Thanksgiving 2011

"As we express our gratitude, we must never
forget that the highest appreciation
is not to utter words,
but to live by them."
-John F. Kennedy

Homophobia

Homophobia


Homophobia means:

I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.

I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.

I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.

We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.

I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.

I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.

I am one of the lucky ones, I guess. I survived the attack that left me in a coma for three weeks, and in another year I will probably be able to walk again.

I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.

We are the couple who had the Realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.

I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.

I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.

I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.

I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.

I am the man who died when the paramedics stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.

I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I did not have to always deal with society hating me.

I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don’t believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.

I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.

I am the person who is afraid of telling his loving Christian parents he loves another male.

I am the boy kicked out of his home because I am gay.
Reblog this if you believe homophobia is wrong. Please do your part to end it

Thanks to: http://quasil0t.tumblr.com/

Now for something a bit relaxing... watch full screen with sound at a comfortable level to enjoy......

PHANTOM WATER EDIT from Chris Bryan on Vimeo.

It Gets Better

Today we wear purple in remembrance of all the teens that have committed suicide or are thinking of it. Many are pushed into it by bullies. This is something that cannot be tolerated. Bullying comes in many forms...persons at school or work and parents and siblings are the ones that do the most. School kids can be very mean and hurtful thinking they are having fun. Parents do it by forcing beliefs and feelings on their kids. Bullying is a learned behavior. It comes from what your parents, preachers and peers taught . It is a form of hatred and is against everything that most religions believe in. Christ, for example, taught love and compassion, the exact opposite of bullying.
If you are a parent of a boy that isn't the star athlete or a girl that isn't the beauty queen, never tell them they are wrong in what they feel. Encourage and love them as they are. A boy that likes colors or likes the piano could grow up to be a world class artist. The girl that likes to play sports could be a politician when she gets older. If you try to force your beliefs and your wishes on your child ... you will force them out of your life. They will either run or end it.
If you are a victim of a bully, there are many people who will help. I have links on the side of this page for some groups. You can also contact School officials or contact your local MCC, Unitarian, or Church of Christ. They all will help. If you don't know where to find it Send me an e-mail at teddycares2@gmail.com and I'll try to help.

A Tribute

I found this today on another blog. It really says a lot.

Today We Remember Matthew Shepard

This is from the Matthew Shepard newsletter...

13 Years Later, His Legacy Lives On

Thirteen years ago today, on the prairie east of Laramie, Wyoming, a 21-year-old man was clinging to life after a brutal attack. Two other men, who somehow in their lives came to believe that others could be disregarded, hurt, or even killed, for being different than themselves, had left Matthew Shepard alone, mortally wounded, tied to a fence, at the mercy of the elements.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation remembers Matt every day, as we conduct educational programs about the value of diversity, reach out to companies to ensure equal opportunity in the workplace, and deliver online resources to LGBT and allied young people to lead healthy, productive, hate-free lives.

We implore policy makers to end discrimination, hate crimes and bias in our society. We draw the nation's attention to the scourges of bullying, and parental rejection. We project a message of hope, and a call for personal commitment to change in all of our daily lives. We do this in Matthew's name, and in yours: you, the donors, supporters and activists who make our work possible, and effective.

But every October in particular, we also remember Matt, the person whom some of us were unbelievably fortunate to know. A person who was passionate about social justice, and the plight of those less fortunate than himself. A true friend and a gentle spirit whose imperfections, like all of ours, were vital to his personality and a source for his ambition to make the world better for everyone.

Please join all of us at the Foundation and the Shepard family in remembering Matt today, in your own life, in some way large or small, by "Replacing Hate with Understanding, Compassion and Acceptance."

Thank you for your continued support.


Jason Marsden, Executive Director

Steve Jobs 1955-2011