Bask in the summer sun with The Best Damn Newsletter in New Jersey!TM In living color and with more content online at issuu.com/gaamc/docs!
CHALLENGE T he New sl etter of the Gay Act iv is t Allian ce in Morris Cou n t y S e r v i ng New Jer sey’ s G LBTI Commu n it ies Con t in u ou s ly S in c e 1 9 7 2 V o lu m e 40 , I ssu e 6, S u m m e r 2 0 14
Summer Somebody by Sherri Rase This is going to be one long, hot summer. Whether or not you believe campaigns are beginning for the White House in 2016, there is a wave of change sweeping the nation. Whether you believe it is good depends upon where your interests reside. Recently, Eric Cantor lost his Republican primary in Virginia to political newcomer and economics professor Dave Brat of Randolph-Macon College. Professor Brat is a Tea Party darling and if you watch the Sunday morning quarterbacking of the PoliSci set, you saw Donna Brazile weigh in on how Cantor lost touch with his voter base. Confident in his place as heir-apparent to Speaker of the House when John Boehner stepped down, Cantor spent more money on steakhouses than his opponent had in his war chest according to experts. Cantor had big money ads that were made on his behalf by organizations that had supported him in the past, but the ultra-conservative Tea Party made political hay with their grassroots activism. A bemused Professor Brat finds himself squaring off in November with Democratic candidate Jack Trammell, an associate professor in sociology, also at Randolph-Macon College. These two candidates each have an uphill battle, establishing name recognition and platforms, and differentiating themselves among the public as to whom will work harder and toward what.
The catastrophic upset of Eric Cantor is not an isolated instance. Will the Tea Party split off from the GOP, who touted their Big Tent as being all inclusive? What about the handful of people who are socially progressive and financially conservative? Is there a party that strikes a balance even while striking a blow for the status quo? Time will tell, so educate yourself on the issues and know how, where, and when to vote. Voting is one of the most cherished and hard-fought rights we have in the United States and voting rights are still being challenged. Your summer homework is to learn who are the movers and shakers in your district from ward leader to dog catcher. These are the school board members and mayors of tomorrow and that’s where political careers begin. Get involved with the people locally who stand for your issues. LGBT people want Equality, but we also want our local governments to live within their means as we do. We want fair taxation and equal representation, and we won’t get them until we’re willing to fight for them. A recent meme on Facebook attributed the following quote to Lily Tomlin: "I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Ms. Tomlin is somebody; I am somebody; you are somebody. It’s high time we did something about it.
Inside Challenge Challenge Information .................................... page GAAMC Events.............................................. page What's happening at our Monday meetings Bulletin Board.............................................. page Upcoming Pride Events................................... page This Month's Contributors ............................... page Gleanings.................................................... page Q-munity Calendar........................................ page
2 2 3 3 3 4 6
Three Myths About Bisexuality, Debunked by Science ................................ page Good Eats! Recipes ..................................... page Board Minutes for May 2014...........................page Dancing To Architecture ................................ page Music reviews and news with a queer ear The Little Box of Concerts ............................. page GAAMC Information ...................................... page
Inside Challenge Online More Dancing to Architecture™ ~ E x p a n d e d Little Box of Concerts™
10 11 11 12 13 14