[Mexico City, December 9. Image via Getty]

A little girl looks at a member of animal rights organization AnimaNaturalis is seen inside a cage painted as a tiger during a protest against the consumption of animal-based products on December 9, 2009 in Mexico City. AFP PHOTO/Luis Acosta (Photo credit should read LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images)

[London, December 10. Image via Getty.]

In "Her Honor," writer and former Latina editor in chief Sandra Guzman paints a warm portrait of Justice Sotomayor, shedding light on her humanity, humility, commitment to family and keen intellect. Using friends and family testimony in lieu of a formal discussion with Sotomayor, Guzman shows a whole new side of Latina's "woman of the decade."

Sotomayor Likes to Party

On the night before her official seating, the 55 year old justice rolled into an Irish bar in Chinatown, commandeered the jukebox, and headed to the dance floor with her family.

The Bronx-born justice's family and friends start a round of karaoke and as Sister Sledge's '70s classic "We Are Family" starts booming, Sotomayor and her mom are pulled to the makeshift stage to join the rest of the group.

She Doesn't Forget The "Little People"

Often, Sotomayor takes the time to remember the people who put in much work for little reward.

At a lavish dinner thrown in her honor last August by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony at their Long Island mansion, Sotomayor asked to meet those who had prepared the exquisite meal filled with Puerto Rican delicacies. With Ricky Martin, New York Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly present, Sotomayor thanked all the cooks and staff, and took a photo with the group of 20. The picture is one of head chef Ricardo Cardona's most precious momentos.

"I prepare dinners all the time, for dignitaries and stars, and never has this happened," Cardona says. "She showed us - all these Latino immigrants who were in the kitchen working to make the meal special - that she is one of us."

She Wants to Be Seen as Normal - Or As Close To It As Possible

A couple weeks before her private swearing in as the 111th associate justice of the Supreme Court, celebrated Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera offered to make her a one-of-a-kind outfit for the big day. Though touched by the generous offer, Sotomayor politely declined it, not wanting other women to feel like she was no longer one of them. She instead opted for an off-the-rack white suit by Tahari, one of her favorite labels.

She Uses Her Diabetes as an Opportunity to Educate Others

A year before her dad died, Sotomayor was diagnosed with diabetes. Since then, she's had to take one insulin shot before each meal - she isn't discreet about it, either. She'll pull out her needle kit and meds and place them on the table in front of you, always taking the opportunity to share some fact about how common the condition is, especially among Latinos.

Her Measured Perspective Includes the Matters of the Heart

The article discusses Sotomayor's sadness at the toll work has taken on her romantic relationships. Counter to modern narratives, Sotomayor's love life as a working professional woman is rich and varied. Her first marriage to a high school sweetheart ended in 1983, and she maintained a relationship leading to an engagement before splitting in 2000. After that, Guzman writes "Rather than diminishing her willingness to love, the breakup seemed to open her up to love - on her own terms." The next relationship Sotomayor entered was a friends with benefits situation. Through all her experiences, she was able to develop an realistic view on the nature of love.

[Sotomayor] told me that we have been wrongfully taught the Cinderella fairy tale as a paradigm for what happy relationships are supposed to be. And when we fall short of that, we suffer for it.

To find happiness in love, she said, we have to make up our own rules. It's not easy, but it's doable. The process may involve unlearning what we have been taught and then figuring out what makes us happy. There are all types of relationships and arrangements to choose from. Of course, the trick is finding a companion who shares those values.

She Will Not Forsake Herself for Her Position

The Obama Administration prepped Sotomayor to tone down anything remotely controversial during the confirmation hearings. Sotomayor acquiesced - until the day of the reception celebrating her appointment.

Sotomayor asked the President to look at her freshly manicured nails, holding up her hands to show off her favorite fire engine red hue. The President chuckled, saying that she had been warned against that color.

She sure had, but Sotomayor was not finished. She then pulled her hair back behind her ears, exposing her red and black semi-hoop earrings, a beloved accessory among Latinas across America - from the South Bronx to Houston to East Los Angeles.

Obama joked that she had been briefed on the size of the earrings as well.

Without skipping a beat, Sotomayor replied: "Mr. President, you have no idea what you've just unleashed."

