"Selfie Love" - those beautiful, grainy, out-of-focus self-pics that capture the truth of true love...
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
"Same Gender Loving People - No. 1888"
"Love And Happiness Looks Like This..."
Positive images of people like me... The truth of the matter is that we all need to see people like ourselves. So everyday, I'll post a photo, drawing or some other artwork that depicts Same Gender Loving People as what we are... Only Human.
"The Truth About Heartbreak..."
(Leelah) Josh Alcorn
1997-2014
SUICIDE NOTE
If you are reading this, it means that I have committed suicide and obviously failed to delete this post from my queue.
Please don’t be sad, it’s for the better. The life I would’ve lived isn’t worth living in… because I’m transgender. I could go into detail explaining why I feel that way, but this note is probably going to be lengthy enough as it is. To put it simply, I feel like a girl trapped in a boy’s body, and I’ve felt that way ever since I was 4. I never knew there was a word for that feeling, nor was it possible for a boy to become a girl, so I never told anyone and I just continued to do traditionally “boyish” things to try to fit in.
When I was 14, I learned what transgender meant and cried of happiness. After 10 years of confusion I finally understood who I was. I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong. If you are reading this, parents, please don’t tell this to your kids. Even if you are Christian or are against transgender people don’t ever say that to someone, especially your kid. That won’t do anything but make them hate them self. That’s exactly what it did to me.
My mom started taking me to a therapist, but would only take me to christian therapists, (who were all very biased) so I never actually got the therapy I needed to cure me of my depression. I only got more christians telling me that I was selfish and wrong and that I should look to God for help.
When I was 16 I realized that my parents would never come around, and that I would have to wait until I was 18 to start any sort of transitioning treatment, which absolutely broke my heart. The longer you wait, the harder it is to transition. I felt hopeless, that I was just going to look like a man in drag for the rest of my life. On my 16th birthday, when I didn’t receive consent from my parents to start transitioning, I cried myself to sleep.
I formed a sort of a “fuck you” attitude towards my parents and came out as gay at school, thinking that maybe if I eased into coming out as trans it would be less of a shock. Although the reaction from my friends was positive, my parents were pissed. They felt like I was attacking their image, and that I was an embarrassment to them. They wanted me to be their perfect little straight christian boy, and that’s obviously not what I wanted.
So they took me out of public school, took away my laptop and phone, and forbid me of getting on any sort of social media, completely isolating me from my friends. This was probably the part of my life when I was the most depressed, and I’m surprised I didn’t kill myself. I was completely alone for 5 months. No friends, no support, no love. Just my parent’s disappointment and the cruelty of loneliness.
At the end of the school year, my parents finally came around and gave me my phone and let me back on social media. I was excited, I finally had my friends back. They were extremely excited to see me and talk to me, but only at first. Eventually they realized they didn’t actually give a shit about me, and I felt even lonelier than I did before. The only friends I thought I had only liked me because they saw me five times a week.
After a summer of having almost no friends plus the weight of having to think about college, save money for moving out, keep my grades up, go to church each week and feel like shit because everyone there is against everything I live for, I have decided I’ve had enough. I’m never going to transition successfully, even when I move out. I’m never going to be happy with the way I look or sound. I’m never going to have enough friends to satisfy me. I’m never going to have enough love to satisfy me. I’m never going to find a man who loves me. I’m never going to be happy. Either I live the rest of my life as a lonely man who wishes he were a woman or I live my life as a lonelier woman who hates herself. There’s no winning. There’s no way out. I’m sad enough already, I don’t need my life to get any worse. People say “it gets better” but that isn’t true in my case. It gets worse. Each day I get worse.
That’s the gist of it, that’s why I feel like killing myself. Sorry if that’s not a good enough reason for you, it’s good enough for me. As for my will, I want 100% of the things that I legally own to be sold and the money (plus my money in the bank) to be given to trans civil rights movements and support groups, I don’t give a shit which one. The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights. Gender needs to be taught about in schools, the earlier the better. My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year. I want someone to look at that number and say “that’s fucked up” and fix it. Fix society. Please.
Goodbye,
(Leelah)
*******
We all deserve the right to be who we really are...
"Fear Eats the Soul"
Just in case you're wondering, as I did is this really true...
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
"The Truth About Love..."
- Madame Swetchine
"Once Upon A Time In America..."
