Jeff Kirwan

Let me say first, that I am in no way an "expert" genealogist. I opened an Ancestry.com account in 2013 because it sounded interesting, and I've always been curious about my family's past. I've watched a handful of free webinars, and read some blogs, but that is the full extent of my education in this field. In other words, DO NOT TAKE MY ADVICE. I barely know what I'm doing. But, I do think that with a little curiosity, a critical eye, and the application of basic logic, even us neophytes can make some really interesting discoveries. Background When I first started my family tree, I leaned fairly heavily on the knowledge and experience of my cousin, Nancy. (She's my father's 1st cousin, so she's my 1st cousin, 1x removed? Like I said, I'm no expert.) Nancy had already done an enormous amount of research on the Kirwan tree, and we all sort of consider her the family historian. With her help, I had my paternal line documented all the way back to...

The internet is abuzz (at least in Tennessee) with news of a  bill filed by Sen. Brian Kelsey R-Germantown and Rep. Bill Dunn R-Knoxville. Dubbed the "Turn the Gays Away" bill by the Tennessee Equality Project, the proposed legislation: permits persons and religious or denominational organizations, based on sincere religious belief, to refuse to provide services or goods in furtherance of a civil union, domestic partnership, or marriage not recognized by the Tennessee Constitution. Put simply, SB 2566/HB 2467 gives businesses free reign to deny services (any service!) to couples or individuals who are in a committed relationship, based solely on the nature of that relationship. Ignoring for the moment that, under current state law, they already have that right (I'll get to that shortly), this bill is essentially a knee-jerk reaction to the slow but steady advances we're making on the Equality front in TN. It's political posturing and butthurt backlash. Kno...

Chris Sanders with a nice wrap-up of what we've been up to at Tennessee Equality Project in 2013. We made some incredible progress this past year, but there's still a lot of work to be done. Grand Divisions: A look back on a year in the politics of equality in Tennessee: Photos from around the state Oh, and there's a handy PayPal button on the right hand side of this post which you should click and give TEP your money.

So, a few weeks ago I was tasked with writing my father's obituary. I decided I would share it here. Thomas E. Kirwan passed away on Saturday, August 3rd after a short illness. Born to Thomas F. and Anna G. Kirwan on October 19th, 1936, Tom grew up in a hard-working, middle class neighborhood in Buffalo, NY. After serving briefly in the Naval Reserves, he met and married his lifelong love, Barbara J. Rudolph in 1959. Raising four children together, Tom was successful in several careers, from radio personality in upstate NY, to television weatherman and Program Director in Bangor, ME. At the age of 44, he returned to college to earn a degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona. Since moving to San Diego for a position with Vermont Information Processing, Tom had been a driving force within the San Diego Yachting community; Staff Commodore at Chula Vista Yacht Club, Board of Directors of the Coronado Maritime Foundation, the Recreati...