Active Pro Athlete Comes Out

Today's...no, this month's...no, make that THIS YEAR'S big news: NBA player Jason Collins comes out as gay.

I just got back from Turkey and am kind of recovering from traveling right now. That said, I'm still awake and aware enough to do a little (good!) freaking out/flailing about the first active pro athlete (other than, perhaps, the 1970s baseball player Glenn Burke) to come out to the world as gay.

So, yes, consider this Jason Collins post the COMING OUT AS A GAY ATHLETE big, bold, all-caps post towards which the previous posts in this series of discussions (here, here, here, here, and here) were leading.

The Sports Illustrated article containing Jason Collins's narrative is honest and straightforward.  The truths that he shares are simple in presentation, but contain a courage in their simplicity that reveals his desire to live his life without hiding from the world this basic part of himself.  As Collins says, "The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in. I'm much happier since coming out to my friends and family. Being genuine and honest makes me happy."

So far, the reactions to his coming out seem to be positive and supportive.  Today and in the upcoming days, I'm sure we'll see whether earlier interviews with sports personalities and athletes that showed support for a theoretical gay teammate will prove true in the face of an actual gay teammate.  

In my opinion, the most interesting and telling question of support may not be known until this summer when we see what happens with Jason Collins's free agency.  His career thus far seems to have been reliable and productive, and he's set to become a free agent in July.  In the world of sports, "free agent" means he's up for grabs, and he has stated that he intends to pursue a new contract.  It looks like he has more basketball to play in him, and seven-feet-tall players don't just grow on trees. With that said, the biggest and most revealing question of acceptance may come in whether and/or how the NBA teams react.  Will Jason Collins receive a new contract offer?  Will the contract offer(s) reflect his abilities? Will the team(s) take into account only merit or will they also consider his status as a gay athlete?  Not to be a downer or realist, but these questions are still unanswered.

Setting that aside, let's focus on the positive.  For now, this is amazing news. Groundbreaking, really. An active pro athlete came out today as gay. Wow. Can you imagine that headline even five or ten years ago? Perhaps more active gay pro athletes will follow in his footsteps. Perhaps other major professional sports will get their own "firsts" soon.  And perhaps there will eventually be a time when coming out as a gay athlete won't actually be front page, all-caps news at all.

Rooting for number 98,

NJ

So. Much. News.

Ahhhh! So much to share! But also...so much stuff to do still! I guess that means this is going to be a type-by, info-heavy posting.  :D

First, I went on a spontaneous and last minute trip to Iceland.  Yup, ICELAND. It was awesome with really stark and stunning landscape and nature-y stuff everywhere. I booked the trip a few days before flying out largely because I wanted to see the Northern Lights.  That was kind of on my mental bucket list (if I were to keep one, that is), and Iceland in late March just seemed like the perfect opportunity. After booking a tour to go out onto the bay and ocean in a boat, I saw the Northern Lights on my first night.  The whole night was really an amazing experience, and everything else on my trip was a bonus after that. :)  Gratuitous pic of the beautiful Gullfoss waterfall!

Second, upon my return, I received a message from Less Than Three Press about accepting my swimmer/massage therapist manuscript for publication. YAYAYAYAY! Let me repeat: yay! *ahem* So yeah, the contract is all signed up now, and it'll go through the editing process and all that stuffs. Not sure what the ETA is for publication, but I'm not too concerned. What's awesome is I got the "yes," and my big surly swimmer and happy hapa massage therapist have found a cozy new home.  So yeah, the big takeaway is the yay! :)

Third, I've been making some serious progress on my latest WIP, the LHNB event story. After a rollicking good start, I jumped out to around 10K words by the time I flew out to Iceland.  Since returning, I'm now at 14K and around 80-85% done.  I'd loooove to finish this by the time I fly out, but it might have to happen while I'm IN Turkey. And how interesting would that be, eh??? :) The most difficult part, though? I can't think up a danged title, and the title info is due tomorrow! Well, to be fair, I've thought up a couple potential ones, but I still am not 100% sold on them. :/ :/ So even though the words are coming, the big picture title stuff is not. Roar.