Some of the attitudes about gays expressed in this documentary might shock you, or perhaps, they may seem all too familiar
December 6, 2014
In 1967, US TV network CBS aired an episode of their CBS Reports program entitled ‘The Homosexuals.’
The program aimed to decipher and discover more about homosexual lifestyles, what people knew about them and how people felt towards them.
The documentary opens with the results of a survey into what the average American thought about gay people.
‘Homosexuality is an enigma,’ says presenter Mike Wallace.
‘We discovered that Americans consider homosexuality more harmful to society than adultery, abortion or prostitution.’
The documentary also screens an interview with an openly gay man who speaks positively when he is quizzed about his sexuality and where it stems from, and another, whose face is obscured by shadow, who talks about the trauma of coming out to his family. Contributions from psychologists and experts are also included.
The documentary concludes with a line from Wallace.
‘The dilemma of the homosexual: told by the medical profession he is sick; by the law that he's a criminal; shunned by employers; rejected by heterosexual society,’ he said.
‘Incapable of a fulfilling relationship with a woman, or for that matter with a man. At the center of his life he remains anonymous. A displaced person. An outsider.’
Film journal, FilmThreat, would later report Wallace admitted he regretted the tone of the piece.
For LGBTI audiences, it is a particularly poignant look into the past. Are the views expressed in the video outdated, old-fashioned and completely outrageous? Or are they still claims levelled against gay people to this day?
And, more importantly, how far has the LGBTI community come in terms of how the straight community view us, and how we view ourselves?
What do you think?
Watch the video below:
*******
Even in the short 10 years that I have been out, I've witnessed a miraculous sea change in peoples thoughts, attitudes and beliefs about what it really means to be a same gender loving person.
Having come out, I am now married to a wonderful man and together we are raising children and we're respected and admired by our families, neighbors, work colleagues and customers. Indeed, coming out was the key to changing the misconceptions about what people thought they knew about what it actually means be gay.
This moment of discussion from 1967 along with many others both before and after this all helped to bring us to this much happier place today. Although we haven't won all our rights and full equality yet, that day is clearly not far off and that is something most would have never believed possible in 1967.
"Fear Eats the Soul"
"Same Gender Loving People - No. 1887"
"Love And Family Brings Joy To Life..."
Positive images of people like me... The truth of the matter is that we all need to see people like ourselves. So everyday, I'll post a photo, drawing or some other artwork that depicts Same Gender Loving People as what we are... Only Human.
Monday, December 29, 2014
"This Made Me Smile..."
December 26, 2014
The most talked about film of the year is grabbing more headlines today after rapper Eminem came out as gay in his cameo for ‘The Interview,’ well sort of.
The rapper is just one of many celebrities who pokes fun of himself in the controversial new comedy released online and in select theaters Christmas day.
In the clip below, Eminem, who has repeatedly landed himself in hot water for his homophobic lyrics, tells James Franco’s talk show host character that he is “a homosexual.”
“When I say things about gay people, or people think my lyrics are homophobic — it’s because I’m gay,” he tells Franco’s character. He adds, “I’m more shocked that people haven’t figured it out yet. I mean, it’s kind of like I’ve been playing gay peek-a-boo.”
Huffpost adds:
Though he has been accused of anti-gay rhetoric, Eminem has placed the blame on his different personas and claimed that he isn’t homophobic by arguing that words like “faggot” aren’t being used in a homophobic way. In fact, in 2010 the rapper even came out in favor of marriage equality.
“The Interview” has faced extreme controversy in recent weeks and it almost wasn’t released. After hackers, who many believe are working for North Korea, claimed they would unleash a 9/11-style attack on movie theaters if they showed the film, which involves a plot to kill Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, Sony executives pulled the plug on the movie. However, days later, they reversed their decision and the film is now in select theaters and available online.
********
I admit it... I ponyed up the $5.99 on YouTube and watched the most talked about film of 2014. I had been planning to see it on Christmas Day before Sony's vacilation on whether or not to release it in theaters.
It was the silly romp of a film that I thought it would be and I actually quite enjoyed it. I like silly-stupid and this film delivered. I've actually watched it three times in an effort to get my money's worth during my 48 hour rental.
I have say that Eminem's cameo is one of my favorite scenes. His deadpan delivery was epic.
"Fear Eats the SouL"
"A Little Sane Advice..."
- Christopher Paolini
"Same Gender Loving People - No. 1886"
"Love And Mountain Men..."
