Triangle Square, Hollywood's LGBT senior living center, was abuzz Tuesday morning with all things election. Volunteers with The Buddy System -- a non-profit group currently in its development stages which would ultimately pair seniors with younger buddies to promote intergeneration interaction -- shuttled a few groups of residents who had not already voted with an absentee ballot down to the nearest polling place (the shuttle was donated by Christopher Street West).
This is the first election for Triangle Square, said executive director Mark Supper, and nearly all of the residents voted. Residents have been active since they started moving into the center last year. When Proposition 8 was placed on the ballot, some seniors took to the streets and set up an information table outside of the building each week. During a farmer's market that takes place on the street outside, some residents set up a booth, and raised $2,800 to fight Proposition 8.
Here are a few words from some of the voters the morning of the election:
Maria Dolores Diaz, age 70: "I've been an activist since the 1960s, at first for the Latino and Chicano community. I used to work with young adults for higher education, and later Cal State L.A. I moved to gay and lesbian politics later on. I went to the March on Washington in the 1970s, and I left California to go to New Mexico and Arizona to work on gay and lesbian rights.
"When I voted the first time, for John Kennedy, it was really exciting for me to vote in the United States. I was a naturalized citizen, so some of my family friends from Honduras were like, 'How could you do this to your country?' But I got over it quickly. Politics has always been important to me. My parents were both activists, working on social causes."
Phillip Radtke, age 65: "I was a lifelong Democrat, growing up in Orange County when it was even more conservative than it is now. I used to joke that my dad and myself were the only Democrats in the county.
"If I could talk to myself at age 20, I would say, 'Don't let fear win.'"
Paul Ehret: "One of the important things for me is that the issue of gays in the military comes back into the race. Enlistment has been so low that other countries have accepted it, and even some generals have come around and said we have to look at this issue again. I think if we do well with congressional seats, and have a [progressive] president, we'll get along well with that.
"I voted in 1968, and I've been through the Briggs Initiative. As a gay man, we always knew there would be a raid on a gay bar between Labor Day and Election Day, because councilmen were running for reelection, and they promised to clean up vice, and we were considered to be vice at that time. In 1976, when the bathhouses were raided over on Sunset, it was really scary -- they put handcuffs on us, and lined us all up. There were helicopters overhead, it was the lead story on the news. I always ended up where the raids were!"
Bryant Gordon: "I've been voting now for almost 50 years. This year, it's been really like a party. People are really into it. I'm not speaking just on the gay issues, but all the issues. The spirit of voting now is really being impressed in this election. I remember when Dewey defeated Truman, and it was because nobody went to the polls. Nobody expected that. And my parents were Republican -- I was the only Democrat in my entire family!"
These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.
Be the first to comment on this story.
If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.
All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.
See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.
Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.
Home | Contact | Current Issue | LGBT Community Partners | Staff
Jobs | Help
Subscribe: Print Edition Digital Edition | Subscriber Services: Print Edition Digital Edition
Visit our Websites
Out.com | OutTraveler.com | HIVPlusMag.com | Alyson.com | HereTV.com | GayWired.com | SheWired.com
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | Legal Notice
Advocate.com © 2009 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
