While today is an historic day with the first viable Black Presidential candidate clinching the Democratic Party's nomination, I can't help but wonder if there isn't a hint of sexism in this historic victory. I am an Obama supporter but I support him because of his position on issues and his lack of machine mentality. I can't help but wonder, though, if some of his supporters do so because they would rather a man in the white house than a woman. It's just a sneaking suspicion, not a hunch or even a hypothesis, just that leery feeling in the back of your mind that you can't shake. Certainly I am hopeful that I am wrong just as I am hopeful that Clinton's supporters were not doing so simply because they wanted a woman in the white house, but rather because they agree with her position on issues. Yes, I'm happy that Obama will be the democratic nominee, and I am confident that he can beat McCain in November (with or without Clinton as his VP.) But again, its just a creepy crawly feeling on the back of my neck that says, look how far we've come, yet look how far we still have to go.

I'm sitting at Midway Airport, my dad just dropped me off. I decided to surprise my family and fly home for the weekend as I won't be home at all this summer, summa skool and all. I flew in late Wednesday night and now Sunday has come too soon. I'm not really sad, I just feel kinda weird. I think I just feel like I'm a grown up now. When you stop feeling sad when you leave your family does that mean you're grown up? Or maybe it's just that I wasn't home long enough to get attached again. I definitely notice things about home, now, that I think are completely awesome whereas when I lived at home were just regular non-awesome things. I love, love, love Los Angeles and I would like to live there even after I graduate, but it all depends on law school. God, the LSATs. In 3 weeks! I am so not prepared.

I realize this is only the first step, but this first step is so huge I really feel like we should be partying in the streets. This is definitely one of those instances when I wish life were more like the movies, like all the traffic would stop people would get out of their cars to celebrate and hug each other. I can't even begin to properly express my feelings for this because I'm just too excited.

I just received an email stating that the California Supreme Court will indeed issue its ruling in the gay marriage case at 10 am PST.

Ok, let me first preface this by saying that this is not a 100% guarantee or a done deal. Let me also preface with the fact that I realize marriage is not for everyone and there is a fairly large faction of the LGBTQ community opposed to marriage as an institution at all, however the fact is that marriage is one way that our society says who's in and who's out, so in that respect, and for other reasons as well, gay marriage is important.

Ok, on with the show. Today I met Kate Kendall, the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). She came and spoke to my class (the one in which I needed to get the internship, LifeWorks, blah blah blah you know the back story) as we have a different e.d. from the various LGBTQ organizations each week come and talk. Previous speakers include Chuck Wolfe of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Neil Guilianno of GLAAD, Lori Jean of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, etc. ANYWAY, Kate said that she suspects a ruling to come down this Thursday (15 May 2008) on the gay marriage case that NCLR is lead counsel on that was argued before the California Supreme Court in March. She also said that the general consensus is that it's a ruling in our favor. :-D squee! This is especially important here in California because there will be a measure on the ballot in November aimed at banning gay marriage via amending the California State Constitution. Should the ruling go in our favor, people start getting married over the summer, it makes it THAT much harder to pass the measure amending the constitution.

So, again, whatever your personal beliefs about marriage are, I think we can all agree that this is a very important issue and a big step in the right direction for LGBTQ rights.

Gabrielle Christian, T.R. Knight and those Degrassi kids here:
www.fotothing.com/teawithrushdie

I posted a couple of the photos I shot at the GLAAD Media Awards on my regular photo site since I have no idea how to do it here.
Hope you enjoy!

EDIT: There are more photos of the GLAAD Awards on my facebook now.

