Re-elect Kenneth Gulley

On Tuesday Bessemer voters have a chance to continue the leadership that has brought us from the brink four years ago. When Ken Gulley became mayor in 2010, Bessemer was $20 million in debt and our government was not sure how they would make payroll or pay utilities or pay for the other basic services that keep a city rolling.

2010 - Mayor Gulley being sworn in 

Look where we are today. The debt was paid off, and we have even been able to add 33 new police officers to the police force, meaning meeting payroll is not a problem (and hasn't been for years).

Four years ago I listed requirements for a candidate for mayor for Bessemer. These still hold true.

Number one was  We need a mayor who understands city finances and how to take control of the budget. Mayor Gulley has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he understands the city finances and has taken us from in the RED to in the BLACK and has the city on solid financial ground.

Number 2 was We need a mayor who has a vision for the city’s future and a plan to get us there. All candidates have a vision. Mayor Gulley wants downtown revitalized. He wants to continue to bring new businesses to the city. He wants opportunity for young people and programs for seniors and is building a new recreational center to help provide that.

Number 3 was The mayor needs to be a person who can get along with city council and who can share information freely (among themselves and with the public). We all remember the infighting that went on between the previous administration and council. We now have a council that works together and a mayor who respects the council and works with them. Several council members have indicated to me that it would be best if the entire council and mayor could be re-elected (this will not happen as Sarah Belcher is retiring this term and new council person will take her place).

You can read the rest of the list, but you get the picture. Mayor Gulley met my qualifications four years ago, and still does.

Now those who have followed me know that I am a firm believer in electing educated people who at least hold a college degree. That doesn't mean there are not exceptions, but Ken Gulley does have a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. Maybe that is why he was able to take control of the city's finances.

At the recent Mayoral Political Forum the three candidates for mayor presented their respective cases. Without calling them out on particular issues, I can say that neither of Mayor Gulley's opponents have a clear understanding of how a city is run. You cannot take bond money that the city has secured for a particular project and use it for another purpose. You cannot re-purpose a building that is in disrepair and in a flood zone because it would be difficult or impossible to secure funding for such a project. You cannot buy the YMCA and make it into a city recreational facility. 

One of the most obvious reasons to vote for Ken Gulley is: There is NO reason not to Vote for him. He has not done anything questionable. Bessemer is not dying, as is believed by other candidates. Look at your life here in Bessemer. Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? Is Bessemer better off than it was four years ago. I can state that I am better off (even having lost a home) than I was, and I can look around and see that Bessemer is better off (new business and expanding business have brought jobs to our city), crime is down, and people seem happier (part of that may be because we are getting further and further from the Bush years). The choice is clear.

Vote for Ken Gulley on August 26, 2014 for mayor.

From the Bessemer Courthouse to the Supreme Courthouse?

Concerned attorneys, elected officials, candidates, business owners, residents and others gathered at 11:00 on the steps of the Justice Center in Bessemer to show their opposition to the proposed closing of the courthouse.

Approximately 60 people heard Bessemer Mayor Ken Gulley, "I don't think the Constitution of the State of Alabama allows the commission to close this courthouse."

Mayor Gulley said he was ready to take the issue all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court if necessary in order to keep the courthouse open.

He said he was tired of our courthouse being treated like stepchildren.

(I'm sure he meant no harm to the multitudes of quality step-parents out there.)

But he's right. Remember when Commissioner Bettye Fine Collins questioned whether or not the court house should be built?

''Is Bessemer growing residentially that it needs to serve more people? No,'' Collins said. ''We've got a courthouse satellite in Forestdale, we've got one in Center Point, we've got one in Homewood and now one in Gardendale. Why in the world are we building a $100 million deal in Bessemer?''

Of course, as was brought up at today's protest by Sylvia Blackerby (the organizer of the event) the Bessemer Justice Center serves more than just the residents of Bessemer. The fastest growing area of the county, McCalla, along with Fairfield, Brighton, Lipscomb, areas of the county, parts of Hoover, are all served here.

Ms. Blackerby also noted that among those affected by the closing would be the victims of crimes who would then have to travel to downtown Birmingham for legal proceedings.

And she reminded the crowd that there are 5 elected officials that were voted for in that building, and that by closing the facility, they are taking away our voting privileges.

