I UNDERSTAND YOU AND YOUR SISTER HAD A GIRL'S GETAWAY TRIP TO MARDI GRAS LAST YEAR? HOW WAS THAT?
"Yeah. She and I and my old college roommate and her two friends all went. It was... crazy. Not really sure what else to say about it. Cool but crazy."

SO YOU DIDN'T ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE?
"I did. I mean, I like to try new things. I like to be able to say, I did this, or I did that. Kind of like another item off the bucket list, ya know?But, it's not something I would really care if I did again."

WHAT WAS IT THAT DID NOT APPEAL TO YOU?
"It's not really that it didn't "appeal". I love New Orleans. I've been there a couple of times for work related conventions. I'm just not a super partier I guess. I would go for the food way before any of the craziness."


NOT MUCH OF A PARTIER. SO WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE?
"Geez, I have no idea. I mean I partied and had fun in college like everyone else, but I don't know if you could call it crazy. Oh, you know what, when I was in my last year of school, there were a bunch of protests going on, I can't honestly even remember what they were for. We staged a big school wide walk-out. It was my job to distract our econ professor in his office so that they could put the plan in motion. So, I went to see him and I pretended to be really sick. I basically fake passed-out on he floor of his office. It sounds so funny now. It was so cheesy. So, so horribly cheesy. Like right out of a bad cliche, a Lifetime movie or something. But yes that may be the craziest thing I have ever done! I'm a terrible nerd I guess. Oh I got alcohol poisoning once. I'm such a rebel." 

NOT EVERYONE WAS BORN TO PARTY I GUESS. SO DEBAUCHERY ASIDE, WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU DID LIKE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE?
"Like I said, I liked the city. I like the sights, the restaurants, the shops. I really did like the floats and the costumes- I mean most of them. I'm just not really one to be up 24/7, be drunk for days at a time, show my boobs to strangers, etc."

I GUESS A GOOD PARADE FLOAT ISNT ENOUGH TO GET YOU BACK?
"Eh. I mean, I have The Mummers for that. I know it's not quite the same. I can do a parade anywhere. And costumes for that matter. Hey, I've got Halloween. I'd just as soon go to the beach and sit there for a week with a daiquiri in my hand, and stare at the ocean."

YOU SAID YOU LIKED THE CITY THOUGH, THE FOOD AND SIGHTS. WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT NEW ORLEANS?
"I just liked walking around. We took the cemetery tour which was cool. And we took a river boat cruise. The food is great. Commander's Palace. Oh my God. So good! I'm kind of a "foodie", so that is more appealing to me. I'm that annoying girl in the nice restaurants that is taking 15 pictures of her dinner to put on Instagram before she eats. I took close-up shots of the little crawfish on my plate! I take a lot of pictures, just not of people's boobs or of people puking into a garbage can. Although they make interesting shots too I guess."

MARDI GRAS CULMINATES ON FAT TUESDAY, THE DAY BEFORE LENT. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE GIVE THINGS UP, FOOD, VICES, ETC. DO YOU GIVE UP ANYTHING?
"I'm not Catholic so we don't do that. I can tell you I'd never give up food! Or coffee. I'm not sure what I'd give up. I'm kind of glad I'm not Catholic now that I think about it."

SO IF YOU DID HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING, ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 
"I guess I'd give up trips to Mardi Gras (laughter)."

YOU WENT TO MARDI GRAS LAST YEAR DIDN'T YOU?
"Yes! My sister and a few friends all went for a girls getaway."

WAS THAT YOUR FIRST TME THERE?
"No. I had gone with my ex-boyfriend three or four times over a decade ago. Then we broke up and I met my (now) husband and had a baby. That was pretty much it for trips to Mardi Gras, or anywhere like that."

ANYWHERE LIKE THAT? HAVE YOU BEEN TO OTHER SIMILAR PLACES?
"Well, we went to Burning Man the first year we were together. And a bunch of other festival type deals. But, when I was much younger, my Godmother and I went to Carnival in Brazil. It was part college graduation gift, part going away party. She was moving to Spain for work and we were really close. I knew it'd be really long stretches between times we'd see one another. And that trip was what really made me just love that kind of thing, that carnival type atmosphere."

WOW. CARNIVAL AS A YOUNG COLLEGE GIRL! WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? CAN YOU TELL PEOPLE WHO ARENT FAMILIAR WITH IT A LITTLE ABOUT IT?
"Well, I was 20, so not even legal to drink here in the U.S. but yeah, it was totally beyond anything that I had ever seen. Like a million times beyond. Basically it is a big street party that takes place in Rio (de Janeiro, Brazil) every year. It lasts like 4 or 5 days. It is just total debauchery. Naked or half naked people parading down the streets. Really elaborate costumes and flashy floats in a big parade. It all culminates with a big masquerade ball. I actually think I was too young to even fully appreciate it. I mean, I thought it was cool obviously. I was really excited by all the drinking and the staying out all night and that stuff. I really didn't appreciate the cultural aspect of it, and all of the incredible costumes and masks and things like that."

SO YOUR TRIP TO CARNIVAL INSPIRED YOU AND YOUR BOYFRIEND TO MAKE THE TRIP TO MARDI GRAS?
"Well, obviously people always draw on the similarity of the two. It was really his idea though. It was while he was in grad school. His friends wanted to go in lieu of going on spring break that year. I basically tagged along. I wasn't even really thinking about the connection. But we had so much fun and it had been really reminiscent of having been at Carnival several years before that. We went back the next, I guess three years in a row."

SO, MARDI GRAS AND CARNIVAL HAVE SIMILARITIES. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT MARDI GRAS?
"Well, when we go down it's usually the Friday or Saturday before Fat Tuesday, but there is stuff going on for a while before that. It starts right after The Epiphany, but the parades and all of that culminate in the big party on Fat Tuesday. It's always the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent, so basically it's the last hoorah, the last chance to go crazy before giving up whatever vices you plan to give up for Lent. It's pretty much accurate as to what you see it portrayed as. Drunken revelry. Parties. Parades. Lots of women (and men) showing their breasts and other things. Beads. It's pretty much a no-rules, no holds barred situation."

I THINK EVERYONE PROBABLY KNOWS ABOUT THE BEAD TRADITION. SO, DID YOU EARN YOUR BEADS?
"Well since I'm not giving my name and I know my kids won't dig this up someday, I have definitely earned a few strands of beads in my day. But that was before I was married with a child."

SO ON THIS LAST TRIP THERE WERE NO BEADS GRABBED?
"I'm going to plead the fifth on that one."