Positive images of people like me... The truth of the matter is that we all need to see people like ourselves. So everyday, I'll post a photo, drawing or some other artwork that depicts Same Gender Loving People as what we are... Only Human.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
"The Truth About Who Can Really Hurt You..."
Joseph Patrick McCormick
27th December 2014
Out professional American Football star Michael Sam will speak of how his brothers subjected him to homophobia daily when he was growing up.
The player – who has had brief spells with the St Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys – made history as the first openly gay NFL player, though he is yet to play an on-season game.
He was drafted to the Rams in May this year, before being cut in August – and subsequently spent less than two months on the Cowboys practice team before being cut again in October.
In an interview to be aired this weekend, Sam will tell Oprah that his bullies called him a “fag… because I was different.”
He said his brothers would “abuse me daily”, saying “They called me a lot of things. They called me a fag. They called me gay. They called me anything you could think of — just to hurt me.”
On one of the acts which hurt him the most, Sam says he received an MVP trophy, but that it was destroyed by one of his brothers in front of him.
He said: “I was so proud of those trophies … and my older brother, he was so jealous he just broke them in front of me. And it was the saddest thing.”
Sam had initially made plans for an Oprah documentary while playing for the Rams in May, but it was postponed to allow him to concentrate on his playing career.
However, the documentary and an exclusive interview can air this month now he is a free agent, and not signed to a particular team.
In the interview with Oprah Winfrey, he also revealed that a number of players who remain in the closet had been in touch with him.
Oprah Winfrey Network will air the exclusive documentary, ‘Michael Sam’ on Saturday, December 27.
********
I have a brother who became my worst enemy, although he was my childhood hero for having literally saved my life when I was 5 years old.
By the time I was a 10 year old, my older brother had discovered my then secret truth and he went on to torment and abuse me for next 20 years as I struggled to keep my secret from the rest of my family and the world. The abuses I suffered at the hands of my own brother were terrible. I count them as amongst the worse things that have happened to me in my life. His torture and abuses of me were severe and both mental and physical. By the time I was just 12 years old, it had driven me to a suicide attempt.
Although I am glad to say, "I love my brother" and I've forgiven him for the many terrible things that he said and did to me, I can never forget them.
For the better part of the last 30 years we've had only a passing relationship even though we live in the same city. I last spoke to him a little over a month ago when a bereavement occurred in his family, but even then some fear and loathing entered my mind as I listened to his voice ask me for assistance in a time of need and I realized it was the same voice that had taunted and demonized me for so many long years.
I wish Michael Sam and his brothers well, hopefully they can overcome their past and achieve what I have not... I love my brother from afar. The things he did to me will not allow my heart to trust him even 40 years after it first began...
"Fear Eats the Soul"
"Just A Thought..."
Oh yeah, and I paid $1.89/gallon for gasoline yesterday...
I am married to my husband, we have a child and we all have healthcare
If I was still in the military, I could serve openly
and the biggee...
After decades of decline, even Detroit is on the rebound!
Thank You Mr. President!
Saturday, December 27, 2014
"The GIFt of Love..."
To simply be present, this is the greatest
gift you can give the beloved...
"Fear Eats the Soul"
"A Thought To Ponder..."
We can do no great things; only small things with great love...
"Fear Eats the Soul"
"The Truth About Love..."
Love renders the proud humble, and tames the fierce; it is at once the most and the least selfish of all passions; for, whilst it would engross the being on whom it is lavished, it will make any sacrifice, or undergo any privation, to insure the comfort of her it would possess.
- Charles William Day
"Selfie Love..."
"Selfie Love" - those beautiful, grainy, out-of-focus self-pics that capture the truth of true love...
"Sometimes In Advertising...?"
“We didn’t create this ad, but we can see the people who did share the same Live Mas passion for our brand—and our breakfast—as we do. Although we cannot condone unauthorized use of our intellectual property, we are impressed with their work and would be open to meeting with them.”
I can buy the premise of this, on our wedding day, the husband and I along with our wedding party stopped at McDonalds for breakfast on the way to City Hall in Windsor.
"Fear Eats the Soul"
"Same Gender Loving People - No. 1885"
"This Is Love..."
Positive images of people like me... The truth of the matter is that we all need to see people like ourselves. So everyday, I'll post a photo, drawing or some other artwork that depicts Same Gender Loving People as what we are... Only Human.
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