The Lexington-Herald Header states the following about the homophobic incumbent, but still endorsed him:

His causes — fighting illegal immigration, promoting charter schools, exempting Kentucky-made guns and ammunition from federal firearms laws — are often so partisan he has had limited success passing legislation in the Democratic-controlled House.
…..
He has done little focusing on Fayette County, which needs more clout in a legislature controlled by rural interests.
…..
We [Lexington-Herald Leader] do so with the hope that District 45 residents will begin expecting more from this lawmaker than just being an ideologue. He is capable of much more.

On the point that Lee is “capable” of much more, we agree. Representative Lee’s capabilities appear to be that of a one sided agenda.

Lee proposed giving Kentucky police powers to the Internal Revenue Service, voted against equal pay and treatment for women in the workplace, attempted to limit local home rule by limiting the authority of Kentucky’s cities to pass laws, voted against the booster seat requirement for children, and opposed same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partnerships at Kentucky educational facilities even after each universities Board of Regents (appointed by the Governor) and approved them on the pleadings of the university presidents.

The Lexington-Herald Leader freely admits “He has done little focusing on Fayette County, which needs more clout in a legislature controlled by rural interests.”

Lee’s opponent, Matthew Vanderpool, has an extensive list of items to being change to Kentucky on his website.

• By endorsing Lee, the Lexington-Herald Leader is either desperate to finally endorse a Republican, or homophobic themselves. The Lexington-Herald Leader article endorsing Stan Lee itself gives people ample reason to vote for Vanderpool.

Cancel your subscription to the Lexington-Herald Leader today, the paper needs to feel the backlash of the gay and lesbian community for endorsing such an incumbent.

Curtis Morrison, an openly gay candidate for Jefferson County Judge Executive lost his campaign, though he received a respectable 19.10% of the vote, or 11,266 votes for a campaign run entirely from a Facebook page. (exclusive interview)

Mike Slaton (D-Louisville) lost in Kentucky House District 41 to the incumbent, Tom Riner (D-Louisville). Slaton received 38.66% of the vote, with 1,501 votes.

No openly gay candidate has ever been elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives or the Kentucky Senate. Former Senator Ernesto Scorsone (D-Lexington), didn’t announce his true sexual orientation until after he was elected and did not seek re-election.

Scorsone was appointed as a Circuit Court Judge by Governor Steve Beshear as a Circuit Court Judge, thus, the Commonwealth’s tolerance of electing a gay lawmaker has yet to be gaged.

In Lexington, openly gay Vice Mayor Jim Gray will face incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry in November. Newberry won 43.68%, of of the vote, with 21,648 votes. Gray closed behind the incumbent with 35.72% of the vote, with 17,703 votes.

Most of the increased Republican turnout across Kentucky was contributed to the anti-gay Tea Party movement.

The Tea Party movement that emerged in 2009 through a series of local and nationally-coordinated Tea Party protests are in response to the 2008 bailouts, the 2009 stimulus package, a large an intrusive federal government, and the Democratically-sponsored 2009-2010 health care reform bills.

According to the Wall-Street Journal, the wave that started last year is continuing to gain velocity, size and force. This week’s elections confirmed what the evidence has shown since last summer: U.S. President Obama’s agenda is a political killer and his endorsement is of little help.

A Republican now holds the seat of the deceased pro-gay rights U.S. Senior Senator from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy. No Republican had held that post for nearly 50 years. (previous story)

January

Kentucky Equality Federation launched various outreach programs to “focus on educating the public about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) issues within specific communities – providing information and sharing our message in specific ways, as well as contributing information regarding each community to our statewide organization.”

February

Louisville’s Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Equality Federation, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Lexington Fairness, the Libertarian Party of Kentucky, and many others gathered in the Capitol Rotunda for a gay rights rally in February. Unfortunately, the rally was among the lowest of those ever attended despite the fact that it was also endorsed by the Progressive Democrats of America, and various chapters of the Kentucky Young Democrats.

