So, having been doing some YouTube surfing during the writing of my last post (took me about an hour and a half to write that) I found a couple that didn't really fit with the last one, but I wanted to share.
First, a really touching music video to Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me. So sweet.
And also, remember that post about labels? And the one about the stereotype? Someone interviewed a few gay guys about their interests and put together a video about it.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Count me in
National Coming Out Day is October 11th and there's a grassroots campaign called Count Me Out (pun on out of the closet, I'm guessing) that involves changing your profile picture of your social networking site to include the word OUT or ALLY, utilizing "the power of visibility".
It's such a small thing to do. Such a hard thing to do.
And coming out? Such a small sentence. Such a giant leap.
To come out today, to tell my friends my secret, could mean I am made the pariah for years to come.
I was a pariah for too long.
It's a good word, isn't it? Pariah. Such a powerful word. It means the lowest of the low, the bottom of the social ladder, far below merely unpopular. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but then, if I wasn't a drama queen, would I be writing this?
I can be part of my circles, part of the group, and then something happens to make me remember I am not like them. They don't know who I am. They don't even seem to notice that they don't know. And I think, if I was outed right now, would any of you laugh with me? Which of you would try to tell me to change, to choose 'right', to pray that I 'get better'? Which of you would simply avoid me like the plague?
Who would come around later? Who would betray me completely? Who would come up to me the next day and say hello, just to give me a tiny something to hang onto?
More importantly, who feels like this every day? Who literally can't afford to come out for fear of death, beatings, being thrown out of the house?
Because this happens. And maybe doing this one tiny thing, showing some closeted friend you don't even know about that you would not desert a friend for being gay, or transgender, or bisexual, or somewhere in between, would give this friend a tiny something to hang on to.
Here's a tiny something to hang on to. I care. And a lot of other people do too. You could grow up to be a lawyer or a doctor, saving innocent lives. Or you could grow up to be an ordinary person, with an ordinary job, married with kids and happier than you can imagine now is possible. You could be the one to save someone else from suicide. And there are people, maybe not people in your circles, maybe not anyone you can see, but there are people who want you to hang on and see how wonderful it can really be.
Another tiny something, by the Trevor Project, is this video. It gets better. Faces you will recognize from movies and TV donate their time to tell you this.
Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt on Glee (read my last post on this) asks you to hold on. Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter--a straight man--says, "this is the thing I'm probably most passionate about". Ellen Degeneres is devastated by the recent suicide of a teen outed by his roommate.
People care. I care. Show that you care. Join in and change your profile picture.
It's such a small thing to do. Such a hard thing to do.
And coming out? Such a small sentence. Such a giant leap.
To come out today, to tell my friends my secret, could mean I am made the pariah for years to come.
I was a pariah for too long.
It's a good word, isn't it? Pariah. Such a powerful word. It means the lowest of the low, the bottom of the social ladder, far below merely unpopular. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but then, if I wasn't a drama queen, would I be writing this?
I can be part of my circles, part of the group, and then something happens to make me remember I am not like them. They don't know who I am. They don't even seem to notice that they don't know. And I think, if I was outed right now, would any of you laugh with me? Which of you would try to tell me to change, to choose 'right', to pray that I 'get better'? Which of you would simply avoid me like the plague?
Who would come around later? Who would betray me completely? Who would come up to me the next day and say hello, just to give me a tiny something to hang onto?
More importantly, who feels like this every day? Who literally can't afford to come out for fear of death, beatings, being thrown out of the house?
Because this happens. And maybe doing this one tiny thing, showing some closeted friend you don't even know about that you would not desert a friend for being gay, or transgender, or bisexual, or somewhere in between, would give this friend a tiny something to hang on to.
Here's a tiny something to hang on to. I care. And a lot of other people do too. You could grow up to be a lawyer or a doctor, saving innocent lives. Or you could grow up to be an ordinary person, with an ordinary job, married with kids and happier than you can imagine now is possible. You could be the one to save someone else from suicide. And there are people, maybe not people in your circles, maybe not anyone you can see, but there are people who want you to hang on and see how wonderful it can really be.
Another tiny something, by the Trevor Project, is this video. It gets better. Faces you will recognize from movies and TV donate their time to tell you this.
Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt on Glee (read my last post on this) asks you to hold on. Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter--a straight man--says, "this is the thing I'm probably most passionate about". Ellen Degeneres is devastated by the recent suicide of a teen outed by his roommate.
People care. I care. Show that you care. Join in and change your profile picture.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Too High a Cost
You can hurt someone every time you make a gay joke. Let's say you're a football jock. It might be your friend, who makes up his mind never to come out to you and trust you. It might be your bisexual girlfriend, who's afraid of being dumped. It might be the kid who looks up to you, who first gets the idea that being gay is wrong from you, and goes home depressed or ready to pick on more kids. It might even be the guy you called a fag. Maybe he is gay, or maybe everyone thinks he is, and that was the last straw for a troubled teen.
Even if you're alone with your friend who makes plenty gay jokes himself, or who has a girlfriend, you never know who's just in denial.
By the same token, standing up against the teasing could be what saves someone's life. It could be what makes your friend or girlfriend trust you, or makes the kid who looks up to you be okay with it. It could even be your brother or sister who hears about it, and trusts you first.
If only it were that easy. If only it wasn't hours later that I come up with the perfect response. If only I could be sure that was what you said. If only I could be brilliant and end the jokes without being rude or just making it worse. If only I were braver.
I have the Broadway song Defying Gravity from Wicked in my head, which brings the phrase "it comes at much too high a cost" to mind when thinking about teasing. Even simple, unassuming comments.