Attorney Aaron Killings also spoke, sending a message to our commissioners that people are very disappointed that they want to disregard Bessemer.

Commissioner Jimmie Stephens spoke up and wanted clarification that not all the commissioners were in on that, and that he was in favor of keeping the courthouse open.

After Mr. Stephens  spoke a retired Jeffco worker got in his face with her concerns about the commission firing or forcing retirement on so many people.

If this courthouse closes, more people will lose their jobs. Some inside the courthouse but many outside the courthouse as well. Attorney's offices might cut back, restaurants (including the Bright Star) will see their clientele diminish in number.

People were watching from across the street (no, those bars aren't part of the jail).

And what about these people. This is part of the line of people waiting to get tags today. These are not all Bessemer residents. But what if they were?  So what? This courthouse is here because...

 The Bessemer Division of the Jefferson County Circuit Court was established in 1915 and the old courthouse finished in 1920. So for almost 100 years the people in the Western part of Jefferson County have traveled to Bessemer to conduct business. If this courthouse were to close, or to move out of the downtown area, the city center of Bessemer would become a ghost town.

Let the commissioners know what you think.

Commissioners are:

David Carrington: Phone (205) 325-5503

George Bowman: Phone: (205) 325-5504

Sandra Little Brown: Phone: (205) 325-5074

Jimmie Stephens: Phone: (205) 325-5555

Joe Knight:  Phone: (205) 325-5070   

Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System in Bessemer

The newly revealed Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System includes Bessemer in the best ways. That means they included my suggestion for a trail using the old trestle and the overpasses along 14th Street. (I've been promoting that since 2009). But it also includes several other trails, which I will detail here. Click on the map for a larger image.

Here is closer detail of the trail.

Here is the link where you can see the entire map and explore the system. These trails were developed with input from the public, including a stop in Bessemer.

The lower "S" in the picture is sort of on top of the Trestle. See how the trail curves and heads down Alabama Avenue toward the Hall of History. Not included on their trail, but this could easily link Alex Bradford Park, Boateng's Cajun Restaurant, and the Hall of History to the system.

But notice how it curves southeast and runs along 14th Street (Highway 150). It's called the Old Bessemer Railroad Greenway Trail. This will require use of the overpasses that you must travel beneath to enter our neighborhood. This will connect with a major trail called the Bessemer CSX Trail, and also with the Shades Creek Greenway South and the Lakeshore Parkway Trail.

Notice the red trail headed northeast near Roosevelt Park?  That rail runs along Dartmouth Avenue and is called the Dartmouth Avenue Trail. It connects to the Harmony Drive Greenway in Lipscomb, which connects to the US Highway 11 trail (Bessemer Super Highway) and the Valley Creek Greenway.

There are other trails in Bessemer, including the Halls Creek Greenway and the DeBardeleben Park Connector, and the Alabama Adventure Connector.

Click on the link and use the map tools to zoom in to see the details of these trails.

Now for the reality. The trail system could take 30 years and $200 million to build.

But I know a lot of people in Bessemer and Lipscomb that would like to see these trails developed. And I know we can be creative in seeking funding to get started!  In fact, some of this was discussed at the Bessemer Historical Homeowners Association meeting last night.

Big Ideas, Little People

Yesterday the Bessemer City Council met in the cramped conference room at City Hall for their planning meeting. Out of that three hours and then some meeting some great ideas arose that have the potential to affect the city in grand ways.

But in the bleachers 10 or 12 seats surrounding the conference table were citizens, some of whom had wanted to address the council on various issues. That doesn’t happen at a planning meeting.

First the big ideas

I  am sharing probabilities of these things actually happening. The probabilities are based on nothing more than my gut feeling.

Amsted Rail is going to be annexed into the City of Bessemer. (Note to City - learn to spell the name of big companies you are recruiting - see Council agenda). Many people already think the plant is in the city limits, but it is not. It’s on county land. Months of tough negotiations took place between the mayor and Amsted officials.

Amsted, which has operations world wide, announced in 2010 that they were going to reopen the plant in Bessemer. Yesterday their representative said the Bessemer plant will be their show case facility.

