Stories of Pride: I Didn't Say It ...

Pete Buttigieg, Democratic candidate for president, saying that being gay is just one part of who he is:

“I am proud of who I am. I’m certainly very proud of my marriage and my husband. We don’t shy away from that. It’s also not the only thing that defines me. I’m here to be a president for everyone. Talking about my experience is an important part of that. But it’s especially important because it can help me relate to people who have a different experience than what I went through. All these things fit together.I think some people have an image of what a gay person or an LGBTQ activist is supposed to look like. And I think if you’ve met one gay person, you’ve met one gay person. We have different styles and different approaches. But what I try to do is just be who I am … I don’t know who else to be.”

My thoughts exactly.

I don’t call myself a ‘gay man’ but a ‘man who is gay,’ because I am more than just my sexual orientation, and when we limit ourselves to one thing, that’s all we’ll ever be.

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Anderson Cooper, speaking of his mother, fashion icon Gloria Vanderbilt, who passed away this week:

“The last few weeks, every time I’d kiss her good-bye, I’d say ‘I love you mom.’ She would look at me and say, ‘I love you too. You know that.’ And she was right. I did know that. I knew it from the moment I was born and I’ll know it for the rest of my life. And in the end, what greater gift can a mother give to her son? Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman who loved life and lived it on her own terms. She spent a lot of time alone in her head during her life, but when the end came she was not alone. She was surrounded by beauty and by family and by friends….What an extraordinary life. What an extraordinary mom. What an incredible woman.”

“I’ll know it for the rest of my life.”

What a gift from mother to son, and back again.

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Ricky Martin, in a letter to Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, asking him to axe an anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” bill:

“As a member of the LGBTT  [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite, Transsexual] community, I join the constituency that affirms that there has never been a willingness among our LGBTT people to allow for the validation or legalization of discrimination against us. House Bill 2069, filed at the request of Governor Ricardo Rosselló and promoted by Representative Charbonier, achieve nothing more than opening the doors to hatred towards anyone who doesn’t share the same ideology, who simply belong to the LGBTT community, or who don’t  have the same color skin, amidst many other discriminatory measures. Authentic religious freedom calls for respecting everyone equally. As a defender of human rights and a member of the LGBTT community, I am vehemently opposed to the proposed measure imposed upon us under the guise of religious freedom, which degrades us as a society and projects us to the world as a backwards country, unwilling to honor the basic constitutional right of individuality. This movement is not representative of the Puerto Rico that we all love, defend and hold so dear. We call on the Senate, the House and Governor Ricardo Rosselló to reject this effort, which is an open door to hatred and discrimination.”

And a letter works. After receiving Martin’s letter Governor Rosselló asked lawmakers to shelve the bill.

There is power in our voices.

The march goes on …

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Halsey, performing in a t-shirt paying tribute to Melania and Chris, the lesbian couple attacked on a London bus last week, blasting the so-called ‘Straight Pride’ movement:

“The sad reality is, after the Pride parades are over and after the bars close their Pride nights, when the glitter is being swept out of the streets, a lot of people get on those trains and they get on those buses and they try to wash the rainbows off their bodies. They peel the stickers off their clothes, because when Pride is over, it’s not safe to be gay anymore, because they are worried that someone is going to viciously assault them or viciously attack them. So, when the people around the world ask the question, ‘Why isn’t there a ‘Straight Pride’ parade?’ The answer because if there was one, you wouldn’t have to get on the bus and be terrified of getting f**king beaten or killed afterwards. That’s why there’s not a ‘Straight Pride’ parade. Because every f**king day on public transport is a ‘Straight Pride’ parade.”

Truth.

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Tyler Blackburn, Pretty Little Liars and Roswell, New Mexico actor, who came out as bisexual earlier this year, revealing he’s dating “an amazing guy” in an interview with Playboy:

“As I got older, I realized good sex is when you really have something between the two of you. It’s not just a body. The more I’ve realized that, the more able I am to be settled in my sexuality. I’m freer in my sexuality now. I’m very sexual; it’s a beautiful aspect of life. Once I decided to date men, I was like, Please just let me be gay and be okay with that, because it would be a lot fucking easier. At times, bisexuality feels like a big gray zone. I’ve had to check myself and say, I know how I felt when I was in love with women and when I slept with women. That was true and real. Don’t discredit that, because you’re feeding into what other people think about bisexuality.”

