In early-February, I stopped at my local public library to see if there was a copy of Nothing Personal by Richard Avedon and James Baldwin available. There I learned that a single copy was in the stacks of the Central Library, but only for viewing on site. A week later, I went with my buddy…
In 2000, I argued that condensing our understanding of voting patterns into two teams, red or blue, was a big mistake. After watching election results that year, I worried aloud that reductionist approaches would only further the political schism in the U.S. Our electoral decisions, after all, are not football scores. I recall asking you…
While coming out as gay man 56 years ago is associated with lots of crap that happened back then and regularly since, coming out has never been the source of the crap itself. Coming out actually launched a world of good for me. At age 16, I got honest with my parents in ways that…
I have known for some time now that I am waiting for an apology. Initially, I felt I was being petty – unreasonable, perhaps. But lately I recognize that just because my expectation will not be met, it is not necessarily unreasonable. Perhaps the offender(s) just need some assistance. So, in the spirit of healing,…
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. For 27 years, Milwaukee’s history has been influenced by a force of nature…
Who knows what will happen with the Republican Senate bill to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plan of their own? We have been told that the congressional recess for this holiday weekend gives voters the opportunity to weigh in on the issues. Social media and other media outlets have been…
During the mayhem we call election season, US political parties — at least the two big ones — drag out their gay cousins and use us shamelessly. One party is more likely to look at us and tout what they have done for us, from marriage equality to insurance coverage. This party will point to…
Restoring order to my city after an evening of disruption appears to be the call of the day. It is the call from civic leaders, clergy, and community leaders. I do not advocate violence. I do not support destruction. But I do wholeheartedly support disruption of our collective comfort. We must take time away from…
By age 10 I had become pretty adept at taking the pulse of a room. I knew when my dad had too much to drink, when a holiday was in danger of being cancelled, when the cake would go uneaten, when my mom was fed-up and overwhelmed. Most of the time I tested a space…
When my late husband died and his body was removed from the house, I was suddenly very much alone. Dear friends were at hand, but there was no one to go to bed with and sob, no one to wake up with and sob. So when I awoke on December 25, 2015 a widower, I…
Creating Community for Everyone 