Love & Pain

Today I want to talk about love and pain. We lose so many to struggles forced upon us. We wage wars inside our soul just to realize we are. We are valuable, loved, and intended. Such a rough journey for such a simple destination. Love and pain should not be the same.

When we can not be who we are, have our existence questioned or threatened, or even be denied the right to speak we fight a silent battle questioning our very lives. Our path becomes a struggle to answer questions of hate and ignorance, a road of validation. But the truth is we are valid.

Our life, our love, our very existence is not anyone's to question. We are here and have always been here. We are as natural as any other. We love as deeply and as passionately as any other and it is pure. As for our life anyone who proposes harming you or forcibly changing you to fit their view are the ones in question. Life is sacred. When you question it for whatever reason you commit a grisly deed, denying another Human.

I know many of us go through times when we question what seems like everything about us and our place in this world. Maybe our life is full of taunts and violence, we struggle to identify our gender and sexuality, or even desperately hoping to find someone like ourselves. Our hearts grow so heavy they hurt and our eyes weep the pain of unkindness.

But I say this, close those eyes and imagine that special someone you want to dance with, that perfect kiss, the dream job, even that proud walk where no one cares who you love. Imagine knowing peace and love can and does go hand in hand. Dream of your children smiling and laughing because you showed them love and the soul so many do not know.

Feel that smile tug at your heart as you envision that moment, that love. Take that love and make it. The world is the expression of our dreams. The power of creation is in us all. We are blessed with the power of love. It can shape the unformable and define our waking day. Know that love you envision and share it with the world.

I know the lies and pain in our hearts can make us believe we are about to break and we are stuck in a nightmare but it is not so. We simply need to realize we can't give up because life is about love. First, we must muster our own before anything can change.

When you find your love nurture it and let it grow. Wear it proudly. I'm not talking about gender or orientation but you. You are much more than any single definition or expression. Know in confidence that you are. You are love, life, and certainly exist. Deny any of that and the dream is naught but a nightmare.

Life require diligent work and it it won't always be easy but it is so worthwhile and precious. A moment of love can turn the tide of pain and change the world. A smile, a look or surety, even a cry of pain to a fellow soul are badges of honor in a life of love. We are not invincible but our love is.

Unleash that glorious wind in your soul and let it change the world. Allow all that pain to wash away in a glorious display. A vision of love. Show us your beauty in all its wondrous imperfections and let loose that smile that turns into a laugh, because love and pain are not the same.



Love is Never Wrong

Dance With Me

For some time now I have been watching the events in Russia and have become rather concerned for the LGBT community there. New laws being passed suppress the very existence or voice of our community. It is a crude and old method to attempt to control a group by removing their right to even debate in public. They may not be able to speak without repercussion but I can.

To deny a voice, a life, to your own citizen, a son, daughter, mother, or father is to deny yourself. The hate you spew forth invades your community like  a nest of bitter vipers. You teach hate and intolerance. You set in motion the formations of sanctioned groups who will undermine your society as they seek to carry your limitations further. You create a system where they will judge you and the power slowly slips to them. Be careful the virulence you unleash it may consume you and millions more.

Here is a video produced by Side By Side an international LGBT film festival in St. Petersburg.

Side By Side's main site. It is available in Russian and English.

http://www.bok-o-bok.ru/default.asp?lan=1

Coming Out is a LGBT equality site in St. Petersburg. It is available in English and Russian.

http://www.comingoutspb.ru/en/en-home

All Out is an international equality site that took up a petition against the laws. Maybe a new petition is needed Check them out and their original petition drive. It can be a bit slow to load be patient.

http://allout.org/en/actions/russia_silenced

You know this reminds me of our own LGBT history here in the US. A time when same sex couples could not dance together in public without fear of arrest so gays and lesbians paired together when needed to conceal their innocent desire to just express their joy.  They danced as they would until a watchful eye came around and then they concealed their love.

So to my Russian readers I say take a lesson from us. You may not be able to speak or hold a sign or banner without persecution but you can dance. And if you think about it being visible in a completely normal and innocent expression is just as moving and informing as any. Show them love and that it is natural.

Dance with me!



Love is Never Wrong

Of Fish and Birds

Recently my friend Biki posted in blog "A fish may love a bird, but where will they live?" It is an interesting presentation so for all of us I will try to answer it.

The duality we all have in life whether we are any of the letters in LGBT is one of conflict. More often than not it is an internal one. It is our struggle to fit in a society that is ill prepared for us. Because of this ill preparation we are usually in the midst of defining our lives by standards and terms that really do not apply to us. We struggle.

What we need to discover is the power of love and creation. We must love who we are and who we want to be. We must love the journey that takes us wherever we will go. In that journey we should realize its success or failure is our creation. Like any traveller we can choose to flock to the masses or find our own path and enjoy the adventure on our terms.

Life has many obstacles, pit stops, even questions. Some may take our whole lives to figure out but that's fine. We are all works in progress, ever learning and changing. We are our choices and experiences. We are expression. Maybe that is the answer.

If there is no definition, space, or even feeling or thought about something express a new one. It does not have to be universal because our lives are our own.

So to answer my dear friend Biki I say this:

They live by the river, the lake, the sea. The bird soars proudly looking down upon its love always in sight. The fish gazes upward in joy. Diving forth the bird plunges through the watery surface for the brief foray to love's world. Bursting forth back to the air the fish surges up nudging the bird, a tantalizing embrace. It is not  a perfect love but who said love is perfect?

The boundaries in our lives are usually set by us and as long as we follow someone else's definition we will never embrace our love fully. Fish or bird, it's expression is our own and as long as we are happy with it then it is a perfect love. 

