Update "Group Loses Tax Break Over Gay Union Issue"

By JILL P. CAPUZZO
"A boardwalk pavilion in the seaside town of Ocean Grove, N.J., that has been at the center of a battle over gay civil union ceremonies has lost its tax-exempt status because the state ruled it no longer met the requirements as a place open to all members of the public.
In a letter to the administrator of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, a Methodist organization that owns the pavilion property, the state commissioner of environmental protection, Lisa Jackson, declined to recertify the pavilion as eligible for a real estate tax exemption it has enjoyed since 1989 under the state’s Green Acres Program, but did renew the tax-exempt status of the rest of the boardwalk and the beach, also owned by the association.
The issue arose after the association, which has owned the land, the beach and 1,000 feet of the sea itself since 1870, rejected the requests of two lesbian couples to have their civil union ceremonies at the Boardwalk Pavilion.
The couples complained to the State Division on Civil Rights, which began a discrimination investigation. The association sued the state, claiming that the investigation violated its First Amendment rights because civil unions were contrary to the beliefs of the United Methodist Church…
In a letter dated Saturday that revoked the longstanding certification, Ms. Jackson, the environmental protection commissioner, wrote, “It is clear that the pavilion is not open to all persons on an equal basis.”
“When people hear the words ‘open space,’ we want them to think not just of open air and land, but that it is open to all people,” said Ms. Jackson. “And when the public subsidizes it with tax breaks, it goes with the expectation that it is not going to be parsed out, whether it be by activity or any particular beliefs.”
When the lawsuit was filed against the state last month, the assessor, Bernard Haney, estimated that the association was saving about $500,000 a year because of all of its Green Acres exemptions.
The case has drawn national attention, in part because Ocean Grove has long been considered a community that embraced gay residents. Steven Goldstein, executive director of Garden State Equality, a New Jersey gay rights organization, said he has gotten more e-mail messages on this issue than on any other cause his group has taken up.
“I’m hearing from gay people all over the country who thought Ocean Grove was the leading light for gay tolerance and that’s not the case anymore,” Mr. Goldstein said"

Friday Five-Pre-Post Modern

Singing Owl said: “Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation--gulp--was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn't remember a time without cell phones, and on and on.”

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live without?

Well, how far are we going back? I could not do without indoor plumbing. Could not, could not. I do not camp. For that reason, and bugs.


2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day? Why?

I’m not a big fan of cell phones, although I have one. I’m tired of thinking that every other person in the street has schizophrenia because they’re talking to an unknown person only to discover the dreaded cell phone. And they talk loud because, you know, NY is a loud place. And more than once I’ve replied to someone who was actually talking to a phone. “and, hello to you too!”




3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If so, do you use it (them)?

I just retired my turntable because of space issues, but does a first generation ipod count?

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something else?

 
I find it Exciting, except for global warming and war. But war has always been with us, alas

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process.

 
Well, my forbears had space and unfortunately for my family, that was the final frontier. I miss that. I guess we could move to a place where space is affordable, but I love NY.

Getting Married...again

To the same BL, just this time it's going to be legal. The first time it was at Congregation Beth Simchat Torah-the only and the biggest glbt synagogue in NYC. The rabbi wouldn't marry us as I'm not Jewish, so we had to find our own rabbi, Ellen Lippman.

In 1972 when I came to NYC from Ohio, homosexuality was still a mental illness. Who knew that a short 36 years later I would be able to legally marry my beloved of 17 years (even if I have to leave the country to do it,)

Anyone live in Toronto that can be witness for us (this means you Revgals!) It's going to be 1:00 on May 26th.

This time, the city of Toronto is delighted to marry us and it will be legal and recognized by both my (NY State) and the BL's employers. It'll be Mrs & Mrs. and I'm so excited!

A little music from Debbie Friedman to welcome in Passover

Gut Pesach!

Redeemed by Heather King

In my continued search, I'm currently doing a lot of reading on similar searches. Presently I'm reading "Redeemed' by Heather King. I've only just started, but she described me to a T. Isn't that what they say about AA meetings-'they told my story!' Well, King is a recovering alcoholic-like me-and in a series of careers-like me-not really appropriate for an introvert. She says:
"All my life I've been a bookish, easily overstimulated loner: it takes me a while to work up to any kind of human contact activity, then the activity takes place, then I have to go off by myself for a while and process it."