Marriage Equality Kentucky, a member of Marriage Equality USA, extended Marriage Equality USA’s “National Freedom to Marry Day – Marriage Action” to Kentucky. Organization’s around the Commonwealth participated. (event site and information)

The movie Milk was a major contender at the 81st Academy Awards, with Sean Penn taking Best Actor for his portrayal of the assassinated gay maverick (San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk), and Dustin Lance Black winning Best Screenplay.

March

Senate Bill 68, legislation to ban “unmarried couples” from serving as adoptive or foster parents died in the Kentucky House of Representatives after passing the Senate in a secret meeting.  Kentucky Equality Federation assured its members the Kentucky House of Representatives would not vote on the bill before the end of the legislative session but refused to reveal inside sources.  Kentucky Equality Federation was later attacked by the Family Foundation of Kentucky for calling the meeting “secret,” even though no public notice of the meeting was provided.

Prior to the Kentucky Legislature adjourning, an unprecedented amount of support indicated how quickly Kentucky’s LGBT community and its straight allies could be mobilized:

• Kentucky citizen Craig Cammock created a large Facebook group to stop the measure.
• Kentucky Equality Federation, Louisville’s Fairness Campaign, and Kentucky Fairness Alliance also issued action alerts to stop the measure with huge success; Kentucky’s action driven gay rights mobilized with great success.

Kentucky Senate President David L. Williams joins the Family Foundation of Kentucky in a rally at the Capitol Rotunda and demands an apology from Senator Kathy Stein (basically, for attending the gay rights rally held in February to stop Senate Bill 68).  Williams takes Stein’s comments completely out of context.  Stein refused to apologize.

April

April’s Miss USA 2009 pageant did not go as smoothly, as contestant Carrie Prejean and judge Perez Hilton had words over marriage equality. While Prejean went on grabbing headlines with news of her breast implants and sex tape, she also became a spokesperson for social conservatives, thanks to her one-man-one-woman worldview. Perez Hilton however suffered his own setbacks and condemnations from gay rights groups for calling the contestant foul names. (previous story)

May

Largely due to pressure from Louisville’s Fairness Campaign, a Louisville, KY McDonald’s agreed to “Training and Settlement” after an employee called gay customers anti-gay slurs.

Kentucky Equality Federation supports students protest at Franklin County High School after receiving reports that a Franklin County High official allegedly sent an email to teachers instructing them not to allow homosexuals to leave class to use the restroom. (press release)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton extended equal benefits for gay and lesbian American diplomats. “Historically, domestic partners of Foreign Service members have not been provided the same training, benefits, allowances and protections that other family members receive,” the U.S. State Department announced. “These inequities are unfair and must end.”

June

Marriage Equality Kentucky, backed by Kentucky Equality Federation, launched the Kentucky Marriage Declaration stating that “Civil marriage was a basic constitutional freedom,” despite Kentucky outlawing same-sex marriage in 2004.  That same month, Mary Lou Marzian (D), a Senior Representative from Louisville introduced legislation to overturn the Commonwealth’s ban on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and “other similar institutions.”  (previous story) Kentucky Equality Federation hailed the legislation but no other gay civil rights organization in Kentucky commented.

Ken Pagano, pastor of the New Bethel Church in Louisville urged his flock to bring guns to church. Pagano gave a sermon on “God, Guns, Gospel and Geometry.” Pagano invited his congregation of 150 and others to wear or carry their firearms into the sanctuary to “celebrate our rights as Americans!” (previous story)

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the U.S. Military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell‘ policy at the request of the Obama administration. (previous story)

July

Kentucky Equality Federation condemned $1.2 million in federal funding to the University of the Cumberlands. (story)

In related news, the University of the Cumberlands rejected assistance from the Broadway Baptist Church because of their stance on homosexuality; both Kentucky Equality Federation and Kentucky Fairness Alliance condemned the action and stated “the local community would suffer” since the Broadway Baptist Church was joining a group of national volunteers in the school’s Mountain Outreach program, which builds houses for disadvantaged people in the region. (previous story)

August

The LGBT community lost a valuable ally in the U.S. Senate with the passing of Senior U.S. Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy (D-Massachusetts). (previous story)

