Alice Pasquini

Met Edith Windsor: The 83 year old woman who is fighting to strike down DOMA With the Supreme Court hearing arguments for and against DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) in the case Windsor v. United States, I thought an info post about the woman who brought suit against the U.S. federal government was necessary. If the Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, her last name will live forever in constitutional law, but her life with the woman she loved for over 40 years, is really the heart of story. — Edith Windsor was a top IBM programmer in the 1960’s… in other words, bad-ass! Windsor moved to New York City after divorcing her husband to work as a secretary while earning a master’s degree in mathematics from NYU. She also had a a fellowship at Harvard University, you know, just because she was awesome. — Edith Windsor didn’t know how to get a date with a lady Like a lot of lesbians who move to a big city to be free, gay versions of themselves, Edith didn’t know exactly how to pursue a dating life (sound familiar, Tumblr?). She asked friends, “If you know where the lesbians are, please take me.” Her friends took her to a Greenwich Village restaurant called Portofino where she caught the eye of Thea Spyer, a psychologist. They danced. “We immediately just fit, our bodies fit,” said Thea. — Edith Windsor was engaged to Thea Spyer from 1967 to 2007 Thea proposed to Edith with a round diamond pin. She got down on one knee during a drive to the countryside in 1967. “She was beautiful,” Edie said in a recent interview. “It was joyful, and that didn’t go away.” At 45, Thea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and in 2007, the doctors gave Thea the grim news that she didn’t have much time left. Edith and Thea flew to Toronto and on May 22nd, 2007 they were married. — Edith Windsor’s case is about estate taxes, but about so much more Despite being together for more than 40 years, in a relationship that most of us can only dream of and having a marriage that is legally recognized in Canada, when Thea passed away in 2009, Edith was saddled with a tax burden of $600,000 in state and federal estate taxes because her marriage isn’t legal in within the borders of the United States. This is one of the 1,138 benefits afforded to couples who are married in the United States. DOMA only recognizes a legal union between a man and woman and thus these benefits do not extend to same sex couples EVEN IF their marriage is legally recognized by the State. But in reality, this case is about so much more than just benefits and protections. Edith Windsor says, “The fact is, marriage is this magic thing. I mean forget all the financial stuff, marriage symbolizes commitment and love like nothing else in the world. And it’s known all over the world. I mean, wherever you go, if you’re married, that means something to people, and it meant a difference in feeling the next day.”

Here’s the FULL 1D Day Show!

We need to switch the way that we talk about women. That’s what I think needs to change. I think sometimes they don’t even know that they’re doing it and that’s the problem. You say the word “feminist” and already, like, you can feel the eye rolls in the room. Like, fuck off man. Fuck off. It has this crazy negative connotation that I never understood.

Este Haim spilling some truth tea (via haimpireweekend)

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/a-speculative-list-of-jay-zs-99-problems/

Awkward street cred issues re: recent events with “the 99%.”

Discomfort with monogamy and upcoming fatherhood, esp. w/in the context of being a very powerful individual (i.e. sex from whoever he desires widely available yet unattainable due to moral obligation).

Increasing existential distress re: fatherhood, fame, identity, public image.

Trouble figuring out which is the healthiest cooking oil.

cont...

So someone said to me that you can never meet a good person off the Internet. I want to prove them wrong. Reblog if you've met someone from the Internet and they've turned out to be one of the best people to ever exist.

Examples of overwhelming kindness following the Boston Marathon explosions.

PROP 8 DEAD. DOMA IS DEAD. HISTORY IS MADE. NOW LET’S DRINK ALL THE CHAMPAGNE.

One of my dearest friends! So proud of you! 

lainey gossip interviews sarah kaff, an inspirational masters student who is using her own brilliance to bring help & hope to buenos aires.

*disclaimer: no celebrity endorsements are intended or implied from the content of these interviews.

    Sarah Kaff, 22

Born: Saudi Arabia (Father is Egyptian, Mother is Algerian)

Moved to Canada: August 1994 first to Montreal and then to Ottawa in 1997

Languages spoken at home: Arabic, French, English

  Lainey-

Where are you right now?

  Sarah-

Buenos Aires. I’ve been in Argentina since January.

  Lainey-

You’re there on a practicum, right?

  Sarah-

Yes, I’m doing my practicum at a teaching hospital in HIV prevention.

  Lainey-

What’s your focus?

  Sarah-

Women with HIV, pregnant women with HIV, and women trying to get pregnant with HIV, and gay men.

  Lainey-

Why Buenos Aires?

  Sarah-

I really wanted to go to S America for my practicum for my masters. I’m doing a Masters in Public Health at the University of Waterloo and they encourage us to stay in Canada but I looked at the list of possible options, and I really wanted to go abroad, especially in the developing world. I wanted to get into HIV prevention and treatment and work with women.

  Lainey-

Why women in particular?

  Sarah-

We talk a lot in our program about the feminisation of HIV. What that means is that we see it more in developing nations — more and more women are getting HIV than there are men. Over 50% globally more infections are in women. HIV, to me, it’s not just a virus. It’s a social disease. It’s spread through sex work, especially in Africa it’s spread through migration. Women tend to be the ones who uphold the family so when they get infected and they don’t have treatment, it’s the entire family that gets affected by it. That’s why it’s my focus. The implications that this disease is having on the Female, collectively. And in North America, we might be hearing about it as much.