Sometimes we—and I’m also guilty of this—joke and downplay people who identify as bisexual. But if we cannot accept our own, how  can we ask anyone to accept them, or us, either.

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Judith Light, receiving the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the Tony Awards earlier this month:

“The HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ communities are inspirations and demonstrations of how to be and live in the world; courageous, honorable, and uplifting. They inspire me and it is my privilege to be of service to them. I am humbled by this recognition from my theater family, whom I so respect, honor, and love.”

We can do all we want for ourselves; speak up, act up. But it helps to have an ally like Judith Light who has stood with us, marched with us, spoken with us, and for us, for decades.

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Bobservations

I don’t have a Carlos story this week, really, because we are dealing with some health issues for his parents. Things in Mexico City are kind of a mess and the family there is trying to help his mother and father; Carlos, for his part, will be given Power of Attorney, but in Mexico, nothing is ever easy.

We have an appointment with the Mexican Consulate in North Carolina for obtaining the Power of Attorney, but just learned that he’ll need two Powers of Attorney, one for the sale of property, houses and cars etc., and the other for making healthcare decisions. And to get both Powers we need two separate appointments at the Consulate and will have to drive to Raleigh to get things done.

Not a huge schlep but … I overheard Carlos on the phone, trying to make the appointments, and he was telling the person that we live six hours away and don’t want to make two trips, and could we get both appointments the same day.

Yes, we can. Carlos was thrilled and came out to tell me that our first appointment will be May 31st at 8:15AM! But then I reminded him that he told the woman we live six hours away, and unless we were going up the day before we’d have leave Smallville at around 2AM.

That was when he freaked, and squawked and railed, until I told him it was only about a three-hour drive …we’ll still have to leave around 5AM, but we should get both done in the same day, and really, that’s all that matters.

Still, the look on his face when he thought we’d have to leave at 2AM was kinda worth it.

I don’t usually like to share horrible news, heartbreaking news, gut-wrenching news, but if I keep this in, it might just kill me.

Idris.

Elba.

Is.

Married.

And NOT to me! Idris married Sabrina Dhowre last weekend in Marrakesh.

I would have married him in Marrakesh. Budapest. Muncie.

My heart will go on, cracks and all.

Well, someone is desperate to keep their job.

Brad Parscale, _____’s 2020 campaign manager, anticipates the re-election bid will cost at least $1 billion.

It costs that much to keep a racist in office.

On the Woman’s Right to Choose front, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s Constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion.

And that ruling now stands as the law of the land in Kansas with no path for an appeal, making abortion legal in Kansas even if Roe v. Wade is ever reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now, if only other states could be like Kansas.

Many Americans were shocked by their tax bills this month, but the new GOP Tax Scam really went after our nation's Gold Star families, who saw the taxes owed on their survivor benefits skyrocket.

Theresa Jones has been a single mother to Anthony and Hunter for almost six years since her husband Landon died Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013.

It's been a challenge for Jones, especially financially, but they’ve been able to stay afloat because of the survivor benefits they received … until now.

While her sons each received about $15,000 in survivor benefits last year, Theresa  Jones was hit with a tax bill of $5,400 for them, up from $1,100 from the previous year.

Because a surviving spouse can't receive both Veteran Affairs and Defense Department benefits simultaneously in full, Gold Star parents often sign the taxable DOD benefits over to their children. But the new GOP Tax Scam puts the children of dead veterans into a bracket known as the "kiddie tax" which sits at 37%, much higher than their previous tax rate.

The Treasury Department says it is "evaluating what can be done to solve this issue" but let’s be clear, while the GOP and the Hair Furor love to send men and women to war, when our veterans return home, or goddess forbid, never come home, this country, this government, this administration screws them.

Ain’t that America.

One of my favorite actors,  Judith Light has been named the 2019 recipient of the Tony Awards' honorary Isabelle Stevenson Award.

