I am a bit of a history buff as it has always fascinated me and was one of my best subjects back when I was in school. Over the weekend, I ran across a couple of things that were of interest to me and probably to you also. The first was an article in this week's Dallas Voice, the premiere media source for LGBT Texans, entitled Forgotten Heroes?. It relates the story behind Lawrence v Texas, the landmark Supreme Court decision that established the Civil Right of consensual sexual relations between two persons of the same sex. In essence this decision invalidated the 14 anti-sodomy laws in the United States that remained at the time of the decision, thus making life better for all LGBT Americans. There were actually 3 men involved in the case, primarily John Lawrence in whose name the original suit was filed. Lawrence was a quiet, unassuming man who, prior to the lawsuit, had not been active in any LGBT Rights movement. The second man involved was Tyron Garner, Lawrence's occasional sex partner who was arrested with him, and Robert R. Eubanks, the jealous boyfried of Mr Lawrence. Eubanks called in a false crime report which resulted in a Harris County Deputy Sheriff entering Mr. Lawrence's Houston area apartment to investigate said report, thus catching Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Garner in flagrant delicto as it were. All three men are now deceased, but should be remembered for the parts they played in this historic court case. After being humiliated by being arrested and taken to jail in their underwear, Lawrence and Garner courageously resisted their oppression by deciding to wage a legal battle against the antiquated and discriminatory law that was rarely enforced as it was in this instance. After a 5 year legal struggle that took the case to the Supreme Court of the United States, 8 years ago the 9 Justice Panel ruled in their favor, overturning the 1986 decision in Bowers v Hardwick which had upheld the Georgia sodomy law and changing all of our lives for the better here in the US. It is an amazing story of two ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances who rose to the occasion, leaving their indelible mark in the annals of LGBT history.
The second thing that tweaked my interest was a Public Broadcasting System (PBS) series of which I missed the original airing of the first season. Downton Abbey is a a remarkably well acted costume drama set in Edwardian England with a stellar cast, many of whose reputaions and credits are known and some who are not. The program synopsis reads:
"The Downton Abbey estate stands a splendid example of confidence and mettle, its family enduring for generations and its staff a well-oiled machine of propriety. But change is afoot at Downton — change far surpassing the new electric lights and telephone. A crisis of inheritance threatens to displace the resident Crawley family, in spite of the best efforts of the noble and compassionate Earl, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville, Miss Austen Regrets); his American heiress wife, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern); his comically implacable, opinionated mother, Violet (Maggie Smith, David Copperfield); and his beautiful, eldest daughter, Mary, intent on charting her own course. Reluctantly, the family is forced to welcome its heir apparent, the self-made and proudly modern Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), himself none too happy about the new arrangements. As Matthew's bristly relationship with Mary begins to crackle with electricity, hope for the future of Downton's dynasty takes shape. But when petty jealousies and ambitions grow among the family and the staff, scheming and secrets — both delicious and dangerous — threaten to derail the scramble to preserve Downton Abbey. Created and written by Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), Downton Abbey offers a spot-on portrait of a vanishing way of life."
The production is part of the Masterpiece Classic family of high quality period dramas that never fails to engage the viewer from start to finish. All the episodes of Season 1 are available on line at the PBS Masterpiece website and Season 2 episodes will be available also one day after their original air date. I watched the entire 6 hours of Season 1 which began with news of the sinking of the Titanic, between Saturday and Sunday. I then watched the two hour Season 2 premiere episode that aired last night. I am now hooked and will continue watching events as they develop. Season 2 will air weekly on your local PBS station from now until February 19th. There is some LGBT action involved with some of the characters albeit on the down low as it were due to the "propriety" of the Edwardian era. A truly enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday evening with or without your honey.
Now for today's entertainment, I have a marvelous Cello Sonata in E Major, Opus 121 (1850) by Ignaz Moscheles performed by Ramon Jaffe (Cello) and Elisaveta Blumina (Piano). Then of course I have this week's edition of Monday's Undies to delight your visual senses and brighten what is here in Texas a cold and rainy day. Thanks for choosing to spend some time with me today, see you again tomorrow. Until next time as always, Enjoy!
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