Do Tell

Don’t ask don’t tell is a policy that has been in the military to ensure that gays and lesbians can still serve their country and not be slandered against or singled out and given harsh treatment. In some cases gays and lesbians are even beaten and killed. Though the military has the don’t ask don’t tell policy to ensure the safety of the people serving in the military specifically those who may be gay or lesbian I still find it alarming that a person who is willing to go to war and lay down their life for a country that supports freedom has to keep a major part of their identity a secret form everyone. This is not a good thing for that person. On top of the normal Post Traumatic Syndrome that solders are coming back with from war zones some are also coming back with more mental stress due to the fact that they not only have to hide a fact that they are gay or lesbian but have to put on a front that they are straight. This can lead to more stress and strain on the solder. Many would say that would be the perfect reason to not allow them into the military but just like with women and minorities being in the military and that being look down upon because of the mindset that these people would be and are inferior to white males when the fact of the matter is they are equal. The US military fights for freedom around the world and help to ensure that all people in the world have the right for freedom yet it can’t even secure that for its own people. This is something that needs to change. America cannot be a fighting to ensure freedom for all people from all countries when the very people that are fighting for that freedom for someone else are not free. Gays and lesbians should be able to enter the military openly and FREELY without having to face criticism. This again goes back to my last post about how kids need to be taught change to help ensure change that that our country continues to move toward equality of all people. It is time for America to start to fight for the freedom of all the people that call themselves Americans and then we can truly begin to fight for the freedom of all peoples in all areas of the world.

Make Up

Time for Change

What are major ways to help to ensure that society is moving in the right direction when it comes to gay and lesbian rights? There are a few ways that many people have already started working toward. One way is by promoting gay and lesbian rights in the media, and marketing new forms of media toward the mass public. A second way is to start organizations and create websites where people can go to learn the facts about gay and lesbian rights. But most importantly gay and lesbian rights needs to be taught in schools to ensure that future generations are not growing up with the wrong mindset. By teaching not just about gay and lesbian rights but by teaching about gender studies and equal rights as a whole people would be helping to ensure that youth are not growing up with the wrong or backwards way of thinking. It is important that kids are taught to be mindful and not judgmental. It is though our schools that society will be able to promote real change. It may not be immediate and it still may take some time but it is something worth fighting for. America is look to as a forward thinking company and due to that people need to ensure that we continue to teach our children what it is that we want for the future of our country otherwise we will not be accomplishing the goals that we set out to accomplish and people will look back in history and wonder why it was that our society did not change. The same way that we look back 40 year plus and think about how horrible the injustices were on blacks and all minorities. We need to learn form that mistake and not let history repeat itself. I often hear people say that history will repeat itself because that’s what it has always done. Well I have a question for them. If we know that history repeats itself why don’t we then see the change that is coming and prevent it and not let history repeat. Instead of resisting change because we are scared of it as a society why don’t we then not let history repeat itself and embrace it and more in the right directions which is towards equality and not division and repression. America was founded on diversity and for many people that meant race and religion but why can’t it also mean sexual orientation or sexual preference. The same way that many people have come to see the good that this Great Nation has done to help change the world let this be another moment for the United States of America to stand up for equality in all people and not run away form change but embrace it.

 Make Up

It Gets Better

There has been a heartbreaking amount of suicides in gay youth due to bullying. It has been present in the news very frequently over the past couple of years. Although this is a tragedy, a positive movement came out of it. The Trevor Project used this time to educate others about their organization and joined in the It Gets Better Project which asked celebrities and peers to record videos of encouragement to provide hope to the LGBT community. Here is an example of one created by The Trevor Project.

Obama Addresses Bullying

Bullying of gay youth specifically has lead to a number of suicides. This is a big problem righ now. Most of the time, adults never intervene and brush off the affects of bullying because they view it as a "right of passage" or a way to "build character." Bullying is much more intense than it used to be with the use of the internet giving way to cyber bullying. Before the use of the internet, children used to just deal with being bullied and harassed at school, when they got home it was safe. But now with cyberbullying, it never stops and they cannot even escape the harassment once they are home. Many kids are tormented so immensely that they feel the only way it will get better is if they take their life. We have all seen countless headlines about a parent coming home to find their child has taken their life because the bullying they endured. We are seeing more frequently that the reason these children are being bullied by their peers is because they are gay or their peers believe they are. We have to really be more aware of what is going on and stop making excuses for the act of bullying. It is not okay to let it happen and it is not okay for any child to go through that. For some reason we expect these young children to be able to be strong enough to handle being attacked every day and trust that things will get better. President Obama addressed the issue of gay youth suicides and school bullying in a Politics Daily article and said that there is a law against this kind of harassment that we should make children aware of to understand how serious this is and also that there is a values component, we need to treat others as we would like to be treated and this belief is taught at home. Parents need to take more of a responsibility for teaching their children respect and how to treat others. Most learned behaviors especially in young children reflect what is modeled and learned at home. Obama even reflected on his own experience being bullied as a child, "I do know what it's like to grow up feeling like sometimes you don't belong. It's tough." He offered a message of hope to those being bullied: "You are not alone. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't do anything to deserve being bullied. And there is a whole world waiting for you, full of possibilities... There are people out there who love you and care about you, just the way you are. . . . You've got to reach out to people you trust." I think the biggest determining factor in a child choosing to fight or attempt taking their life is whether or not they have that support system and feel loved and connected to someone in their life. Here is a video of Obama addressing this important issue.

