I just wanted to thank those of you who watch Ellen, the talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. Because of the success of the show, she's able to help get the very serious word out about something as tragic as this:
What I hoped this clip would show is what happened before they went to commercial. The cameras started swinging and panning across the audience as they not only clapped in support for what Ellen says, they also stand.
This is huge....this is the kind of support we see at our movie events over and over again, and some people don't believe us because they don't see it in the media. There is SO much support for equality, acceptance and inclusion for the gay community across the country, but the mainstream doesn't see it.
There is more support than not and it takes moments like these where power is used for good, for social change, for human enlightenment, for the benefit of society as what Ellen did that'll bring more of that already present support more into the light. Thank you to that audience for standing up and applauding.
You don't know what that means to us.
We hope you'll find small ways every day to show that same kind of effort...helping people stop saying "that's so gay", not fuel jokes made about gay people. Let the ripple of ignorance and fear stop with you.
Links:
http://www.rememberlarry.com/
http://rememberinglawrence.org/
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
What is "Backyard Bigotry"? Ask Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern
A couple of friends of mine, Dotti and Roby are writing a book called When Homophobia Hits Home...A Compassionate Couple's Journey to Transcend Backyard Bigotry (out in 2009). They bring up a great question we all ought to take a more deliberate look at...how are we actually still a part of the problem of inequality and not the solution when it comes to demonstrating through our behavior, words, money and votes?
One of the big obstacles could be our socializing during childhood...we weren't encouraged to talk about things, and when we did, we could be met with conflict and opposition from the very ones we loved the most. To cope with not losing those we love, we either say what we think we're supposed to or not say anything at all.
This seemingly small decision has such a huge ripple effect when it becomes the norm. We've adopted this way of handling (by not handling) our differences. As if individuality in God's creation is somehow threatening if we can't put it in a box.
One of HRC's mottos is Talk About It and for some reason it's the hardest thing to get people to do. There's such a fear of acceptance and no longer "belonging" that many choose to not, as Dotti says, "stand up and speak out." It's so harmful not only to those who need the support, but to those who don't speak. It's all stuck energy which gets released in really unhealthy ways....like what Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern showed us recently.
Her husband is a pastor. She continues to be elected. She thinks she's only talking to people in the room and would only say what she said if she believed the people would agree. No one in the room stops her. She's allowed to say what she says and it's not challenged.
I have my ancestor roots in Oklahoma. My Native American grandmother was forced to go to to an "Indian" school and to convert to Christianity. She spent most of her life very quiet. A well-read, profound woman of wisdom...with very few words. She was ashamed of being Native American and couldn't understand why my generation was so proud. Within one and two generations, we took back our pride as a people and make no apologies for who we are.
The same has happened in so many other communities, including the gay community. And why women can now vote, why interracial marriages are legal and so many other "advances" in social equality is because people started talking about it. Talking from a place of health, love and curiosity versus fear is next on the list.
People are angry with Sally Kern, the blogs and media postings say so, the fact that the link has gone all over the country and world, the overwhelming email her office has received....I actually thank her. She did us a favor in allowing the backyard bigotry to be a topic of conversation, she brought it out into the light so we can really dialog and learn from each other. Many of us in this work knows this goes on all the time, but the majority of America doesn't.
This reminds me of a friend who said to me, "you mean, people still care that you're gay? I thought that was finally over forever ago." Nope. Sally reminded us there's still a few out there who don't get it. So, let's support her in her journey of expanding her expression of love, in forgiving herself for becoming someone she doesn't want to be. Be the change we want to see and treat her with the respect and love we'd like to see from her. Let her know, and the others like her, what unconditional love feels like. If not us, then who?
Once you see the video above, Email her if you'd like at: sallykern@okhouse.gov
One of the big obstacles could be our socializing during childhood...we weren't encouraged to talk about things, and when we did, we could be met with conflict and opposition from the very ones we loved the most. To cope with not losing those we love, we either say what we think we're supposed to or not say anything at all.
This seemingly small decision has such a huge ripple effect when it becomes the norm. We've adopted this way of handling (by not handling) our differences. As if individuality in God's creation is somehow threatening if we can't put it in a box.
