Not Your Grandmother’s Storm

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Hurricane Ida, Louisiana, Mary Griggs

Ida is a nice grandmotherly name. Maybe not a granny who baked cookies but one who taught Sunday school and was way too nice to give her name for a hurricane, much less for one that is arriving in the middle of a pandemic on the anniversary of Katrina. 

When I went to sleep at midnight on Thursday, August 26^th, the National Hurricane Center listed her only as a tropical storm and hurricane watches were just being issued for the Gulf Coast from Cameron, Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama border. 

I did pack a go-bag with three days worth of clothes (more echoes of Katrina) but figured I had another couple of days before I would need to decide about bugging out. Usually, I evacuate for anything above a Category 1 that looks like a direct or slightly to the west hit. Some of it is because New Orleans is basically an island with only a few bridges anchoring it to the rest of the state but it is also because I’ve got responsibilities to see the rest of my family gets through the storm, too.

On Friday morning, as I was moving the plants outside to safer places, my Dad called. He was concerned about the rapid strengthening and the warmth of the Gulf waters. He said I needed to get out as soon as possible. I stuffed as many bottles of water as I could into the voids of my refrigerator freezer and stand freezer, secured the rest of my outdoor things and drove off that afternoon.

As guilty as I felt leaving behind my city, my friends and my things, I’m glad I got on the road then. Watching the gridlock on I-10 and surrounding routes on TV the next morning, made me worry more and more.

There is just no way to move an entire city’s population out of harm’s way without time. And time is what we didn’t have with this storm. New Orleans needs more than 72 hours to get everyone out in a mandatory evacuation, because the last thing anyone wants is a bunch of people stuck in their cars on the interstate when the storm hits. Seeing the images of the flooding this storm brought along I-10 in LaPlace shows just how dangerous that could be. 

Once that storm hit the warm waters of the central Gulf, it grew and kept strengthening. No way could they start Contraflow and be finished before Ida hit land.

Landfall was at 2pm on August 29 as a Category 4 hurricane on the Sweet 16 of Hurricane Katrina’s. It remained a Category 4 for six hours. It reached the New Orleans area as a Category 3 (that is 115 mph winds) around 8pm. At nine hours, it was downgraded to a Category 2. A little after 4:30 am on Monday, as it was about 30 miles from Baton Rouge, Ida weakened to a Category 1 (with 95 mph sustained winds). It was almost 6:30am on Monday before Ida dropped classification to a tropical storm – that was 16 hours over land as a hurricane.

As with all hurricanes, the worst of the damaging wind and rain extended out on the East side of the storms for miles. Over where I decamped in Foley, Alabama, we had tropical storm winds, major thunderstorms and flash floods. Even once downgraded, Ida wasn’t done – she left a swath of destruction all the way to New York, causing several deaths and spawning tornados that wrecked their own devastation.

Several Louisiana towns near landfall were essentially wiped off the map. Damages to the lower parishes was sometimes as high as 100% of the buildings. It wasn’t just property damaged but hundreds of thousands left with no water, no power.

All eight transmission lines into the city of New Orleans were downed when the tower went down. Over a million households were without power in the city as a heatwave continued. 

Entergy gave different estimates of when power would come back but when I went there on Thursday, only a few blocks had power. The good news was that the generators Sewerage and Water had brought in ahead of the storm were still working so storm water was being pumped out and water pressure was good, meaning tap water was safe to drink.

I was so glad to pull into the driveway and see my house still standing. Built in the 1860’s it has gone through many storms and, to my great relief and wonder, it had weathered another. I could see lots of debris and one of the metal window awnings was on the ground beside the house and one of the exterior lights was pointed the wrong way but, from the front, she looked fine. 

I wandered through the house, looking at the ceilings and windows and nothing was broken or leaking. In the back yard, one of the trees I planted after Katrina had fallen and took out my neighbor’s fence on its way down. As it could have taken down part of our houses had it fallen another way, I was thankful only the fence suffered.

Several of my fence boards had blown loose and were scattered around the yard. Tree limbs littered the back yard and some of the siding looked scraped and dinged but the house was intact and even my little plastic shed had survived.

Climbing into the attic, I couldn’t see any daylight from above and the powerful flashlight I had didn’t illuminate any water stains, so I figure my roof was in one piece. It was incredibly hot up there and I was drenched and shakey when I climbed down. 

I walked around to my neighbors, distributing the ice, batteries and water I had brought in with me and listened to their stories of coming through the storm. The rain and wind was scary at the time but the current uncertainty of when power would be restored drained away any giddiness of surviving a major storm.

Only one other person had evacuated before the storm but three had left since for Houston as living with no air conditioning saps at your soul. One more family was planning to leave the next day to head to Mobile. The men across the street were fussing with their mother to get her to leave. They were running out of gas for their generator that was keeping the fans moving the hot, humid air and feared for her health if she stayed.

Before I had left, I put a quarter on top of a cup of frozen water to use as a gauge to the food safety. After four days without power, the cup only had a chip of ice remaining and meant too much thawing had happened for the food to be edible. I emptied my fridge into trash bags and hauled them to the street.

My stand freezer had kept the contents pretty frozen. I lost some of the stuff on the door and top shelf but most of the rest was safe to transport in the coolers back to Michelle’s house in Mississippi. The guys next door helped me load the car and I locked up and drove off, planning to return once the power is back on again.

I’ll write more later but I wanted to end this report by mentioning how grateful I am that so many of my friends made it through the storm. I’m even more in awe of the number of friends from outside the area who have been reaching into their pockets to help out those who were impacted. If anyone is looking for places to donate to, I recommend Culture Aid NOLA and the Mutual Aid Response Network, both are local grassroots organizations helping feed, clothe and rebuild after the disaster.

Further, I’m thankful for the line workers who came in their hundreds from across the nation to help bring power back to the region. Sing along with this cartoon from Marshall Ramsey (@MarshallRamsey)

As Mr Rogers taught us – Look for the helpers.

I’m on Team KCP for LA02!

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Louisiana, Politics, Voting

I was honored to be asked to be a host for a LGBTQ+ Happy Hour in support of Karen Carter Peterson, who is running for US Congress. She is seeking to fill the Louisiana 2nd District seat in the House of Representatives vacated by Cedric Richmond (who was appointed by President Biden to be Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement).

Joining me were recently elected Orleans Parish School Board member Dr. J.C. Romero, Democratic strategist Stephen Handwerk, Advocate Lester Perryman, and Congressman Mark Pocan, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus AND the Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus.

Such a great group sharing their reasons for supporting Karen! I was so pleased to hear from people I respect on why they are personally endorsing her.

Here are my remarks:

Karen Carter Peterson is with us in fighting against the forces that want to erase queer lives. I have always known her to speak truth to power as an advocate for marginalized people who most need a voice.

She understands how LGBTQ people’s gender identity and sexual orientation exist in relation to other social issues. Knowing LGBTQ employees are more likely to report being fired from a job or denied a position compared to their straight counterparts, LA Senator Karen Carter Peterson was a vital vote in getting the Louisiana Employment Non-discrimination Act out of committee in 2017 – it was the first time an LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill passed out of committee and moved to the Senate floor.

She won’t ever stop fighting for us. As she has pledged:

When you send me to DC, I will immediately go to work to pass fully inclusive employment non-discrimination legislation, including housing and public accommodation non-discrimination laws, I will support laws requiring contractors and organizations that receive public funds to not discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and I will vigorously oppose the exemption of non-discrimination and other laws based on a stated religious belief for individuals. I will also fight to make sure that conversion therapy is outlawed in this country. It is barbaric, against all medical and psychological recommendations and must stop.

Sending her to represent Louisiana in the House will be instrumental in passing more legislation to finally and fully end LGBTQ discrimination once and for all.

Of no less importance is the need to elect more women.

67% of elected officials in Louisiana are white men – women make up 51% of Louisiana’s population but only 16% of the state’s elected officials. Only 6% of elected offices are held by women of color – this is despite women of color making up 21% of the state.

Currently no women represents Louisiana nationally – we rank 47 out of 50 states in gender parity of appointed and elected officials. Since Lindy Boggs left Congress in 1991, there hasn’t been a woman from Louisiana in the House! We can change that on March 20^th!