YOU MENTIONED LENT,  DO YOU TYPICALLY GIVE UP ANYTHING FOR LENT?
"No. I'm not Catholic. If I did, I'd probably give up something I really would't miss all that much, like doing laundry (laughter). My husband is Catholic, at least he was raised Catholic, and every year he tries to give up bread. Every year in the 7 that we've been together, bread. Usually by about 4 days in I find him in the kitchen making french toast or eating a bagel, and I'm like, "How's that whole Lent situation going?" It's harder than it sounds I guess."

ARE YOU HEADED DOWN TO MARDI GRAS THIS TIME?
"Nope. We had a great time last time as a girls getaway, but we are planning on trying to do a different place every other year."

WHAT'S NEXT?
"I think we're doing Austin next time. Riverwalk and all of that stuff."

THAT'S A BIT OF A DEPARTURE FROM MARDI GRAS AND CARNIVAL ISN'T IT?
"You think (laughter)? If it's somewhere I can take my son, it is definitely NOT anything like Mardi Gras!"

YOU NOW LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS. WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM?
"I'm actually from Madison, Wisconsin. I grew up there. Then I lived in St. Paul, Minnesota for about 13 years and then made my way to New Orleans." 

WHEN DID YOU MOVE TO NEW ORLEANS?
"It's been 6 years." 

WHAT BROUGHT YOU THERE?
"I had come to visit. I really had not even heard of New Orleans. I came to visit a friend and literally, the day I came here, I was like "I love this place. I want to live here!" So that kind of got the wheels turning and 2 years later I sold my house, changed my job and got a new house in New Orleans."

WHAT DID YOU LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT IT, THAT YOU WERE WILLING TO UPROOT YOUR LIFE?
"Everything! I loved the people. Everybody's so laid back and fun and spirited. Everything's a parade, a party. I love the houses, the architecture, the food, the music. Any given night, you can go listen to free music. Amazing music anywhere you go."

THE MUSIC WOULD BE A HUGE DRAW. WHEN I VISITED THERE LAST YEAR, I WENT TO FRENCHMAN ST. AND SAW SOME GREAT LIVE MUSIC!
"What's cool about that is it's not as touristy. That's where a lot of locals go. It's not as frat house as Bourbon St. is (laughter). It goes all night long, music in very single club." 

I REALLY ENJOYED THAT. PROBABLY MORE THAN BOURBON STREET.
"Right. And people do. That's what's so wonderful. A lot of people will come to New Orleans and they're like "Agh, this is it?" Cause they hear about Bourbon St., but it's kinda like a frat house extended down the street. But if you can get them onto Frenchman or some of the local places, it's a completely different atmosphere." 

DO YOU EVER REGRET MOVING THERE?
Oh, never! Never, never, never! Especially when I go home and it's like 20 degrees. I love it (here) so much. What's so wonderful is that, when my family comes to visit, they absolutely love it. So much so, that my mom bought a house last year here. It's a rental. She's not living in it. She comes to stay with me. She comes a lot. My brother and my dad, they've come quite a few times. I miss my family and I at least get home quite a few times a year, so that makes it worth it." 

WHAT DO YOU DO DOWN THERE?
"I run my own business called "Rustik Nola". I make art and furniture out of recycled wood and tin. There's still so much home construction going on since Katrina, that there's just so many recycled wood items. It's such a big thing here. I have my items in two different stores. That's really nice. I do art markets."

DO YOU SELL OUTSIDE OF THE NEW ORLEANS AREA?
"I do.  I have a website (www.rustiknola.com) and a Facebook page (Rustik Nola). Quite honestly, I've put pictures of the art booths on Facebook and I sold and shipped it in different states. They'll look at the picture and message me that they want the wall hanging in the left corner or something."

SO, DO YOU LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE KATRINA HIT?
"What I learned the first time I came down here, and I had no concept how much of the city was flooded until then, was that 80% of the city was under water. I didn't really understand that until somebody said "Picture the city you live in (Madison, Wisconsin) that 80% of the city boundary being under water." Anywhere from 3 feet to 18 feet. In that aspect,I was able to really see and understand how much of their city was really hit. And the fact that it wasn't that the water just came in and left, it sat, because New Orleans is like a bowl, for weeks. So that's where the damage really happened, was sitting water for that long. My house (previously owned) didn't flood. It came up to the step. And the only reason was that my block and a few blocks around my house, sits just enough on this little ridge, just enough so that the water only came to the top of the steps.
I'm right in the middle of the city, I'm 3 blocks off the street car line. 
2 blocks away my friend was under water and she couldn't get in her house for 8 months and she's only a few blocks away. She was living a little outside the city and coming in to work on her house every day. She had to rip out sheetrock and all. She had about 3 feet of water, I believe." 

DO YOU STILL SEE DAMAGE AROUND THE AREA?
"Definitely. It's crazy, but they are rapidly fixing up houses right now. It's getting further and far between where you see it like that. Certainly, when I came here two years after the storm...I mean, how much work has been done in those years is unbelievable. It almost doesn't see like the same city." 

DO YOU THINK THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT IN NEW ORLEANS SINCE THE STORM?
"It's hard for me to really gauge that since I wasn't living here then. But things that I DO hear, is that the school system they've improved. And it's cleaned up tons of housing that was dilapidated anyway. That has changed. They're building a world renowned research center, VA clinic and all that in the downtown area and that's been being built over the last couple of years. I think that's changing things tremendously because the whole area is bringing in a lot of professional jobs and people. The rent and housing has gone up. You're bringing in thousands of people to work in these clinics and they need homes. So that's been a fast track to fixing things up."

BEING A RESIDENT OF NEW ORLEANS, AND OBVIOUSLY, MARDI GRAS IS GETTING READY TO TAKE PLACE, WHAT'S THAT LIKE AS A LOCAL?
"When I first moved here, the week that I moved here, was the start of Mardi Gras. I was blown away cause I'd never seen anything like it. I worked downtown where a lot of the parades are. And there was this smell! I went into work and was like " What is that smell outside?" My co-worker said "Well, like my Grandma used to say; it smells like sin." (Laughter) I've never forgotten it. It was my first year and it totally does smell like sin outside. So that's kind of a little phrase that I think of at Mardi Gras. It kind of encapsulates it all."

