Miscellaneous
‘Fit to Serve’
First openly gay U.S. ambassador recalls life in politics, activism in new memoir
James Hormel today. (Photo by Michael Nguyen; courtesy Skyhorse Publishing)
When James Hormel decided to write his memoirs, he turned to an unlikely source for aid ā his tennis partner.
Hormel, heir to the Geo. A. Hormel & Co. meatpacking business (famous for bringing SPAM to the world), had been interested for several years in sharing his compelling story of becoming the first openly gay U.S. ambassador when President Bill Clinton named him ambassador to Luxembourg in 1999 with a controversial recess appointment. Erin Martin, a former journalist whom Hormel knew from her work on the September 11thĀ Fund, worked with him off and on for four years to bring the new book āFit to Serveā (Skyhorse Publishing) to fruition.
āWhen I was actually serving in Luxembourg and after recognizing what it took to get there and how extremely receptive the country was and how welcoming, I thought there may be some material here that would be worth writing about,ā Hormel says during a phone interview from New York where the long-time San Francisco resident is visiting on a book tour (he was in Washington this week for a signing). āIād thought about it for several years and kind of realized I could go on thinking about it forever without actually doing anything, so Erin and I started.ā
Hormel, now 78, has enjoyed a rather epic American life. Born into wealth, he writes evocatively of his Minnesota childhood and the sights, smells and sounds he shared with his two older brothers, Geordie and Thomas; his many years of trying to live the straight and narrow life with ex-wife Alice and their five children; his years of finding himself and settling in San Francisco in 1977; his work in Democratic politics and helping to start the Human Rights Campaign in the early ā80s while many around him were dying of AIDS; and, of course, his work not only in Luxembourg but even more interestingly, the convoluted and bitterly fought battle he waged to get there, opposed at every turn by Republican senators and conservative groups like Family Research Council that painted him as a pedophile.
Influential colleagues are saying Hormelās story is an important one.
ā[It] reminds us that it wasnāt so long ago that being gay meant you could not serve in high government positions,ā says Richard Socarides, the White House LGBT liaison in the Clinton administration. āWith Bill Clintonās help, Jim took on this fight for all of us and won.ā
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with Hormel at a book signing Thursday night in Washington. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Longtime Hormel pal Nancy Pelosi, whom Hormel went out on a limb to support in her 1987 bid for Congress against gay candidate Harry Britt, is also raving about the book.
āJim Hormelās spirited story is a refreshing reminder of the power of the individual in America,ā she said in a press release for the tome. āThis book documents that a person driven by the courage of his or her convictions can still push the world to become a fairer, more equal place.ā
Hormel says revisiting years gone by brought unexpected emotions, both good and bad.
āThe burden I created for myself by the deception that occurred through the marriage and not being able to reveal sexual feelings outside of our relationship, that failure of communication, that was maybe the most painful for me to look at because I was totally responsible for it,ā he says.
Though long on friendly terms with his ex-wife Alice, who has supported him for decades and read early drafts of the book, it was still a painful topic to revisit. He expects to see her next week for Thanksgiving.
āThere were enormous feelings of guilt that came back to me in a wave,ā he says.
Hormel also writes poignantly of his current relationship with Michael Nguyen, a dancer and musician he met in 2006 whoās five decades his junior. Hormel says they enjoy a bond he didnāt have with former partners Larry Soule and Tim Wu.
ā[Michael] has given me an unconditional love that has been a discovery for me,ā Hormel says. āIt was new to me so this relationship has been special and unique.ā
Hormelās five now-adult children have welcomed Michael, he says, but mostly long distance. Only his son James lives near him in San Francisco.
Hormel met Clinton in March 1992 when the eventual president was campaigning. Hormel, long out by then and active in the Democratic Party in both California and nationally, had appreciated a reference Clinton made about the unacceptability of discrimination based on sexual orientation at a speech Hormel attended. He noticed something different in Clinton and was soon supporting him. Just before Clinton was elected that November, friends started floating the idea to Hormel that he should seek a presidential appointment.