Light, a Tony winner herself for performances in both The Assembled Parties and Other Desert Cities, will be presented the humanitarian honor in recognition of her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and in the fight against HIV/AIDS, from her early involvement in the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the '80s to partaking in the 100-mile African AIDS Trek in 2002 to her continued efforts with such groups as Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS, GLAAD, and LGBT community centers around the country .

"The HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ communities are inspirations and demonstrations of how to be and live in the world; courageous, honorable, and uplifting. They inspire me and it is my privilege to be of service to them. I am humbled by this recognition from my theater family, whom I so respect, honor, and love."—Judith Light

Love her, and no one deserves the recognition more.

… is MSNBC guest Chandelle Summer who says that because Pete Buttigieg kissed his husband—a loving gesture made by heterosexual candidates nearly every single time they appear with their spouses—he was making his sexual orientation “an issue” :

“Clearly Pete Buttigieg has made his gayness an issue in this campaign. He’s brought his husband up on stage. They shared a kiss during his announcement. … I think he made it a huge issue. He talked about his spouse, Chasten, and the fact that they were married. This is not a typical candidate. He made it an issue. He could have ignored it. He could have said nothing. And people would speculate about it. But he made it an issue.”

His gayness, and stop with the ridiculousness of that word already, isn’t an issue. Like any other candidate he introduced his husband and gave him a quick kiss.

It’s called ‘love,’ Chandelle, and maybe when you find it, you’ll understand it when you see it.

Sorry, not sorry, Jussie Smollett.

While  Empire will be returning to FOX for a sixth season Jussie Smollett will not, at least as things stand right now, be appearing on the show.

You made your bed ….

I have been watching A Discovery of Witches on BBC America because I love all things witch and vampire and demon, and this one takes the cake.

It also has some Hot Men and I do love me some of those, too, like … clockwise … Daniel Ezra, who plays Nathaniel Wilson, one of the demons; and David Newman, who is Stephen Proctor; also, Edward Bluemel plays Marcus Whitmore, bloodsucker; and lastly, Gregg Chillin, who plays swarthy vampire Domenico Michele.

Huh, maybe it’s just the vampires I love?

I Didn't Say It....

.....or at least Blogger wouldn't let me.......until now! 

Actor, or wacktor, Stephen Baldwin, on LGBT rights....or religion....or marriage equality.....or the constitution....or something:

"For society, and a majority of our society, to be asked by a very small minority to change its ways — and everybody can interpret that for themselves; that can be constitutional, that can be by law, that can be by faith — the homosexual community wants to go and start its own churches and get married, they’re free to do that. And I don’t see that being unreasonable to say, why should people who believe this in a big way that’s been around for a long time turn around and alter what they feel is their sensibility just because those folks feel like, ‘We’re not being treated equal.'"

Apparently, unless Stephen Baldwin has a script to read, everything he says is gibberish.

Barney Frank, on Uganda's 'Kill The Gays' bill:

“I’m disturbed by the news that Uganda is considering going ahead with a measure that denies the humanity of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people....I was pleased when the Financial Services Committee overwhelmingly, in a bipartisan way, voted in favor of my amendment urging the Secretary of the Treasury to oppose any financial assistance from multilateral development institutions to countries that persecute people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or religious beliefs. In the discussion of the amendment I offered, I specifically mentioned the deeply troubling case of Uganda, which is now considering legislation to legally deprive people of these basic human rights....If the bill before the Ugandan parliament becomes law, it must be the policy of the United States government to oppose any aid to Uganda from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, or any other international financial institution of which we are a member.”

Bravo, Barney.
For us, or any nation, to lend money or support to a country that legislates, legalizes, or justifies murder, for any reason, much less based on someones supposed sexual orientation, is in defensible.
If Uganda wants to go ahead with this criminal action, then they should go ahead alone.

Chaz Bono, on acceptance of being transgender:

“Until I really accepted this about myself and got over any of my own transphobia that I had, I really felt like I wouldn’t be accepted. I thought I would ruin my life. I thought it was, ‘Be yourself but become a pariah and put your family through hell,’ or, ‘Don’t be yourself and live a horribly uncomfortable existence where everybody relates to you in a way that’s not you.’"

