Gay Diaspora

I sometimes forget that I live in Iowa, and that this place is more progressive than a lot of the nation gives it credit for. I don't think about the fact that gay marriage is legal here, where in the majority of states it remains illegal and unsanctioned. Today I was doing a lot of thought about the gay/queer diaspora and how during the HIV crisis larger cities with gayborhoods such as the San Fransisco's Castro, Chicago's Boystown, and New York's Greenwich Village were battle grounds and places of refuge. These cities became what queer rural youth longed for and were reminded of. They were considered by many as a place to go to feel a sense of belonging. They became the sites of the gay diaspora. Iowa City (where this picture was taken) was also a gay paradise during that troubling time with a leading research hospital at the University, which until a few years ago was still one of the most active institutions for HIV/AIDS research.

I think we take for granted our safety in the middle. Iowa has become a place where coming out in rural areas is not hard as many other states. It is still not easy, we are a long way off from it being as normal as heterosexual identities but we are further than many areas of Nebraska, the Dakotas, Missouri and Kansas. I am happy now to see the gay diaspora in Iowa, where now the right to marry, regardless of sex, sets this state apart. Where people are feeling a sense of belonging, and don't feel like they have to run to a coastal city in order to be who they are.

Iowa, sometimes I really love you.

convince me?

Yesterday at work I found myself reading an article in Newsweek titled: The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage

Theodore Olson may be known to you as a conservative lawyer who supported Bush, and his administration, but you may also be surprised to hear he has a positive voice in Perry v. Schwarzenegger. His argument is simple enough, gays and lesbians are a part of our society and have been for sometime, so why are they not treated equally. He talks in the article about how privilege and respect are entitled to every human being. When we are not allowing these basic human rights Olson argues that we are saying these humans are worth less, are less legitimate, and less permanent making them less valuable in our communities. This is something that Olson says we do not have the influence to decide. The argument that Olson finds most frustrating is the argument that tradition should dictate our decisions on Prop 8 and gay marriage. He is not convinced because traditions are always changing and "simply because something has always been done a certain way does not mean that it must always remain that way."

I am though not fully convinced, impressed, or trusting of Theodore Olson. I am though happy that he is fighting and arguing his case for gay marriage. The conservative voice is important in this discussion and he is countering very basic arguments. In general he is reaching a pretty wide audience but he is limited in that all his examples of gay and lesbian marriage are stable white couples. The article printed in Newsweek pictures 5 different gay and lesbian couples, all of which lack outward minorities. I understand that we must know our audience, and in this case we are bidding towards to conservatives, but I don't think we need to lose our diversity and colour when doing that.

Olson writes that, "the right to marry helps us to define ourselves and out place in a community." This is a conservative argument that my politics can not get behind, because I do not believe that we are defined by those we wish to spend the rest of our lives with. I think it's just as important to be part of a community regardless of marriage. I wish that we, the queer movement, could be taken seriously and treated equally regardless of marriage. Will marriage change the way queer students are treated in high school?

Also I find myself again not supported by the laws and institutions. I am not one to counter the gay rights movement or the marriage bills, but I am always unsatisfied by the approach and the content of the changes we only hope to make. I think we are legitimately trying to help people an include a huge community, but I am not convinced we are going about the process in the correct way. I wish we outwardly included people of colour, and transgenders in the movement, conservative or not because we can not hide these people when change does begin to happen.

My question remains, why will marriage make us equal?

Overall I am happy that some other, more conservative voices are becoming involved and heard I am hopeful that the movement will eventually be good for everyone. I just don't want us to lose sight of that 'eventually', by focusing on appeasing the conservative because that's not productive or fair to the movement.


Let me here your thoughts!?
I know there are lots of arguments to be made and I only have one of many. I am open to all your conservative, liberal, socialist, communist, democratic, etc. views, even if I don't agree or am not fully convinced yet.

Wish of dreams

Last night while I was sleeping I had a dream. It was a lovely dream where I had a life partner and a job I want to everyday. At that job I was some sort of artist and did Theatrical installations and workshops. I was really happy. Not only that but I could wake up in the morning and go one day as fully female and the next day fully male. No one in my work environment or home life thought anything of this. I was fully living my queer identity. Some days I remember I even went androgynous and didn't get questioned weather I was a boy or a girl.

I also think I was married to a trans man, FTM. Legally married that is, not commited to each other until death by a queer ceremony. We were by law seen in the states eyes as married and reciving full benifits of such.

I hope one day my dream becomes reality. First we need to move discrimination against gender out of the workforce because in 48 states there is no laws to prohibit this typs of discrimination. Also we need to work on gay marriage and other queer marriage. This one won't be as easy because we have to focus on the transgender right to marry as well. In only a few states are FTM and MTF individuals legally the sex they have transitioned to so we have to broaden that catogory nationally. Because in some states transfolk would be married into same-sex marriages while in other states they would have opposite-sex standing. This is all too much to handel and I wish equality would be here tomorrow. It would make me much happier.