āWhile [the] suggestion intrigued me, I didnāt take it all that seriously,ā Hormel writes in the book. āIt didnāt seem realistic: I had contributed, but I didnāt go to any great lengths to stump for Clinton. I couldnāt imagine that I was very high on the totem pole.ā
Hormel considered the idea and eventually started actively pursuing it, but it was anger and disappointment, ironically, that lit a fire within him to pursue it full on. The still-controversial 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a Clinton-signed law that defined marriage as between a man and woman, was the fuel for Hormelās effort.
James Hormel, left, being sown in as U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in June 1999. Hormelās former partner Tim Wu is with him. (Photo courtesy Skyhorse Publishing)
āWhile nothing short of repeal could make up for DOMA, I and others wanted a clear sign that Clinton had not abandoned our constituency,ā Hormel writes. āMy anger propelled me into a non-stop, night-and-day effort to secure an ambassadorial nomination. Short of cheating and stealing, I was going to do whatever it took. Nothing was more important to me in that moment.ā
Hormel is slightly more understanding in hindsight. He says itās important to consider the context of when DOMA and āDonāt Ask, Donāt Tellā were enacted but neither does he fully buy Hillary Clintonās 2008 assertions that DOMA was the lesser evil compared to a proposed constitutional amendment.
āItās hard to take it all out of the context of 1996 or with āDonāt Ask, Donāt Tell,ā out of 1993,ā Hormel says. āWith DOMA, the president was in a reelection campaign. There were three candidates. We forget that Clinton was never elected by a majority and you know the political climate was very negative at the time. The Republicans had experienced two years of running both the Senate and the House and they hadnāt done that in 40 years. They were out to get Clinton no matter what so it was probably a defensive aspect of his with DOMA. I think itās one of the worst pieces of legislation that Iām aware of. Itās blatantly unconstitutional. There are so many bad things about it.ā
Hormel faced opponents on two main fronts ā late former Sen. Jesse Helms, a notoriously anti-gay politician Hormel calls a āhatemongerā who was chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations who stood between Hormel and the post he wanted, and an avalanche of misconstrued press from the Traditional Values Coalition, an organization that had sent a rep to the James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library and copied controversial material housed there for archival purposes that the Coalition said Hormel espoused.
Hormel, dejected when a 1999 ā700 Clubā segment about his status as an ambassadorial nominee and supposed pedophile aired, found unexpected inspiration from memories of his father and grandfather, larger-than-life figures whoād played huge roles in shaping and inspiring him.
Hormel in 1994. (Blade file photo by Marc Geller)
āI felt nauseous,ā Hormel writes of seeing the ā700 Clubā segment. āPartly from my disgust over the willful fabrication, partly out of fear that the televangelist [Pat Robertson] had succeeded in taking away from me what, by then, I most desired.ā
A photo of his father, Jay Hormel, who died in 1954, gave him inspiration.
āHe seemed to look right back at me, chiding, āJimmy, why are you letting them get to you,āā Hormel writes.
He says any opinions of what his father and grandfather would think of his accomplishments today are āvery speculativeā but heās hopeful their progressive-for-their-eras attitudes and business practices, covered at length in the book, provide clues.
āI think they would be supportive,ā Hormel says. āThey spoke of kindness and of caring and wanting to make things better for other people and they did things in their lifetimes that reflected that. My fatherās crowning business achievement was to create a program of guaranteed annual wages and a profit sharing plan that he put in place in the depths of the Depression and it kept a lot of people working in the community.ā
And though his brief period of service in Luxembourg ā much less intense than the path that led to it ā is long over, Hormel has stayed active in politics and has a few thoughts on current gay issues.
Of Obama, Hormel says, āBy and large, he has a wonderful record for us and has done more than every other president put together and weāre edging toward the time when weāll have an actual member of the Cabinet whoās gay. Who could have dreamed of that a few years ago? On the other hand, heās taken a position on DOMA that is very confusing. It confuses me and it confuses a lot of people and he really doesnāt seem to want to take the step of saying, āThis is wrong,ā and I feel thatās unfortunate because this law is so blatantly wrong.ā
Hormel says HRC has changed dramatically since its early years and says part of the criticism often directed at it is inevitable because of the work it does.
