7 HOME • CULTURE • OUT
Prop 81 aftermath inspires sweeping solidarity
11/21/2008 | News reports estimated the crowd at about 150 protesters in front of Spokane City Hall last Saturday morning. My family and I hung toward the back, didn't carry any signs and didn't chant.
California voters prove rights aren't always equal
11/14/2008 | In the weeks leading up to election day, pollsters found that opponents to Proposition 8 in California were losing ground. I took note, but didn't worry much at all. Eighteen thousand gay couples had been married since June 16, when my native state legalized the unions.
Neighborhood newcomers look forward to settling in
11/7/2008 | Afternoon sun splashed through oversized kitchen and living room windows. I lingered near a sliding door to the deck that within days would be ours, but for now still held plastic deck chairs and an ash tray with stale butts that belonged to the couple selling us their house.
Web site celebrates gay, lesbian icons
10/31/2008 | How many times have I seen and admired the quote that defines Margaret Mead? "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world."
Facing families not always an opportunity
10/24/2008 | On several occasions in recent weeks I've had the opportunity to hear stories from young gay men and lesbians about coming out to their families, in particular their parents.
Tolerance not the same as true acceptance
10/17/2008 | For those of us who grew up in American public schools, learning the story of the first colonists and the history of the Constitution, we hear the word tolerance, and automatically think, "That's a good thing."
Plenty of ways to celebrate GLBT History Month
10/3/2008 | Music, fashion, politics, theater, literature and sports. The icons of these industries help define our culture. Those musicians and designers, actors and writers, politicians and athletes cross racial and gender lines, representing our nation as a whole.
Back on the prowl in hunt for dream house
9/26/2008 | We are in the hunt earnestly this time. Armed with a Realtor and a loan pre-approval letter, my partner Molly and I spent the weekend on the prowl for our dream home.
Out on the Town: Rossi shows true colors on partnership issue
9/19/2008 | Politically, Dino Rossi's recent choice of words when discussing Washington's domestic partnership law with a reporter was spot-on astute. He won some votes, for certain.
God, guns, gays take back seat
9/12/2008 | Some commentators, both on television and the internet, would have us believe that God, guns and gays are back at the forefront of this presidential election.
Recognition a reminder of power of words
8/29/2008 | She moved at a good clip, coasting down Lincoln Street on her bike, when I noticed the commuter cyclist was looking directly at me. "Hey, do you write for the paper?"
Writer needs to brush up on definition of evil
8/22/2008 | I have been accused of atrocities. So, too, has my partner, Molly. It's curious that I didn't feel more incensed. When I first read a letter to the editor published in The Spokesman-Review claiming "The Bible places homosexuals on the same level as murderers, thieves and adulterers," I folded up the page and went about fixing dinner.
A bittersweet break from chaos of family life
8/15/2008 | For the past several days, Molly and I have been at home in the quiet, watching the Olympics, eating meals loaded with fresh vegetables, luxuriating in a clean house and generally relishing kidless days.
Gay athlete's heroics go beyond Olympics
8/8/2008 | He may not be on the U.S. Olympic team, but he is a diver and he is gay. I'm rooting hard for the young guy from Australia to win the 10 m platform in the Beijing Summer Games that start tonight.
Life story is one worth telling
8/1/2008 | There is a Radio Flyer wagon in our living room. It came with me when we combined houses. I've used it to carry groceries home from the store, to transport my headboard and footboard when I changed apartments within the same complex.
Auntie Bijou, aka Kevan Gardner, bids farewell
7/25/2008 | For many drag queens, the diva they become when donning cocktail dresses, high heels, big wigs and make-up is a character, like actors taking on roles.
Home hunting involves more than curb appeal
7/11/2008 | Molly and I celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary this week. We did so by taking a plunge that, in some ways, feels even bigger than marriage: We set time with a financial planner to help determine how much of a house we can afford to buy.
Time to get back to enjoying true crushes
7/4/2008 | Back in the day, my high school days, that is, I started Fourth of July celebrations by rising at the crack of dawn. I'd wriggle my beanbag into just the right position and settle in front of the TV to watch my favorite tennis tournament of the year, Wimbledon.
Californians need to honor marriage privilege
6/27/2008 | The first invitation has arrived. A gay wedding in California between two of our dear friends. They've set the date for August 9, three weeks before their 17th anniversary as a couple.
Portland shows us all how to be progressive
6/20/2008 | Portland mayor-elect Sam Adams enjoyed a campaign this spring in which his being openly gay seemed to barely register in the minds of voters. Residents were more interested in his campaign issues and policy positions.
Chance meeting sets stage for meaningful awards
6/13/2008 | A friendly tap on my right shoulder prompted me to turn away from the bus window and look upon the gal sitting behind me. She was a graduate student whom I vaguely recognized from having spoken in one of her classes.
OutSpokane finding family-friendly niche
6/6/2008 | OutSpokane is thinking big. Real big. Within five years gay pride week will annually draw thousands of visitors from around the nation to the Lilac City, the organization hopes.
She didn't tell, so why did the Air Force ask?
5/30/2008 | Air Force Maj. Margaret Witt's life was forever altered by an anonymous tip that she was gay. Two years short of retirement, the Spokane resident learned she was under investigation by the military.
California decision is one for the books
5/23/2008 | Imagine for a moment a soldier serving in Iraq. His wife and children are back home, along with parents and siblings, hoping and praying every day that he is safe at his post.
Mr. Gay Washington takes pride in representing community
5/16/2008 | A couple of weekends from now, Ryan McCaskill will work his 11 p.m.-7 a.m. shift as night bellman at the Davenport Hotel, fly to Oregon the following morning, return that evening to work another shift, fly to Seattle the next day and return to work again that night.
