http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/12/27/richard-chamberlain-gay-actors-coming-out/
Apparently the It Gets Better campaign is a lie, at least according to Richard Chamberlain. Really? Really? WTF is he thinking?
I'm going to name as many LGBT celebrities as I can think of, beginning NOW.
Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, Ryan Murphy, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres, John Barrowman, Adam Lambert, Portia de Rossi, Clive Barker, Perez Hilton, Jay Manuel, Graham Norton, Melissa Etheridge, Elton John, Freddie Mercury.
That's 15. Judging by the fact that I've heard of them, I don't think you could say that their careers were negatively impacted because they're out of the closet. So why would Chamberlain say something like that? Granted, he's specifically referring to male lead actors, but my point is still valid. I realize, as much as anyone who's not gay can, that coming out is difficult. I think, though, that celebrities have an easier time of it, for the simple reason that people are more accepting of odd behavior from celebrities, regardless of their sexuality. If there's anyone without an excuse for remaining in the closet, it's the celebrities.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
This Week in the Life of Jaspar
Can I just scream now? I am so messed up, I swear to god. I need to figure this out.
Way I see it, I've got two options, both of which are a major gamble. So the question is, should I settle for the lesser degree, which would reduce my chance of post-college employment? Or should I go for a transfer and risk spending the next 20+ years paying off my education? Decisions, decisions. It might help if I had graduated high school. I was a good enough student that I might have had better luck getting scholarships and work. But no, I had to go and be stupid.
Sure, it wasn't entirely my fault. I was only a teenager, and I thought ministers were trustworthy. But I don't hate him for lying to me. Nah, lying was the least of his crimes against my family. I hate him mostly for destroying my faith.
I mean, I'm glad I got out of that cult. It wasn't good for me, I know that. I just don't know if I can ever get over wasting 20 years of my life, doing all I did in the name of a god that doesn't even exist. And I did some pretty horrible stuff in the name of religion. Brainwashing children into following blindly a religion that promotes intolerance, hate, and bigotry is nothing short of cruel. Especially when that child grows up and realizes what an intolerant hateful bigot she's been.
Speaking of (in)tolerance, I'm so happy that Don't Ask Don't Tell was finally repealed. It's about fuckin' time, let me tell you. I just wish people weren't so stupid about it. At dinner the other night the subject came up, thanks to my homophobic dad and brother. "They're gonna have to do something different about the shower situation. Put in a third section- men, women, gays." "They should treat them like the women, keeping them out of the combat situations. Can't have someone in the field that the other soldiers/marines/airmen/sailors can't rely on." Grow the fuck up. It's not you that'll have to deal with it. And the adjustments that the bigots will have to make are nothing compared to what the gay people went through during DADT.
Anyway. I can't argue against them, because they're both really good at making me look stupid. Not to mention my dad would never tolerate anything that implies gay people are less than evil demons out to molest and convert everyone else. But I can at least change the topic. It's so easy to get them talking about cars and computers instead, and at least I'm only left confused instead of offended. I wish they get a taste of their own medicine one day from someone less cowardly than me.
Way I see it, I've got two options, both of which are a major gamble. So the question is, should I settle for the lesser degree, which would reduce my chance of post-college employment? Or should I go for a transfer and risk spending the next 20+ years paying off my education? Decisions, decisions. It might help if I had graduated high school. I was a good enough student that I might have had better luck getting scholarships and work. But no, I had to go and be stupid.
Sure, it wasn't entirely my fault. I was only a teenager, and I thought ministers were trustworthy. But I don't hate him for lying to me. Nah, lying was the least of his crimes against my family. I hate him mostly for destroying my faith.
I mean, I'm glad I got out of that cult. It wasn't good for me, I know that. I just don't know if I can ever get over wasting 20 years of my life, doing all I did in the name of a god that doesn't even exist. And I did some pretty horrible stuff in the name of religion. Brainwashing children into following blindly a religion that promotes intolerance, hate, and bigotry is nothing short of cruel. Especially when that child grows up and realizes what an intolerant hateful bigot she's been.
Speaking of (in)tolerance, I'm so happy that Don't Ask Don't Tell was finally repealed. It's about fuckin' time, let me tell you. I just wish people weren't so stupid about it. At dinner the other night the subject came up, thanks to my homophobic dad and brother. "They're gonna have to do something different about the shower situation. Put in a third section- men, women, gays." "They should treat them like the women, keeping them out of the combat situations. Can't have someone in the field that the other soldiers/marines/airmen/sailors can't rely on." Grow the fuck up. It's not you that'll have to deal with it. And the adjustments that the bigots will have to make are nothing compared to what the gay people went through during DADT.