WHEN I WAS THERE, IT WAS JANUARY, NOT EVEN MARDI GRAS YET, AND IT WAS PACKED. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW CROWDED IT MUST GET! DOES THAT ANNOY PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE OR DO THEY WELCOME IT? I MEAN, IT'S A HUGE FINANCIAL BOOST TO THEIR ECONOMY I'D IMAGINE.
"I would say there's a rally small percentage of people that don't care for it. They (the ones that don't like it) actually go out of town. Because all the kids have off the week of Mardi Gras, so a lot of the families may go on vacation, skiing and stuff like that, I've heard. 
The thing that's amazing; It does get crowded, but when you go to a parade, there's just as many locals there as there is tourists. It's so mixed. When you said that your site is "One, Unified" (and what it meant), that's what's kind of cool about it. There are so many tourists, but there are so many locals that every year think it's the most awesome thing, as if they're seeing it for the first time. That's the thing that's so amazing. You can go to a parade and there may be three others parades going on in the city at the same time and it's packed, it's rows deep. And I'm like "Where are all these people from? There's so many people here and there's other parades going on as well, that there's just as many people at!" 
You cannot catch a cab. I had some cousins come down one year for Mardi Gras and I took them out, not even Mardi Gras day, a few days prior, and you can't catch a cab. It is packed." 

WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE SEEN THERE DURING MARDI GRAS?
"Probably Mardi Gras day in the quarter. We typically go early, like 9:30 in the morning, and it's crowded but you can still move around. Just the costumes! You could sit and people watch and hours could go by and you think it's 10 minutes, just cause of the costumes that people come up with. I don't know if there's any one specific moment. To me it's just the whole thing. It's hard to describe. To be honest, we leave the French Quarter on Mardi Gras day by 3:00 in the afternoon 'cause it's getting jam packed where you can hardly move. I never even stayed down there at night time on that day." 

IT REMINDS ME OF OUR MUMMER'S DAY PARADE, THOUGH IT DOESN'T GET QUITE THAT UNRULY. YOU DON'T TYPICALLY SEE ANYONE PULLING UP THEIR TOPS AT A MUMMERS DAY PARADE. (Laughter)
"You know what, this is actually a good thing (to share with your readers):
On Bourbon Street you certainly see a lot of that but at the parades, it's very, very family friendly. I was at a parade a couple of years ago. It was a day parade and, you know, of course there's people that are absolutely loaded around there. And this woman pulled her shirt up and the police came and got her. She was a tourist and they were like "You know what? This isn't what this is. This is a neighborhood. There's kids all around." She was crying. I don't know what wound up happening. They took her to their car. I don't know if they gave her a ticket, or what they ended up doing. My cousin, from out of town, couldn't believe they "arrested her" or whatever. But people don't do that at the parades, cause it is family friendly. I mean people are drinking but it's very family friendly. Now, going down Bourbon Street is a totally different story." 

MENTIONING THE POLICE; DO THEY HAVE A HARD TIME HARNESSING PEOPLE? 
"I would say it's almost organized chaos. I think every police officer in the city has to be on duty during Mardi Gras. They also call in the state police, just so there's police presence. But what's amazing is that the energy is so happy. There may be pick-pockets here and there. But I think the police just, with their presence, and there's certainly people that are drunk, but it never seems to get out of control. It's such a happy time that people are happy drunks and in a happy mood that it never seems to (get out of hand). I'm sure there's some arrests for public drunkenness. I've never been around, at any parade I've been at, or really even heard of anything horrible happening. It's so different from anything that I've ever experienced. It's just fun."

I KNOW YOU'RE A HUGE PHILLIES FAN AND A BIG COLE HAMELS FAN. WHEN DID YOU BECOME SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE TEAM AND YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER?
"In 2008 around the World Series, but really in 2009, when they went back to the World Series, that I started watching every game." 

WHY IS COLE HAMELS YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER?
"I like his leadership. I feel like he steps up and plays that leader role and gets everyone to follow and knows what he's doing on the field. He can also work with the old team. 

He's not one of those leaders that's all conceited and only thinks about what would be good for him." 

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RUMORS OF THEM TRADING HIM?
"They're really nerve wracking. I watch it all the time and I really shouldn't watch cause it's kind of my worst nightmare but it's one of those things that you can't help." 

IF HE GOES TO ANOTHER TEAM, WOULD YOU STILL BE A PHILLIES FAN OR WOULD YOU SWITCH YOUR LOYALTY TO WHEREVER HE GOES?
"I'd be a Phillies fan but I'd watch the games that he pitches for his new team."

SINCE 2009, HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE OF THE PHILLIES? 
"I go to a lot of the games, especially the ones he pitches. Last year we went to spring training. They were very up close and personal there."

THAT'S SO COOL. ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING TO SPRING TRAINING AGAIN?
"Yeah, I am. This year." 

YOU'VE ALSO BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE HAMELS FOUNDATION. WHAT DOES THE FOUNDATION DO?
"It's a non-profit foundation that benefits education in Philadelphia as well as Malawi, Africa." 

WHAT KIND OF THINGS HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE ORGANIZATION, PERSONALLY?
"They set up tables at the Phillies games and promote the foundation, just by getting the word out there and letting people know what they've done. There's just little events at their store in Bryn Mawr, where they bring people in and talk about the foundation. In June there was a volunteer orientation, which I went to. They do a couple of them throughout the year just so they can get keep getting volunteers. The volunteers didn't even start until last year."

SO THEY DIDNT HAVE VOLUNTEERS UNTIL LAST YEAR?
"They worked within the foundation and now they're so much larger that they need volunteers too. Its great that they're promoting themselves and growing."

ARE THERE ANY EVENTS COMING UP THAT YOU'RE PARTICIPATING IN?
"The foundation has an event on February 5. They set up a table at Panera (Bread) and the receipts they get that night, half of the money will go to the foundation."
(Anyone interested in attending, the address is: Panera bread: 1991 Sproul Rd, Lawrence Park, Pennsylvania)

BEING 16, ARE YOUR FRIENDS AS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PHILLIES OR SPORTS AS YOU ARE?
"My friends are very passionate about sports. They're more football oriented than baseball but they also love baseball. So that's something we can connect on."

DO YOU THINK GETTING RID OF JIMMY ROLLINS WAS A GOOD MOVE? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STATE OF THE TEAM?
"I feel like the Jimmy move wasn't a great move. Also Marlon Byrd (being traded). They were two of our really good hitters last year and then we're trading people that can hit. But, we also need to start rebuilding so it makes sense as well. I was sad (about the Jimmy trade) cause he was here for 18 years."

More about the Hamels foundation from their Facebook page:
The Hamels Foundation is dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the power of education by giving them the tools they need to achieve their goals.

The Hamels Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by Philadelphia Phillies 2008 World Series MVP and 3-time MLB All-star pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi, who grew up in Buffalo, MO and graduated from Drury University. The Hamels Foundation has a dual purpose to provide support for quality education in the United States and establish a school in Malawi, Africa. The Hamels Foundation takes a community-based approach to education by providing assistance to schools as well as supporting other education based non-profits. This includes but is not limited to providing stimulating learning environments, high-quality educational programs and necessary provisions to promote learning.