President Obama's New Stance

With the reelection of president Obama people supporting gay rights and specifically gay marriage are happy with the outcome of the reelection of President Obama. President Obama is a supporter of gay marriage and with his reelection to office all those who support now have a strong advocate for gay marriage to help try and ensure that a law is passed to allow gays and lesbians the right to marriage. This will be a huge step in the move toward equality. Many people feel that this is the next big step in move in society toward creating a world with no discrimination. Yahoo news talks about how President Obama is open on his stance on gay marriage. He feels that it is an “evolution” that let him to this new stance on gay marriage. Here is a clip of President Obama talking about his stance on his new view on gay marriage. It is something that might have help to lead him to a second term so let’s hope that he is really for and willing to support gay marriage and it wasn’t just another political move.

The New Normal Follow up and Second Weekly Feature

Hello Readers, Last week we began our first weekly feature. We introduced the above clip and asked you to give your input and opinions on what you thought this clip was about. We appreciate the participation dearly. This clip really dived into different aspects. First there is the fear of being gay fathers, and it hindering the lives of their children. Secondly, there is the idea that there is a new normal. The world is much more open to the unconventional now being conventional. The truth is many gays go through this fear which is stemmed by the world accepting certain norms. The fear that being a father will make a child turn out bad, is elevated by the world's view of normal. Well, thank goodness things are changing. Anyone who has the yearn and passion to be a parent should be able to, regardless of their sexual preferences. I hope your conclusions were along those lines. If not, here is another clip for this week try again!

 

Okay, this weekly feature is highly loaded. I hope you have a blast figuring it out. In this clip Bryan goes into the catholic church to confess his sins to the priest and in a way gain clarity. Do you think you can figure out the message in this one? Good Luck!!!

 

Moving to "The New Normal"

Do to the new weekly feature that my team as added to our blog I decided to talk more about the show that we are featuring for our weekly blog. The New Normal is a show that depicts the change taking place in society. This is a show that addresses more than just one issue. Though two of the main characters are gay and many gay issues are addressed in the show there are many other issues that the show also addresses but the overall them that they show is addressing is equality. This is a show that does a great job at not bring light and exposure to issues but shows how those issues affect people. This is important because for many people they will feel a certain way about people and their beliefs and they will also make sure to let everyone know how they feel. What they often do not see is the fallout of their remarks and how it affected the people they were discriminating. The grandmother in the show is someone that is stuck in her ways and is extremely raises and prejudice. I feel that this is essential for the show because it shows that there are still many people in the world that feel the same way as she does. However the show also shows how when people are strong and stand up for what they believe in then people can begin to have a change of heart. The fact that she is older is also important because it shows that even after spending most to all of one’s life viewing something in a certain way there is still the ability to change after becoming aware of the facts and truth. Here is a quick extended version of the trailer about the show.

 

 

As you can see from the trailer it does a good job of addressing many issues that are still very relevant in our society. It is also showing the change that is taking place in our society. It brings to light the need and importance of equality among all people. I feel that this show is a perfect show to be featured on our blog. This is what our blog is about. It is about equality. Growing up in California I feel that I have been exposed to many cultures and views. I have also been blessed to go to a high school and college that is very diverse and I feel that seeing how people can accomplish so much when differences are put aside further made me want to fight for equality of all people. The greatest way to prevent success is trough division. It speaks to the notion of divide and concern. This show does a great job at showing how when we come together we can all help to ensure that we are all successful and we can all accomplish our dreams and then in turn help to ensure that others are able to accomplish their dreams.

Who's Say is it?

In the article Stop SB48's surprising failure: TVC staffer's 'wake up call' is my reason to sleep more soundly. 
 There is an important aspect that is brought to light. It talks about the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) and their  goal toward their anit-LGBT movement. It turned out that their goal toward opposing the movement failed after all of their efforts. This is very bizarre seeing as though they always win when it comes to putting an opposition to anything gay on the ballad. Now that is the most important part, is the surprise aspect of it.This expectation that anything that opposes gay-ism automatically can get a win, which for the most part is true. In in the article Mugged shot: TVC lifts pro-gay photog's pic for own anti-gay promo, it discusses a similar idea but from another aspect. A photographer who copy righted a picture, had his picture taken and used by the TVC for an anti-LGBT campaign without being asked permission. Apparently, it was okay to do this without permission because gay people seem to have no say. This goes back to the first article that depicts the idea that if it has to do with anti-LGBT, then there is a win. I am pretty sure it that guy who took the photo was not a supporter of LGBT, they would have asked his permission. So if  your gay you do not have a say?