This is a special election so it is imperative that we get out the word that the election is happening. Early voting is March 6-13 (excluding Sunday, March 7) from 8:30 am to 6 pm. Find your election information here at GeauxVote

Further, Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District has never before elected a Black woman to Congress. Karen Carter Peterson has what it takes to make history and that is why I’m supporting her in this important election with my time and money and I ask you to support her, too.

Donate at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/kcplgbtq

Volunteer at https://www.karencarterpeterson.com

March 16-31, 2020 Coronavirus Journal

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Alabama, Coronavirus, Louisiana, Mary Griggs

Situation Summary: On March 16, 2020 the White House issued a Coronavirus Guidelines for America. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for the stock market as the Dow recorded its worst one-day point drop in history. The human toll of the virus continues to grow – more than 4,500 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States and 88 have died. Globally, the death toll is just over 7,100.

March 16, 2020 – 136 cases in Louisiana, 94 in Orleans Parish (with 3 deaths) and 16 in Jefferson Parish

I started the day by contacting the store managers of the Macy’s stores in Baton Rouge and Metairie to see if the hours had changed or if there were other things I needed to know before going to them this week. They said they were going on a conference call today to hash out details of their response. We’ll see if I’m driving to Baton Rouge tomorrow.

It was then time to gather up my financial documents for the rental place and scan them all in so I could send them to the accountant to the do the taxes. As I need a Schedule K to do my taxes, I always try and make an appointment to do TGG Enterprises tax prep in the middle of March. Debbie is working from home, so getting everything to her electronically actually helps.

I reached out to the tenants and spoke to both of them about their situations and decided to forgo any rent for April. We will revisit in May but I will talk to my dad about waiving May rent, too, should the stay-at-home order continue.

I made chicken salad for lunch and pulled aside some sourdough starter for more bread baking.

The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (which has failed us badly in the past with water pressure and breakage issues) released a statement that the water was safe. EPA has confirmed that the sanitizing done by the City is sufficient to protect it from viral contamination.

My Barbara’s Bookstore boss let me know that the Philadelphia Macy’s store was to be closed until the end of March and that they wanted me to not go to Baton Rouge for the next couple of weeks. Then, there was a press conference by Mayor Cantrell where she spoke about more aggressive measures to stop the spread, including closing movie theaters, malls, gyms, bars, casinos, etc.

The IWO board agreed to cancel the March 21^st Candidate Forum and Endorsement meeting and move it to May. We held the meeting by conference call as we didn’t want to disobey the social distancing directives.

March 17, 2020 – 171 cases in Louisiana, 136 in Orleans Parish, 4 deaths. 5894 cases nationwide

For St. Patrick’s Day I drove over to my parents in Alabama. We had corned beef sandwiches and I went through their pantry to go on a food and staples run for them. Alabama has only had 39 cases, most in the county in and around Birmingham. My parents live in Baldwin county and it only has one case so far. My plan is to hit the grocery stores and bank for them tomorrow so they can go thirty days without leaving home. They are both in their mid-70’s and mom is a lifetime smoker who is very susceptible to bronchial issues in a good year.

I heard from my publisher, Bella Books, that they are significantly reducing staff in the warehouse (down to one person every day). Those who can are now working from home. They are going to have a St Paddy’s day sale today to help people stuck at home with nothing to read a boost but they were informed by Amazon that they are pausing any ordering or fulfilling for products that are not household staples, medical supplies, or other high demand products. On a positive note, Ingram says that they are well positioned to fulfill any Amazon orders direct to consumers once Amazon starts to order again.

All of the Macy’s stores are closing at the end of business today, so I that means no work at all for me until the end of the month, as most of my nonprofit clients are under shelter in place orders (California) or facing the same strictures I am here.

I also learned that our tax preparer’s husband, Billy, is in the East Jefferson hospital with pneumonia. Keeping a good thought for Debbie and her family.

I may stay for longer than planned at my parents, as it isn’t like I need to be in New Orleans now that my work is closed through March and, likely, most of April, too.

March 18, 2020 –7323 cases in US. 46 cases in Alabama, only 1 in Baldwin County, 280 in Louisiana with 196 in New Orleans with 7 dead

I went shopping today to Publix, Wal-Mart, CVS, Winn Dixie and Piggly Wiggly. Some places were out of flour, low on meat and out of bread, toilet paper and cleaning supplies. I got everything on my parent’s list but rubbing alcohol and sanitizer and am glad I remembered to bring my toilet paper from home when I came. I also ran by the credit union to deposit money from Mom to my niece who has been laid off.

I was amazed at how courteous folks were being – lots of excuse me, please and thank you. This is definitely time to give the hardworking folks at grocery and convenience stores who are dealing with same stresses but are still having to work full shifts in front of the public.

All the stores had wipes available at the entrance, so I was able to wipe off the cart handle to begin and clean my hands as I left.

I was reminded by a friend (and fellow introvert) to check on our extroverted friends during this time of crisis. All the social isolation and event cancellation must be hitting them hard. I won’t go crazy and call but I can text and check in online.

Speaking of online, I’m seeing a whole of people posting about Facebook sending notices about posts being removed for not meeting community standards. One of mine, about Octavia Butler books being published by the Library of America, was reported as well. I appealed and the post is back.

Who has the time for that nonsense?

I came home and brought stuff to the door before I removed my shoes to come in and washed my hands. After helping mom put everything away, I showered and changed clothes. Not sure if I’m keeping them from getting exposed but I’m doing my best.

My uncle and his wife came over that evening for drinks and appetizer. They are from the northern part of the state (with the most cases) and with heart and health problems, coming to their beach house was a pretty good plan.

March 19, 2020 – 249 cases in New Orleans. 392 in Louisiana with 10 dead and 78 cases in Alabama.

First day of spring and the earliest spring in 124 years. I saw a cottontail rabbit in the front lawn and took a picture.

Dad went out fishing with his brother and a couple of his friends that came down from the north of the state. Most of the fish they caught were too small and under the limit, so he left the ones they could keep with his brother for them to have for dinner.

We’ll have some fish from last year’s fishing trip for a meal once the fillets thaw.

Learned that one of the first people I met when I moved to New Orleans Corinne Barnwell’s husband has been admitted to the ICU for pneumonia. The Rev William Barnwell is an amazing activist for racial justice and I’m keeping him in my thoughts.

March 20, 2020 – 326 cases in New Orleans with 10 dead. 537 in Louisiana with 106 cases in Alabama.

Gulf Shores is closing their beaches today. The state of Alabama still hasn’t but, then again, neither has Florida. This means parking lots controlled by the city and their public beaches will be closed.

I had a conference call last night that started about the Louisiana legislative session which has been temporary adjourned until March 31^st. As more people talked about their organization’s (and personal) difficulties the call became more supportive than advocacy. There still is plenty to do to protect our democracy and ensure that free and fair elections still go on as well as to protect women who may be in isolation with their abusers and to address the digital divide that keeps some children from being able to keep up with online schooling.

My sister and her husband came by with a couple of pizzas they picked up from Pizza Hut. We ate and then sat around chatting on the back porch as the sun went down.

March 21, 2020 –22043 in US with 763 cases in Louisiana with 20 deaths, 131 in Alabama. 418 cases in New Orleans

Made blueberry sourdough pancakes (recipe here- https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2020/02/23/blueberry-sourdough-pancakes/)

Did some more bird watching and took this picture of a red bellied woodpecker.

March 22, 2020 – 30,788 in US, 837 cases in Louisiana with 20 deaths. 451 cases in New Orleans, 15 have resulted in death. Alabama has 138 cases

Dad and I enjoyed oven baked fish with cornbread. The mackerel was basted in lemon butter sauce. He also made coleslaw and had some peas but I didn’t have any of those although I did have 3 pieces of cornbread. Recipe for the cornbread here – https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/one-fish-two-fish-fresh-fish-good/

March 23, 2020 – 1172 cases in Louisiana, 567 cases in New Orleans, 196 in Alabama, 33404 cases in US

I pan fried pork chops and made gravy and biscuits to go with them. Excellent comfort food.

One of the ospreys that is nesting nearby used one of the pine trees in the yard as their base for hunting.

I think it was a young bird as it took a while before they caught a fish. I was lucky to catch it flying off with dinner with my camera.