Official Site [Latina]

[Berlin, December 11. Image via Getty]

BERLIN - DECEMBER 11: A young girl makes sugar cookies at a kindergarten of the Rudolf Steiner Waldorfschule on December 11, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Each year Berlin's kindergarten children get into the festive spirit and prepare cookies and biscuits prior to Christmas. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Eric Felten opens his Journal column with the line, "Pity the man whose wife writes a memoir." His Exhibit A: Elizabeth Weil's Times Magazine piece about the intimate details of her marriage. I'll admit I winced a bit when reading this piece — Felten quotes Weil's mention of the "safe, narrow little bowling alley of a sex life" she and her husband shared, and I for one hope never to have my relationship problems written about in the Times. But I don't believe that men I've dated have never discussed those problems with anyone. Interestingly, Felten does. He writes,

No husband I know speaks out of school about his wife. You wouldn't trust any man who did. Say what you will about the male half of the species-famous for its promiscuous and predatory proclivities-but they can be remarkably discreet about the intimate aspect of marriage. Whether this is stoicism or a residual chivalry, it is a core part of the male code. Consider Tiger Woods's alleged transgressions: Perhaps the most appalling of them is the report that he prattled on to one of his cookies about how she connected with him in a way his wife did not. As if cheating weren't bad form enough.

Etonian diction aside ("speaks out of school?"), Felten's claim will seem pretty laughable to anyone who's ever heard a male friend complain about his significant other (I'm raising my hand). And the phrase "my wife doesn't understand me" became an old chestnut for a reason. Apparently, though, Felten is of the opinion that men remain stoically silent about their dissatisfactions while women chatter hennishly away:

Women, by contrast, seem to be at somewhat greater liberty to share private matters. This can be reflected in trivial indiscretions. DoubleX, a blog on Slate, asked its contributors for their Christmas wish lists. First up was Rachael Larimore, who proclaimed "All I want for Christmas is for my hubby to get a vasectomy. And he is!" I'm sure that made his day. Still, that's nothing compared to what gets aired in coffee klatches, where, according to writers such as Sandra Tsing Loh, the ladies get together to talk about how their husbands haven't touched them in years.

OMG vasectomy gross! And where those "coffee klatches" are concerned, if your husband "hasn't touched you in years," it seems legitimate to find some outlet for your frustration. Perhaps Felten would recommend the arms of an (appropriately quiet) mistress, but I think the ability to talk openly to friends about relationship problems is something men would do well to learn, if they haven't already. I'd also like to wag a finger at Tsing Loh, for feeding men's fear and hope that women's private conversations are all about them.

As The Daily Beast's Rebecca Dana points out, men have been responsible for this year's major sex scandals. Dana quotes Emily Gould, who says,

Men are typically seen as having agency and women are typically seen as being acted upon in romantic relationships. So then even when those stereotypical power dynamics aren't really the ones at play, the culture-making machinery will simplify whatever the real story is until it is a more familiar wronged-woman, lothario-man narrative.

But one of the ways women have been able to reclaim some agency, especially in times of great subjugation, is by talking. It's no accident that Scheherazade saved her skin with stories, or that the Little Mermaid had to give up her voice to land her prince (some view this as a metaphor for castration). Women may not actually have a monopoly on words, but men have always feared female "oversharing," because it's a way of taking back a narrative otherwise controlled by men. If women can write about their marriages in the New York Times, then the "familiar wronged-woman, lothario-man" story, along with the story about how women become asexual when they hit forty, and the one about how men need variety and women need security, and all the other patriarchy-approved stories about sex and love and female identity, have some competition. No wonder Felten wants us to keep our mouths shut.

Wives Who Kiss And Tell, And Tell, And Tell [Wall Street Journal]
Why Women Don't Have Sex Scandals [Daily Beast]

[New York, December 10. Image via Getty]

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 10: Police prepare to arrest a woman blocking the front door of the building where Sen. Chuck Schumer's office is located December 10, 2009 in New York City. Around ten protesters advocating for expanded Medicare insurance benefits and unhappy with Sen. Schumer's recent health care stances were arrested by New York police after blocking the entrance to his offices in midtown Manhattan. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

[Villepinte, France; December 10. Image via Getty]

Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco walks next to horses during the Gucci Masters International Jumping Competition, on December 10, 2009 in Villepinte, north of Paris. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

I don't want to criticize Suzanne Somers' gloves in case they have magical medical properties that I've been brainwashed not to recognize.


Ellen Barkin evokes that perennial holiday favorite, the sexy Victorian undertaker.


