Living

Bracing for possible Hill attack on D.C. marriage

Riders on abortion, vouchers renew fears over GOP intervention

Published

15 years ago

April 21, 2011

An agreement by President Obama and Senate Democratic leaders to Republican demands for imposing two D.C.-related riders on a federal budget bill has renewed fears among LGBT activists that the city’s same-sex marriage law could be the next target of Republicans in Congress.

The president and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said they reluctantly agreed to demands from conservative members of the House to budget amendments barring the city from funding abortions for low-income women and imposing a school voucher program that city officials oppose as a condition for averting a federal government shutdown.

“The president continues to oppose riders in this bill that undermine the District’s ability for home rule,” said White House spokesperson Shin Inouye in a statement released last week. “However, as he has said repeatedly, the ability to reach an agreement to keep the government open meant that all parties had to make some compromises,” Inouye said.

In response to questions from the media, Obama has stated in the past that he believes marriage-related issues should be addressed by the states. But he has not weighed in on same-sex marriage proposals that have surfaced in specific states or in D.C.

Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) told the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club last week that she fears the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party in the House has become emboldened and will likely push more social riders on the 2012 D.C. appropriations bill.

Some congressional insiders are speculating that same-sex marriage opponents on the Hill may attempt to attach a rider calling for repeal of the D.C. marriage law to legislation next month needed to raise the federal debt ceiling. Such legislation is deemed crucial by most lawmakers and the White House.

Traditionally, federal debt ceiling bills have not been used as a vehicle for social riders, but some Hill observers have speculated that conservative GOP lawmakers may make an exception to that practice this year.

Congress must approve D.C.’s budget bill each year, even though nearly all of the money for the city’s budget is generated by the city through local tax dollars. Over the past 20 years, Republicans and some conservative Democrats have pushed through numerous riders on the D.C. budget bill, including one that barred the city from implementing its domestic partners law for nearly nine years before that rider was lifted in 2001.

“I have not heard specific news on the anti-marriage front beyond what has been reported, but prudence requires us to assume that the anti-gay fanatics will come after us,” said Rick Rosendall, vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, a non-partisan political group.

Rosendall said GLAA plans to work with its LGBT and straight allies to lobby against efforts by Congress to interfere in D.C. affairs on a wide variety of issues, including marriage.

Peter Rosenstein, president of the Campaign for All D.C. Families, another non-partisan group that coordinated efforts to secure passage of the city’s same-sex marriage law, said the group is preparing for possible attempts by members of Congress to either overturn the law or force the city to hold a voter initiative on the issue.

Rosenstein said officials with the group have met with congressional staffers, including the staff of Reid and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). He said Campaign for All D.C. Families has retained the pro bono services of the LGBT supportive lobbying firm Raben Group to help lobby against congressional efforts to kill the marriage law.

He said the campaign also continues to use the pro bono services of the prominent D.C. law firm Covington and Burling to help it contend with a possible voter initiative on the marriage question.

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said his group has already begun urging moderate and conservative Republicans in Congress to oppose any effort to repeal D.C.’s same-sex marriage law.

Cooper said he has learned from conversations with congressional GOP staffers as well as members that most Republicans don’t favor a messy fight over D.C.’s gay marriage law.

“To some conservatives, this would be anti-states’ rights, and they would not support it,” Cooper said. “This whole thing is limited so far to a handful of House members,” Cooper said, in discussing supporters of overturning D.C.’s marriage law.

Among them is Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who announced in January that he and other conservative GOP House members “definitely” planned to introduce legislation to overturn the D.C. marriage law.

“The Republican leadership has made it clear that social issues are not a high priority,” said Cooper.

But he acknowledges that GOP leaders, including Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) are coming under great pressure from the social conservative faction of the party to take up social issues, including the marriage issue.

Fred Sainz, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, said HRC could not obtain “solid intelligence” to confirm any attempt to link repeal of D.C.’s marriage law to the debt ceiling bill. But he said the group is “definitely concerned” that Republicans will attempt to add marriage-related riders to D.C.’s FY 2012 appropriations bill.

“HRC opposes any attempt to use LGBT citizens of the District as pawns to make a political statement,” Sainz said. “As we have done in the past, we would work with House and Senate allies, including Delegate Norton, to develop the best strategy to successfully block such riders,” he said.