Something Between the Legs

This is the monologue I wrote and preformed my first year at Grinnell for G-mons. At the time I was coming into a genderqueer identity and was only out to my girlfriend of the time and the lady I went to talk to every Tuesday.
This was a big step in my life - I hope someday I can give performances about the bad stuff too but for now this is what I've got.

Enjoy.

Something Between the Legs
by Nikki Jameson (Spring 2008)

I have only one friend who has grown up with me and helped me learn a lot about her and myself. I remember once I realized just how hairy she was, and I convinced her to shave. It wasn’t that bad we used one of my mums razors and away we went. I enjoyed looking at and feeling her bare skin but it was extremely itchy when the hair grew back in patchy stubbles. I was 12 years old and this was the first real attention I had ever given my vagina. It was uncomfortable and I didn’t want to do it again. I’d forgotten about her then 5 years ago we began to grow together in a transition from prissy cheerleader to penis envying artist.

Year one: Freshman year of high school my vagina and I wear spanky pants and short skirts. She is a devote cheerleader who gets lot of attention and lives carefree. She has no job or ties, but keeps herself clean-cut in case something arises. The best part of the cheerleading years, was other girls vagina’s in short skirts and spanky pants.

Year two: Although my vagina was still a bouncy cheerleader year two lead to a Hippy love interest. Me and my vagina fell head of heels for this long haired untamed girl. She was the first person my vagina and I actually cared about. We spent many nights drinking tea and braiding each other’s hair. She was a beautiful person, who I loved more than I knew at the time. I thought my vagina and I had found our match, with a year that would never end. Life was complete.

Year three: My vagina and I get on a plane and take the long fright to Europe. We spend 11 long crazy months learning so much about culture, food, life, and most importantly German beer. My vagina branched out in many directions and became what many would call a rebel. She loved embracing her punk rock goddess and felt liberated with her new Mohawk. I never let her dye her hair blue but she was happy involved and discovering.

Year four: My vagina and I come back home to small town America where no one understands how much we have changed. She is no longer prissy and bouncy, but that is what everyone still expected her to be. The hippy girl had moved on, and my vagina and I soon found being a rebel was a hard way to slide through life. My vagina decided to pick up the black turtleneck never to leave the performing arts again. She is now a poet who likes deep… thought and black coffee. The year drags by with my vagina feeling trapped and lonely.

Year five: My artist vagina and I come to Grinnell. Where there are apparently no limits. This is the first time in years that she shaves again. But soon learns, it is an itchy mess that is indeed uncomfortable when it grows back. She enjoys this new freedom with people who understand where she came from. My vagina was not expecting to find anyone at Grinnell who understood her, or even cared to understand her. She was too jaded by small town America to live outside of her own box. The day she first had penis envy she couldn’t comprehend it. Since the first time my vagina had fallen in love sex had always been fine, she didn’t need anything but what was attached to a wrist to please her. Now she was in a situation where maybe something else, something between the legs made of plastic would be a nice change. Not only did my vagina want to have this object, but she wanted to give this object too. My vagina and I are going through an identity crisis.

Year five is not yet over, and the transition is not yet complete. My vagina is allowing room to grow, learn and understand. I can relate to my vagina more now that ever before. When I was 12 years old I didn’t know shaving her would start a process of learning and growing. She is not just part of my body, she is a friend who understands me although I do not often understand her. Only together can we sort through who we truly are, cheerleader, hippy, rebel, artist, me.

Smile for equality today!

What a dreary day in Iowa, yet the happiest day in Iowa since the election of President Obama and The Caucuses of January 2008.

Today all Iowans have the same rights as same sex marriage can now be preformed throughout the entire state. It was a rocky couple of weeks but no huge protests or large riots over the matter happened, and the legislation was not challenged. This means queer Iowans can rest assured that until 2012 no changes will be made in this legislation. And even then it is almost sure that nothing will change as all representatives who have released comments seem positive that the Iowan Supreme Court's unanimous decision is the right decision for Iowa.

This is a proud and happy day for Iowa, being the first mid-west state with protection and benefits of same sex couples in marriage. Each of the state connecting Iowa haven't begun (to my knowledge) and processes such as these. It is reminiscent of Iowa's progression in the last civil rights movement. Before inter racial marriage was legal in any of the surrounding states, Iowans allowed whites and blacks to come together in the union of marriage. Now this movement is proud to take Iowa under it's wing as a safe place for unions, unions that are actually marriage.

Good job Iowa! It may only be 45* and it may be windy and rainy but smiling faces can be seen everywhere. Including on the face of this queer tranny!

FREE HUGS FOR ALL

JUST NOW I WROTE THIS AND NOT 5 MINUTES LATER I BECAME AWARE OF [http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/fliers/20090423_Des-Moines-IA-Lincoln-High-School-g.pdf|THIS PROTEST]
APPARENTLY GOD HATES IOWA - FAGS - AND FAG ENABLERS.
MORE HUGS FOR YOU IOWA
MORE HUGS FOR YOU