45 Comments
May 16, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

Last week I found out that my brother had passed away. I had recently found him through ancestry DNA and we were beginning to get closer. I have a twin brother (who I grew up with ) and we are both so sad.

But, there are so many things to be grateful for. Even though my husband is not working, I am. My kids have really risen to the occasion as far as online school

is going, we are in touch with my elderly parents several times a day and they are doing great. One day at a time, my friends 💖...

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May 16, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

My husband and I are at home in Dallas. We are taking this seriously. I am 67, have type2 diabetes and hypertension. I want to stick around (there are still a lot of people I need to piss off). I am disgusted with Texas State government, controlled by Republicans, only being concerned with corporate interests and tRUMPleThinSkin (aka Combover Caligula) reelected. Dallas is run by Democrats and have pushed to delay opening and follow the advice of the medical experts. Trump’s mishandling of this country is beyond words. His only concern is getting re-elected and minimize economic damage to his business and the businesses of his cronies.

Fortunately, my husband is working from home. I am retired and Have been substitute teaching. Obviously, I am not teaching right now. I will only go back to teaching in the Fall if it is safe to do so. We are having groceries delivered. I haven’t had a haircut for 9 years. Hair salons opened a week ago yesterday in Texas. I refuse to take the risk of getting haircuts, eating in restaurants, etc. until it is safe to do so. The last time my hair was this long was during my senior year of college in 1974.

I honestly enjoy being at home. I am executor of the estates of two dear friends who committed suicide 15 months apart. The first friend committed suicide in May 2018 and his husband did the same in August 2019. It took 20 dumpster loads to have their home cleaned out. Homeless people broke in, etc. Their home fortunately sold in February. I am still finishing the process of finalizing their estateS but an end is in sight. We watch lots of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+. I enjoy reading and I spend far too much time on Facebook. I also have tons of photographs awaiting my attention in Photoshop. I am also doing some baking for the first time in years.

I am keeping in touch with friends and family. I hate the term “social distancing.” It isn’t accurate. A better term is “physical distancing.” I am sending emails, texts and using Facebook to stay in touch with lots of folks. More importantly, I am picking up the phone and using FaceTime and Zoom to communicate with friends and family. Each day I try to contact at least one person I haven’t been in touch with for a long time.

The Trump Virus, as I call it has provided an opportunity for introspection as to what is really important in life. For me it includes people I love (my husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, other family and a lot of amazing friends). People are what matter, not things. I don’t have any pets at the moment. If I did they would matter too. I continue my political activism fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and against hate directed at us and other groups. It is important to stickup for all oppressed people. I am doing what I can to get a Democrat back in the White House, as well as Democratic control if the Senate, state and local government while keeping Democrats as the majority in the House of Representatives.

I call COVID-19 the Trump Virus, by the way, because tRUMP’s inaction, bad decisions and unwillingness to respond appropriately has caused far more People to get the virus and deaths than would have happened with competent, compassionate and innovative leadership. The United States has 4% of the world’s population and as of about a week ago we had approximately 32% of the cases of the virus and 28% of the people who have died from it.

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

I’m cooking a killer vegetarian spaghetti Sauce and watching the CBS Graduation Event (looking forward to seeing President Obama). Love you Michelangelo! Thanks for keeping us sane along with all of the Sirius crew!

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

I went for a long walk through several Chicago neighborhoods today: the Loop, River North, Old Town, Gold Coast. It was just warm enough to wear shorts and t-shirts and not be cold.

Sadly, almost half the people I saw on the streets were either not wearing masks or not observing physical distancing guidelines or both. And so many younger people had their faces buried in their phones, oblivious to how close they might be moving towards others. Not the right time for anyone to be so self-involved.

On the upside, some of our grocery stores are starting to have single direction aisles that are clearly marked as such. Makes it easier for everyone to "follow the rules."

At the same time there was a protest against Governor Pritzker's ongoing stay-at-home order a few blocks away from my home at the State of Illinois Building. The pictures in the local paper indicate many participants chose to not wear masks, but they did have MAGA caps and TrumpNation bumper stickers on their cars. I guess they assume they are indestructible. Probably a bad assumption.

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May 16, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

I am trying to find the blessings in being home with my family.My 22 year old who I've called in about before in regards to issues of LGBTQ rights and equality graduates from UCLA in June. He and all of my sons have my heart and being with them gives me such joy! My middles son who will be a senior in college in August is rarely home so this is a treat. Having us all together has been precious. Our Manhattan Beach PFLAG chapter added another meeting in the day time via zoom. We always have 2 nightly meetings a month and this was great to add. I worry about LGBTQ youth who do not have supportive families and what this is like not having the safety to get support. I hope we can be an outlet and the zoom meetings have been very well attended. My youngest son who is 16 and I are volunteer translators for kids form Central America seeking asylum and we've called in about immigration issues too.We are sick over Trump deporting kids. It is illegal and defies the UN treaties on human rights. We are zooming with clients and trying to save the few kids we work with. It can be overwhelmingly sad at times but trying to stay centered and powerful where we can.

On a bright side our dogs LOVE being with their parents and brothers all day!

