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November 14, 2008

Susie on The Sexual State of the Union in Portland, Nov. 18

BitchPortland Oh goodie— I'm going to be in Portland, Oregon next week to speak at the State University, on "The Sexual State of the Union."

I'm not waiting for the inauguration to give Obama & Co. my detailed agenda!

I would love to see you there!

Please introduce yourself to me, if we're longtime blog or podcast pals and I've never met you in person.

Tuesday, November 18, 7:00 pm
doors open at 6:30

Portland State University
Smith Memorial Ballroom,
1825 SW Broadway, 3rd Floor

Tix: $8 in advance, $10 at door





Sponsored by BITCH, the Oregon Council on the Humanities, and PSU Women's Resource Center

November 05, 2008


Gay-HomepageImageComponent Ballot Initiatives provide a wake-up call to the LGBT Community about Race


by Pam Spaulding from Pam's House Blend


A giant snowball of a blame game is about to roll over and crush me as we wait for the final count in California on Prop 8.

Who voted for Yes on 8 is clear now, as exit polls show that 70% of blacks— with black women at 74%— voted for the amendment. That's about 20 points higher than any other racial group.

But the blame needs to be put into perspective.  Blacks represent only 6.2% of of California's population. There's a lot to discuss in the post-mortem regardless of the outcome.

For those of us who are black and gay, a group too often marginalized within a marginalized community, I see this as a clear signal to the LGBT advocacy community.

There hasn't been enough outreach to those groups who voted against us. We haven't reached them; there hasn't been enough effort expended.

I've been blogging for years about the need to discuss race in regards to LGBT issues. I hope that this is now the wake-up call for our "professional gays" out there who represent us to come out of their comfort zones and help bridge this concrete education gap.

The belief that "white equals gay" is a big part of the problem. As long as black LGBTs are invisible in their own communities and there is a dearth of color in the public face of LGBT leadership, the socially-conservative black community can remain in denial that I exist as a black lesbian.

But the losses are about more than these racial hurdles. I thank Darkrose for her diary "Blame the Brown People = Recipe for Failure." It puts the defeats in perspective:

It seems like the frame for the passage of Prop 8 is going to be "It's because Obama's candidacy caused increased black turnout, and the black community is homophobic."

Never mind that it was voters 65 and over who put Prop 8 over the top, or that one of the whitest institutions in America--the Mormon Church--funneled millions of dollars from Utah to California to make sure that 8 passed. The parts of the state that went solid for 8 were the inland areas, which are overwhelmingly white.

...It wasn't a black group that put Prop 8 on the ballot, and paid the signature-gatherers and bankrolled the ads. Nor is it fair to say that Obama's have-it-both-ways position meant that black voters were going to march sheeplike to the polls and vote as Obama dictated.

Writing off an entire race as hopelessly unenlightened isn't going to help.

(CA returns aren't completely in; you can follow the count here).

And, in good news, it's time to spread the word about Jason Bartlett's victory in Connecticut. He is an openly gay black man serving in the state's House, and was re-elected.

Incumbent Democrat Jason Bartlett won the hotly contested race for the 2nd District seat in the state House Tuesday over Republican challenger Melanie O'Brien.

Both Bartlett, a small business owner of a mortgage company, and O'Brien, an attorney, are Bethel residents. The 2nd District covers parts of Bethel, Redding and Danbury, and Bartlett won in all three municipalities.

Bartlett, 42, was elated with his victory Tuesday night.

"All three towns voted to send me back to Hartford to represent them, and I am so grateful and appreciative," he said. "In these tough economic times I pledge to look out for the taxpayers in the 2nd District and to continue all of the projects that I began in my first term."

This visibility must be spread far and wide.






Pamcoffeeshopjrolfefp This story reprinted from Pam's House Blend, one of my favorite bloggers and activists.

More on this later from me, but I recommend following Pam's blog for heroic coverage on sex, race, politics— and everything that intersects!

November 04, 2008

I'm Calling It!

Oahu41024x768


Turn Up the Volume!




Surf's Up, Mr. President...

I'm popping open the Dom. And yes, I still want to take your phone calls and post your thoughts. Feel free to call me, if you don't mind me being slightly smashed.

