Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts

March 11, 2016

An Old AIDS Activist Rages about Hillary Clinton

Folks, I'm having a hard time processing what Hillary Clinton said today about the Reagans and HIV/AIDS. So I just need to put some stuff down.

Today is tough. Right now is tough.

I haven't rage cried in a long-ass time. I've forgotten how rage tears give me a migraine and that my burning eyes and forehead ignite the tears on my face.

I won't be able to sleep tonight.

ICYMI:
“It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS back in the 1980s, Because of both president and Mrs. Reagan, in particular Mrs. Reagan, we started a national conversation when before nobody would talk about it, nobody wanted to do anything about it, and that, too, is something that I really appreciate. With her very effective, low-key advocacy … it penetrated the public conscience and people began to say: ‘Hey, we have to do something about this too.’”

Nancy Reagan's death immediately brought up memories of friends I've lost. Memories of my days as an AIDS Activist. Memories of rage, of death, of fear and ignorance. Everything was a fight.
EVERYTHING. WAS. A. FIGHT.

Miguel M. Morales at an ACT UP protest in St. Louis, Mo.
Me giving my mom a reason to pray the rosary.
We were in the streets, in the local government offices fighting against city ordinances.

We were in the statehouses, fighting legislation.

When businesses, both small and corporate, wanted to fire People with AIDS (PWAs), we fought back.

When the American Medical Association (AMA) wanted to institute mandatory HIV testing for anyone seeking medical treatment, we fought them and we won.

When the only form of treatment was a failed cancer drug, we fought the FDA and got new treatment options. And we fought the hardest against our president who let people die from ignorance rather than publicly say the word AIDS.

So when Hillary Clinton praised the Reagan's advocacy, I thought of my friends. I remembered how they gave their lives for this fight. When their immune systems were obliterated, they still showed up at protests. When their faces were covered with Karposi's Sarcoma, they volunteered to be our media spokespeople.

THEY were brave.

THEY deserve to be remembered for their advocacy.

THEY started the national conversation by screaming in the faces of the Reagans and the Bushes and the Clintons.

Hillary Clinton issued a tweet saying she misspoke about the subject and she apologized.

Sorry? My Bad? Oops?

An entire generation is gone. Hillary, you dishonored those fallen warriors and those of us who survived. We'll never know what we could have been had that generation lived. But we do know what we lost. We feel it everyday.

Because of you, not only did we feel the pain of loosing them all over again, we felt the rage.

Sorry didn't work then and it doesn't work now.

Miguel M. Morales at an ACT UP protest in St. Louis, Mo.
ACT UP teaching me how to channel my rage into action

August 27, 2013

Red Ropers aka #BootShaft

My awkward performance from the Fellows Reading

at the 2013 Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices







June 28, 2013

¡Otra Vez!

I'M A RETURNING LLF FELLOW!

2012 Jones & Morales

2012 LLF Fellows Kima  Jones and Miguel M. Morales. photo by Kima Jones

How exciting to be a one of the few Lambda Literary Foundation Fellows who'll return to the LLF familia for the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices at the American Jewish University campus in Los Angeles this summer!

Unfortunately, returning fellows are not eligible for scholarships. That means your Miguel has to come up with $1,650 $1,300 for tuition/board as well as secure my own travel.YIKES!!

Last year, I kept donors updated on my progress at the retreat using this blog (tagged: LLF) and by posting to Facebook and Twitter. This year I'll continue keeping supporters informed using the same backchannels.

The retreat takes place July 28-Aug. 4 so I'm offering the following:
 Anyone making a donation (any amount) will receive an original poem, short story, or essay.
 Anyone donating $50 or more will receive an autographed limited-edition bound compilation of my work.
 Anyone donating $100 or more will receive the autographed limited-edition bound compilation, a CD of some of my readings and speeches, and some sort of tote bag (hey, it works for PBS!).
Making a tax-deductible donation, is easy and safe -- simply click the DonorPages graph in the upper right corner or at the end of this post.

To inquire about supporting my travel expenses (not included as part of this Donor Page account), please contact me on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks!!


ABOUT MIGUEL

I live in Kansas but grew up in the Texas panhandle working as a migrant farmworker and child laborer. As a journalist, I earned the Society of Professional Journalists’ First Amendment Award. I currently serve on the board of The Latino Writers Collective board. I am also a founding member of Fabulous Queer Writers of Kansas City! 

