Coast-to-Coast Lifeline

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

In order to preserve our sanity during this unnerving election season, three college friends and I have established a group text so we can kvetch from Maine, where they are, to Washington state, where I am. Diane, Carol and Meghan are straight, but definitely not, as the saying goes, narrow.

Today's news that Donald Trump has chosen JD Vance as his running mate, and that Vance's friendship with Donald Trump Jr. influenced the decision, prompted Diane to send out photos of the bearded conservative buddies, noting how they look alike.

One glance at the photos and I texted back, "If I weren't already a lesbian, this might do the trick."

Death and Life

Image:  Facebook

Over 100 people gathered yesterday in Bangor, Maine, to mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of Charlie Howard. He was 23 in the summer of 1984 when three teenagers, yelling homophobic slurs, approached him and his boyfriend. The teens threw Howard off a bridge, and he drowned.

A couple of months later and about 50 miles away, I returned to Maine for my senior year at Colby College. As I remember, a campus cop was overheard remarking that Howard got what he deserved. The cop was fired.

In hindsight, that in itself was a sign that things were changing in Maine. Howard's murder led to the creation of the Maine Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance, now EqualityMaine. The state outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in 2005.  In 2012, Maine became the first state to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box.

Over these 40 years, queer life in the Pine Tree State has improved dramatically, and that had a lot to do with Charlie Howard and every other Charlie Howard we don't know about. Why is it that people have to die for civil rights to advance? I wish the universe would come up with a less lethal arrangement.