Amsted in Bessemer will have a $6,000,000 payroll. That means money in the bank for Bessemer.

The annexation into Bessemer will bring approximately $300, 000 in taxes and fees into the city, including over $100,000 that will go to the Bessemer School System.

There was some grumbling about tax abatements and incentives which were the focus of the negotiations.

Note to dissenters – incentives are always a part of business recruitment and it looks like Bessemer did well in this case.

Amsted gets city services such as fire and police protection.

Probability of annexation taking place – 95%

The potential Bessemer Animal Shelter was discussed. A coalition of nonprofits and individuals (me included) have been working toward this since 2001 or before. Animal control is linked to dog fighting and public safety and if this works out, Bessemer will have a showcase facility and our city will become safer and more attractive

Here is an architect (Lance Black) rendering of what a possible transformation of an unused building on Bessemer’s south side could look like.

Here is the empty building today.

This project could see Bessemer partnering with The Foundry and could see Bessemer Animal Control employees receiving valuable training in animal handling and safety through the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

That the proposal was even presented represents a transformation in the city, if you remember just a few years ago, under a different administration, the subject of animal control was considered taboo, and we were not allowed to discuss the issue in front of the council.

This project, in spite of having groundwork laid for years, is in its infancy.

Probability of this animal control project coming to be – 70%

Bessemer needs a new City Hall, and in fact, the current facility is totally unacceptable for a city trying to enhance its image and attract new business and people.

There is a proposal that the city purchase First Presbyterian Church across the street and transform it into a new City Hall that would place the offices for other city services like revenue and licensing all under one roof. Architect Lance Black has suggested replacing the steeple with a clock tower and enclosing the existing courtyard by using architectural features that match that of the church to create a common lobby space for city service offices.

A deal is being brokered between the city, the Industrial Development Board, and the Church, where everyone is a winner and the city has no or few out of pocket costs.

Probability of Bessemer moving across the street into its new city hall – 80%

And it looks like Bessemer will be strengthening its anti-smoking law in an effort to protect employees and patrons of local businesses from second hand smoke. This will be considered on March 6.

Now the grumbling

Residents of Bessemer are tired of the gunfire (especially on New Years Eve), tired of the roaming packs of dogs, tired of the trashy alleyways and tired of dilapidated buildings. While some of these issues were addressed in a peripheral way at yesterday’s meeting, citizens do not feel that their council members or the mayor are listening to their concerns. 

It can be argued that the new animal control facility will help in solving the dog problem, and the annexation will bring in revenue to improve city services, the public does not necessarily see it that way. They want action now.

One possibility was mentioned by Beth Jerome of Habitat for Humanity who was asked to speak on the groups desire to do more work in our city. She said that they have an allotment for property purchase (I believe she said $10,000), and if the owner of a property with a blighted house would donate the property, they could use their allotment to clear the property. Win-win.

More community meetings involving city council members, and including appearances by the mayor, are the answer to some of the citizen unrest. We’ll see if this happens soon, or will they wait until election year?

Probability of City Officials responding to citizen's needs - ?

Alabama Gives Day

Tomorrow is Alabama Gives Day. Thursday, February 2, 2012, is your opportunity to help nonprofits in Alabama raise money in a unique and collective way. Join others in the effort to promote charitable giving. There are hundreds of organizations participating and all are listed here at Alabama Gives Day.

You can search by zip code, by category, by keyword or other ways to find nonprofits with a mission that fits your favorite cause.

Just as examples, here are three nonprofits that I plan to support.

Clay House


The Clay House Children's Center in Bessemer provides a non-threatening child-friendly atmosphere designed for child abuse victims and the necessary mental health treatment. This is a typical story.
 

Imagine being afraid to sleep in your own bed at night. Afraid, because you know your father will come into your room later and “touch” you. Your step-mother knows what your father is doing to you and beats you every day because she hates you. You are forced to live as a slave in your own house and you are beaten if your chores are not done “correctly.” You are not allowed to have birthday parties, go on school trips, or have friends like other kids. You are completely cut off from the outside world.

Child abuse is a serious problem, and is more common than you might imagine. Please consider donating to the Clay House Children's Center.


First Teachers @ Home

First Teachers @ Home is a parent centered program that helps low income parents prepare their 3-4 year old children for success in school.

