AMAZING THINGS CELEBRITIES DO

Many people are so caught up in the lives of celebrities but the fascination has become so far removed from what these celebrities are endorsing.  I remember when entertainment news interviewed actors/actresses/artists about films or projects they worked on and are promoting.  Today, celebrity or entertainment news is about scandals, pregnancies, celebrity addictions and breakdowns and never really about the artists work.

I want to take a different approach and talk about the great and amazing things that many celebrities have done and how they have contributed by creating positivity in the world.  Here are some great examples:

Margaret Cho

After Robin Williams death, Margaret Cho became inspired to help the homeless people in her hometown of San Francisco.  She did this by busking in the streets of San Francisco – singing, playing guitar and even stripping, to give over 6500 homeless people a voice.  Margaret took to social media by connecting with her fans and spreading the word of what she hoped to accomplish.  Fans responded by donating coats, shirts, pants, shoes, blankets and cash to Margaret’s cause.  Currently, there are more than half-million homeless in the USA.  For more information about Margaret’s amazing and inspiring project, please visit:  www.margaretcho.com

Bob Barker

Bob Barker always ended the Price Is Right by ensuring we all spay and neuter our pets but did you know he was an avid animal rights activist?  Bob advocated for the relocation of 3 African elephants from the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to a southern California sanctuary – this finally happened after Bob spent one million dollars to ensure the relocation was a success.

Bob also donated $380,000 to Chimp Haven in Kentville, LA to help build a special care facility for 5 chimpanzees infected with HIV.   “I have waited months for this occasion,” Barker said the day the new facility was opened. “After 30 years of being locked in cages, these chimpanzees now have the choice to lie in the grass and look up at the sky—day or night. They can climb trees and build nests. And best of all, they can do it with each other. Seeing this today has me choked up.”

Here is a PSA Bob completed with PETA about Sea World:

 

 

Victoria Principal

The Dallas star is an advocate for our planet and the environment and has previously donated to the following organizations:  Greenpeace ($25,000), Natural Resource Defense Council ($125,000) and Oceana ($100,000)

 

Bea Arthur

 

Not only was Bea Arthur a brilliant comedic actor taking on controversial subjects on Maude and The Golden Girls, she was also a staunch supporter of animals rights.  She became a PETA member in 1987 and shot a PSA with Rue McClanahan and Betty White on the set of The Golden Girls after an anti-fur episode of their show. 

 

Tom Cruise

 

While cruising on his yacht, Tom Cruise spotted a boat in flames and sailed towards it and pulled the people to safety.  He also stopped at a hit-and-run, called emergency services and stayed with the injured woman until the paramedics arrived.  After learning that she wasn’t insured, Tom graciously paid her medical bills.

 

Sean Penn

 

After Hurricane Katrina – Sean not only contributed money to relief efforts, but headed directly to New Orleans and drove a motor boat through flooded streets rescuing people. 

 

Sean is also a board member of J/P HRO an organization the provides various forms of relief to many displaced Haitians after the devastating earthquake of 2010.  For more about this organization and to donate, please visit:

 

http://jphro.org/about.html

 

We rarely hear about the great things celebrities do or the awareness they give to whatever causes they are passionate about – these are the things that we need to hear so that people are inspired and to join the REVOLUTION OF LOVE. 

 

Instead of perpetuating the cycle of negative and redundant news, why not take the time to share stories that make us feel good and inspire others to create positive change in the world?

 

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

WE ARE ALL ONE!

There is nothing complicated about ending discrimination in the workplace!  Whether the discrimination is against people of colour, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious beliefs – there is no place for it in the workplace.  So why are American companies finding it so difficult to end discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the workplace?  Could it be because many people still consider homosexuality a deviant behaviour and a choice people make?  Or is it simply because of peoples religious beliefs?

Writing as a human being who happens to be a homosexual, I don’t believe that I woke up one day and said, “I think I will try to have intercourse with a man today.”  I also didn’t ask for the constant bullying and verbal assaults by being called ‘faggot’, ‘gaylord’, ‘cocksucker’, ‘poof’, just to name a few.  I didn’t instigate it when a group of guys drove by and whipped bottles at me from their car just because I was walking in the ‘gay village’.  I would want to ensure this type of behaviour did not transfer into my work environment, why would I not be allowed this type of protection.

As a human being – I do my best to treat people as how I want to be treated; with respect, dignity and kindness, that isn’t too much to ask.  I give the same treatment that is given to me.  I can’t believe that so many people are still biased and show so much hate towards people who are no different than they are.  We may have different appearances but we are all derived from the same divine entity.  Religion is not the authority and should not dictate how a person should be treated.  You can’t ostracize women, people of colour, those who practice different religions or have different spiritual practices, homosexuals or anyone else who challenges religious ideologies – we should embrace this.  Engage in dialogue and come to a resolution that we are essentially the same and want to create positive change everywhere.  Those who feel different may have issues they need to resolve within themselves – racism, anger, fear, homophobia, etc.

The civil rights movement began because people of colour were being mistreated, disrespected and killed just because of the colour of their skin.  Rosa Parks didn’t sit at the front of the bus because her legs were tired – she sat at the front because she was tired of being treated as a lesser human than everyone else who wasn’t of colour.  Martin Luther King Jr., Mohammed Gandhi, Representative John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harriett Tubman and so many others were activists for peace, equality, justice and positive change.

Just like the civil rights movement, there have been many individuals who are directly and indirectly responsible in demanding equality for the LGBTQ community.  People like Barney Frank, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, Roseanne Barr, Madonna, Cher, Harvey Milk, Tony Reis, Rosie O’Donnell, Bob Brown, Sven Robinson, Li Yinhe, Rama Yade, Magnus Hirschfeld, Shaleen Rakesh, Arsham Parsi, Patria Jiménez, Nikolay Alexeyev, David Kato, Jeremy Bentham – these individuals, and so many more, have given so much (even their lives) to ensure that gays, lesbians, trans-gendered, bisexual and queer people are treated with equality, dignity and respect.

Try not to look at people based on their colour, gender, what they believe or who they love.  Judge them based on their actions and how they treat others.  Do they show compassion, are they respectful and non-judgmental and are they caring?  LOVE, COMPASSION and CARING are attributes that create positive change in the world so let’s start a REVOLUTION OF LOVE!

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