politics

Happy 10th Birthday to Marriage Equality

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Today, June 26th, 2025, marks the 10th anniversary of the Obergefell decision by the United States Supreme Court which established that the right to marry is a fundamental right guaranteed to same-sex couples.

It was a joyous occasion, and happened to get handed down in the final days of Pride Month in 2015. There was a spontaneous celebration in the streets outside the historic Stonewall Inn in the West Village of New York City, a landmark in the LGBTQ+ equality movement. I had the good fortune of being there, and below are some photos from that day.

Ten years later, this Pride Month feels less celebratory. The state of our country and our world is… fraught. We can no more take for granted Obergefell than we could Roe. Because make no mistake, the same elements that overturned a nationwide right to abortion want to do the same for same-sex marriage. If you asked me years ago if I thought this was a possibility, I’d have said “no way!” But I could never have predicted so much of what is transpiring right now.

While I maintain that abortion and same-sex marriage are different in many ways, the forces in control of our country are forging ahead with their hateful agenda with little regard for public opinion. Checks and balances are breaking down, where they are holding at all, and the current Supreme Court is one of the worst in history. They are enabling Trump’s agenda (after first giving the President carte blanche to commit crimes in office) and backing into a (frequently tortured) legal reasoning to justify their intended outcomes. Justice Thomas has stated that the court could reverse this decision, and more.

One big thing that has changed since Obergefell, in our favor, is that the Respect for Marriage Act was passed, which repealed DOMA and requires the US government and all states and territories to recognize same-sex and interracial civil marriages. So the Supreme Court can’t simply overturn Obergefell and roll back the clock on marriage equality. The bad news is, I don’t believe this ideological and subservient Court is incapable of overturning the RFMA. Jim Obergefell himself says “[Same sex] marriage is not safe. and I think anyone who says it is, I think they’re fooling themselves.” Just look at what we’ve seen already:

  • An all out assault on “DEI” initiatives in government, education and the private sector. Corporations who just last year were waving rainbow flags folded like a cheap suit and abandoned their employees and customers in a heartbeat.
  • The Trump admin announced they are ending the option for LGBTQ+ youth callers to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to be connected with counselors trained specifically to assist LGBTQ+ contacts up to age 25.
  • House Republicans inserted language into the DHS funding bill to give civil immunity under federal law to individuals and organizations that discriminate against same-sex couples—by citing a religious or moral belief that marriage should be limited to one man and one woman.
  • And much more…

So what does this mean? It’s Pride and we should celebrate. These are difficult times and we need to take care of ourselves mentally to get through them, which can include letting loose every now and then. But we should also be vigilant. Our country has regressed so much, so fast, and it’s not done yet. Any cisgender LGB person who dismisses attacks on trans folks as a “distraction” or doesn’t think that concerns them needs to wake up. Even if you set aside the moral obligation to fight for the rights of others—and you shouldn’t—the type of government we have now depends on “othering” and having enemies without and within. Today the “enemies within” are immigrants and trans folks but it won’t stop there. What happens when we’ve deported the immigrants and fully oppressed trans people? The writing is on the wall. So let’s have fun today, but remember that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. We have to fight like hell for it.

The Duopoly Dilemma

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3 logos: Apple, Google, Microsoft

Long ago, I was a Google fanboy. I used many of their services (including Google+ and Google Wave, remember those?), was an earlier adopter of Android phones and even got the first pilot Chromebook. I interviewed for a job with them and gushed in my cover letter about how big of a fan I was. Now, I’ve come almost 180 degrees—let’s say 160 or so. I switched to iPhone years ago and have more recently begun a process to de-Google my life, starting with not using Chrome as my default browser or Google as my default search. I used this helpful article as a starting point for the rest of my journey. I signed up for Proton Mail (referral link, get first month of Plus free) and have started what will probably be a lengthy process to migrate away from gmail. I won’t completely drop Google as some things, like YouTube, are nearly impossible to replace. But I will use it much less.

Seems I’m not alone in my journey from promoter to detractor. From Ars Technica:

Google’s rapid rise from “scrappy search engine with doodles” to “dystopic mega-corporation” has been remarkable in many ways, especially when you consider just how much goodwill the company squandered so quickly. Along the way, though, Google has achieved one unexpected result: In a divided America, it offers just about everyone something to hate.