One of HRC's mottos is Talk About It and for some reason it's the hardest thing to get people to do. There's such a fear of acceptance and no longer "belonging" that many choose to not, as Dotti says, "stand up and speak out." It's so harmful not only to those who need the support, but to those who don't speak. It's all stuck energy which gets released in really unhealthy ways....like what Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern showed us recently.
Her husband is a pastor. She continues to be elected. She thinks she's only talking to people in the room and would only say what she said if she believed the people would agree. No one in the room stops her. She's allowed to say what she says and it's not challenged.
I have my ancestor roots in Oklahoma. My Native American grandmother was forced to go to to an "Indian" school and to convert to Christianity. She spent most of her life very quiet. A well-read, profound woman of wisdom...with very few words. She was ashamed of being Native American and couldn't understand why my generation was so proud. Within one and two generations, we took back our pride as a people and make no apologies for who we are.
The same has happened in so many other communities, including the gay community. And why women can now vote, why interracial marriages are legal and so many other "advances" in social equality is because people started talking about it. Talking from a place of health, love and curiosity versus fear is next on the list.
People are angry with Sally Kern, the blogs and media postings say so, the fact that the link has gone all over the country and world, the overwhelming email her office has received....I actually thank her. She did us a favor in allowing the backyard bigotry to be a topic of conversation, she brought it out into the light so we can really dialog and learn from each other. Many of us in this work knows this goes on all the time, but the majority of America doesn't.
This reminds me of a friend who said to me, "you mean, people still care that you're gay? I thought that was finally over forever ago." Nope. Sally reminded us there's still a few out there who don't get it. So, let's support her in her journey of expanding her expression of love, in forgiving herself for becoming someone she doesn't want to be. Be the change we want to see and treat her with the respect and love we'd like to see from her. Let her know, and the others like her, what unconditional love feels like. If not us, then who?
Once you see the video above, Email her if you'd like at: sallykern@okhouse.gov
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Massachusettes Still the Rock Stars in Equality
This just in...
Massachusetts Defeats Discriminatory Constitutional Amendment on Marriage
EQCA Calls on Governor Schwarzenegger to Oppose Discrimination
Statement by EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors
SAN FRANCISCO – In a joint legislative session on Thursday, lawmakers in Massachusetts rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples by a vote of 45–151. The vote secures marriage by eliminating any chance that the amendment would get on the 2008 ballot. At least 50 votes were needed to advance the measure.
“Today’s victory illustrates the incredible leadership of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, MassEquality, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, legislative leaders and scores of lawmakers who all diligently fought for fairness and dignity for gay and lesbian couples and the entire LGBT community in Massachusetts,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “Since he took office, Gov. Patrick made the compelling and necessary case that minority rights should never be put up for a popular vote. Today, we call on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to demonstrate the same kind of leadership in recognizing that the ballot process should never be used to take away or preclude basic rights and freedoms.”
For more information visit massequality.org and glad.org
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
"Human Loss" in the Courtroom
Sorry I've been away from blogging over the last week. I've never been on jury duty before and it's weird to hang out with 12 other strangers brought together for a civil lawsuit over an accident that could've happened to anybody and not be able to talk about it for a week. It's a bizarre scenario to have your schedule and life interrupted by a :15 incident from 4 years ago because these two guys couldn't or wouldn't compromise. I wasn't all that pleased with the special verdicts, but it would've been worse if I didn't say anything. It was a fascinating sociological experiment for me too.
Since we were dealing with the awarding of money for "human loss" although no one died but instead got a bruise on their thigh, much of the deliberation came down to the people's relationship with money. The real estate investor felt the settlement was too low, $123,000 isn't a lot of money to her. To the college student, anything over $5,000 was too much. The bank teller was okay until $10,000. The appliance repair man wanted the moon, $200,000 minimum because he felt the plaintiff was kin to his struggle and wanted to give the guy a new life, a new start, something he really wants for himself. Our decisions and opinions were direct reflections of ourselves.
So little of it had anything to do with the actual case. It came down to people's emotions. Fascinating. So, keep this in mind if you are looking to go to trial around money and extracting it from another private citizen. It could work for you or against you, the facts and the case itself seemed to have little to do with some people's decisions. The real "human loss" was the inability to agree on responsibility and we're set up in a legal system to put a price or cost on something emotional and intangible. It's absurd. So, we go on with our lives and this part time massage therapist in his late '50s has to deal with his wages garnished for the rest of his life.