UPDATE: I went downtown to celebrate... pretty rowdy for lil' Santa Cruz! And I wanted to kiss strangers, but some guy tried to high five me and smashed my little finger so hard it is... sprained. Gigantic. I am sitting here in ice typing with one hand. I guess I'll call it a night... more tomorrow from my bandaged headquarters.  It's been such a great day hearing from everybody... MWAH!


Photo 8:00 PM: The TV dudes just called it. As promised, I tore off my clothes and ran out on the front porch and screamed my head off.

Melvin in Pittsburgh says it's like the World Series, your birthday, and New Years all at once:


Goin' crazy in Portland ME:


Peter Throckmorton heartily approves of my nudity even though he can hardly see through his tears:


Kat Sunlove has her mind blown:

Downtown Donna reminds me what a long strange trip it's been:

CS Lewiston is fanning himself:


Jackson is still holding his breath for Prop 8:

Sandy Stone wants to hear how how I sound slightly smashed:



John D'Addario is tearing the roof off the mothersucker in NOLA:

 


Elvira, New York is ecstatic:


Camille and John don't realize I'm opening up THEIR bottle of Dom they left here:


Douglas has a ONE NIGHT ONLY special on Sarah Palin's brassieres:

Susie's Best News, Links, and Videos for Election Day

 What's the most interesting TV, blogs, and newspapers that you're seeing today?

Email me your picks and I'll post them here for our delectation!



Greg pointed me to the essential Talking Points Memo, for a voting day story that sums it all up:

"My polling place is at the fairgrounds in Southern Maryland, about 40 minutes from Washington, D.C. This used to be tobacco country, but is slowly being developed, or other crops are grown. We waited until 10:00 to vote, to avoid the lines.

"When we got there a 97-year-old black man was being wheeled out of the polls in his wheelchair. It was the first time he had ever voted in his life. When he came outside he asked if anyone could give him an Obama button. There were none left at the Democrat's booth so I gave him mine.

"He was so proud and I started crying. He looked at me and said, 'Why are you crying? This is a day for glory.'"



Beautiful slide show of Americans voting today at the Chronicle.. a real treat for those of us who like the story in pictures..



PhotoFrom Side Lake: Shelly says she voted for Obama, but is extremely proud of her Palin shirt, nonetheless.

We noted that her ill-fitting bra demonstrates a lack of support for Palin.







Oh this is rich:

Senator Orrin Hatch says that if Obama wins: "We're going to lose a lot of stature throughout the world because we have somebody who, though eloquent and a very nice person, who I like, who doesn't know what he's talking about."




Danny has a video you need for your Canadian travel bags!



Steve writes:

Okay, Ben and Jerry's is giving away ice cream, and Starbucks is handing out coffee— but ONLY Babeland is offering free sex toys if you vote!



Lulu writes:

Favorite election site hands down: FiveThirtyEight.

Also a bunch of great progressive bloggers (like Glenn Greenwald and David Sirota) live posting on Salon here:


And I'm so watching the Daily Show/Colbert special at 10p EST tonight. At least, if I'm somewhere with a TV and Comedy Central—'Cause I don't think they livestream.

Susie says:

I am VERY impressed with the analysis and EXCELLENT map provided by the Times, which shows you exactly what counties, in what states, are the ones to watch for this election.

They take complex information and boil it down to the critical essentials. Plus they tell you what's going to go down, what will become clear, at 6 PM, 7 PM, and 8 PM tonight.

The Times has got their technology down tight, and oughta be a great place to watch the returns all day and night.

 Although they don't say one word about "Race," it is impossible to review their map/audio data and not see that McCain's come-from-behind strategy is  dependent on stoking "fears of a black planet" in areas of the country where the KKK still has bake sales. The Indiana example alone sent chills down my spine.

I was a labor organizer in Indiana, in the 1970s, with black and white steel workers in Gary and the same kind of diverse group of CWA phone workers in Indianapolis. I attended incredible feminist gatherings at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, where of course I also spent life-changing time at the Kinsey Institute.

