I was able to attend the 2012 General Mills Pride Reception with a great many GLBTA members. Can we call that historic? I attended the Historic 2012 General Mills Pride Reception? Let’s go with it. What happened at that event was important. The attendees filed into the auditorium, listened to the welcoming remarks, watched a performance by the Project 515 Players, and then heard the CEO of a Fortune 500 family institution oppose the anti-marriage amendment. I don’t know about the rest of the folks there, but it kind of happened in slow-motion. You know when you’re watching a show and you can tell that something’s going to happen as it’s happening? It was like that. Ken Powell was speaking and suddenly it was said: General Mills opposes this proposed amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman.
We applauded. It hit us. We applauded harder. It hit us harder. We stood–together–as a wave of professional people who were just validated as mattering and gave him a standing ovation. It lasted. So did the goosebumps. Phones came out–we tweeted, we posted to Facebook, we shared the news. We shared that moment.
What is interesting to me is what came out of that event and the morning after. I’m guessing that the press release from the event focused on the business nature of the announcement; that General Mills supports a diverse, inclusive culture for a better workforce. That it’s good for business.
I heard more than that, as the only member of the press who was present. I heard Mr. Powell say that it’s about business, yes, but that General Mills is in the business of nourishing lives; not just some of them, all of them.
That’s different.
That’s worth lauding more than a wise business decision. Yes, it’s important that this community be seen as a credible force in the market–GLBT community members are valuable workers and buyers. But, more than that, GLBT community members are valuable people. GLBT community members’ lives are worth a Fortune 500 company standing up against discrimination. This Fortune 500 company has fed us. It’s made many other decisions in its history to make lives better, from going multi-grain to removing high fructose corn syrup from its yogurt. For heaven’s sake, couldn’t “Americana” be just as easily be defined “Mom and Cheerios” as “Mom and apple pie?”
Cheerios believes in this community.
I know that we all joke about corporations and how they’re not people. Sometimes, it seems like they are. No, I can’t be “friends” with General Mills on Facebook. I won’t invite General Mills to my birthday party. General Mills and I might share some recipes, but we won’t meet up for Happy Hour because General Mills is not a person. But, General Mills is something we’re all in a relationship with…and it just got less complicated. For us. The brunt of the backlash that General Mills will face by proponents of the anti-marriage amendment is complicated and can’t be underestimated, which makes me want to be friends with it even more.
No, it’s not the first corporation to oppose the anti-marriage amendment and it won’t be the last. We can be grateful for each and every one that stands up and says out loud that this community deserves to not be discriminated against.
What I can’t wait for is when corporations and politicians stand up and say that the Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed and same-sex marriage should be legalized.
That’s different.
When it is voiced that this group should not be discriminated against by an amendment, that’s one thing. When it is voiced that this group should be allowed the same rights and freedoms as heterosexual citizens…that is historic.
1.) You were quite the crowd-pleaser at the Pride Parade in 2011 as the first governor of Minnesota to participate. What were your thoughts last year and can we expect to see you again at the end of this month?
Everyone at the Pride Parade is so welcoming and encouraging that it is one of my favorite parades in Minnesota! I have walked in Pride Parades since 1981, and I am looking forward to participating again this year.
2.) We’ve got Marriage Equality on the ballot this year. Can you give your impressions as to how we got to this point, what your position is, and what you predict might happen in November?
I predict that this November, Minnesota will become the first state to defeat this divisive and destructive anti-marriage amendment. I believe Minnesotans are better than this, and they will rise above the mean-spirited politics, which put the amendment on the ballot. It would deny certain Minnesotans the right others have to marry the persons they love. That unequal treatment should be unconstitutional, and it is certainly unMinnesotan.
3.) We certainly didn’t think we had a fight to keep discrimination out of the Constitution when we elected this last- set of politicians. Do you have any words of advice to give our readers as we approach the next election day?