I embarked on my path with intention after the 2024 election. Since then I have hardened my resolve to de-Google when they announced that they were rolling back their DEI program and scraping their diverse hiring goals and that they would rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in Google maps. These are craven acts of capitulation and complying in advance with the hateful Trump agenda.

Tweet from Sundar Pichai: “Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on his decisive victory. We are in a golden age of American innovation and are committed to working with his administration to help bring the benefits to everyone.”
Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google
Tweet from Tim Cook: “Congratulations President Trump on your victory! We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity.”

Of course, as you can see, Google is not alone in genuflecting to our aspiring dictator-in-chief. Apple Maps has also renamed the Gulf of Mexico and this week announced they would resume advertising on X, only a few weeks after its owner gave not one but two Nazi salutes.

And thus we hit the crux of the matter. When it comes to mobile phones (the software, at least), we have a duopoly. Google and Apple control the market (Android and iOS have a combined 99%+ market share globally) and while alternatives do exist, they are not practical for the vast majority of customers. A similar duopoly exists in computers, just swapping Google for Microsoft, though the situation with alternatives is a bit better there.

Tweet from Satya Nadella:“Congratulations President Trump, we’re looking forward to engaging with you and your administration to drive innovation forward that creates new growth and opportunity for the United States and the world.”
Satya Nadella is the CEO or Microsoft

For people who prefer to vote with their wallet, there is no good answer here. I don’t see an alternative to iOS or Android that is appealing to the masses coming any time soon. In my assessment, Apple is the lesser of two evils in the phone world. There are a few reasons for this:

  • Apple is better with privacy. With Google, your data and eyeballs are the product. They make money by collecting your data and selling you ads.
  • Apple has not, as of yet, abandoned their DEI initiatives and it is led by one of very few openly LGBTQ CEOs among major companies.
  • While not perfect, Apple is better at user experience.

But the differences are not that stark, and Apple charges a premium, so I can’t fault anyone who chooses Google. I am also not just moving from Google to Apple in my de-Googlefication. I didn’t switch to Apple’s email service or (desktop) browser, for example. I’ll share more about my efforts in follow-up posts to help others who might want to reduce the Google in their lives.

Now What?

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Image of a magnet in the style of a Democratic donkey logo, blue on top, red on the bottom with 4 white starts horizontally in the blue half.

Well, well, well. We’re a little over two weeks into the second Trump presidency and… holy fucking shit! I think even many of us who were shouting warnings about Trump have been a little taken aback by the breadth, depth and brazenness of fuckery that has unfolded in such a short period of time. What I, at least, am not surprised by is the complete unwillingness of elected Republicans—members of the so-called “party of law & order”—to do anything at all to reign in the lawlessness or the parade of dangerously unqualified (and often disqualified) nominees for federal office.

Surely they’ll step in when he does something unconstitutional though right? After all, these people act like the Constitution is second to the Bible (with the Second Amendment maybe being on par).

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., did acknowledge that an executive branch move to turn off a federal agency “runs afoul of the Constitution in the strictest sense.”

“It’s not uncommon for presidents to flex a little bit on where they can spend and where they can stop spending,” Tillis said. “Nobody should bellyache about that.”

Source

Oh, yeah let’s not bellyache about something that runs “afoul of the Constitution”.

In order to take a break from the doom spiral of today and look to the future, assuming for the moment that we manage to survive this existential crisis and still have free and open elections in two and four years, I want to pose a question: How do Democrats become the party of America’s future? I don’t plan do dive deep in Monday morning quarterbacking of the election, but I think the topic requires at least a little consideration of What Went Wrong.

To start with, I want to make it clear that I do not believe both parties are the same. The Democratic Party is far better than the Republican Party, now more than ever—though that last part is more because the GOP has gotten far worse than the Dems getting better.

But there was almost certainly a lack of enthusiasm in this last election. An estimated 89 million eligible voters sat out the 2024 presidential election. Voter turnout in 2024 was 63.9% (156.3M total votes) compared to 65.% (158.4 M total votes) in 2020 (which, granted, was the highest percentage since 1900). Netted out, more than 2 million Americans who vote in 2020 didn’t voted in 2024. Harris could have won with less than 230,000 additional votes in 3 key states.