I am fascinated by transgendered people, and how they struggle for acceptance from the world, their families, and even themselves.
So many people, and I include some gay folks, too, believe that being a gay man means that you want to be a woman. We don't don't. And lesbians don't wish to be men.
But then you read parts of Chaz Bono's story, about growing up attracted to women, believing 'she' was a lesbian, until 'she' recognized that 'she' was actually a 'he'.
And he was a straight man attracted to women.
Chaz Bono was never a lesbian. He was always a straight man trapped in the wrong gender. How wonderful for him that he can now be truly himself.

Alice Hoagland, mother of openly gay rugby player and 9/11 hero Mark Bingham, on the death of Osama bin Laden:

"I am going to miss my son every day of my life but this, the death of Osama bin Laden, seems to be perfect closure for the foul and evil deeds that that man has committed. Bill Clinton made a real effort to root out Osama bin Laden. George W. Bush promised the American public that we will not rest until we have Osama bin Laden in our control, and then Barack Obama was able to make good the promises and efforts of his two predecessors. I'm very grateful to all three men for their strength and their persistence in this project."

As I have said for the past week or so, the death of bin Laden has given closure to those people most personally affected by 9/11. And Alice Hoagland is right to thank Clinton, Bush, and Obama. All three worked to get bin Laden, and all three deserve a piece of the credit.

Exodus International's head homo Alan Chambers, on Google's airing of an It Gets Better ad during Glee:

"Children all over the world, including my two children are fans of Toy Story and to see a character like that [Woody] endorsing something that at this point children have no need to know about, it’s disappointing. For organizations like Exodus International, which has thousands of men and women like me who have lived a gay life, it obviously didn’t get better living a gay life for them."

It didn't get better for you, Alan, because you chose to go back in the closet and denounce who you are; these ads tell children, and adults, that it's okay to be gay, and to be open and honest, and expect openness and honesty in return.

Former President Bill Clinton, on marriage equality in New York:

"Our nation's permanent mission is to form a ‘more perfect union’ - deepening the meaning of freedom, broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of community. That mission has inspired and empowered us to extend rights to people previously denied them. Every time we have done that, it has strengthened our nation. Now we should do it again, in New York, with marriage equality. For more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free. In the 21st century, I believe New York's welcome must include marriage equality."

It's long past time when all Americans are treated equally under the law.
Long.Past.Time.


Representative Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann, on how the Holocaust is just like raising taxes on the rich:

"Expecting me to bear a fair share of my civic responsibility is like gassing me to death. We are seeing eclipsed in front of our eyes a similar death and a similar taking away. It is this disenfranchisement that I think we have to answer to. The question comes down to this: what will you say to that next generation about what you did to make sure that wouldn't be their fate?"

We might say that we turned things around so that taxation is fair and equitable.
The more you make, the more you pay. We might also say, You're welcome. we were happy to take that burden off of you.
But we would never compare the rich being taxed to six million people being put to death.
That would be stupid.

Chelsea Clinton, on marriage equality:

"As a New Yorker who not that long ago got married to her best friend, I certainly believe that all my friends should have the right to marry their best friends. And I certainly believe that those of us who are straight cannot expect our gay friends to do this on our own. And I certainly expect my straight friends to help us achieve that for all New Yorkers, for all Americans, and for the children that Mark and I expect to have one day..."

Like father, like daughter,
The LGBT cannot move forward without the help and support of the straight community, and it's nice to see Chelsea Clinton ask that of her straight friends.
No one is equal until we are all equal.


Judith Light, longtime advocate for the LGBT community, and the HIV/AIDS community, on LGBT youth:

"It's very important to me that young people, who are struggling with their sexuality, and trying to understand what it's like to live in a world that can be, at it's worst, cruel, and at best, dismissive, that they know and they understand that they are appreciated and loved and valued and respected and honored."

Judith Light has long bee n a supporter of all things LGBT.
To paraphrase an old Barbara Mandrell tune, 'She was gay friendly when gay friendly wasn't cool'.