This Is Why We March: "Now that my secret is known, I'll forever Rest in Peace."

Col. Edward Thomas Ryan of Albany passed away June 1^st at the age of 85 on the first day of Pride, but before he died he wrote a message to his loved ones:

“I was Gay all my life.”

The decorated Army veteran earned a number of prestigious medals throughout his military career and was brother to Rosemary, Cornelius, Joan, Bernadette, and Joseph Ryan, and was a beloved uncle to several nieces and nephews.

But all his life he kept that secret; his family says he was just a very private person. But Colonel Ryan decided not to take the secret to his grave, and wrote a message for his obituary, finally coming out to the world as gay and telling everyone he knew about the man he would be buried next to: Paul Cavagnaro.

Ryan and Cavagnaro met at some point in his life and enjoyed a 25-year-long relationship, even though he kept his romantic life a secret until he wrote:

“I must tell you one more thing. I was Gay all my life: thru grade school, thru High School, thru College, thru Life.”

He went on to tell them about Paul,  and how he died in 1994 due to a medical procedure gone wrong, before saying it was his wish to be laid to rest next to his love.

“I was in a loving and caring relationship with Paul Cavagnaro of North Greenbush. He was the love of my life. We had 25 great years together … I’ll be buried next to Paul.”

In his parting message to his loved ones, Ryan said he didn’t have the courage to reveal his sexuality in the past because he was afraid of being treated the way others like him were treated:

“I’m sorry for not having the courage to come out as Gay. I was afraid of being ostracized: by Family, Friends, and Co-Workers. Seeing how people like me were treated, I just could not do it.”

“Now that my secret is known, I’ll forever Rest in Peace.”

Over the course of his 85 years of life, Ryan served with the Army’s 10th Brigade and received honors including the National Defense Service Medal, the Defense of Liberty Medal "For participation to the State following the attack on America, on 11 September 2001," the Conspicuous Service Medal and Commanders Citation for "Service Above and Beyond the Call" from the division of Military and Naval affairs. He was also a retired firefighter and chairman of the Vietnam Veterans/Agent Orange Committee for the American Legion; he was co-owner of local radio station WHRL-FM in Albany and was also a chef at the East Greenbush American Legion Post #1231.

Colonel Ryan donated his body to the Anatomical Gift Program at Albany Medical College, which would allow med students to study using his body though eventually, his body will be cremated and buried beside Paul’s grave.

His nephew Joseph Ryan said the family knew about his relationship with Paul though they didn’t really talk about it:

“They would go on vacation. Once he did retire, he would take a month off, and they would just put down where they wanted to go, any place in the world. So, we kind of knew, but he wasn’t one that would come right out and say anything … Our family isn’t one that tries to say anything about people. He was quiet, but he was bold. It’s been inside him all this time.”

The family sees the significance in Ryan’s coming out during Pride Month, a time for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community’s history, achievements, and ongoing fight for equality and acceptance.

A number of comments poured in after Colonel Ryan’s obituary was posted:

“Thank you for your service Sir. I´m active duty serving in Japan at this time. Tomorrow, I will be hosting a Pride observation at our command and I´m elated to tell your story. We are fortunate enough now to be part of a military that lets us serve our country in full authenticity. We serve proudly in your honor. Thank you for all you have done.”

“It brings me peace to know that you and Paul are together again. May eternity together be beautiful. Rest in pride.”

“Thank you for your service, and I´m sorry that the world was not always a nice place for us. I hope you and Paul Rest In Peace together and are able to watch the world change.”

"Thank you for all the good you´ve put into the world. I´m sorry that you had to hide who you love. May you enjoy eternity with your beloved, and that you are accepted as you are by so, so many people.”

"Your story touched me deeply. I am so sorry that we live in such a judgmental world that you had to hide who you were and who you loved. I hope there's a way for you to know that sharing your story – no matter when you did it – will be helpful to others. Thank you for all your service."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm so sorry that you couldn't live your authentic self but are now able to join your beloved Paul. And I'm sure that you'd never imagine you have so many friends."