In a historic lawsuit, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts sues the U.S. Government over DOMA. “In enacting DOMA, Congress overstepped its authority, undermined states’ efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples, and codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people.” – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (previous story)

A motivated supporter of Kentucky Equality Federation and Marriage Equality Kentucky’s Marriage Declaration posted signs around Harlan County in Southern Kentucky to raise awareness of the declaration; the signs however were tore down, and the supporter’s life threatened. (previous story)

September

U.S. House Speaker Pelosi likens healthcare protests to anti-gay rhetoric, “I have concerns about some of the language that is being used, because I saw this myself in the late ’70s in San Francisco. This kind of rhetoric was very frightening, and it created a climate in which violence took place.” (previous story)

The long standing official blog of Kentucky Equality Federation, “United We Stand” is permitted to become an independent news organization, focusing on Kentucky’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender news.   Later incorporated as United We Stand Media, LLC.  the official name of the news site is called United We Stand – Kentucky’s LGBTI News™ with Michael Thomas becoming the editor and Casey Kurtis its first journalist.

October

Louisville’s Fairness Campaign launched a boycott of Woody’s Tavern. According to witnesses, a bar patron lifted the corner of a pool table to dislodge balls stuck inside, which prompted a yelling spree from Mr. Norton, who ultimately chased every patron out of his establishment. As he ejected them, he yelled after patrons, calling them “trashy faggots,” and then, referring to a group of African American patrons, stated, “Look at their skin color. You know what’s on the tip of my tongue.” October 2009 marked 10 years of the Louisville City Ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Kentucky Equality Federation condemned a Southern Kentucky publication, the “Mountain Shopper” after its editor printed an anti-gay article: The Fall of UK because of “homosexuals.” (previous story)

Andrew Sullivan called for the resignation of Human Rights Campaign (“HRC”) President Joe Solmonese. (previous story)

U.S. President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, which included provisions to continue an effort begun in the George W. Bush administration to end the nation’s HIV travel ban. Obama also signed the largely ‘symbolic’ Matthew Shepard Act. (previous story)

November

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a health care reform bill Saturday that recognizes gay unions and makes health care more affordable for gay families.

Hate crimes against gays increase 11% with Puerto Rico having one of the worst hate crimes in U.S. history. 64 hate crimes occur in Kentucky in 2008. (previous story)

Openly gay Lexington resident Matthew Vanderpool (D-Fayette) (pictured) announces he will run against conservative incumbent Stan Lee in 2010′s election. (exclusive interview)

December

Lexington’s openly gay Vice Mayor Jim Gray (pictured) confirms he is running for Mayor in 2010 against incumbent Jim Newberry. (previous story)

By the end of the year, the National Organization for Marriage, Liberty Counsel, and others have been successful in overturning or preventing same-sex marriage laws in 4 states.  Perhaps if 2009 has taught us anything, it is that national organizations play a very small part in our overall goal for equality; the National Organization for Marriage goes into states and gets support from existing organizations, including chapters of the American Family Association, local Baptist and Catholic Churches.  Supporting your statewide and local LGBTI civil rights organizations is critical to our success.

A we await the new year, Kentucky’s exhausted LGBTI civil rights leaders, as well as the thousands of activist, supporters, and allies enjoy some much needed downtime before it all starts again in 2010.

Earlier this year, Democrats won additional seats in the Kentucky Senate, and the Commonwealth has two openly gay men running for the Kentucky House of Representatives.

United We Stand – Kentucky’s LGBTI News™ has interviewed one openly gay candidate, Mr. Matthew Vanderpool (D-Lexington) who is challenging conservative Stan Lee (R-Lexington).

Kentucky’s only other openly gay lawmaker, Ernesto Scorsone resigned from the Kentucky Senate after being appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to the office of Circuit Judge for the 22nd Judicial District, Division 7 in 2008. However, Scorsone wasn’t openly gay when he was initially elected.

There are currently at least 445 openly gay and lesbian people holding elected office in the United States, up from 257 eight years ago, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political group that supports gay candidates.

