YOU, BEING STRAIGHT…IS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO HANDLE.

I am so tired of people saying, “he’s too gay” or  “that’s so gay”.  This automatically suggests that there is something wrong or negative about the word or being gay.  I am also tired of people becoming frustrated or complaining that there is too much gay news everywhere.  Yeah right, too much gay news of bullied teens committing suicide or states denying the LGBT community some fundamental basic rights.

I knew I was gay for a long time, as far as I can remember, but I also knew that the time was not right for me to ‘come out’, as a matter-of-fact, I feared that it wasn’t safe for me to come out.  During the time that I lived as a shadow of who I was supposed to be I felt despair, anxiety, depression, anger, hate, confusion and the isolated.  I could relate to the oppression women or how people of colour felt and no-one should be made to feel so unloved or unwanted.

I could understand how activists become aggressive in their fight for equality especially after you have been oppressed and even put to death for fighting for equality.  There was a time when people of colour were not allowed to be in the same spaces as white people  – not very long ago either.  There was a time when women couldn’t vote.  Today, homosexuality is still punishable by death in many countries.  Yet, I am told that I can’t have a gay pride parade because straight people don’t have straight pride. 

I have heard people saying that it is too much for them to handle people ‘gayness’ – like it’s a bad habit such a smoking or drinking too much – I wonder how offended they would get if I told them (with all my GAY PROUDNESS) how offended I am with their straightness?  Well, you would never hear that from me because it is not conducive to creating good energy.

For all those gay people who are struggling with their sexuality and authenticity – I am here to tell you.  ALL WILL BE BETTER, just embrace and love who you are.  You will be surprised of all the allies you will have both straight and gay.  People who only see you as the loving and beautiful person you are.  There is nothing wrong with you because you are a reflection of who created you!

Here are some great and POSITIVE quotes regarding homosexuality from some people you may or may not know…..they will surprise you:

“If a bullet should ever enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”Harvey Milk

“The only queer people are those who don’t love anybody.”Rita Mae Brown

 “We are sick of hearing people say, “That band is so gay,” or “Those guys are fags.”  Gay is not a synonym for shitty.  If you wanna say something’s shitty, say it’s shitty.  Stop being such homophobic assholes.” – Pete Wentz

“Anybody can be unhappy.  We can all be hurt.  You don’t have to be poor to need something or somebody.  Rednecks, hippies, misfits – we’re all the same.  Gay or straight?  So what?  It doesn’t matter to me.  We have to be concerned about other people, regardless.”Willie Nelson

“Some people think I am gay, which I think is awesome.”Daniel Radcliffe

“My thoughts on gay marriage are that everyone has the right to love and to be loved, and that’s the position I take.”Nick Jonas

“The poetry you read has been written for you, each of you – black, white, Hispanic, man, woman, gay, straight.”Maya Angelou

“From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people.”Howard Dean

“Tell me:  When God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?…It is necessary to accompany them with mercy.”Pope Francis

“I could be wrong, but I think heterosexual marriage is threatened more by heterosexuals.  I don’t know why gay marriage challenges my marriage in any way.”Elizabeth Edwards

“My life has been immensely enriched by gay mentors, colleagues and friends, any discrimination and persecution of gay people is unacceptable.”Mikhail Baryshnikov

“By large in this country the issue of gay rights and equality should be past the point of debate.  Really, there should be no debate anymore.”Scott Fujita

“Just being out you’re doing your part.  It’s like recycling.  You’re doing your part for the environment if you recycle; you’re doing your part for the gay movement if you’re out.” – Martina Navratilova

“It should never be a crime to be gay.”Hillary Clinton

“Gay people are born everyday.  You will never legislate that away.”Melissa Etheridge

“I have some good friends of my own who happen to be gay, and when it comes to gay, straight or whatever, I’m for anything life-affirmative.  I’m for gay power, straight power, male power, female power; everybody should feel empowered without oppressing anyone who’s different.”Matthew McConaughey

“I kind of cheer the presence of any gay characters at all – I think the more we can saturate television with any gay character or lesbian character or transgender character, I think that’s a really great thing.  We’re kind of getting past the fact that they’re the punchline or that they’re the novelty.”Jesse Tyler Ferguson

“Yeah, I had gay friends.  The first thing I realized was that everybody’s different, and it becomes obvious that all of the gay stereotypes are ridiculous.”Bruce Springsteen

“Americans know as much about Canada as straight people do about gays.  Americans arrive at the border with skis in July, and straight people think that being gay is just a phase.  A very long phase.”Scott Thompson

“I’m for all kinds of gay rights.  I’m almost like a gay man myself.”NeNe Leakes

“Even in high school, I had friends that I didn’t know were gay until years later.  I’d find out on Facebook or something and be like, ‘Oh, that explains some things,’ or ‘Wow, no wonder they were so cool.”Kellan Lutz

“Gay men in a very real way created my career.”Marianne Williamson

“I know gay – gay people who aren’t married who are better parents than some, you know, straight people I know who are married.”Dennis Leary

“I did a woman’s movie, and I’m not a woman.  I did a gay movie, and I’m not gay.  I learned as I went along.”Ang Lee

“People were saying that David Geffen and I had gotten married and it just blew me away.  Not that they thought I was gay, but that they thought I could land a guy that hot.”Keanu Reeves

And the most important quote of all (joking)……

“My sexuality doesn’t define who I am as a person – it is the way that I treat others that defines me.”Robert Pavao

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

LOVE WINS IN THE END.

***In reference to this article – LGBTQ stands for: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer.

Russia and Vladimir Putin have a lot to answer when they legislated their anit-gay propaganda law.  In doing so – they have given permission to their citizens to harass and bully the LGBTQ community and it is happening.  There has been recent news out of Russia about human rights atrocities being committed against gay citizens, tourists and straight people and it is because of policies like this.  Uganda has officially declared that their LGBTQ citizens are lesser than those who are heterosexual when they introduced their “Kill The Gays” bill.  Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller, has indicated that she will investigate the deaths and hate-crimes that their LGBTQ community faced and has done nothing since, even in light of the recent murder of a 17-year old gay teen – who was beaten, searched and chopped after individuals at a party found out he was dressed as a woman.  Many politicians and religious leaders hide behind their religious beliefs to incite their bigotry, ignorance and hate which in turn allows their citizens to bully and harass their LGBTQ citizens. 

These atrocities (especially in Russia), are getting much publicity and many people are speaking out.  Many gay clubs around the world are boycotting Russian vodka and asking gay athletes not to participate in the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.  Many have questioned if boycotting Russian products would be an effective way of protesting the human rights issues in Russia.  According to an article by John Aravosis on AMERICAblog called Boycotts 101: Why the gay boycott of Russian vodka is already working, apparently yes, it is effective.  Here is the link to the article:

http://americablog.com/2013/07/why-boycott-russian-vodka-stoli.html

Until these countries make an effort to stop these human rights atrocities, it is up to everyone else in the world to give them a clear message that these atrocities are not acceptable and must stop.  I encourage this boycott and many others like it – until Russia, Uganda, Jamaica and so many other countries stop inciting violence against those who don’t conform to what they deem is ‘normal’.

I believe that LOVE wins in the end and I also believe that……..

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A MORE POSITIVE ONE