Anyway. I can't argue against them, because they're both really good at making me look stupid. Not to mention my dad would never tolerate anything that implies gay people are less than evil demons out to molest and convert everyone else. But I can at least change the topic. It's so easy to get them talking about cars and computers instead, and at least I'm only left confused instead of offended. I wish they get a taste of their own medicine one day from someone less cowardly than me.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Oreo
On November 28, 2006, I lost the last person who cared about me.
She was an outdoor kitty, against my will, but we were both coping. At least until that stupid stray showed up. He bullied her, and there was nothing I could do about it. No way would my dad allow her back inside. So we tried to cope. Until November 27-28.
I never heard anything. I didn't have any idea what happened until the next day when I found her. There was a spot in back of the house where the siding had come away and the cats could get under the house. There was a steep drop there, about a foot high I think. She was there. She couldn't move; she just lay there and screamed.
There have been several days in my life that stand out as really horrible. My first day at a public school. The day I realized I was no longer welcome at my church. The day my bee status was temporarily revoked. None of those, as difficult as they were to live, were quite as bad as hearing my child screaming in pain and being completely, utterly helpless to do anything about it.
If I could live that day again, I would do it differently. I would have pulled her out of that hole and given her a double human dose of aspirin and held her and told her how brave she was while she died quickly. At the time though, there was a little ray of hope that her injuries weren't fatal.
As hard as it was, I finally left her alone. She seemed to calm down a little when I wasn't there. In the afternoon I went for a long walk. I just couldn't hang around the house and do nothing, and since I couldn't drive, I walked. When I got back, she was gone.
It's been four years, and it still hurts just as much. Writing this has been difficult, and I almost don't want to publish it. But I'm not erasing it, not now.
I miss you, Oreo.
She was an outdoor kitty, against my will, but we were both coping. At least until that stupid stray showed up. He bullied her, and there was nothing I could do about it. No way would my dad allow her back inside. So we tried to cope. Until November 27-28.
I never heard anything. I didn't have any idea what happened until the next day when I found her. There was a spot in back of the house where the siding had come away and the cats could get under the house. There was a steep drop there, about a foot high I think. She was there. She couldn't move; she just lay there and screamed.
There have been several days in my life that stand out as really horrible. My first day at a public school. The day I realized I was no longer welcome at my church. The day my bee status was temporarily revoked. None of those, as difficult as they were to live, were quite as bad as hearing my child screaming in pain and being completely, utterly helpless to do anything about it.
If I could live that day again, I would do it differently. I would have pulled her out of that hole and given her a double human dose of aspirin and held her and told her how brave she was while she died quickly. At the time though, there was a little ray of hope that her injuries weren't fatal.
As hard as it was, I finally left her alone. She seemed to calm down a little when I wasn't there. In the afternoon I went for a long walk. I just couldn't hang around the house and do nothing, and since I couldn't drive, I walked. When I got back, she was gone.
It's been four years, and it still hurts just as much. Writing this has been difficult, and I almost don't want to publish it. But I'm not erasing it, not now.
I miss you, Oreo.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Drakula Revised
I have to write a story for German. In German. My skills aren't that great yet, so I'm writing it in English first. So here's the English version for anyone who wants to read it.
It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed, bright as day, and thunder boomed from right next to me. I was taking my dog for a walk in the forest, and she wasn’t happy about it. A crash of thunder left her cowering against my legs, whining pitifully. Another lightning flash revealed an ominous figure in the path in front of me. I jumped back, startled, and quickly grabbed a large branch which I brandished at the figure. It didn’t move, so I struck it with my makeshift club. Still it did nothing. The next flash of lightning revealed that I had been attacking a tree stump. I dropped the branch and snickered. This had better not get out, or everyone would tease me about it for years. As I relaxed and started to move forward, a hand fell on my shoulder. Now I screamed, and pulled away. My poor dog had had enough; she jerked the leash from my hand and bolted toward home.
“Relax,” a deep, gravelly voice said. “I don’t want to hurt you. Come with me.”
I turned to face the speaker apprehensively. He was of average height, perhaps an inch or two taller than me. His oily black hair was slicked back from his too-pale face. He wore a long black trench coat belted around his thin frame. His amber eyes glared at me, and he seemed to realize that just as I noticed, for he softened his expression. It didn’t make him any less menacing. I couldn’t move; I just stood gaping at him.