"God made you. God never makes mistakes. Your soul is eternal and you will be remembered for the courage that brought you to share your truth. Eternal peace."

"I know this wasn´t your intention, but the reality of what you did is that you showed the world how amazing a gay person can be. As the mother of gay children, I am forever in your debt. Bless you. May you rest for eternity in the arms of the love of your life."

"I am a 74-year-old gay man and grew up living under the same stigma as Edward did... I am so glad Edward had the love of his life, Paul, for 25 great years and now for Eternity. Bless you both."

This is why we fight and march and celebrate Pride and stand up and speak up. We do it for people like Colonel Ryan.

Thank you for your service, fighting for a country that made you feel you couldn’t be yourself.

Rest in Pride. The march goes on ...

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The Funny Papers

Daniel Boris, Adam Zyglis, Jack Ohman, Monte Wolverton, David Horsey, Clay Bennett, Chris Britt,  Benjamin Slyngstad,  Glen Le Lievre, Matt Wuerker, Deb Milbrath, Tim Campbell, Michael de Adder, Bill Bramhall,

Why Is It ...

… that no one understands I suffer from a  disorder where I speak the truth and it pisses people off?

… that I consider it a successful work day if I can get through it without saying the word ‘fuck’? Oh, and I rarely have successful work days … just sayin’.

… that now that my Winter Fat has gone away, I’ve discovered I have Spring Rolls.

… that I don’t care about “giving my all,” but would rather do about 60% and still have time for my shows?

… that I often think of myself as Tsar Chasm?

… that, for me, eye rolls are my cardio.

… that some days I amaze myself and other days I put my keys in the fridge.

… that no one will allow me to normalize booing in the workplace?

… that I love water … frozen into cubes … blended with tequila.

I Didn't Say It ...

Dolly Parton, while being mostly apolitical, spoke about how these new anti-LGBTQ laws affect people she loves:

“I have some of everybody in my own immediate family and in my circle of employees. I’ve got transgender people. I’ve got gays. I’ve got lesbians. I’ve got drunks. I’ve got drug addicts—all within my own family. I know and love them all, and I do not judge. And I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important this is to them. That’s who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there’s something to be judged, that is God’s business. But we are all God’s children and how we are is who we are.”

And this simple statement has gotten the MAGAts and the wingnuts all riled up at Parton’s wokeness, when it’s just Dolly’s Christian beliefs.

In a world of Christians be like Dolly.

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Byron Donalds, in a world of hurt after suggesting Black families were stronger under Jim Crow segregation:

“You see, during Jim Crow, the Black family was together. During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative—Black people have always been conservative-minded—but more Black people voted conservatively. And then H.E.W.[Department of Health Education and welfare], Lyndon Johnson—you go down that road, and now we are where we are.”

Of note, President Lyndon Johnson introduced legislation on the heels of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which overturned the Jim Crow-era caste system that kept African Americans as  second-class citizens after slavery was abolished.

Donalds doubled down a bit saying:

“Let’s agree on something: I am, you know, obviously, one of the better communicators in the Republican Party.”

Except your foot is in your mouth.

For the record, The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation and for a man of color to paint that as a positive time is disgusting.

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Martha-Ann Alito, traitorous insurrectionist wife of traitorous insurrectionist Justice Samuel Alito, has surprisingly come out against Pride flags:

“You know what I want? I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag, because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month. [But my husband’s] like, ‘Oh, please don’t put up a flag.’ I said, ‘I won’t do it because I am deferring to you. But when you are free of this nonsense, I’m putting it up and I’m gonna send them a message every day, maybe every week, I’ll be changing the flags.’ They’ll be all kinds. I made a flag in my head. This is how I satisfy myself. I made a flag. It’s white and has yellow and orange flames around it. And in the middle is the word ‘vergogna.’ ‘Vergogna’ in Italian means shame.”

What a sad lonely, hate-filled pathetic woman with a flag-pole up her ass. 

And, you know, if she had a few gay friends there might be some better hair and makeup going on in that photo, not to mention the clothes that look a little Bewitched Endora hand-me-down-ish.

