Fighting Oppression One Day at a Time

Some People Just Don't Want to be Happy

2010-08-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Some people just don't want to be happy. They always need a scapegoat, and a person to yell "crucify him" towards! I genuinely feel sorry for these people. The only understanding I can get out their actions is that they aren't comfortable enough in their own lives. I would never want to be like that, and I hope that one day they will be comfortable in their skin and willing to live their lives the way they were intended to be lived.
I have received great criticism over the past couple of days. This criticism came with my decision to be public about my beliefs on an issue of the seperation of church and state in the small town in which I live. Criticism is not something that I have not received over my lifetime. Donald Rumsfeld once stated that, "If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.". Dale Carnegie once stated, "Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.".
What saddens me the most is the level of unhappiness, and at points just flat-out hatred that some individuals have shown. I hope that one day they realize that their actions are just not healthy. We can change the world, the change requires us to stand up and receive the criticism. Just my thoughts.

Where is the Love?

2010-08-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Okay I just watched a re-run of Tyra. The crowd was split into three groups. One group wore shirts that read "Gay", another group's shirt read "Straight", and the other group wore orange shirts because they ran out of the straight shirts. What disturbed me more than anything(it disturbed Tyra as well by the way) was the lack of empathy. It shouldn't surprise me. As an openly gay male I have been victim and have witnessed gay bashing. I have friends that will not come out to their parents for financial reasons, or they fear abandonment. Number one way to irritate me some days is to go on a tirade about how being a homosexual is a choice. Let me go ahead and state that I love who I am. I wouldn't change who I am for anything in the world. I was raised going to church. I know a lot of people say they go to church, well that means nothing for a lot of people except walking in a door. When my family was transferred to SC from OH(Army family...it happens) we finally found a church. It was a southern Baptist church. I didn't just go to church, I was there for EVERYTHING. They opened the doors, I was there. However, the entire time I was being "super Christian" I was miserable! I hated myself. I wanted to be able to change or die. I had learned that homosexuals were sexually deviant, pedophiles, perverts, abominations, just plain WRONG! I can't remember a time in my life that I didn't know that I was different, and it majorly manifested in my mind when I began to hit puberty. I continued to go to church and be "super Christian" and be called "Preacher Jay" by some people. That is because nobody knew who I was. I would spend hours praying for this "affliction" to be lifted from me. I thought that if I couldn't get rid of it, it was better that I die than live the life of a homosexual. Then I started to grow up. When I left for college I accepted who I was, and began to love who I was. Up to that point I had only dated girls and never uttered the word "gay" to describe myself. I finally "came out". I drove home one weekend and I told my parents who couldn't be more supporting. I just want to know why would a person choose to be gay with all of the hatred, ignorance, and intolerance we face everyday. Why? Most every homosexual I know loves who they are, and they wouldn't change. We can't change. It is part of who we are. This may all be one big scrawling mess...but my mind is at work...and it doesn't always come out coherently!

As the World Turns

2009-12-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I stole the title for this from a soap opera. Frankly, life for American's these days probably has more drama than a soap opera. President Obama has presented a plan to deploy 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan. The original request was for 40,000 and we are just hoping that NATO picks up the slack of the other 10,000. Yes, you can say that Obama inherited a lot of these problems. I believe he did inherit a lot of these problems, however the majority of these problems combined with his ambition and drive to create change is making his popularity with the American people not exactly stellar. We are not the World's police. Do I believe that it is our duty(when able) to help those in need. Most definitely. However, those people living within the United States of America should be put first. We should not have a single homeless person in this country yet the amount continues to grow. People should not be denied healthcare, or have to choose sub-par healthcare in order to be able to pay for food or afford their mortgage. The cuts for public eduction are just stupid. How are you supposed to compete in a Global economy when you aren't willing to give people the most intense and thorough education possible. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" don't make me laugh. At the current rate of how things are headed we shouldn't have used the money(tax-payer money at that) that was invested to restore the Statue of Liberty. They should have pushed it into the ocean and created a reef. At this point in history we are losing liberties, lives, and I don't know about you, but I don't know many people that are happy about it!

So I Return..

2009-12-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

So I return to my blog that I have not said anything on in months. Life has been a series of ups and downs. President Obama finally signed into law the Matthew Shepard Act. Took enough time, huh? I say there isn't enough being done. Right-wing, fundamentalist Christians like to use the terms "militant gay vigilante", I have found that I like the term, and am one. You don't like it? Oh well. Adam Lambert though criticized by many for his performance on the AMA's I stand to applaud. Freedom of expression, and he brought to light a double-standard stigma in society. I love it! Is anyone else excited about Madonna's new tour?! She looks fabulous!

October 11th, 2009

2009-07-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

Does anybody know what October, 11th is? I am sure you do. It is National Coming Out Day. I don't actually think a lot of people actually "come out" on National Coming Out Day. Have I mentioned that I hate the term "coming out" or any variation of it. I prefer to say "when I stopped living a double-life". However, I do feel that such a day is necessary. It may not be a day that a lot of people come out on, but it is a day that we can all celebrate that we are "out" and do our best to convey that "coming out" does not result in the end of the world.

