LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Connect |
by Beth Fitton |
We're All In This Together
If you read this column regularly, you know that I didn't always identify as a lesbian. I guess you could call me a late bloomer. During that questioning period, I remember going to a lesbian support group at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore. Wow! That was an education! The group ranged in age from teenagers to 50 somethings. The young women wanted to talk about relationships and coming out stories. They were looking for guidance. The 50 year olds were single and wanted to meet someone. Also, they wanted everyone to know how they had suffered over the years. They were quite angry that the young women had it as easy as they perceived they did. (I didn't get why the older women wouldn't be glad that there had been some improvement over 35 or 40 years in Baltimore. In hindsight, I think the older women wanted recognition for the battles they had fought.) Fast forward 20 years. On Valentine's Day 2008, MSN's website ran an article on the Sexiest Screen Kiss and listed their top ten choices. I was thrilled that Brokeback Mountain's Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger made the list coming in at #6. Now is that coming a long way, or what! Maybe it's not so very far after all. At the beginning of April, National Public Radio, NPR, carried a story about Leslie Hagen. She was among the attorneys dismissed from the U. S. Justice Department under Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Ms. Hagen's final job evaluation prior to her dismissal rated her at the very top level, "outstanding" in all five areas assessed with an overall rating also of "outstanding." Former supervisors and colleagues attested to her exceptional qualifications and job performance noting that she was also "easy to work with." So, was she a victim of the suspected "politicization" at the Justice Department? Not according to NPR who reported that documents they obtained showed that Monica Goodling, senior counsel to former Attorney General Gonzales had a particular interest in Leslie Hagan's removal. It wasn't that Ms. Hagen wasn't "republican" enough. The suspected problem is that Leslie Hagen is rumored to be a lesbian. I think that it stinks that anyone who is doing an excellent job is let go without cause. On the other hand, that is not the end of the story. The Justice Department is probing the dismissal AND it has come to the attention of NPR and is being broadcast across the nation. As of our May 2nd publication date, we will have only 262 days until a new President is sworn in. Perhaps the truth will be heard. I know that the answer is more than geography. Downtown Baltimore has its "gay friendly" areas. Hollywood is open to accepting a kiss as a kiss. Washington, DC, the seat of government, may have a way to go before it is the seat of equality. And I know that I have said this before. While living in Rehoboth Beach, you can forget about those living with fewer rights. You can begin to think that it is the same for every gay person. Recent visitors to Rehoboth Beach from the Midwest sent a check to CAMP Rehoboth. They were so pleased with the friendliness and acceptance in Rehoboth Beach and the quality of CAMP Rehoboth's Women's Weekend that they wanted to offer their thanks. For those of us who count ourselves a part of Rehoboth Beach, let's not become complacent. I encourage you to value what we have and to sustain it. Pages 8 and 9 offer ways that you can be a contributing member of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. Please help us make this community dream a reality. Beth Fitton is Development Director of CAMP Rehoboth. She may be reached at beth@camprehoboth.com or by calling 302-227-5620. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 04 May 02, 2008 |