Wonderful Messages

Today I want to feature two wonderful messages that I found this week. The first is by Pink Dot, a wonderful advocacy and support group from Singapore. The Second is by George Takei.

I have listed Pink Dot before but here are their links again.

http://pinkdot.sg/

http://www.youtube.com/user/pinkdotsg

Love is Never Wrong

HIV/AIDS Awareness

Today I want to focus on the story and efforts of one man, Kevin Maloney. Kevin's story is one that most anyone could fall into but his strength and determination through it all has made him shine. I am very proud of him and his efforts. Please take the time and listen to his story and find out more about HIV/AIDS awareness. We can all do more and should.

Kevin's Personal YouTube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/KevinCaresUSA

Rise Up To HIV

http://www.riseuptohiv.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RiseUpToHIV/186430218043331

http://twitter.com/#!/RiseUpToHIV



Love is Never Wrong

Random Links

Today I have some random links. For my International viewers I have some new ones for you as well.  Hopefully they help you along life's journey.

Thats So Gay Live is a nice site with many videos covering News, Information, and Entertainment. Watch or join in and become a local reporter. It is a very inclusive project. Please check them out.

http://thatssogaylive.com/

Project Blue Sky is a project for people to make videos to encourage LGBTTQ people in Calgary, Canada. I just discovered this group via their It Gets Better video. Check them out.  (Canada)

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlueSkyYYC

http://www.facebook.com/ProjectBlueSkyYYC

http://twitter.com/#!/blueskyyyc

Wipeout Homophobia on Facebook is a project aimed to remove the most vile and hateful of attacks and comments on Facebook sites.

http://www.whof.net/

http://www.facebook.com/WHOF1?sk=info

Belong To is a project to support LGBT youth in Ireland. They have many links and resources. (Ireland)

http://www.belongto.org/

http://www.youtube.com/user/BeLonGToYouthService

Athlete Ally is a project by Hudson Taylor, wrestling coach at Columbia University. He is a Ally to our community and seeks to encourage more Allies to step forward and make a difference wherever they are.  He does a good job.

http://www.youtube.com/user/athleteally



Love is Never Wrong

Break The Silence!

Today I want to talk about silence. It is a bitter venom that seeps into our lives. The toxins it unleashes create loneliness, fear, hate, even death.  As Simon & Garfunkel so stated in song "...silence, like a cancer, grows..." Sadly though it does not have to. 

Have you ever ignored someone for being different? Have you ever stopped replying to someones e-mails or phone calls? Have you left a date waiting and not shown up? Have you...  The list goes on.

We may lie to ourselves and others that it is for the best, we are avoiding hurting someone or a creating conflict, we may even believe we are avoiding drama and helping a person to move on. In reality though we are selfish, prideful, and disrespecting.

People deserve respect and dignity. You protect no one but yourself when you dismiss people. I don't know about you but I would rather be temporarily hurt by rejection than to be ignored. To ignore someone lowers them in your eyes as not even deserving attention. We as LGBT should know this lesson well.

How many people are depressed because they are lonely or are denied an outlet for their thoughts and feelings? How many have low self esteem because they are brutally rejected without knowledge why? How many people, in such fragile times, find courage to reach out and are ignored. This silence is brutal.

I think by now we have all heard of the bullying deaths this last year. How children and young adults were pushed and tormented to a point where life held no further worth. How many were silent? Teachers and schools who did nothing or said nothing, news outlets who ignored events until their sensational end, people who knew yet did not stand up. This is a cruel silence.

To ignore someone so badly hurting and in distress is unfathomable to me. Am I the only one who smiles at people who look sad, stands for those being assailed, asks if someone is alright... I think we have all become to shell shocked to the horrors in Humanity. We duck our heads and move on. Only when something truly new and horrific happens do we stand. This is not acceptable.

We have to look after and protect each other in life. It may not be so evident but our destiny's are all intertwined and it matters how we treat and help people. It matters when people hurt and it matters when you see it. We all have value and deserve help. Don't be silent.

