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As long as I'm doing some catch-up: Back on Nov. 20th the hubby and I (and our friends Pablo and Diana) made our way to the New Jersey wilderness to bid farewell to Tom and Emilio (check out the good-bye cards!). We ate, we drank, we kareoke'd and we played the maracas! And we were sad to say good-bye to the big guys even if we did promise to visit them in Toronto - their adopted home - next year (that's Tom, myself, the boo and Emilio in the pic above).As I've written in the past, Tom and Emilio were forced to leave the United States because federal immigration policies discriminate against same-sex partners and do not recognize us as family even if New Jersey recently passed one of the most extensive same-sex civil union laws.Among attendees was documentary producer Sebastian Cordoba (no, that's not his natural hair color) who has an OpEd piece in today's Gay City News on the issue of bi-national same-sex partners and immigration ("No Blue Skies for Bi-National Couples").Sebastian is the director of "Through Thick and Thin," which highlights the plight of couples who face a similar quandary and features Tom and Emilio.
In the meantime, Tom and Emilio - who left the United States by car on Thursday, December 13th - have continued to share their experiences - including the uncertainties of arriving in a new city - through their individual blogs:
Most people don't realize the difficulty that these couples face as they seek to stay together. Some would go to the end of this earth to do so which certainly speaks to the bonds of love that others would seek to deny.
Here's hoping that Tom and Emilio find safe haven in Toronto and are finally able to love each other without the incredible stress and ups and downs of the past few years.
The 9th ward of New Orleans in late 2005.
Additional photos by reporter Rex Wockner here
Any recent event in the United States pales, and I mean any recent event - including 9/11 - pales, when you are confronted by the scale of tragedy, death and governmental ineptitude that were exposed when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans a year ago and nearly erased one of the major cities in the United States from the map.
I've never been a Spike Lee fan but his understated, devastating, mournful and angry "When the Levees Broke" (on HBO tonight and tomorrow) is as powerful a documentary as I have probably ever seen in my life (and that's only talking about part 1, part 2 airs tomorrow and that's when the New York Times says that the documentary "rises to greatness" - though I find it hard to believe that part 2 will be able to top the amazing part 1).
There is no way that you can watch this documentary, whether you are a Republican or Democrat, and not acknowledge that this government has been an utter and complete failure. Unfortunately, unlike the documentaries that were aired on national television just a year after the September 11, 2001 attacks (specifically "9/11" on ABC), you have to have a subscription to HBO in order to see this particular masterpiece. After August 30th it will also be available on 'HBO on demand' for those of you who have access to the cable systems. Hopefully it will also be released soon enough on DVD and provide even more people reason to throw this government out of office once election season comes around.
Immediate Reactions:
- Welcome, HBO Viewers! (The Irish Trojan's Blog)
- A Different Side of Me (Mr. Clark, Laurelton, NY)
- Acts one and two (Emanuel, Brooklyn, NY)
- Acts One and Two (Todd. B. Walton, Richmond, VA)
- Okay so I'm Done Crying Now (Ms Feisty, AintChoBidness, Md)
- "When the Levees Broke is Excellent" (Daily Kos)
- When the Levees Broke (Queer Texan)
- When the Levees Broke: A Spike Lee Film (Izzi Mo's Blog)
- When the Levees Broke (Kelli, Louisiana, NO
- Spike, man, what can I Say? (Andrea, Rhome, TX)
- Spike Lee's Hurricane Katrina HBO Documentary (Life After the Storm, Sidell, LA)
- Spike Lee and Hurricane Katrina (By the River)
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