Larry Kramer, a writer and one of the earliest AIDS activists, died today at age 84. You can read his full resume in the many obituaries that have been and will be published but, in short, Kramer was a co-founder of two AIDS activism groups — Gay Men’s Health Crisis, in 1982, which provided support…
politics
Throwback Thursday: Jimmy Carter’s Bunny
Thanks to writer Anne Thériault for retweeting this PBS clip of swamp rabbits a-swimming. Swamp rabbits are shy creatures. This is the first time they've ever been filmed swimming. #NaturePBS pic.twitter.com/WZkdNcczlu — Nature on PBS (@PBSNature) April 9, 2020 This clip took me back to August 1979, when Jimmy Carter was two years into his…
Cuomo: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
I hope people “crushing” on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo were paying attention to the news today. The New York state budget is past due — the deadline was midnight — though this afternoon Cuomo said he’d reached a tentative deal with lawmakers. Under that deal, cuts to Medicaid are still on the table. You’re…
Meet the Real Andrew Cuomo
Nature abhors a vacuum. With a torrent of lies, rather than leadership, coming from the White House, people who are craving guidance during a crisis have gravitated toward New York’s tough-talking governor, Andrew Cuomo. Maybe they’re being tongue in cheek when they say, “Cuomo for President!” After all, I’ve jokingly suggested funny cats and social-media…
Remembering the “Social Distancing” of AIDS
While I would have liked to spread some … … tonight, I just can’t. I’m as angry as an Italian mayor who sees people jogging and throwing house parties instead of staying in quarantine to slow the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Italian mayor addresses his citizens about their irresponsible behavior (in a very…
The #Rotunda10: Membership Has Its Prisoners!
Six weeks ago today — on Wednesday, February 5, in the hours before the GOP-led Senate acquitted the impeached president without holding a proper trial — I sat down on the floor of the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C., with nine other women for a final act of protest ahead of the vote. Meet the…
We Coulda Had a Bad Bitch, Presidential!
As expected, Senator Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the presidential race today. As expected, she did so with more wisdom, honesty, and graciousness than her remaining male rivals have exhibited in their combined public lives. Because that’s what women do. Elizabeth Warren is asked by @maddow if the end of her candidacy means we should…
Activism Inspiration: White Rose Leaflets of WWII
On this day in 1943, Nazis beheaded three young Germans — Christoph Probst and siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl — for their part in writing, printing, and distributing six leaflets urging nonviolent resistance to the fascist regime. Embed from Getty Images The leaflets were produced by the White Rose — the name chosen by a…
My Slogan for Warren: Pretend She Has a Penis 2020
Picture a white man in a suit who apologized for and learned from his mistakes; evolved his positions and clarified them when criticized; calmly answered aggressive questions; pinky promised with little children to remember important moments; and stood for hours to take pictures with every single person who wanted one — in heat or cold…
Super Halftime: The Shakira & J. Lo Show
The Shakira and Jennifer Lopez Super Concert on Sunday was so much more meaningful than I expected! I’m told there was some kind of big sports event before and after their performance, and — if that’s correct — I just hope both sides had fun. More importantly, we had two Latinx women headlining the show…