Election 2010 will also include Jim Gray, Lexington’s openly gay Vice Mayor. Gray is running for the city’s top office as he challenges incumbent Jim Newberry. If Gray is elected, it would be the first time a large Kentucky city has elected an openly gay chief executive.

Some political scientists say the rise in openly gay candidates’ winning public office is a better barometer of societal attitudes than are the high-profile fights over same-sex marriage.

“Gay marriage ballot measures are not the best measure,” said Patrick J. Egan, a political scientist at New York University who studies issues surrounding gay politicians. “They happen to be about the one issue the public is most uncomfortable with. In a sense, they don’t give us a real good picture of the opinion trend over the last 30 years.”

For instance, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago has been polling people since 1973 about whether homosexual behavior is morally wrong. In 1973, 73 percent of the people polled described it as always wrong and only 11 percent as “not wrong.” By 2006, those saying homosexuality was “always wrong” had dropped to 56 percent, and 32 percent said it was not wrong.

One reason for the shift in attitudes, some political scientists contend, is a rising number of gays acknowledging their sexual preference openly in various walks of life, from workers on factory floors to Hollywood stars.

“More and more people have been coming out,” said Sean Theriault, a political scientist at the University of Texas who tracks gay politics. “Ten years ago, you could talk to a lot of people who didn’t know a single gay person, and now, especially in the cities, you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t know anyone who is gay.”

Yet, most of the openly gay politicians who have won races recently have done so by avoiding being labeled as single-issue candidates, several gay politicians said.

One key to victory for gay politicians has been building reputations in their communities as candidates well qualified for the job. Voters who may be uncomfortable with homosexuality in the abstract are often willing to vote for a gay individual they feel they know, political strategists claim.

* Pictured is the Seal of the Commonwealth, and The Great Hall in the Kentucky Capitol.

Matthew Vanderpool, a gay male from Lexington seeks to unseat the conservative incumbent who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2001. Though Vanderpool is gay himself, most heterosexual Kentuckians between the ages of 18-24 have gay friends, attend social events with gay people, and support equality for gay and lesbian people.

United We Stand: First of all I’d like to get this question out of the way, are you gay?

Vanderpool: Yes I am. But I don’t want that to be the main focus of the campaign. I am part of a movement. I am not the gay candidate; I am the candidate that happens to be gay.

United We Stand: What was the primary reason you decided to seek election to the Kentucky House of Representatives?

Kentucky House of Representatives - House District 45

Vanderpool: For far too long, our representatives and senators have been looking at the offices they hold as simply a job and not what they are meant to be, a privilege to serve the people, not only in their district, but around Kentucky. Because of this mentality they are unable to come together to find solutions in a practical, common sense way and the people are suffering from it.

I am running for the Kentucky House of Representatives in District 45 (map) to do precisely that, represent the interest and goals of the people.

I am not a puppet in the back pocket of big business and special interest. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we work together. That’s the main reason why my motto for the campaign is “Democracy starts with you.”

United We Stand: What do you think Kentuckians are the most concerned with right now?

Vanderpool: The biggest issue that is impacting us all, including myself, is the economy. People are stressed and on the brink of losing hope, and once you lose that you have nothing else left. People are losing their jobs, can’t find jobs and as a result are having trouble paying for the things they need and want. The economy seems to be getting better as a whole, but it will not be better until our families are able to focus back on the American dream, instead of ‘are they going to be able to pay their bills next month?’

United We Stand: What can the Legislative Branch of the Kentucky’s Government do to help Kentuckians with this problem?

Vanderpool: I believe we need to take a FDR approach.

1. We need to get the government involved to create more jobs through programs and tasks that need to be done around our commonwealth. I support the green collar concept in getting people back to work on “green” type projects.
2. We need to look at what parts of the commonwealth have been hit hardest by the economy and find new companies and operations that we can get in those areas, so we can get our citizens back to work.
3. We need to do something about our healthcare system so people don’t drown in even more debt because of medical bills.
4. Lastly we need to build confidence in our citizens about the government and what it is capable of doing when the right people are in office.

United We Stand: What do you think about Senate President Williams’ recent statement that Governor Beshear was “poisoning” the Commonwealth’s political atmosphere by dangling jobs to lure Republicans out of the Senate?

