Top of the day to ya'...It's a glorious morn for a look for the pot of gold somewhere over the rainbow. Yes, being green these days has become all too common. Green with envy, green as in experience, green as in greedy and the most sought after green known as hard cold cash. In the meantime, as the world turns each day we are bombarded with more foreclosures, foolishness and full blown debacles that are simply jaw dropping. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's exhale for a moment... are you feeling better? Just before you hit up Google to find out about the Blarney stone and what the heck does it have to do with CorneliusOnpoint. I'll beat you to the punch by letting you know that the term Blarney came about from early the Elizabethan era from which Dermot McCarthy gave eloquent excuses to the queen about his relinquishing his castle as a testimony to his loyalty. There's a bit more to the story, but you go ahead and Google that part. Consequently, the term evolved to mean 'the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without giving offense'. Get it?..well, I'm not so sure about the offense part but I do my best. On the flip side, my partner of many years is of Irish decent and believe it or not, I've been able to trace back the origins of my sir name which ends up smack dab in Ireland. Holy Shamrocks, Who knew? Anyway you get the drift and now let's get the blarney started...
Painting the Town Green: Central city was awashed in green activity this weekend with pot of gold being handed out at Sidetracks, Queen pageantry at UBU and me taking my alter ego out for another spin at DSRA during TJ's Birthday Party and ALS fundraiser. Unfortunately I couldn't make all the rounds but sources tell me that it was all good. I hope to have further tidbits in my next post. I do want to thank everyone at DSRA for once again allowing me to strut my stuff for charity with their volunteer in-house cast members. The last count that I heard was right at $500.00 for ALS and I didn't hear exactly how old "TJ aka MKA" really is, but I know that he was tearfully moved at the effort made to support this chairty.
The Alphabet Monte: When I tell you that I read your comments, e-mail blast and such, I really do, trust me. I got an interesting inquiry from a Saline County reader who wanted to know," When did the letter "Q" become apart of the GLBT moniker? Thanks for asking. In my research, it seems that the "Q" which stands for Queer has had a long and winding history before taking it's place in the lineup. I reviewed entries in the GLBTQ Encyclopedia, ( didn't know that existed did ya?) and found numerous references attributed to the ubiquitous Q. Within my look around, I found this in the GLBTQ glossary:
Originally a synonym for "odd," this term--as both noun and adjective--became a derogatory epithet for gay men and lesbians in the twentieth century, especially in the United States, where it emphasized the alleged "unnaturalness" of homosexuality. Although many people still use "queer" as an anti-gay slur, there emerged a movement in the 1980s that sought to reclaim the term and rob it of its negative meaning. In this usage, "queer" is an inclusive umbrella term that designates all those who are sexually dissident, even if they are not strictly homosexual, and all "transgressive" forms of sexuality. Many lesbians and gay men, transsexuals, bisexuals, and even heterosexuals whose sexuality does not fit into the cultural standard of monogamous heterosexual marriage have adopted the "queer" label. Some gay men and lesbians, however, remembering the hurt caused by its pejorative meaning, dislike the term, even in its "reclaimed" usage, and feel that it has the effect of diluting the specificity of the narrower categories.
The term is sometimes used as a verb. To queer something is to replace normative, heterosexual values with values of minority sexualities, in effect, to make non-normative values the norm.
On the local front, several years ago there was a radio show on KABF entitled Queer Frontier, remember those "Queer as Folk" nights at Backstreet and recently the formation of the Queer Conference being held on the UCA campus this Spring. With all that said, the "Q" also has double duty these days as a marker for "Questioning" in regard to those who haven't decided. If that wasn't enough, the Alpha Monte continues with the addition of the letter "I" for those "Intersex" individuals. Need more? Then let's not leave out that I've noticed within African American circles the letters "BSGL" which refers to "Black Same Gender Loving." So as you can see, there's a whole lot in that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
St. Pat Toung in Cheek: I came across the video by David Spates that's a chuckle on this St.Patty's day. Before the politically correct come out the box on me, I do know the difference from comedic satire and the offensive crap that floats about. Therefore, if you have issues, then I respect you right to say but I'm not so cut and dry that I can't enjoy some bawdy humor. Especially as the world continues to spin on it's axis with all it's ongoing drama and then some. So,have a pint, remember to take a long exhale and come on back all this week for our unique coverage of what's really going on....
Saint Patricks Day Leprechaun ( David Spates )
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