Alabama's pre-k attendance is only at 7%.  The programs can be expensive, and public programs like Head Start have long waiting lists.

Unlike other education achievement programs that focus on schools, First Teachers @ Home focuses on the primary educators of children: their parents.

We believe that by educating parents on how to communicate with their children, how to read and write with their children, and how to instill self-confidence and high self-esteem in their children before they enter kindergarten, children can enter school ready to succeed despite the fact that they lack a formal pre-k education.

First Teachers @ Home is planning to expand into Bessemer. Susan Swartz, the president of First Teachers @ Home, sent me this.

 

We are starting a new First Teachers @ Home program at one and probably two schools in the Bessemer School System – Abrams and Hardy Elementary Schools.  The families who attend this new site must necessarily be residents of Bessemer or their older children wouldn’t be able to go to that Bessemer School.  We are really excited about this, since we have had some Bessemer residents asking us about doing First Teachers @ Home in their community.  Our target start date is at the end of Feb./early March.

We need this in Bessemer. Please consider donating to First Teachers @ Home.

Magic City Choral Society

 The Magic City Choral Society is an inclusive community of singers and supporters united around the performance of choral music that entertains, educates, and inspires.

The MCCS understand that arts, and choral arts in particular, makes a positive contribution to people's quality of time/life. The choral arts bring people together creating new communities, which connect and strengthen the larger communities in which these individuals belong. However, this only happens when people have access to the choral arts either as participants and/or as audience members. Providing a men's and women's chorus for people without audition accomplishes one aspect of creating access, however, all to often, the performing arts have admission costs which create financial barriers for some. The MCCS accomplishes the other aspect of access by providing concerts at world class venues free of charge.

Please consider donating to Magic City Choral Society.

Remember, tomorrow, Thursday, February 2, is Alabama Gives Day. Some organizations have matching gifts tomorrow. Check it out today, and return tomorrow to give.

State of the City is....Bright!

Bessemer mayor Ken Gulley presented his State of the City address last night to an enthusiastic crowd at Bessemer Civic Center last night.

Council President Ron Marshall introduced the mayor, saying "He has a spirit of cooperation," something I have been pointing out about the current leadership since the mayor and council took office over a year ago. Because of this cooperative spirit, the mayor and council have been able to turn things around in this city.

Finances were the main issue addressed, and this was appropriate since the city's finances were known to be in disarray when Mayor Gulley took office.

During the past year, Bessemer put in place a 1 cent sales tax increase. 12.5% of this increased revenue is being set aside for a new recreation center. A new rec center has been on the agenda as long as I have lived in Bessemer, but this is the first time a mayor has developed a plan that could actually result in one. He said that they will assess the income,which is being collected in its own account, and once they have a clear idea of the income that is being generated they will go to the bond market to secure funding for a center.

The city also opened a new landfill which resulted in savings of over $475,000.

Education

Mr. Gulley spoke of education too. One cloud that has been hanging over Bessemer since before the last election is the money owed by the city to the school system, and the lawsuit regarding that. The mayor reported that there were meetings with the council and the school board, and that an amicable settlement was reached and the city is now meeting its obligations.

He also said that most of the city employees that were let go because of the financial condition of the city last year have been rehired. He admitted that the city had neglected its employees in the past, and hopes to give them a cost of living raise this year.

Crime

Crime is always a concern in Bessemer. Unfortunately homicides were a big concern last year, with 11 murders occurring in our city limits. Bessemer Opinions will share more information about these crimes (nothing groundbreaking) in a future post, but the mayor did report that 10 of the homicides have been solved and the suspects are being brought to justice.

He urged citizen participation in reporting suspicious activity and crimes. The most important thing revealed last night might have been the establishment of an anonymous tip line - 428-3541, where residents and others can call and report a crime or suspicious activity without revealing who they are. Keep this number handy, use it!

He also said the Bessemer Police Department has altered their shifts so that more officers are on patrol, and this is a good thing. I will repeat my suggestion for the umpteenth time. Have the officers park their cars in neighborhoods, and walk the streets for a little while each day. Let then meet and talk with the residents, establishing relationships and trust that is sorely needed. Also, much more can be seen when walking rather than driving along our streets.