Have you ever known the influential ones in the LGBT community that have the masses flock to them. They pay wonderful lip service but when it is essential they use their voice for important things they are silent? They continue their sermon of this and that ignoring whats most important, people.

I don't believe the popular people I refer to can do everything but they should try to do more. When your efforts are spent maintaining your popularity and at times money flow you may cash in. But is the profit just? People are more important than your fame, your money, or even your adoration. When you toss the greater concerns of our precious youth aside to play social games or meander down the superficial you hurt us all.

There is a time and a place for triviality and there is a time and place to stand. If that stand costs you popularity or fortune so be it. At least you stood for what is right, people! If we can not all enjoy, thrive, or even live then your silence is another nail in a coffin.This silence is selfish.

I think we all see the radical elements in our society forming and lashing out. They manipulate laws, harass with legality, even wrap themselves in sheep's clothing pretending they are a member of the flock, for its own protection. Yet they stand only opposed by the few.

Good men and women can do bad things. I am not judging personal belief. Everyone is entitled to that. But to stand silent when you know something to be wrong or dismiss it as none of your concern is a nasty silence.

When you allow the perpetuation of lies, hate, and violence you are just as guilty as those initiating the act. For we all have a choice. This is not an issue of self protection, fear, or even one that does not affect you. The act of standing for all people is one of essence. Only when we honor Humanity do we fully become Human.

Life includes conflict, strife, drama, and most importantly people. When you dismiss any of it you create silence and you begin to deny Humanity. I believe in love and choosing to shape your life according to it. But when you ignore that which does not appeal to you or is not important to you you deny a Human somewhere, someplace.

Break the Silence!



Love is Never Wrong

Gay Oregon II

Continuing with Oregon links, here are PFLAG sites. PFLAG has many resources beyond what they list on thier sites. If you need information or help by all means contact them.

PFLAG Oregon. A sort of master List.

http://www.pnwpflag.org/oregon.html

PFLAG Clackamas County

http://www.clackamaspflag.com/

PFLAG Corvallis/Albany

http://www.jam-assoc.com/pflag/

PFLAG Eugene/Springfield  - Only a listing.

http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?&pid=224&srcid=229&chid=285

PFLAG Oregon Central Coast  - Only a listing.

http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=224&chid=396&tab=6

PFLAG Pendleton

http://pflag-pendleton.org/

PFLAG Portland

http://www.pflagpdx.org/NewPFLAGsite/Home.html

For E-mail links to all the sites and those without web pages here is the master list, in more detail.

http://www.pflag.org/map/index.php?state=OR#466



Love is Never Wrong

Gay Oregon

Oregon, the Beaver State. Today is your day. I will begin with education resources.


The University of Oregon has UOut It offer education, support, advocacy, health information, and even financial advisory.

http://lgbt.uoregon.edu/

Oregon State University has their Pride Center. It seems to be a complete community center style service. So many resources are available. Their Frequently Asked Questions section is a good place to begin. However much is not online so direct contact is required for more.

http://oregonstate.edu/pridecenter/

Southern Oregon University has their Queer resource Center. They have support and education resources. They also appear to have mentoring programs. There is not a great deal online so direct contact is needed.

http://www.sou.edu/su/qrc/

http://www.facebook.com/sou.qrc

Eastern Oregon University has their Office of Multicultural Affairs. They don't list much but the inclusion of a Gay-Straight Alliance, Pride events, and support are mentioned. Check them out.

http://www.eou.edu/oma/gsa.html

Portland State University has a Queer Resource Center. They offer education, support, advocacy, and some social events.

http://www.qrc.pdx.edu/

Pacific University has their Center for Gender Equity. Not much is listed about their details so please contact them if you have specific questions.

http://www.pacificu.edu/academics/gender-equity/

Mt. Hood Community College has a Gay-Straight Alliance.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30718117913

Lewis & Clark Law School has OutLaw.

