The downside to working from home...

Is that you're home all day. Which means you're home when the doorbell rings. I've had two solicitation visits this week from people selling weird "natural cleaning products" (they really need to do that door to door?), one from a sketchy guy selling "magazines" (I saw that one coming and told him I didn't know how to read), and this afternoon, one from two Mormons on bicycles who wanted to know if I'd be interested in discussing the fact that there is a prophet on earth.

Nothing against Mormons - I actually know a few progressive Mormons and they're nice folks - but I don't like home visits from religious types, especially if they're part of a religion that almost singlehandedly helped raise the most money to support Prop 8 and defeat legal same-sex marriage in California.

So when the LDS boys showed up on my doorstep, I didn't invite them in. I let them begin their spiel earnestly before I held up my hand to interrupt. "Nothing personal, guys. I'm sure you're very nice people. But your religion isn't inclusive. In fact, your church donates millions of dollars to make sure gay people will never have the same rights as everyone else. Therefore, I don't want to hear what you have to say."

They both just stared at me. "Unless that's something you're willing to discuss before you leave me with a bunch of pamphlets about LDS?"

I got a mumbled "thanks ma'am" from one of them before they backed down the steps.

Honestly, if I hadn't been in the middle of a project that required my full concentration and if it hadn't been the 4th time this week I'd been interrupted by people ringing my doorbell, I might have invited them in if they'd been willing to discuss why their church hates gay people. I might have told them that some of my very best friends are gay, that my sister is gay, and that I think there is something very wrong with a religious organization putting a great deal of money into a campaign against equality (particularly in this economy - aren't there other things the Mormon church could have done with all of that money instead of taking out hateful anti-gay ads?). Also, my gaydar works with almost 100 percent accuracy and I think I picked up some vibes from one of those LDS guys, so it might have been an interesting discussion. I actually enjoy debating theological issues.

If I worked in an office, they never would have made an assumption that I had the time to listen to their story of a prophet that walks the earth, of the Book of Mormon, or read their pamphlets. But because I work from home, they probably think I'm a shut-in, a housewife with some time on my hands, or independently wealthy and extremely bored.

Maybe I was a little mean about it. I hadn't realized how much pent-up hostility I've been carrying about the issue. And I still don't understand how same-sex marriages is going to "lessen the validity" of heterosexual marriages, more than 50 percent of which end in divorce anyway. In fact, I believe I just heard that notorious religious zealot and bigot Mel Gibson and his wife are divorcing. Even though his church "doesn't believe in divorce." Are there any religious groups left on the planet that aren't comprised of stunningly ignorant hypocrites?

To sum up, I'm going to ignore the doorbell during the day unless Fedex or UPS truck is outside. Because I don't want to be responsible to marring the psyches of a couple of young, earnest, naive LDS "messengers."

Also: I know I have a good thing going. I get to work for myself in my pajamas most days, come and go as I please, pick and choose the projects I work on. And I'm happy. But don't think that means I'm going to stop bitching about day-to-day bullsh*t. Because I am fairly certain I will always do that. A Zen mind is a lifetime pursuit, yes?

And don't call me "baby..."

We've come a long way, but we're still portrayed in the media as "bitches," "nags," "whores," "ball-breakers," a pair of tits, brainless, and "wicked witches." The United States trails well behind the rest of the world when it comes to gender parity in politics (we rank 68th) and in the workplace (2007 Dept. of Labor stats say we earn 80.4 cents for every dollar our male counterparts earn). Current election aside, isn't this something we should - women and men - be taking issue with?


A friend sent me this video by the Women's Media Center this morning. I personally do not need another reason to dislike Chris Matthews, Michelle Malkin, Tucker Carlson, Bill O'Reilly, and the slew of others who seem to enjoy demeaning women on a split screen. But if you do, this video will get you there.

"Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That's their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood."
~Gloria Steinem

Clearly, all things are not equal. Until we start working together, speaking up, talking about the obstacles for female candidates, talking about how women are portrayed in the media, writing letters to "news" channels that claim to be unbiased, women will continue to be marginalized. What you can do: Sign the petition at the Womens Media Center. Start a dialogue (the same friend who sent me the video is having a "She Devils" party for Hillary supporters later this month). Run for office. Support other women when they run for office. Find your voice and speak up.

Are you listening?

I am.

Oklahoma House Rep. Sally Kern stands by the statements she made in an audio clip posted online last week by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Supposedly, as she states in the beginning, she isn't "anti or gay-bashing," then she launches into a lengthy anti-gay tirade. The oddest thing, being that she is college-educated (I checked), is this statement: "Studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than a few decades." Um, what? Is she talking about ROME? Sodom and Gomorrah? A few decades? Are there studies on this? Very. Perplexed.

At first I wondered why this woman wasn't being run out of office, but then I remembered that I live in a state that elected Jim DeMint (R-SC) after his statement that "openly gay individuals and single mothers should not teach in public," among other things.

Watch the video here and tell them that you're listening too.