Cindy Crawford: we hate to say this, but Barbie called, and she wants her casual Friday ensemble back. Cause it's Friday, and she needs it. Don't shoot the messenger.


Emma Heming's ankle bracelet matches her necklace. Don't know if this adds to or detracts from her otherwise pitch-perfect socialite getup.


Alyssa Milano's prom purse somehow makes this whole "lady in red" look. It's the holidays!


Rebecca Mader rocks the breast frame. Sequined, for festivity.


I'm imagining Ghada Irani in talks with a dressmaker. "You know what this needs? A belt. And some infanta-style panels. And let's up the sequins."


Direct your attention to Joan Collins' feet, please. You may be witnessing the birth of a bold new trend.


Selena Gomez, as always, is Disney-princess-perfect. A tad mature, maybe, but definitely textbook "Benefit."


Barbara Davis knows: if it's not broke.

[Images via Getty]

[Kabul, December 10. Image via Getty]

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - DECEMBER 10: An Afghan woman helps her daughter to walk with an artificial limb at the International Red Cross Orthopedic (ICRC) rehabilitation center on December 10, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. The ICRC rehabilitation center works to educate and rehabilitate landmine victims and those with limb related deformities back into society and employment. The UN mine information network estimates there are approximately 62 people killed or injured by mines each month in the country. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Passing a reform bill is close, but it's becoming increasingly clear that it may not be what people hoped for. Outside of ending the insurance industry's discriminatory practices, all kinds of compromises are being made that may not be in the best interest of the people who need this plan. In fact, Nancy Pelosi continues to back away from the public option:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has strongly supported the proposal to create a government-run health insurance option, but she left the door open on Thursday to accepting a health reform compromise from the Senate that does not include a public option.

"We in the House believe that the public option is the best way to hold insurance companies honest — to keep them honest and also to increase competition," Pelosi said at a press conference today, reports CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Evelyn Thomas. "If there is a better way, put it on the table. As soon as we see something in writing from the Senate, we will be able to make a judgment about that."

Senate Democrats are currently considering a set of proposals — including expanding Medicare and creating national, private plans for consumers — in lieu of a public option. Some of the public option's strongest advocates, like former Democratic leader Howard Dean, have said they like the Senate plan. Liberal grassroots groups, however, are adamantly opposed to it.

Pelosi has shifted to promoting the Medicare buy-in:

The speaker stopped short of embracing the broader contours of a fragile compromise worked out by liberal and moderate Senate negotiators in an effort to nudge forward broad changes to the health-care system. Still, she said: "There's certainly a great deal of appeal" to expanding Medicare.

Such an expansion is an old idea among Democrats, but one that was largely absent from this year's congressional health-care debate before it made a Phoenix-like appearance in recent days. The "buy-in," as the idea is known, is intended to help 6.5 million Americans who lack health insurance or purchase expensive policies on their own. They are in an age group in which medical problems become more common and coverage is particularly expensive.

But how many of those people could afford to sign up — and how many would prefer the option over other avenues to insurance that lawmakers are contemplating — hinge on critical details that even the senators embracing the idea have not resolved. The team of senators that proposed the Medicare expansion is declining to disclose the proposal's fine print until congressional budget analysts examine the impact for patients and the federal budget.

Live Pulse has the scoop on some of the initial number crunching - but the prognosis is grim:

PREMIUMS COULD BE HIGH, reports NYT's David Herszenhorn and Robert Pear: "Senate Democrats have provided few details about their latest health care proposal, but this much seems clear: Anyone who wants to buy the same health benefits as members of Congress, or to buy coverage through Medicare, should be prepared to fork over a large chunk of cash. According to the Congressional Budget Office, a family of four earning $54,000 in 2016, when the health legislation is fully in effect, would be eligible for a subsidy of $10,100 to help defray the cost of insurance under the health legislation being debated by the Senate. By then, one of the most popular federal plans, a nationwide Blue Cross and Blue Shield policy, is projected to cost more than $20,000. That could leave the family earning $54,000, slightly more than the current median household income, with monthly premium costs of more than $825. The Democrats' proposal would also allow some people ages 55 to 64 to ‘buy in' to Medicare, starting in 2011. That could cost about $7,600 a year per person or $15,200 for a couple, according to a budget office analysis of an earlier version of the concept. No subsidies would be available until 2014. … Preliminary back-of-the-envelope calculations reflect the steep challenges that Senate Democrats face as they await a new cost analysis of their plan. The numbers also reflect potential pitfalls in the politically appealing message to constituents that they might get benefits similar to those of federal lawmakers."