We're all a part of the same body, what effects one, effects us all. It was truly a curious experience. So much at stake when jury members just want to go back to their lives.
Since we were dealing with the awarding of money for "human loss" although no one died but instead got a bruise on their thigh, much of the deliberation came down to the people's relationship with money. The real estate investor felt the settlement was too low, $123,000 isn't a lot of money to her. To the college student, anything over $5,000 was too much. The bank teller was okay until $10,000. The appliance repair man wanted the moon, $200,000 minimum because he felt the plaintiff was kin to his struggle and wanted to give the guy a new life, a new start, something he really wants for himself. Our decisions and opinions were direct reflections of ourselves.
So little of it had anything to do with the actual case. It came down to people's emotions. Fascinating. So, keep this in mind if you are looking to go to trial around money and extracting it from another private citizen. It could work for you or against you, the facts and the case itself seemed to have little to do with some people's decisions. The real "human loss" was the inability to agree on responsibility and we're set up in a legal system to put a price or cost on something emotional and intangible. It's absurd. So, we go on with our lives and this part time massage therapist in his late '50s has to deal with his wages garnished for the rest of his life.
We're all a part of the same body, what effects one, effects us all. It was truly a curious experience. So much at stake when jury members just want to go back to their lives.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Welcome New Zealand, The Race for the Bottom & Jury Duty
Hi. Hope you all had a good holiday weekend here in the US. And a big hello to our newest audience members in New Zealand where the movie is touring through the OutTakes film festival. The New Zealanders are really getting the message, they are snapping up copies of the DVD and especially those who are a part of the Anglican (Episcopal) Church who have a vote coming up next month to be welcoming of same-sex blessings, they are using the movie for the perfect purpose of dialog and truly wanting to bridge the gap. Yay New Zealand!
We're also thrilled to be getting requests from churches of many Christian denominations requesting public performance permission to show the movie at their church. They recognize the dire need and urgency for "the Church" to not again historically be the last to love and accept people for who they are. The only category they are in a neck and neck race with is our government, who seems to be taking a lead in non discrimination, but with UCC churches open and affirming at the national level, MCC churches, the Methodist Reconciling Ministries, Lutherans Concerned, welcoming Baptists, the Epsicopalian churches questioning, it's a close call. So, who will be the last to equality, political law or religious law? Place your bets.
Speaking of law, I spent the day in a courtroom for jury duty. I actually, for the first time not only had to go in, but I actually got selected. Unbelievable. The week before June Pride and I'm serving on a jury for a civil lawsuit. As with everything in life, there's a reason for this timing and this situation is to somehow advance, challenge and teach me. There's never a good time for jury duty, and it could've happened at better times, but it's okay. It's a lesson of faith in the big scheme of things and I look forward to what this experience will teach me. So, if emails are slow to respond, blogs coming in late, etc. you know why.
Make sure you vote for our award winner in the right column....
We're also thrilled to be getting requests from churches of many Christian denominations requesting public performance permission to show the movie at their church. They recognize the dire need and urgency for "the Church" to not again historically be the last to love and accept people for who they are. The only category they are in a neck and neck race with is our government, who seems to be taking a lead in non discrimination, but with UCC churches open and affirming at the national level, MCC churches, the Methodist Reconciling Ministries, Lutherans Concerned, welcoming Baptists, the Epsicopalian churches questioning, it's a close call. So, who will be the last to equality, political law or religious law? Place your bets.
Speaking of law, I spent the day in a courtroom for jury duty. I actually, for the first time not only had to go in, but I actually got selected. Unbelievable. The week before June Pride and I'm serving on a jury for a civil lawsuit. As with everything in life, there's a reason for this timing and this situation is to somehow advance, challenge and teach me. There's never a good time for jury duty, and it could've happened at better times, but it's okay. It's a lesson of faith in the big scheme of things and I look forward to what this experience will teach me. So, if emails are slow to respond, blogs coming in late, etc. you know why.
Make sure you vote for our award winner in the right column....