My work is featured in: 
  • Primera Página: Poetry from the Latino Heartland 
  • Cuentos del Centro: Stories from the Latino Heartland 
  • From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction 
  • To the Stars Through Difficulties: A Kansas Renga in 150 Voices 
  • Joto: An Anthology of Queer Xicano & Chicano Poetry (forthcoming) 

ABOUT MIGUEL'S LLF PROJECT

I am working on an LGBT YA novel about a gay migrant farmworker and his family. In addition to being from this community, I help facilitate writers workshops for migrant youth. Trust me, these stories need to be told. This project takes inspiration from those students and from the works of Rigoberto González, Sandra Cisneros, and many others. A side project has developed from this effort -- a poetry manuscript detailing the life of migrant youth. 

I want to thank everyone for their support, not just on this project but for a lifetime of love and encouragement. 

gracias, 

 miguel

May 30, 2013

Miguel in Reads in Los Angeles

At Lambda Literary Foundation's 2012 Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, 45 fellows in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young Adult Fiction each gave brief readings of their work.

This is mine.




April 15, 2009

NEWS: Hodge's Power Point


Video courtesy of Cameron Fletcher of The Campus Ledger


Trustee Benjamin Hodge continued his efforts to challenge the Board of Trustees, JCCC President Terry Calaway and College Attorney Mark Ferguson on Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) violations.

Read The Campus Ledger coverage of the alleged KOMA violations here (March 12) and here (April 13).

During the Petitions and Communications section of the board's monthly meeting, Hodge called for Trustees Lyn Mitchelson and Shirley Brown VanArsdale to step down from the leadership of the board. Unlike the last meeting in March, Ferguson, Calaway and the other trustees chose not to respond to Hodge.

Allotted 5 minutes to make his case, Hodge vowed to continue his PowerPoint presentation at the next board meeting. However, video provided by The Campus Ledger shows Hodge's presentation goes on for almost double the allotted time.

Before Hodge's presentation, trustees approved granting domestic partner benefits to full time employees. In 2006, the board approved adding sexual orientation to the college's non-discrimination policy and Student Code of Conduct.

Other board actions are listed in the Board of Trustee Summary posted on the college's electronic mail server, Infolist.

From: InfoList
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 6:49 PM
To: InfoList
Subject: [infolist] Trustee meeting summary

On April 15 the JCCC board of trustees met for their regular monthly meeting, immediately followed by a budget workshop. Trustee Jon Stewart was unable to attend.

Awards and recognition

The board welcomed the president and staff members from University College of the North, Manitoba, Canada, who are on campus to look at the college’s partnership with Burlington Northern Santa Fe and other learning opportunities.
Dr. Sean Daley, assistant professor, anthropology, was recognized for the work he has done with and for Native American populations.
JCCC’s men’s basketball team and women’s half-marathon team were honored for winning national championships. The volleyball team was recognized for being second in the national tournament.
The Nerman Museum has seen an increase in visitors of more than 18 percent in the first three months of the year, from 14,495 in 2008 to 17,239 in 2009.

Actions taken

· The board approved the treasurer’s report.

· The board approved clinical affiliate agreements for students in health care professions programs.

· The board approved new classes in animation, anthropology, biology, web, English, physical education, journalism, mathematics and psychology and a new career certificate in animation and game art.

· The board approved a proposal from HMN Architects, Inc., for architectural services and associated subconsultant services for the Health Services Educational Center at Olathe Medical Center, in an amount not to exceed 5.75 percent of the guaranteed maximum price construction cost. The estimated cost for architectural services is approximately $723,750, plus usual and customary reimbursable expenses.

· The board approved the lowest acceptable bids of $36,533.70 from All Sun Plus and $99,651.75 from Alexander Open Systems for Cisco equipment to be used in the Billington Library data closets to upgrade and improve network speed and reliability.