But those areas, geographically, are the tiny, tiny blue corners of a state which boasts the national headquarters of the Klan. I remember my friends Bobbie and Fred, a black/white couple, packing a gun to go on drive to a picnic in Southern Indiana, without even thinking twice about it. The first time I heard the expression, "Free White & 21" was in Indiana, and I've never forgotten that.  SO! When I look at the color coded maps, all the memories come flooding back.

I'd love to hear from you in any of the contested states today. Don't forget you can call me at 831 480 5110!



MeObama-vi My Friend David's St. Louis Election Photo Album:

This is a city that has been so utterly abandoned by the nation in recent years, it just touches my heart to see the excitement of David's photos...











Do you need a small person to help you vote today?






Patrizia writes:

If you're a betting man and wanna lay your money where your vote is, the incredibly interesting gambling site, betfair.com, thinks Obama will win by a landslide, carring FL, OH, NC, and MO (by a smidge)— and losing Indiana.

Naturally I'm much too stupid to understand the bet ratios without the aid of big glossy colored graphix. None are provided for PA and VA, but if I'm reading the numbers correctly, it looks like they're predicting Obama will carry those states too.







Top Photo: Anna Schlabach and Cole Wengerd voted at Beck's Mill General Store in Millersburg, Ohio.
Taken by Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

Call Me for Election Day!

Call Susie! Yes, call me, on Election Day! What's going on, chez toi?

I will picking up the phone myself, and if it's busy, leave me your best voting day message/observation/story— I'll post it right here!





Grandma Pat calls from Tennessee:

Pat is 80, and she remembers the last time it felt like this in the United States was the night that Joe Lewis won the heavyweight boxing championship in the 30s... you gotta hear this one!  Pat grew up in Michigan and only recently moved to Nashville. She refers to the former Governor of Virginia, whose name is Douglas Wilder. He's now mayor of Richmond. Does anyone know the TV clip she's talking about? I'd love to see it.



Michael says he appreciates the inspiration of Obama, but that the substance seriously lacking:



Steve calls me from the hottest bar on the Iron Range in Minnesota:

"My mom is the worst racist I know, but she thinks McCain's gonna die soon and that Palin is such a bimbo she can't bring herself to vote for her..."  Steve tells us that Rangers are gossiping that Obama is "gonna take your guns away." He also fills me in on the Coleman/Franken race, which has been exceptionally nasty. And don't get him started on Michelle Bachman...



Oh goodie, Honey Lee, my ex, called:

Honey and I talk about her new riot-camera, what we were both doing in 1968— the last time we truly remember an election.



Gainesville Voter is having fun celebrating:

Even the police are enjoying the street scene...


Julianne in Monterey with Helpful News Hint:

The BBC news lets you see how the rest of the world sees what's going on. Great use of the English language, too.



Phone call from David in New Zealand:

Wow! An inside peek at the ex-pat community in New Zealand, who are apparently thrilled to call themselves Americans in public for the first time in years....


Phone call from Alan Young at the Graduate Theological Union:

Alan is going to be the presiding pastor for his two best men friends getting married tonight... what a great day to plan a wedding!

Phone call from Sue Katz in Boston:

Sue is the author of Thanks But No Thanks: The Voter's Guide to Sarah Palin, and finds herself a little teary today. I think people of "a certain age" are feeling unexpectedly emotional— I sure am— because of all we've seen growing up... we lived through JFK, Bobby, Malcolm and Martin Luther King being killed, all directly related to the civil rights movement. This is such a historic day.


Phone call from Barry in Chicago Suburbs:

Barry and I talk about how the election will change American sexual politics, no matter what happens. His mom wrote in Hillary! Barry won't be downtown tonight, preferring a more intimate Twister party at home...


Phone call from Noelle in Mobile, Alabama:

Noelle and her boyfriend rescued a pitbull at their polling place today, and they're thinking of naming her "Sarah." Noelle lives in a poor area, the ultimate "disenfranchised" neighborhood, and today, for the first time, the voting lines went around the block. Mobile may go "red" but it's going to be a whole different voting record there than anyone's ever seen before.


Phone call from Paul in Dallas:

Paul would like you to know that Dallas County is blue, although his relatives in the banking biz are voting in the straight GOP ticket no matter how much hair they lose over it. We also discuss "election day sex" and whether an orgasm or two can help one's equilibrium.