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Yolanda King, MLK's daughter is in Heaven Too
Yesterday was a really crazy day on the equal rights front. Rev. Jerry Falwell, 73, passed away in his office at Liberty University while sitting as his desk. Yolanda King, 51, Martin Luther King's eldest daughter and most visual in following in her father's equality rights vision, suddenly collapsed walking down a hallway after a speech given for the American Heart Association raising awareness to black women and strokes.
Both passed while in their place of passion, in their work and they literally worked until the moment they died. It's hard to grasp why King would go so young. It's curious why God had them go on the same day, especially considering one preached separatism and superiority and the other unity and equality. Two powerful voices silenced at the same time.
Relating to my blog about my friend who died of a rare cancer (This Cubicle Supports Gay Marriage) where I'd noticed there were people around me who recently had lost someone, it seemed in a month or two like a domino effect. In the last two weeks, I've had three friends lose a parent - 2 cancers and a car accident.
It's such a reminder how we don't know how long we have and that's okay. It's okay when we know authentically that what we're doing right now...and now....and now...are the best things we could be doing. We're doing it with passion, with meaning, all the while asking, how can I serve, how can I give, what can I share? As wise ones have said in the past, once we accept our own death, can we really live.
Falwell and King left legacies, they spread consciousness, they were powerful and charismatic. We're not all meant to be in the media spotlight like them but what we do really really matters to those around us and even the strangers we encounter in the post office line. I pray that we use our power, our lives, our words for good, for benefit, out of love. That's the kind of legacy I'd like to leave.
To help remove some of the emotional blocks you might be encountering, strongly consider coming to our conference in August in Nashville, TN. Be there and be moved.
Both passed while in their place of passion, in their work and they literally worked until the moment they died. It's hard to grasp why King would go so young. It's curious why God had them go on the same day, especially considering one preached separatism and superiority and the other unity and equality. Two powerful voices silenced at the same time.
Relating to my blog about my friend who died of a rare cancer (This Cubicle Supports Gay Marriage) where I'd noticed there were people around me who recently had lost someone, it seemed in a month or two like a domino effect. In the last two weeks, I've had three friends lose a parent - 2 cancers and a car accident.
It's such a reminder how we don't know how long we have and that's okay. It's okay when we know authentically that what we're doing right now...and now....and now...are the best things we could be doing. We're doing it with passion, with meaning, all the while asking, how can I serve, how can I give, what can I share? As wise ones have said in the past, once we accept our own death, can we really live.
Falwell and King left legacies, they spread consciousness, they were powerful and charismatic. We're not all meant to be in the media spotlight like them but what we do really really matters to those around us and even the strangers we encounter in the post office line. I pray that we use our power, our lives, our words for good, for benefit, out of love. That's the kind of legacy I'd like to leave.
To help remove some of the emotional blocks you might be encountering, strongly consider coming to our conference in August in Nashville, TN. Be there and be moved.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Hate Crimes Bill in DC Today
In recent weeks, there's been a huge outpouring of attendance, intention, love and debate around the hate crimes bill going through the House today. HRC is involved and so many religious leaders, progressive pastors and congregants have come from all over the country to show their support for its passing. Take a look at it for yourself, see what you think. Encourage your state representatives to do the right thing and make their decisions love-based.
Here's another chance to take a minute and even if it has nothing to do with the deadline your facing at work, getting the laundry done or paying bills, recognize that this legislation directly affects millions of people across the country and it matters that you are involved.
There's only one of us here. Separation is an illusion.
Take a gander at the write up done by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and make your own love-based decision:
This Thursday, the full House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would add victims of hate crimes who are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity to existing hate crimes statutes. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc., has been working since the 1980s to pass similar legislation, and 2007 presents our best hope yet for passing this bill.
Yet extremists on the right are doing everything they can to prevent us from receiving the same protections provided to people who are targeted due to their race or religion. And they’re reaching new lows in their attacks. We don’t usually link to sites like the Traditional Values Coalition or the American Family Association, but this time, we felt you should see for yourself what they’re saying.
Make sure Congress understands that it needs to pass the hate crimes bill — this year. We have been waiting far too long. Contact your U.S. representatives and senators today by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121. And make sure to visit our Hate Crimes Protections 2007 Action Center.