Mother Land and the Gays

The African American community has always been one of controversy. Dating back to their origin, they always seemed to have had this unique quality to them, something separating them from the rest of the other races. As a result of this I personally feel as though, that is the reason most of them are the way they are. Among the many things African Americans are, they are very close to their religion and practice this ability to hold on to norms and culture. Now this is not to say that they are all this way, but judging from my perspective of being and African American female these are the conclusions I have made. This need to hold on to normality even spreads back to their roots in Africa. Also having experienced the African, lifestyle I can attest to the aggressive yearn to abide by custom and anything out of the ordinary is frowned up.In places like Africa it is even much more severe, because they make laws that appeal to harsh penalties for derailing from custom.
In a place like America African American have a need to stay close to their norms, and this is very clear when it comes to homosexuality. They are not excited to hear that their strong, black, and eligible men are becoming feminine or playing the role of a girl or are sexually attracted to another man. When I was in high school I had a friend who was gay and every one knew he was gay. I am sure his parents knew but he told me he never told them or talked about it. This was as a result of the fear of what they would think and or do. He would joke " if I ever told my mama I was gay, she beat the shit out of me!" Although this is a free country his culture still hindered him from being open and honest with his family. He would tell me secretes about other African American guys on the football team that he engaged in sexual acts with. But he had to keep it a secrete because they did not want it coming out. This fear of coming out, is also very similar in Nigeria,Africa. Guys are forced to express their sexuality under wraps and behind closed hotel room doors. There are men who are even married, and end up sleeping men and holding emotionally charged relationships with other men in the midst of their marriage. This is not because they want to be hurtful, but because they can not come out and say it and live as a homosexual.
I know your thinking, but that is the same problem for every gay guy, and your right. The only difference is, the culture that is at the foundation of coming out. Although African Americans have assimilated into the American culture of freedom to a certain degree, that root in Africa of custom still flows through their veins undiluted and fresh.  It is so left field for a Black man, an African man, or an African American man to come out and say he is gay. As a result of how deeply the African American culture holds on to their custom. A man is supposed to be a mans man no questions asked. He is supposed to be large and in charge, he supposed to love women to pieces and have many wives and girlfriends. Not to be attracted to other men, if a Black man is gay he is automatically thought of a less than man or inferior. As a result of that, they all stay closeted. And there will continue to be men hiding themselves and their sexuality because of their cultural expectations.  

weekly feature clip and description

Hello to all of our followers! We are happy to announce that we will be starting our Weekly Feature! We will be showing clips from the new television show "The New Normal". Each clip will have an overall message behind it and we would love to hear what you think about the clip and what you think that the message is that the show is trying to teach. After watching the clip please comment on what you think that episode's message/lesson was. Then on next weeks weekly feature we will first talk about what the message was from the previous week and then will have a new clip to view and discuss. This weekly feature is set up to show how our society is now doing more to promote equality and educate people. We hope that you enjoy and find the clips to be both entertaining and informative.

True Equality

I came across an article in The Huffington Post that interviewed the singer Pink on her views about gay marriage and the 2012 election. I found her answers so enlightening. When asked her opinion on gay marriage she responded, "I think that the best day will be when we no longer talk about being gay or straight -- it’s not a 'gay wedding,' it’s just a ‘wedding,'""It's not a ‘gay marriage,' it’s just ‘a marriage.' "It's not a 'black man' or ‘white woman,' it’s just 'a man' and 'a woman,' or 'a human' and 'a human.' I’d just like to get to that.” I found her response to be so beautiful and eye opening. Even those of us who are supportive of gay rights and gay marriage do still isolate the comunity. The ultimate dream would be to get to a place where we don't have to isolate this community. We should strive for a day where we don't even think of them as different, where it really is just another couple or wedding. I am so happy that we are making progress in this movement as the 2012 election demonstrated but I am well aware that we still have a lot of change that needs to take place to make this dream a reality. I think it’s asinine for someone to think they are better than another person. I have never understood that and I have no tolerance for that. I know that I have not gone through what the LGBT community has to get to this point but I look forward to standing beside them fighting for the life they deserve.

Progress...

The 2012 elections brought about small victories for the LGBT community. In the article, Tammy Baldwin Election Results: Democrat Becomes First Openly Gay Senator Amanda Terkel describes the historical magnitude of Baldwin becoming the first woman U.S. senator for Wisconsin and the first openly gay member of the U.S. Senate. In another article from The Huffington Post, it talks about the victory the election brought in regards to the states that voted for marriage equality. This movement is progressing. This is a historical moment to be celebrated.

Celebrating Change

With the 2012 elections now over there were many victories concerning Gay and Lesbian rights. From the reelection of President Obama to propositions that passed allowing same sex marriage. Across many different sites people are celebrating the some small victories and others large victories. The Huff Puff has some articles celebrating the victory in Maryland to allow gay marriage. change.org also talks about victories but also stresses the work that is still to come and still must be done to ensure equality across all states. Human Rights Campaign discusses what's next for the four states that approved same sex marriage. They made reference to what happened in California where people were same sex couples were allowed to marry but then it was overturned and now it is being taken to the Supreme Court for a final decision. With a president that is for same sex marriage it will help to ensure that the momentum gained from this past election will carry on to more progress. All in all the feeling is that this past election brought a huge win for the Gay and Lesbian community.

God Saved Me

Being gay  has always been a tip over toward religion.  In the article “One of the most reprehensible 'advice' columns you'll ever read. For shame, Matt Moore” there is a description of this aspect. A young man gave a testimony regarding  how God saved him from being completely enthralled with his homosexuality. This article gets one to think and analyze that a person can still be attracted to the same sex and believe in God. When it comes to religion much like everything else in life, things are not black and white there are grey areas. In the article “First Federated, second 'protect marriage' rally” the First Federate church holds a rally to protect the purity of marriage, during the elections. These two articles brings to the fore front the idea that, people are narrow minded when it comes to the combination of religion and homosexuality. There should be nothing wrong with a gay person being religious, and a church holding a rally to oppose gay marriage does not make sense. This is senseless, because a gay person could possibly be part of that congregation. In the article regarding a man who found God,  he stated that he was still gay. Why is it that there has to be a connection to ones religion and their sexual preference? The reality of it is that there really is not any connections. They are two different aspects of life. One is not and should not be determined by the other. If in fact this does occur it is because one has chosen it to be that way. Which makes it a personal choice. What do you decide?