This year there will be a National Equality March on our country's capitol, Washington D.C., for LGBT rights. Some(including gay pundits) don't think that right now is the time. Or that it won't be worth it, or blah, blah, blah. My personal opinion(you knew you were going to get it!) STOP HIDING, STOP MAKING EXCUSES, IF YOU ARE SERIOUS THERE IS NOT A TIME THAT IS WRONG!!! STAND UP, BECAUSE THE TIME FOR PRIDE IS NOW! If we aren't willing to at least march for our rights why would we expect a single straight ally to march for them? Oppression of every type needs to end in America. We can show our representatives in Washington that we are serious on October 11th. This may not be the last time I blog about this, but this is the first(obviously). I am unemployed, I have no car. I don't say that for ANYBODY to feel sorry for me. Why I state the above is so that you all know that whether I have a job or a car by October 11th does not matter. I WILL BE THERE MARCHING WITH PRIDE!!! I will most likely just have to start saving every dime, nickel, and penny I can starting NOW. And if I have to find a way to rent a 15 person passenger van so that my friends can make it, it will happen!

A little history on the organization of this march. Cleve Jones is the march director. If you don't know the name you should learn it. Cleve Jones was one of the individuals that Harvey Milk helped in the Castro of San Francisco, and ever since Harvey Milk helped him get started working for equality he hasn't stopped! WWHD? What would Harvey Do?

Setting the Stage

2009-07-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

As some of you know I was a part of the Citizen's Rally to encourage Mark Sanford to resign or impeach. In fact my first blog was the speech that I was GOING to use, but on the spur of the moment decided didn't flow, and wasn't best for what we were trying to achieve. So I went freelance and I was told the outcome was not effected. Here is what I have to say to you today. We had a "Citizen's Rally" on the state house steps July 9th. It was a stepping stone, but a VERY SMALL one in the spectrum of what we must do as citizens of the United States. Apathy is a disease. I truly believe this. Sadly, the only cure for apathy is usually personal or large-scale disaster. That is why I think we need to start talking to everyone we know. That doesn't mean to push your own personal views on them, but to attempt to understand why they think the way they think. The media has for too long held the great power of "spin" over the citizen's head. This power has shaped public opinion, and often more than not adds to a person's apathy. The person then thinks "Well, they will let me know". This is why we must go with a "grassroots" approach and begin talking to everone we know. Constantly send snail-mail, e-mail, make telephone calls to our representatives on every level! We often forget that as citizens it is OUR duty to hold those who represent us accountable. A little bit ironic I think.

What I was GOING to say at the Impeach or Resign Mark Sanford Rally

2009-07-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am a 20 year old gay young man, and I come to this rally today from Woodruff, SC. I believe in excercising my constitutional freedoms anytime needed, and have a strong conviction of this belief. I grew up with a father who served in the United States Army for 22 years of Active Duty, and a mother who was a reservist for 6 years. Because of this I have always treasured their sacrifice, and what they were doing. What they were doing is protecting my right to be here on these state house steps today asking for Mark Sanford to resign!

I have truly never agreed with almost any decision Mark Sanford has made while first representing the State of South Carolina in the US House of Representatives, and then as Governor of this state. In the past any time a decision has been made I was able to at the least say "Well, I didn't vote for him", and often Sanford at the least heard my opinions in e-mail form. I may not have voted for him BUT as a citizen of the great state of South Carolina it is not only my JOB it is my DUTY & OBLIGATION to him responsible for his decicisions while he represents me and my fellow citizens interests!

Sanford has always been one to use his faith and moral piety in statements regarding any controversial issue that he has had to address or has supported while in office. As a gay youung man who grew up in Southern Baptist Church along with parents with pretty conservative views I had heard it all! I fought WHO I AM until I finally came to a point in my life where I EMBRACED WHO I AM! Without any regard to consequence. Mark Sanford supported Ammendment 1 in 2006 declaring and defining marriage as being between ONLY one man and one woman. Obviously being a gay man you can surmise I had problems with this! I fought that ammendment! And you most likely know that I, along with many others lost that battle. He supported that ammendment due to his strong religious beliefs, but I quote David Badash in saying "IF YOU CAN'T STICK TO YOUR OWN MARRIAGE VOWS, YOU HAVE NO SAY IN MINE!".

We have a governor that has gone to Argentina 3 times on tax payer dollars. In that time as we all know now he was having an affair! Before the announcement of the affair Sanford was scheduled to be the guest speaker at the "Value Voters Summit". Within minutes of the announcement they had pulled his picture and ALL information about him from their web site! Isn't it a shame that we can't do the same to the state of South Carolina web page?! I speak to you today as a person who has been denied specific rights endorsed by this governor based on his VALUES while he has been having an AFFAIR!

It is time for Sanford to step up and "be a man" about this all! He should submit to an INDEPENDENT investigation of tax payer expenditures. The rest of our legislatures BOTH Democrat AND Republican should hold him responsible for his simple dereliction of duty with an impeachment trial. The best thing he could do for ALL of the citizens he currently represents though is to save the tax payers money (that he has already used for his own personal gain) by simply resigning. He needs to take his lack of self-control and supposed "moral highness" out of the National spotlight. I wish to NOT be represented by a person who says one thing stands on a "moral highground", but then does the opposite. Mark Sanford if I have one thing to say directly to you today it is RESIGN, RESIGN, RESIGN!