March 24, 2020 – 675 in New Orleans with 26 dead, 1388 in Louisiana, 242 cases in Alabama, 52145 US cases with 544 dead

My dad went to a doctor’s appointment over in Florida. It was the final one after his back surgery last year. He did get a final set of physical therapy appointments from it, so that was good but I’m not sure when the physical therapists will be able to see him.

I was able to convince him not to go grocery shopping although he did hit the Class VI store at the Pensacola Naval Air Station to pick up 4 cases of beer. He has his priorities, after all.

March 25, 2020 – 62,873 confirmed cases in US with 894 dead, 1795 in Louisiana with 827 cases in New Orleans, 386 cases in Alabama

I woke up and started venison tenderloin, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion in a marinade for us to have shish kabobs for lunch today. I then headed down to the boat launch on the far side of the neighborhood and birdwatched for a while. I saw white egrets, a great blue heron, a couple of pelicans, a million seagulls and a porpoise.

Dad went out for a physical therapy assessment that took a little over two hours and left him wrung out. Upon his return, I made him immediately take a shower. I then wrapped his clothes in the bathmat and washed a load. I’m not taking any chances, even though there are only 4 cases in Baldwin county.

In the evening I had a conference call with the Executive Committee of the Forum for Equality and we decided to make sure thank yous went out to all the donors and attendees of the recent legislative event and to do a check in with all members of the Equality Club. Instead of the usual board meeting next week, we will do a check in with the board by video conference to keep everyone up to date and engaged.

Our best case scenario is that the two really horrible bills already filed (and the other two being threatened) are not bought up in the shortened session that could be reconvened before the end of April (although we think it may be put off to May). After hurricane Katrina, the session focused on recovery and budgeting issues and we’re hoping that the members have the same mind set post-COVID19. However, with the last of the term limited legislators out of office, we’ve seen more and more ideologues who may not care for focusing on recovery and instead try to push their partisan agenda. We have to have our eyes on the session and be ready to act immediately to stop those bad bills.

March 26, 2020 – 80,021 confirmed cases in US with 1,136 deaths. 466 in Alabama, 2305 in Louisiana, 997 in New Orleans

I got up early again to head to a location across Wolf Bay where I was hoping to catch some pelicans. Unfortunately, it had a big gate so I couldn’t go exploring. I went instead to a boat launch in Miflin but the fog made it hard to see any birds. I could hear them, though. I did take one picture.

There had been a bit of an odor outside bedroom window where I’m staying and I showed my Dad how the area near the septic tank was flooded and the standing water was bubbling. He was able to get a guy to come out and look at the pump. He will return tomorrow with his guys to replace it.

March 27, 2020 – Alabama cases rose to 639 with 3 deaths, 1170 cases in New Orleans and 2746 in Louisiana with 119 deaths. Cases in the United States rose to 101,657 with 1581 deaths. 579 cases in Mississippi

Started the day waiting for the septic tank pump replacement. It was quite the incredible smell, as Han Solo would say once the workers opened the tank for emptying. The weight difference from a pump installed in 1993 and fixed about 10 years ago and the replacement was astonishing – the guy in charge says it will lift as much liquid as before, maybe even more.

The Facebook and Twitter timeline was full of the ‘gotcha’ type interview Wolf Blizter did with Mayor Latoya Cantrell, trying to blame New Orleans for being an epicenter on Mardi Gras. What the news seems to forget is that the President of the United States was still downplaying Covid-19 at that time. The first Louisiana case wasn’t identified until 9 days after Fat Tuesday (Feb 25).

Considering how quick the Mayor was to cancel St. Patrick’s Day celebrations (and how quick people were to pooh-pooh her actions at the time), it is infuriating that she was supposed to know more than the Federal Government and anticipate how bad things were going to get. Trump’s tweet from the day before Mardi Gras Day was: “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA.”

You don’t hear anyone going after CPAC event which ran from February 26-29 or the Florida governor who didn’t shut state beaches until March 19 (after most spring breakers returned home to infect their colleges). Heck, Disney didn’t close their parks until March 13^th!

My sister and her husband came for dinner. I made 2 sourdough crust pizzas (recipe here – https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2020/02/01/cast-iron-skillet-sourdough-pizza/) I made one a mushroom pepperoni and the other a green pepper and onion plus mushrooms and pepperoni. Everyone raved about it and we ate all but 1 slice.

I found out from a friend that William Barnwell has died of Covid-19. My deepest condolences go to Corrine.

March 28, 2020 – Louisiana cases hit 3315 with 137 deaths. 1298 cases in New Orleans with 70 dead. Alabama has 668 cases with 3 deaths. 6 cases in Baldwin County. 663 cases in Mississippi with 13 deaths.

I went out early with my sister and her husband to putter around Wolf Bay in my Dad’s boat. It is charmingly named “At Ease” as he was a career military officer. We saw heron, pelicans, thrush, osprey and seagulls during our morning cruise.

For lunch I made Greek souvlaki with tzatziki. I love firing up the grill and the pork loin cooked pretty quick on indirect. Recipe here – https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/greek-gyro/

I was grilling barefoot and stepped on a coal – ouch! I filled a cooler with ice and water and shoved my foot in it while the meat cooked. At least I had prepped everything else (the pita bread, cherry tomatoes, onions, etc) so it wasn’t much for my folks to do to bring it together.

It is my parents’ 55^th wedding anniversary. They sat on a porch for a while talking about the passage of time and then sat down in front of the TV for an all-day ‘Mythbusters’ marathon.

March 29 – US cases 142,106 with 2479 deaths

The first US death from coronavirus was on February 29^th. The 1000th death was on Thursday, March 26^th. The 2000^thdeath was yesterday, 48 hours later. That is exponential growth.

I started the day by watching the sunrise on Wolf Bay.

Then, I got up and made sourdough pecan waffles for me and my parents. Very yummy. Recipe here: https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/sourdough-chocolate-pecan-waffles/

After breakfast, I recorded a reading from my last novel, Bitter Heart, on Soapbox. Of course, I was forced to shower and put on a nice shirt first! The organizers at Saints and Sinners have requested it. The Literary festival had to be cancelled but they’re now offering readings from the authors who were scheduled to attend (plus links to buy the books from a local bookstore, Tubby and Coos Mid City Book Shop).

March 30 – 159,184 cases in US with 2945 deaths. In Louisiana, we saw a jump to 4025 cases of which 1480 cases are in New Orleans. Alabama has 907 cases of which 17 are in Baldwin County.

Mom and I finished a 1000 piece puzzle of rainforest animals that she started before I arrived so more than 2 weeks to put it all together. What a challenge!

For lunch I made a chicken and mushroom pot pie using some BBQ chicken I found in the freezer and picked off the bone. Recipe here: https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2019/08/18/skillet-chicken-mushroom-pot-pie/

Dad had physical therapy but this time, he didn’t complain when I made him immediately take a shower and gather all his clothes together for washing. I think the increase of Baldwin County cases are making him take notice – or maybe it was the death of Joe Diffie, a country music singer that he has always liked.

Their next door neighbor called that he was watching two eagles fly overhead so I went out. They were too high up to get a good picture but hypnotic to watch. After, I went and took some pictures of some of the azaleas my dad has cultivated. This one is a native honeysuckle azalea, known as Flame.

March 31 – US has 174,467 with 3416 deaths. 1834 cases in New Orleans, 5237 cases in Louisiana, 974 cases in Alabama

I started the day by making cake donuts (recipe here https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/national-donut-day/). I made several with a cocoa cinnamon sugar (3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon cinnamon whisked together) and the rest with cinnamon sugar. Dad wants me to make them again with blueberries.

I have now been in Alabama 14 days. It looks like I’ll be here for another month.

 

 

 

March 1-15, 2020 Coronavirus Journal

Tags

Coronavirus, Louisiana, Mary Griggs

Situation Summary: By March 1, 2020 the outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel, or new, coronavirus had resulted in thousands of confirmed cases across 60 countries with the global death toll reaching 3,041.

