2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber language law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

My uncle (now aunt) came out as transgender after the death of her wife. Like one of the guests, she is close to 60 and has known she wanted to be a woman since the age of four or five.

I recently got a chance to visit with her at a family gathering and she handled it incredibly well, despite knowing that several of our relatives were skeptical of her choice of sexual transition--seeing it as a way to "get attention" from neglectful family members.

The very idea that a sane, rational person (like my aunt) would be motivated to change gender because of mental dysfunction is absurd. A society that refuses to accept that some people are born into the wrong sex, on the other hand--THAT is dysfunctional.

Gender, like sexuality, is performative, determined from a young age by the way we are socialized--the clothes we wear, the toys we play with, the way our parents and peers treat us.

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
view in context

Hey Torrid Joe, I know you work for/with Novick, but that's no excuse to distort the truth and/or lie. Novick, very clearly, suggested that if he were not the Democratic nominee, he would support Frohnmeyer. This occurred during the WW endorsement interviews, which are posted on their website. "NEVER" is a complete fabrication and your choice of words betrays Novick's message, that of being truthful and fair-minded.

BTW, I don't work for any candidate, though I do pay attention.

posted 5 years ago
view in context

I've got a question for Mr. Novick...

Mr. Novick, I greatly appreciate the candor you exhibit in discussion of the issues and the problems facing our country. However, being a US Senator is much more about nuance and compromise than it is about telling "truth to power". Are you prepared to work with moderates and Republicans in forging policy that will address our problems? What in your background can you point to as evidence of your ability to work with those whom you may disagree with?

Finally, you've made a number of inflammatory comments about prominent Democrats and Republicans. What will you do to ease strained relations with those representatives you've been so candid in criticizing? Do you worry that these negative comments may hurt your chances in the general election?

Thanks

posted 5 years ago
view in context