Here's another chance to take a minute and even if it has nothing to do with the deadline your facing at work, getting the laundry done or paying bills, recognize that this legislation directly affects millions of people across the country and it matters that you are involved.
There's only one of us here. Separation is an illusion.
Take a gander at the write up done by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and make your own love-based decision:
This Thursday, the full House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would add victims of hate crimes who are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity to existing hate crimes statutes. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc., has been working since the 1980s to pass similar legislation, and 2007 presents our best hope yet for passing this bill.
Yet extremists on the right are doing everything they can to prevent us from receiving the same protections provided to people who are targeted due to their race or religion. And they’re reaching new lows in their attacks. We don’t usually link to sites like the Traditional Values Coalition or the American Family Association, but this time, we felt you should see for yourself what they’re saying.
Make sure Congress understands that it needs to pass the hate crimes bill — this year. We have been waiting far too long. Contact your U.S. representatives and senators today by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121. And make sure to visit our Hate Crimes Protections 2007 Action Center.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
What Does Don Imus Have to Do With Me?
Prior to doing the movie thing, I worked as a promotions and marketing director as well as on-air talent for radio stations starting in college. Eight years later, I left, just after the 1996 Telecommunications Act kicked in and media owners started the feeding frenzy. In the three years I was at my last station, we had 5 owners and often were orphans stuck in "LMAs" which is an ownership limbo.
While at the last station, our sister station had Don Imus in the Morning for a while. The calls my sister station colleagues would get about the program weren't not the "funnest" ways to start the day. Our sister station didn't keep his show on very long, even though it was a huge revenue stream and cheaper than a live morning show duo...the station actually saw through the money and went to a live morning show, and has thrived since.
But that's not really the Don Imus tie I wanted to bring up. The tie is something we eluded to in our monthly e-newsletter we blasted out today. The fact that America has two hugely avoided and uncomfortable topics in American conversation brought up in discouraging and desperate ways in just eight days is just cause for reflection and action. First, Don Imus makes yet another prejudiced and racist comment about african-american women. This brings up how normalized this speech seems as it is a core topic in rap videos and music and several other venues. Then with Virginia Tech and the student shooter, gun violence enacted by an alleged depressed, lonely, separated kid. Racism and gun violence. Perhaps at the surface, they look like separate isolated issues....and I beg to differ.
They are one in the same. Both are violent. Both are coming from a place of negative intention. Both are to harm and control. Both came from souls that didn't have tools to handle their fear differently and more beneficially. Both felt they had the right and were justified. We have to take responsibility for allowing our culture to raise such consciousness and such results. This behavior isn't outside of us, it's not separate from us. It takes a village and we as individuals make up that village, make up this culture and we have to take responsibility for our role in allowing the denigration of genders, races, cultures, orientations and religions through the vernacular, the everyday language. We have to take responsibility for the lone student allowed to be distanced from society, keeping the kid's imagination and life wrapped up in a head that can and will play tricks. No connection to the outside world, no connection to people equals no reason to live. Like wounded animals in the wild, he lashed out and had others feel the pain he was feeling internally. At least that way, he was no longer alone. He died with the others.
Here I am in the media and am I questioning Imus' free speech right? Ah, no. Free speech is an opinion, it is an expression of differing viewpoints and ideas. Free speech is not to slander, raise superiority, verbally assault, abuse and oppress. Free speech has a beneficial intention for society, it helps it question, learn and grow...not tear down, fight for lowest common denominator and break people's spirits.
The other tie is that these example incidents we are living with right now as a nation is no different than the equality GLBT persons seek in society. If it's one place in society, it's going to show up in another. All of this fear, all of this protection is carried down from generations. Just like domestic abuse or molestation, we have to break the cycle and let the harm end with us. Let us not carry on the fear, carry on the ignorance, carry on beating others down with our words, judgments and certainly our weapons...guns or tongues.
The time is ripe to be the change we seek. The time is ripe to improve our own worlds which will ripple to improving other's worlds and before we know it, we've improved our society and the rest of the world. I'll end the way we ended our e-newsletter blurb, lyrics from a popular song, "what kind of world do you want?" It's really up to you. How do you talk about others? What's your intent in your comments? What's your body language saying to your kids, colleagues and friends. What are you saying to yourself? How do you treat yourself? It really does start with you. And me. I'm in. You in?