The Center for Disease Control’s COVID-19 webpage only updates their information once per day based on data received by 4pm the previous day, so I’ve been getting daily data from other sources

For the global picture:
Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center COVID-19 Map
Washington Post’s Mapping the Worldwide Spread of the Coronavirus
For state/local information:
Louisiana Department of Health Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
New Orleans information from Ready.NOLA.gov.
Alabama Department of Public Health COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard

March 1-7, 2020 No cases in Louisiana

I started the day having to deal with a plumbing issue at the rental property Dad and I own in Gert Town. I got the repairs guys working on that and replacing the bathroom door that had swollen up from the flooding and replacing all the molding. I’m not sure they entirely fixed the problem that existed from before we bought the property in 2013 but we’ll go in and check it weekly to make sure the repair holds.

I went to the Lakeside mall to fix up the Macy’s store book displays and headed home by way of the gas station as I’ll be heading out of town tomorrow and I wanted a full tank to start the drive.

Forum for Equality held a fundraiser/legislative event that evening with local politicians to talk about the session. It was held in a beautiful mansion on St Charles Avenue.

I helped set up and worked the door, getting people signed in and getting them name tags as well as catching up with everyone I hadn’t seen in a while. There were a couple of mentions of the coronavirus but we were all hugging and kissing our greetings as we talked about the importance of defeating a horrible anti-trans bill and getting our own employment non-discrimination bill passed in this year’s Louisiana legislative session, which begins on March 9th.

The next morning, I headed with Michelle over to my parents’ home in Foley, Alabama.

That evening I watched the US Women’s National Team play England in the She Believes Cup. The US women (and reigning World Cup Champions) won 2-0.

I voted for the Ann Bannon popular choice award and Tee Corinne award for excellence in cover design for the Golden Crown Literary Society’s Goldie Awards held during their annual literary conference. I bought my ticket to the conference last year and made hotel reservations and I’m really hoping that the July 6-12 conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico is able to go on as scheduled.

My sister and her husband came over on Friday, March 6th for Happy Hour bringing with them pizzas from Pizza Hut. We sat on the porch and chatted for a while after dinner.

On Saturday, March 7, Michelle and I went to Waterfront Rescue to see if the thrift store had anything fun. Michelle bought a lamp she can fill with Mardi Gras beads/doubloons plus a video game console. Afterwards, we did some Shopkicking in Walgreens and bought some raisin bran muffins at Public. Then we went to the Foley Railroad Museum and the Model Train exhibit before joining my sister at the Copper Kettle for tea and scones. This is a very intimate little tea shop with lots of knick knacks on the walls and quilts used as tablecloths. My sister and I shared a chrysanthemum blooming tea that was as beautiful as it was delicious.

That evening I grilled steaks and baked potatoes and made a spinach salad for mom, dad, Michelle and myself. I had a bit of trouble choking on the meat so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

March 8, 2020 – US reports 539 cases across 34 states with 22 deaths

On Sunday, Michelle and I were joined by Kathy and Wayne plus Kathy’s daughter, Kim, and her three kids (Dani, Michael and Xavier) for a chilly, sunrise walk on the beach at Gulf Shores State Park by the Pier.

We even saw an eagle flying!

Michelle and I swung by Publix for snacks and shopkicking on our way back to my mom and dad’s house.

I watched the US Women play against Spain in the She Believes Cup and win the game 1-0 because of some simply awesome play by Julie Ertz (she also scored in the 86^th minute). Of course, we find out US Soccer sent a letter the day before the game making an offer for equal pay but only for matches under its control.

It was tacos for dinner!

March 9, 2020 – first case reported in New Orleans, Louisiana

On Monday, Michelle and I left early in the morning and drove on I-10 and I-65 through Mobile to get onto Highway 98. We got gas in Semmes, Alabama before stopping at the Wal-Mart in Petal, Mississippi. We shopped there before going to E&B Discount Grocery Store and then hitting another Wal-Mart in Hattiesburg. For lunch we went to Panera Bread for soup (baked potato) and sandwich (turkey and avocado BLT) for me and sandwich (chipotle chicken) and mac & cheese for her. We stopped at Ollies for some pots for plants and other bargains. After getting some gas at Keith’s we went to her house in Seminary, Mississippi and unloaded the car of her stuff and repacked it with my stuff. That evening, we went to her Aunt Sue’s house for dinner with her mom and dad and older brother, Bo. Smoked chicken and spaghetti.

March 10, 2020 – 2 more cases in New Orleans, six cases total in Louisiana

I drove from Michelle’s house in Seminary, Mississippi to Baton Rouge, Louisiana using the backroads of Highway 84 to Brookhaven before taking I-55 south. I then took I-12 to Airline Highway and got gas at the Wal-Mart and then went to the Mall of Louisiana. I went into Best Buy for Shopkicking and spent about 45 minutes in the store scanning products. There were just five people in the store, including myself, who weren’t employees. The Macy’s store was very quiet as well. I made sure to wash my hands well once I was done with the books before I headed back to New Orleans.

I also posting a blog post I had worked on over the weekend about my opposition to two horrible anti-trans athletes bills. LA SB 172 and LA HB466 are bad for kids, bad for anyone who supports Title IX and horribly intrusive. The link to the blog post is https://marygriggs.wordpress.com/2020/03/10/filling-the-unforgiving-minute/

I get home to news that in a court filing, US Soccer wrote that the men’s team carries more responsibility and that “indisputable science” of biological differences means women should be paid less because the men’s team “requires a higher level of skill.” Such bullshit and it was released the day before the US women face Japan in the final game of the She Believes Cup.

March 11, 2020 – There are now 13 cases in Louisiana of which 10 are in the New Orleans area

WHO Director General declares COVID19 a pandemic with 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people dead.

I went to the Lakeside Mall’s Macy store for work on Wednesday. They had obviously been busy over the weekend as the kids section was a mess. I was able to quickly fix everything then I washed my hands before heading over to Target – all the Purell, Clorox and other cleaning supplies were out. Lots of empty shelves downstairs but the food section on the second floor was full, so I got some snacks and headed home.

I learned on Facebook that a local retirement and assisted living facility, Lambeth House, has a case of coronavirus. Two very good friends, Jody Gates and Marilyn McConnell (and another friend Regina Matthews) all live at Lambeth House. I’m worried about them but Jody says CDC is on site and they are staying in their apartment as much as possible.

Later that evening I was on a conference call with the Legislative Agenda for Women for the Equal Pay Lobby Day. Every year, women’s and progressives set up events on a date specifically chosen to represent the additional 62 days from the end of the previous financial year that women have to work to earn the same as men. This year, that date falls on March 31^st. I made the suggestion we take it virtual and the group agreed to do virtual advocacy (with or without the in-person event) contacting each organization’s own members to ensure they know their legislators, and send emails, faxes, tweets, and make calls to legislators about Equal Pay Day and the bills that are relevant to pay inequity and economic security.

The US Women won against Japan (3-1) but I missed the game as I don’t have cable anymore and I didn’t want to go out to one of the bars I usually go to (Rusty Nail or Bayou Beer Garden) to watch it with the increased number of coronavirus cases in the city. I was gratified to learn that several of the sponsors (Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Visa, Volkswagon, Allstate and Secret) all condemned US Soccer’s legal filing and most said they planned to meet with the Federation to discuss whether or not they’d be continuing.

March 12, 2020 – Two cases of coronavirus in Tennessee and 1 in Arkansas have possible links to Mardi Gras in New Orleans (https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/2-tennessee-1-arkansas-case-of-coronavirus-came-after-visits-to-mardi-gras/289-83032172-03f7-4bad-b214-7ef2b5057fd6)

I spent most of the morning repotting my succulent plants and planting the camellias I got from Dad. I had brought a 5 gallon bucket of compost back from Michelle’s house that I mixed with the dirt I had so I was able to repot a cactus from my sister Kathy into 6 pots, plus divide a huge aloe into 5 pots and a number of others that needed dividing or replanting after our warm winter.

I received an email from the Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival that they were going to cancel the event, scheduled for March 27-29. I had signed up to participate on a panel titled Writing In and Across Genres: Pushing Against the Stereotypes. Rick Reed was to moderate Alex Meyers, Elliott Foster, James K Moran and myself. I’m disappointed not to see my all my writerly friends and attend the panels but, better to be safe than sorry.