But the self-proclaimed "defenders of freedom" aren't having it. Adamantly opposed to the push for heath care reform, and insisting this is still a government takeover, they plan to take it to the steps of the Capitol:

A group called the Tea Party Patriots, which is affiliated with the Dick Armey-backed lobbying group FreedomWorks, is calling on supporters to "storm Senate offices" on December 15th in order to "to flex our muscle and exert that influence to hold the line in our fight against the government takeover of healthcare."

"The intention is to go inside the Senate offices and hallways, and play out the role of patients waiting for treatment in government controlled medical facilities," according to a message on the group's Web site. "As the day goes on some of us will pretend to die from our untreated illnesses and collapse on the floor. Many of us plan to stay there until they force us to leave."

They may need to pack some tents extend the camp out. According to recent news coming down the pipeline, the national debt ceiling may have to rise, causing high blood pressure in many a fiscal conservative:

With the national debt projected to soar by nearly $1.4 trillion this year, congressional Democrats are planning a year-end push to dramatically increase the legal debt limit so they don't have to revisit the politically uncomfortable issue before facing voters in November.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she will include legislation to raise the debt ceiling in a must-pass defense spending bill headed to the House floor next week. [...]

Treasury officials have told congressional leaders that they must raise the cap before Dec. 31 or risk running out of money for Social Security checks and veterans' payments due in early January, Democrats said. By law, the Treasury can borrow no more than Congress legally permits.

In light of our current woes, is health care reform going to end up being worth what we are spending?

Pelosi open to recess work on healthcare [UPI]
Pelosi Does Not Rule Out Senate Health Plan [CBS News]
Pelosi backs Medicare buy-in plan in Senate health-care deal [Washington Post]
Live Pulse [Politico]
Tea Party Protesters Plan to "Storm Senate" [CBS News]
Democrats to seek higher limit on the federal debt [Washington Post]

[Oslo, December 10. Image via Getty]

OSLO, NORWAY - DECEMBER 10: First lady Michelle Obama smiles from behind bullet proof glass on the balcony of the Grand Hotel after waving to the crowds who had gathered outside for the traditional torchlight procession on December 10, 2009 in Oslo, Norway. Obama today accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he is humbled by the award and receives it with an 'acute sense' of the cost of war. Photographer: (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

• Though "sources" recently claimed Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal had broken up, an insider now says, "Jake is planning to pop the question over the holidays and couldn't be more excited."

The source continues, "Her children love him, his family loves her and now it's time to make it official... Reese is a traditional sort of lady, which is one of the many things Jake adores about her, and Christmas is her favorite holiday." [Popeater]

