Mother Goose p4 - The Word 2-2015
1
Page 4 The Word February 2015 On The Web At: www.thegayword.com The Goose Is Loose! By Michael Chanak Cincinnati Pundit & Commentator This year, evaluate whether you can benefit from: 1. Tax-advantaged investments. If appropriate, consider tax-free municipal bonds to provide federally tax-free income.* 2. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Consider contributing to a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or 401(k) to help lower your taxable income. 3. Tax-advantaged college savings accounts. Contribute or gift to a college savings plan for your children or grandchildren. *May be subject to state and local taxes and the alternative minimum tax (AMT). Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult with a qualified tax specialist or legal advisor for professional advice on your situation. Feeling like you paid too much in taxes this year? Call or visit today to learn more about these investing strategies. www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Michael E Wright, CFP® Financial Advisor . 6925 E 96th Street Suite 265 Indianapolis, IN 46250 317-841-9563 It was but a mere 30 years ago on Fountain Square that a turnout of 200 and the local news reporting on those militant homosexuals made great news. Just a little secret, looking back – my friends got rather a kick out of the day. What did we have to lose? If you went to Pride – and ended up on TV, any conventional privilege you might have hoped for was burned up, unless you were tenured at a university or self-employed. In fact, I came out at P&G at the Sharon Woods Technical Centre that way four months after I started working there as an “administrative/ technical” person. What a coming out I had! The late Dr. Bob McNee of the UC Geography Department managed to hug me on camera on Fountain Square. We exchanged a kiss. I remember that handlebar mustache to this day. Bob was with his lover, Dr. Shane Que Hee (now at UCLA). As luck would have it, that kiss, like the love that dare not speak its name, was replayed for several days. Monday at work, folks came to my lab and congratulated me, and also warned me “of how careful I would have to be at P&G.” This is long before the HRC 100% scores (ah um). Indeed, their warnings were very accurate. The news was so slow on the Monday night post pride that the video was rolled on local TV again. So on Tuesday morning, a closet queen (and a dear soul) came to my office and said to me privately “gurl, you need to get your face off TV.” Of course this launched my almost 20 years at P&G, before retirement and motivated me to become an employee advocate for inclusion of the “GL words” into the EEO policy at P&G — something that finally found success in September 1992. No wonder the Goose took such umbrage when a mere four years ago when our Cincinnati HRC lauded an individual for their diversity work there – asking him to stand and be recognised, while I sat in the audience. That fellow didn’t even work at P&G until after I retired (to my knowledge) and may not have been of legal age to work when these battles were even fought! But in spite of that, I would not have traded the experience with friends and foes alike because it made me — as LB, a Trans comic book creator — calls me, “the grand and noble goose.” So if you see me smile as I look around the room, be it at a Pride meeting, P-FLAG, the Court or even a free buffet, know I am reflecting on souls past, events past – and how grateful I am to see what has come of the these events and risks taken by so many. There is also sadness, just not for all the souls now gone but one for current events. With the death of Leelah Alcorn I knew full well this was a major event. I also knew that many would quickly align themselves as the grand “trans advocates”. I’ve always had Trans folks in my life, so when hundreds turned out to remember Leelah there was that part of me that said “um, I don’t remember seeing you at the meetings or seminars.” If Leelah left a great legacy it is to remind people much work remains to be done. I will share that when I remarked in some circles that the fate of older adults in the community was similar to some of our youth, I was met with silence. I spoke not of my life. I am blessed, I am alive and contributing. No, I spoke of the many I know — fifty and overs — who have either just come out or are new to the scene. Their lives matter also. I hear your plea Leelah. I hope others truly do and advocate for everyone who does not have a place at the table. The Goose will end with the usual shameless plugs. I don’t care what group you choose or event you participate in – but participate in something. You will find it enriches you, and your community. Cincinnati Pride is Saturday 27th June www.cincincinnatpride.org and Pride Nights at Kings is Friday the 11th of September this year (see www.cincyglbt.com). If you keep at it long enough, someone may call you a “legacy member” of the community. Like Leelah said: FixSociety.
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Mother Goose, aka Michael Chanak is a regular contributor to The Word.