Elections have enormous consequences. Look at the 55 bills I have vetoed during the past two years; you will see what would have happened to Minnesota, if I had not been fortunate to be elected Governor. However, many of my initiatives were stymied by a Republican-controlled legislature. This November will be a pivotal election in Minnesota, in which voters will decide upon our state’s direction for years to come. And we must defeat two very bad Constitutional amendments. Ask your readers to please get involved and please vote!
4.) Considering the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is on the books, do you think we’ll see nationwide Marriage Equality in the near future?
I believe that all couples should have the same right to marry. Equal rights and protections under the law are essential Constitutional guarantees. I am encouraged that the First Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down part of DOMA, and I hope that the US Supreme Court will uphold this decision. I believe that the campaign for Marriage Equality has made remarkable progress in our country during the past decade. Not enough progress, but nevertheless remarkable. Polls show that the next generations of Americans strongly support this essential Equal Right. We’ll get there; the only question is when.
It’s early in the morning the day our Pride Issue finishes going to press. I can remember writing a similar “From the Editor” letter when I first started this job, over 24 issues ago. The relentless two-week print schedule coupled with the round-the-clock website schedule often means I’m finding time to write when the hours are wee. Doing the math with 24 issues in mind, I joined the Lavender crew the weekend of Pride last year. Not beforehand, not after, but during the Main Event. Now, this morning, I’m laughing my fool head off that we ran Solera out of Ketel One at our First Thursday event which doubled as the Pride Kick-Off Party last night. What a wild ride, Pride.
My first task at this new job was self-appointed. I photographed (double-fisting my iPhone and my SONY camera) the entire Pride Parade, live-tweeting it as it passed us by on Hennepin outside of Lavender’s brunch. As all of the floats and cars and marchers and walkers went by, I marveled. The colors, the anime, the excitement…well, the pride…was exciting. It was both a blur and in stop-motion with each photo I snapped. I’ve thought of those photos often in this past year as I’ve met new people and been introduced to organizations in the community. Working on the Local Music Issue last year, I could recall seeing and hearing both the Women’s Drum Center and the Minnesota Freedom Band in the parade last year. I could visually recall their photos. Attending OutFront’s 25th Anniversary, I could mentally pull up photos of their brightly colored superheroes zooming along Hennepin in the parade. It’s as if my life flashed before my eyes during the Pride Parade of 2011 but I didn’t realize that until just now.
As the editor, my email inbox runneth over. Recently, an email message came in via the “[email protected]” address that was short, but to the point. The writer expressed disappointment that we never covered the Pride Committee who works so hard to put on these events for us.
I’ve become accustomed in this last year to what I think of as neglect critique (statements like “I don’t know how that wasn’t in Lavender,” or “Lavender never covers this or that group,” or “Lavender doesn’t cover anything that applies to me”). Every criticism has merit. Every person who critiques us has a valid point of view. Every critique gets investigated by me. Some don’t quite shake out exactly as stated, some do.
This one? I usually replace any “nevers” with a big grain of salt. But, thinking about the last year, no. Starting at Pride and now coming full circle, I have not given a proper shout-out to the group that throws our biggest party of the year. I certainly can’t recall their float or appearance in the Pride Parade like I can with most of the other organizations because THEY COORDINATED THE PARADE. They’re the ones who are volunteering their time and talents to celebrate this community, and they do a smash-bang job. They do great work and I can’t wait to enjoy the hell out of it again this year. This list doesn’t include countless folks who aren’t mentioned on the TCPride.org website, but I’d like to give a big hand and cheer of encouragement to the Pride Staff (paid and volunteer): Dot Belstler, Andi Otto, April Maye, Dana Karpinske, Darcie Baumann-Fern, David Judd, Dillon Gherna, Eric Zimmerman, Eric Zucker, Jo-Ellyn Pilarski, John Bigger, Karen Broman, Matt Shaw, Michael Olson, Nicholas Wicklund, Rochelle James, Ron Lischeid, Roxanne Anderson, Steve Haussy, Tasha Villette, and Zach Kingen, as well as the Board of Directors: Scott Feldman, Brian Harper, Jason Ledeboer, Lisa Anderson-Gaber, LaToya Scott, Rob Anderson, and Daniel Zillmann.