Vanderpool: I believe that republicans have just as much right to hold an office as democrats do. Granted the right side of the aisle is usually unwilling to work together with democrats to find solutions on most problems that impact us. They are also the first ones to speak out against bills that would progress Kentucky towards a more prosperous future for not only gays but other minority groups as well.

If the Governor is doing what Senate President Williams claims he is doing I do believe it is wrong. The only group that should have the say on if someone should not be elected is the people. The people need to have the facts laid out in front of them and shown why this person should not be re-elected. If the Governor is doing this to gain more seats for democrats he is only temporarily fixing the problem. The senators are elected from districts that lean more to the right side and without proper grassroots movements, will more than likely be voted in again next term anyway.

United We Stand Follow-up: Agreed, but if that is in fact what the Governor is doing it’s a great way to get what he wants in the meantime [moral and ethical objections aside]. Once a law is passed, it is difficult to get it completely deleted from the books, and would face the Governor’s veto power if even attempted [assuming new Republicans are re-elected to the Senate seats currently vacant as a result of the Governor appointing them to the Judiciary or Executive Branch].

United We Stand: A factual knowledge question: Do you know when the last time Democrats controlled the Kentucky Senate? Who was final Senate President Pro Tempore was (prior to Kentucky’s 1992 Constitutional Amendment which kicked the Lieutenant Governor out of the Senate? How long did he serve in that capacity?

Vanderpool: That’s a good question, prior to the 1992 amendment to Kentucky’s Constitution, the President pro tempore acted as the presiding officer and most powerful member of the Kentucky Senate.

The last President pro tempore was John “Eck” Rose. Rose was the Senate President pro tempore from 1983-1993, he continued as President of the Kentucky Senate after the Constitutional Amendment passed and served from 1993-1997 until retiring. It is also interesting to note that prior to the 1992 Constitutional Amendment, the Kentucky President pro tempore became the “Acting Governor” anytime the Governor left the Commonwealth; this resulted in heated debates because bills would be signed into law and executive orders issued by the “Acting Governor” that the elected Governor would have otherwise vetoed or not issued.

Matthew Vanderpool in front of the Kentucky Capitol.

United We Stand: As a gay male, how do you feel about this statement: “It’s OK to fire someone if they’re gay. Historically, homosexuals haven’t suffered.” – Representative Joseph Fischer (R). (source)

Vanderpool: I think the statement is ignorant and the person who said it needs to be educated on the history of the LGBT community. Our public officials are elected to fight for the needs of all, not a few; gays are a part of that “all” group. This type of “two dimensional thinking” holds Kentucky back instead of moving us forward towards a brighter future.

United We Stand: Do you support the Governor’s expanded gambling proposal to bring new revenue to the Commonwealth?

Vanderpool: Kentucky is known throughout the world as “horse country” and the most famous of all horse races are held within our borders, the Kentucky Derby. Each year people visit Louisville and Lexington to watch races and bet on them. This generates revenue both for the tracks and the commonwealth. Expanding slot machines within the tracks will only generate more revenue. People are going to bet that money and “waste it” as some are arguing, whether you have slot machines or not. I support the proposal so long as the expansion is limited, and the concerns of Kentucky’s track owners and associations are understood and considered when writing the legislation.

United We Stand: Do you support new taxes to close the Commonwealth’s deficit?

Vanderpool: This is without a doubt one of the most difficult times in the history of our Commonwealth. However, I do not think that new or higher taxes are the answer.

I believe we need to examine what we are spending money on now, into what programs, and determine if the program is efficient; if not, we need to either fix the program, or reallocate the funds to programs that do work.

If elected I will not stand for wasteful spending, but will support programs that bring new business to Kentucky, and enhance the lives of all Kentuckians.

United We Stand: Unlike some states, the heads of Kentucky’s highest levels of government [Cabinet Secretaries] are appointment by the Governor and are never questioned or scrutinized by lawmakers. Do you feel like the Executive Branch of Kentucky’s Government has any oversight?