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Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary, flag-waving loon Martha-Ann Alito’s condemnation of “shameful” Pride flags:

“I’m often reminded that the most important thing in my life—which is my marriage, and my family and the two beautiful children that my husband Chasten and I are raising—that that marriage only exists by the grace of the single vote on the United States Supreme Court. That expanded our rights and freedoms back in 2015 and made it possible for somebody like me to get married. And, you know, Supreme Court justices have an unbelievable amount of power and—by the nature in the structure, the Supreme Court—there’s no supervision over that power. They are entrusted with it literally for as long as they live. And part of that trust is we expect them to enter into those enormously consequential decisions that shape our everyday lives with a sense of fairness. I also hope that most Americans can understand the difference between a flag that symbolizes … love and acceptance and signals to people who have sometimes feared for their safety that they’re going to be okay—and insurrectionists symbology, I’ll just leave it at that.”

Funny that the gay man is open and honest and decent and the so-called Christian is the bitch trying to decide how people live.

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Kyle Lammott, a Wichita pastor, encouraging his flock of sheep to mark Pride Month by checking out mass amounts of LGBTQ+ books from their local library:

“One way you can love your neighbors and your community is to gather together some of the men in your church and go empty the local library of all their LGBTQ+ books.”

Carry on "pastor," you send the men to libraries to get The Gay books and you might change some of them to be big flaming queens. So, I have a better idea, have them check out the Bible and take note of all the times your so-called god spoke against gay people; have them understand that god is love, not hate, not ignorance, not cheap publicity stunts by a fame-whoring pastor.

And them, fuck off.

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Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Democrat Governor, on The Felon:

“All they hear from [him] is a whole bunch of whining about this country. And I think [he’s] got to quit whining, got to quit trying to divide us. I mean, consider this … We’re producing more energy than anyone before in this nation. We have the strongest economy in the world and we are beating China for the first time in decades. More people went to work this morning in America than any other time in our nation’s history. So, I got a message to [The Felon] and all of his negativity and whining: stop shit-talking America! This is the greatest country on Earth and it’s time that we all start acting like it. The good people of Pennsylvania understand that this is a great country, understand that we got a whole lot going for us. And not it’s time for us to continue this path of progress that Joe Biden has laid out and not go back to a negative time, not listen to the whining of the former president, and instead, focus on a positive future for all of us.”

Simple as that, y’all.

CAST A GODDAMNED VOTE!

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President Biden, on the verdict in Hunter Biden’s trial:

“As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved one’s battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery. As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”

That’s how you parent; you don’t cast blame, call the trial rigged and the jurist’s liars and the judge corrupt.

You stand up like a grown-assed man and not some flabby orange child.

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Adam Schiff, California’s Democrat Representative, speaking at yesterday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing on The Felon’s “political persecution.”

“I wanted to begin by quoting the jury in the Manhattan hush money trial. Guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty. This was what the jury pronounced. Unanimously on every count. My Republican colleagues don’t really contest [his] guilt. This is the fascinating thing; their argument has been he should never have been prosecuted. Where they falsely claim it was a political prosecution. They falsely claim it should have been a misdemeanor, not a felony.”

Sheep goosestepping for a felon.

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Bobservations

Y’all know Carlos is legally blind now, but he can still see light, especially outside on a sunny day, so he likes to wear sunglasses so the glare doesn’t bother him. He needed a new pair a couple of weeks ago and we stopped by Walgreens to get a pair and after quickly finding a pair off we went.

The following weekend, after dropping some old towels and pet beds off to our local animal shelter, we walked back toward the car and as I looked over at Carlos I started laughing …

“What’s so funny?”

“You’ve still got the sticker on the lens from buying the glasses!”

“Well, how am I supposed to see it?”

“I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at me for not seeing it.”

“And they call me the blind one.”

 I got the last laugh, however, as I took out my phone and made a note to post the story to my blog.

