Robert and Tom in NYC and Newport, RI

On our recent visit to New York City we made a couple of patriotic stops along the way for both straight and Gay America! And while in Newport, Rhode Island, we stopped by Hammersmith Farm to say hello to Uncle Yusha. The weather was simply perfect and it was difficult to take a bad picture. Some of the shots in the video (click on link) came near "postcard" quality!
Check out the video at this link! Copy of NYC and Newport, RI

Enjoy!

Tom E. Fulton and Robert H. Westover

JFK's Summer White House - A Visit to the Fountainhead of Camelot

Hammersmith Farm was JFK's Summer White House. Jackie O spent much of her childhood on the Auchincloss family estate and a young Jack Kennedy courted her there. Jack and Jackie had their wedding reception at Hammersmith Farm and the pictures they took that beautiful September day have become iconic symbols of an age of elegance and grace so unfamiliar now.   

My honorary uncle, Hugh D. "Yusha" Auchincloss, was Jackie O's older stepbrother and is the nephew of my Godmother, the Countess Olga C. Morgan. Although my relationship to the patriarch of the Auchincloss family is an honorary one, my family's history with the Countess goes back to the 1940s when, as a child, my father lived just down the street from Olga Morgan in Laguna Beach, California.

Robert Hudson Westover,
Washington, DC

10 Days in Paris

Link to 10 Days in Paris video!

Death of DOMA Day!

By Robert Hudson Westover

Added June 26, 2014 on the one year anniversary of Death of DOMA day:

One year ago today, the day the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA (or most of it). Tom and I were waiting outside the white marble court house edifice with thousands of others. Two reporters published some of what we had to say. Our quotes were picked up in media outlets around the world that day.

 Posted by Elizabeth Dunbar, NPR 6/26/2013 4:53:10 PM June 26, 2013 at 12:53 PM

 

• "Being openly gay in America has been a very huge challenge. You're still seeing discrimination and obstafication within the cultures of corporate America. You can see it's starting to change with young people... It's very different now for young people, how they interact with you. It's not really changed with folks who are our age."
   
  "It's very exciting, rewarding. It's been a long journey"
   
  "Young people hopefully (won't face discrimination). It will be much more of a normative environment."
   
  "I remember... when my gayness was as bad as a bad perfume. This is all stuff that I've lived through."
   
  "I'm going to be able to be on my husband's health care plan in terms of health care benefits. That's huge.”
   
  - Tom Fulton, 55, Public Affairs, D.C.
   
  Posted by Margarita Noriega (Reuters) 6/26/2013 4:54:54 PM June 26, 2013 at 12:54 PM
•  
  "We now have federal rights. I burst out into tears when this decision..." trails off, choked up
   
  "The United States is the most powerful nation on earth. The last time the most powerful nation  in the world allowed gays to not be persecuted was Rome. Fifteen hundred years. Think about that. Fifteen hundred years of oppression... This is a dramatic change in the history of the world and it can't be understated."
   
  "We first got married in West Hollywood about 12 years ago. It was the only city in the entire country at the time that allowed gay marriage... We attempted to get married in Massachusetts... but they didn't have reciprocity so we couldn't get married because we lived in the District. So we went and got married in the District. That's our journey."
  
  
• Robert Westover, 49, Public Affairs, D.C., married to Fulton in 2001 

The original posting from last year:

My Flag Waving Hero!

My husband, Tom Fulton, was at the Supreme Court in 1986 protesting the horrible Hardwick ruling. He said the treatment of Gay protesters that day was so bad that the cops wore plastic gloves so as not to have to come in contact with "The Gays." 

What a difference 27 years makes! 

Tom and me right after the ruling on DOMA 

Today, the horrific and discriminatory so called Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by five Justices of the United States Supreme Court. These enlightened and wonderful Justices deserve the LGBT community's unending gratitude and they will no doubt receive the adoration of posterity. 

But what about those four losers Jackass Justices?

I don't know where to begin, so I'll focus on the one Jackass Justice I have actually met. And by doing so would like to point out the cowardice and particular narrow mindedness of this man, The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts. 

Two years ago Tom and I attended an intimate Christmas concert at the Dunbarton Church in Georgetown. The Chief Justice and his family sat directly in front of us in the small edifice. 

