One battle one, several thousand to go...

[felis_ultharus]

Several of my various obsessions tied themselves up yesterday.

Anyone following Canadian news knows that as of yesterday, same-sex marriage is the law of the land, coast-to-coast. This means full legal equality at the federal level for GL and B people, but there are still plenty of battles. The NDP launched a battle for trans equality with the C-392, which would put gender identity in the Human Rights Act. Provincially, there are still a variety of discriminatory laws, depending on the province. Canada Customs still stops books, movies, manga, and anime with queer content at the borders.

Then there are still the social fights -- various studies put queer teen suicide attempts at between 3 times and 11 times the average for teenagers. AIDS already wiped out a generation of gay and bi men, and is now resurging -- an estimated 10-16% of gay/bi male population here have it. Then there's the hard drug abuse and alcoholism rates.

On to more cheery subjects.

I'm reading a great graphic novel right now -- a takeoff on the whole Fantasy genre and Dungeons and Dragons called Cerebrus the Aardvark. I'm torn over whether to by any more of the guy's stuff, since I found out that his politics are very far to the right. Should the politics of a writer matter when buying their work? I'm torn between a belief in free speech and a belief in buying responsably :/

Okay, so that wasn't cheery. How about this:

SPOILERS for Half-Blood Prince and Order of the Phoenix

Okay, so we all know the note in locket was written by Regulus Black, right? Well, no we don't, and someone else may have those initials, and Rowling likes to pull fast ones on us, but it's the most likely possibility going. So, if Regulus was going to hide the locket, instead of destroying it, where would it most likely be? Number 12 Grimmauld Place? Here's a passage that was pointed out to me, from Order of the Phoenix, chapter 6, when the Order is cleaning out Grimmauld Place: "They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry's arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin. Sirius seized and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy, until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut; a heavy locket that none of them could open; a number of ancient seals; and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class..." This is why we return to Rowling over and over again. She's the real magician of series, except she's a prestidgitator rather than a thaumaturgist. She keeps our eyes on one hand, while the other strings past an endless series of innocent-looking beetles, vanishing cabinets, lockets. Then a few books later you discover that that piece of furniture or pendant were a key to the series. We return in the endless hope that we will outguess her, and then we never do ^_^

Comments

[infinitecomplex.livejournal.com]

Hooray for coast-to-coast legality! I'm really very proud that I live in a country where this is possible. As you say, many battles to go, but I think this will be one of the most significant moments of the war.

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

I'm quite happy. Though I got into an argument the other week with someone who didn't think this was a major issue at all :/

Some people think it's just a battle over a word or a ceremony. It's disturbing how many people don't seem to understand what a civil marriage is or what it does.

Plus, even if one has no interest in getting married, this is the first time that the federal government (rather than the courts) has said, unequivocably, that we're equal citizens. That sets the tone for all future debate.

[infinitecomplex.livejournal.com]

That's exactly why it's so important. It's not about marriage itself - though I don't deny that on a personal level I'm very glad it's gone through - but about equality. I'm amazed how many people just don't get that. I went head to head with some moron on the Dose message boards about that recently, and never did get through to him.

[ubergreenkat.livejournal.com]

*boogies for amazing quoting skills and ridiculously tiny forshadowing*

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Boogies?

And I can't take credit, because this one was pointed out to me :)