He grabbed my arm, pulled me along a path I hadn’t previously noticed. We approached a huge castle, but he pulled me aside at a small gardening shack. “Did you think I lived in that old thing?” he mocked. “Come on.” Inside it was much bigger than it appeared. There was a huge, open room, with banners hung along all the walls. They weren’t the creepy tapestries I would have expected in the home of someone like my host; no, they were party streamers. And in the center of the room stood rows of tables, laden down with food and presents. People swarmed up to us, looking excited.
“Is this him?”
“He looks interesting-”
“Are you sure-?”
I could barely hear myself think over the clamoring crowd. The host held up his hand. “This is him,” he said. At that the guests all grinned and pressed forward, revealing sharp pointed fangs. I screamed and jumped back.
“You’re- VAMPIRES?!”
“Oh, don’t look like that,” the host said impatiently. “You must have guessed.”
“What do you want from me? I have a family! Friends! People who’ll notice I’m gone!” I backed away, terrified, as though I could actually outrun a host of vampires.
“We’re not going to eat you,” the host exclaimed. “Ew!” He took off his trenchcoat and hung it on a coatrack. “We’re not like that.” He gave a smile which must have been intended as encouraging, but he only succeeded in scaring me further. I stepped back, and his smile vanished. “Stop,” he said. “I’m not- What’s your name?”
“Karl,” I managed. “My name is Karl.”
“I’m Drakula,” he said. “See? Much better. Now we’re friends. Come have some cake.”
I approached the front table and saw a cake ringed with candles. That was when I remembered what day it was. The vampires cheered as I blew out the candles.
“Happy birthday,” Drakula said, clapping me on the back, as another vampire cut the cake.
It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed, bright as day, and thunder boomed from right next to me. I was taking my dog for a walk in the forest, and she wasn’t happy about it. A crash of thunder left her cowering against my legs, whining pitifully. Another lightning flash revealed an ominous figure in the path in front of me. I jumped back, startled, and quickly grabbed a large branch which I brandished at the figure. It didn’t move, so I struck it with my makeshift club. Still it did nothing. The next flash of lightning revealed that I had been attacking a tree stump. I dropped the branch and snickered. This had better not get out, or everyone would tease me about it for years. As I relaxed and started to move forward, a hand fell on my shoulder. Now I screamed, and pulled away. My poor dog had had enough; she jerked the leash from my hand and bolted toward home.
“Relax,” a deep, gravelly voice said. “I don’t want to hurt you. Come with me.”
I turned to face the speaker apprehensively. He was of average height, perhaps an inch or two taller than me. His oily black hair was slicked back from his too-pale face. He wore a long black trench coat belted around his thin frame. His amber eyes glared at me, and he seemed to realize that just as I noticed, for he softened his expression. It didn’t make him any less menacing. I couldn’t move; I just stood gaping at him.
He grabbed my arm, pulled me along a path I hadn’t previously noticed. We approached a huge castle, but he pulled me aside at a small gardening shack. “Did you think I lived in that old thing?” he mocked. “Come on.” Inside it was much bigger than it appeared. There was a huge, open room, with banners hung along all the walls. They weren’t the creepy tapestries I would have expected in the home of someone like my host; no, they were party streamers. And in the center of the room stood rows of tables, laden down with food and presents. People swarmed up to us, looking excited.
“Is this him?”
“He looks interesting-”
“Are you sure-?”
I could barely hear myself think over the clamoring crowd. The host held up his hand. “This is him,” he said. At that the guests all grinned and pressed forward, revealing sharp pointed fangs. I screamed and jumped back.
“You’re- VAMPIRES?!”
“Oh, don’t look like that,” the host said impatiently. “You must have guessed.”
“What do you want from me? I have a family! Friends! People who’ll notice I’m gone!” I backed away, terrified, as though I could actually outrun a host of vampires.
“We’re not going to eat you,” the host exclaimed. “Ew!” He took off his trenchcoat and hung it on a coatrack. “We’re not like that.” He gave a smile which must have been intended as encouraging, but he only succeeded in scaring me further. I stepped back, and his smile vanished. “Stop,” he said. “I’m not- What’s your name?”
“Karl,” I managed. “My name is Karl.”
“I’m Drakula,” he said. “See? Much better. Now we’re friends. Come have some cake.”
I approached the front table and saw a cake ringed with candles. That was when I remembered what day it was. The vampires cheered as I blew out the candles.
“Happy birthday,” Drakula said, clapping me on the back, as another vampire cut the cake.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Project One
I'm doing a project for school. Sort of. If I can ever get my thoughts organized enough to concentrate. Anyway, I've got a little questionaire here that I'd like people to answer. You can send me a private message on Facebook if you want to keep your responses private. I know I don't usually get a lot of traffic here, but I'd appreciate it if you shared this with your friends; I would like a good variety of responses. Thanks.