I read an article about the heartbreaking decisions Italian doctors are being forced to make with more patients than they have ventilators or hospital beds. I wrote on Twitter – Canceling parades and large events, closing schools is all to slow the spread of #COVID19 and to keep it from overwhelming our health care system. Be patient and maintain social distancing. Do it for those more vulnerable than you. Do it so our doctors don’t have to make these decisions.

I was so sore from all the bending and crouching, that I took a long soak in a bubble bath that evening. I used a new one to me – Dr. Teal’s Glow and Radiance with Vitamin C and Citrus Essential Oils foaming bath with Epsom salt. Very orange – it smells like I mugged a Florida fruit stand.

US Soccer canceled all the upcoming men’s and women’s teams matches for March and April. The USWNT was scheduled to play Australia and Brazil in the lead up to the Olympics. There were going to be 6 matches in total but the others hadn’t been announced yet. The USMNT had games scheduled in Wales and Cardiff.

March 13, 2020 – There are now 26 cases in New Orleans, 36 in Louisiana

State of emergency declared in New Orleans and Louisiana. All public schools in the state closed, limits placed on all gatherings of 250 or more.
(https://ready.nola.gov/incident/coronavirus/mayor-cantrell-joins-governor-edwards-to-update-ci/). White House declares national emergency.

I started the day laughing at an ABC News/Ipsos poll that still had 43% of Americans approving of the way President Trump has handled the crisis. I wasn’t aware there were so many door knob lickers out there but things are divided along partisan lines with only 17% of Democrats and 44% of Republicans not concerned about getting the coronavirus. Quite a spread. I wonder if the virus will run rampant in the MAGA crowd, since they don’t seem to be caring about it yet.

Today was a cooking day. I started by pulling out some sourdough starter and feeding the mother. I plan to make a focaccia for dinner tonight and so I left it on the counter for a while to develop a sponge.

I then made a batch of Chocolate Pecan Truffle Cookies – deeply dark with chocolate that is brought out even more with a pinch of flake salt on the top. Recipe here (https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2020/03/15/chocolate-pecan-truffle-cookies/)

As the cookies were baking, I began making chicken stock for soup tonight. Once the stock was fragrant and the chicken cooked, I strained out the solids and let it cool to bring the fat to the top. Later in the day, I made a Lemon, Chicken and Rice soup that was truly awesome (recipe here: https://mouthbrothels.wordpress.com/2020/03/14/lemon-chicken-and-rice-soup/). To go with it, I made a garlic focaccia with the sponge I started earlier.

About midday, I had a long phone call from an organizer friend, Lynda Woolard. During our wide-ranging conversation, I learned the Louisiana Secretary of State was going to delay the April 4^th primary election (and presidential primary preference vote) for at least two months to June 20^th. The runoff would be held on July 25^th. I sent an email with a link to his statement to the IWO board and this set off a firestorm of emails as we had been in the process of cancelling our Candidate Forum and Endorsement meeting scheduled for March 21^st. We finally ended up scheduling a conference call on Monday, 3/16 to discuss it.

I learned at the end of the day that there are now 8 confirmed cases at Lambeth House. I’m worried about my friends but Jody says that they’re taking turns walking up and down the staircases for exercise and the weather has been good, so they’ve spent a lot of time on their balcony.

The US Soccer president, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned effective immediately following the furor over the legal filing. Forum USWNT player Cindy Parlow Cone will take over as president until the next meeting (Feb 2021) when they vote to fill the remainder of his term. She is the first woman to be US Soccer president and the second national team player in that role.

March 14, 2020 – 77 cases in Louisiana, 53 in New Orleans, first fatality in New Orleans.

I went to the Jefferson Highway Wal-Mart at 6:30 am on Saturday. The parking lot was full and the store had only been open for 30 minutes. I filled up on gas (only $1.88/gal) and went in the only door that was open. The grocery side aisles were full of desperate people panic buying everything. Virtually no cleaning products left, especially those with bleach. Very little left on the shelves anywhere. I went into the pharmacy side for alcohol and they only had 2 bottles of hydrogen peroxide left on the bottom two shelves.

I received two deliveries – one from Amazon on a replacement egg/mushroom/strawberry/spam slicer and 9 inch lazy Susan and another from Bass Pro with some pants I ordered back in January. I had the Amazon gal and USPS carrier just leave them on the porch and opened them out there and immediately trashed the packaging.

I used the lazy Susan in my cabinet reorganization with a set of Spicy Shelf Deluxe U shaped shelves I installed a couple of weeks ago. I’ve now got more my spices displayed and it is amazing how much room I have in there and on the counter now. If nothing else, my social isolating is helping me clean up the house!

There was a big St. Patrick’s gathering on Magazine Street at the Tracey’s Irish Bar in defiance of the requests to limit large gatherings. I’d say anyone who gets sick from being that stupid, it is their own damn fault but the issue is not so much them getting sick but transmitting it to others. I’m taking Dr. Graham Medley (Professor of Infectious Disease Modeling) advice: “Most people have a fear of acquiring the virus. I think a good way of doing it is to imagine that you do have the virus, and change your behavior so that you’re not transmitting it.”

I filled out my 2020 Census online. It is really important we all do so Louisiana gets its fair share of federal funds and ensure political representation at all levels of government is fairly allocated.

I read the historian Heather Cox Richardson’s column (subscribe here) regularly but today’s really resonated. From it:

“The fight over whether to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously, as well as the administration’s inept handling of it, is the outcome of forty years of assault on the American government. Since 1980, when Ronald Reagan ran for office on the warning that “government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem,” Republicans have made war on the idea of an expert bureaucracy in charge of our government.

Over the years since, Republican leaders have continued to cut taxes, regulations, social safety nets, and infrastructure, all in the service of shunning socialism and promoting individualism. Whatever needs to be done, businessmen can do it best, they say. Government bureaucrats are inefficient and wasteful.

We have decimated our government bureaucracy and expertise, slashed taxes and the social safety net, and crippled our infrastructure, all in the name of promoting American business and the individualism that, in theory, encourages economic growth. The president, along with his enablers in the Senate, have tried to cement this ideology onto the country through the courts.

And now, the coronavirus pandemic is putting their system to the test. So far, it is failing miserably.”

March 15, 2020 – 2^nd fatality in New Orleans, 75 cases in New Orleans, 103 cases in Louisiana, 2952 cases in US, 57 deaths nationwide.

WHO reports worldwide there are 153,648 cases in 146 countries or territories with 5746 deaths.

I woke up this morning to see that the New Orleans Archbishop sent out word that the obligation to attend Mass has been dispensed for the next 30 days. He ended the letter with “Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us!”

During the day I got a visit from my friends Charlotte and Thomas after their Costco run for her to drop off yarn for Michelle and for me to give her an aloe plant I repotted plus some of the cookies I baked.

Shared with me on Facebook was a resource guide for activists, organizers, and others who are looking out for the community through personal preparation, collective care, mutual aid and advocacy. Link to the google document here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dpMzMzsA83jbVEXS8m7QKOtK4nj6gIUk1U1t6P4wShY/edit?usp=sharing

CDC is now saying gatherings of 50 of more should be cancelled for the next 8 weeks. They’re advocating social distancing through early May.

At the Democratic Debate Sunday night, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders went head to head in CNN’s studio instead of in front of a live audience of 5,000 as originally planned. They had an elbow bump instead of a handshake. Biden promised a female running mate

February Coronavirus Journal

Tags

Coronavirus, Louisiana, Mary Griggs

I saw a post on Twitter about starting writing a journal about what we’re seeing in the news, how communities are responding, how you and your friends are dealing with what is becoming a global crisis. The history of the public health emergency will be written but many personal stories will not. It is especially true that women’s letters and journals are sometimes the only way we learn the real information of their lives.

Here is my small effort. I’m starting in February, 2020 and plan to continue monthly as things develop. I will publish the previous months journal during the following month.

***

Situation Summary: In December 2019, Chinese health authorities identified an outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel, or new, coronavirus which has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China. Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States. CDC’s COVID-19 webpage has the most up to date information.

February 5, 2020 – 11 cases in US, none in Louisiana

Daily data is coming from Ready.NOLA.gov.