During intermission Tom approached Mr. Roberts, and with the audacity of a man oppressed by men like Robert's his entire life said, "I really hope that when a case on Gay rights reaches your court that you won't vote against my rights as a equal citizen of this country..." 

You could have heard a pin drop. 

Unfortunately, but predictably, this misguided man of letters did exactly as expected and has now joined those on the wrong side of history--think Dred Scott, Mr. Roberts (et al). 

Tom being interviewed by the world press after
the death of DOMA!!!

So here's a proud Marine's OOORAH to my flag waving Gay Rights activist husband who has been fighting for our rights since the 1970s! And has never once hid in the closet! I love you so much! 

You are my hero!

SS United States, Largest American-Built Ship, Could Be Scrap Metal In 2 Months

SS United States, Largest American-Built Ship, Could Be Scrap Metal In 2 Months

Below is an old Save the United States campaign banner. To help her now go to: www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org and lets Save the United States!

Oh Happy Day! This Man Gets Into The Spirit!

Recently, Tom and I went to Howard Theater's (in DC) Gospel Brunch with the Harlem Choir performing. Toward the end of the program, the famous Gospel group began to sing "Oh Happy Day" and invited all those who knew the words to sing with them on stage. Although he gets stage fright, Tom jumped at the change to sing what is one of his favorite spirituals.

He thought he was just going to sing along with the chorus.

To his (and my) surprise, the acclaimed performers asked him to center stage and handed him the mic!

Almost like a scene in a movie, Tom starts out slowly (and nervously). But he gets into it and wham, just as the lead singer reaches for the mic, Tom let's lose and gets the whole audience into it! It was such an incredible and spiritual moment.

My husband is a star--but I always knew it!

Beware Trogs! @lordwestover Twitter Site Has Over 4000 Lordiacs

By Robert Hudson Westover

The Vast Estate (and me!) are very pleased to announce that the Lord Westover Twitter account, @lordwestover, has over 4000 followers, or Lordiacs, as I like to refer to fans of His Lordship.

So, you may ask, why did I start the Lord Westover Find Your Inner Nobility performance art piece?

It all started many, many years ago when, as a young Trog, I was introduced to a woman who changed my life. She gave me a gift that has sustained me throughout my life for which I am eternally grateful. This gift was an awakening of something we all have within us: our inner nobility.

A high-born Russian countess (for real), this woman, Olga C Morgan, was uniquely qualified to take a very rough-hewn character and make him into someone who would lead a productive and useful life.

It could have so easily gone the other way (really easily!)

Unidentified Trog (believed to be this Steven Tyler person)
Attempts to congratulate His Lordship upon hearing
the news of the growing followers of @lordwestover Twitter Site

Since Olga’s passing I find myself constantly drawing on the wisdom she imparted to me to guide decisions, shape my behavior and most of all, to provide me strength. I now realize this noble teaching, this framework of higher life ideals, can be used by others to help them overcome their own life challenges and ignite the spirit of inner nobility that burns within.

And it can be funny, too!

As an artist, I sought out an array of ways to bring this noble awareness to others. Then it hit me! Why not use comedic (that means funny) performance art? What better way to see the impact on fellow Trogs but to actually witness it! (Of course, Lord Westover is not a Trog, obviously.)

I started with a Nobility Oath based on Lowell’s Be Noble quote and created the character Lord Westover to administer it. I then recruited others (seriously, I did) to play the roles they most thought brought out (or didn’t!) their inner nobility.

We “opened” our first “performance” at the Jon Stewart Rally on the National Mall (that’s Washington, DC, not the Mall of America.)

The impact went far beyond our expectations. I named our performance art piece Find Your Inner Nobility and it received national attention with many wanting to take the Nobility Oath!  

Later that year I then created a blog and developed the Ask a Lord column taking “questions” from both “noble” and “trog” alike. The timing could not have been more appropriate for shortly thereafter the horrific Tucson shootings of Congresswoman Giffor, her staff and bystanders, shined a white-hot

spotlight on the growing incivility taking hold in our national discourse.

That year, the Washington Post asked readers to submit their one minute “State of the Union” address. Lord Westover’s speech, addressing incivility, was one of only three to be posted by the newspaper and by far received the most hits.