āWhen you have an organization that is dominating and addressing these kinds of issues, youāre never going to please everyone,ā he says. āAlso people by and large donāt understand what itās like to make laws. They say there are two things you should never see being made ā laws and sausage, because itās a messy process and people outside the process donāt fully understand what it takes to get things accomplished. Thatās a PR problem that HRC faces. I think theyāve done an admiral job and as theyāve continued to grow, I think they are continually getting better focused. On the other hand, when one is based in Washington and encompassed every day in Washington surroundings, which today are so horrendous, I think one tends to become a little jaded and perhaps less in touch with broad constituencies. I think that happens to member of Congress. They lose touch and it happens for other organizations as well.ā
Jim Hormel with his three daughters at a book signing event at People for the American Way Thursday night in Washington. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Hormel closes the book with a poignant chapter on the inspiration for his political work, which he says is rooted in having summoned the courage in the ā60s to come out. It helped form his altruistic and activist tendencies.
āMy progress on this earth was stymied until the time in my life when I chose to follow my heartfelt instincts and desires and live openly as a gay man,ā he writes. āI had to clear away truckloads of psychic garbage in order to free the real me from a self-imposed prison. Only then was I able to see that my genuine interest was in finding a way to help build a better world.ā
They ran like the wind, broke the tape at the finish line, and clutched their chest with the broadest smile on their face. Then Nikki Hiltz collapsed to the track, having set a new record in the 1,500-meter race at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials and earned a spot on Team USA.Ā
As the realization sank in that they would be representing the U.S. in Paris as an out transgender nonbinary athlete, what the Paris-bound Olympian did next was to scribble a message of LGBTQ representation on the last day of Pride Month, writing with a red marker upon the glass of the camera that records each athleteās signature on a whiteboard:
āI ā¤ļø the gays,ā they wrote, and above it, they signed their first name.
Hiltz, 29, finished the race on Sunday at the University of Oregonās Hayward Field in first-place with a final time of 3:55:33, breaking third-place finisher Elle St. Pierreās 2021 record of 3:58:03.
Hiltz credited St. Pierre, the top-finishing American and third-place finisher in the womenās 1,500 at the Tokyo Olympics, with motivated them and the other competitors to race faster. With a first lap time of 61 seconds, St. Pierre led the race for the majority of its duration. St. Pierre and Emily Mackay, who placed second, also both earned spots in the Paris Olympics.
āIf someone would have told me this morning that 3:56 doesnāt make the team, I donāt want to know that. Iām just in the race to run it and race it and thatās what I did,ā Hiltz said after the race. The Santa Cruz native who came out in 2021 as trans nonbinary told NBC Sports that the accomplishment is ābigger than just me.ā
āI wanted to run this for my community,ā Hiltz said, āAll of the LGBT folks, yeah, you guys brought me home that last hundred. I could just feel the love and support.ā
On Monday, Hiltz reflected on the race and how they became an Olympian in a post on Instagram.
āWoke up an Olympian. š„¹ Yesterday afternoon in Eugene Oregon a childhood dream of mine came true. Iām not sure when this will fully sink in ā¦ All I know is today Iām waking up just so grateful for my people, overwhelmed by all the love and support, and filled with joy that I get to race people I deeply love and respect around a track for a living. šā
Hiltz also shared a photo with their girlfriend, runner Emma Gee, and captioned it: āRemember in Inside Out 2 when Joy says āmaybe this is what happens when you grow up ā¦ you feel less joyā? Yeah I actually have no idea what sheās talking about. ššš¤ š¦ š„š«š·ā
They shared photos in their new Team USA garb, too.
While they will be the first out trans nonbinary member of the U.S. track and field team, Hiltz will not be the first nonbinary Olympian. That honor goes to Quinn, who played soccer for Canada in Tokyo and holds the record as the only nonbinary athlete to have won a gold medal. So far.
Many of the posts by Hiltz, Team USA and others have been trolled by bigots and ignoramuses who have mistaken them for a trans woman who was presumed to be male at birth and transitioned genders. Right-wing outlets and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines have commented on their victory and questioned their gender identity and decision to compete against cisgender women.
A female who identifies as trans earned a spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic team.
I wonder why she didn’t try out for the men’s team. It’s almost as if she understands she would never be able to compete or succeed at same level against the men.