For more information contact:
Lauren Henderson, Retail and Office Manager
The Hamels Foundation Retail Store, West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA
(484) 383-4710

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
"Wilmington, Delaware."

ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM THERE?
"No. I'm from Philadelphia."

ARE YOU A BIG SPORTS FAN?
"Yes!"

DO YOU STILL SUPPORT THE LOCAL (PHILLY) TEAMS?
"Definitely!"

DOES EVERYONE IN YOUR HOUSE ROOT FOR THOSE TEAMS AS WELL?

"No. Hubby routes for the (Buffalo) Bills and somehow my son has taken a liking to the (Cincinnati) Bengals. Although we all root for the Eagles on game day (except every four years when they play the Bills)!
 
WELL AT LEAST THEY KNOW WHO TO ROOT FOR WHEN IT COUNTS!
HOW IS IT IN YOUR HOUSE ON GAME DAYS?
"Football is an all day family event."

SO HOW OLD IS YOUR SON?
"Stephen will be 7 next month! 

ARE YOU OKAY WITH HIM BEING A BENGALS FAN (AT LEAST FOR NOW)?
"Yes, for now he can root for whomever he wants (unless they are playing the Eagles or Bills)!"

SO DESPITE HAVING SOME DIFFERENT TASTE IN SPORTS TEAMS, YOU'VE MANAGED TO ESTABLISH A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?
"We have been married for 7 years! Together 11!"
 
HOW DID YOU MEET?
"We met at the Inaugural Home Opener for the Philadelphia Soul."

WERE YOU AN ARENA FOOTBALL FAN?
"I had never even heard of area football before. I took my friend to her first Flyers game in January. They were promoting the Soul. And I thought it would be something different to do on a Saturday then shoot pool and hang at the bar. I mean football and Bon Jovi, how could it be bad? I convinced two of my friends to get season tickets with me (season tickets was cheaper than one Eagles ticket). My friends and I were the 3 middle seats in the row. Greg (her husband) and his friends were the first four seats in our row. Greg sat down next to me. At half time, his friend leaned across him and introduced himself and asked if we had season tickets. When I said yes, he said we should get to know each other since they did too and we could hang out and tail gate. Then he said, "Don't worry I'm not hitting on you I am married." Greg put his arm around me and said "Speak for yourself." We tailgated before the next game and then we all went out to Copacobana on South Street afterwards. We've been together ever since!"

GREAT STORY! YOU GUYS ARE TRULY "SOULMATES"!
SO, A LOVE OF SPORTS BROUGHT YOU TOGETHER?
"Yep. And my love of Bon Jovi of course!"

SINCE NEITHER THE BILLS NOR THE EAGLES (OR THE BENGALS FOR THAT MATTER) WILL BE PLAYING IN THE BIG GAME THIS YEAR, WILL YOU STILL WATCH?
"We watch the Big Game every year! It's tradition!"

WILL YOU ALL BE ROOTING FOR THE SAME TEAM?
"We generally end up rooting for the same team for the Super Bowl. We love the same secondary players and/or team and dislike the same as well. When in doubt root for Peyton, or Broncos... Or whatever team we like more! This year we thought we'd go Patriots but with "deflate-gate" we are going Seahawks. But in reality we just want to watch a good game!"

A good  photograph is powerful. It freezes a moment in time. It can bring you back to a moment. It can give you a view you might not have otherwise seen. It can lift your spirits. It can make you laugh. It can make you cry. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. So we hope that there will be photos from this collection that will speak to you. 
 

YOU'RE A BIG FOOTBALL FAN IS THAT RIGHT?
"BIG TIME! A lot of my friends think I'm borderline obsessed."

WHAT TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT?
"The Philadelphia Eagles!"

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?                  .                  "San Diego, California."

ARE YOU FROM PHILADELPHIA ORIGINALLY?                        .
"No."

SO BESIDES THE EAGLES, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO PHILLY?                                              "My father was born and raised in Media, PA.  Before my grandmother passed away, we'd make 2-3 trips to Philly yearly, always during football season."

SO, HOW DID YOU BECOME AN EAGLES FAN?                                 .
"My father. I have home videos of me watching games with my dad at 2 years old. I truly believe being an Eagles fan is a birthright."

DO YOU EVER ROOT FOR YOUR HOME TEAM(S)?                  .
"Only the Padres, not the Chargers. San Diego is a very fair-weathered fan base. I always root against the Chargers."

DO LOCALS WHERE YOU LIVE EVER GIVE YOU A HARD TIME ABOUT BEING A FAN OF AN OUT OF STATE TEAM?
"Yes, but it's mostly to be facetious. To be honest, a die hard San Diego fan is hard to find, so it's easy to ignore the "haters".         

IT'S PRETTY EASY TO FIND DIE HARD EAGLES FANS, AT LEAST HERE IN PHILLY ANYWAY. ALTHOUGH, I FIND WE TRAVEL WELL. ARE YOU THE LONE EAGLES FAN WHERE YOU ARE?
"Other than my father and my sister, I know maybe 3 or 4. Very rare over here."
    .
WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY WHEN THEY FIND OUT YOU ARE AN EAGLES FAN?
"They always bring up the rings....ALWAYS."

YEAH, WE GET THAT A LOT!                               .
EAGLES FANS TOO THOUGH ARE NOTORIOUS FOR GIVING RIVAL FANS A HARD TIME, PARTICULARLY IN "THEIR HOUSE" (LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD), DOES ANYTHING SIMILAR HAPPEN WHEN RIVAL FANS VISIT YOUR STADIUM? 
"Well, at Qualcomm stadium the visiting team usually outnumbers the home team, so I never have a problem. I remember when the Eagles played here in 2009. All you saw at "The Q" was green. It was awesome."

THAT IS AWESOME.           .
SO, IS THERE A GOOD PLACE TO WATCH AN EAGLES GAME WHERE YOU ARE?
"There use to be an Eagles bar near the beach I'd always go to, but this year they shut down for some reason."

SO WITH NEITHER YOUR HOME TEAM NOR YOUR FAVORITE TEAM LEFT, WILL YOU STILL WATCH THE SUPER BOWL THIS YEAR? 
"Oh yeah! I'm not only an Eagles lover, I'm a football lover."

AND WHO WILL YOU BE ROOTING FOR?
 "I dislike both teams, but the Seahawks. The Pats cheated the Eagles in 04 with "SpyGate"!"

SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE EAGLES FAN.

YOU MENTIONED PEOPLE HAVING THESE HIGH DEFINITION, GREAT TV's AT HOME, SO WHY WOULD THEY COME OUT TO A SPORTS BAR AT ALL?
"We give you the atmosphere. You get waited on, treated extra special that day, waited on hand and foot. To be with other fans, to be cheering against other fans. It's a little different than rooting in your living room where there isn't really someone to go high five. Your buddies might be over, but if you're in a bar and there's some rival fans in there, it kind of makes for some excitement. You can give a little shit talking back and forth. I think just being out in the public atmosphere is always gonna win over being home."

WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST OR ROWDIEST THING SOMEONE HAS EVER DONE?
"The sports bar I worked at before this, someone actually stood up on a metal table and broke the table, cracked it. When I went over to talk to the table, they said they didn't know what happened, that it just fell over. People have thrown bottles at the television...' 

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WORKED IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA?
"For the most part. South Jersey, Philadelphia." 

DO YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN FANS BETWEEN THOSE AREAS? DO YOU NOTICE A LOT OF RIVALRIES?
"Not necessarily here.  Philadelphia fans, there's one thing that's very special and unique about them, they're Philadelphia proud. They stick with their team, regardless. They'll give "it" to ya, but at the end of the day, they're still an Eagles fan, a Phillies fan, a Flyers fan. Even though the Sixers aren't having a good season, we have our people that come in and they'll wanna know why the Sixers aren't on, if they're not. They're like "Why is the Sixers game not on? C'mon let's get the game going." When I worked in south Jersey, at the tip, you'd have more rivalries there because the cable television line was basically right in the middle where Hamilton, NJ is. So if you go a little south of Hamilton you have your Philadelphia team fans. A little north of Hamilton, you've got your Mets, your Yankees, your Giants, your Jets. So there could be clashes a little bit more when I worked there."

DO YOU HAVE A "STAND OUT" MEMORY OF YOUR YEARS OF WORKING IN A SPORTS BAR?
"Every once in a while you get to meet people. I got to meet Terrell Owens when he was with the Eagles when he was really peaking back in 2004. Bill Clement, I've met him a few times. He's really respectful. A good guy. Nothing really sticks out and you get to meet so many people that they all kind of run together. 
Working in a Philadelphia sports bar during the Super Bowl was great. 
And I was in NJ when the Yankees and the Phillies played. That was a good experience because you had a mixture of NY and Philadelphia fans. That made for a great World Series. I would say that when they got to play, you got a sense of some great local sports teams coming together."

Philly fans are always all in for the game. Watching their teams are a tradition, a rite-of-passage, and just a really good time (when we win). Who hasn't scheduled a child's birthday party during the bye week? Or planned their family vacation during the off-season? (Just me then?) So, tell us, were do you most like to watch your favorite teams and games?

Whether you love them or hate them, Philadelphia sports teams breed some of the most passionate and knowledgeable sports fans in the world. Despite long draughts, elusive championships, and years of shouting, "there's always next year", there are no fans more loyal. Philly fans come from all walks of life. They embody an ideal; one of a hard-working, blue collar, never give up the fight mentality. If there is one thing about Philly that unites people, that brings them together more than anything else, it's our teams. 
Welcome to Phanadelphia.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY?
“South Jersey.”

AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
“Indian Trail, NC.”

GROWING UP IN SOUTH JERSEY, WHAT SPORTS TEAMS DID YOU ROOT FOR?
“Eagles, Phillies, Flyers. I don't follow basketball, but I assume if I did, it would be the Sixers.”

SO YOU BASICALLY SUPPORTED ALL OF THE PHILLY TEAMS?
“Yep, always!"

NOW THAT YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA HAS THAT CHANGED?
“Nope, not at all.”


DO YOU EVER ROOT FOR ANY OF THE TEAMS WHERE YOU LIVE NOW?
“No. I actually work at a sports bar and we have to wear football jerseys on football days.  I still wear my Eagles jersey. It would've been cool if the Panthers went further, but mostly for business. We just had a new girl start and now there are 3 of us in Eagles jerseys.”

WHAT WOUD YOU SAY YOUR FAVORITE SPORT IS, WHAT DO YOU FOLLOW THE MOST?
“Hmm, probably football. Baseball is a close second.”

SO WHEN YOU’RE AT WORK IN YOUR EAGLES JERSEY AND CUSTOMERS COME IN, DO THEY EVER GIVE YOU A HARD TIME ABOUT IT? TEASE YOU OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
“Oh yes! I had a woman ask me last week if I get any tips wearing that jersey. And I've been stiffed by a couple who told me they hated the Eagles as soon as I walked up to their table. They were not a young couple either. They were middle aged, seemingly mature people. I get comments and stuff like that a lot. But we draw all kinds of fans. We have 50 tv’s playing all the games. I've met quite a few Eagles fans there.”

IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE PHILLY SPORTS FANS WHEREVER YOU GO! DO YOU FEEL AN IMMEDIATE BOND WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF WITH ANOTHER EAGLES OR PHILLIES FAN DOWN THERE?
“Yes, I do! We always hit it off immediately like old friends! And they tip better (laughter).

PHILLY SEEMS TO HAVE A BAD REPUTATION AS FAR AS A LOT OF DIFFERENT STEREOTYPES. THE EAGLES' FANS IN PARTICULAR. HAVE YOU HEARD ANY OF THEM THERE? DO YOU GET AN IDEA OF HOW WE ARE PERCEIVED IN OTHER PLACES?
“Yes! I was wearing an Eagles jersey at Wal-Mart and one of the guys that worked there said, “Better watch out, she's an Eagles fan. She might be violent.” And someone else who was standing there said not to let me near the batteries,  I might throw them at them.”

WOW. SO THOSE STORIES REALLY ARE KNOWN ALL OVER?
“Yes,  they definitely are. I was a little surprised.”

CAN YOU EVER SEE YOURSELF ROOTING FOR ANOTHER TEAM?
“No, I'm Philly (south Jersey, same difference) born and bred. I'm a lifetime Philly fan. Although, I do root for anyone who is playing against Dallas. So there's that.”

DO YOU RUN INTO MANY DALLAS FANS THERE?
“A few. I also work with one. I actually had a large table right before Christmas, on a Monday night, so I had my jersey on. At the end the one guy told me he was a Dallas fan. Surprisingly not obnoxious and it was right after we were knocked out. He told me to keep my colors. He also wrote it on the receipt with a nice tip. Oh, and one of our dishwashers is a Cowboys fan. We just have a lot of fun trash talking.”

WELL THAT WAS NICE. I FIND THAT DESPITE THE RIVALRY STUFF, THERE IS GOOD AND BAD WITHIN ALL FAN BASES.
I GUESS THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT THERE WITH THE PANTHERS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS. WITH THE EAGLES NOT MAKING IT AND THE PANTHERS BEING OUT, WILL YOU STILL WATCH THE SUPER BOWL? 
“Oh the last Panthers game was crazy in that place. But, yeah, of course I'll watch. Most likely I'll be working. But it's gonna be hard to stomach, two teams that have taunted our fans! I would much rather that Green Bay was in and wish they'd kick New England's butt! Oh well, it is what it is. And in the words of any true Philly fan, “we got this next year!”

