Parkland Hospital

As the health care reform bill comes to a vote – maybe – how is Dallas doing as far as health care coverage?

Not good at all. And as more people lose their health insurance, the more they rely on the overloaded Parkland emergency room for primary health care.

Here are some statistics supplied by by the National Journal.

Of the 435 congressional districts in the United States, the one with the most uninsured people represented by a Republican?

Pete Sessions’ Dallas district — 32.6% of people in the district are uninsured. Sessions has led the opposition to health care reform in the House of Representatives.

The Republican district with the fifth most number of uninsured people in the country is Kay Granger’s in Fort Worth — 23.7% of the people in her district have no health insurance.

Three of the six districts with the most uninsured people are in Texas. Two are in South Texas. One is here in Dallas – Eddie Bernice Johnson’s district has 39.9% uninsured.

But even if you have health insurance, will your insurance company pay the claims. Here’s a story from this week’s Dallas Voice that may make you worry about your own coverage.

Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon

MetLife and American Society on Aging (ASA), which includes an appropriately named group, the LGBT Aging Issues Network (LAIN), have done a study on aging Baby Boomers.

Note to MetLife, I may be a Baby Boomer, but I’m NOT aging.

Their study, “Still Out, Still Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Baby Boomers,” reveals some interesting similarities and some disturbing differences between the LGBT population and the population in general.

The study, which polled 1,200 LGBT individuals and 1,200 people from the general population, shows stark differences and striking similarities between the two groups with regard to attitudes, demographics and aging:

·         60% of LGBT Boomers fear being unable to care for themselves as they age; 35% fear becoming dependent on others; and 10% fear discrimination as they age.

·         Of the LGBT sample surveyed, Lesbians (76%), Gay men (74%), Bisexuals (16%) and Transgender individuals (39%) say they are “completely” or “mostly” out.  61% of Lesbians and 57% of Gay men say their families are “completely” or “very” accepting, while that is true for 24% of Bisexuals and 42% of Transgender individuals.

·         Members of the LGBT group are more likely to say they will be at least 70 before they can retire, 48% compared with 40% in the general population, mostly for economic reasons.  Only a quarter or fewer in the LGBT group say they have saved what they need to live in retirement.

·         While LGBT Boomers continue to fear discrimination, 55% of the LGBT sample say they have total or near total confidence that they will be treated with dignity and respect, compared with 39% of the comparison group.

·         A higher percentage of LGBT Boomers have completed living wills, health care proxies, rights of visitation and partnership agreements, in comparison to the general population.

·         Though both populations are likely to discuss end-of-life issues with their partners/spouses, LGBT Boomers have many more of those discussions with siblings, parents and other relatives.

·         In the LGBT group, men and women are equally likely to be caring for a parent or partner.

·         Members of the general population are more likely to be in a relationship than those in the LGBT sample, 77% vs. 61%.  More than a quarter (26%) of LGBT partners have gotten married, even though only five states grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  Many (63%) say they would marry if there was a federal law allowing gay marriage.

·         Nearly two thirds of LGBT Boomers say they have a “chosen family,” a group of people they consider family, even though they are not legally or biologically related.

As the oldest person by decades here at Dallas Voice, I hereby put everyone on notice that you will be taking care of me well into my old age. And don’t try that putting me in a nursing home routine. Went through that with my father. Know all the tricks. Not gonna happen. I plan to be here being as cranky as ever well into my 100s. And I used a picture of Del and Phyllis because they are beautiful heroes who stayed active and vital through um … lots of years … really can’t use that “old” word. – David

Tonight, catch the fashions of season 6 Project Runway contestant, Shirin Askari from Richardson.

If you’re looking for some high-end fashion outside of your television and magazines, then this is your chance. At tonight’s FashionCITED 2010 event, fashion and fund-raising come together for the Legal Hospice of Texas. The centerpiece of the event is the runway show (but of course) featuring fashions by the likes of Francisco Flores, Tara Tonini and Richardson’s own Shirin Askari who was on last season’s Project Runway. But the fun part comes when Hospice attorneys are featured throughout that night as “Lawyers of Style.” The honorary chairs for this event are Dr. Clint and Breah Herzog of FLOSS Dentistry who are noted as being “very active in the community and are frequently lending a hand with a number of philanthropic events throughout North Texas.” We can dig that.

No fundraiser is complete without a silent auction but this might be the only that has a blue mink jacket on the block. Don’t tell PETA, but I would be all over that if I had blue suede shoes to go with it. Jewelry, handbags and other fashions are also up for bid.

FashionCITED happens at Marc Events, 1130 Dragon St. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets are $40 and available by calling 214-521-6622, visiting legalhospice.org or at the door. Although we’d recommend calling or checking the site first.

I told you guys earlier this week that my interview with Renee O’Connor on the set of “Beyond the Farthest Star” would be published this week. But you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men (and editors) …. The story had to be delayed a week, due to space issues, but you can look for it NEXT Friday, March 26.

In the meantime, here’s another shot of Renee in a scene from the movie with her co-star, Todd Terry.

Todd Terry and Renee O’Connor

Lyons’ announcement followed a meeting Tuesday between DART officials and representatives from Resource Center Dallas, in response to a recent controversy involving a transgender bus driver.

DART attempted to intervene in a family court case to oppose the employee’s gender-marker change, prompting an outcry from LGBT activists, who’ve voiced their concerns at two consecutive board meetings.