• Break out the champagne: A Maryland Judge granted TLC's request for a preliminary injunction against Jon Gosselin this afternoon, so Jon must stop making media appearances that violate his contract with the network. Jon skipped the hearing and his lawyers didn't present any evidence. A trial is scheduled for April 19. [AP]
• Here's what Jon missed: TLC's lawyer said by the end of Jon and Kate Plus 8, the network was paying the family $22,500 per episode, not $75,000 as Jon has claimed. The network's reps also offered a run down of every embarrassing thing Jon did in the past few months that "made the show look bad," explaining, "photos of Jon Gosselin with scores of bikini-clad women was inconsistent with our image brand of our show." [Radar Online]
• In other news, sources say the Gosselin kids no longer believe in Santa. [Us]
• Rachel Uchitel's friend Ashley Sampson was the first person to give an on-the-record interview about Tiger Woods cheating. Rachel tried to cover up their affair by saying she barely knew Ashley and calling her a drug abuser, and now she may sue Rachel for defamation. "Ashley told the truth and Rachel trashed her and lied," said a source. "That made Ashley furious." [Radar Online]
• It appears Rachel Uchitel is moving. She was spotted lugging suitcases and picking up a ton of dog food. [TMZ]
• Jamie Jungers, another woman linked to Tiger Woods, will tell her story on Today, then sell it to a magazine. There's a rumor going around that Tiger paid for her liposuction, but her rep denies it. [Radar Online]
• In an interview with Extra, Jaimee Grubbs said she's "deeply sorry" for having an affair with Tiger Woods. "I couldn't describe how remorseful that I am to have hurt her family and her emotionally... [but] if it wasn't me, it was going to be other girls. I did care about him. I didn't do it for superficial reasons. I didn't do it to purposely hurt [Elin]," said Grubbs. [Radar Online]
• Tiger Woods' mom Kultida Woods flew from L.A. to Atlanta today. [Radar Online]
• Poor Tiger: The scandal has forced him to cover up the name on his yacht. [Radar Online]
• If you're keeping track, the following stars still support Tiger Woods: Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Wylef Jean. Diddy says: "Ye without sin cast the 1st stone!!!! Put down your rocks sinners!!!!! Tiger keep your head up! God bless your fam Black man!" [Us]
• You can start holding your breath: Kourtney Kardashian's baby is expected "any minute," according to Khloe Kardashian. [Radar Online]
• The mother of Lamar Odom's two children ripped apart a recent story from Life & Style about Khloe Kardashian bonding with the kids. "My daughter met Khloe for about 10-15 minutes... I don't think a 15 minute meet and greet with a child can be defined as a bonding experience for anyone," said Liza Morales. Though the article claimed Khloe hadn't met Lamar Jr. because he was "too young to travel," Morales says, "The truth is my 8-year-old son told me he didn't want to meet her at that time." [Radar Online]
• Gisele Bunchen's mom and aunt visited her and Tom Brady in Boston for the birth of their child. Her aunt says: "He's a beautiful, healthy boy." Gisele's dad, who stayed in Brazil, says, "We don't know the name yet. I don't have all the details. But obviously when someone is born into the family, it makes us all happy." [People]
• At a press conference today Tom Brady called his son's birth "a wonderful experience in my life," and said they still haven't picked out a name. [Us]
• Shawne Merriman is suing Tila Tequila because he says she lied about claims that he "choked and attacked" her. But rather than suing her for defamation, he's going after her for intentional interference with contract and unfair competition because he says she was trying to ruin his career. [TMZ]
• Courtenay Semel thinks Tila Tequila's engagement to Casey Johnson is a stunt. "We're talking about the biggest fame whore in LA, and the other one — I think she's just lost her mind!" said Semel. [Radar Online]
• BREAKING: Taylor Swift straightened her hair. [People]
• Richard Heene, Mark Sanford, Jon Gosselin and Glenn Beck made FAIL Blog's list of 2009's biggest losers, and Imma let them finish, but KANYE WEST WAS VOTED THE TOP FAIL PERSON OF THE YEAR! [People]
• Alicia Keys says of Beyonce, who recorded a duet with Keys for her new album, "Her and I together was like reunited sisters - most people get in the studio and don't get a chance to really collaborate, be in one room, we were in one room having a ball." [The Mirror]
• Several bouncers at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Atlantic City have been fired after video surfaced of them beating two men in the club's parking lot last month. [TMZ]
• A source says of Jessica Simpson and Billy Corgan, "They are getting to know each other... He's a nice guy." [Extra]
• Chris Brown called in to a Seattle radio station to promote his new album, but when the DJ asked about Rihanna, Chris said, "I'm really done talking about the whole situation ... I'm just moving forward." The DJ replied: "Fuck that, did Rihanna throw you under the bus or what?" And Chris' handlers hung up. [TMZ]
• Though there is no official Susan Boyle merchandise, there is an estimated £5 million a year market for Boyle-themed merchandise. [Blackbook Magazine]
• Pamela Anderson is doing a two week stint as the Genie of the Lamp in a London performance of Aladdin, but she cancelled her two premiere performances due to unspecified "issues." [Daily Express]
• Pamela Bach has been charged with DUI for failing a breathalyzer test on November 28. Since she has a prior DUI from earlier this year, she'll do a minimum of five days in jail if convicted. [TMZ]
• Axl Rose missed a soundcheck last night in Taiwan for an upcoming Guns n' Roses concert. It may be because he got into a fight with a paparazzo at LAX that "ended up with a few bloodied participants." [Rolling Stone]
• James Caan's wife Linda Cann is requesting full custody of their two minor children in their divorce. [TMZ]
• In Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People" special last night, Lady Gaga was shown kissing a woman, but Adam Lambert kissing a dude at the AMAs was edited out. An ABC rep says: "It was an editorial decision to show very little from the performance and focus on the fresh, new interview with Adam Lambert," though much of the interview was about the kiss. He continued: "The Lady Gaga kiss was used quickly in context of things that upset her father." [TMZ]
• The Lilith Fair is coming back this summer and the lineup includes Mary J. Blige, Sarah McLachlan, and Sheryl Crow. Check out the full list here: [Perez Hilton]
• Amanda Peet announced she and her husband David Benioff are expecting their second child. [Perez Hilton]
• James Van Der Beek is dating model Kimberly Brook. [People]
• Miley Cyrus' song "The Climb," which was featured in Hannah Montana: The Movie was replaced in the Grammy nominations for best song written for a soundtrack by "All Is Love," which Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrote for Where The Wild Things Are. Miley's people say the song was submitted in that category by mistake, but the Grammy organization didn't offer any explanation. [People]
• Spike Jonze says he and Dave Eggers didn't speak to any children before writing the screenplay for Where The Wild Things Are. "I think it's interesting because not having children - Dave and I didn't have children at the time - we wrote it from our memories of childhood as opposed to our experiences as a parent observing a kid," he said. [The Independent]
• Jenifer Lewis didn't exactly crash President Obama's inauguration, but she did manage to trick security. Her seat was far from center stage, "So I went over to a Marine, and I told a fib and said that I left my credentials on the plane. And he was standing there at attention with that beautiful uniform on. His head tilted just a little. He didn't want to break formation. And he said, 'Aunt Helen?' He happened to be a 'Fresh Prince' fanatic. And he proceeded to escort me 30 feet from the podium." [CBS News]
• "I've lived with people speculating about my health for decades, and I don't say this with sarcasm, but sadly, I've outlived so many who have prematurely buried me," says Elizabeth Taylor. "There are so many things in the world that are more important than my health watch." [USA Today]
• "I always felt like a very ordinary looking girl, and I found that dressing in a unique way made me feel less ordinary and more glamorous," says Dita Von Teese, adding, "I also used clothes as a way to counteract my extreme shyness when I was younger. I wore a lot of extravagant vintage hats, which can make people somewhat intimidated. I think people will only approach if they have something very, very interesting to say to the girl in the outrageous hat!" [People]
• Meryl Streep drank a martini at a party after a New York screening of It's Complicated "I had to," she said, "to get through this." Also, when someone yelled "It's hard to be Queen," at Meryl, she shot back, "I wouldn't want her problems, believe me!" [Showbiz 411]
• When he was in college, Eli Roth of Inglourious Basterds worked as a sex chat room operator, posing as a woman. "They hired guys because guys know what other guys want to hear," Roth said. "The creepy thing was, because this was in 1991, we only got doctors and scientists because they were the ones using the Internet." [BBC]
• Here are some words of wisdom by 50 Cent from Esquire's "What I've Learned" column: "Always have bail money," "Money is freedom. Money is a private plane. Money is no metal detection," and "Being shot defines how strong I am. It prepares you for the confusion of being an artist." [Esquire]