· The board approved several recommendations regarding employee benefits.

o A flex benefit amount of $1,189.88 a month for each full-time position to be used to cover the costs of benefits within the flex benefit plan. Fixed flex credit funding does not increase from FY 2008-2009.

o A contribution equal to 7 percent of each full-time, benefit-eligible staff member’s base salary to his or her individual 403(b) account, effective June 1, 2009.

o Employee group medical insurance with BCBS of KC for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates will not exceed, for single, $465.15 Blue-Care HMO and $836.40 for Preferred Care PPO; for an employee and one dependent, $852.88 for Blue-Care and $1,538.18 for Preferred Care; and for family, $1,169.29 Blue-Care and $2,035.05 Preferred Care. The rates represent a 5.5 percent increase in premiums and include domestic partner coverage

o Employee group CDC managed care dental insurance with Cigna Health Care for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates are, for single, $24.76; for an employee and one dependent, $50.23; and for family, $77.40. These rates represent a 6 percent increase in premiums and include domestic partner coverage.

o Employee group Passive PPO dental insurance with Delta Dental for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 1, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates are, for singles, $32.64; for an employee and one dependent, $63.73; and for family, $113.21. These rates represent a 4.75 percent increase in premiums and include domestic partner coverage.

o Employee group vision insurance with Vision Service Plan (VSP) for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly subscriber rates are, for single, $15.32; for an employee and one dependent, $22.37; and for family coverage, $40.12. There is no increase in the rates this year compared to last year.

o Provision of employee group life insurance with Sun-Life of Canada for a period beginning June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010. Monthly rates are $.255/per $1,000 of insurance for Basic Life, $.195/per $1,000 of insurance for Optional Life, $.02/per $1,000 of insurance for Basic and Contributory AD&D; and for dependent life insurance at a monthly subscriber rate not to exceed $3.03 per month. There is no increase in the rates this year compared to last year.

· The board also approved the annual renewal of the contract for administration of the college’s flexible spending account program with Cafeteria Plan Administrators LLC at a total annual expenditure not to exceed $55,000.

· The board also approved bids for an Internet protocol (IP) addressing system, to replace the floors in the Commons dining area, and for a project portfolio management solution for Information Services.

Budget workshop

Four trustees reviewed the college’s proposed 2009-2010 budget of $134,254,187, which is 6 percent lower than the 2008-2009 budget of $142,917,552. The budget was built on these assumptions:

We’d see a 4 percent decrease in assessed valuation from the county, a 13 percent decrease in monies from the state and a 3 percent increase in enrollment.
There will be no increase in the mill levy this year.
There will be a $4 increase in cost per credit hour for in-state students and a $10 increase for out-of-state students.
There will be no increase in staffing.
There was no increase in operation budget (except for expenses, like utilities, that are difficult to control). Capital budgets were based on need.
Students presented a proposal for a “green” fee that would be assessed students to support sustainability initiatives. One collar of the tuition increase will be used for this purpose.

The board will approve the college’s 2009-2010 management budget at the May board meeting and the legal budget in August.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the JCCC board of trustees is at 5 p.m. May 21 in the Hugh W. Speer Board Room, 137 GEB. Board of trustee meetings are open to the public. For more details, see a copy of the board packet at http://www.jccc.net/home/depts.php/000001/site/BoardMeetingInfo/JCCCBoardReports

March 21, 2009

Miguel Goes VIRAL!


The wall outside the JCCC Board of Trustee meeting room features photos of current and past presidents and trustees. Students, staff and faculty call it The Hall of Shame. Watch the video to find out why.

Vote for Miguel Morales for JCCC Trustee April 7

Request an Advanced Voting Ballot here.


March 12, 2009

Trustees Trust Miguel as Candidate for Vacant Seat

From Morales for JCCC campaign blog


Last fall, the JCCC Board of Trustees selected me as a candidate to fill a vacancy on the board left by Virginia Krebs. Krebs was the college’s first employee and, being a woman, the college’s first minority employee.

The video provides insight into my previous work with and my intimate knowledge of the board along with my collegial interaction with the trustees and president. How many other trustee candidates can demonstrate this?

March 10, 2009

Town Hall

From the Morales for JCCC Trustee campaign blog


JCCC President Terry Calaway held town hall meeting at JCCC, March 6. He discussed the PrimeBuzz incident as well as the budget. Calaway joked that another of the cost-cutting measures on the infamous list included eliminating cookies from meetings but that somehow didn’t make the PrimeBuzz ....

Read the full post here.