  Lainey-

So what are the particular challenges of the people you’re working with and the patients you’re treating?

  Sarah-

The majority of our patients are middle class, upper lower class, they tend to be more educated, they understand the disease but there are a lot of cultural implications that are intertwined with the disease. Argentina is not well known for advocating for sex ed and encouraging people to educate themselves. Most infections are from sex. Not IV users. People are being infected by partners. I’ve met a lot of hetero couples who are infected together. You go to a drug store and condoms are locked away, not readily accessible. We need to start encouraging these discussions.

  We are trying to develop programs to send to adolescents, especially young women about the benefits of having safe sex.

  Lainey-

Have we become complacent about HIV?

  Sarah-

Yes, especially in my generation. People my age don’t worry about it. That’s what I see here with a lot of my patients. They worry about other STIs. There’s still a big lack of education. And we are still seeing a lot of deaths from AIDS, even in places that are socioeconomically sound.

  Lainey-

What do your parents think of what you’re doing?

  Sarah-

They love it. They are really happy I’m here. My dad is a pharmacist, he knows it’s important. Coming from immigrant parents, they always wanted me to be a doctor. You know, the traditional professions. I had to convince them I could still work in health care but not necessarily be a doctor. I told them in 2nd year that I didn’t want to go med school. And I sat them down and showed them all the programs. Now they’ve come around. Now I fight with them about where I should work afterwards. They want me to go into government!

  Lainey-

Do you think your generation gets a bad reputation?

  Sarah-

There’s always the reputation that we are selfish, that we don’t know how to communicate, that we are inept at social situations, that technology has spoiled us. I think that’s really unfair. Obviously there are bad apples in very generation, but when they say technology has ruined the youth I object. It has done nothing but help us. It has helped us connect to the world. Every generation is selfish. It’s not just us. It’s just amplified by the media now.

  Lainey-

How about entitlement?

  Sarah-

I have 3 roommates. We’re 19 - 26 and we do agree that we are the entitled generation. That we want things NOW. I don’t know where that comes from. I don’t want to blame our parents. But it had to come from somewhere. For me I come from immigrant parents who busted their asses. My parents worked so hard. My dad didn’t have an income for the first few years because his degree didn’t transfer immediately to Canada. So I saw their journey and I learned from that. I always think about what would my mom think, what would my dad think before I make my decisions. That matters to me. I call my mom the Camel Mom,  like the Tiger Mom from that book. It shaped my work ethic. Maybe it has to be the example that parents set for their kids.

  Lainey-

OK, so you’re doing your practicum, you’re dealing sometimes with some heavy sh-t, what’s your balance? How do you balance?

  Sarah-

Celebrity gossip is my fallback! My first year in university when I was overwhelmed by my studies, I can focus on and it helps me forget. And, um, I’m a huge one direction fan. Because I’m obviously 12 years old. And…my profession might be in science, but I love the arts. I love movies and music. It’s always nice to know what goes on behind that world. My favourite articles are the ones about the industry and why someone was picked over someone else. And the publicity. It’s a big reflection on society.

  Lainey-

What is a gossip story you refuse to believe?

  Sarah-

I don’t think Jake gyllenhaal is gay.

  Lainey-

Good because he isn’t.

  Lainey-

OK, so who would play you in a movie about your life?

  Sarah-

Unless an Arab star breaks out in Hollywood any time soon, there’s no one who looks like me so it’s more on attitude. I’ll say Jennifer Lawrence because I love her and I feel like we could be really good friends. Ha!

  Lainey-

Who would be your best friend in the movie?

  Sarah-

Emma Stone. I really like her. And I’ve gotten really close with some of the girls on GossipCon Facebook. And they’re all really crazy and funny and wild. Someone like that.

  Lainey-

Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are friends in real life. It’s like gossip porn. OK, what song would be playing in the movie of your life during the montage?

  Sarah:

Something by Arctic Monkeys. And Tina Fey would write it and Amy Poehler would play my mom!

  Lainey-

What music video would you have wanted to be a part of?

  Sarah-

Anything by Beyonce — I want to be one of her backup dancers.

  Lainey-

And whose celebrity baby would you want to be the godmother for?

  Sarah-

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Apple. Just so I can get an in with the whole crowd.

  Lainey-

Favourite Oscar dress of all time?

  Sarah-

Anything that Maggie Gyllenhaal has ever worn. Rachel McAdams’s Elie Saab. Charlize Theron this year. Anything that Helena Bonham Carter wears. I like it when people go crazy on the red carpet. Cate Blanchett’s Dries Van Noten when she was pregnant.

Another summer quickie, which became so tedious I started skimming it. I was so excited to get this book I ordered it from the UK. Felt very similar to Prozac Nation. How's that for a literary reference generation X? Anyway, too depressing, and I'm not interested in cutting. 

Devouring a whole cheesecake on the other hand, I can totally get on board with that.

Where I want to be: Glastonbury

Where I am: Not at Glastonbury