I Am Free!

    America, for as long as I can remember has always been a place of freedom. Growing up as a child in Nigeria, Africa I remember all the talk that went around about everyone trying to come to America. There was always this reverence about how perfect it would be because of all the opportunities that the land afforded. According to the chatter, there was  a freedom to join what ever religion you wanted to, a freedom to go and do what ever you wanted too, and most importantly there was a freedom to excel to any level of success with hard work. Being a child I was so excited at the thought of such freedoms and now that I am adult in America, I now sincerely understand the in depth importance of these affordances.
    When I first came to this country in the early 2000s I never even fathomed  the idea of homosexuality. Where I am from people are stoned and burned alive naked or jailed for practicing homosexual acts publicly. By the time I got to high school I saw it every where. Guys dating guys and girls making out with each other publicly. And by the time I got to high school I saw it as normal for people and children in America to express themselves freely. Although all this freedom was slithering around everywhere, I noticed that people in charge such as principles teachers and even students were not exactly supportive of such behaviors. There were certain actions depicted, like treating them with a different demeanor than other students that were straight.
    In addition to school environments, there is also the work place. Naturally public display of affection isn’t professional at all, but making out with your husband as woman would probably sit better than a man making out with his husband/partner as a man. According to one of the professors in my class, one of her friends who conducts research at a university was asked to sign a contract prior to being hired. This contract stated that, if those in charge felt as though she was exhibiting any actions that exuded homosexuality, she could be fired. So the termination would be based on any scale those in charge see as fit for the grounds to terminate, no matter how small accusation.
    Okay, now I get it. So America was not as free as I thought. I am beginning to understand that this freedom that was always reverenced is based on a certain stipulation. It is as though you only get the entirety of this freedom if you do no step on anyone’s toes. Why wasn’t all of the employees at the school required to sign such a document? Why is it that high school kids that express themselves publicly based on their sexual orientation, has to be looked at differently? This really protrudes the question how free is America? Is it only great when people are adhering to the unspoken ethical guidelines of life, such as not being gay. We should be very aware of the surroundings which we consider to be endlessly free.

Facebook

Facebook has become a huge influence in our lives over the past few years. Now, we even define the stability of a romantic relationship by declaring to be in that relationship on facebook profiles. We take that to mean that if someone is willing to announce that private information to all their friends and family on facebook, then it must be official. Until recently, same sex couples did not have a way to express their relationship status on facebook. Facebook added "In a Civil Union," and "In a Domestic Partnership" relationship statuses that can be displayed on user profiles. This is a big step for the LGBT community. It is a way for them to be included in a way that heterosexuals are in this social network. Recently, Facebook created marriage emoticons depicting same sex couples which you can see above. There are same sex brides and same sex grooms. The feedback recieved for this development has not been all positive. There are now complaints that they are discriminating against transgender individuals since they are having to choose a gender for their profile while they are conflicted about choosing one and resisting conforming to the pressures of society. Facebook actually was just awarded the Special Recognition Award from GLAAD for their contributions to inclusions of this community on their site.  I really feel like this is a big step. It is not just supportive of these individuals but it is also helping to give them a more accurate identity online. We are supposed to portray who we are on this site, and I can only imagine what it would feel like to not even have available options of how you could genuinely portray yourself. Honestly, before reading articles about this I never really thought about how facebook affected the LGBT community. But it really hit me. I think these new developments willgive the community a sense of validation.. It is beautiful to see change of this stature taking place.

Gay Rights Impact Election

In a Huffington Post article entitled Obama Reaffirms Same-Sex Marriage Platform As Election Closes Sam Stein provides evidence of the stance President Oboma has held regarding same sex marriages and rights throughout the 2012 Presidential Campaign. He includes an interview where President Oboma states what is going to change this issue. In a Chicago Tribune article there is a discussion of the same sex initiatives Obama has endorsed in Washington, Maryland and Maine. It looks like the movement to get these rights and end the discrimination is getting closer to a reality. This is the frst time a president has ever supported gay rights and same sex marriage. This is a historical moment. This has been a very gradual progression in fighting for the equality this community deserves. It feels like it is actually possible to make this dream a reality, as if we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Who Runs the Gays?

The "Gill" Question and Religion and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage,  are two articles that have a description that tailor towards the idea of gay rights and how it holds up when it comes to marriage. In the “The Gill Question”, the article discusses a court case that is going on: Gill, et al. v. Office of Personnel Management, et al. This case is based on the terminology which people use to describe gay couples in the legal aspect, and how this terminology effects them in terms of taxes. In the article “Religion and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage”,  there is a detailed description of the polls and how it varies when it comes to who supports gay marriage. The combination of these articles brought to light for me, the connection between who is supporting gay marriage and how it hold up in law. I feel as though these laws are passes respective to the views of certain groups. Although there is a significant growth in the number in people who are actually in support of gay marriage, some of the number have decreased as well or stayed the same. It seems as though, as the numbers increase each year, the allowances for the gays, increase by a small margin in the legal system. Every year new states permit marriage, and the numbers are growing. This trial is a big deal because if gays will be allowed to be tagged as “married” as opposed to “partnership”, not only affects their rights to what they can benefit government-ally, but makes it seem as though their not in a real marriage.           
  

