https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/qmmunity/2010-10-21/thank-you-mr-president/

Thank You, Mr. President

By Kate X Messer, October 21, 2010, 11:30pm, Qmmunity

The other night, as I was typing the blog post headline: Thank You, Madame Secretary, I wondered how long it would be before I typed the words you see above. I had mental money on next week or next month or next never. I was wrong.

Our blog has a minor shit-storm brewing with one of our hands-down favorite local activists. We disagree and agree on a lot, I believe. And that's OK. In the meanwhile, the President of the United States released a video to encourage gay kids that is all right to be gay.

Am I disappointed about the slow-ass movement to obliterate Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Hell yes. Am I nauseated about the rest of the shit pile of things that need to happen before I am considered a United States citizen that may enjoy the same rights and privileges as my straight counterparts? Oh, yes, darlings: I puke in Washington's general direction.

Sometimes I feel like Dawn Davenport and want to knock down the Christmas tree because I did not get my cha-cha heels. And, my apologies, reader-friends: A pair of cha-cha heels is not a politically expedient metaphor, because my inalienable rights are not to "be given" and are not freaking cha-cha heels. (And like Dawn, I generally don't wait for someone to give me what's mine. And also like Dawn, the world is stacked against who I am.)

However, there are other times, like tonight, when I feel proud to be an American.

No other punchline. Just that. Proud. Thanks, Mr. Prez. I really appreciate this very human message. This is historic. And as a mom, I can say with a certain degree of certitude, I know this will save lives.