Wanderings through life, landscapes, and occasional loopiness. So pull up a log and have a bit of a sit-down 'round the virtual campfire.

¡Bienvenidos! Come on in!

¡Hola, mis peeps aquí! In case you’re wondering what the heck’s going on over here, all us bloggers had stuff lined up to go (including moi) and the folks at WOW are so freakin’ on the ball that they’ve been slappin’ my stuff up left and right, leaving me little breathing space to step on [...]

Untapped Resource: The Nashville Peace and Justice Center

By Ev Schlatter (Andi Marquette)
Originally published in Church Street Freedom Press, Nashville TN (March 23, 2006).
The Nashville Peace and Justice Center (NPJC) sits at 1016 18th Street, part of a neighborhood that borders Vanderbilt campus. It’s a nondescript reddish-brick 3-story building that faces the street, with an early 1970s-era look to it. At one time, [...]

To Heed or Not to Heed

I was thinking the other day about advice. The good kind. The common-sense-passed-down-from-your-ancestors kind of advice. Simple little things like “look before you leap,” for example. The kind of advice that you wish, say, world leaders might actually take into serious consideration.
In the American Southwest, where I grew up, there’s a legend about a woman [...]

When Love Hurts: Domestic Violence Still Hidden in Many Relationships

By Ev Schlatter (Andi Marquette)
Originally published in Church Street Freedom Press, Nashville TN (August 17, 2006).
“Dennis” was 22 when he got involved with “Alex.” Fun, caring, and into Cuban cooking, Alex seemed like Mr. Right. But four months into the relationship, Alex’s demons emerged when he showed up hours late to take Dennis to a [...]

Breaking New Ground: GLBT Retirement Communities in America

By Ev Schlatter (Andi Marquette)
Originally published in Church Street Freedom Press, Nashville TN (January 26, 2006).
The stories abound: Assisted living facility staff who refused to bathe an elderly woman because she was a lesbian. A threat from a nurse to “out” a senior man who challenged her substandard care. An older gay male couple separated [...]

Black Pride: A Message for All of Us

Ev Schlatter (Andi Marquette)
Originally published in Church Street Freedom Press, Nashville, Tennessee (October 27, 2005).
In September 1998, bestselling author, activist, attorney, and social commentator Keith Boykin wrote that “it’s time to create a strong community of our own—a community that informs, supports, and affirms us specifically as black lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people.” [...]