Actually, I really like my current career and intend to continue doing it, but I do need that decompression when I get home. I find it really hard (read nearly impossible) to go directly to a social event on a work night. I have to hole up in my room and read a little or take a little nap before any continued activity.

Friday Five-24 hours

RevHRod said “Yesterday I had the 24 hour flu. I had been told by the people who had it first that it really was a twenty-four hour bug. And so while I dealt with all the blech of the flu, I kept reminding myself that morning would come and I would feel a lot better.”

“This is certainly a strange way to start out a Friday Five but it made me think about what I might like to do if I knew it would only last for 24 hours. There are no reality boundaries to these imaginings. So here are the five things for you to consider...”

If you could dramatically change your physical appearance for 24 hours, what would you do
I’d be a man. A big man who could stand in the door of the subway and not let the female me pass and say “I’ll stand wherever I want to” As the man said to me when I suggested that he was blocking the door. After I waited for him to get out before I got on, being polite as I am, then realizing that he was indeed not getting out! I’ll stride around in a suit or work clothes and be powerful and feel how it feels to be the king as men seem to think they still are in some circumstances. (I still seem to be riled up about my subway ride! Can you tell?) I also just finished “The First Man Made Man” the story of Michael Dillon by Pagan Kennedy and I’ve been giving a lot of thought to this phenomenon.

If you could live in another place for 24 hours where would you go?
I’d go to the southern coast of Italy, to a small town where I would have an apartment and friends and know the language. And I would eat the delicious foods and have coffee and gelato in the courtyard. And watch the sea from the balcony of my apartment.

You get to do somebody else's job for a day...
I’d be a doctor, something I always wanted to be, from the time I was little.

Spend the day with another person from anywhere in time and space...
I’d probably hang out with Natalie Clifford Barney and Romaine Brooks and their (mostly lesbian) salon in England in the early 20th century because I’ve read so much about it and it sound like a lot of fun!

A magical power is yours. Which one would you pick?
Well, of course, the ability to give myself unlimited powers. I’ve had this figured out since I was a kid. Who wouldn’t?

Sometimes I think I need this

And a shout out to Roe for this one!

Friday Five Moving

Jigsaw Puzzle of Life by the McGarrigle Sisters (kind of describes me and BL)

"We are right in the middle of a move--only twenty minutes away, but we're still a mix of busy, excited, nervous and surprisingly full of grief about what we're leaving, for me at least. So this week's Friday Five asks about your experience of the marvels and madness of moving..."

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?
The last time I moved wasn't really a move. I moved out of my weekend house after selling my half to an ex. I had owned my part for about 14 years and used it a lot. It was in Orient, NY, a two and a half hour drive and it was getting too cumbersome in too many ways...

2. What do you love and hate about moving?
I don't like moving, really.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?
The only time I've hired movers was when I moved to this apartment in 1980-Star Trek Movers-no really! I didn't own much at the time.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?
Ah, can't give you that. Not enough experience

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?

I'm searching for my spirituality, still searching. I guess that moving in a direction.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what moving means to you.
I'm going to repost the McGarrigle sisters Mendocino which so reminded me of Orient. We had a little music group there, and that's one of the songs we sang and played. It really made me nostalgic. (Unless I can find Jean Redpath who used to come visit in Orient, NY.)

Don't forget to get your 'mass pass' to go the other way!

As we all know by now, the current draconian, 80 year old white celibate-or so we hear- head catholic man is coming to our fair city to screw up traffic and to spawn a host of demonstrations and tastless, yet funny souveniers. Here's one from Washington in their mass transit ad.

Show at MOMA

BL and I studied this picture for quite a while before before we figured out that the green things are Watermelons and not peas and the woman is the artist. They're floating in the dead sea. The watermelons are attached together like a huge string of pearls, albeit green. We wondered how the artist got in there. According the review, she's laying on the pontoon like assemblage, but it looks like she is a part of it. How did she get in there? Did she swim in and then emerge in the right place and situate herself. The reflection from all that green makes her hair look green. Some of the Watermelons have lost their tops. I think she's been snacking!