Reflection – The following “Letter to the Editor” appeared in edited version in The Press Democrat June 25, 2008. It paints a poignant side of struggle that lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people face still in this Country today. The letter makes reference to SRJC Political Science professor Bob Blanchard who also served as Mayor of Santa Rosa. Dear Editor I called him our Friend. Mayor Bob Blanchards passing is a loss to many, and for many reasons. I was a new young Turk when hired as a Psychology professor at SRJC. I was also an out-of-the-closet gay man. Bob Blanchard had an office one door over from mine. They said he was a conservative Republican Political Science professor. They said he was a well-known family and community man. True, maybe these things were, but this gentlemen was much more. Over the years we became friends, at first mainly because we liked a good joke, and a damn good laugh. I grew to like Bob a bunch. He was gentle, soft-spoken, reflective, and a darn good listener. He was decent to a fault. What sealed him in my mind was his strong humanism. One day he came to my office sat down, closed my door, and asked why it was so important for Lesbians and Gays to have the right to marry. Let me tell you the story of Vince and Eddie, I said. I proceeded to tell Bob the story of one of my clients, Vincent, who was dealing with his partner of 15 years battle with cancer—Eddie was his name. Over the next few months Eddies family came in from the South to help; they were never invited, they just arrived. Soon Vince was told to stay out of the house they shared and paid for. When Eddie went to the hospital, Vince was forbidden to visit, because he was not legally a next of kin. The story further deteriorates, with court restraining orders issued and with one painful injustice followed by another. When Eddie died, Vince was not allowed to participate in the funeral. The house was sold from under him and Eddies family left with all of this couples worldly possessions and wealth. Vince committed suicide a few years later. The system failed Vince and I failed Vince. Bob listened and at the end, softly spoke: This is all wrong! Im not so nave as to think anything I said to Bob changed the way he viewed life or conducted his politics. But I do like to think that in Vinces death, maybe he did. A couple of years later, I read that the Santa Rosa City Counsel was considering endorsing Civil Unions for Lesbians and Gays. Bob was a member of the City Counsel. I remember Bob coming up to me and saying: Well its not marriage, but I think it will work, Davis. I think he was expecting me to be unhappy. I said: Bob, the institution of marriage in this Country today is bankrupt. Were fast approaching 50% of marriages ending in divorce within five years. Starting us gays off with a new institution to call our own might just be the ticket. Bob burst out with one of his laughs; the kind generally found on the faces of mischievous children. Now dont get me wrong. Im not sure I buy everything I said that day. Separate but equal systems, dont have a good track record in Americas history: segregation comes to mind. Remember those separate but equal black school systems in the old South? But Ive been around long enough to know that progress often comes in the form of little steps that eventually give rise to the full bloom of justice for all. Bob Blanchard was a deep and decent man. He was a social humanist, who saw honor in doing the right thing versus the political thing when it came to social justice. Thats why I call him our friend. I believe many in the Lesbian and Gay community share my view too. My 102-year-old grandma used to say of good people like Blanchard: Them types go to the head of the line at Heavens Gate, come their time. I say Yay! Yay! Rush him there in an Angel-driven cab. Send the bill to me. Dr. J. Davis Mannino Guerneville, Ca Assignment Overview The purpose of this Reflection Assignment is to provide you with an appreciation and understanding of issues surrounding “sexual orientation” in human beings. Another purpose is to provide you with experience and understanding of the many aspects of sexual orientation as its relates to the discipline of human sexuality. Important Note: 500 words minimum length: What I look for in a reflection paper: Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, I will let you handle the paper any way you are comfortable with. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. However, these are some key points that I am looking for from a reflection paper: – How did the article affect you? – How does this article catch the readers attention (or does it all)? – Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how. – Has the article left you with any questions? – Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didnt appear in the article? – Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences? – Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences? Below find a link to an actual lecture given by Mr. Kevin Chhoeuy and Dr. J. Davis Mannino in his face-to-face human sexuality class at SRJC on April 17, 2014. Kevin is a SRJC Teaching fellow, a prestigious scholarship for future teachers, at SRJC. The presentation was well received by the class. Keep in mind, as with all live video recordings, not everything is perfect or comes across “loud and clear.” That being said, I feel it is a good lecture. It is around one hour. Feel free to watch it in segments.Show more
