiative.

She has served on the Human Relations Committee, and served as its chair.

She is on the Human Rights committee at the high school

She started FORGE (For Gay Equality), as part of the Rainbow Coalition.

She has worked tirelessly to bring Scouts Honor to Davis, holding the schools to the letter of the law, demanding equality for all students, gay or straight.

She and her partner founded and have run the Gay Pride event in Davis for the past 10 years, doing all of the prep work themselves, and involving the community and the university in the work on the actual day of the event. The Gay Pride event has offered free space for other non-profit gay-oriented groups to get their message out.

She has raised awareness of gay issues at a booth at the Whole Earth festival and has marched in the Picnic Day Parade.

As a member of MECA (Marriage Equality California), she has testified in front of the legislature on the issue of same sex marriage and participated in a trans-continental bus tour to raise awareness about gay marriage.

She has worked with the LGBT center on campus for their Under the Rainbow event.

She serves on CAB (the Community Advisory Board), as between the gay community and the police department.

In addition to advocating for gay rights in Davis and in the state of California, she has also

* served on the board of DC-TV for 1-2 years

* worked 2 years as part of an escort service at Women's Health Associate escoring patients and employees through the anti-abortion demonstrators.

* She has served on the board for the Davis Community Meals.

* She has been in charge of donations for the Davis Food Co-op community meals (this is the only job for which she receives a small stipend), which has significantly raised donations over the past 3 years by several thousands dollars, money which is then divided up among STEAC and other local charitable organizations.

* She ushers at the Mondavi Center.

* She worked at the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center for 2 years.

* She participates in Peace demonstrations on the E-Street Plaza

* She has volunteered at the food Co-op for the past 5 years.

She is long-overdue for community recognition for her tireless dedication to equal rights for all people in Davis and for her service to the community across a broad spectrum of volunteer activities. I thank you for considering this nomination for a Thong Hyunh award.

Every time I make this nomination, it gets ignored--often for people with far less impressive qualifications.

When I made this nomination, I asked my friend, a county supervisor, to consider making the same nomination. She agreed with me that this was a valid nomination, and she did make her own nomination.

We didn't hear anything for a long time and then I read in the paper that the HRC hadn't received enough nominations, so they were extending the deadline for nominations. At that time, I sent an angry letter to the editor of the newspaper, complaining that it looked like my friend was going to be passed over yet again. I received a call from the Human Relations Commission that this was not the situation at all and that they just wanted to give more people time to nominate someone.

Last week, I received a call from a man who has been suspicious of the actions of the HRC and so has been following the situation with this award. He learned that the day before the final deadline passed, HRC members themselves nominated four people and are going to recommend those names to the City Council, leaving off the nomination I and the county supervisor made.

(He also said that in his memory, awards in the last three years have all gone only to members of the HRC.)

I am so livid. I wrote a similar nomination for a different award (there are 6 awards to be given out, only four of which are apparently going to be recommended) for Ellen, who has done as much, if not more, than Shelly has. Neither nomination is apparently going to be recommended to the city council.

I called my friend the county supervisor to inform her of what I was just told and I just had a conversation with the mayor demanding an investigation of what is going on and why Shelly and Ellen have been passed over for every service award this town has to offer, for which I nominate them every year.

I once mounted a campaign to get a city award for a teacher in town. He's a wonderful, deserving guy who has done an incredible amount of work for the town, but not nearly as much as Ellen and Shelly. He won the award easily.

The man who called me last week planned to attend the city council meeting last night and to demand an investigation of the Human Relations Commission. I had intended to go to the meeting, but completely forgot about it until late in the evening, so I don't know what happened.

But if he actually made his presentation, it will be interesting to see what happens when the awards are finally announced.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Alex.jpg (80894 bytes)

Another golden morning on the farm.
(Photo by Peggy)