On Friday, February 14 (also Valentine’s day), I attended the League of Women Voters luncheon event on Gerrymandering over in Metairie. We heard from Senator JP Morrell on the importance of citizen engagement on all aspects of the redistricting process, starting with the Census2020. I attended with several members of IWO and we gathered for a picture as lunch was being served.

IWO members Clay Latimer, Lisa Manning Ambrose, Anita Zervigon, Leslie Bouie, Rosalind Cook, Julie Schwam Harris and I (peeking over the back)

That evening, I went to two parades mainly because my friend, Charlotte, was riding in Cleopatra. I saw Oshun and Cleopatra from the intersection of St Charles Avenue and Marengo Street, meeting up with Thomas after Cleopatra had begun to roll. I’m attaching a pic of her float.

My sister, Kathy, and her husband, Wayne, arrived later that evening to stay through the weekend and go to parades. Wayne made omelets for Saturday’s breakfast and I grilled ribeye steaks for dinner that night. After a very rainy Sunday morning where we all lazed around the house, I took them downtown for the Krewe of Barkus festivities and we had homemade lentil soup (recipe here) for dinner. They left on Monday morning.

On Mardi Gras Day (February 25), I walked out to the Rex parade along Napoleon Avenue but didn’t go to any other parades that day.

That evening I did my annual tweetstorm about the meeting of the Courts of Rex and Comus. It is a hilarious way to end Carnival Season by roasting the ‘royalty’ and the fawning reporting from the local PBS station that shows the event live while we locals take to the hashtag #RexComus and live tweet our snark. Some people make a drinking game out of it but that could lead to alcohol poisoning. Others play BINGO. I made it to the dancing heads around 10pm and called it a night.

February 27, 2020 – 60 cases in US (most from Diamond Princess cruise ship), none in Louisiana

On February 29^th, I attended a legislative event at the Broad Theater with IWO, a Democratic Women’s Organization.

Nakita Shavers, Jacqueline Brubaker and myself

We had over 150 people in attendance, including a busload of young women students from Florida to hear legislators speak about their agenda for the upcoming Louisiana Legislative Session.

Representatives Jason Hughes, Matthew Willard, Mandie Landry, Candace Newell and Senator Joe Bouie

The national numbers of coronavirus cases went from zero to 60 pretty fast and the next month shows no sign of slowing.

Made for Radio

Tags

LGBT Equality, Louisiana, New Orleans, Politics

I had a lovely conversation last week on WHIV 102.3 FM. The PFLAG-New Orleans sponsored radio show is called Expanding the Rainbow. Hosts Sally Jackson and Joshua (Adonis) Carcabasis. led us in dialogue through the recent kerfuffle with the Orleans Parish School Board elections, the government shutdown and several other topics in between.

Here is the show: January 24, 2019 Expanding the Rainbow Show

Follow PFLAG New Orleans on Facebook and support their work in providing this community programming and those scholarships.

Thanks so much to Sally and Joshua for such a fun morning!

Visiting the Whitney Plantation

Tags

History, Louisiana, Racial Justice

I had the opportunity to visit the Whitney Planation on Sunday with a group of NOSHA  folks. The plantation is about 45 minutes from New Orleans along the Mississippi River but it takes you back in time to a dark period of our history – when our country was being built on the backs of slaves.

This is the only plantation in Louisiana that tells the story of slavery with the exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. You begin by reading about the Western slave trade from the beginning (the papal decree of 1452) followed by information about slavery in the United States in general, in Louisiana specifically and at the Whitney Planation in detail (initially established in 1752 to farm indigo and still an active sugar cane plantation decades after the Civil War).

The plantation is a mix of original structures and replicas. The hour long guided tour begins with a video in the Antioch (originally named Anti-Yoke) church established by free people of color in a nearby parish. Throughout the interior are a number of clay statues to the children of the plantation. They are a stark reminder of how many childhoods were lost during that shameful period of American history.

Outside is the Wall of Honor listing the slaves of the plantation. As their team of researchers discovers more, that info is placed on plaques in the area. A lot of the oral history used is based on narratives collected during the Great Depression in the 1930’s by the Federal Writers Project (part of FDR’s Works Progress Administration). Many of those who were still alive to tell their stories had been children at the time of emancipation.

Reflecting on the wall

Next stop was a memorial garden of the 107,000 enslaved people of Louisiana that lists all the names that have so far been found – some with dates of birth and place of origin, some with nothing but a name. Inset in large type among the names are quotes on daily life, punishments and forced breedings taken from the oral histories. At the end of the memorial is an artist’s rendition of a longboat – the small boats that brought slaves from the slave ship to the shore.

We next visited the Field of Angels which memorializes 2,200 enslaved children who died in St. John the Baptist Parish. The number comes from the records of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, as the Catholic Church required all children to be baptized during that time.

Angel cradling a baby

We then walked to the slave quarters – basic 2 room structures that, during harvest, could have more than 10 people per room. Not a very restful place after working a 16 hour day – hardly heated in winter and no way to cool in the summer. From there we moved past many of the other structures (some still in the restoration process and not yet open to the public) to the Big House. We passed a steel jail where slaves were kept prior to auction, the overseers house, the blacksmiths shop, the carriage house, smokehouses and the kitchen (separate from the house because of the danger of fire).

Even the Big House is centered on the enslaved folks who worked it – we entered through the back door, as slaves were required to do and saw the small child who was the companion slave of the mistress. Before the tour starts, each visitor is given a name of a child on a card and Hannah’s story was the one I wore around my neck.

Not all of the buildings or objects within them are intrinsic to the plantation but, rather, have been brought to it from other locations to tell the whole story of slavery. Doing so may not be authentic to the plantation’s history but it definitely increases their impact. Seeing everything in one place is powerfully moving.

The final exhibit contains sculpted heads, which are replicas of those beheaded for their role in the 1811 German Coast slave revolt. About 500 enslaved people rose up in several parishes, planning to travel along the Mississippi to New Orleans where they would take the city and free the black people. Federal troops ended the uprising on the third day, once the escaped slaves ran out of ammunition. Those captured were executed and their heads were displayed on poles along 60 miles of the river as a warning to the other slaves.

This is not a museum to the genteel Antebellum period that you’ll get from other plantations. This is not a nostalgic look back at life before the Civil War. Instead, it is the monument to the Confederacy that we all should see.

The Whitney Plantation makes real the truth of how America was made and covers history from a perspective many of us have never considered when we think of our nation’s past.

It is a very personal reckoning of the human toll of slavery. And it is a reckoning more of us need to make.

Guided tours are offered everyday but Tuesday from 10am to 3 pm
Whitney Plantation – 5099 Highway 18, Wallace, LA 70049
www.whitneyplantation.com
Advance ticket purchase is recommended

Watching Harvey on Katrina’s Anniversary

Tags

Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana

It is the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina today. Many communities, including New Orleans, continue to struggle in the aftermath. Recovery is no easy road, especially when the ground beneath the road is washed away.

What Texas and Houston are going through now with Harvey is an order of magnitude above that devastation. Some places are seeing up to 50 inches of rainfall which has caused catastrophic flooding. My heart hurts as I watch them facing so much more water and my whole body aches to know how much work is ahead of them.

One of the things we saw after Katrina was the generosity of the American people. You gave your time and money to help so many get back on their feet. Texas needs us now to do what we can – people are amazingly resilient but they need more than just thoughts and prayers. Here is a link to an article that has a number of relief organizations which are boots on the ground in the areas hit.

Not Going Any Damn Where!

Tags

Elections, Louisiana, Mary Griggs, Rant

As results started to come in last night indicating that Donald Trump was on his way to becoming the next president of the United States, the Canadian immigration website crashed.

So many searches…so many, in fact, that the iconic photograph from the fall of Saigon came to mind.

I understand where those folks are coming from – the frustration at seeing that bloviating orange nightmare winning precinct after precinct churned my stomach. It was very personal and emotional to me because I live in New Orleans, an island of blue afloat in the sea of red which is the great state of Louisiana.

I have been told more times than I can count that I should just move. Some are from friends who live in more welcoming places – places where I couldn’t be fired from my job for being a lesbian or kicked out of a restaurant for public displays of affection with my girlfriend or evicted from my home because the landlord has a moral objection to someone being gender non-conforming.