Phone call from Greta Christina in San Francisco:



Greta is one of the best bloggers around and another one of my original On Our Backs colleagues! She & I talk about Obama pandering on gay marriage, wanting bad for him to win massively, anyway, and how the environmental meltdown will make all marriages moot, so, HELLO!

Phone call from Tracy, in Oakland.

She's my friend I wrote about the other day, who says the Yes on 8 Fundies are placing robocalls with Obama's voice, where he appears to be supporting their cause, even though he explicitly urged people to vote "No."  

This is partly his own damn fault, since he played to the bigot-theist vote by expressing his personal views that a "marriage" is between a man and a woman. He's going to eat his hat over that....  Stick to your constitutional views, Obama— And you'll never have any regrets!


Phone call from Vnes, from the Frootie Flavors!



Vnes's family goes from one end of the aisle to the other....   her sister's hero is Ann Coulter!-- wonder where she is today?


Phone call from Lulu Belliveau, my comrade and Photo Editor from the original On Our Backs, who's living in London now.


Lulu's son is voting for the first time because it's the first candidate he can relate to... and he might have to guilt-trip grandma...

You DO Have a Hammer— Go Out and Use It!



If Debbie Can Do It in Heels and Chiffon,  You Can Too!

I just ran for an hour until I was sweating out of every pore.

I'm going to need every last bit of endurance and endorphins today. It's a GORGEOUS sunny morning in Santa Cruz and I'm putting on my tiara and going to the polling place, with Jon and our 18 year old daughter—  what an election to cast her first vote in!

When I get back, the live blog party starts here. I know we'll have the finest— and worst— of the media reporting today, but here at the "SBJ Hope Hut" you know you'll always find a welcome ear and plenty of hot chocolate!

If you want to CALL me and leave a message I can post on my blog, GO FOR IT! My number is 831 480 5110.




I'd love to hear about your voting experiences and observations. Send me your links to interesting breaking stories and tidbits.

Photos? Of course! You can email me anything in a reasonable size.

I want to share this day with all my regular readers, because I wouldn't be here without you— you've brought so much to my political heart and awareness over the past four years.

This blog, like many others, was inaugurated after the LAST presidential election, which brought me to the brink of despair.

Today I am: ELATED.

November 03, 2008

Whitney_White Our First Place Winner of the Sarah Palin Costume Contest is.....


Whitney White

"Lil' Johnny McCain with Mommy Palin"







"I dressed as Sarah Palin and my son, Lincoln, was little John McCain.

"This ordeal started because I took a hilarious picture of Lincoln while he was pooping and posted it on the internet.  One of my friends pointed out that my pooping baby looks like McCain!  And I don't look too far off from Palin...

"I know that Palin was one of the more popular costumes this year, and the most satisfying part of being one of them was being the BEST one! I was told by a few sources.

"Was my sex life improved?  I was a bangin' Palin, but I didn't do any bangin' that night.

"Everyone kept telling me how terrifying I was, and of course they all recognized me immediately. 

"The only person who did not know who I was, was my French boss, who didn't even know Palin's name. I wore my costume to the work party (I am a dance teacher, and most of the students are loaded), and I had one old man told me he voted for me that day.

"We took many pictures of the McCain/Palin duo that night, and one of the most interesting ideas was the image of John McCain suckling from Sarah Palin's breast ;-)


And, now,  the Fabulous Runners-Up— Who Made Me See Russia!



Megan1 Megan

"Best Shimmering in White Palin"

Photographer: Martin Chase

"My costume was put together for $0 for an extranjero party here in Mexico.  Sadly there wasn't much recognition from my fellow party goers as they were almost all from Quebec, Norway, or Mexico— and haven't been paying much attention to international news from here in Guanajuato.  Still, it was a blast."

Will you be wearing your Sarah-Drag to the polls on Tuesday- or any other day?

"I sent my absentee ballot in a few weeks ago, so no polls for me.  I hope that I never have to think about that woman again, even in a satirical way."




Amy_Jayson_Cook Amy and Jason Cook

"Best Joe Six-Pack Palin"



"Here's me and my hubby! He was Joe Six Pack!