Transcript of Mother Goose p4 - The Word 2-2015
Page 4 The Word February 2015 On The Web At: www.thegayword.com
The Goose Is Loose!
By Michael Chanak Cincinnati Pundit & Commentator
This year, evaluate whether you can benefit from:
1. Tax-advantaged investments. If appropriate, consider tax-free municipal bonds to provide federally tax-free income.*
2. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Consider contributing to a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or 401(k) to help lower your taxable income.
3. Tax-advantaged college savings accounts. Contribute or gift to a college savings plan for your children or grandchildren.
*May be subject to state and local taxes and the alternative minimum tax (AMT).
Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult with a qualified tax specialist or legal advisor for professional advice on your situation.
Feeling like you paid too much in taxes this year?
Call or visit today to learn more about these investing strategies.
www.edwardjones.com
Member SIPC
Michael E Wright, CFP®Financial Advisor.
6925 E 96th StreetSuite 265Indianapolis, IN 46250317-841-9563
It was but a mere 30 years ago on Fountain Square that a turnout of 200 and the local news reporting on those militant homosexuals made great news. Just a little secret, looking back – my friends got rather a kick out of the day. What did we have to lose? If you went to Pride – and ended up on TV, any conventional privilege you might have hoped for was burned up, unless you were tenured at a university or self-employed. In fact, I came out at P&G at the Sharon Woods Technical Centre that way four months after I started working there as an “administrative/technical” person. What a coming out I had! The late Dr. Bob McNee of the UC Geography Department managed to hug me on camera on Fountain Square. We exchanged a kiss. I remember that handlebar mustache to this day. Bob was with his lover, Dr. Shane Que Hee (now at UCLA). As luck would have it, that kiss, like the love that dare not speak its name, was replayed for several days.
Monday at work, folks came to my lab and congratulated me, and also warned me “of how careful I would have to be at P&G.” This is long before the HRC 100% scores (ah um). Indeed, their warnings were very accurate. The news was so slow on the Monday night post pride that the video was rolled on local TV again. So on Tuesday morning, a closet queen (and a dear soul) came to my office and said to me privately “gurl, you need to get your face off TV.” Of course this launched my almost 20 years at P&G, before retirement and motivated me to become an employee advocate for inclusion of the “GL words” into the EEO policy at P&G — something that finally found success in September 1992. No wonder the Goose took such umbrage when a mere four years ago when our Cincinnati HRC lauded an individual for their diversity work there – asking him to stand and be recognised, while I sat in the audience. That fellow didn’t even work at P&G until after I retired (to my knowledge) and may not have been of legal age to work when these battles were even fought! But in spite of that, I would not have traded the experience with friends and foes alike because it made me — as LB, a Trans comic book creator — calls me, “the grand and noble goose.”
So if you see me smile as I look around the room, be it at a Pride meeting, P-FLAG, the Court or even a free buffet, know I am reflecting on souls past, events past – and how grateful I am to see what has come of the these events and risks taken by so many. There is also sadness, just not for all the souls now gone but one for current events. With the death of Leelah Alcorn I knew full well this was a major event. I also knew that many would quickly align themselves as the grand “trans advocates”. I’ve always had Trans folks in my life, so when hundreds turned out to remember Leelah there was that part of me that said “um, I don’t remember seeing you at the meetings or seminars.” If Leelah left a great legacy it is to remind people much work remains to be done.
I will share that when I remarked in some circles that the fate of older adults in the community was similar to some of our youth, I was met with silence. I spoke not of my life. I am blessed, I am alive and contributing. No, I spoke of the many I know — fifty and overs — who have either just come out or are new to the scene. Their lives matter also. I hear your plea Leelah. I hope others truly do and advocate for everyone who does not have a place at the table.
The Goose will end with the usual shameless plugs. I don’t care what group you choose or event you participate in – but participate in something. You will find it enriches you, and your community. Cincinnati Pride is Saturday 27th June www.cincincinnatpride.org and Pride Nights at Kings is Friday the 11th of September this year (see www.cincyglbt.com). If you keep at it long enough, someone may call you a “legacy member” of the community. Like Leelah said: FixSociety.