Finally, I leave for Turkey tomorrow! Whoa. I know, a lot of travel lately, but it's just my way of taking full advantage of my voluntary unemployment. After all, when else will I have (a) the free time and (b) the money set aside specifically to do stuff like this?  Also, I figured it would make sense to travel to Europe while I'm still on the East Coast. It might help if I got myself into gear, though, with the packing. And the figuring out what I'm doing in Turkey part. Eeks! I'm just gonna have to go with the flow and trust that things will turn out ab fab. :)

That's about it on my end.  Oh! Also, it was 70 degrees today in NYC. Forget that dumb groundhog, who was a big fat liar! Here's a curious daffodil checking out its own shadow:

Stay sunny, folks!

NJ

Marriage Equality

I hope we get it right this time.

History is being made right now in the highest court in the land.  Today and tomorrow, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) hears arguments regarding same sex marriage, including California's ban on same sex marriage under Proposition 8.

In my mind, the issue has eerie similarities to landmark discrimination cases, most notably Brown vs. Board of Education, which struck down "separate but equal," and Loving v. Virginia, which struck down laws against interracial marriages.

Scott Fujita, an NFL linebacker with a hapa Japanese heritage, recently published an eloquent essay in support of same sex marriage in the New York Times about "Acceptance by Example, on the Field and at Home."  He presents the issue from a unique perspective - as a parent, as a professional athlete in an intensely physical and testosterone-dominated sport, and as a person of mixed racial heritage. I love the quiet simplicity of his explanations, and I, too, share the hope that, years from now, we will look at today's "controversy" over same sex marriage in the same way we now look back and shake our heads at the "controversy" of interracial marriages before the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision.

The same sex marriage issue brings me back to my law school days, so bear with me as I share a few thoughts on the legal aspects involved here.  For the most part, it's a constitutional issue under the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.  To me, the marriage prohibitions limit marriages based on gender, and gender is a quasi-suspect classification under the EPC.  For quasi-suspect classifications, the courts use intermediate scrutiny to determine whether a law is substantially related to an important government interest.

Further to the EPC arguments on suspect classification, I also wonder about another constitutional EPC issue - that of fundamental rights and, particularly, the right to privacy.  From my understanding, the right to privacy includes decisions about marriage, and it seems arguable that the decision to marry a certain person - namely, a person of the same sex - would be included within that category of decisions about marriage.  If the same sex marriage prohibitions are considered intrusive on that fundamental right to privacy, then the court would use strict scrutiny, under which the law needs to be narrowly tailored and necessary to a compelling government interest.

In my mind, the question then becomes how to define the government's interest. I hope that the government interest here lies with protecting marriage.  Contrary to conservative voices that equate protecting marriage to denying same sex marriages, I would suggest that protecting marriage actually means protecting the basic right to marry - or not marry - for all citizens.  As the Warren court in Loving v. Virginia held, "marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival....Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State."

So will the 2013 Roberts court apply the same reasoning to its decision on the freedom to marry a person of the same sex?

It makes sense to me, and it is my hope that the court takes such a stance.  My dream?  For the Roberts court to issue a unanimous decision in support of same sex marriage.  As background, I should note that the SCOTUS decisions are often split - and, many times, 5-4 splits - because, by the time the issues in question come to the SCOTUS, they are often borderline cases that could go either way. However, the SCOTUS can - and does - issue unanimous opinions at times in order to send a message as to the court's unity on that point.

Previous SCOTUS decisions that were unanimous include Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia.

Equality.  It's a simple enough idea.

Waving her equal rights flag,
NJ

New WIP!

*sounds the alarm* The Goodreads M/M Romance group recently launched their big Don't Read in the Closet annual writing event! :D

The Don't Read in the Closet event is what got me started as a writer a year ago with Man-to-Man Coverage, and um...let's just say the writing bug bit me. :) I've chosen a new prompt for this year, so be on the lookout this summer for a story about sweet college boys.

Check out more info on the group's webpage (note: must be a member of the Goodreads group to access the site)!  Take a peek around and, if you are so inclined, submit a Dear Author request letter of your own. It's super easy - just find a pic that you like, write a prompt about the picture to inspire an author, and cross your fingers that an author will claim your letter.  In past years, I believe 99% of letters were claimed, so you have a pretty darn good chance of getting a custom story - all you need to do is muster up the courage to ask for it. :)

Separately, if you've ever wanted to try your hand at writing M/M, this is a great opportunity to spread your wings. The environment is super supportive and friendly. If a prompt speaks to you and you can follow the submission guidelines, then go for it!