Love and create it's expression



Love is Never Wrong

Righteous Indignation

I have heard so much condemnation in the name of God lately that I truly pray those rendering such hate never suffer such judgement themselves. Pride, judgement, divine usurption, even murder are horrible paths for anyone taking a stand to posses. When you do so that hill you stand upon looking down from is not rock or soil but bone. flesh, and blood.

The Human soul, free will, and precious life is no ones domain other than creator and created. I know sometimes we get caught up in passion and views but we have to remember righteous indignation is reserved to the victim not the perpetrator.

In my efforts here I share a lot about love. Sometimes it takes those with the greatest obstacles in life to see the world clearly. So I will yield any further comments to one who overcame great obstacles and forever blazed a path for others.

"It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui."

- Helen Keller

Love is Never Wrong

Chris Salvatore

I first found Chris when viewing his original
It Get's Better video, now replaced by a
much better version. Chris is one of those
artists that sing from the heart. I always
find that to be extra special, especially from
a gay musician. All those pure emotions
of love, passion, and pain come from
someone like you and you know the song
connects with you.

Chris is also an actor having appeared in several of the Eating Out series. Toss in a little modeling and touring and he is an all around entertainer.

Hopefully he will touch you as he did me.
Connecting with someone is after all the
success of a good entertainer. So here is
the link to Chris's sites.

http://www.youtube.com/user/chriss2250

http://twitter.com/CSalvatore

http://www.reverbnation.com/chrissalvatore

Here are a few of Chris's performances I like.

Love is Never Wrong

It's Movie Night: Take IV

Today I wanted to offer some lighter links. It's been a while since our last movie night. So today I have some short films for my Lesbian readers. I hope you enjoy them.

Ask Again Later is a short about love, destiny, and overcoming obstacles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kupV6qu0plI

Transit is short film about chance meeting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63CE6AfD7YE

Double Axe is a different film. The acting is not the best but it does have a humorous ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGTtuVw1Xk4

Captivated is a brief look at connections.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GtVdFrQzqc

A New Flavor is a journey of discovery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi0PaCNAzBw

For Her Love is a story many know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye-uI67fzFk



Love is Never Wrong

Our Chronicle So far

Continuing on my last post I would like to offer everyone some links to our history. This is only a fraction of what has been lost or hidden but it is a start. Find out who we are and what we have done. Like anyone we belong and have contributed. Maybe we can add volumes to our great chronicle. It only takes one to begin the pen's journey of revelation.

The Schwules Museum is located in Berlin and covers and exhibits many items and topics of gay life and history. The site is in German. (Germany)

http://www.schwulesmuseum.de/

Centrum Schwule Geschichte is a library and archive located in Cologne. The site is mainly in German with some English information.(Germany)

http://www.csgkoeln.de/index.htm

The GLBT Historical Society & Museum is located In San Francisco.

http://www.glbthistory.org/

The Tucson LGBTQ History Museum is a timeline style site with many links. 

http://www.tucsonlgbtqmuseum.org/

Southern California LGBT History. The site seems to still be under construction. However a timeline and some simple references are available.

http://lgbthistory.org/

Untold London is a site with many links to information about Gay art, history, and society. (UK)

http://untoldlondon.org.uk/

Plymouth LGBT Archive (UK)

http://plymlgbtarchive.org.uk/

The LGBT Religious Archives Network stores and collects history of LGBT religious movements around the world. Explore the deep faith many of us have.

http://lgbtran.org/

For an overview of LGBT history you could read the wikipedia on the topic. It is more a analytical review than a personal study.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_history


History and life stories are out there. These are but  a few. Find your heritage and contribute yours. Societies, Museums, Libraries, even archives exist and some may be very close to you. Take the time and learn.



Love is Never Wrong

A Chronicle of Life

Recently I read a news article talking about the British scientist and mathematician Alan Turing being honored on a postage stamp. I knew of Alan's story before but this article reminded me all to well of a great problem we have in the LGBT community. The story of our lives is scattered, censored, even destroyed.

As a community it's important to know who we are, where we came from, and even the contributions we make to greater society. It's part of the reason so many of us struggle with ourselves. We usually have few references. A lot of times what we do find leaves us wanting and unsatisfied because it does not relate to us.

We are all a part of history and always have been. Many LGBT people have made this world a better place and fought to ensure a brighter future. We need to learn and know that however. We need to understand as much as our lives have been denied we are here and we are valuable.

So what am I saying? Record your life, your experience, even your passion. You are the voice of tomorrow. Someone needs to know they are not alone, progress has been made, and someone out there is like them. I know many of you are saying I am not a great writer or my story is not so important. You are wrong however.

We are all important and contribute to what shapes our lives and our future. Maybe you are a gay Christian, Muslim, or Jew and can show faith is not limited to sexuality. Maybe you are in a same sex marriage raising a family and can show we are not the enemies of family. Maybe you can shed the truth on all the abuse rendered to us, a witness or a victim. Our testament of our lives is a tantamount priority many of us don't realize.

Write a blog, make a video, collect LGBT stories, campaign for LGBT history inclusion in libraries, and fight for our existence. Many of us know the hollowness of having to define ourselves without reference. Let us make ourselves known. The voices of tomorrow are those built upon voices of today. For without reference we must repeat our long struggle every generation.

You are a chronicle of life! Express it however you can. In the words of George Washington Carver "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

We are all unique and uncommon. The attention of the world awaits your voice, your life. Be a Chronicle!

Love is Never Wrong