This is so Gay?

last night while I was going through my Black Berry messenger (BBM) updates, one of my contacts had a status up that stated: " Power Puff Girls has one of the gayest characters ever!". Now looking at this status so many things rushed to mind. Is he referring to a character on there as bad? What does he mean by that term "gay"? Is there a character on there that is actually gay? I was to say the least confused. This really beckons the question what exactly it is that people mean when they saying something is gay. And why is it that term that they us to describe something. There are millions of words in the dictionary, and the one people use as an adjective is gay. Technically speaking the word gay dates back to centuries ago, and it was used to describe happiness or being happy or cheerful. In these recent days vocabulary has clearly taken a different turn, because now people seemingly just describe what ever they are referring too as happy and they do not use the term gay for it. And yet i still hear people talking about a subject in the term of gay. When I was in high school, that was the popular thing to do. If I recall clearly about 95% of the football team, all referred to anything that was not up to part or good enough as gay. when ever they lost a game I would here them talking about it, lamenting: "Mehn! you see that ref call that wack ass penalty, yo! that was gay!". This was to conclude, that because it was not what he wanted it was gay. Therefore this means that gay in its entirety is a negative thing. This is by far the most insulting and degrading action one can take on a set of people. That is the equivalent of calling something black (in terms of race) because it was not good enough of, or it was lacking in greatness and superiority. By doing that one has taken a verbal gun and shot down the whole Black/African American race as complete losers. 

Maybe people are not really aware of what they are doing when they call things gay. It is as though our society as a whole has put this horrid stigma on gay-ism, thus filling people's mind with an innate natural response to it as being a bad one. Which has caused people to then always refer to mistakes or lacking as gay.There is really no need to play the blame game, because at the end of the day we are all individuals in free America. As a result of this individuality we are responsible for ourselves and how we choose to think, act, and most importantly speak. This being the case, that puts the blame on us not to use the word gay as an adjective, unless it is for what it really means. If you are not describing a homosexual, or talking about immense happiness do not use it. Not only is it offensive it is down right ignorant. Additionally, Much like the word "Negah", there are just certain people who are not socially permitted to use it in certain contexts. This is the case with the word gay. It is to a certain extent sensitive to usage. 

According to my BBM Contact he was actually referring to a character on the Power Puff Girls, who he felt behaves as though he is gay. But if one does not know him and did not ask him, the statement would and did resonate as rude and hurtful. Be aware of the power you have as an individual. 

      

When Will it End?

Homosexuals have to endure torment and harassment due to who they are attracted to and love. In the past couple of years we have seen more and more bullying aimed at teenagers who are gay. They are relentlessly tormented by their classmates and with technology they are not safe when they get home. The bullying is endless. Cyber bullying is a serious problem today. How would you feel if you were constantly being attacked and didn’t have a safe place to go? For many, it is all too much to bear and they end up taking their own lives. The hate and discrimination towards the LGBT community has caused far too much pain. It has taken countless lives of young individuals who had so much to offer. At a Trevor Project event to raise awareness to youth suicide and suicide prevention Laurie Ann Gibson choreographed a dance to embody a young person going through this trying to be heard. She introduced the piece saying, “Tonight it’s about saving young lives. Yesterday or the day before, someone was confused about their sexuality, and in their confusion they decided that the only option was to take their life. Because I’m not who you think I should be and because I don’t do what you think I should do, that I’m not worth living. That’s a crime. How dare we not love each other unconditionally?” This is such a beautiful, powerful statement. It really hits me and seeing the dance takes it to another level. What we need to remember is just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t make it wrong. I think people who discriminate against this community forget how much we have in common. We all feel the same things. We all feel sadness, happiness, love and anger. We all go through struggles and have to overcome obstacles. Who you love should not have to be an additional struggle you have to face. It’s a part of who you are. If you are lucky enough to find happiness and love in someone, hold on to it, it is so rare and it shouldn’t matter who it’s with.    We need to work on seeing past the labels and really getting to know each other. This hate has caused so many deaths. It has shown up in countless headlines. What is finally going to be enough?

Get off your Ass and Think: Don’t be Lazy!!!