Okay, gotta rev up those engines on this WIP. What with my Turkey trip next month and moving cross-country in May, it's gonna be a busy next couple of months! :)

Hugs,
NJ

For Love of the Animals

So I'm pretty much kitty-obsessed or, at the very least, Nico (the feline) obsessed. He's my little cutie boy, and I had sooooo much fun hanging out with him when I was back in SF.  *cues up the song "Reunited" by Peaches & Herb*

What prompted this post, however, is this really awesome article I found showing unusual animal pairings.  You know, have you ever seen those adorable pictures that show, e.g., a monkey has made friends with a squirrel? Yup. I found a whole plethora of them, but BONUS. These include cute little "animal version" and "human version" descriptions of their friendships.

Here's the link to the picture (squee!) slideshow: A Guide to Love in Any Species (Animal Odd Couples)

So adorable, right?

I also found it especially humorous that the "human version" explanations of the odd couple pairings often sounded verrrrrrrrrrry familiar.  As in, yes, I think I've read that trope in romance before. *grins* In fact, I'm kind of curious to read some more of those stories, so if you need a prompt on which to base your next WIP, definitely check 'em out. Especially #1 (the Cheetah and the Anatolian Shepherd), #5 (the Bobcat Kitten and the Fawn), and #6 (the Donkey and the Mutt), hint hint. ;)

Feeling warm and fuzzy about the beasties,
NJ

Here's the Dilly, Yo

How's everyone doing? Just a quick update on what's going on around my neck o' the woods.

After weeks (over a month!) of studying, the bar exam is finally over and done with. Whew. I survived, but um...whether or not I passed is a whole other story. Afterwards, in the last week that I had back at home in SF, I was a total lazy bum. And honestly? It felt fan-damn-tastic.

Back in SF, I watched a few different movies, but two really stood out as um...outstanding. Wow, yeah, my vocab is a little shot this evening. *shameless grin* Anyway, I super duper recommend "Pitch Perfect" and "Argo." Both were awesome in totally different ways.

"Pitch Perfect" was super feel good and had lots of fun karaoke-worthy songs with unique acapella arrangements. The humor is lighthearted and silly, and there's even a meta-love story for you romance junkies. Yes, I'm pointing at myself. :)

"Argo" was also surprisingly feel good with a thrilling, suspenseful rush of a story.  I love that it's based on actual true life stuff.  Both movies were awesome and totally worth checking out. They're out on DVD already, so no excuses! :)

Ever since I got back to NYC, though, I've had a serious rush of productivity hit me. Gonna finish up a slashy fic thingee I'm working on right now (shh!) and then send out a couple of other things for consideration.  In the more immediate "productivity" column, though, I did my taxes, booked my intra-Turkey flight to Cappadocia, and booked my hotel in Istanbul last night.  Yep, just one night. Because I was feeling like Super-Productive Girl in my flowing cape of stapled together 1099 forms and my mask of TripAdvisor owl goggles. *grins*

Now I need to scour teh internetz and figure out what y'all have been up to while I was living under my bar exam rock. :) Hrmmm....what kind of mischief have y'all been making in my absence?

Cheers,
NJ

P.S. Also, in case I don't get a chance to mention it later, my friend's debut from Dreamspinner Press, A Simple Romance, releases on Wednesday, March 13th, so go check it out!

"Going for Gold" Giveaway!

Just a quick type-by posting for you lovelies. There's a huge jock m/m book giveaway going on right now at review site Joyfully Jay.  You can enter to win one of sixty-four - that's right, SIXTY-FOUR! - jock/sports-related m/m books.  Check it out here, and enter to win a copy of Going for Gold today!

Going for Gold includes my story about a diver...and a bartender...and some wonderfully wet Speedos. ;)  Also found in this substantial anthology are seven other stories from some great authors. The stories are long (most of them over 10,000 words!), and the whole set is over 100K words. You'll definitely have plenty of Olympics goodness to keep you company.

Just leave a comment on the giveaway post with your top picks, and you'll be entered to win. Note that comments on this blog are not entries; you have to enter at Joyfully Jay's contest page. The contest closes at the end of the day on Saturday (tomorrow!), so go get your entries in!

Cheers,
NJ