Vanderpool: When we elect the governor into office we are placing our trust in his decision capabilities. That means we also trust him/her to form a team with the best interest of the people in mind. With that being said I do believe the lawmakers, whom are also elected, should be able to review the qualifications of the people the governor appoints. The only problem is oversight committees within the legislative branch cost the taxpayer’s money. We have to ask ourselves is that extra spending worth it or should we just allow the governor we elect to make the decision within the boundaries of the executive branch.

United We Stand: In a recent study, Kentucky ranked 1st in the nation for child abuse. What do you intend to do about this?

Vanderpool: In a state in which I live and plan to serve as Representative this is by all means pathetic and unacceptable. Our children are our most precious assets and represent the future of our state and our country. Our states social workers and counselors need to be more aware of the communities in which they serve. They do not need to wait for the family members or neighbors to come to them with child abuse issues. They need to be more proactive in finding solutions before the problems happen. When need to show our families that have a history of child abuse of how much our children mean to the future of this country and help them with whatever problems they have that makes them resort to taking it out on the children. Bottom line child abuse will not be tolerated.

United We Stand Follow-up: Exactly, but they are not doing their jobs now, either because they are underfunded, have an unreasonable case load, or do not follow-up. However, neither the U.S. President nor our Governor (not to mention his Cabinet Secretaries) has to answer formal questioning by the Legislature, ever (unless being impeached). What is more alarming, is that U.S. Presidential and Gubernatorial press conferences are the only real questioning they ever face. Perhaps if they did face quarterly, or yearly “inquisition’s” by the Legislature, people would be more informed and Government more transparent?

United We Stand: With each state being sovereign, the federal government has no direct authority over any state. Do you think Kentucky is as independent and ready to deal with disasters, public corruption, or any other situation a state may face? California, Texas, and Vermont are certainly more independent and ready; why isn’t Kentucky?

Vanderpool: As a national disaster volunteer with the American Red Cross I have seen many disasters around this country. I think Kentucky is taking great strides in disaster preparation, but there is always room for improvement.

As far as corruption, most of the time our elected officials are the very seeds of corruption. Kentucky is no stranger to corruption, and I support finally creating the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation by statute instead of the Kentucky Attorney General creating these special offices by executive order; the Legislature should determine the function of bureau’s and offices instead of the Attorney General.

I believe a Kentucky Bureau of Investigation should be divided into special departments to focus on public corruption, drug control enforcement, terrorism, forensic science, internet crimes against children, missing children, fraud against the Commonwealth (especially Medicaid fraud which costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year), and threats against public officials. Finally, a Kentucky Bureau of Investigation should protect and investigate crimes against our elderly population in nursing homes around Kentucky. The Kentucky State Police is currently our only statewide law enforcement agency; we are one of the only states without a statewide detective bureau “similar” to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

With such a statutory detective agency that has an appropriate budget; Kentucky would be a safer place. The head of this agency should be nominated by the Attorney General, with conformation or denial from the Governor; this would prevent either of these Constitutional Officers from abusing the power of the bureau I have described.

Matthew Vanderpool sits on a bench on front of the Kentucky Capitol.

United We Stand: Let’s say you are a Kentucky Representative. What questions would you ask Secretary Janie Miller about Kentucky’s response to the H1N1 crisis? What about her Commissioner at the Department for Public Health, William D. Hacker?

Vanderpool: First and foremost, do we have the necessary resources and supplies to keep our citizens from getting H1N1 or spreading it and if not, why? Are our citizens able to get the vaccine and are the ones that cannot afford it being taken care of through other avenues? Do we have programs within our schools and local community organizations that teach our children and public the value behind washing your hands and covering you mouth when you cough?

United We Stand: What other changes and ideas do you have for Kentucky if you are elected to office?

Vanderpool: It never ceases to amaze me what we can accomplish when we work together in our communities. It’s time to give our government back to the people so they can work more closely with their representatives and senators in making more effective solutions to the problems we face, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action. I will never turn a deaf ear to the public in any community, I am running to serve, and that’s what I plan to do if elected.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE:
www.matthewvanderpool.com

CAMPAIGN BLOG:
blog.matthewvanderpool.com