I have always seen homosexuality as some connection to the religious aspect. Not because it made sense to me, but because of the way I was brought up. Always drenched in the teachings of Christianity/ Catholicism. I have even been skeptical that maybe it was some type of evil force or spirit, that toys with the mentality of a person to then convince them of homosexuality. Now that I am older and have experienced a usable amount of life, and my brain has developed to a non-conformist state of being I have a new take on it. According to Jermy Cooper in the articles, With latest comments: Chick-fil-a can no longer deny anti-LGBT feelings and Audio: Focus on the Family Prez says gays are at Battle With Go. God is completely involved in the case of homosexuality. One article discusses how being gay effects fruitfulness and family values, and the other transcends to how being gay is a slap in Gods face. Now this aspect of religion on homosexuality, is deeper than a heartbreak wound, it literally pierces the souls of many pro-LGBTs every where. Well, silly me I thought religion was a choice. A decision one makes to follow God and be in communication with him regardless of our personal choices, and to take hold of all the aspects that come with believing in his undying love. According to the articles might I be wrong? Maybe its not a choice. Maybe it is a general rule that every one in the world by fire and by force, has to take the lord Jesus into their heart, and any misstep (such as homosexual practice) will land them on the heathen’s side of the religious spectrum. This one aspect of the bible that people seem to defy is apparently, the end all be all. With out even trying to fully grasp the root of gay-ism every one immediately runs to grab hold of the bible. Hmm. Strange. Well, here’s a question. If you curse up a storm (which is a sin in the bible), what makes you any different from a homosexual (which is also a sin in the bible)? A sin is a sin right? Religion just seems to be the lazy way of classifying homosexuality as a problem. Do not be lazy!!!!

What Side Are You On?

There comes a time every 4 years where the divide in the United States is evident more than ever. During election time people find themselves having to choice their side on different issues that face our country. Elections also breathe new life into divides that already exists. This divide also applies to organizations. One example of this is within the Catholic Church. The Church is very clear on its stance and teaching about Gay marriage. However, there are a growing number of Catholics that are taking a stand and saying that they support gay marriage. With upcoming elections fast approaching catholic are having to choose candidates that they will support. For Catholics that are on the fence this decision becomes hard. When Catholics look to see what the Roman Catholic Church say on many political issues such as gay marriage they find the church saying one thing. As they then turn to other sites such as Dignity USA they find a very different stance on the issue. This is something that can cause a lot of confusion with Catholics. For the ones who are supportive of gay marriage they feel that the Catholic Church needs to change and evolve with the times. For those who support the church would say that the Catholic Church does not and should not change because that defeats the purpose of standing for a set of beliefs. This is why people need things laid out in a straight forward way. For those looking for an answer on where the Roman Catholic Church stands on the issue of gay marriage it would be that they are against it. However one could find Catholic groups that are for gay marriage but again for an official stance from the Vatican it would be that the Church is against gay marriage. One question that arises is can the Church be supportive of gay marriage civilly, but still keep its stance that gay couples will not be married in the Church? This would also hold up the separation of Church and State.   

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Gay Marriage at the Forefront of 2012 Election

Gay marriage is a key social issue in the 2012 Presidential Election. This controversial issue is very divided in terms of those who support and oppose it.  Obama is the first sitting Democratic -- or Republican -- president to endorse gay marriage. This is a significant time in our history. This is the kind of movement the community has been working towards. It is very exciting. It makes the dream of getting true equality for all seem a little more possible. This is what the community and its supporters have worked so hard for.  The democratic party is supportive of this social issue while the republican party opposes it. Many believe that this social issue will determine which presidential candidate will be elected based on the voters' views on the matter. "Young Republicans, like young Democrats, young independents, young people across the spectrum overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry." I agree that the younger generation is more open minded and accepting of gay marriage rights as well as other communities facing discrimination. "When the president came out in support of freedom to marry, he was doing what we elect presidents to do," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. "He was showing the moral leadership of standing up for the full protection and dignity of every American under the Constitution." These are the kind of changes we expect presidents to make and usually don't see happen. This represents hope for much of society that this movement will continue to progress and the dream of true equality will become a reality.

You’re here, You’re Queer, I’m Ok with it!

There are many miss conceptions that paint a false image of certain organizations and groups. As a Roman Catholic there is one miss conception that I feel needs to be cleared up. That is that Catholics do not like or hate Homosexuals. This is false. The Catholic Church does not teach to hate homosexuals nor does it support people who do. Like with any group or organizations there are those who paint a negative picture of that group or organization. A web site called Life-Teen has published some articles relating to this topic of the Catholic’s view and teaching on homosexuality. The article says “The Catholic Church is so loving and accepting of everyone because we’re all children of God and made in the image and likeness of God.” For those who say that the Catholic Church hates homosexual people would be making a false statement. Yes the church will never allow Gay marriage but to say that because of that the church hates gays is a false statement. There is one verse from the Bible that many Christians will use to justify their stance on how they feel about homosexuals. Leviticus 18:22 says “you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination”. People often interpret this to mean that homosexuals are an abomination. They will then apply it to their faith to say that their faith feels this way. So miss led Catholics would say that the church teaches that homosexuals are an abomination when that statement would be false. It is not the homosexual that is an “abomination” but the action. However what people often forget is that sex whether it is with a man and a woman (before marriage) or between a man and a man is still a sin and looked at the same. One is not worse than the other. The Catholic Church in no way is condemning the person who is homosexual nor are they saying that they are an abomination. To further reiterate, the Catholic Church is accepting because first and for most everyone is a children of God and is made in the image and likeness of God and for that reason they are to be respected and treated the same and everyone else. Yes there is the issue that they church will never allow gay marriage. However this is Not because they view homosexuals as inferior or do not respect them or their rights. It is because of the sanctity of marriage in which the Catholic Church is upholding. Marriage is a vocation that unites a man and a woman with the intent to pro-create. Due to the fact that a man and a man or a woman and a woman could never pro-create, sex becomes strictly for pleasure and not for pro-creation. This is the same reason why sex before marriage for a man and a woman is wrong. The couple is not using it for the purpose of pro-creation. The Catholic Church is not just targeting homosexuals in an effort to prevent them from getting married. The Catholic Church also says that any form of contraceptive that prevents the formation of life is a sin. So even for a heterosexual couple that is married and is having sex with contraceptives is not using sex for its intended purpose of pro-creation and unity. So all in all it is important that I restate that the Catholic Church is not against Homosexuals and is first and for most “Loving and accepting of everyone because we’re all children of God and made in the image and likeness of God”. 