“The Tea Party fanatics in Congress smell blood and will be pushing a lot of social riders on D.C.’s 2012 appropriations bill if we do not fight back,” said GLAA’s Rosendall.

Related Topics:Eleanor Holmes Norton GLAA Harry Reid

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Real Estate

Introducing Next-Generation Assisted Living & Memory Support.

Now Available in Tysons: Kokua at The Mather

Published

4 days ago

May 28, 2026

Autos

A magical Mercedes

S-Class continues to define what luxury really means

Published

1 week ago

May 23, 2026

Joe Phillips

Mercedes S-Class

At my stage of life — “somewhere between 40 and death,” as the iconic line goes in the musical “Mame” — I want some pampering. A lot of pampering.

Luckily, for anyone who constantly craves a soothing spa, steam room or sauna, there’s the completely updated Mercedes S-Class. This flagship sedan is now so full of glitz, glamour, and gee-whiz gadgetry, it gives new meaning to the term “auto erotica.”

Does this make the S-Class a “gay” ride? For me, any vehicle that pushes my buttons like this one is a Kinsey 6.

MERCEDES S-CLASS

$122,000 (est.)

MPG: 21 city/31 highway

0 to 60 mph: 4.3 seconds

Trunk space: 19 cu. ft.

PROS: Exceptional comfort. Ultra-quiet cabin. Cutting-edge safety.

CONS: Price climbs fast. Tech learning curve. Sportier competitors.

The S-Class continues to define what luxury really means, with a bolder silhouette, larger grille, and striking, next-gen LED headlights. There’s also an optional illuminated Mercedes star on the hood. Overall, nearly 2,700 parts are new or improved, so more than 50 percent of this vehicle has been updated. An extreme makeover, to be sure.

At the same time, this latest S-Class leans harder into intelligence and electrification than ever before. Under the hood, a range of turbocharged inline-six and V8 engines — paired with mild-hybrid systems — deliver power in a way that seems almost edited for smoothness. Braking is solid and strong, too, but never abrupt. All the engineering is fine-tuned and intentional.

Yes, the top-of-the line S580 version is more expensive, almost $140,000. But it’s also blisteringly fast, zipping from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. That’s as lickety-split swift as a Lamborghini Revuelto supercar, which has a starting MSRP of $610,000 and can easily exceed — yowza! — $800,000.

Colors? There are 150 to choose from for the exterior and 400 for the interior. You can even customize the illuminated door sills, interior stitching and wheel accents.

And the ride quality? Sublime. Adaptive air suspension reads the road constantly, leveling out imperfections before they even register. Rear-axle steering enhances maneuverability, making this full-sized sedan feel surprisingly nimble in tight spaces. On the highway, the S-Class simply glides like a private yacht on the calmest of seas — extremely quiet, composed and completely unbothered.

Whenever you slide inside, the cabin immediately sets the tone. A massive OLED digital display — the same high-def technology used for cinematic viewing and gaming monitors — anchors the dashboard, running the latest MBUX infotainment interface. Highly customizable, this software allows for advanced voice commands that feel natural, not forced. And an augmented-reality navigation system takes your route and overlays it onto live camera feeds. It’s intuitive — mostly, as there is a learning curve for all this cutting-edge gear. Overall, though, such amenities make older setups feel like dial-up internet.

A Burmester surround-sound stereo is available in 3D or 4D, with up to 31 speakers, 1,690 watts and tactile transducers in the seats that vibrate and pulse with the music. Those seats are, of course, extremely comfortable. And the seatbelts? These are now heated.

Let’s not forget the latest cabin air-filtration system, which can remove ultra-fine particles to deliver air quality that rivals medical environments. Clean air, yes, but even this seems like a special treat. It’s like being swaddled in couture, not ready-to-wear.

And lastly, there’s the rear-seat area, which — to be honest — is where the S-Class really shines. Executive packages offer multi-contour reclining seats with rapid heating and ventilating, heated armrests and massage functions. You can opt for a footrest, which ups the glam factor to give you a calf massage. Dual 13.1-inch display screens come with their own remote controls. There’s also a video-conferencing feature, to help transform the rear cabin into a fully connected mobile office. For me, it feels less “back seat” and more “private lounge.”