Some of those who say it are just plain mean – these are the people who snarl out that I should like it or leave it.

The hell I will! Not only is this my home, they need me here.

And we need you here, too!

We need you to stay and do the work to keep this country moving forward. We need ALL of you to help make it better.

As Margaret Mead so eloquently said:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

If not you and me, then who?

Here in Louisiana 779,535 votes went for Hillary Clinton. Those voters are my natural allies. The task I choose to accept is to join up with those hundreds of thousands of other people who are also fighting for tomorrow.

I’m a progressive, lesbian, feminist, Democrat living in New Orleans. And I am not alone.

Dastardly Deeds from the AG

Tags

LGBT Equality, Louisiana, Mary Griggs, Politics, Transgender

From the late Middle Ages comes a great word – dastard. Probably a combination of dazed, dotard and bastard; it means a dishonorable or despicable man.

There is a reason Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s picture appears next to the definition.

First, let me give a little background.

I worked for the election of John Bel Edwards to be governor of Louisiana. There were many reasons for my support of his candidacy but most notably, it was his commitment to issuing an executive order to protect LGBTQ state employees from discrimination and harassment that compelled me to canvass and make calls.

After he won the election, I was part of the coalition that came together to craft the language of the order. The Forum for Equality, along with Equality Louisiana and the Louisiana Trans Advocates helped negotiate an inclusive executive order.

We succeeded and on April 13, Governor John Bel Edwards signed the order ( JBE 2016-11) with most of the advocates there in his office.

I’m standing next to Governor Edwards in the wrinkled blue shirt

While Louisiana has twice before had executive orders (the first signed by Gov Edwards in February 17, 1992 – EWE 92-7 and, the second by Gov Blanco on December 4 2004 – KBB 04-54) which added sexual orientation protection, this is the first one to include gender identity. It was a first for Louisiana and first in the South!

Attorney General Jeff Landry immediately began to undermine the order. In May, he issued an opinion that the order could not be enforced legally. All of the organizations involved in getting the original executive order plus several more responded quickly with a statement: “Landry’s Opinion is based on obsolete caselaw and outdated scientific information, and demonstrates that he is out of touch with current interpretations and understanding. Landry’s political posturing cannot be allowed to harm victims of discrimination merely to advance his own mean-spirited political agenda.”

Also in May, he issued an opinion against the Department of Education and Department of Justice’s Title IX Guidance on Transgender Students, declaring the “Obama transgender mandate is unlawful federal overreach.”

In mid-August (not so coincidently right in the middle of a massive natural disaster and truly terrible flooding, when everyone else in the state was focused on recovery), he began refusing to approve contracts that contain the language of the executive order. There are at least 37 state government contracts for legal work which have been blocked.

It should be noted that the Louisiana Bar Association, an organization for attorneys, encourages the adoption of non-discrimination policies in law firms protecting both sexual orientation and gender identity. On the issue of the AG’s role, it has stated that the attorney general is only supposed to review state legal contracts with private attorneys to make sure the lawyers are qualified to do the work. Further, they say the law doesn’t give his office oversight over language such as the LGBT nondiscrimination clause.

This week, AG Landry filed a lawsuit against the executive order. He claims “Executive Overreach” and is asking a judge to prohibit enforcement of the order. One of his claims is that “enforcement of the order, affording protection from ‘discrimination’ based upon ‘gender identity,’ undermines this State’s anti-discrimination laws and hundreds of other laws in that it creates a protected class which is premised solely upon subjective and arbitrary factors unlike other recognized and legislatively established protected classes.”

Seriously? An order protecting people from discrimination undermines other people from protection of anti-discrimination laws? I call bullshit.

Instead of doing the job he was elected to do, Landry is dastardly carrying the banner for the extremists in their opposition to equal rights for LGBTQ people.

The office of the Attorney General is supposed to protect the people and resources of the state of Louisiana. Instead, it has become a partisan hack’s playground where he picks and chooses who he will protect.

Landry does not believe that gender identity should be a legally protected class. This despite the fact that the EEOC has held that discrimination against an individual because that person is transgender (also known as gender identity discrimination) is discrimination because of sex and therefore is covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

He fears what he doesn’t understand and is attempting legal maneuvers to classify transgender people as second class citizens. He can’t be allowed to negate the right to equal treatment under the law for all Louisianians, including transgender people.

Transgender Americans deserve equal dignity and respect at work, in receiving an education, or when seeking respectful and appropriate healthcare. Transgender people make valuable contributions to society and, like everyone else, they should be treated fairly in all areas of life.

This lawsuit illustrates how vital it is to ensure that transgender protections are permanently codified into state law. Protection from discrimination is too foundational and important a value to leave to the discretion of the Attorney General.

Governor Edwards released a statement and said, “Discrimination, of any kind, is not a Louisiana value, and I will do everything in my power, including enforcing this order, to foster a productive and welcoming work environment in Louisiana’s state government.”

Thank you, Governor!

You can join the fight to protect LGBTQ people in Louisiana from discrimination by becoming a member of the Forum for Equality at this link here. I’m proud to be a member as they continue the fight for fairness, equality and equal treatment under the law. I encourage you to get involved, too.

They’re trying to wash us away

Tags

Louisiana

The Aaron Neville performance of the Randy Newman song, Louisiana 1927, keeps playing in my mind:

Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re trying to wash us away
They’re trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re trying to wash us away
They’re trying to wash us away

That song is about the great Mississippi River flood of 1927 that left 700,000 homeless in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Here are some statistics from the August 10-13 flooding that is currently devastating much of Southern Louisiana:

Over 30,000 people had to be rescued. Eight people are dead, a unknown number are still missing and 10,000 people are in shelters (Update – 11 dead)

More than 40,000 homes were damaged including 90% of the homes in Denham Springs and 75% of the home in Livingston parish which are considered damaged or destroyed

34,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity

Interstate I-12 was closed for 40 miles in both directions between Baton Rouge and Covington. I-10 was closed for 20 miles between Baton Rouge and Gonzales.

Much of area remains underwater.

20 parishes have been declared a major disaster by the federal government

Acadia
Ascension
Avoyelles
East Baton Rouge
East Feliciana
Evangeline
Iberia
Iberville
Jefferson Davis
Lafayette
Livingston
Pointe Coupee
St. Helena
St. Landry
St. Martin
St. Tammany
Tangipahoa
Vermilion
Washington
West Feliciana

It may seem like we’re whining about being ignored by the national media. Trust me, that attention really will help the Louisiana congressional delegation in getting needed assistance from the federal government during the long recovery process ahead.

Thanks to all who have contacted me to check in and make sure that I’m okay. New Orleans escaped the flooding and while we got pretty wet from the rain, we aren’t underwater like the rest of the area.

It is our turn to help all those who stepped up to help us after the levee breaks following Hurricane Katrina.

 

Here are some resources:

Resources For flood Victims:

Shelter information for Affected Parishes

The Louisiana governor’s office can be reached at (225) 342-7015. The Gov Office webpage on disaster relief can be found here.

FEMA Claims Handbook

If you are are in a parish currently included in the federal disaster declaration, you can register with FEMA at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. If your parish is not yet included in the federal declaration, you must register by calling 1-800-621-3362.

For those who want to help:

Read this first: When Disaster Relief Brings Anything But Relief

New Orleans Moms blog on how to help

Info on preparing and shipping a cleaning bucket.

Dirty Coast is updating its famous Soul is Waterproof t-shirt, with proceeds to go to the Second Harvest Food Bank

Acknowledging all the help and support locals provided to their neighbors, $15 from each sale of the Cajun Navy t-shirt will go to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Louisiana Flood Relief fund.

Hope this helps.

We are #OneLouisiana

 

 

JBE Moves Louisiana Forward

Tags

LGBT Equality, Louisiana

Today was a historic day in Louisiana. Our newly elected Democratic governor signed an inclusive Executive Order providing employment protections for state employees and employees of state contractors to include sexual orientation and gender identity. He also rescinded former Governor Bobby Jindal’s executive order extending the provisions included in Mike Johnson’s Marriage and Conscience Act after it failed to pass out of committee last year.

These are things we’ve been working hard on for a while and I was so pleased to be able to watch him sign it.