Same Shades of Grey

Why Am I gay? What is this weird attraction I have to the same sex? Is it normal to be this way?  These are the many questions, many homosexuals and lesbians ask themselves. The World seems to have this impenetrable perception, that gay people have it all mapped out. As though they are a different species of people, and their brains are wired in an outer-world type of way. Well, Surprise! Surprise! That isn’t true. They are human beings just like heterosexuals. In life, there are some people who feel like they have it all planned out, and there are some of us who are like a deers caught in head lights. We are all a mixture of different personal characteristics, we think differently, and we all have different experiences. As a result of these similar differences, it is crucial to understand that much like everyone else gays go through a state of confusion and uncomfortability. They didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to be attracted to the same sex. This way of thinking brings forth a state of uneasiness. It is a build up of years of pain, struggles, and trying to find ones self. Which is a struggle that every human being goes through, it is a natural state of living. What is the difference between the struggles of establishing who you are and how it effects your sexual preference? And the struggles of trying to find your self and how it relates to inflicting pain on one’s self ? There is no difference between the two, because the main objective is finding yourself. In high school I was friends with girl who was a Lesbian. She dressed like a boy, walked like a boy, and even tried to sound like a boy. I even forgot at times that she was a female. It wasn’t after a few years of knowing her, that she opened up to me about being raped by her fathers friends. She expressed to me that her whole life she felt lost, and she had a sense of displacement. Being gay just seemed to be the only normal thing to do, and process of doing so was not easy. The things that she endured stifled her ability to think clearly. Being gay really is not what she wanted, but happened to fall into it as a result of finding control. Her sexuality was under her control, therefore she took control of it. The perception of gays being specialty cases separate from the rest of the world, is just ignorant. They are exactly like the rest of us, just trying to find what makes them happy in the midst of the pain of life. Looking at them differently would only be a slap to the face of those who do so. It would be the kettle calling the pot black, if you will. If  being a homosexual makes someone happy, then there isn’t anything wrong with it. Life its self is so unhappy, if you can find what eases you, do it! We are all just looking for ourselves.

Outside Sources

LifeTeen.com

The Producer: Christina Mead, Life Teen

The content of this article is “Catholics Care About Gays. The Myth Debunked”. This explains how despite with most people think Catholics do care about gays as said in the title. The second article is titled “Gay, Catholic, and Doing Fine”. This second article talks about how it is possible to be gay and Catholic. And speaks to how there is a misconception that it is one or the other.

These posts are written to inform mostly teens and young adults but are seen by a large age group. One is written with a personal point of view aspect and the other is written with more of the informative aspect and with the intent to educate. Though they both have the intent to educate one has a more personal aspect.

These articles are onetime post but are stored on the website to be accessed on a later date.

There is an area to make comments

This is also tied into other forms of social media so a person can share the article with others within that social media outlet.

Catholic.org

The Producer: Unknown

The content of the article deals with the right to same sex marriage. It talks about why Catholics and Christians are opposed to this law.

This article is written to inform the voting public and is aimed toward more adults.

This is a onetime post article but is updated with the changing of laws and before and after voting.

There is no area to make comments but a person can contact people who run the website.

This is a way to share this information with other forms of social media.

Change.org

The Producer: Tico Almeida

This Blog is titled “President Obama: Sign the Executive Order Adding LGBT Workplace Protections to Millions of American Jobs”. This blog I found to be very helpful with the upcoming election. It is one that affects many people. The reason is because it one helps to educate people about why gay and lesbian rights are important. It also helps people to make a smart and educated decision when voting for the next president.

This blog is written from a personal point of view but is being written as being a part of a larger group of

This blog is written to inform adults and the voting public. It is also amid toward President Obama himself.

This blog has no place to leave a comment but it has a petition that a person can sign to support the cause that the blogger is trying to support.

There is no sign of social media tied into the blog.

There is no area to say how often the blogger post but there are other articles posted by him on the same topic of gay rights.

Angela McCarthy  

The Producer: Angela McCarthy

This is a good blog because it talks about a new TV show that has just started airing and about a city that is trying to ban the show because of its depiction of Gays. This Station in Utah is trying to ban the show because they feel it is too offensive to people and should not be aired.

This Blog incorporates personal experience from the blogger and uses it to help defend her blog and the reason that she feels it is bad that this company wants to ban the show “The New Normal”.

This blog is written to inform a large audience of people. This is appealing to those who watch the show to speak out to talk about the way that people need to stand up and defend what the show stands for.

There is no area to leave a comment but there is a petition that one can sign.

There is no indication to how often the person post but there is a sign that the person does post and update the blog.

There is no sign of a way to tie in Facebook or other form of social media.

The Republic of T.