He spoke of the jobs coming to our city. Dollar General will be opening their $100 million distribution center next month, providing 650 jobs. Bermco Aluminum is bringing a multi million dollar plant to Bessemer and Huntsville Wholesale Furniture (Ashley Furniture) is planning a distribution center here.

Here is an article that describes what this kind of activity means to our city and calls our city the "economic powerhouse" of the metro area.

Bessemer Utilities

The mayor acknowledged that there have been some problems at Bessemer Utilities with personnel. (I am reminded of a facebook status I posted last year about standing in line there while the woman behind the counter talked on her cell phone with a sign in front of her ordering customers to not use their cell phones). The mayor said "I will personally be spending time at Bessemer Utilities," to address these problems.

But the mayor also spoke highly of the utility in responding to outages during the storms in April and September of 2011, and their willingness and ability to help other communities that were in greater need than our own. And he spoke of the infrastructure improvements at the utility that will benefit all of its customers.

The mayor concluded with, "As I said in February 2011, the future of the city of Bessemer is bright."

This prediction was met with reserved enthusiasm last year, but repeating it this year is justified. With the financial situation under control and a recreation center on the horizon, the mayor and council can focus on even more positive steps for our city. Maybe some neighborhood revitalization? And this?

Bessemer's new DHR building opens

The deadly storms that rolled through our communities two nights ago brought quick reminders of the April 2011 storms that devastated large areas and killed so many people.

There is some degree of irony as the Alabama Department of Human Resources in Bessemer began operating out of their new building. Their former assistant director Nancy Wilson was killed during the April storms, and the building she worked so hard to bring to downtown Bessemer opened in the wake of the deadly tornadoes this week.

Soon a plaque will be installed in the building commemorating Nancy Wilson. The Bessemer Public Building Authority is dedicating the building in her name. There will be a grand opening soon.

The building sits on the corner of 1st Avenue and 20th Street, and is expected to bring new life to this area of downtown.

All of the services offered by DHR for the Bessemer Cutoff will now be accessible from this office.
The 20th Street entrance reflects the styles of historic buildings in Bessemer.

Here is a picture of the light fixture overhead as you exit (or enter) through these doors.

Here is a small portion of the electrical conduit in the mechanical area.

There is still some work to be done before all the DHR operations are running smoothly, as there are "birthing pains" that must be experienced when moving operations from three or four areas into one building takes place. One of the parking lots is still under construction, and employees are still adjusting to their new offices and a new phone system and such.

So be patient if you visit the new Department of Human Resources building in Bessemer. Having this building is definitely a plus for the area, and accessing their services will be easier once everything is running smoothly.

Holiday Tour of Homes - Bessemer

On Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4 the Bessemer Historical Homeowners Association will present it's 2011 Lakewood Estates Holiday Tour of Homes.

Historic Lakewood Estates was established in 1925 by Mr. William Harper Lewis, a Bessemer banker and civic figure. The "Original Seven" homes were built between 1926 and 1929. Several of these are among the homes you will see on display.

Here are three of the Original Seven homes that will be on the tour.

I don't think there will be any snow this weekend, but the pictures of the homes in the snow are Christmasy.

Lakewood Estates is just off of 4th Avenue (Old Tuscaloosa Highway) in Bessemer. Google Lakewood Drive, Bessemer for a map.

The tour is from 1 pm to 5 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets $10 and are available at the tour.

The tour is sponsored by the Bessemer Historical Homeowners Association; Summer Classics; Milos; Brown Consulting, Inc; David Smith, Keller Williams Realty; and The Bright Star.

Early Bessemer

On Thursday, November 17, the Bessemer Hall of History will host Jason Burnett, author of "Early Bessemer," in celebration of the publication of the book.

Early Bessemer is a history of the city in pictures and should prove interesting to all of us in Bessemer. The pictures came from the Hall of History's collection, and date back to before the city was founded in 1887.

The celebration will last from 5 to 8 pm. 

Mounds

I absolutely love visiting places where early civilizations lived and transferring myself into their realm, dissolving any knowledge of science or modernity and imagining what I would think of stars, the moon, poison ivy, storms, my attraction to men, and other things. How would we deal with those things without our knowledge, amassed over thousands of years?