Our next installation (of sorts) was to take the concept of Inner Nobility to a medium most familiar now to American audiences: the reality show venue. We called it American Monarch  (yes, I know, it congers up so many amazing images!) and created a ten minute “sizzle real” and a “promotional” trailer.

At the same time both comedic and profound, I think Find Your Inner Nobility breaks new ground and goes to the core of why so many of us want to be and do good things (really, most of us do).

Discovering one’s inner nobility has very little to do with the bling (well, not entirely) and societal positioning (ok, maybe not entirely) that Lord Westover possess. It has everything to do with the intrinsic desire we all have in us to be noble as we best understand what nobility means to us.

Here’s to four thousand more Lordiacs!

The 57th Inaugural Ball!

An inside look at the Commander-in Chief's Ball

I had the privilege and honor to serve as a team captain for the President's Commander-in Chief Ball. My crew was incredible. We sailed through the night without a single mishap! We looked at this honor to serve President Obama as a gift to the First Family and we delivered!

The following is a link to a short music video I put together to share with others what an incredible night it was to be an American! Semper Fi team!!!

Go to video:
Inaugural Ball for President Obama!

Peace, Robert




This letter, my life-partner wrote to the Washington Post about my service at the event, really says it all about why I dedicated so many hours of my time to serve President Obama at his second Inaugural:

I want to tell you about my life-partner.  He recently received exciting news from President Obama’s inaugural committee. Out of “thousands of qualified and enthusiastic applicants,” they wrote in their acceptance email, my partner, Robert Hudson Westover, was selected to serve as a team captain for the Commander-in Chief Ball.

Under any circumstance, to be asked to serve in such an important venue, managing dozens of volunteers, would be an important duty and a solemn honor, but for my husband (we were married in DC on Nov 17, 2010 after living together in a committed relationship for ten years), it was almost surreal.  That’s  because when he served in the United States Marine Corps in the late 1980s, before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, not only could a Marine be discharged for being Gay, that discharge could be a Dishonorable one.

And, sometimes, those discovered to be Gay were beaten so severely by “fellow” Marines, that a medical discharge was given instead—or worse—some were even killed. It was indeed a dark ages for the Marine Corps.

Robert almost became a victim himself. Fortunately, probably because he was a third generation Marine, a call from his mother to Pentagon investigative services ended what could have been a personal catastrophe for Robert.

But the most amazing part of this story isn’t Robert’s fortitude during his crisis but his ongoing and unflinching dedication to the Marine Corps and the time he served which is still what he terms “The proudest thing I’ve ever done.”

As you can imagine, back in 1987, as he feared for his future, Lance Corporal Westover could not have imagined that 25 years later he would be serving as an openly Gay team captain for the President of the United States’ very own Commander-in Chief Ball. As First Lady Michelle Obama said on the election night in 2008 “This is a great country.” A big OOORAH and Semper Fi to that!

Tom E. Fulton

Mental Illness + Guns = Death

How 10 minutes with Chris Matthews has challenged me to fight for gun control

By Robert Hudson Westover

The recent massacre of innocent children and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, will haunt our nation for years to come.

It should.

The horrific tragedy that overtook our country last Friday has perhaps convulsed the American people into taking stronger action at stricter gun control measures.

At least I hope so.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with legendary liberal commentator Chris Matthews, and the subject of getting serious action on gun control came up.

This wasn't the usual forum for an intense discussion on such a heated issue. It was a book signing for Chris Matthews’ Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero at Politics and Prose in  Washington, DC and that was all—no lecture and no Q&A. However, a chance meeting with my former colleague would change all that. Paula Terry and I hadn't seen each other in years but I remembered her as a staunch advocate of liberal causes.

Robert Westover with Chris Mathews

She would not disappoint.

Before my and Paula’s encounter with Mr. Matthews no one dared to get “real” with the MSNBC political pundit.

The married couple in front of Paula and me knew Mr. Matthews and Chris thanked the gentleman, who had years ago apparently enlisted him in Toastmasters, thus changing his life, while the two men worked together on Capitol Hill.

Then it was my turn.

