The Hard Task of Being a Loving Parent: Grandfather Lambasts His Daughter

I had the pleasure of reading this terrific letter from a Father to his daughter who kicked her "gay" son out of the house.

But I also find it rather disturbing that a mother can simply turn of their "love" switch and forget they raised a child since birth; Loved and cuddled with them since they were little, and yet their hatred for being born a certain way engulf them to the point of stupidity.

 Article and Letter courtesy of The Huffington Post

Our Sweet, Gay Hearts Are Filled With The Colors of the Rainbow

To echo the Huffington Post: DING! DONG! DOMA IS DEAD!

But not just the Defense of Marriage Act, but the rights of Californians to marry their significant other was re-instated.  What a beautiful day it is!

No matter how you look at it, we will forever be part of history.  We move from this day forward to a brighter and more vibrant future than ever before. Where the colors of the rainbow will dwell in our hearts and souls for a lifetime.  Where we can live with another, gay or straight and be happy with the ones we love.  

Yes, my partner, Ryan and I live in the state of Texas, and as disappointed as we may be that gay marriage is not allowed in this state, today's rulings give us hope that it will come soon, very soon.  I love the state in which I was born and the city in which I live, and moving is not something I would ever contemplate of doing. But today is a big step forward for ALL Americans, as we are equal in the eyes of the Lord and this country.  God Bless us all!

To read more about today's history-making rulings, click on all the images on this post.

Blake Skjellerup Covers The Gay Times

Ryan, why don't we have subscription to this magazine?  Out Olympian skater, Blake Skjellerup graciously covers the Gay Times.  Yum.

In the magazine, the New Zealand skater discusses how he overcame the negatives in life and his concern for Russia's stand on gay rights as the host for the upcoming Winter Olympics.  

Oh, and he needs sponsors.  But I don't think he'll have a problem with those.  Lol.

Get Your 2013 Orthodox Calendar Today!

I'm sure this is something you didn't expect to see so early in the morning; Orthodox Priests in a calendar spread.  Yeah, it's true.  I was reading about it over at WOW and apparently these priests thought it would be best "to strike a pose and openly stand for who they are underneath the priest’s clothing they wear: Regular people with passions, preferences, interests and desires." 

And before all of you straight people go crazy, shouting blasphemous words, because you're "Christian", these priests are more than likely not gay.  They did this in support of gay rights. "All are open-minded and believe that besides their passionate devotion to the Orthodox Church, it is important to be perceived as individuals committed to diversity and acceptance."  Yes, it's a little odd to do a homoerotic spread, but hey we'll take what we can get, right?  And we support our Advocates. :-)

From their website:

And this is what brings them closer to the rest of us. Starting today, anyone can discover our 12 seductive artistic pictures of Orthodox priests and their guests by simply ordering on-line. The price per piece is only EUR 10! Images are available directly from our Facebook account. But if you are curious to find out more, you can write to pr@orthodox-calendar.com or l.monroe@mac.com.”

Quoted - The President of The United States on Jason Collins Coming Out

Can you name another President or World Leader who has been outspoken and supportive of LGBT equality?  No, you can't.

What is even more striking about the quote and video below is that at the end of Tuesday's news conference, The President wasn't initially asked about Collins.  

As he was leaving the podium, he turned around, came back and said this: 

"Yeah, I’ll say something about Jason Collins. I had a chance to talk to him yesterday. He seems like a terrific young man, and, you know, I told him I couldn’t be prouder of him. You know, one of the extraordinary measures of progress that we’ve seen in this country has been the recognition that the LGBT community deserves full equality, not just partial equality, not just tolerance but a recognition that they’re fully a part of the American family.

And, you know, given the importance of sports in our society, for an individual who’s excelled at the highest levels in one of major sports go ahead and say, this is who I am, I’m proud of it, I’m still a great competitor, I’m still seven feet tall and can bang with Shaq and, you know, deliver a hard foul — and for, you know, a lot of young people out there who, you know, are — are — are, you know, gay or lesbian, who are struggling with these issues, to see a role model like that who’s unafraid, I think it’s a great thing. And I think America should be proud that this is just one more step in this ongoing recognition that we treat everybody fairly. And everybody’s part of a — part of a family, and we judge people on the basis of their character and their performance, and not their sexual orientation. And so

I’m very proud of him. All right?"

- President Barack Obama on basketball player, Jason Collins recently coming out as a gay man.

Gay Ads That Matter - Issue No. 011 - Kingis Ice Cream Makes Gay Cool

OMG, can you imagine the outcry from Conservatives and Christians alike if a similar commercial were to air in the United States?  Hell, we can't even get a cheesy-ass Doritos commercial without fear of retribution.  Well, maybe I shouldn't be so harsh.  We did just see Will & Sonny make love on Days of Our Lives.

