Annual Family Reunion - Reduced Blogging

The husband and I are once again in Somerset, Pennsylvania for his dual family reunions.  We had his dad's family's gathering yesterday and today we gather with members of his late mother's extended family.  We're staying at a pet friendly hotel so that the two dogs - a/k/a the hooligans - could accompany us, although they cannot be left alone or else they carry on and create all kinds of noise.  Prior to the family gathering yesterday we met four gay friends and toured the annual antique show that centers around the historic court house shown above.  One couple lives here - I don't think I could do it - and the other likewise comes to town for a family reunion that always coincides with those of the husband's family.

The scenery is beautiful, as the image below reveals, but if one is into more urban activities and a more open gay community, this is not the place to live.  This evening we will again gather with our gay friends for cocktails and dinner and continue what we jokingly refer to as the "Ya Ya Brotherhood" reunion.  Then its back on the road in the morning Tidewater Virginia which in many ways seems progressive in comparison even though our marriage is recognized here in Pennsylvania.

While we are traveling, blog posting will be reduced.

Pennsylvania Reunion Weekend - The Ya Ya Brotherhood

The house sitter is all lined up and the bags are almost packed as we prepare to head to the boyfriend's family reunion weekend in the Somerset, Pennsylvania (the county courthouse is pictured above) area.  We will stay in Somerset although the actual reunion on Saturday is just across a large hill from the Flight 93 memorial site).   As I have noted in the past, in addition to the family reunion activities each year we have what we call meetings of the "Ya Ya Brotherhood" - a group of gay friends some of whom are local and some of whom likewise have family reunions the same weekend each year.  Sadly, one couple - and they know who they are - are supposedly not coming this year.  We are NOT happy!!  And since I know they read this blog daily, they are hereby put on notice that we WILL talk about you if you're not present to protect your interests.  Since you know the members of the brotherhood all too well, you know just how catty and bitchy we might be.  We hope you reconsider!  The boyfriend and I are bringing the martinis for tomorrow night and dinner reservations have been made for Sunday night.  Hope you reconsider!!!  Call us if you change your mind.  xoxoxo

Southwest Pennyslvania, Family Reunions, and Anabaptist Bigotry

We got back t0 the hotel room last night after Phase Two of the family reunion weekend (which involved a family picnic in the mountains) and the "Yah Yah Brotherhood" reunion dinner at the home of local friends. This part of the country is truly physically beautiful, many of the people are sincere and nice, but I have to concede that if I had to live here, suicide might well be an attractive option after a short while. I hate to think what like must be like for those growing up gay, lesbian or transgender in this region of Pennsylvania. In Somerset, there are no gay bars (the nearest gay bar is about 30 miles away unless one makes the trek into Pittsburgh) and it seems many gays by necessity live closeted and fearful lives. In relative terms even the Hampton Roads area of Virginia seems like a bright spot in the larger gay universe. Worse yet, there are religious elements in the area that continue to actively strive to torment and demonize local gays. One such element are the Anabaptists who are improbably based worldwide in nearby Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

*

Over a decade ago The Advocate did a story on the Johnstown Anabaptist groups' ultimately successful effort to drive a local gay bar, Casa Nova, out of business. According to The Advocate, the Anabaptists' efforts were aided by the Klu Klux Klan. While it seems the local Jenner County authorities refused to close Casa Nova as demanded by the Anabaptist bigots who picketed the bar and harassed its patrons, they likewise failed to aggressive utilize the power of the civil and criminal laws to stop the activities of these self-righteous religious merchants of hate and division. Much like Southwest Virginia, this region of Pennsylvania needs modern, progressive businesses to bolster its economy. And again, much like Southwest Virginia, the impression that I get is that the local municipal authorities do not seem to grasp that modern, progressive businesses are not going to desire to locate to areas where Bible thumping religious extremists are allowed to harass law abiding citizens and denigrate the civil liberties of other citizens.

