(no subject)

I so respect Senator Patrick Leahy for this.

Vermont, you picked a good Senator.

An ACLU report has determined that the US has been abusing the material witness law to hold terrorism "suspects" indefinately without access to a lawyer or even informing them of why they're being held. They couldn't even talk to family. The material witness statute is intended to hold witnesses who are likely to flee rather than give testimony in a case.

It's meant to be for situations where we know they've got info but they'll run before the trial, not as a means to incarcerate innocent people. I'd heard of these incarcerations but didn't know how it could possibly be done.

In one case, the suspect being held was a college student. The FBI wanted information on a friend of his that the kid flat out didn't know. He was interrogated seven times, held for six weeks without even the basic rights a murderer would have.

Another person held was an attorney, which is an eye-popper. I'll bet that was very stupid on the part of the FBI.

Gay Pride Parade!

Woo! Gay Pride Parade today -- whee!

Started with roar of the Dykes on Bikes. WG and I missed them as we scurried a little late, though we certainly heard the Harleys.

Lots of energy this time, fewer commercial floats and more politics. The Mayor was there, campaigning, along with Senator McDermott (shook his hand, managed to get a word in about NPR and PBS funding). Nick Licata didn't show (pretty sure of his support in the community) but Ed Murray was there -- and he had bagpipes! A whole troop with drums and all.

I will vote for a man with bagpipes. Our National Anthem should have had bagpipes.

The Seattle Library had amused-looking librarians in capes, pushing library carts in formation drills (hee). The city system had a school bus and threw pencils (duck), and WG's going through a ditty bag he was handed by Planned Parenthood ("Condom, condom, no way that's gonna fit -- ooo, a card on Syphillis -- and, hmmm, lube. What? No Candy?")

There were the usual Divas in massive wigs and throbbing music, though WG's favourites were the two slim boys carrying a banner: blond highlights, tanned and smooth. Yeah, I noticed them, too. We seem to have similar tastes. WG's so funny while out in the gay community; completely reserved and taciturn, like a cop on a beat (think Col. Jack O'Neill in front of a camera) while soaking it all in. He wished he'd had his sunglasses so he could check everything out.

The Latino float was awesome. Blue body paint and loincloths and impressively femme she-males, waving floaty blue and white flags to Jungle-like rhythms. Interesting that the fetish and lether crowd were almost entirely older folks, 40s and 50s.

WG says the religious marchers had the best placards ("The Christian Left"), but I was disappointed in the Buddhist contingent. Tsk, tsk. Hire an artist, guys.

There were a couple of hold-outs from the Solstice parade, completely nude except for body paint, walking bikes on the sideline. Yeah, technically illegal, but people turn their heads.

Well. Catch a quick peek and turn their heads.

The show stealer was the Filipino Dance Association. Wow. Dignified little girls in costume with their backs straight, chins held high, dancing complex patterns while delicate golden umbrellas twirled around them, accompanied by only a drum beat. Wow.

WG was hungry and had a headache (he kept complaining that it was so slow; "But it's a parade honey"), so we left a little earlier than planned. But clearly the threat from the right-wing has united a number of organizations who haven't appeared in the parade before. A much bigger turn-out, too.

The Gay Pride Parade has been plagued by internecine politics over the last few years (there's some talk of moving it from Broadway -- heathens! Broadway is Gay Central). It seems the threats from without have put a leash on those issues.