I do remember you quite well and the fine reporting you did from DC back in the day. Happy to know you’re glad I’m still here making trouble and advocating in my unique way. Last I heard, you were supposedly down in Miami. Where are you these days and what are you up to?

And thanks for saying something on the situation in Georgia.

-michael

(Incidentally, hey Michael! Don’t know if you remember me from when I was gay reporter at large in DC. Glad to see you’re still kickin’ ass.)

As for Georgia.

This is all so complicated. The more I read about it, the more complex it becomes. This adds a whole other layer.

Also, I had put in a status message that I was “concerned about this Russia/Georgia thing” and some stranger started following me on FriendFeed. But when I looked at his posted stories they were all _hardcore_ Russian nationalist “crush Georgia”-type things.

It’s all so damn scary. Can’t imagine what it must be like to live in the thick of that kind of thing for real and up close. With bombs.

Sadly, I think we’re going to have to wait for the conflict to resolve itself a bit more before most of us can do anything. As a pacifist, I wouldn’t encourage our government to get more involved in the war – which would likely cause escalation, but I do think it’s important that we flex as much diplomatic muscle as we can to help bring the bombing to an end, then offer humanitarian aid in rebuilding Georgia.

I’m guessing that encouraging donations to Inclusive Foundation and also in support of the IGLA would be welcome.

happy to comment for you! and thanks for the link to my blog and the messages from paata in georgia. what else can we do to help our gay brothers and sisters over there know we are in solidarity with them? i’d be glad for just a handful more bloggers picking up on the story. the blade’s blog in DC, the towleroad site and pageoneq.com linked to my post, which helped spread the word. let us do more for gay georgians in the next few days, okay?

keep in touch.

michael

Glad to find another gay blogger addressing our gay family members and their issues in Georgia. I’ve received positive messages from the leader of the Inclusive Foundation, which are posted on my blog.

Click here to read, in the comments section, what he had to say:

http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2008/08/georgian-gay-leader-is-alive-and-ok.html

Kind of sad only two of us so far blog about gays and the Georgia-Russia war, but better two of us than no one in gay USA paying attention.

warm regards,
michael