There are many people who simply don’t see enough difference between the two parties right now. Both parties are beholden to big money donors and corporate interests. And while there are some polarizing issues that rile up their respective bases, when it comes to our actual politicians (not necessarily voters) there is a lot of common ground. Trump, despite having been president once already, is seen as an outsider. Many independent voters, unhappy with the status quo and not believing Harris would do anything differently swung to Trump, a disruptor.

And while many Democratic voters may consider themselves to be quite liberal, the Democratic platform and many leaders have remained rather moderate. This could lead to Democrats feeling like their party is not representing their views. Even though they should have known better, the numbers tell us some liberal voters sat out this election.

So what should the party do? I believe they need to—hear me out—be much more aggressively progressive. Some Democrats look at the results of the election and conclude they should be even more moderate and bipartisan to woo persuadable right-leaning voters, but I think that’s wrong. They can’t out-Republican the Republicans, so they shouldn’t try. They need to be the Party of America’s future by radically rethinking how we do things in this country.

I’m not saying the Democrats should do all these or that this is an exhaustive list, but some things that should be up for consideration:

  • Universal Basic Income
  • Complete overhaul of the healthcare system, ideally single payer
  • Campaign finance reform
  • Overhaul and simplify the tax code
  • Rethink policing, crime prevention and the justice system (end mass incarceration)
  • Gun control (duh)
  • Reign in private equity and other destructive economic forces
  • Assertively support human rights around the world
  • Fiercely protect the planet, including renewable energy

These aren’t new ideas. A few have been tried before (looking at you, single payer and gun control). Some, like tax reform, aren’t particularly “lefty” ideas. But they all entail pretty radical changes and they would generally make American lives better. None of them will be easy, and critics will say we can’t actually do any of these things. Certainly we can’t do them—wholesale—right now, but remember how Barack Obama sailed into the White House on a wave of Hope. Democrats haven’t been giving people much to hope for lately. The last three presidential elections have largely been “Trump is bad, and we’re not Trump.” Accurate, but not inspiring enough, even it if managed to work once, and he can’t be the boogeyman forever.

The starting point is a bold new vision for the party. From there you prioritize and start breaking it down into stages. Messaging will be key; make sure people understand the road to get where we want to be will be long. It won’t be accomplished in one term or one presidency. But we’ll all work together toward these goals, one step at a time. Each step improving lives. Who knows? Maybe after some wins Democrats will get enough of a mandate to start making big changes, like ripping and replacing the tax code.

What do you think? What else should be on the list? Or, do you think I’m totally wrong? Leave your comments below and let’s discuss.

So, That Happened

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Here we are again! It’s been ages since I’ve posted here, but given *gestures around everywhere* I’m thinking once again of dusting off this blog and using it as an outlet for my angst, of which I’m sure I’ll be having record amounts.

More to come soon, I hope. But for now, to follow up on my previous post about (then) Twitter, I have left X/Twitter and deleted my account. I couldn’t stand any more time hanging out in that virtual Nazi bar and even marginally enriching cartoon villain Elon Musk. If you’re still there, I suggest you consider doing the same. Some people may think they’re staying there to fight the good fight and keep the platform from becoming a complete cesspool, but I think it’s a lost cause.

For now you can find me over at Bluesky under the handle @bruiserchgo.bsky.social Things have been picking up there and it is much more lively than it was, and much less toxic than the other place. If you haven’t checked it out–or checked it out a while back and found it too dead–come on by! You’ll get a warm welcome, from me at least!

Guns: Bullet Points

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Guns, guns, guns. So much going on. I thought I’d put down, in concise terms, how I feel about guns since a lot of people seem to jump to some rather inaccurate conclusions. What more appropriate way than the use of bullet points?