Here are the major LGBT organizations standing shoulder to shoulder with the governor – Equality Louisiana, Forum for Equality, Louisiana Trans Advocates and PACE.

Here is the press release from the Governor’s office. Here is a copy of the Executive Order.

Here is the Forum for Equality eblast.

Please take a moment to thank Governor John Bel Edwards for signing this inclusive Executive Order. Follow this link for an action page to send your letter.

What a win!

Tags

Elections, Louisiana, Voting

It was a hard election season that saw a sitting, United States Republican Senator try every dirty trick in the book (lying in tv ads and debates, spying on private citizens, pandering to the basest of racist fears) only to lose to his Democratic challenger. Close to $18 million dollars were spent on campaign ads for the governor’s race, much of it from outside PACs

The opposition even tried to use my “pro homosexual blog” as proof that Edwards “plans to pursue policies granting special rights to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.” There were articles in the Baptist Messenger, the Hayride and Gene Mills, the President of the Louisiana Family Forum, even took out a half page ad in newspapers across the state:

Too bad he didn’t realize that the section he bolded just highlights what a fair and equality minded candidate John Bel Edwards is.

As John Bel Edwards posed on Facebook:

We won because of you. Thank you for voting to put Louisiana first.

You believed in our campaign to bring honor and integrity back to the state of Louisiana.

My campaign slogan has been “put Louisiana first” from the start, and that is exactly what I plan to do for the next four years. To me, that has always meant bringing our people together, regardless of party, to celebrate the things that make our state strong and solve our greatest problems.

I promise you tonight that I will always do what is best for all Louisianians — for our children, our veterans, our senior citizens. I believe Louisiana is worth fighting for. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead our state.

Louisiana’s future doesn’t belong to a political party — it belongs to all of us. I will work every day to make you proud of your vote and of your state.

Thanks to everyone to who stepped up or even stepped across the party line to vote in this election. Raise your glass in celebration of Louisiana’s spirit, strength, and future.

We can’t rest on this victory, though. There is a presidential election next year. And, as David Vitter has already said he will not be seeking reelection, we must continue to work here in Louisiana to elect progressive minded candidates.

Laissez le bon candidats gagner!

Vitter Family Values

Tags

Louisiana, Politics, Voting

David Vitter’s new campaign video is all about how he failed his family but found forgiveness. In it, he and his family are sitting around a table as he talks of accepting responsibility and earning redemption. Not only is this video getting quite a bit of air time but at a recent Women’s Roundtable, his wife Wendy presented the video.

Let that sink for a moment – Wendy Vitter is traveling around the state to show a campaign commercial of her husband acknowledging that he cheated on her.

I won’t speculate on the dynamics of their marriage. But seeing naked political ambition eclipsing personal humiliation just boggles the mind.

I don’t really care that David Vitter had affairs, although I’m bothered by the fact he paid for sex. Soliciting is a crime in Louisiana which carries a $500 fine and up to six months in jail. We should definitely expect our elected representatives not to break the laws they swear to uphold.

For me, however, the real issue is that he committed serial adultery while espousing family values and preaching morality to the rest of us.

He positions himself as a great protector of marriage (and as a gatekeeper to exclude lesbians and gays from the institution) by being a chief sponsor on several efforts to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. “I don’t believe there’s any issue that’s more important than this one,” he said once the amendment was brought to the floor. He has also compared marriage equality to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Seriously? There is not a single issue more important than amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Not a single one?

Not Louisiana’s unbalanced budget? Not the catastrophic loss of wetlands or the need for coastal restoration? Not the the dismal state of education? Not our crumbling infrastructure? Not the fact that Louisiana ranks last on nearly every quality of life survey until you get to the rates of sexually transmitted diseases and we take the lead?

Even if you are able to set aside for a moment legitimate differences on substantial policy matters, it behooves us all to be concerned that David Vitter has spent his entire career voting against the rights and liberties of the very same women he’s been screwing.

Furthermore, Vitter has proven, time and again, that he is corrupt to the core. I sincerely hope the voters of this state realize that if his marriage vows mean nothing to him, his oath of office will mean even less.

The choice is clear – vote for John Bel Edwards for Louisiana!

Here are the endorsements for governor and others in the November 21st runoff:

• Independent Women’s Organization Endorsements
• Forum for Equality PAC Endorsements

Please Geaux Vote!

 

Vitter in His Own Words

Tags

Louisiana, Politics, Voting

Through his constituent letters and public comments, time and again, David Vitter shows he is a hypocrite who doesn’t support many issues of importance to the people of this state.

Here are a few examples:

In 1998, David Vitter was a state representative, a practicing attorney and adjunct professor. He weighed in on the President Bill Clinton impeachment issue in a point of view letter to the Times-Picayune newspaper. “One would hope that these two factors would coincide — that when an officeholder commits serious offenses, the negative reaction of the citizenry would make it impossible for him to govern effectively.” (This is around the same time he was soliciting prostitutes in Louisiana. See American Zombie for more on that story).

David Vitter got his start in Congress after replacing Rep. Robert Livingston, who resigned after his numerous affairs were disclosed. At the time, Vitter argued that an extramarital affair was grounds for resignation: “I think Livingston’s stepping down makes a very powerful argument that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess.”

When David Vitter ran for a seat in the Senate in 2004, he made passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment a centerpiece of his campaign: “We need a U.S. Senator who will stand up for Louisiana values, not Massachusetts’s values. I am the only Senate Candidate to coauthor the Federal Marriage Amendment; the only one fighting for its passage.”

On June 6, 2006 and less than a year after Katrina and Rita made landfall, he says, “I don’t believe there’s any issue that’s more important than this one.” Was he talking about rebuilding Louisiana? NO! He was defending the decision by Republican leaders to bring a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage to the Senate floor.

In 2007 (the same year he confessed to his “serious sin” after his phone number appeared on the list of a Washington escort service), he inserted an earmark into the federal budget to provide $100,000 to the Louisiana Family Forum for the purpose of combating the teaching of evolution and global warming in public schools. “This program helps supplement and support educators and school systems that would like to offer all of the explanations in the study of controversial science topics such as global warming and the life sciences,” he said.

2008 Vitter was one of the ten sponsors of the Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, which would have banned same-sex marriage. Vitter co-sponsored State Marriage Defense Act in 2014 which would reverse the gains same-sex couples made after the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2013.

He was also a cosponsor of the First Amendment Defense Act in 2015, which would stop the federal government from denying a tax benefit, contract, or license based on views of the individual or organization that marriage is limited to a union between a man and a woman. Vitter said, “I’m committed to fully protecting religious liberty.” The legislation was introduced June 17, nine days before the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Vitter voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009 because he thought it was a sop to plaintiff’s lawyers. “Quite frankly it’s a trial lawyer bonanza,” Vitter said.

In 2010, Senator David Vitter appeared on a right wing radio station and mocked MSNBC host Rachel Maddow:

MALE HOST: That’d be cool. Well you know, with Rachel Maddow they had that picture of her…

FEMALE HOST: Looking like a woman.

MALE HOST: Yeah it was really bizarre.

VITTER: [LAUGHS]: Must have been a long time ago.

ALL THREE: [HEAVY LAUGHTER]

When talking about his continuing the employment of a man convicted of DUI’s and pleading guilty after battering his girlfriend, David Vitter said Brent Furer was actually assigned to “abortion” issues, not “women’s issues.”

In 2013, I received a letter from him after I contacted him about supporting ENDA. The letter said, “While I strictly oppose discrimination in all forms, I do not believe that expanding federal civil rights protections to include lifestyle-based conduct is a prudent course of action.”

There are many, many more examples out there. Check out On The Issues or even do a simple Google search to find many, many more statements he made which are out of touch with the majority of Louisianians. See for yourself when you watch the next debate between John Bel Edwards and David Vitter from Louisiana Public Broadcasting on Tuesday, November 10 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

It is vital that you vote to ensure that he does not become the next governor of Louisiana. Early voting runs through Saturday, November 14 from 8:30am to 6pm. There is no early voting on Veterans Day, November 11. Election Day is November 21st. More election info can be found here.

Here are endorsements from groups I support:

• Independent Women’s Organization Endorsements
• Forum for Equality PAC Endorsements

But, whatever you decide, please do not vote for David Vitter.