My clever way of “gettin’ jiggy” with the liberal icon was to mention we knew someone in common. I’ve been working on a book called Lessons in Nobility based on my memories of a friendship I had with a Russian Countess, who was Hugh “Yusha”D. Auchincloss III’s aunt (still with me?) Chris and Yusha are friends and I reached out to Mr. Auchincloss last summer to let him know of my intentions to publish these memories and we have since become pen pals. As many readers know, Yusha is Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ beloved older stepbrother and since Mr. Matthews’ book signing was about JFK—I went with it.

It worked. We spoke a little bit about getting together with Yusha at the famed Metropolitan Club and I got my photo op.

But Paula really got things going.

She wanted a clearer understanding as to why we Americans don’t have a stronger legislative commitment on preventing the sales of semi-automatic weapons. Matthews answered with a question, “What politician is going to risk losing his seat for supporting gun control?”

Paula Terry with Chris Matthews

Paula wasn't giving up, “Someone needs to take stronger action,” she insisted, “Times have changed and many gun supporters have since lost their seats…”

Matthews said back, “Who?”

At this point I jumped in and said, “We need more guys like me. I’m a third generation Marine. I grew up with a profound respect for guns. I want them registered…”

“And most cops agree with you…” Matthews added and then said what I feel is going to give the vital emotional connect to reach the minds of rational folks all over our country on some type of gun control, “Mentally ill people should not be allowed to own assault rifles.”

“That’s it. That’s the tagline,” I said. And then added, “Mental Illness + Guns = Death.” (At the posting of this blog, a Google Search indicated this exact tagline has not been used or trademarked.)

Feeling erudite I added, “If we accept the argument that semi-automatic rifles fit the circumstances of Second Amendment era muskets and primitive revolvers, the fact that we experience the insanity of mass murder from the mentally ill then perhaps we should not be shocked when they are turned against us.”

By this point another fan had bravely approached with that agitated look of “get a room” on his face. Our time to move on had come, but thanks to Paula and Chris I now have a tagline that I can develop into an awareness campaign and, with God’s help, work to prevent another Newtown massacre of the innocents.  

And I think I've already begun...

Tags: Chris Matthews, Hardball, MSNBC, #newtown @chrismatthews, Robert Hudson Westover, Yusha Auchincloss, gun control #guncontrol

New York Times Reporter, Iver Peterson, Helped Bring Awareness to Plight of the SS United States

By Robert Hudson Westover

I so clearly remember the day I met Iver Peterson. How could I forget when it was in front of the great SS United States! Filled with the excitement of touring through the interior of the massive ocean-liner, we behaved like school boys peering down dark passageways and staring into the cavernous space that is the forward engine room of the storied vessel.

Iver was interested in writing a story about the plight of the ship and the nascent organization I was forming to save her. I didn't know it at the time but Iver's story Group Battles to Save Luxury Liner Big U, and Glory of Its Day published on Easter Sunday in the entire New York Times syndicate, would bring my fledgling organization, the SS United States Foundation, into national prominence and launch a worldwide effort to Save the United States.

His story was (and is) invaluable to the still ongoing effort to Save the United States. And his subsequent follow up stories kept the flame alive for many years.

Iver had a passion for the Big U because as a child he sailed on her many times. His parents were a Washington, DC power couple and in his dining room a picture of his  famous mother, Ester Peterson, riding shotgun next to President Lyndon Johnson in his convertible Lincoln Continental said it all.

No doubt the SS United States held such fond memories for Iver simply for the fact that on this ship, for a few days as it crossed the Atlantic, he could have an adventure with his family.

When it became obvious that the direction to change tactics for preserving the former national flagship, Iver said to me at Christmas party in his home, "Robert, you are a puritan...and I respect that but you're going to have to consider alternatives."

He was right.

In the end, I would turn over the Foundation to others and Iver would never pen another story about the fabled ship.

It was time for a new direction on the path that we puritan preservationists had forged.

Iver died August 1, 2012. Sadly, I just discovered his obituary in the online edition of the newspaper he wrote for The New York Times.

Sail on Iver. Sail on...

For more information about helping the effort to Save the United States go to the SS United States Conservancy. #ssunitedstates #savetheunitedstates 

This was the first New York Times story (releases across the newspaper's entire syndicate)about the SS United States since 1969 and with a readership of over 25 million (including The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe and the International Herald Tribune) it brought world attention to the plight of the great vessel.

Be Noble! -The Director's Cut!

Be Amazed at Being Noble!