And by that I mean Jennifer Beals is the hottest person on the planet! Generally, I'm not starstruck at all. I don't own a television, I rarely go to movies, I just don't care about pop-culture all that much. HOWEVER, tonight I went to the GLAAD Media Awards with the organization that I'm interning with (see previous journal entry) and who should be there presenting an award, none other than the hot Jennifer Beals. Now I already thought she was hot, but seeing her in person was like witnessing the second coming, THAT HOW HOT SHE IS PEOPLE!!! Unfortunately I could not take a photo of her because they made us check our cameras at coat check. BUT, at the after-party I got photos of T.R. Knight of Grey's Anatomy fame, Maeve Quinlan and Gabrielle Christian from South of Nowhere and two people from Degrassi that I have no idea who they are but apparently they both have gay roles on Degrassi. So yeah, all in all, a good night and an inspiring one too. During the executive director of GLAAD's (Neil Giuliano) speech I definitely had a little creeping notion to forgo Law School and just work for the LGBTQ cause in all its glory. We'll see.

Ok so you may know that I am interning with an organization of Jeff's suggesting. The organization is LifeWorks Mentoring, but they're so much more than a mentoring program. The point of this post is to invite any of you Oasians who live in the Los Angeles area to participate in the Wednesday night Green Room program that LifeWorks puts on. It's a great way to meet other lgbt youth and also ,if you're interested, a great way to learn about the mentoring program that they have. The gist of it is that you would be paired with an lgbt adult (usually a professional of some sort) and they help you determine goals and set a life plan and help you get a job, get into college, and achieve any of the goals you set. The green room programs on Wednesday night include things like movie watching, internet surfing, board game playing, music listening, snack eating and other hang outyness stuff with other lgbt youth and two of the LifeWorks staff (and if you're lucky, I'll be there too, but I have class until 5 on Wednesdays so I won't be a regular.) In short, if you're interested, leave a comment or pm me. :)

but writing them just cannot convey the intensity with which I feel them, for I am not a writer by nature. Suffice to say that today is a beginning, of so many things, and a renewal, of particular things.

For those of you old enough to do so, and for those of you who reside in states holding primaries tomorrow (super-tuesday), VOTE TOMORROW! I cannot stress enough how important it is to vote. It doesn't even matter who you vote for (ok lets be real here, it matters to me...) but it matters much more that you simply vote. The right for any u.s. citizen to vote was a hard fought battle to give a voice to the American people,so don't throw away your voice.

I've always been interested to find out if there is any connection with sexual orientation and being left handed or right handed. I suppose it stems from the fact that of the three openly gay members of my family 2 are left handed and 1 is ambidextrous. A fourth member of my family is left handed and het. It seems to me that it could just be that left handedness runs in my particular family, but there are a couple other people that I know whom identify as gay and are also left handed. There is also the issue of right brained/left brained and that having an effect on which hand dominates. So, take the poll if you like, I'll appreciate it.

When I originally joined Oasis, these are the kinds of things that I posted. It seems life really does come full circle.

I just finished watching Jesus Camp. I don't quite know what to say aside from the fact that I've been left with a feeling of complete and utter shock. And also a feeling of wanting to take back the country from the radical evangelicals that have plagued the capitol for 7 years too long. It seems that everyday, for a while now, I have been seeing and learning things about the country and the world that just anger me. They anger me, and at the same time, inspire me to want to do something. I want to do SOMETHING but what? What can I do? I'm working on the water crisis campaign, I vote for those whom I see fit for the task at hand, I try my very best to be civil and gracious and love my neighbor but those things don't seem to add up to the results I'm looking for. My heart is pounding as I type this, my fingers trembling...I'm so angry, I'm so appalled, I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do, but there's got to be something. There's got to be something that I, that we, can do.

Wow! Oasismag sure has changed! It's been an immensely long time since I've been here. Recently Adrian Imed me though and showed me all the new changes. It looks good I must say.

On another note:
For all of you younger gay chillens looking for successful love stories I've got one for you. Sneezingurl and I met eachother on here about 3 years ago,she lived in California and I lived in Illinois. After about a year I moved to California and we have been together ever since! Currently we live in Berkeley, Ca and plan to be here for a while. Any Berkeleyans out there were down for meeting new people!

I don't know how much I'll be back on here, but its nice to know its still here :)

      Marriage is love.