YES! US President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize for…doing…um…something. Even supporters are saying, “Really?” while opponents are saying, “HITLER!!!”
For we gay people, the timing is especially awkward because, on Sunday, tens of thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activists will arrive in Washington DC for the National Equality March to protest Obama’s painfully slow (if non-existant) pace in fulfilling his campaign promises to his gay citizens:
Will Obama simply shrug and say, “Nobel Peace Prize, bitches!” or will he arrive with new hate crime legislation (eleven years too late)? Gay congessman Barney Frank is telling people to stay home but others are more hopeful.
Meanwhile, in California this weekend, word is that governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (am I the only one who still can’t friggin’ believe I have to call him that?) plans to do a mass veto of hundreds of bills, including one to proclaim a day in honour of Harvey Milk. Activists are angry, with State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano calling him a liar to his face and ending with a very memorable “Kiss my gay ass!” Who says politics is dull?
But careful, Tom — kissing your gay ass might lead to this:
The big story today, of course, was NASA thrusting their rockets into the moon but only finding a “dry hole.” There’s a sex joke in there somewhere but I just can’t find it.
All this moon talk, however, distracts us all from what Xtra’s brilliant Ottawa blogger Dale Smith says is the real story: Stephen Harper‘s ongoing dishonesty and contempt for government. If you follow any link on this page, make it that one! The pictures of Levi Johnson working out for his Playgirl shoot can wait a few minutes!
And finally, this weekend is, of course, Thanksgiving.
I’m thankful that we live in a country more rational and free than our neighbours to the south, I’m thankful that I’ve got tickets to see Kylie Minogue in Toronto tonight (you can be thankful I haven’t gone on about all week!), I’m thankful that the awesome Bryan Safi listens to homophobic hip-hop so that I don’t have to, and I’m thankful for you, the lovely readers who inspire all of us at Xtra to keep our eyes, ears and big mouths open.
Hope your holiday is less crappy than Ellen Page‘s and we’ll see you on the other side!
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