*

As for the Anabaptists, from some brief research on the Johnstown sect - actually, it seems more like a cult, if you ask me - seems to epitomise the anti-knowledge brain dead mindset and hypocrisy of the worse elements of the Christian Right. To get a feel for just how whacked out these folks are, here's a portion of the sect's scriptural beliefs:
*
1.01 We believe the Holy Bible to be “The Holy Scriptures” as set forth in 2 Timothy 3:15, and as such are “given by inspiration of God” (vs. 16), and therefore are Holy, infallible, perfect and without error.
1.02 By “Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty-six books “containing the Old and New Testaments translated out of the Original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised by His Majesty’s special command and appointed to be read in churches”, commonly called the King James Bible, or Authorized Version of 1611 A.D.1.03 We believe all other English and multi language versions and translations to be erroneous and fallible, and products of the age long attack by Satan upon the pure word of God (Genesis 3:1).
*
Obviously, the Anabaptists are in true la la land when it comes to having an accurate knowledge of history. They appear to engage in virtual idolatry of a version of the Bible compiled under the auspices of a flaming gay English monarch who probably would have sought to have the sect stamped out. While hardly alone in this baffling adherence to a version of the Bible compiled and promoted by a gay man, the Anabaptists seem to take the lunacy to higher levels than many. In fact, I sent an e-mail to Ron McRae, the presiding bishop in Johnstown pointing out this inconvenient bit of historical fact. Not surprisingly, nor response has been forth coming. Here are highlights of the information forwarded to McRae that some readers may not have seen previously:
*
One area of the life of King James that for many years remained clouded in controversy was allegations that James was homosexual. As James did father several children by Anne of Denmark, it is actually more accurate to say that he was allegedly a bi-sexual. While his close relationships with a number of men were noted, earlier historians questioned their sexual nature, however, few modern historians cast any doubt on the King's bisexuality and the fact that his sexuality and choice of male partners both as King of Scotland then later in London as King of England were the subject of gossip from the city taverns to the Privy Council. His relationship as a teenager with fellow teenager Esmé Stuart, Earl of Lennox was criticized by Scottish Church leaders, who were part of a conspiracy to keep the young King and the young French courtier apart, as the relationship was improper to say the least. Lennox, facing threats of death, was forced to leave Scotland.
*
In the 1580s, King James openly kissed Francis Stewart Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Contemporary sources clearly hinted their relationship was a sexual one. When James inherited the English throne from Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, it was openly joked of the new English monarch in London that “Elizabeth was King: now James is Queen!” If there is still any doubt, it should be noted that George Villiers, also held an intimate relationship with King James, about which King James himself was quite open. King James called Villiers his “wife” and called himself Villiers' “husband”! King James died in 1625 of gout and senility. He is buried in the Henry VII chapel in Westminster Abbey, with one of his favorite male suitors on his right, and another on his left.

Yah Yah Brotherhood/Sisterhood Dinner

Yesterday's round 2 of family reunion weekend went off well and again I felt accepted as the "boyfriend" by my partner's mother's family. The event was held at the hunting cabin near the top of a mountain that provided a panoramic view across the valleys below - much like in the photo above. Also attending the reunion was the boyfriend's cousin and her partner of 25+ years. In talking, it was both noteworthy and sad hearing how much more difficult it is for her to be who she is in the rural/conservative area of Southwestern Pennsylvania as compared to our home in Tidewater Virginia (which is not exactly a hotbed of liberalism). I truly enjoyed the event.

*

The finale of the reunion weekend was a dinner hosted last night by the owners of the Inn at Georgian Place for the LGBT guests who have come to the area to attend family reunions. We had four gay couples and one lesbian who attended and enjoyed each others' company and wit and humor. They refer to the event as the "Yah Yah Brotherhood Dinner" since a number of the attendees have been coming for years and the dinner provides an annual opportunity to reconnect after all the reunion gatherings are over. One of the attendees - Douglas - is the individual who loans us his apartment in the West Village when we go to New York City as we did last January (he and his partner live north of Philadelphia and he uses the apartment in NYC only a few days per week).

*

All and all, it was a terrific weekend and I am glad that I went - even if we had to head out at the crack of dawn to drive back to Virginia.

Family Reunions Weekend

Thanks for those readers who have inquired to make sure that I am OK. Thursday evening and yesterday were insane as we prepared to travel to the Somerset, Pennsylvania area (about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh) for the boyfriend's family reunions. Between juggling work issues - why is it that clients come out of the woodwork when one wants to leave the office a little early? - and the drive up here there was simply no time to blog. In any event, we arrived safely and have spent the day running out to see Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" - I will do a separate post on the experience - and all afternoon at his father's family reunion. We are now back at the Inn at Georgian Place (pictured above) which is owned by friends of the boyfriend and are going to have a quiet evening with another gay couple the boy friend knows who come here from Philadelphia each year for their family reunion which always take place the same weekend.

*

The Inn is beautiful and actually very reasonably priced since the rates include a top notch breakfast as well as beautiful rooms. A brief description of the Inn is as follows:

*

[T]his twenty-two room Georgian mansion has been lovingly and magnificently restored to its original grandeur. Beautiful oak paneling, ornate fireplaces, gold leaf chandeliers and an expansive marble foyer recreate the standard of living known to Mr. D.B. Zimmerman, a local coal and cattle baron, for whom the house was built in 1915.

*

I will talk more about the Inn in later posts and Jon and David, its gracious owners, and the wonderful staff.

*

As far as reunion No. 1 goes, it was a fun event with four generations of the boyfriend's family represented with about 65+ in attendance. On the way we stopped at the temporary memorial for Flight 93 which crashed a little more than the site of the reunion. In fact the boyfriend's aunt heard the tremendous explosion as the plane bored itself into the ground and exploded. It was a very moving experience. Currently, the set up is a bit makeshift, but in time the site will be completed as a national memorial.

*

At the reunion, I was a little nervous at first since many of the family members of quite religious (they don't drink so I had to go without any self-medication to ease the nervousness) and being introduced as "the boyfriend" certainly puts the issue out there. Much to my pleasure, everyone was totally accepting and by the time we were ready to leave, I received many hugs and kisses. Tomorrow we will attend my "mother-in-law's" family reunion in a small town named Berlin.

*

In any event, I am alive and well and readers have no need to worry about me.