Moundville is not far from Bessemer, and I visited there this week. If you don't know, Moundville represents a Native American culture that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. Much of what we understand about this "prehistoric" city is by representation of what has been learned with our modern idea of what was.

Photo Credit University of Alabama Museums

This is a reenactor in costume. This is what we suppose a man of ancient "Moundville" looked like. Nice. But I digress.

Moundville was occupied from around 1000AD to 1450 AD. It was a hubbub of activity, spreading over 325 acres with 29 earthen mounds and dwellings for thousands of people. It was a center of political and religious activity. The decline and eventual abandonment of the center remains a mystery.

What did these people believe about nature and cosmic forces? This three dimensional eagle emerging from the clouds in the museum makes me wonder.

In some areas we are more precise in our knowledge.

Known as the "Moundville Duck Bowl," in 1906 this carved piece was touted as the most remarkable piece of sculpture ever discovered north of Mexico on the American continent.




This painted ceramic bottle is typical of the type of vessels found at Moundville. Sorry my picture is not of good quality, but I will come back to this picture in a minute.

There are life size representations of daily life, also in the museum.







The museum at Moundville is world class. Take a day and go visit.

But, did you know, that even closer, even older Indian mounds have been found. The Bessemer Mounds were once located in what is now Bessemer city limits and were occupied as early as 800 AD.

There were three mounds; a ceremonial mound, a burial mound and a domiciliary mound. You can read about the discovery and excavation of these mounds here. You can also learn there that the mounds no longer exist.

The actual mounds were destroyed during the excavations. Recent development, including a theme park, an outlet mall, and the Jefferson County Sewer and Garbage Disposal Plant, have destroyed a large part of the Indian village site.

Future development threatens to totally destroy what is left.

It is sad that so much of the site has been destroyed, but what remains could still become an archaeological park that would be an asset to the city and state. This would require some common sense and foresight.

Here is a picture of a bowl and a bottle found at the Bessemer site.




Picture credit University of Alabama Museums

Compare these bottles with the one from Moundville, which was probably made hundreds of years later. The structure and the decoration both seem to be more primitive in these Bessemer bottles. That is a layman's observation based on nothing more than photographs, but it makes one think about progress.

It is a shame that forward thinking (or backward appreciating) people were not successful in preserving the sites around Bessemer. We might have had a nice historical attraction of our own.

Gay Pride in Bessemer!

The following article appeared in this week's Western Star. This is evidence that equality events can and should take place in small communities as well as in large cities.

Jonesboro Community Garden turns into brightly colored beacon of equality


On Saturday, June 25th, Jonesboro Community Garden in Bessemer turned into a brightly colored beacon of equality, as Gay Pride was celebrated for the first time in Bessemer. The event was sponsored by Bessemer Equality, a Facebook group, and Equality Alabama, a statewide advocacy organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Several dozen people representing the racial and sexual diversity of Bessemer attended the event, and the park welcomed them with a rainbow of colors. Letters in the colors of the rainbow flag spelled out “Bessemer Pride!” and a rainbow flag and a historic U. S. flag flew from the gazebo.

Just like an old time church social, the event was pot luck. Those in attendance shared barbecue ribs, potato salad, fresh fruit, bacon cheese bread, pizza, cinnamon bread, cup cakes and more. Toddlers chased bubbles being produced by a bubble machine. Music played from a system set up in the gazebo. “New York, New York,” sung by Liza Minelli, was played several times to commemorate the approval of marriage equality in New York state, which had happened just hours earlier.

In addition to Equality Alabama, Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, had a display. ACCR is a nonprofit group seeking to draft a new state constitution.

Bessemer Historical Homeowners Association also had a display, with large photos of historical homes in our areas, and promoted home ownership with displays and literature of homes that are for sale in the city.

Surprisingly, they also featured a photo display that portrayed economic development in Bessemer. The new DHR building, the Norfolk Southern railroad hub, and the Dollar General distribution center, were pictured.

One of their displays featured a poster sized reprint of an article from USA Today titled “Gay-tolerant societies prosper economically.”

An artist and jewelry maker rounded out the displays.

One of the aims of the event was to bring the gay community and the straight community together. An estimate reveals that two thirds of the people there were straight, so it certainly achieved that goal.