Even if you're alone with your friend who makes plenty gay jokes himself, or who has a girlfriend, you never know who's just in denial.
By the same token, standing up against the teasing could be what saves someone's life. It could be what makes your friend or girlfriend trust you, or makes the kid who looks up to you be okay with it. It could even be your brother or sister who hears about it, and trusts you first.
If only it were that easy. If only it wasn't hours later that I come up with the perfect response. If only I could be sure that was what you said. If only I could be brilliant and end the jokes without being rude or just making it worse. If only I were braver.
I have the Broadway song Defying Gravity from Wicked in my head, which brings the phrase "it comes at much too high a cost" to mind when thinking about teasing. Even simple, unassuming comments.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Love
It's not about whom you don't loathe kissing. It's not about whom you choose to take to your bed.
It's about whom you'd die for in an instant, whom you long to kiss, whom you care about like nothing else.
It's about who shows up in your dreams, who makes you happiest, who can't be hurt without hurting you.
It's about whose touch you crave, whose smile brings yours most easily, whose happiness means more than your own. It's about whose kiss makes you feel like falling, whose trust is most sacred, whose love is enough for you to live on.
As Shakespeare once said, "Love alters not when it altercation (fight) finds, or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever fixed mark, that looks on tempests, and is never shaken."
And,
"Love alters not with brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, no nor man ever loved."
It's about whom you'd die for in an instant, whom you long to kiss, whom you care about like nothing else.
It's about who shows up in your dreams, who makes you happiest, who can't be hurt without hurting you.
It's about whose touch you crave, whose smile brings yours most easily, whose happiness means more than your own. It's about whose kiss makes you feel like falling, whose trust is most sacred, whose love is enough for you to live on.
As Shakespeare once said, "Love alters not when it altercation (fight) finds, or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever fixed mark, that looks on tempests, and is never shaken."
And,
"Love alters not with brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, no nor man ever loved."
Liberty and Justice for All?
Back in '09 a kid in Arkansas refused to pledge allegiance to the flag because we are not free. Read more. Why can't we all sit down? The Pledge of Allegiance is a serious thing. I've seen people giggle and fool around during it before.
Think about what you're saying. What's a pledge? A serious promise that you don't break. And 'allegiance'? Allegiance means you stand together.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America".
I promise, and will never break this promise, that I will stand with the symbol of the United States of America.
"And to the republic for which it stands".
Self-explanatory.
And skipping to the end?
"With liberty and justice for all".
This is not true. We are not free. We are not treated justly.
What a day when the Pledge of Allegiance is announced and the silence brings down the house.
What a day when liberty and justice for all are once again granted and the people stand up to say it again.
Think about what you're saying. What's a pledge? A serious promise that you don't break. And 'allegiance'? Allegiance means you stand together.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America".
I promise, and will never break this promise, that I will stand with the symbol of the United States of America.
"And to the republic for which it stands".
Self-explanatory.
And skipping to the end?
"With liberty and justice for all".
This is not true. We are not free. We are not treated justly.
What a day when the Pledge of Allegiance is announced and the silence brings down the house.
What a day when liberty and justice for all are once again granted and the people stand up to say it again.
Monday, May 31, 2010
We are not free.
It's Memorial Day today in dear old America. And yesterday, at church, I heard something during the Intentions that kind of threw me, something about all the brave soldiers that died to protect our freedom.
But we aren't free.
Don't get me wrong. Those men and women who died were very brave and deserve recognition, and they died for many freedoms we should all be grateful for. We have freedom of religion, of the press, equal rights for all races and both genders, and even the right to elect our own leaders. These freedoms are precious and should not be taken lightly.
But we won't be completely free until gender identity and sexual orientation matter as little as biological gender or skin color.
We will not be free until laws allowing same-sex marriage, allowing gay people to serve in the military openly, preventing employers from firing people because they are gay or transgender, are made federal.
We must fight for our freedom. We might not be soldiers on the battlefield, but we can still fight.
If you want to tell the Democrats all this, you might read and sign the Courage Campaign's letter.
But we aren't free.
Don't get me wrong. Those men and women who died were very brave and deserve recognition, and they died for many freedoms we should all be grateful for. We have freedom of religion, of the press, equal rights for all races and both genders, and even the right to elect our own leaders. These freedoms are precious and should not be taken lightly.
But we won't be completely free until gender identity and sexual orientation matter as little as biological gender or skin color.
We will not be free until laws allowing same-sex marriage, allowing gay people to serve in the military openly, preventing employers from firing people because they are gay or transgender, are made federal.
We must fight for our freedom. We might not be soldiers on the battlefield, but we can still fight.
If you want to tell the Democrats all this, you might read and sign the Courage Campaign's letter.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Please help end DADT!
When you sign a petition from the Courage Campaign, they ask you to send an automatic email to your friends. Here's one.
I just signed on to a letter from Gov. Howard Dean to President Obama asking him to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this year.
With DADT repeal legislation being delayed indefinitely, it is now more important than ever that President Obama use the power of his office to repeal DADT as a part of the Defense Authorization bill currently under consideration in Congress.
Will you join me in signing Gov. Dean's letter to President Obama? Just click on the link below to add your name:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/DontWaitDontDelay
Thanks!
I just signed on to a letter from Gov. Howard Dean to President Obama asking him to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this year.
With DADT repeal legislation being delayed indefinitely, it is now more important than ever that President Obama use the power of his office to repeal DADT as a part of the Defense Authorization bill currently under consideration in Congress.
Will you join me in signing Gov. Dean's letter to President Obama? Just click on the link below to add your name:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/DontWaitDontDelay
Thanks!
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