1. Do you know anyone who is gay?
2. Do you believe homosexuality is a choice? Why?
3. Are you opposed to gay marriage?
4. If you use the Bible or another religious text as your reason for opposing gay marriage, do you believe that this is sufficient reason to make gay marriage illegal?
5. If you have another reason for opposing gay marriage, please give it.
6. Any other comments on this topic?
1. Do you know anyone who is gay?
2. Do you believe homosexuality is a choice? Why?
3. Are you opposed to gay marriage?
4. If you use the Bible or another religious text as your reason for opposing gay marriage, do you believe that this is sufficient reason to make gay marriage illegal?
5. If you have another reason for opposing gay marriage, please give it.
6. Any other comments on this topic?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Alone
There's always someone around
I never have time alone
I'm lost in the crowd
In my own home
I'm the invisible one
I hide behind the scenes
I don't belong here
I never have
I'm sick of hiding in plain sight
I'm tired of not being seen
You think I don't want the spotlight?
I need applause to live.
I never have time alone
I'm lost in the crowd
In my own home
I'm the invisible one
I hide behind the scenes
I don't belong here
I never have
I'm sick of hiding in plain sight
I'm tired of not being seen
You think I don't want the spotlight?
I need applause to live.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ground Zero Mosque
First off, it's not even a mosque. It's a community center. Sure, they're going to put a prayer room in it, but that doesn't make the building a mosque.
And it's not AT Ground Zero, it's two blocks away. Also, there are at least ten Christian churches within two blocks of the former World Trade Center, and I've never heard any opposition to their existence.
I don't care if you are prejudiced or intolerant. That's your right. But it's no one's right to say they can't practice their religion freely in America. The only reason people are objecting to the cultural center is because it's going to be used by Muslims. And that is unconstitutional, un-American, and inhuman.
When the first European settlers came to North America in the early 17th century, they were fleeing religious persecution. They wanted the right to practice their religion freely. However, they were no better than the oppressors they left behind. They made their religion the new state religion, and other beliefs were illegal. In the 18th century, at the beginning of the United States, when our founding fathers were working out the first details of our government, they knew that one of the things the government should never have control over was religion. Thus the first clause of the First Amendment in our Bill of Rights: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".
Now, I know the United States is far from perfect, and I know we have a rather violent and discriminatory past. But one thing we've always had right is the freedom of religion. You can believe anything or nothing, and no one has any right to tell you that you're wrong.
So what happened? Have people forgotten our past? How is it within anyone's rights to prohibit another religious group from building a community center specifically geared toward their own group? What happened to "Congress shall make no law...prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]"? People have no right to ask the government to stop this community center. Like I said before, you can think whatever you want. But you can't blame an entire culture for the crimes of a few extremists. Not unless you want to go back to World War II, when American citizens were arrested and put in prisons- sorry, "concentration camps", just because they were of Japanese descent.
This is America. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.
And it's not AT Ground Zero, it's two blocks away. Also, there are at least ten Christian churches within two blocks of the former World Trade Center, and I've never heard any opposition to their existence.
I don't care if you are prejudiced or intolerant. That's your right. But it's no one's right to say they can't practice their religion freely in America. The only reason people are objecting to the cultural center is because it's going to be used by Muslims. And that is unconstitutional, un-American, and inhuman.
When the first European settlers came to North America in the early 17th century, they were fleeing religious persecution. They wanted the right to practice their religion freely. However, they were no better than the oppressors they left behind. They made their religion the new state religion, and other beliefs were illegal. In the 18th century, at the beginning of the United States, when our founding fathers were working out the first details of our government, they knew that one of the things the government should never have control over was religion. Thus the first clause of the First Amendment in our Bill of Rights: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".
Now, I know the United States is far from perfect, and I know we have a rather violent and discriminatory past. But one thing we've always had right is the freedom of religion. You can believe anything or nothing, and no one has any right to tell you that you're wrong.
So what happened? Have people forgotten our past? How is it within anyone's rights to prohibit another religious group from building a community center specifically geared toward their own group? What happened to "Congress shall make no law...prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]"? People have no right to ask the government to stop this community center. Like I said before, you can think whatever you want. But you can't blame an entire culture for the crimes of a few extremists. Not unless you want to go back to World War II, when American citizens were arrested and put in prisons- sorry, "concentration camps", just because they were of Japanese descent.
This is America. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)