While at the last station, our sister station had Don Imus in the Morning for a while. The calls my sister station colleagues would get about the program weren't not the "funnest" ways to start the day. Our sister station didn't keep his show on very long, even though it was a huge revenue stream and cheaper than a live morning show duo...the station actually saw through the money and went to a live morning show, and has thrived since.
But that's not really the Don Imus tie I wanted to bring up. The tie is something we eluded to in our monthly e-newsletter we blasted out today. The fact that America has two hugely avoided and uncomfortable topics in American conversation brought up in discouraging and desperate ways in just eight days is just cause for reflection and action. First, Don Imus makes yet another prejudiced and racist comment about african-american women. This brings up how normalized this speech seems as it is a core topic in rap videos and music and several other venues. Then with Virginia Tech and the student shooter, gun violence enacted by an alleged depressed, lonely, separated kid. Racism and gun violence. Perhaps at the surface, they look like separate isolated issues....and I beg to differ.
They are one in the same. Both are violent. Both are coming from a place of negative intention. Both are to harm and control. Both came from souls that didn't have tools to handle their fear differently and more beneficially. Both felt they had the right and were justified. We have to take responsibility for allowing our culture to raise such consciousness and such results. This behavior isn't outside of us, it's not separate from us. It takes a village and we as individuals make up that village, make up this culture and we have to take responsibility for our role in allowing the denigration of genders, races, cultures, orientations and religions through the vernacular, the everyday language. We have to take responsibility for the lone student allowed to be distanced from society, keeping the kid's imagination and life wrapped up in a head that can and will play tricks. No connection to the outside world, no connection to people equals no reason to live. Like wounded animals in the wild, he lashed out and had others feel the pain he was feeling internally. At least that way, he was no longer alone. He died with the others.
Here I am in the media and am I questioning Imus' free speech right? Ah, no. Free speech is an opinion, it is an expression of differing viewpoints and ideas. Free speech is not to slander, raise superiority, verbally assault, abuse and oppress. Free speech has a beneficial intention for society, it helps it question, learn and grow...not tear down, fight for lowest common denominator and break people's spirits.
The other tie is that these example incidents we are living with right now as a nation is no different than the equality GLBT persons seek in society. If it's one place in society, it's going to show up in another. All of this fear, all of this protection is carried down from generations. Just like domestic abuse or molestation, we have to break the cycle and let the harm end with us. Let us not carry on the fear, carry on the ignorance, carry on beating others down with our words, judgments and certainly our weapons...guns or tongues.
The time is ripe to be the change we seek. The time is ripe to improve our own worlds which will ripple to improving other's worlds and before we know it, we've improved our society and the rest of the world. I'll end the way we ended our e-newsletter blurb, lyrics from a popular song, "what kind of world do you want?" It's really up to you. How do you talk about others? What's your intent in your comments? What's your body language saying to your kids, colleagues and friends. What are you saying to yourself? How do you treat yourself? It really does start with you. And me. I'm in. You in?
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Senate Bills in Salem
Luane and I just returned from Salem, Oregon where Willamette University hosted God & Gays and our Q&A event. We had a great time, the rain actually took a break, which is odd as there's many jokes about Oregonians rusting in the summertime. I was born in Portland, Oregon, lived in the Portland suburb of Milwaukie for some of my childhood. It was a fantastic trip for me and well timed.
Recently, Luane and I have been clearing and organizing our garage to make way for our new family member, the Toyota Prius. I've been going through a bunch of boxes containing the remains of my childhood and adolescence. It's wild to see some of those photos, read those notes from Chemistry and watch my handwriting morph to the small print I do today.
To visit Oregon and see some of our family's stomping grounds...Lew's Dairy Freeze on McLoughlin near the Bomber restaurant and see our favorite Chinese restaurant as an empty building now that the owners have passed away...has been in some ways healing and in some ways feeling proud of my past because it made me who I am today.
I visited the Church of Christ where I was baptized at 12. I asked one of the women there how the Church of Christ is involved and handling the reconciliation dialogue and she said "we aren't." So, I asked how that's working for them, "not so great." I mentioned the stories I've been told of Harding University students committing suicide over the pressure of their beliefs and their orientation. She mentioned she's lost some friends the same way for the same reason.