Tellinghttps://t.co/M5Lj9G0aEi
ā Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) July 2, 2024
But in the spirit of the late Marsha P. Johnson, who famously said the āPā stood for āpay no mindā to the haters, Hiltz shared a photo of a handwritten motivational note to themself, which ends: āI saw a quote online the other week that said, ārespect everybody, fear nobody,ā and thatās exactly how Iām going to approach this final. I can do this.āĀ
And they did.Ā
Miscellaneous
What it means to be an active ally to your LGBTQ+ co-workers TEST
Five easy tips to help you avoid common risks
Your home is more than just a place to eat and sleep; it’s your safe haven. As much as you might cherish your home, you should probably also recognize the potential hazards within its familiar walls. Accidents can happen in an instant, yet with a little foresight and some simple adjustments, you can transform your house into a safer haven.
Accidents can happen anywhere, and with a few simple tweaks, you can lower risks in your space. Below youāll find five tips for each room in your home to help prevent injuries, falls, and other mishaps. In short, home safety.
This article was inspired by a shower in a rental we managed that began leaking through the kitchen ceiling below. If only the landlord had installed grab bars, right!? Below, we’ll guide you through the steps to fortify your bathroom, making it a place of relaxation without the fear of slips and falls. Then, we’ll venture into the room where the magic happens, where proper planning can ensure great nights and peaceful mornings. We’ll show you how to prevent accidents while you experiment becoming the next Gordon Ramsey. And weāll include a few surprising solutions for those other rooms that hold their own unique hazards, offering solutions to safeguard against unexpected mishaps.
Bathroom Safety
Install Grab Bars: Adding grab bars near the shower and toilet can provide essential support for family members of all ages. Not only can they help with getting in and out, but they can help provide stability when washing. Make sure they are securely anchored to the wall.
Non-Slip Mats: Place non-slip mats inside the shower and bathtub to prevent slips. They’re a small investment that can save you from falls and head injuries.
Adjust Water Temperature: Ensure your hot water is set to a safe temperature to avoid scalding. The hot water heater should be set to around 120Ā°F (49Ā°C)l, the middle setting on many water heater settings.
Medicine Cabinet Locks: If you have young children, use childproof locks on your medicine cabinet to keep harmful substances out of reach.
Proper Lighting: Ensure there’s adequate lighting in the bathroom to avoid trips and falls during nighttime visits. Nightlights can be a simple and effective solution.
Bedroom Safety
Clear Pathways: Keep pathways in the bedroom clutter free to prevent tripping. Ensure there’s enough space to move around comfortably, particularly getting around the bed. Be aware where all furniture is when walking around to avoid stubbed toes, particularly at night.
Secure Rugs: If you have throw rugs, use rug grippers or double-sided tape to keep them from slipping. Loose rugs are a common trip hazard.
Bed Rails: For anyone at risk of falling out of bed, consider installing bed rails to provide extra support and prevent falls.
Nightstands with Drawers: Opt for nightstands with drawers to keep essential items. This reduces the need to get out of bed at night, minimizing the risk of falls, as you race to grab what you need and not lose a momentās rest.
Fire Safety: Install battery-operated smoke detectors in the bedrooms if there are none. Make sure to install them 36 inches away from an air vent or the edge of a ceiling fan. Also six inches away from the joint between the wall and ceiling. And test smoke detectors regularly.
Kitchen Safety
Non-Slip Flooring: Choose slip-resistant rugs in the kitchen, especially in areas where spills are common. Mats near the sink and stove can also help and you can often buy them fairly cheaply at Costco.
Childproof Cabinets: If you have little ones, use childproof latches on cabinets and drawers to prevent them from accessing potentially hazardous items.
Anti-tip brackets: Install an anti-tip bracket behind the range. These are often used when children are in the home. Although they are less likely to open the oven door and use it as a step stool to get to the stove-top, adults can also benefit from installing these.
Adequate Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial in the kitchen to avoid accidents. Under-cabinet lighting can illuminate work areas effectively.
Secure Heavy Items: Ensure heavy pots and pans are stored at waist level to prevent straining or dropping them from high shelves.
Sharp Object Storage: Keep knives and other sharp objects in a secure drawer or block. And handle all sharp items with extreme care, even when washing and drying. These steps reduce the risk of accidental cuts.
Other Safety Tips
Furniture Anchors: Secure heavy furniture, like bookshelves and dressers, to the wall to prevent tip-overs, especially if you have young children.