But now that we know how Finland advertises their ice cream.  What are we going to do with our Blue Bell here in the U.S. Lol.  

Check out the ad, it's pretty darn cool and, uh, a little gay.

Quoted - Clint Eastwood on Marriage Equality

Saturday Morning Coffee Break: Define Me

I'm going out of the norm for today's issue of Saturday Morning Coffee Break.  I'm featuring a music video by singer/ songwriter, Ryan Amador that is absolutely amazing.  He sings alongside Jo Lampert in a duet that is both powerful and moving.  The song is titled, "Define Me".   

Trust me, making you cry is not something I want to do, but this will be especially emotional for those who have ever been bullied or blasted with gay slurs growing up.  And this will be emotional for those straight folks with a heart and soul, who may have contemplated saying these things once, and regret ever doing so. But finally, this is for those Christians who know loving your fellow brother is something Jesus asked them to do, and yet, don't understand why their fellow worshipers are so full of hate and contempt for those who wish them no harm.

The video features Amador and Lampert stripping down to their underwear revealing gay slurs and negative stereotypes across their arms, legs, and chest.  It ends with them washing away the words and sharing a smile.  

Once again, it is absolutely amazing; I just love it.  And this why it is today's Saturday Morning Coffee Break.  And rightly so.

Grab your java, sit down and enjoy.

Published on Apr 18, 2013

http://www.ryanamador.com/
http://www.ryanamador.bandcamp.com/

Ryan Amador (featuring Jo Lampert)
"Define Me"
Director Tom Gustafson
Editor Cory Krueckeberg
DP Sergei Krasikov
Add'l Camera Jacqueline Patchen

The song DEFINE ME was released exclusively on Ryan Amador's bandcamp (http://www.ryanamador.bandcamp.com/) in conjunction with Ryan's live performance at the True Colors LGBT Youth Conference on March 22nd. It was produced by David Baloche for Grove Street Studios. 100% of its proceeds will be donated to organizations actively involved with the LGBT equality campaign. http://www.ryanamador.com/

Tom Gustafson (Director) is the director of the award-winning films WERE the WORLD MINE & MARIACHI GRINGO and founder of SPEAKproductions.

If you wish to look back at some previous issues, click my logo below and enjoy.   

Make sure to check out Saturday Morning Coffee Break every Saturday for another classic or current gay short film.

Boybander Duncan James Does The Gay Times

I think I've come to the conclusion that every boy band has a gay member.  New Kids On The Block has Jon Knight, NSYNC has Lance Bass, Westlife had Stephen Gately, and BLUE has Duncan James.  Sorry to burst your bubble, One Direction fans, but I'm thinking there's a couple in that boyband as well. LOL.

Duncan landed himself on the cover of the June 2013 issue of Gay Times magazine, and well, I have no complaints.  The actor, singer, model, and TV personality came out in 2009 and has since been doing really well.  Can't you tell?

Image courtesy of Stephen Saban over at WOW

Quoted - Pastor Jay Bakker on Churches Refusal to Support Gays and Welcome Them Into Their Flock Is a Sin

“This is sin on a level that most churches ignore. This is sin; meaning, that which destroys. That which is destructive, which causes hurt in other people and perhaps even in your own life. When people lose their jobs, aren’t promoted, are discriminated against, are treated differently, are described as `gay’ as an insult, get kicked out of churches, and are disowned by their families, that is sin.” 

– Pastor Jay Bakker, from his book,  
Faith and Doubt and Other Lines I’ve Crossed: Walking with the Unknown God,
available at Amazon.com

Quoted - Republican Senator Mark Kirk on Having an Open Mind and Greater Respect For Others

“When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others. Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back — government has no place in the middle.”

– Republican Senator Mark Kirk, whose stroke in 2012 allowed him to see things in a different perspective.  The senator endorsed gay marriage on Tuesday, April 2nd. (BuzzFeed)

Quoted - Susan Olsen, "Cindy" from The Brady Bunch on her TV Dad & Gays

“As a child, I was BLESSED to have another father figure in my life. He did not replace my own beloved, Norwegian version of Jed Clampett, nor would he have wanted to. He simply harmonized with all of my family values and brought his own heart to our table.

This wonderful man was a giant in my world, a true king among men. His name was, and is, Robert Reed (OK that’s his stage name).

This tempetuous actor who bottle fed puppies when he wasn’t quarreling with the heads of networks, shaped my heart as much as my biological parents did. So I really can honestly say, “My dad was Gay”

I can also say that being gay killed him. Because it was so taboo, he could never make peace with himself. He never allowed himself to have a genuine love. He was forever taunted by his own disdain for the natural inclinations that he was BORN WITH.