Lyons said a proposal to add gender identity and expression to the agency’s nondiscrimination policy, which already includes sexual orientation, will be presented to the board’s administration committee in April.

“There’s a process we’ll have to go through,” Lyons said. “The first step for us in April will be to brief the committee and get them up to speed.”

DART staff will then return to the administration committee in May with a recommendation, Lyons said. If the committee approves the recommendation, the proposed policy change could to the full board by the end of the month.

Lyons added that any corresponding expansion of diversity training for DART employees is pending.

“The policy review is really the first step,” he said.

On Tuesday, two top DART officials met with representatives from Resource Center Dallas to discuss amending the nondiscrimination policy, expanding diversity training and other issues.

On Wednesday, the RCD representatives said they were cautiously optimistic.

“We’re hopeful, and we’ll remain vigilant,” said Cece Cox, RCD’s associate executive director over GLBT programs. “Those two people in the meeting were supporters [of the policy change] but they’re not the only two deciders in the organization.”

The DART officials who attended the meeting were Kriss Ann Gamez, director of diversity and EEO; and Ben Gomez, executive vice president for administration.

Cox was joined by Rafael McDonnell, RCD’s strategic communications and programs manager; and Marla Compton, program coordinator for Gender Education, Advocacy and Resources (GEAR).

Is it me or does the Catholic Church have no business doing any criticizing of the LGBT community? Here are some headlines I found today:

The BBC reports today that during the past decade, “the Holy Office received details of 3,000 Catholic priests reported by their Bishops to Rome for sexual misconduct or, even worse, crimes.”

The Vatican minimizes the importance by saying that only 10 percent of these cases, or 300 priests, involve pediophelia.

Brazil:

Sex scandal embroils Catholic Church in Brazil

Three priests being investigated.

Ireland:

Irish Cardinal Apologizes for Sex Abuse Scandal

This scandal involves abuse of as many as 15,000 children, according to an AP report.

Germany:

Pope meets with German bishop amid sex scandal

From various German Catholic schools and an all-boys choir once led by the pope’s brother, 170 former students from  have come forward.

Austria:

Vienna Boys Choir admits possible sexual abuses

Abuse of boys ages 10 to 14 goes back decades and involves priests, although the chior is not offically affiliated with the church.

That’s just from today’s news.

Yet, when Mexico City began allowing same-sex couples to marry last week, where did the biggest criticism come from? The Catholic Church.

When Washington, D.C. insisted that agencies funded by the government treat all couples married in that city equally, where did the loudest protests come from? The Catholic Church.

As Vera Carp said, “Glass houses.”

For more news about religion and how if affects the LGBT community, see tomorrow’s Spirituality section of the Dallas Voice.

Someone sent a text message to a member of the Dallas Voice editorial staff this morning saying the bar had been raided. Hershner said someone also posted the rumor on their Facebook page, and he got a call from his brother early this morning inquiring about the alleged incident.

“No such thing happened,” Hershner told me. “When you do well, you have lots of haters, and I guess that’s what it is. We were packed last night, and had a great night. It was St. Patrick’s Day.

“That is completely not true,” he added. “They’re just trying to stir up shit. It makes me angry. There were police down the street, but that was dealing with a homeless person, two cops and a homeless guy. That wasn’t even on my property.”

We also put a call in to Dallas police this morning. Sr. Cpl. Kevin Janse said he would check with the vice unit, but we haven’t heard back from him yet.

In related news, Hershner said his new bar on Cedar Springs, the Drama Room, is set to open next week at the site of the old Mickey’s. A VIP night is set for Wednesday, followed by a grand opening on Thursday.

“It’s coming along well,” Hershner said. “I added a dance floor and I just changed all the décor. It was kind of nice before, it was just beat up. I made it much nicer. I’ll put a nice patio out back, and there’s going to be entertainers.”

Chef Cat Cora (Photo by Robert Quailer)

Okay, I admit to being a big fan of “Iron Chef America” on The Food Network. My only complaint was that they didn’t have Cat Cora on there enough. And that was before I found out that Chef Cora was an out-and-proud lesbian.

This morning I discovered even more reason to be a Cat Cora fan: She is speaking up in support of Constance McMillen, the lesbian senior who wanted to take her girlfriend to the senior prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Mississippi, but ended up seeing school officials cancel the prom completely rather than let her and her girlfriend attend.

Turns out that Chef Cora is from Mississippi, and she is, she says, “outraged” by what’s happened, and has “pledged to take action,” according to a press release I received this morning.

Here’s more from the press release:

“I was that girl from Mississippi one time,” the Wingfield High School graduate (Chef Cora) said. “I hate seeing things that reinforce negative attitudes about Mississippi like this.” Cora was in Washington last week cooking dinner for President Obama and the Greek prime minister. She said she would like to make a personal appearance at the prom. “This is the 21st century. This is a time for us to unite and support each other,” she said. “This isn’t just for (McMillen’s) civil rights. This is for all Americans’ civil rights, whether they know it or not.”

Bishop Mary Glasspool

The Episcopal Church has approved the ordination of Mary Glasspool as bishop of Los Angeles. She is the first openly gay person approved by the church since Gene Robinson became the bishop of the New Hampshire diocese in 1983. Glasspool is also the the first out lesbian bishop.

This news is in contrast to the local Episcopal diocese, which recently voted against same-sex marriage liturgy. More on that decision, including comments from members of St. Thomas the Apostle church and Bishop James Stanton, in the Spirituality section of Friday’s Dallas Voice.