• The producer is Paul Krugman.
• The content addresses issues that he is passionate about including gay rights and various political issues. He definitely gives his opinion but he presents a wealth of information about the content to where the reader could make their own opinions and create/participate in a discussion.
• This blog is written as a personal interest to the producer. It is about his life and opinions with information about events or issues we are facing. He is a gay African American who is married with two children. He actually started his blog a day after his son was born. You can feel how passionate he is in every post.
• He posts every couple of days. Posts about gay rights occur almost every week. Recently he writes about it in terms of political platforms for the upcoming presidential election.
• There is the opportunity to leave comments but it is not currently being used.
• There is no social media presence in terms of facebook or twitter but readers can email the producer.

American Civil Liberties Union

• This site is produced by an organization if staff members. The current president is Susan Herman. It was founded in 1920.
• This site focuses on discrimination of all types not just against LGBT community. This organization works in courts daily to fight for the rights that the Constitution guarentees everyone.
• This organization writes about this issue because they believe that if the rights of the most vulnerable members of our population are denied, our rights are as well.
• They post content daily and content on gay rights on a weekly basis.
• There are very few comments posted and they mostly consist of reader's appreciation for the information they recieved.
• The site has a big social media presence. (facebook, twitter, blog of rights and email)

AMERICAblog

• This site has multiple producers.
• This is a political blog with a progressive point of view with a wealth of topics presented to readers. It presents news and opinions on the content of this site.
• The producers created this site to give an inside look at what is important in the news and why.
• Content is reported daily and content regarding gay rights and discrimination is posted weekly.
• There are several comments on each post and they consist of the readers' opinions about the information presented.
• This site's social media presence consists of facebook and twitter.

IGLHRC: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

• This site is produced as an organization.
• This site focuses on human rights avocacy for those who experience discrimination.
• This site is dedicated to improving the lives of people who have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation. They strive to strengthen the capacity of the LGBT human rights movement worldwide.
• They post content a few times a month regarding LGBT issues and news.
• There are not comments on this site.
• They have a big social media presence including facebook, twitter and email.

Jeremy Hooper’s Good As You Blog

• The producer is Jeremy Hooper.

• The content is specifically peaceful in the subject of  L.G.B.T (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). It uses current news and media to bring to light the lack of rights and discrimination that may be happening to people in general. But the way he does it is in a very non aggressive manner. He in a way presents different information occurring presently for the reader to then make their own conclusions.

• This is a personal blog to the producer, so it seems. According to the information given he is a homosexual who just recently got married in 2005. But besides this being personal in the way of his sexual preference, his views are also seen in the content. His views of wanting freedom for all, is reflected on every post he puts up.

• He posts almost everyday, and the information he posts regarding gay rights and discrimination is almost everyday. Even if it is not specific to the subject, it is in the ball park and directs one’s thinking toward the direction of gay rights and discrimination.

• The videos and articles provided comes with a brief explanation of what is in it. But the distinct thing about these explanations are the resonating sounds of “READ ME!”. He does a great job of luring the reader into wanting more.

• The page is linked to face book, aim, twitter and email.

Jen Burke’s Jenburke.com Blog

• It seems as though it is produced by Jen Burke, and that could be a group or an individual but there is no clear indication.

• The site is very diverse but still maintains a focus on gay rights and discrimination. There are subjects on there regarding law and attorneys but it is geared toward LGBT. There are a lot of original pieces that are written, that are linked to present issues on the topic.

• There is not a description like other blogs about the producer and or producers, but judging from the content one can extract that the creators of the blog are interested in the legal aspects of LGBT and the discrimination that is usually attached to that idea

• There aren’t any dates on the postings but judging from the site, it was made specifically during the voting of 2008 elections. The last update was made in 2009. But the things that are posted are very much concentrated toward the topic at hand.

• The threads of information that are up seem very aggressive and in your face as a reader, and to me it was a way to get people energized about the topic to further read.

• There were no social networking links attached.

Boston Globe’s The Big Picture

• The producer is Paula Nelson. She contributes to a blog section on the Boston Globe website.

• The content is focused on events happening all over the word, from the topic of poverty, strikes, to the pope going to Cuba, to my topic homosexual movements. I think the commonality in all the stories on her blog, is that the things reported are events that effect every one in some way and there is a topic for everyone.

• The producers interest seems to be civil movements, and by that I mean problems or issues occurring civilly amongst people in a certain place. It seems to be a goal to bring that news to people in America, because most of the stories are internationally based.

• The content is roughly every month, and homosexuality only appeared once in the past year worth of posts. But if you click on the story there are a lot of photos, which I guess compensates for the lacking of gay rights information.

• There are comments with each story and pictures specifically, but the description does indeed describe what  the topics are about, just not in an enticing way.

• There is a link to social networks; face book and twitter.

Human Rights Campaign’s HRC blog/website

• The producers are group of people

• The content is focused on civil rights for LGBT, and the movement of it. There are a lot of up to date information regarding that, such as Romney’s speech on it for voting purposes and a priest who is in support of HRC.

• Their interest is bringing forth equality for the LGBT community, and doing so by bringing awareness to the issues they suffer and the need for their equality.

• Their blog is updated and posted on daily with peoples opinions, oppositions and just pure information. This blog is within the general website which seems to be updated as much as the blog or as needed.

• The comments accompanying each story or information is very succinct which I feel is perfect. It is straight to the point, and this lets one decide very quickly if they want to read further or not.

• There is a link to face book, twitter, and Google.