Thanks to all who helped put on this event, and to those who came. Bessemer is on the move, as evidenced by this recent article in the Birmingham News. As the article in USA today said, gay tolerant societies prosper, and here is the proof.

Pride - here and there

Two historic Pride events took place this weekend.

One was in Bessemer, Alabama, where the first Gay Pride in the city's history was celebrated. Word is, this will be covered in this week's Western Star, so I won't upstage them. But if they print a story, I will copy it here. If they don't, I will report.

The other was in New York. This is my favorite picture of that event.

Photo credit Vivieene Gucwa flckr

The Pride in New York was historic in that they were celebrating marriage equality!

The following are reactions from crazy folk about the victory (all are from JoeMyGod over the last few days)

Pat Robertson says that God will destroy America because of this.

The Catholic League's Bill Donahue says it will lead to multiple husbands.

But unless there is a constitutional amendment, we will continue to have an uneven playing field, one that is ripe for further exploitation. Once marriage is separated from procreation, and Tom and Dick are allowed to marry, there is no principled reason why Tom, Dick and Harry can't do so. After all, wouldn't it be discrimination to say no to Harry?

Bryan Fischer, American Family Radio host, said we have fangs.

'The gay-rights groups have shown their fangs. They want to silence, yes, destroy those who don't agree with their agenda.' Homosexuals are rapidly cementing their position as the number one perpetrators of hate crimes in American today."

Linda Harvey, World New Daily writer, says

"This 'freedom' will include much more than a perpetual pansexual pagan party. It will, and already does, include libel, slander, intimidation, corruption of youth, revolt in congregations, suppression of parental rights, revision of language, disease, loss of employment and loss of life. Oh, and did I mention public sex, the porn explosion and public nudity? Welcome to entitlement sex."

Jason Adkins, Minnesota Marriage Coalition spokesperson, lied,

Marriage between one man and one woman has served mankind for all of recorded history...

Peter LaBarbera tweeted

Every homosexual activist victory (eg, same-sex *marriage* in NY) is a rebuke to our biblical heritage. Why should 'God Bless America'?

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said

The so-called religious protections that were tacked on to the bill will ultimately do nothing to protect the religious rights of New York citizens.

On twitter, @almightygod tweeted

Gays will be getting married in NY, so I guess I'll need to send them some tornadoes. Hope I don't miss and hit Kansas

Maggie Gallagher, in the National Review said,

"The National Organization for Marriage has committed $2 million to persuading Republicans: Voting for gay marriage has consequences. Sad that the N.Y. GOP has caved. Consequences to be continued."

Matt Barber of Liberty Council tweeted

Gay "marriage" silliness: sad for NY. Sad for America. Yet not unexpected. We mock God & He obliges. Buckle in. Rough ride ahead.

But, here are the facts.

New York marriage more than doubles the number of Americans who live in states where marriage equality is. This chart comes from Box Turtle Bulletin.



In 50 years we have come from being a nation where homosexuality was criminal in every state, to where our relationships are recognized as equal in 6 states. But still only 11% of the country (by population) is treated with equality. We still have a ways to go. Maybe we can move faster now. More than half of Americans support marriage equality, and there is no good reason to believe otherwise. None.

Bessemer Pride

On Saturday we will celebrate LGBT Pride in Bessemer for the first time!




The Western Star printed this announcement this week.

Bessemer Pride

Bessemer Pride will take place on Saturday, June 25, from 11:30 am to 2 pm, at Jonesboro Community Garden, corner of Owen Avenue and Wellington. Bessemer Pride is about highlighting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Bessemer and surrounding communities and uniting with the straight community to move Bessemer forward. This will be a pot-luck,community get together, so bring your favorite food and join us.

Among the displays at Bessemer Pride will be a suggestion box. Should we keep the June date? Or is fall a better time (October is Gay History month)? Have it on a Sunday afternoon rather than Saturday? Have live entertainment? Forget the food, or raise money and make it a cookout? Other suggestions?

Come and join us, be proud (gay or straight) if you are from Bessemer, or learn a little about our city if you are from elsewhere.

Jonesboro Community Garden is at the corner of Owen Avenue and Wellington in Bessemer, AL.