http://www.lclark.edu/law/student_groups/outlaw/

Willamette University's College of Law  has Lambda Legal.

http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/resources/student_orgs/willo/index.php

GLSEN has a chapter in Oregon.

http://chapters.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/oregon/home.html



Love is Never Wrong

Privilege

This week I have heard a lot about privilege. There have been national figures claiming those who are LGBT  should not be allowed to adopt or marry. They cite adoption as a privilege for married couples. They continue the thought by stating marriage is a privilege extended to a man and a woman. Beyond this they also claim marriage is intended for procreation and thus eliminates couples that can not do so.

WOW! Was the first thought in my mind when hearing this. I don't think it says it all but it does relay my disbelief.

In all my life I never thought I would hear the words of exclusion, theocracy, and revision put forth so boldly here in the United States. Have we not learned the lessons of civil rights, oppression, and strife? I can respect a persons passion and beliefs. I can respect that we are all different. That however does not entitle you to extend rights for only those you deem worthy.

When you revise the rights of people to marry and have families you set in motion a path that allows someone or some group to act as judge in such matters. You then hold all people to such standards. It is no longer "We the people." It becomes "We, some of the people, in our moral judgement." That is a very dangerous path to walk down. History is littered with such events.

When a small or select group dictate morality and laws it almost always becomes a theocracy. As well intentioned as they may be you always have extremists. You always have people who will twist such power to gain more. You always have people who abuse such power to hate or hurt others. Have we not progressed beyond thug leadership? Only when all the people are protected and represented in a society can it be a just society.

Exclusion...it is a nasty word to me. Even in good societies we all know it. Are we last to be picked for a team, not allowed into a group, or even ignored for being different. When we carry the games of childish behavior to national politics what does that say about us? When we have become adamant in our surety to become judge and jury on other peoples lives do we truly represent what we believe? When we sanction isolation, belief, and servitude does that not make us masters of others destiny?

So what is privilege? In society privilege it is the extending of benefits to people to enhance us as a whole. An example of this is tax breaks for families. It fosters the concept of marriage and raising children. The future of any society is benefit by this.

What is not privilege? The concept that family has one definition is not privilege. It selects those who are favored over others. It is not privilege to not enable all the opportunity.

So who judges what is love? A couple of gay men who have lived together for 20 years faithfully not in love? If this couple wants to adopt children to share their love and blessings is it not a family? Even if we drop the gay aspect and make it a man and a woman are they not deserving of such as well?

So what is family? Is it simply a man and a woman who are married with children? Can family be a single person with a child? Can family be a grandparent raising a child? Can two people regardless of sex be a family. Family is unique but the traditional definition is love between two or more people. They can be parent and child, husband and wife, they can even be husband and husband. Family is our creation not governments.

In my own state this misconception has ravaged people as a whole. Government is dictating morality and judging who is a family and who deserves protections. Recently they began the process to amend our state Constitution with this:

"Marriage. Provides that only marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. Provides that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized."

They wrapped themselves in the banner of family and family values. They claimed they are protecting marriage and the family.  But in reality they they have only begun the long march toward oppression and dictate. As I mentioned above it becomes judgement and power mongering. If you read the second sentence of their act it goes beyond man and woman. It now disolves all legal bonds and protections for anyone not in marriage, regardless of being LGBT.

It always begins in surety of morality, judgement of others, and restrictions on those who do not conform. Must we as Humans continue the cycle of hate and violence against those unlike us?

My topic has been privilege. So I shall end this rebuttal with a simple statement. It is not your privilege to dictate my life, my beliefs, or my rights. Government in this nation is for the people, by the people. We are all the people and should all be protected.



Love is Never Wrong

Update

It has been a long week for me. Dr. appointments and all the paperwork with it. Toss in the normal problems of life and it has been trying. So I apologize for so long without an update. To make up for that I am going to do the posts I wanted to do, today. Bear with me while I compress a week in a day.



Love is Never Wrong