2008 Queer Scandal: in Korea

Sorry for such short notice. The 2008 pride festival in Korea is happening May 31 - June 8. The main Parade is scheduled on June 2nd from 12 - 6 pm at Cheonggye Square-Berlin Square (Jongro). This year the parade route relocated to the new center of Seoul. Other events taking place is the Seoul LGBT Film Festival (SeLFF). This is the 8th year the Korea Queer Cultural Festival (KQCF) is producing this pride festival and they promise, no guarantee you'll remember it as the best fiesta of your life. Go Korea's queers! Link: http://www.kqcf.org/

How long is the flight to Korea?

Island Dyke

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

Ok, I'm no attorney, however, I thought I would share some ideas on the legal aspects of the recent passing of gay marriage in California. According to Yoshino (2008) there is a legal difference in the way the two states were able to legalize gay marriage. The state of Massachusetts used a "rational basis" where California used the "strict scrutiny". To many, and including myself, this is legal mumbo jumbo, hence my title to this blog. The difference in these two passages is that, unlike the "rational basis", the "strict scrutiny" results in invalidation of state policies. Hmmm, what does that mean? Yoshino (2008) tells us that basically "gays can now challenge any California state policy that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation." WOW! I have to say this is HUGE!

As usual there is a rush to get a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage for California's November 2008 ballot. This is very discouraging, however I do have more hope than in the past. I have sad memories of doing code calls to homes back in 2000 in San Diego, fighting proposition 22, which ended up passing by 61.4%. (In statistics that would be considered a moderate relationship to strength of correlation of those that oppose gay marriage. ) In 2000 I had held the voting booth in my garage for the second time. It was a hard days work but well worth it when I had children come and I would let them vote for Lincoln or Washington, I even let the neighbor's cat vote. I secretly had a "no on prop 22" hidden behind my closet door. Around that time the North County Gay and Lesbian center I did volunteer work at was having financial difficulties and was talking about closing down. The mood was gloom. That is how I left sunny San Diego to come to sunny Saipan.

Island Dyke

Reference:

Yoshino, Kenji (2008). Magisterial Conviction: Why the California Supreme Court did more than Leagalize Gay Marriage. Slate.com. Retrieved on May 21, 2008, from http://www.slate.com/id/2191530/

California Legalizes Gay Marriage

Hot off the presses, new news is new news, just since thursday May 15, 2008, mainland time, California's Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage. People have already started lining up at San Francisco City Hall to make appointments to get marriage licenses. In about a month they will be able to get legally married in California. California is the second state to legalize gay marriage after Massachusetts in 2004. Unlike Massachusetts though, California has no residency requirements for obtaining a marriage license. Although this may seem positive for those who wish to come and get married and return to their own states, they still may have difficulty since most states do not recognize gay marriage and neither does the federal government as of yet. With an estimate of 92,000 same-sex couples living in California, whats a few more? On a positive up-beat side we have the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who has declared he respects the court's decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling". (Leff, 2008) Go Arnold!!!

Island Dyke (I hear wedding bells)

Reference:

Leff, Lisa. (2008). California's top court legalizes gay marriage. Asociated Press. Retrieved on May 17, 2008, from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage

Our Ten Year Anniversary of Our First Date

Can you believe it? Ten years ago on May 6th my babe and I went on our "first date". Of course I had thought we had already been on a date when she had asked me to go with her to a women's business mixer party at one of the San Diego lesbian bars. She had a point though when she said it couldn't have been a date as we both were getting phone numbers from girls. Opps~ Besides for this "first date" I brought her flowers and we went to a restaurant for Sushi. After a wonderful delightful dinner we went down to the boardwalk in Carlsbad and romantically held hands and walked along the beach. At one point we stopped and sat on the wall and talked and ....(I'm not telling) When I dropped her off at her apartment, she later told me, she watched me return to my car from her window above and saw me twirling my self in a balarina move, and I'm not a dancer, from the happy feelings I had inside. Ahhh




And ten years later, we did Sushi again. Me looking dorky, but full. What a delicious meal Kuri-Ya served us. If you have not been there and you love sushi, you must go. It is located on middle road, if you are going south it is on the left side of the road in the Pacific Eagle building... I think.





By the way: the first date restraunt was Mikko - Japanese Cuisine, located on 1025 Carlsbad Village Dr. if you are ever in the area check them out. For take out fax (760) 434-2683....ok I'm just kidding with you all.

Just being giddy,

Island Dyke

Old News is New News for Me

Well you may have noticed I have been sleeping on this blog the better part of this year. Sorry, my studies have occupied a large part of my waking times and now that I am in an easier course, Clinical Quantitative Research, I have some free moments on my hands.

So the old news, at the beginning of this year, that I missed is that Benjamin Cruz won the senatorial election in Guam in January 2008. Pictured below as "may be the nation's highest-ranking gay judge" (Silva, 1997). At that time he was unanimously confirmed by Guam's judiciary committee on September 29, 1997 despite some "resistance due to his sexual orientation throughout his career". (Silva, 1997)


According to Queerty, Cruz had won the senatorial election by 41 percent of the votes this past January 2008. http://www.queerty.com/gay-politician-wins-big-in-guam-20080107/

I want to say congratulations Judge BJ, way to go!

First, I am just curious though if same-sex marriage has come up since his 1997 statement: "Cruz says he doesn't see any major gay issues coming before the high court soon. Guam, Cruz says, is relatively "good" regarding gay rights--the island has no sodomy laws. The hot issues of same-sex marriage and same-sex harassment have yet to catch fire in Guam, and he doubts he'll be addressing them in the near future." (Silva, 1997)

Secondly, there may not be sodomy laws however, the social climate may still not be supportive of the GLBT community at large. Evident by when people are afraid to come out of the closet! Is there an annual gay pride event; is there a GLBT center to support the community?

Island Dyke

Reference:

Silva, D. (1997) Cruz control: newly appointed Guam supreme court justice Benjamin Cruz may be the nation's highest-ranking gay judge. The Advocate, 11/25/1997. Retrieved on May 9, 2008 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-20013295.html

Mainland Pride in May

PRIDE 08

Long Beach: May 17-18, 2008 "I am what I am"

Event planners esimate 100,000 attendees at this years pride in Long Beach, California. This is their 25th annual event held. The Main Stage lineup includes Sheena Easton, The Bangles, K.C. & Sunshine Band, and Debra Cox.
Check them out: http://www.longbeachpride.com/index.htm

And currently in progress is the Las Vegas PRIDE: May 2-3
A little late to attend unless your jet is on stand-by!
Check them out: http://www.lasvegaspride.org/

The summer is full of PRIDE celebrations. Cheers!

Island Dyke

Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival

This month is the 19th Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, May 22-25, 31, 2008.
For a listing of the films scheduled check it out: http://rainbow.bside.com/2008/schedule

I'm still searching for Gay Pride events!

Island Dyke