Washington legislators voted in favor of legalizing marriage equality this week, and Governor Christine Gregoire is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.  Thus in just over 90 days the Evergreen State would become the seventh to grant marriage licenses to members of the LGBT community.  

I really have not seen many posts about this on either Facebook or Twitter, so either people are waiting until it becomes law in Washington or they are waiting until it becomes law in America.  Regardless, that last one is not going to occur for many years, so I recommend celebrating any victory as it comes along.

In case anyone is confused or not excited by the sentences prior, I recommend watching this passionate speech by Rep. Maureen Walsh.  Not only do Walsh's mixed emotions on the issue prove just how divisive it can be, but how simple this legal dilemma is when stripped of personal opinion or duty to cultural values.

-M

One of my journalism classes requires weekly blog entries through Wordpress.com, and I thought I would share this week's post on Mason Planet.  As such, it should be noted that I pulled the following information from my own blog, which I do not believe to be illegal in practice.  Seriously, would I file a lawsuit against myself?  Anyways, continue reading to see what all the fuss is about.

mun2 asked several celebrities from the entertainment industry to discuss any difficulties they have faced being Black and Latino in America.  Feel free to check out their comments below.

Although the video is already 10 minutes, I am fascinated about the topic and would like to know more about it.  I have found the entertainment industry to be filled with interesting people conforming to stereotypes that can be sold to mass audiences, but I was still surprised to find the number of  actors speaking of being forced to audition for African-American roles since they are deemed “not hispanic enough.”  It could be a testament that many of the subjects were actors, or that I wasn’t too familiar with their past work, but I would have viewed them as African-American outside of this video.

I think this video is representative of two things about America.  First, America is a such a large country filled with so many different people, so I believe that more and more of these cross sub-cultures will begin to emerge.  Second, it seems race has joined the ranks of religion, sexuality, political affiliation and dietary habits as something that needs to be asked (if appropriate or relevant), and not simply assumed.

-M

As many of you have probably read elsewhere, a few weeks ago President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the Justice Department would no longer defend the third act of DOMA in court.  While this is not the end of the federal law, it is an important step towards equal rights.  However, the resulting conversation has startled me for many reasons. 

Instead of rambling about my personal beliefs, I will direct you to Henry Rollins new editorial for Vanity Fair.  
Rollins has always been very vocal about his opinions, so his harsh language is not surprising.  (If you do not believe me, watch this.) 

I salute his efforts to increase tolerance and change.  Whether we like it or not, our society will have to adapt to remain relevant.   If nothing else, the increase in spending for marriage licenses, weddings and honeymoons could boost our fledgling economy.   If for whatever reason you are having difficulty understanding the argument I am making, please click here. 

-M

Pixar Studios has posted an "It Gets Better" video.  While it joins the growing list of "celebrity" videos expressing the same message, this one seems to have genuine heart.   Those interviewed are average people who happen to work for a large company, and are using this to reach out to their audience in a time of need.  None of them are separated by their status within the company, and they appear to have no alternative motives for speaking.  Overall, I think Pixar did a good job of putting this morality issue in perspective.  Plus, it was nice to see Pixar's message of hope coming from real life lips for once.       

-M