[Camden, NJ; December 9. Image via Getty.]

CAMDEN, NJ - DECEMBER 9: Audience members wave signs at the Q102 Jingle Ball at the Susquehanna Bank Center on December 9, 2009 in Camden, New Jersey. (Photo Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

[Abu Dhabi, December 9. Image via Getty.]

Performers dance before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup match between the United Arab Emirates' Al-Ahli and Auckland, the reigning champions from the Oceania region, at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on December 9, 2009. The winners of the match will join TP Mazembe, Atlante and Pohang Steelers in the quarter-finals. AFP PHOTO/KARIM SAHIB (Photo credit should read KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images)

Nussbaum's wearing some pretty kickass boots in the accompanying photo, and she mentions that the University of Chicago lesbian and gay alumni association thanked her for wearing leather to a speaking engagement. But the real meat of the interview is Nussbaum's take on relationships and marriage. She handily dispatches a classic Deborah Solomon underminer question, "Do you find it difficult being a single woman in her early 60s, in a culture that values youth over wisdom," thusly:

I think that's been overplayed. I'm just happy being myself. I sing for an hour before dinner, and right now I'm singing Cherubino's aria from "The Marriage of Figaro," and playing the part of a teenager is natural to me. I also go clothes shopping with my friends. It's one way I have fun.