I was actually inspired. The woman was kind and she was courageous. She reminded me that facts change. Facts are a snapshot in time and "this too shall pass". Her church is transitioning to being more authentically welcoming and becoming more contemporary in its style and outreach. It's a fantastic start.
I felt a shift going on in Oregon while we ran around the state, visited folks at the grass roots level and met people along the way. Currently, there are two bills in the state legislature. One about domestic partnerships and one for adding sexual orientation and gender expression as part of discrimination protection. Currently, a gay man can be fired from his job, refused housing, etc. just for being gay. At night, after the screening event, Luane and I were winding down and flipped through the TV channels. We stopped when we saw the local community station airing the hearing of SB2 which is the discrimination bill. We listened to arguments pro and con. It was fascinating. All the clergy we saw attend were for the allowance of sexual orientation being included. One minister said he felt the state government needed to lead the way for the churches as churches are historically the last ones to catch on to equality, civil rights and acceptance. Churches are the slowest to get God's message. Something funny about that.
Earlier in the day, Luane and I spoke in a Rhetoric of Religion class. This was really different than other classes we've spoken in. Our talk was more about how the messages around the topic are communicated and why. Being a media theory prof in the past, I loved it. Several guys stayed back after class and we had long talks, sometimes that's our favorite thing to do. We do most of the listening and in some cases, we're the first to hear from a student that they're struggling and just want to talk about it, just tell someone they feel safe with.
It's common our movie and event brings people out of the woodwork, out of the closet sometimes just because they finally have open support and a safe place to go. The Q&A crowd was very cool and gave us a standing ovation at the end.
Oregon's got it goin' on and I'm proud to be an Oregonian.
Recently, Luane and I have been clearing and organizing our garage to make way for our new family member, the Toyota Prius. I've been going through a bunch of boxes containing the remains of my childhood and adolescence. It's wild to see some of those photos, read those notes from Chemistry and watch my handwriting morph to the small print I do today.
To visit Oregon and see some of our family's stomping grounds...Lew's Dairy Freeze on McLoughlin near the Bomber restaurant and see our favorite Chinese restaurant as an empty building now that the owners have passed away...has been in some ways healing and in some ways feeling proud of my past because it made me who I am today.
I visited the Church of Christ where I was baptized at 12. I asked one of the women there how the Church of Christ is involved and handling the reconciliation dialogue and she said "we aren't." So, I asked how that's working for them, "not so great." I mentioned the stories I've been told of Harding University students committing suicide over the pressure of their beliefs and their orientation. She mentioned she's lost some friends the same way for the same reason.
I was actually inspired. The woman was kind and she was courageous. She reminded me that facts change. Facts are a snapshot in time and "this too shall pass". Her church is transitioning to being more authentically welcoming and becoming more contemporary in its style and outreach. It's a fantastic start.
I felt a shift going on in Oregon while we ran around the state, visited folks at the grass roots level and met people along the way. Currently, there are two bills in the state legislature. One about domestic partnerships and one for adding sexual orientation and gender expression as part of discrimination protection. Currently, a gay man can be fired from his job, refused housing, etc. just for being gay. At night, after the screening event, Luane and I were winding down and flipped through the TV channels. We stopped when we saw the local community station airing the hearing of SB2 which is the discrimination bill. We listened to arguments pro and con. It was fascinating. All the clergy we saw attend were for the allowance of sexual orientation being included. One minister said he felt the state government needed to lead the way for the churches as churches are historically the last ones to catch on to equality, civil rights and acceptance. Churches are the slowest to get God's message. Something funny about that.
Earlier in the day, Luane and I spoke in a Rhetoric of Religion class. This was really different than other classes we've spoken in. Our talk was more about how the messages around the topic are communicated and why. Being a media theory prof in the past, I loved it. Several guys stayed back after class and we had long talks, sometimes that's our favorite thing to do. We do most of the listening and in some cases, we're the first to hear from a student that they're struggling and just want to talk about it, just tell someone they feel safe with.
It's common our movie and event brings people out of the woodwork, out of the closet sometimes just because they finally have open support and a safe place to go. The Q&A crowd was very cool and gave us a standing ovation at the end.
Oregon's got it goin' on and I'm proud to be an Oregonian.
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