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR A WELL PLACES EAGLES CHANT! READY?
(AT THE SAME TIME) E-A-G-L-E-S... Eagles!!
“E-A-G-L-E-S...Eagles!” “Fly Eagles fly!”

Phanadelphia Quick Poll
  Through the years there have been players who, whether through a few magic moments, consistently great play, or just being an all-around good person, have become fan faves. Who would you say holds the title of most beloved Philly Sports figure? If your answer is missing be sure to let us know in the comments below. 

HAVE YOU ALWAYS PRACTICED ISLAM?
"No."

WHEN DID YOU CONVERT TO ISLAM? 
"Probably 2008."
 
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CONVERT?
"Islam's beliefs were in conformity with what I believed as opposed to the religions I was raised under."
 
HOW IS ISLAM DIFFERENT FROM THE RELIGIONS YOU WERE EXPOSED TO GROWING UP?
"Mainly, the model t-ism. The oneness of the supreme creator."
 
HOW WERE YOU EXPOSED TO THAT FAITH?
"My friends were Muslim."
 
HOW DID YOUR FAMILY REACT THEN YOU CONVERTED?
"They were fine. They had some questions at first. I wouldn't say they were shocked, but they were surprised. More curiosity than anything. They had questions and I was able to answer them. And everything's fine."
 
DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WRONGLY JUDGED FOR PRACTICING ISLAM?
"Not so much. There have been times where I felt like I've been judged because of the fact that I was Muslim, mainly because I was a white Muslim. Where I was at, the location of where I was. Other than that, no."
 
MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE MUSLIM, HAVE STEREOTYPICAL PHYSICAL APPEARANCES, WHETHER IT BE THEIR CLOTHING OR A BEARD, AS YOU DO. DO YOU EVER NOTICE THAT YOU GET LOOKED AT DIFFERENTLY OR HAVE THINGS SAID TO YOU BECAUSE OF THAT?
"Yeah. I've had maybe one or two things, over the past few years, that at the end of the day are insignificant. I had a guy riding passed me one time say "Oh, you're a white Muslim? A fucking white Muslim? I can't believe this." He kept going. I just laughed about it BEcause of his ignorance. I found it amusing."

SOME PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME LAUGHING THAT OFF.
"There's no sense in getting upset about it."
 
AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, THERE ARE SOME VERY PROMINENT PREJUDICES IN THIS WORLD ABOUT MUSLIMS BECAUSE OF THE HORRIFIC THINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON IN THE WORLD AT THE HANDS OF RADICAL MUSLIMS? DOES THAT EVER BOTHER YOU? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE REACT THAT WAY?
"I do understand it, and it does bother me, because you look at people like the guy that walked into an abortion clinic and shot the abortion clinic up with a shotgun because of his Christian belief that abortion is wrong, so he killed the abortion doctor and everyone in there because of his religious views, but they don't call him a Christian terrorist. Then the guy who blew up the federal building, Timothy McVeigh, in the 90's, because of his religious beliefs, but nobody labels him a Christian terrorist. 
It's not so much that it's just Islam who have these radical groups. Yeah, you're being propagated more in the media. But you have people in the midwest or the west coast, where you have these religious compounds in the big open land, where the governments not allowed, police aren't allowed inside. Guys are having sex with and impregnating little kids, all because they say they're a prophet or God chose them. It's no different than that, it's just not being put under a spotlight."
 
WHAT HAS THE RELIGION DONE FOR YOU?
"It's helped open my eyes to a few things. It's helped me find inner peace. Partially given me a sense of direction in life. And helped give me a better sense of principles to live by." 

BEFORE PEOPLE MAKE A JUDGEMENT ON PEOPLE THAT PRACTICE ISLAM, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SAY TO THEM?
"I don't think anyone should be stereotyped whether they practice Islam, Christianity or Buddhism. I think they should be judged on their character and their actions as opposed to the way they look or dress or what they choose to believe in." 

HOW WERE YOU INVOLVED IN THE WOMAN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT DURING THE 60’S AND 70’S?
“I joined National Organization of Women in the late 60’s. But I was most active in the 70’s. In 1964 the Equal Pay Act passed, but for some reason the employers still only paid about $ .55 for every $1.00 a man made. A man was brought into my department for me to train that made $100.00 more than me a week. When I approached my male boss about this, back then bosses were always male, I was told it was because he had a family. That was the only reason given. So I filed a lawsuit against the company. My lawyer was Alice Ballard, a feminist that just finished a racial discrimination case against US Steel and won. It was an amazing education to watch her work her craft.  After a few months, the lawsuit was settled and I received 2 raises within 6 months.  Also the company brought up every woman’s wages to that of the men in her department. Due to me working in personnel, I had access to everyone’s salary and was so proud that this occurred. I felt like I played a small part in the movement. On a side note, I was laid off shortly after this case, so I again sued for retaliation and won that case also.”

THAT’S AMAZING THAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED THAT. IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THEY COULD JUSTIFY DOING THAT THOUGH.
“Back then when you went for a job interview, the first question that a woman got asked was if you were married. If you were, you might have children, so that worked against you. Even though it was illegal to ask, they still did and because you were alone in the room with your interviewer, you had no proof.”

SO MUCH FOR WOMAN’S RIGHTS. SO DURING THE TIME YOU WERE ACTIVE IN THE MOVEMENT, DID YOU EVER PARTICIPATE IN ANY MARCHES OR DEMONSTRATIONS? 
“In 1986, my husband Jon and I marched for women’s rights and for reproductive rights in Washington DC. This was called the March for Woman’s Lives. Attendance was approximately 500,000. It was really incredible to be with so many people that held the same views as we did. Then in April 1995, Jon and I did front stage security for a march against domestic violence in DC. We were chosen for this because we were escorts at a clinic that provided abortions in Philadelphia. Since we had the most out of control and violent protesters, the march recruited our escorts to provide the security.  I met and saw some remarkable women at this march, including Nicole Simpson’s sister, Denise Brown (Nicole was murdered at her Brentwood home and OJ Simpson was charged but not convicted), rocker Joan Jett and Eleanor Smeal, the founder of the Feminist Majority. They had the clothesline project displayed at the mall, where each shirt had writing on it and each color of the shirt had a meaning. Yellow represented battered women...red were survivors of rape...blue was incest and sexual abuse...purple were attacks because of sexual orientation...white was for death by abuse. Also in 1995, we participated in a large rally in New Jersey for the 75th anniversary of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote, where we ended up being guests at the Alice Paul house, who was one of the original suffragettes. 
There were also many marches we were in against domestic violence in Doylestown and many times in Philadelphia we stood on street corners holding signs supporting reproductive rights."

THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE RESUME! PRIOR TO WHEN ALL OF THIS STARTED, WHAT DO YOU FEEL WERE THE BIGGEST AREAS OF INEQUALITY FOR WOMEN?
“Everything. A woman’s job before the movement was to cook and clean and serve her man. Most women did not work outside the home. Women in the workplace were second class citizens. Most jobs were secretaries and dusting their boss’ desks. All the decisions of the home were made by the man. Woman had to always wear skirts no pants. I remember in junior high school you got in trouble even if you wore culottes (which were pants that looked like a skirt). If you went to center city (downtown Philadelphia), you got dressed up with high heel shoes and a dress. When I was about 16, I travelled to center city to meet with friends at a restaurant and I decided to wear slacks, my mother was not happy but I did it anyway.

WOMEN HAD LIVED WITH THESE BOUNDARIES DEFINED BY SOCIETY FOR A VERY LONG TIME. WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS THE TIPPING POINT FOR WOMEN? WHAT DO YOU THINK MADE THEM FINALLY SAY THEY’D HAD ENOUGH OF THE LIMITATIONS PUT UPON THEM?
“Most women were unhappy with their lives at home. They had no say. The tipping point for me was hearing women like Betty Friedan, who was the first president of NOW, and Eleanor Smeal, a woman I later met at a rally in Allentown and was able to personally thank her for how she changed my life. Also a big influence on me was Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman to run for president, even though she did not have any chance to win, she ran anyway, an amazing woman. The time was right for them and women listened when they spoke.  It was a wonderful time to be alive and you could feel things were changing.”

NOT ALL WOMEN INITIALLY SUPPORTED EQUALITY. PERHAPS IT WAS OUT OF FEAR OR MAYBE THEY FELT THEY DIDNT DESERVE IT, OR THEY WERE JUST USED TO THE STATUS QUO. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK SET YOU AND OTHERS LIKE YOU APART. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU SUPPORTED EQUALITY? 
“My parents taught us at a very young age that we should be activists and fight for what we believed in. We were never afraid to express our opinions. You could achieve anything you wanted. There is a picture somewhere of my sister Ileen around age 4 with a sandwich sign on, protesting the builders that built our home, because the basements leaked. My parents also would show up at the clinic to show their support for women’s reproductive rights. We always did volunteer work, from a very young age.  News was always discussed at the dinner table with no topic off limits.  
My entire family was made up of extreme liberals. My grandfather was one of the gentlemen that started the Milkman’s union, and my mother would tell us stories of how red paint was thrown on their porch to represent blood as a threat. My dad’s sister and her husband were at Tiananmen Square protesting with the students. This is where the famous picture of the man that stopped the tanks by just standing in front of them is from. My Great Grandmother, on my mother’s side, came from Poland around 1898, and could not read or write but could do math. She opened a grocery store when she came to Philadelphia, which was unheard of for women to do.  My Grandmother, my mother’s mom, opened a hair salon and ran the business by herself. My grandmotheron my father’s side opened a real estate business when she came here from England around 1907, another thing women did not do. With all these feminists and activists in the family, my sister and I had to turn out the way we did."

DESPITE ALL OF THE OBVIOUS STRIDES THAT YOUR GENERATION MADE FOR WOMEN’S EQUALITY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? 
"It is a constant fight for women's reproductive rights, due to the Pro Life legislation that has been passed and that they keep trying to pass. Pro Choice individuals have to be mindful of the fact that the rights you enjoy today, can be taken away. I grew up when it was illegal and many women died from illegal abortions. Please do not take this right for granted. 
Also as far as politics, there are now 20 women in the Senate out of 100 and in the House there are 83 women out of 441. As of 2009 there were 158.6 million females and 151.4 million males. So the women outnumbered the men. Even the numbers have increased through the years, YES, there is major room for improvement."

A LOT OF TALK THIS WEEK WILL FOCUS ON EQUALITY, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION, BOTH ON HOW FAR WE (SOCIETY) HAVE COME AND ON HOW FAR WE MAY STILL HAVE TO GO. DO YOU FEEL THAT JEWS HAVE ADVANCED IN THIS COUNTRY IN TERMS OF HOW THEY ARE PERCEIVED, AND HOW THEY ARE TREATED?
“I think we’ve been able to find a great amount of success as a people, as a whole, but I think it’s also important to note that I don’t think Jews have ever forgotten where they have come from. Our history of oppression, I think, has given us a sense of purpose, a sense of meaning in terms of wanting to help others who are disenfranchised. I think that has always been a part of our history. Whether we are talking about the civil rights movement, or fighting for equality with gay marriage, I think you will always find Jews who, in some capacity, are participating in the fight or the struggle for equality. I think it’s engrained in who we are."

AS AN ADULT I CAME TO DISCOVER THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF VERY STRANGE STEREOTYPES ABOUT JEWS THAT I HAD NO IDEA EXISTED IN THIS DAY AND AGE (JEWS HAVING HORNS UNDER THEIR HAIR BEING ONE). HAVING GROWN UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A LARGE JEWISH POPULATION I WAS COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO THESE. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST INACCURATE OR STRANGEST STEREOTYPE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD OR FACED AS A JEWISH PERSON?
“There are all types of negative stereotypes out there that exist for every single group of people. I think that the craziest one personally is that Jews have horns, of course, or that the Jews were behind 9/11. That one was being perpetuated a lot right after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Your first reaction is to cringe and then your second reaction is “oh boy I really hope this doesn’t catch on”. And I think your third reaction is to find out how prevalent is this idea, because I think there is also an inherent paranoia that whenever you hear of an act of anti-semitism, you want to get a sense of just how wide spread it is. Then you think, what can I do to combat this right away? Jews, if they have one phrase they are associated with saying, and this pertains to the Holocaust, it is “never again”. We are never going to allow what happened to us during World War II to ever happen again. So I think immediately when we hear an act of anti-semitism taking place, our radar is alerted. I think we try right away to kind of take note and ascertain how serious it actually is." 

DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS ANY REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO RID OUR SOCIETY OF THESE STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICES ONCE AND FOR ALL (NOT JUST WITH JEWS BUT WITH ALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE)? 
“I think that stereotypes and prejudices unfortunately will be around no matter what. Though there definitely is more that can be done to try and combat these different stereotypes and hatred around the world. There’s something in Judaism called tikkun olam which in Hebrew literally translates to ‘healing and repairing the world’. I think a lot of Jews take tikkun olam very seriously and try to engage in activities that help make the world a better place. Whether it’s environmental consciousness, helping the homeless, helping the disenfranchised, the less fortunate, by conducting acts that are considered to be virtuous, not only are you helping someone else but maybe along the way by virtue of the fact that we are such a small portion of the population, someone who may have had a negative impression of Jews before may see them engaging in a positive role or activity and it may help combat that negativity.  So I think that this healing or repairing the world, for Jews specifically, can not only be an example of where we can give, but it can also be a place where we can get back. By being perceived as doing these wonderful acts, maybe some people’s perceptions can change."

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DISCRIMINATION AND EQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY? 
"I think that we still have a long way to go before certain groups of people have what I would consider to be true "equality". 

DO YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE MADE ANY SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENTS IN RECENT YEARS? I MEAN LOOK AT DR. KING AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, OR ERA AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS. THAT HAS TO COUNT FOR SOMETHING, RIGHT?
"Oh absolutely. I mean, no we're not seeing lynchings anymore, and women don't have to be barefoot and pregnant unless they choose to be- for the most part anyway, but there is still no way that people can say that all groups of people are existing right now in a time of total equality."

AND HOW DO YOU THINK THAT YOU, AS A GAY WOMAN, FIT IN TO THAT?
"Well for starters, I was with my wife for 13 years before we could be legally married. We watched heterosexual couples, friends, neighbors, married and divorced, some multiple times, while we stayed together. But, because of the inequities that exist for same-sex couples, we couldn't be married. Now here we are married and still together. But, let's not forget, gay couples are immoral and detrimental to the true definition of what marriage is all about (laughter).

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH INEQUALITY TWICE AS MUCH- BEING A WOMAN AND BEING GAY?
"You know there's two different sets of inequality there. As a woman I struggle with the fact that men can still advance further and faster in their career than I can, even if I am better at the job. As a women, my commitment and dedication to our daughter is questioned because I work full time outside of the home. When a man works full time outside the home, no one questions his dedication to his family. he is touted as a good provider, just doing what he has to do. As far as being gay, that's more legal inequalities, rather than societal views. Not being able to be married, not being able to put my partner on my health insurance, not being able to get information when she was in the emergency room (that was many years ago though). Being gay, the inequality that I feel, I feel comes from the laws of the land. I don't usually feel discriminated against as a "gay" woman."

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
"Probably because I don't really associate with too many people that would behave in that way. My friends, neighbors, colleagues, are all fine with my sexual orientation. I don't go to places where I know there's going to be a lot of homophobic types of people."

BUT CAN YOU REALLY KNOW WHO IS HOMOPHOBIC- WHO IS LIKELY TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU OR OSTRACIZE YOU?
"Well I don't have a detector in my pocket or anything, but I have a general idea. If we go out, we tend to go out with other gay couples. We frequent businesses owned by gay people or in gay communities. Sure I go to Whole Foods and there may be a woman picking out apples across from me that thinks that dykes are scary and manly and wants to protect her daughters from the likes of us (laughter), but I don't really consider her actions discrimination. For her or people like her, it's just ugly behavior. It's just unjustified prejudice and hatred. But she has no control over me, over my life. She doesn't pay my mortgage. She doesn't sign my paycheck. She doesn't determine my placement in my classes. So what she thinks of me is irrelevant."

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO DO- THE PEOPLE WHO SIGN YOUR PAYCHECK OR DETERMINE YOUR COLLEGE PLACEMENT. DO YOU FEEL AS A GAY WOMAN YOU ARE TREATED EQUALLY IN THAT REGARD. DOES YOUR STATUS CREATE AN INEQUALITY?
"Yes and no. I mean, there are certain laws in place to prevent that type of discrimination. I'm not talking about with gay people, but just anti-discrimination laws in general. Obviously my boss knows I'm gay, but I certainly could hide it if I chose to. I'm not likely going to be discriminated against by people who meet me once or who cross my path routinely, the receptionist at the DMV or the guy changing my tire at Pep Boys. Because they don't have time to even determine a reason to discriminate. I don't wear a sign. They can speculate, but that's about it. Now as a women, if someone doesn't like women, or wants to try to discriminate against me for that, well that can't really be helped"

SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU MAY NOT FACE AS MUCH DISCRIMINATION FOR BEING GAY AS YOU WOULD FACE AS A WOMAN, OR IF YOU WERE SAY AFRICAN AMERICAN OR ASIAN, BECAUSE "GAY" IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS DETERMINED BY YOUR APPEARANCE? IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN HIDE GAY, BUT YOU CANT HIDE BLACK, IS THAT RIGHT? 
"Yes! I mean, I'm not saying that I do that. I'm just saying that I'm not going to get pulled over driving through a nice neighborhood because I'm gay, you know what I mean? And that is part of the continued inequity of society. Judging a book by it's cover. Judging one person based on the preconceived notions you have about an entire race or ethnicity or judging an entire race or ethnicity based on your experience with one person."

SO WOULD YOU SAY WE STILL HAVE ROOM FOR PROGRESS WHERE EQUALITY IS CONCERNED?
"As a gay woman, yes. Gay people still need and desire equality on many fronts, including the ability to marry, which is still denied in many places. And women are still struggling to get fair and equal pay and treatment in the workplace even after all of the years of hard work on the part of women who worked for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment). People who really believe that all people are created equal are living in a fairy tale. Either that or they are probably old, white, Republican, men (laughter.)"

AND WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY?
"I can only speak from what I know, but I'd venture to say that in terms of straight up inequality, the LGBT community has it the worst. I mean as far as discrimination, prejudices, one can argue that there are minority groups that have it really bad, and that is true. But there is so much wiggle room within the law based on sexual orientation. If you are African American and you go for a job, you can't be prevented from obtaining that job, if you are qualified, based solely on your race. In some cases, quotas and such, minorities are even offered jobs based on their minority status. When was the last time you heard the head of a company say, you know, we haven't met out bisexual quota for staffing yet. Or, we really need to get someone who is transgender in here to be eligible for that big grant. Yes, they've added is "or sexual orientation" to many discrimination laws that used to read only "based on race, religion, gender..." but the truth is if you're a company or organization that has conservative practices, or that has a CEO or COO who is a very strict conservative individual, sure if they had their druthers they'd like to hire a white male. But if they've got a choice between hiring   an African American, a Latino, or a post-op transsexual, I'm telling you they'll be last every single time. Too much misunderstanding, too much stigma still attached to it. People are afraid to make equal what does not appear just like them. The funny thing is that people who engage in this racism, this sexism, ageism, classism, if they could looks beyond their own tiny box for a minute, they'd see that once you get past the exterior, people are way more alike than you realize."