Remember When We Marched For Equality In October?

This one time in October 2009 Autostraddle went to Washington to march for equality and we're still marching, but separately, like we march to the bus stop and to the grocery store and to the living room, etc. I was there and I took pictures and then 7 months later I took more pictures with the same roll of film and so they were all double exposed which is sometimes really nice (see: san francisco) but in this case it just made me upset and I couldn't deal with it until now. It's convenient because autostraddle is having a party called RODEO DISCO 2: BACK IN THE STRADDLE and I know you're all excited to go and maybe these pictures will make you more excited!

If you're curious, some of the pictures are mixed with other pictures from Washington, some from this time I took my friend's dog for a walk in the snow, and the time Laura came to Montreal in May.

If you want to use these pictures for something, anything, please credit me. I might post the rest on tumblr so keep looking for that, and maybe on flickr but probably not 'cause I can't be bothered.

Spring Came Bearing Sunlight, Those Few Persuasive Rays

Did you know that there were only 3 full weeks in april? Unless you count the first week and the last week and then there would be 4 full weeks and a few extra days. Spring is my favourite time of the year.

do you spell it favourite or favorite?
colour or color?
honour or honor?

When the semester is over I'm going to party. Hard. Hopefully I'll be employed by then, then on weekends when people ask me to go out I'll say "No, sorry I can't, I'm working tomorrow morning." and they'll say "Who cares? Come anyway, it'll be fun." and I won't be able to resist and I'll show up for work exhausted but I'll make money for the next weekend so it evens itself out in the end.

Last weekend I went on a hike up Mt. St. Hilaire as part of my gym intensive. For the most part I enjoyed myself. Upcoming Sunday: Mt. Orford. It's a lot more fun when you have good company, like I did. Lately I've been surrounding myself with really great people. If you're reading this and you've been around me recently I probably love you a lot right now. It's not where you are, it's who you're with. Right?

And lots of great things are happening around the world, too: Obama's 100 days in office have so far been a success, everyone in Iowa is allowed to get married, Penelope Cruz is Spanish, Gesche Peters exists, I'm taking more pictures, the swine flu's going around... everything is great!

"I tell you these stories because these things happen to everyone it's not about being starched or polished or cute or polite. It's about having ears that stick out, about breaking yet another glass. It's about seeing something for the first time and making a million mistakes and not ever getting completely discouraged." - Maira Kalman

P.S. April showers bring May flowers

Change We Can Believe In (Day Six)

So I'm watching Obama's inauguration, and I'm thinking that the U.S is not really a secular state. I mean, Obama went to church before the inauguration. Pastor Rick Warren made a speech/prayer. Biden and Obama put their hand on the Bible while taking the oath. Everyone was all "God bless America". Do you think an athiest could be elected president? I don't. What about non Christian? Something to think about.

I had to fast forward through about three hours of paper flag waving frozen citizens to finally get to the actual ceremony and gosh golly darndit it was exciting! There were a zillion official looking people and Hill and Bill Clinton and people dressed in security outfits and the navy and a band and paparazzi and other important folks! Fun fact: Obama didn't really have to take the oath. The 20th Amendment states that his presidency begins on January 20th at noon no matter what. Inaugurations take a long time, or at least this one does. I wasn't really paying attention when Bush was inaugurated. When was that? The first time was 2000, I was 10, obvs I didn't really care. Obama is so handsome.

Also, LOL re: Aretha Franklin's hat.

Obama stumbling over the oath was kind of cute, but also like, you think he would have practiced in front of a mirror or something. His speech was moving, per ush, but it didn't move me to tears like I hoped it would.
[Edit: I'd like to make note that it wasn't Obama who screwed up the oath, obvs Obama would never screw up something like that, it was the Chief of Justice who didn't practice in front of a mirror.]

I see why everyone was critical of Elizabeth Alexander's poem. She. Read. It. Like. This. It. Didn't. Really. Seem. Like. A. Poem.

However, Reverend Joseph Lowery got one thing right:

"We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right."

Obama is a symbol of hope, American or not. Wherever you are he represents change, and the hope that we are able to move forward to something better.

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Supporting links:
God's Role in Presidential Inaugurations "Neither the phrase "so help me God" nor the use of a Bible are officially required in the presidential oath..."
Obama's speech part 1
Obama's speech part 2
Reverend Lowery's speech
Aretha Franklin's hat has turned out to be very popular indeed. People have even made a flickr page.
Mr.Prez and First Lady's first dance! Beautiful.

Fun Fact: Obama is left handed.


"Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."
- Barack Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20 '09.