Basically Solomon is saying "don't you hate being single, and also old?" And Nussbaum's like, "I'm busy singing opera, fuck you." But since marriage is just as important a subject for philosophy professors as it is for actors (as long as they're women), Solomon's gotta ask, "Do you think you will marry again?" Nussbaum says,

If I thought of getting married, I would worry that I was taking advantage of a privilege that I have that a same-sex couple wouldn't have.

The question of whether this makes sense as a political stance is a complicated one, especially in light of John Marcotte's statement that if gay Californians can't marry, straight ones shouldn't get to divorce. The 2010 California Marriage Protection Act that Marcotte's spearheading may not make it onto the ballot, and apparently not everyone understands that it's meant to be a form of protest against Prop. 8 (not against divorce). But the Meghan Daum of the LA Times writes that Marcotte is "fighting not just for the rights of gays and lesbians, who surely deserve to be feted as they parade down the street in post-wedding rapture, but also for the cause of irony itself, which — in this often painfully literal society — needs all the help it can get." I don't think the cause of irony needs fighting for — even talking about its death just makes it stronger — but gay marriage certainly does. So is forgoing marriage yourself the way to fight?

Nussbaum makes a lot of other interesting points about gay marriage, arguing that much opposition to it is really about "disgust." She reminds us that people are disgusted by many things that aren't actually harmful (like "a sterilized cockroach, as studies have found"), and that the most insidious kind of disgust "is the projective kind, meaning projecting smelliness, sliminess and stickiness onto a group of people who are then stigmatized and regarded as inferior." In a way chalking homophobia up to disgust almost seems to excuse homophobes, by attributing an immoral point of view to some kind of visceral impulse. On the other hand, it may be valid to examine whether those who say they just want to "protect traditional marriage" actually look at gay people the way they look at cockroaches.

But Nussbaum's rejection of marriage may actually be better as a defense against Solomon than as support for gay rights. Solomon's not-so-subtle hints that Nussbaum must be lonely are just one version of the kind of shit single women get every damn day, and to say, "I'm single for a cause" is a decent rejoinder (though maybe not as good as, "lalalala I'm singing!"). The truth is, to reject marriage as a straight woman is kind of empowering — but to straight women, not necessarily gay ones. And while challenging stereotypes about gender and relationships might have some effect on homophobia, that effect is still tangential. In order for gays to get the rights they deserve, lawmakers (looking at you, New York State Senate) need to think about simple equality rather than the complicated calculus of reelection. Voters (looking at you, my home state of California) need to get over their disgust or bigotry or whatever makes them think that anyone else's marriage could threaten theirs. And yes, straight allies need to stand up and speak out — but that doesn't necessarily mean not getting married.

Gross National Politics [NYT]
John Marcotte: Defending Marriage By Denying Divorce [LA Times]

[New York, December 9. Image via Getty]

Rosalyn Deshauteurs of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater during dress rehearsal of 'Uptown', chorographed by Matthew Rushing, December 9, 2009 in New York. The performance highlights key events of the Harlem Renaissance era in the 1920's. AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

[Jardim Gramacho, Brazil; December 9. Image via Getty]

JARDIM GRAMACHO, BRAZIL - DECEMBER 09: Eliame Pereira, 43, poses at the Jardim Gramacho waste disposal site on December 9, 2009 in Jardim Gramacho, Brazil. Pereira, following in the footsteps of her mother, has been working as a trash picker at the site since she was 10 years old. She takes night courses in reading and writing hoping to get another job one day. Pereira works seven days a week at the site earning an average of $17 per day. Referred to as the largest open-air landfill in Latin America, the waste disposal site of Jardim Gramacho processes up to 9,000 pounds of trash daily from Rio de Janerio. The landfill provides a livelihood for over 1000 trash pickers who make an average daily wage of $20 separating the trash from paper, cans and plastics that are then sold as recyclables. Gramacho opened in 1978 and is said to have reached its trash capacity years ago. The landfill is currently set to close in 2012 to avert an environmental disaster but jeopardizing the work of the 1,300 trash pickers left who have few other employment options. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

[Sydney, December 10. Image via Getty]

Emma Findlay prepares for her role as Angelina Ballerina, prior to a performance with the English National Ballet in Sydney on December 10, 2009. Over eight days in Sydney the hit show called 'Angelina's Star Performance' sees Angelina perform with her friends providing the perfect introduction for children to the magical world of ballet. AFP PHOTO / Greg WOOD (Photo credit should read GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)