"My husband went nuts over the glasses and the push-up bra that I wore under my suit— some other pics were wilder than the ones I sent you."

Has your sex life improved by Palin satire?

"Nah, it's always been good ;-)"




Emma Gardner Emma Gardner

"Best Classroom Activist Palin"

Watch out Bill Ayers!

"I'm in the DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) program at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Canada. We had a group presentation to do for our communications course in October— and I did my section of the presentation as Sarah Palin.

 "By bedtime the night before our assignment I was regretting my big mouth, and seriously contemplating skipping it! But I went through with it, stone-cold sober, and embraced my impression in front of 114 classmates and a professor.

"Although it's always a thrill playing the clown, I had an ulterior motive. When I mentioned the idea to my group on Sunday night, two of them had no idea who Sarah Palin was. I find many of my colleagues are apolitical, and  ignorant of the world beyond the walls of the school.

"At the very least I provided laughs to break up a day of eight hours of lecture— and I know people who went and educated themselves on Sarah Palin thanks to my stunt.

"Alas, my sex life has not improved....but I think a boy in my class has a crush on me now!

"Being a Canadian (and living in Canada), I will be glued to the internet on Nov. 4....watching with baited breath and my heart in my throat.

"I do feel the need to give final credit to my classmates; without the support and goading of my friends in the Ontario Veterinary College Class of 2010 - the Crimson Crocs! I would not have had the chutzpah to stand in front of them all and make a political cartoon of myself!"



Adrienne_Harling Kimberly Cabot

"Best Wink and a Flag Palin"

Photographer: Adrienne Harling

"The most satisfying part of the get up was the exaggerated blush and eye make-up.  I did my make up like I was in high school, nothing subtle about this woman.  The glasses sealed the deal and really helped with the sexy librarian image.
 
"Yes, my husband and his employees had been calling Palin a MILF and when I transformed into her. the energy  escalated. 

"My husband was too tired for the party but asked that I please wake him up in costume when I got home.

"Some people, mostly women, really let their anger at Sarah and the Republicans unleash on me.  Many women also felt intimidated by the costume and wouldn't talk to me— but there were some that wanted to hump her for sure. I got the sexy Sarah reaction from the men; she does it for the male sector.

"I will not be wearing the Sarah costume again, she is too divisive. We only have absentee ballots available from our remote rural location, so no election day polling walks for me.

"I loved playing this part. I became Sarah Palin and I convinced people which was powerful.  Power is a bit frightening and I walked the edge. Being Sarah for 6 hours was exhausting I cannot imagine truly being Sarah Palin, what a burden."





Eve_Moran2 Eve Moran

"Best Sarah-In-The-Pews Palin!"

Photographer and Model: Eve Moran, with collaboration of Ruth Robertson and the Raging Grannies

"Let me tell you, putting this costume together was way easier than building my bra out of old Christmas lights to be "The Future of Energy."

"My whole group of Palin Performers got a lot of attention and lots of people posed for pictures with us.The prize goes to the man we saw in the moose mask. It melted my icy Alaskan heart."




BethHutson2

Beth

"Best Dead Ringer Palin"

Has your sex life improved by Palin satire?

"Let's put it this way— someone was “Nailin’ Palin!" I kept the hair up and the pearls on!"

Will you be wearing your Sarah-Drag to the polls on Tuesday?

"Nah, I have too many Democrat buddies. And I’m in PR. Don’t wanna offend my 'media elite' friends either."










Brad_Starr

 Brad Starr

"Best Charlie's Angel Palin"

"I'm going to go ahead and say I thought of it first, I debuted this costume October 13th. I put all that stuff together in about 3 hours on a whim."









 

 

Alison_Jutzi2

Alison Jutzi

"Best Obama's Best Friend Palin"

Look at those big brown eyes!

What kind of reactions have you had to your costume?

"A lot of laughs and requests for impersonations. People like to ask me about my foreign policy experience."


Will you be wearing your Sarah-Drag to the polls on Tuesday- or any other day?

"If only I were American. I'd LOVE to vote in this election. Unfortunately, I'm doing a play right now in northern B.C. so I won't be able to make it to any polling stations. On a separate note, I can see Wasilla from my house in Prince George, B.C.!"