Even last night at Solera, I had a lovely exchange with a Pride volunteer and ended up leaving the event with a temporary tattoo of the Pride logo between my shoulder blades. Now that’s dedication.
So, as I said last night to many, many people, I’ll see you soon. We’ve got a great many opportunities to encounter each other during the multitude of events this June and I couldn’t be more excited. Please look for me during the Parade and smile when I take your picture to tweet to the masses.
With thanks,
Andy
Housekeeping:
In terms of content, don’t forget that we’ve got loads of space online where I put what can’t fit into the magazine. You want more pictures of you? We now put all the photos from each event in the Photo Gallery section of our website–more than has ever fit on our pages. For each magazine we print, we also use the same layout to publish the Online Magazine as well as the iPad and iPhone app…but we add more pages to the Online Magazine. In this issue alone, we’ve added more fashion pages, more articles (read about Marriage Equality from the stance of the MN ACLU), more photos of Corey and Jason’s Lavender Love, more gratuitous pictures of Channing Tatum and the guys from Magic Mike, and videos (including just HOW Ross Sveback stacks and frost and sprinkles that six-layer rainbow cake). You can hear Justin Jones read his “Through These Eyes” column with his soft North Carolina drawl. And, in particular, this issue’s Pride Planner will come in handy (what a pun) when you pull it up on your smartphone to check what’s going on where during Pride. We do this for you, our audience.
Finally, a shout-out to John, who asked my permission to use the restroom last night at Solera: A clear nod to my last “From the Editor” in which I mentioned that I used to do the same at my first job, such a subtle joke has never gotten me to laugh as long as that one. Please, John, be my guest.
Every day that I don’t wreck my dog is a gift. When I think of how much responsibility is in my hands, it’s overwhelming. Grendel, my dog, is my dependent and his care is solely up to me. It’s a wonder both of us continue to thrive as we do.
At least six times a day, we face certain peril in the concrete and steel stairwells that we’re required to use in my loft building. No dogs are allowed in the elevator. Three times down and three times up is our minimum. If we meet a dog we don’t like (Grendel hates black dogs and pugs…I don’t know why), it’s a cage-match. If he plummets down the stairs too quickly, I fear for his toes or his legs or his belly and how they might get caught or scraped on the unforgiving steps, being he’s a low-riding dog. I try to mitigate the risks. I make sure to take us through as many doors with windows as possible, so nobody unknowingly opens a fire door into his wee face. I strive to make sure that there are no other dogs in the stairwell when I take him up or down so that no tempers flare wildly out of control. And, I try to slow down the little juggernaut as he excitedly makes his way out to sunshine and freedom as our building exits onto a very busy St. Paul thoroughfare.
He loves being outside. The outdoors is a cornucopia of things for him to sniff. The world is his oyster, and he wants to mark it as his territory. Slowly. He goes in hyperspeed to get outside and then everything slows to a sputtering stop.
Contrary to Grendel’s enthusiasm, I get outside and see all the branches that can poke his ice-blue eyes out. I fear the guy who always drives too fast while talking on his phone in the parking lot. I stiffen up as I see the dog owners who break the rules and let their dogs off-leash, worried that they’ll approach us and all hell will break loose.
You know that book the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook? I’m all over that, except without the Survival Handbook part. I pretty much just see the worst-case scenarios. Why? Because he’s my guy. I don’t want harm to come to him. Injury and illness might be inevitable to some extent, but I want to do all in my power to avoid them, for Grendel’s sake. I can’t watch the end of Marley & Me, let alone imagine a time without this guy. To think of him in pain is simply unacceptable.
Though, it’s entirely possible.
As I started researching the topic of pets with disabilities for this issue, I had catastrophes in mind. A dog that loses a leg because of a car accident, a cat that was attacked by a dog, a pug that has a bad eye. Surely, the gauntlet we run every day and emerge from unscathed has claimed many victims…just not us.