This Tuxedo Memory is from June 2017 …

“Tuxedo is an escape artist. He, like the other cats, is not allowed outside because we live in a rural area and there are lots of things cats can catch that are dangerous. But ... and there’s always a but ... Tuxedo is the Best Cat Ever™ and so several morning a week, I take him outside and let him walk along the deck railing so he can smell the outside; don’t worry, he’s always chaperoned.

Still, if he’s in that mood, and someone opens a door, and he’s there, and there’s an opening, he’s been known to fly out the door and escape into the yard where a chase ensues, and treats are used to goad him back inside. 

One morning, Carlos left a door open when he was going into the yard and I couldn’t find Tuxedo. I called all over the house and he wasn’t there ... but I could hear him meow ... over and over again. It was coming near the sunroom, where the door had been left open ... I heard his plaintive meows and called him and then looked down ...

I guess he was playing Hide-and-Seek and I was ‘It.’”

It used to be a game when you couldn’t find Tuxedo to discover where he was hiding and all you could see was that face!

As part of the ongoing  I Should Be Laughing Public Service Announcement Protocols please read the vowels in Celine Dion’s name out loud.

You’re welcome.

A Boise, Idaho bar has drawn national attention for creating Heterosexual Awesomeness Month in response to LGBTQ Pride month, which has been celebrated during June for decades:

“Each Monday will be Hetero Male Monday and any heterosexual male dressed like a heterosexual male will receive a free draft beer. Each Wednesday is Heterosexual couples day and each heterosexual couple will receive 15% off their bill.”

Two things: fuck off, and …

How does one dress like a heterosexual male?

I have long found Orville Peck to be really hot … oy, that voice … and wished I could get him to take off that mask. So imagine my surprise when, instead, he removed his pants!

Nice cakes.

Florida’s fascist Governor, and Gogo dancer, Ron DeSantis  declared summer to be Freedom Summer in the state and said all state bridges must be lit red, white, and blue, while banning any bridge from displaying Pride colors.

But seventy community members is San Marco had their own idea and gathered together to display their own version of Pride by lighting up the Main Street Bridge with rainbow colors. I imagine Miss Ronnie stomped around the governor’s manse in his Gogo boots until Casey could have him sedated.

The other day I put a fried egg on my Croque Monsieur to make it a Croque Madame and the next thing I know JK Rowling is yelling outside my house.

It’s not funny cuz she’s a transphobic b*tch.

Antonio Medugno is a 25-year-old Italian TikTok “star” and model, but the question still remains: Would You Hit It?

Architecture Wednesday: Elvis and Priscilla's Honeymoon House

I am not an Elvis fanatic but I am a Midcentury Modern lover and if I had a spare $5.65 million I might plunk it down on this Palm Springs gem … the home where Elvis and Priscilla Presley celebrated their honeymoon.

Dubbed the “House of Tomorrow” when it was built in 1960, the 4,695-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bathroom is created from four circular sections under an angular sloped roof, designed by Modernist architect William Krisel.

Back in 1960 the home was heralded as a landmark representing the future of home design. Its electronic temperature controls, outdoor lighting and sprinkler systems were cutting-edge for the era. In 1962, Look magazine described the structure as a “$300,000 pleasure dome that proves California has only begun to show how luxurious things can be on this planet.”

Last purchased for $2.6 million in 2020, the house underwent thoughtful renovations and restorations over the last two years while staying faithful to its original design and subsequently earning an historic site designation.

Inside, the home’s circular rooms are lined with exposed-rock walls and floor-to-ceiling glass. A 60-foot-long cream couch follows the curve of the living room, enveloping a floating hearth topped by an eye-catching beaker-shaped white steel fireplace hood that juts out of the ceiling.

A matching hood tops the circular kitchen island, which houses five gas burners and is lined in light wood paneling. A connecting family room boasts a fireplace and opens to the pentagon-shaped pool outside via sliding glass doors.

Upstairs, are four ensuite bedrooms; the primary bedroom is lined with windows, open to sweeping views of the palm-tree-dotted property and nearby mountains.

It’s glamorous and elegant and funky and fun.

Architectural Digest