Amanda_Marcotte

Amanda Marcotte

Best Bandolier and Secret Service Palin!

What was the most satisfying part of your get-up?

"That it inspired my boyfriend, myself, and friends to get together and make a satirical video."

Has your sex life improved by Palin satire?

"No, but luckily it didn't get worse, which was a genuine danger because my boyfriend kept shuddering to look at me in the costume."

What kind of reactions have you had to your costume?

"The entire bus burst out laughing when we got on."









TErry_OHalloran Terry O'Halloran

"Best Moose-Dressed Palin"

"Dressing up as Sarah was an expression of my obsession with her.  I am intrigued, appalled, fascinated, and bewildered with her.

"The most satisfying part of my get-up was the price. Twelve bucks for the suit and nineteen cents for the flag pin at the thrift store. Who needs $150,000?"

Has my sex life improved by Palin satire?

"Most definitely!  What man doesn't want to wear antlers and be field dressed?  Except in Austin, we cross-dress our moose.

And your dog?

"You can see the humiliated expression in my dog's eyes.  His fur may be black, but in his heart, he is a Yellow Dog Democrat.

"I actually decided Palin was too scary, even for Halloween.  I dressed up as a zombie on Halloween."







 

Chia Evers Caribou

Chia Evers

"Best Caribou Barbie"

"I'm a last-minute kind of person. I realized that all I needed for the costume was a shiny blond wig, and a way to attach some antlers to the silver plastic tiara I already owned. I found a "Trixie" wig that looked perfect.


"The antlers were a bit of a challenge. My first idea was to use a pair that my husband worked into a headdress a couple of years ago. He put screws through a heavy leather belt and into the base of the antlers, then padded it with an old bandana. Those antlers are big and heavy, though, and I remember the weight gave him a headache.


"In trying to find some online instructions that might help, I found this adorable necklace holder. Two wire coat hangers, some blue masking tape, silver spray paint and glitter and I had a set of shiny antlers, which I attached to the tiara with pink zip ties. I also used pink zip ties to attach the tiara to the wig.


"I loved putting the whole thing together, and I was ridiculously proud of myself that I'd managed to do it all at the very last minute. My husband quite liked the blond wig, which surprised me. (Though he hasn't yet asked me to wear it to bed.) No one at the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval seemed to "get" the costume. It's not the first time I've developed a costume I had to explain, though, so I didn't mind.

"I won't be wearing my costume Tuesday - I'm volunteering on the Election Protection hotline  and it's very important that we appear non-partisan. But I think I will wear a version of it for the next Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade, and add fairy wings.



Emily Hejl Emily Hejl

"Best Canvassing in Republican Neighborhoods Palin"

When did you realize you wanted to dress up as Sarah?

"I had been struggling with costume ideas since November 1st, 2007- I wanted to do something different. A few weeks after it was announced that Sarah Palin would be the VP nominee, I thought, 'Wow- there's a character!'

"At the time I was platinum blond. About a month ago, I dyed my hair dark red-brown for a much-needed change."

What was the most satisfying part of your get-up?

"Researching & practicing and saying my lines during my workday and elsewhere. Mamood Akmadinajod, Maaavrick, It's so nice to meetcha!, You betcha! Gosh darnit!"

 Has your sex life improved by Palin satire?

"Well, I did wear the glasses last night. Did you know Sarah Palin has a leather whip?"

What kind of reactions have you had to your costume?

 "I went trick-or-treating with my little girl, in a predominately Republican neighborhood, and as soon as the doors were opened, laughter followed. This Halloween has been the BEST!"






Casey_Vaughn Casey Vaughn

"Best Beehive-Yourself! Palin"

"I realized I wanted to dress up as Sarah when I saw Tina Fey tearin' it up on SNL.

"The reactions I got from the costume were my favorite part of Halloween. We went to a local pub that night, and right off the bat people were shouting, "SARAH!" and asking me if I really could see Russia.

"Obviously, I responded with "You betcha!" and went about my business.

"I had random strangers hug me, ask me to take pictures with them, and I was even brought on stage. I was a little shocked on how much attention I got. Apparently, my costume was better than I thought.

"Let me just tell you that the pictures