  • I believe owning a gun makes one less safe, not more safe. This isn’t just a hunch, it’s backed by plenty of evidence.
  • The US would be a better country if guns were:
    • More scarce
    • Harder to get (waiting periods, universal background checks, etc.)
  • I believe no one (outside of military or law enforcement) has a legitimate need for high-capacity assault-style weapons like the AR-15.
  • The epidemic of gun violence in the US is a complex problem requiring complex solutions. There is no simple fix, no one law that will change everything.
  • No, we cannot eliminate all gun violence and that isn’t the goal. We can and should drastically reduce it.
  • Gun control isn’t binary, it’s not all or nothing. So one can advocate for gun control without wanting wholesale confiscation of guns.
  • “Gun control doesn’t work in Chicago you stupid idiot moron leftie!” — Chicago doesn’t have walls, it has open borders. Indiana is right next door and it’s very easy to get a gun there. There are hundreds of millions of guns in the US, there is only so much local regulations can achieve.
  • I do not think the “No Fly List” in its current form is the way to prevent terrorists from getting guns.
  • While I’m not a fan of guns (clearly) I also don’t believe that black people should be killed by police for having one.
  • The NRA is akin to a terrorist organization at this point. It makes meaningless statements like “No guns for terrorists, period.” while impeding any real attempt at reforming gun laws. They intimidate through fear, both for politicians (fear the NRA will support opponents) and regular people (fear that the government is going to take all their guns away, and fear that if you don’t have a gun you’ll fall victim to horrific acts of violence).

This is far from exhaustive. I’ve written plenty about guns, so if you want to know more, check out the “gun” tag.

Here we are again

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Here we are again. Yet another mass shooting in America, this one setting a new record as the deadliest. This time the victims were primarily LGBT and primarily latinx. While geographically distant, it still hits too close to home.

What has changed since the first mass shooting I wrote about here–the murder of 20 children and 6 adults in Newtown, CT–in 2012?

Other than a bunch of other shootings happening between then and now, well, nothing.

The same inaction in government. The same bullshit from the NRA and their brain-washed, gun-worshiping minions. The NRA, while spouting meaningless platitudes about their policy being “no guns for terrorists” continues to block any and all attempts to increase gun regulation, while stirring up fear in the masses and pushing the need for guns for self defense.

Despite the obviousness of the fact that having more guns per capita than any other country on Earth has not made us safer, they keep pushing for more and more guns, and people are eating it up.

In 2012, I eviscerated their ridiculous claim that more guns will make us safer and this all still holds true.

And gun nuts, without any evidence, repeatedly claim that gun control won’t work, that bad guys will still get guns and good guys will be defenseless. This claim isn’t based in reality:

Our neighbors to the north, Canada, have much tougher gun laws. According to the CBC, “It takes up to 60 days to obtain a firearm in this country, after registering, taking a course and going through background checks.” Oh, dear! By the NRA’s logic crime in Canada must be out of control! Is it? No. In fact, there were 598 homicides in the entire country in 2011! How about in the USA? According to the FBI that number was 14,612 last year! OK, to be fair let’s adjust for population differences.

Homicides per 100,000 population (2011):

Canada: 1.73

USA: 4.7

As of 2014 those numbers are down slightly:

Canada: 1.45

USA: 4.5

Would-be heroes are most likely deluding themselves. In 2009, ABC News did an experiment based on actual mass shooting in Illinois, testing the theory that an armed student in the lecture hall could have intervened and stopped the shooter. The theory didn’t fare well. Even the volunteer with the most gun experience was “killed” in the mock-shooting. It’s worth a watch here.

Was this a perfect experiment? No, but it should nonetheless be an eye opener for those who think that untrained civilians with guns have a high chance of successfully intervening against a bad guy with a gun. The blog post I linked above has some anecdotes of failed attempts along these lines, for example:

In February, 2005 David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. opened fire (with a MAK-90 semi-automatic rifle) at his ex-wife and child, outside a courthouse! And courthouses, as the NRA correctly pointed out, are already protected by armed security. A civilian, armed with a pistol, attempted to intervene and was shot and killed. Arroyo was able to escape from a gunfight with police, including a trained sniper, and take officers on a car chase before eventually being taken down.

Will something finally change? I wish I could say I thought so. But I’m very skeptical. However, we’re seeing more movement than before. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) led a 15 hour filibuster on the Senate floor yesterday, with support from many of his Democratic colleagues:

Senate Democrats ended a nearly 15-hour filibuster early Thursday after Republican Party leaders reportedly agreed to allow votes on two proposed gun control measures.