Than you as always for your advocacy and wisdom! XOX

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May 16, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

Gotta say the weekends are what keep me sane these days. Fortunately I can work from home and I get blasted with all of the horrific things the GOP is doing 10 hours a day. I feel like I have to stay informed because of the terrible planning done to reopen Texas ( there wasn’t any planing past picking a date). But that’s the only way for me to plan was to keep my wife and daughter safe. Weekends are the opposite, today we did chalk on the driveway, swung listing to Frozen 2, made grilled cheese and played a few mean rounds of go fish. It’s the only normalcy we have in a week.

Side note- I have fixed so many things around the house and made so many meals from what’s left in the fridge that I feel like the technology generations really missed out on doing the basics ( I re sodded part of my back yard wtf). Anyone else feel this way?

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May 18, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

It’s interesting that Trump and his followers are claiming they are defending America when literally everything they are doing is anti-America. Allowing Americans to die from an infectious disease? UnAmerican. Supporting Nazi-style white supremacy? UnAmerican. Bankrupting the US? UnAmerican. Protesters emulating Russian-style protests? UnAmerican. How can they claim they love their country, supposedly the USA, when they are flagrantly destroying it?

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

Michael, that Artie is such a cutie! He looks like he’s a loyal but playful possibly a tad mischievous baby boy judging by those eyes. He seems to enjoy his textiles and fabrics. Lol. How lucky we are to have our furry friends at our sides during this horrible time. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without mine. That said I just don’t know how much longer I can take the egregious acts of this president when I try to discuss it with family members who live in other parts of the country some of them seem so ill-informed and on interested in even the slightest bit of discussion over the topic that I start to question whether my loving family members could possibly be closet Trump supporters?! I know they’re not but to borrow the old phrase during a pandemic and plague. Silence = Death . I’m at that point now that if you don’t have interest in what’s happening to your country your part of the problem and you may as well yes I am at Trump supporter. It’s starting to cause problems with my perception of my family members which is a horrible thing and I’m trying to like keep it balanced. I almost jumped through the phone when my brother said yeah but Obama Something or other when I was discussing something that Trump had done. And this guy I thought was a Democrat!. I told him there’s no both sides there’s both sides that anymore you have to pick your battles pick a team and fight. I’m sort of done rationalizing with them

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

Michael, this is a great outlet. The thread is therapeutic because we need community more than ever. I hope all are staying healthy and motivated to win up and down the ballot in November.

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

My recently widowed friends daughter was to have graduated from college Friday. Her sisters planned a surprise Zoom party which I hosted. I was able to decorate the house with balloons and even invented a cocktail in her honor. There were 6 of us. Socially distancing. We're in rural NC where there have only been 51 cases reported and 2 deaths reported. We are taking this pandemic very seriously but people are still acting like it's business as usual.

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

Pandemic-wise, I'm doing well. Can't be sure without a test, but overall feeling healthy. Am single, no dependents, able to work remotely from home--no complaints on that front. Otherwise--that we'd ever be in the position we are that there are tens of millions among us who think life with the occupant in the Oval Office is a good thing paints a pretty bleak picture, doesn't it?

i enjoy your show and all on the Progress channel. Hope you enjoyed the spaghetti and the graduation event. Take care.

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May 17, 2020Liked by Michelangelo Signorile

We are still at our son's house in Michigan. Working on renovating his kitchen. We are waiting for our house to be built in Arizona. We don't watch a lot of tv or news but I listen to you Michael and Rachel Maddow everyday of the week. You help me keep my sanity. Can't wait for the election. We won't be going to any restuarants until they have a vaccine. We only go to Home Depot, Lowe's or Menards and we always wear our masks, use hand sanitizers and wash our hands a lot.

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author

This is truly unreal. This is an executive of software company -- an executive, a vice president. Fired for promoting a lynching of President Obama.

https://twitter.com/MSignorile/status/1262141612462874624

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Well for good news my wife has finished radiation treatment on the benign tumor located on her hip, and she's doesn't have to use the wheelchair as much. The bad news is that I have to go back to work on Monday. Luckily the auto plant where I work has mandated masks and set up distancing barriers at break and cafeteria areas. Plus they are giving free masks for workers who forgot to bring one or can't afford one. I've been fixing up whatever odds & ends in the house need to be fixed (i.e. leaky faucet), watching video rentals (P.S. "A Quiet Place" is terrible!). One thing I do miss, even though I'm an Introvert, are the book stores. To which I have to search online for any indie or non-Amazon bookstores so I don't have to give that bastard Bezos more money to treat his workers like garbage. Other than that, I've been listening to the Bowie channel, XMU, 1'st Wave, Studio 54 and The Groove when I want an escape; and Progress when I want to get back into reality. Surprised there is no Queen channel yet, what's up with that? Anyway, hopefully we all get through this even though the right-wing dingbats are drinking the kool-aide like their is no tomorrow. Cheers!

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I enjoy staying home with my pets, garden, artwork, crafting, cooking. I am constantly busy. I ride my bike to let off steam from my Trump rage. Lol. I never think, ‘How bad can it get?’ Because with this administration, there is no bottom.

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