Bob was a family man. Had he been allowed to form a relationship with another man, he would have been the best husband ever and might still be alive. But Bob could not be at peace with this because the people surrounding him shoved their own judgement down his throat and, sadly, he bought into it. He thought he was wrong. He felt the shame that every hypocritical “God is love” fundamentalist wanted him to feel.

To me, the vilification of homosexuality is exactly like the primitive practice of people who killed babies who were born with cleft palates or birth marks. It is a worship not of God but of fear itself in the form of a God who hates.

I am eternally grateful for having a golden rule placed before me as a child. I had a gay father! I knew he was gay when I was nine years old and had the wisdom of a child. I knew it was OK and none of my business.. I knew with all certainty that this was a very good man. And so, any ideology that demonized such a good man would have to be evil itself.

Robert Reed, unwittingly, showed me the true nature of religion. And this is why I steer clear of it to this day.

God and I are good pals. We have a clear line of communication and I don’t need religion’s telephone service. It’s full of static.

I could never worship, let alone LOVE, a God who would put my beloved father into the fires of Hell because he loved men. THAT is a God who deserves disdain. THAT is a God who must be ignored. THAT is a concept of God that must go away just as surely s humans have shed their prehensile tails.

You might call it evolution. IF you believe in evolving.

I do not necessarily believe in evolution, religion, politics or even gravity. I think the flying spaghetti monster might be the real deal! All I truly know is what works right here, right now.

What works is love.

What doesn’t work is judgement.

If two people love each other enough to want their union consecrated by a mythological being – they are undoubtedly insane, but LET THEM HAVE AT IT!!” 
                   - Actress, Susan Olsen, "Cindy" from The Brady Bunch on her
                     TV dad, gays & their fight for equality.

A Very Special Moment - Issue #6: Imagine a World Without Hate

It's time for A Very Special Moment, and this one hits close to home.  Actually, the previous issues hit pretty close too.

For those who are here for the first time, I created this series because I always come across videos on the internet, that I swear, are very special moments, and this video is a perfect example of one.  Have you ever wondered what it would be like if people didn't hate?  I have... hundreds of times.

But for the people in this video, it was something that overcame them.  It's time to reflect.  Reflect on what could have been.  Reflect on what "Hate" took away from us.  And this goes for straights and gays, as both are highlighted in the video.

Imagine a World Without Hate™, one where the hate crimes against Martin Luther King, Anne Frank, Matthew Shepard and others did not take place. Support us in the fight against bigotry and extremism by sharing this inspirational video and taking the pledge to create a world without hate at http://www.adl.org/imagine.

Quoted - Dan Savage on What The Bible Got Wrong

"The shortest book in the New Testament is a letter from Paul to a Christian slave owner about owning his Christian slave.

And Paul doesn’t say, "Christians don’t own people." Paul talks about how Christians own people.

We ignore what the Bible said about slavery because the Bible  got slavery wrong.

If the Bible got the easiest moral question that humanity has ever faced wrong, what are the odds that the Bible got something as complicated as human sexuality wrong?"   
                   - Dan Savage to a National High School Journalism                                                       Conference in 2012

And Speaking Of....

Too funny, I just blogged about Hillary Clinton this morning, and my news alerts popped up with a message from Hillary Clinton.... Go figure.

 

The former First Lady, former Senator from New York, and former Secretary of State has thrown her support for us gays and marriage equality.

She couldn't have stated it any better if she tried, "LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones. And they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law, embedded in a broader effort to advance equality and opportunity for LGBT Americans and all Americans."

Watch her speak here:

Quoted - Republican Colin Powell on Endorsing Gay Marriage

“I have no problem with it, and it was the Congress that imposed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, though it was certainly my position and my recommen-dation to get us out of an even worse outcome that could have occurred, as you’ll recall. But as I’ve thought about gay marriage, I know a lot of friends who are individually gay but are in partnerships with loved ones, and they are as stable a family as my family is, and they raise children. And so I don’t see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married.” – former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsing gay marriage during an interview today with Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room. (via The Daily What)

Saturday Morning Coffee Break: The Wedding Dance

If you haven't had your coffee this morning, go grab a cup, and come back to watch this short film.  It was absolutely amazing.  I have been wanting to share this video since it was released last month, but I needed to find the right time.  And today's the perfect day.  So, even if you don't drink coffee I hope you enjoy today's Saturday Morning Coffee Break.  Oh, and grab your tissue box too.