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said that a compromise had been reached. Votes would be held on whether to ban people on the government’s terrorist watch list from obtaining gun licenses and whether to expand background checks to gun shows and internet sales, he added.

It’s a sad commentary on the state of our legislative branch that a 15 hour filibuster was needed just to get the point of permitting a vote on legislation.

If passed, will these measures be perfect? Will they fix everything? No, and no. The problem is so large, deeply-ingrained and multifaceted, it will be take a great deal of time and effort to really make a serious dent, but we have to start somewhere.

I won’t hold my breath, but I will keep my fingers crossed.

 

And Then There Was One

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Trump holding up hands with tiny fingers
Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Someone pinch me, I think I’m dreaming! It can’t really be that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president, can it?

Ted Cruz “suspended his campaign” (the term generally used for dropping out) last night, after losing the Indiana primary to Trump by a large margin. Last night one of John Kasich’s senior staff (I forget which, will update if I find it) was saying he would stay in, but today the reports are that Kasich will suspend his campaign, leaving Trump as the last man standing from a previously enormous Republican field and the GOP nominee.

OK, I should say “presumptive” nominee. I guess there could still be some shenanigans during the convention. And the Donald could also announce that he was just fucking with us this whole time, and that we’re a bunch of morons and drop the mic. Wouldn’t that turn some people’s world upside down?

Ladies and gentlemen, all this time I have been playing a character. A loud-mouthed, lying, racist, misogynist with no real qualifications for the job, to be exact. I never thought it would get this far, but Americans are more stupid than I would have ever believed! As my character would say, ‘What a bunch of losers!’ I suggest all the Trump 2016 supporters take some time to reflect on what they were really supporting, and who they are. And our leaders, especially those in the Republican party, should think long and hard about how they helped create an environment in which Donald Trump the character could come so far. Let this serve as a wake-up call.

With that, I am suspending my campaign to be the Republican nominee for president. Good luck, and God bless America.

Oh, I wish!

Some day there will be books written with various opinions on how exactly we got here, but for now we need to just focus on how to avert disaster.

Still digesting all this. You can expect more blogging on the election to come.

You Don’t Get It

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There is a common refrain coming from supporters of the recent anti-LGBT laws like HB 2, that those protesting are ignorant, and simply reacting to spin and misinformation. That we don’t get it. In the address announcing his executive order, NC Governor Pat McCrory said:

 You know, after listening to people’s feedback for the past several weeks on this issue, I have come to the conclusion that there is a great deal of misinformation, misinterpretation, confusion, passion and frankly selective outrage and hypocrisy especially against the great state of North Carolina.

And people like this guy trolls Twitter for mentions of HB 2, posting memes abusing the likeness of legendary NFL referee Ed Hochuli:

Continue reading →

Why Your Point is Pointless

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Are you someone who has said something like the tweets below, in the media, on social media or just to friends?

https://twitter.com/CultureShocksUS/status/718778495044689920

https://twitter.com/bcaraway/status/721764819800436737

https://twitter.com/ksmith474/status/722792426352599040

You probably thought you were gosh-darned clever, and caught these guys red-handed being hypocrites!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the point you’re making doesn’t actually exist. You’re really making a terrible analogy. Continue reading →

Reblog: Ryan T. Anderson’s salad of rotten apples and oranges

josh2 Comments

Ryan T. Anderson is ALL ABOUT the anti-LGBT laws in Mississippi, North Carolina and Missouri, and he has the sads that businesses and major artists are not so enamored with them.

At The Slowly Boiled Frog, Mr.David Cary Hart takes on one Ryan’s recent screeds.

Anderson tries to redefine the controversy. The Mississippi law is anything but narrowly applicable. And those public restrooms in North Carolina include those in public schools (which was the point of the Charlotte ordinance). Also, Mr. Anderson conveniently ignores the fact that the state nullified numerous municipal nondiscrimination ordinances in North Carolina’s largest urban areas. Thus “at issue” are laws that officially make LGBT people second-class citizens. It is a new flavor of Jim Crow.

Check out the full post here: Ryan T. Anderson’s salad of rotten apples and oranges