Adequate Outlets: Check for damaged outlets and replace them promptly. Avoid overloading circuits with too many devices. Install placeholder plugs in outlets to prevent young curious fingers (or tongues?) from going inside an electrical outlet.
Stair Gates: If your home has stairs, install safety gates at the top and bottom to prevent falls, especially if you have toddlers or pets to keep them off of the stairs when you cannot monitor them.
Emergency Escape Plan: Develop and practice an emergency escape plan with your family, including a designated meeting place outside.
Carbon Monoxide Detector: If your home burns any fossil fuels for heating or appliances, install carbon monoxide detectors in common areas of your home to detect this odorless gas. The D.C. building codes require this if you use a fireplace or if you have an attached garage. In essence, if there is any potential source of carbon monoxide in the home, be sure to install these detectors.
Remember, a safer home not only prevents accidents but also provides peace of mind for you and your family. Implement these simple tips to create a secure environment in every room of your house.
With these practical tips and a few adjustments, you can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and falls in your home. Enjoy peace of mind in your now much safer haven.
Scott Bloom is owner and senior property manager of Columbia Property Management.
When Lizzo sings “If I’m shinin,’ everybody gonna shine,ā in her hit song, “Juice,” she means it. Proof of that came this week on Instagram when the LGBTQ ally announced the first winner of her annual Juneteenth Giveback Campaign is the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, a national nonprofit based in Richmond, Calif., dedicated to the protection and defense of Black transgender people.
And she did so in song: āOn the first day of Juneteenth, Lizzo gave to me,ā she sang in her video, posted Tuesday, as she revealed her $50,000 gift to MPJI.
āThatās right, we know who Marsha P. Johnson is. We know what Marsha P. Johnson has done for the LGBTQ, emphasis on that āT,ā Q community,ā said Lizzo to her 13.5 million followers. āThank you so much to the people at the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. You deserve this, and I hope this helps you so much as you help protect our Black trans family.ā
āWhat the Marsha P. Johnson Institute does is protects and defends the rights of Black transgender people. They do this by organizing community, advocating for the people, and creating an intentional healing community, developing transformative leadership and promoting collective power,ā she said.
āWe are overjoyed for the shoutout from Lizzo today, the generosity of her sharing her platform and the recognition of MPJI and its work,ā said Elle Moxley, MPJIās executive director. āThe resources from this campaign will ensure the protection and defense of Black transgender people continue at a time where it is so vitally needed. We are so grateful for the support of Lizzo and her fans.ā
As one of Time Magazineās Persons of the Year for 2019 and a 2023 Grammy winner, Lizzo is more than a pop star but an inspiration to millions of fans for her body-positive attitude, her self-confidence on stage and in her videos, her empowering music and her activism. Sheās also the founder of her own clothing line, Yitty. In 2021, she made headlines when she publicly corrected a paparazzo for using āshe/herā pronouns and misgendering Demi Levato.
As part of her campaign, now in its 4th year, Lizzo recognizes Black-led grassroots organizations and businesses and encourages her fans to join her in supporting each of the five organizations she highlights this week. Fans who take action by donating are entered into a drawing for an all-expenses paid trip to see her perform at Fuji Rock in Japan later this year.
This weekās other nonprofits receiving gifts are: Black Girls Smile, Sphinx Music, the University of Houston and Save Our Sisters United.
Find out more about Lizzoās 4th annual Juneteenth Giveback Campaign by clicking here.
Transgender nonbinary sprinter Nikki Hiltz makes Team USA
Rehobothās Purple Parrot still soaring after 25 years
Vote Democratic or July 4, 2025 will look very different
House Republicans propose steep cuts in federal AIDS budget
Man went on āhomophobic rantā inside Va. pub that displayed Pride flags
Toronto Pride parade cancelled after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt it
Stephen Mark Lukas makes sublime turn in āFunny Girlā
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
Haters troll official Olympics Instagram for celebrating gay athlete and boyfriend
Members of Congress introduce resolution to condemn Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act
-
Canada2 days agoToronto Pride parade cancelled after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt it
-
Theater5 days agoStephen Mark Lukas makes sublime turn in āFunny Girlā
-
Baltimore4 days agoDespite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
-
Sports4 days agoHaters troll official Olympics Instagram for celebrating gay athlete and boyfriend