On Valentine's Day last month, Elliot London, a 31-yr old director trying to make it in Hollywood, released this three-minute film titled, "The Wedding Dance".  It has a surprise ending and truly hits close to home for so many Gay Americans.  You can read more about Elliot on his Vimeo page and learn more about his dreams and aspirations to help the LGBT community.  Learn about his growing up poor, being an only child, and terrified of the day when his fellow classmates would find out his deepest, darkest secret - that he was gay.

I'm here wishing you great success Elliot, and hope your dreams come true. ~ Peter aka Blade7184

If you wish to look back at some previous issues, click my logo below and enjoy.  Make sure to check out Saturday Morning Coffee Break every Saturday for another classic or current gay short film.

Credits for Elliot London's short film, The Wedding Dance are after the jump.  Feel free to visit the links he has provided or you can visit his YouTube page for this information as well.

Saturday Morning Coffee Break: The Defenders

How would you feel if someone put your marriage up for a vote?

Time go grab your cup of java and enjoy today's Saturday Morning Coffee Break. 

Today's short film is another great piece of work from Keith Hartman.  You may remember him from my blog on February 11th, titled "The License".  The film was amazing - if you haven't seen it make sure you check it out.

"The Defenders" in much the same way as "The License" is too close to reality to be funny.  It actually sends a highly effective message on the hypocrisy of those who would deny equal rights to men and women who want to get married, no matter who they are. You have to remember, "knee-jerk" reactions are the province of frightened and uninformed people. I believe that any heart can be softened with the right touch, and that we must counter the fear tactics being employed by proponents of those who wish to rob us of our future. 

This short, three minute film proves that none of us are immune to discrimination which is often taken to an ugly extreme. We are all the same--gay, straight, bi, parents, children, brothers, sisters, and spouses. Our blood runs red, and our eyes weep tears. We are everyone. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. This is a definite must watch!

If you wish to look back at some previous issues, click my logo below and enjoy.  And make sure to check out Saturday Morning Coffee Break every Saturday for another classic or current gay short film.

I Want To Know What It's Like

These outstanding men and women want to know what it's like to feel wanted, loved, and accepted.  And quite frankly so do I.  What is it like to feel like I belong, to feel like I'm strong, that who I am isn't wrong?  What is it like to not feel like a freak, weak, or to be silenced when I speak?  These are the words echoed throughout this short film by Ryan James Yezak.  And what an amazing film it is.

Yezak has released a series of inspiring short films over the last few weeks in reference to his new documentary "Second Class Citizens" and his latest film below is no exception.  Each of these films leaves the viewer with an overwhelming feeling, that we as Americans deserve to be heard, deserve to love who we love, that we matter in a country that doesn't give equal protection under the law.  Thank you Ryan! I will continue to blog about your wonderful work so long as I live.

If you wish to support Ryan and his efforts to produce Second Class Citizens please find out how after the jump...

Quoted - President Barack Obama for the It Gets Better Campaign

"Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the deaths of several young people who were bullied and taunted for being gay and who ultimately took their own lives. As a parent of two daughters, it breaks my heart. It's something that just shouldn't happen in this country. Now we've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage, that it's some inevitable part of growing up. It's not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. And to every young person out there, you need to know that if you're in trouble, there are caring adults who can help. I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay, but I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don't belong. It's tough. And for a lot of kids the sense of being alone or apart, I know it can just wear on you. And when you're teased or bullied it can seem like somehow you have brought it on yourself for being different or for not fitting in with everybody else. But what I want to say is this: You are not alone, you didn't do anything wrong, you didn't do anything to deserve being bullied, and there's a whole world waiting for you filled with possibilities. There are people out there that love you and care about you just the way you are. And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying, because of what people are saying, that you are getting down on yourself, you've got to make sure to reach out to people you trust;  whether it's your parents, teachers, or folks that you know care about you just the way you are. You've got to reach out to them. Don't feel like you are in this by yourself. The other thing you need to know is things will get better, and more than that, with time you are going to see that your differences are a source of pride and a source of strength. You'll look back on the struggles you've faced with compassion and wisdom, and that's not just going to serve you, but it'll help you get involved and make this country a better place. It will mean that you'll be more likely to help fight discrimination, not just against LGBT Americans but discrimination in all its forms. It means you'll be more likely to understand personally and deeply why it's so important that as adults we set an example in our own lives and that we treat everybody with respect, that we are able to see the world through other people's eyes and stand in their shoes, that we never lose sight of what binds us together. As a nation, we're founded on the belief that all of us are equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness, to make the most of our talents, to speak our minds, to not fit in; most of all, to be true to ourselves. That's the freedom that enriches all of us. That's what America is all about, and every day it gets better."

- President Barack Obama for the It Gets Better Campaign