Post 2-Hospice, The Queen Bey, and Alison

Hi all! Welcome to the first official post of A Deeper Read! One thing I forgot to mention in the first post is my love for titles that will capture attention. As you can see, we have a pretty eclectic group of topics this week so let's hope to it.

First off, an update on momma. For those of you who didn't know or haven't read my first post, mom was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma on 4/24/13. She had undergone chemo treatment for several weeks, but while in the hospital with blood clots, it was determined that the cancer had spread to the bone marrow of her spine and (I think) her ribs. Radiation treatments had not worked, and her health had gotten progressively worse as a tumor grew in the lining of her lungs. The pleura (lining of the lung) is home to many nerves, and was causing severe pain. It was decided this past weekend that since none of her treatments were working and the pain was not subsiding that Hospice and end of life treatment would be best. Fluid is being withheld, and in a day or two, my family, friends, and I will have to say goodbye. Of course no one likes going through this, especially when the patient is at a comparably young age, but the amount of support we have seen is overwhelming. Of course a few things hurt my heart, things such as mom missing out on my 14 year old sister Ashley starting and going through high school, mine and Eric's future together, and Dad not being able to wake up next to the woman he loved so much. I sure will miss her that's for sure. I'm optimistic that her memory will live on for many years, because she touched so many people and won so many awards for her nursing abilities (she wouldn't tell you that, but I'll sure brag on her!). I was hoping to have these updates for several weeks, but it looks like I won't have that opportunity. So, momma, even though you can't read this and we will never have an actual conversation again, I love you very very much and you will be missed.

Ok, that was the hard part, on to the main feature, Beyonce! Ok, if I asked for a show of hands for who loves Beyonce, you would all surely "Put ya hands up!". See what I did there? ;) The inspiration for this was my decision to buy Eric and I tickets for her Mrs. Carter tour coming to Louisville in December; it was his Christmas present ;) Now I'm not going to exactly talk about her musical career and how it has progressed, I think we are all pretty familiar with her story, and if you aren't Wikipedia has a nice long article if you would like to get more familiar with her. What the casual listener does NOT know, is that Beyonce is one of the most well known feminists, political figures, and an emerging gay icon.
Now I do have to give A LOT of credit to Dr. Kaila Story, Audre Lorde Chair in Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Louisville for even introducing me to the idea of Beyonce as a cultural icon, in addition to an entertainer. As a feminist, Queen Bey has exhibited extreme success in the male dominated music industry by largely producing her own brand and being the head of the creative force that has sold millions of her records. Also, Beyonce refuses to be quiet about the gender inequity in her industry, she has been quoted in several articles and at events as considering herself a "modern day feminist". However, some feminist scholars have recently critiqued Beyonce as being a piece of mainstream male eye candy, subjectifying her body for male pleasure. Beyonce herself has noted that while the name of her tour (Mrs. Carter Show) and commitment to her family may be alarming to some, she is still in full support of female empowerment. I myself see her as this sort of feminist who stands with and for her family, but also runs her household equally with Jay Z, in fact I'd say she brings in more money than her husband. As we know, in capitalist America, it is the money that equals power. In other instances, such as with Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, prominent women who sing of empowerment seem to shy away from being proclaimed feminists. But Bey's fierceness, which probably relates to her success in the LGBT community as stated below, is an example of a woman who knows no subjugation to male authority. It is prevalent in many of her songs, "Grown Woman", "Single Ladies", and "Who Run the World (Girls)". I think it is without question thee Bey is simply a feminist devoted to her family.
Another aspect of Beyonce that intrigues me is her growing status as a gay icon (although in the black LGBT community, she is arguably well established as such). Her creative team is largely made up of black gay men, which in and of itself shows her openness to the gay community. And in one of her albums, "I am...Sasha Fierce" she dawns a very in your face drag persona. Sasha Fierce is in fact, I would argue, Beyonce's drag name (it is a pretty good one, you have to admit). Also, during opening arguments of the DOMA and Prop 8 supreme court cases on gay marriage, a quote circulated from Queen Bey saying "If you like it you should be able to put a ring on it". She also uses gay slang very naturally. For instance, in this article, she refers to "the kids", which many LGBT people use as a term to reference the gay community. As Beyonce has grown through the years, we have seen her exhibit these examples of feminism and queer embodiment. She and husband Jay Z support President Obama in his many endeavors and even hosted a fundraiser during the election. Jay Z publicly supported the President's decision to support same sex marriage, proving once again that the Black community is no more homophobic that the white establishment. Through her sexual representation, popularity in the LGBT community, and strong political voice, we have seen Beyonce grow into the woman she is. One could posit that she is definitely a "Grown Woman".

So for my "Read of the Week", I was going to examine the Red Cross's ban on blood donations from gay men, but after further thought, I think that could be next week's main topic, because this week's post is already REALLY long. Think of it as a special edition to my momma! So, as an alternative, I thought I would share a link to the recently announced Democratic candidate for Kentucky in the Senate: Alison Lundergan Grimes. Of course the page will contain more as the campaign progresses, and you will hear more of her as time goes on, I will definitely remind you of her! Lol. She is the current Kentucky Secretary of State and the only woman to hold statewide office. I look forward to a great run by her and possibly a win against incumbent Mitch McConnell, who has been losing popularity at home. In a hypothetical match up, the two are tied at 45% in a recent poll, despite Grimes not having very much name recognition. I will be volunteering and providing you all with posts that both support and critique. So here are your sites to go visit.
AlisonForKY.com-Grimes' website
First attack ad from the other side- In my opinion, kinda pathetic, but it does stick in your head! I'd say a couple of things that rhyme are "Better times" and "Not on a corporate dime". Mr. McConnell on the other hand..... Oh and notice he doesn't let you comment on his Facebook and YouTube page. So much for freedom of speech. Sorry any conservatives out there, but you won't hear many positive things about Senator McConnell here. But instead of being immature and calling him a turtle, I will provide you with sound facts and reasons to dislike him if you choose to.

Well that's it you all! Stay safe, hug your families, and comment and share! Talk to you all next Monday! And again, sorry this one went long, coming posts will be about as long, minus the first section.
JM