Even in fiction, high-tech luxury carries weight. Tony Stark helped cement the idea that state-of-the art vehicles can be aspirational, not just practical. The magical S-Class fits right into that narrative — minus the flying suit (for now).

Advice

I’m a 64-year-old single gay man and I hate my life

How can I turn things around before it’s too late?

Published

1 week ago

May 22, 2026

Michael Radkowsky

I’m officially old, maybe even nearing the finish line and I’m getting bitter.

Dear Michael,

I’m a 64-year-old single gay man and I hate my life.

I’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than a few months. I can’t say why. I don’t think I’m defective. I wasn’t unattractive when I was younger (still not bad looking), I think I’m an interesting person to spend time with, but everything always seemed to fizzle out.

Thankfully, I missed AIDS because I came out after people knew what to do. Sometimes I wonder if fear of contracting the virus metastasized into a fear of getting close. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve consciously kept people away. Consciously I have wanted someone to share my life with, very much.

With my 65th birthday and official senior citizen status approaching, I’ve been taking stock of my life and am coming to the hard realization that I’m never going to find that elusive partner.

I don’t go out anymore because people look right through me, except the ones who have a fetish for older guys. No one’s actually interested in me as me, a unique person rather than what they see on the surface.

I’m tired of my coupled friends. They’re always talking about “we.” Yes, I have become resentful that they have what I want and will never get. I know that’s not admirable but it’s how I feel, secretly, and I am sick of feeling like this when I am around them. So why be around them?

And I’m tired of my friends who are focused on sex all the time. It just all feels like a waste of time. I don’t get anything from a hookup anymore, they’ve been feeling increasingly meaningless. I feel like I’m someone’s momentary opportunity to get off, rather than any kind of real connection.

I’m just sick of the whole chase I’ve been doing for the last 40+ years.

I’m realizing that the whole thing has been pointless, a quest for a partner who is never going to materialize and a lot of diversions along the way that have added up to a despairing feeling that I’ve wasted my life trying to get something that will never happen.

Gay life hasn’t been so gay for me. And I’m officially old, maybe even nearing the finish line. Yes, if you haven’t noticed, I’m getting bitter.

What do I do with this dead end?

Michael replies:

How about looking for a different road to go down?

I’m not going to challenge your belief that you aren’t going to find a partner. I think it’s possible that you could, because there are other guys out there, in your age range, who are looking. But you have no guarantee, especially if you have decided to take it off the table.

So what else can you do with your life? How can you make your remaining time on this earth well-lived?

From your letter, it’s clear what you don’t want to do: Look for a boyfriend, hook up, or spend time with your current friends. Surely there must be more possibilities for your life than those options.

So my advice is to figure out some things you care about and start doing them. Travel? Volunteering? Getting a companion animal? Taking classes? Finding a new career? Those are just a few of the ideas I can come up with, but I don’t know you. What ideas can you generate, that you suspect you’d like to pursue?

In other words, start putting one foot in front of the other and go in some new directions that intrigue you enough to explore.

Sitting around feeling miserable does not help you to get anywhere. It keeps you feeling miserable. Sitting around waiting to feel better does not lead you to feel better. What would help you get to a better place would be to start taking action on your own behalf. Always keep in mind that while you are alive, with your faculties intact, you do have the choice to take this step, over and over and over again.

If you give yourself something (or some things) worthwhile to put your focus on, and do your best to shift your focus there whenever you notice that you are lamenting, I’m hopeful you will create a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I’m also hopeful that if you are spending time doing things that you actually enjoy and that enrich your life, you may find more satisfying companionship than you are experiencing with your current friend group. (And yes, this could include a romantic relationship if you decide to be open to this possibility.)

A brief reply in an advice column can point you in the right direction, but it is likely not enough to sustain and motivate you through a major life overhaul.

Therefore, I suggest that you find a therapist to help you figure out how to move forward and what to move toward; and also to grieve, and put to rest as best you can, the loss of the life you hoped you would have.

I know that transcending the loss of a huge lifelong dream may seem impossible. But working toward this, as best you are able, would help you.

Relatedly, one more thing that I hope you can address with a therapist is your bitterness. I do understand why you feel so bitter, and I also think that it is torquing your life in a downhill direction.

Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with couples and individuals in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and New York. He can be found online at michaelradkowsky.com. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to [email protected].