I asked some of the veterinarians around the Metro Area what some of the common disabilities are for pets; one response was that of surprise: We don’t see many pets with disabilities as, often, they’re put down. That was a chilling—but somewhat understandable—reaction. When our pets’ health is at risk, we feel helpless and don’t know our own capacity for handling the challenges of aging or ailing animals.
As the answers started coming in from veterinarians, it became clear that more common disabilities are not from running the gauntlet of worst-case scenarios, but from just plain aging. Arthritis is common as can be intervertebral disk disease and other musculoskeletal problems. There are meds and supplements to be taken per the veterinarian’s orders, but there are also other holistic and adaptive techniques to handle health problems.
As far as advice is concerned, the vets were very helpful:
“Appropriate diagnostic tests to fully understand the cause and extent of the disability is important. Once we have a clear understanding of what is going on with the pet, we can offer the best advice for management. Pain control is key. We have so many great medications available for pets now, that pets don’t have to suffer. We also offer acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy for pets.” –Dr. Teresa Hershey, CCRT, CVMA
“Having a geriatric or otherwise-challenged companion animal adjusted by a properly qualified animal chiropractor can do wonders for them. Most often, owners report they see a little spark return to their friend’s eye and a restoration of some level of function after the initial visit. Supporting greater comfort with chiropractic care may assist healing, decrease anxiety and help the animal deal with whatever physical challenges they may be facing.” –Annie Seefeldt, DC, CVSMT
“When a pet becomes disabled, it is important to educate the pet’s guardian as to what to expect and how to best manage discomfort and life quality. There are also support groups online, including petswithdisabilities.org, blinddogs.com, and deafdogs.org.” –Heather Douglas, DVM, MBA, CVA
“The main goal is to keep your pet comfortable and content. This usually involves medical treatment as well as practical, common-sense changes that can make things easier for your pet. One of the most important things owners can do to help with arthritis is to keep their pet at a healthy weight. Extra weight puts unnecessary strain on already painful joints. Exercise is beneficial to pets with arthritis. It helps to keep the joints mobile, and also helps to keep the weight in check. Some other hints for around the house: Ramps or stairs can be used to curtail jumping, but still allow pets to access beds, couches and vehicles. Dishes should be elevated to reduce neck strain. Harnesses can also help reduce neck strain during walks. Non-slip runners are helpful on hardwood or tile floors. Cats will appreciate litter boxes placed in areas that are easy to access, not in the far corner of the basement.” –Dan Anderson, DVM
“Trauma is always a concern. Trauma can lead to injuries that may result in limb amputation or paralysis of the legs. There are ways to get pets back up and walking again if they become paralyzed. HandicappedPets.com is one company that specializes in wheels for dogs. One good thing about dogs and cats is that they can get around pretty well on just 3 legs. Other disabilities that pets may develop are things such as blindness or deafness. Most pets can get along pretty well after becoming blind or deaf. Some of them actually develop pretty close relationships with other dogs or cats to help notify them or help them get around. I also like to remind people that as pets age it is a good idea to get them a little more padding in their bedding. Their muscles atrophy as they age and provide less ‘padding’ on their joints.” — Dr. Mary Philippson, B.S., DVM
I joke with Grendel, sometimes, that he’s only 42 to my 35…we should both be a little more chipper and active. But, I’m not that far off. Even when he’s 77 to my 40, it’s my job to keep him as comfortable and active as he’ll allow. The weight needs to be managed as much as catastrophes need to be avoided. As short as he is, I can imagine a loft full of ramps and steps as he ages. Hopefully, that’ll be the extent of any adaptation that will be required.
Now, as we turn in for a good night’s sleep, I hope I won’t roll over and smother him in the night, just like why new parents aren’t supposed to co-sleep with their babies. Then again, he’s 48 pounds and carries it all in his torso, keeping his short legs curled in front of him like a beetle. I’d have to roll over really hard to accomplish anything damaging…but I won’t rule it out. Vigilance is key.
For products recommended by these veterinary professionals, see the Pet Product Guide.