Day of Silence 2013

http://www.dayofsilence.org/

Day of Silence 2013

I am not sure how many high school or middle school students stop by "Oh, By The Way," but if you are, consider joining the Day of Silence. And if you are an adult who knows a teen, especially a gay teen, who might benefit from this, please pass it along. The Day of Silence started seventeen years ago as a way to protest bullying and harassment in schools. In recent years, the destructive Radical Christian Agenda has attempted to thwart or stop this student outreach, effectively claiming that it is their religious right to harass and attack human beings for being gay. Because of this, it is even more important to counteract such hurtful, hateful, backward beliefs. A religious freedom is a personal choice, not a ticket to ostracize, punish, intimidate, shame, or attack (mentally, psychologically, socially, verbally, OR physically) another person.

I am posting this ahead of the date so there is time: to organize a Day of Silence in a school or to learn how to participate, please visit the GLSEN website linked below.

http://www.dayofsilence.org/

Welcome, Robbie!

Another professional athlete has come out... and we have another hero.

U.S. soccer star Robbie Rogers today made two simultaneous announcements: he is gay, and he is retiring from football. Rogers played several seasons for Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew before joining Britain's Leeds United team last year. In 2007 he played for Team USA in the FIFA World Cup tournament, and he competed for the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Whatever you do now Robbie, we wish you continued success.

Read his inspiring statement on his website:
http://www.therobbierogers.com

MLK/ Inauguration

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”

— Martin Luther King

Thank you, Mr. President.

But we still have a long way to go and a lot of conscientious--willful--stupidity to overcome.

Spirit Day 2012

Today is the third annual Spirit Day. The movement was launched in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan in conjunction with GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) as a day to remember the young people who have taken their lives due to homophobic bullying and soul-destroying lies perpetuated by homophobic groups, both political and religious in nature (and some who think they are above the law and combine both without paying any taxes!). To show support to the young gay people still with us and to combat the rampant bullying and frantic hatred that seems to be sweeping our country at cultural and political levels, today is a day to wear purple and demonstrate to anyone who might be feeling alone and worthless that there are many people in the world who believe in the value of their lives and souls.

"Dear gay teen contemplating suicide:

You are not wrong. You are not “bad.” You are not sick, defective, or evil.
You are perfect and beautiful just the way you are.
You have done nothing wrong and you have done nothing to deserve being humiliated, punished, or hurt, either physically or emotionally.
Bullying and discrimination are never ever innocent: the bullies are the ones who are wrong, bad, and sick for hurting you.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you are any less of a human being than they are. Don’t let them tell you it is a choice or that being gay is about behavior; you are who you are. Embrace yourself and be proud of being alive.

You have value. You have as much right to be here on this planet as anyone else.
It may seem like the world is against you, but there are people for you out there, there are places for you out there. You will be happy, you will get to live YOUR life the way YOU want to, without having to pay any attention to the bullies or whatever “bible” nonsense some people might throw at you… you are not "impure," "immoral," "unnatural," or "against nature." Those are just ridiculous lies they tell to hide their hatred, fear, and prejudice.

You will survive and thrive! You get to live here. This is your RIGHT.
You might turn out to be an important author, a doctor who cures a disease, a famous designer, someone who invents a new type of metal, an inspiring performer… or you might end up working with kids who need to hear that they have value and are perfect the way they are.
Please stick around.
Please.
We need you.

Love,
JEF"

To help, please visit:
The Trevor Project
Dan Savage's "It Gets Better Project" on Youtube
Please spread the word about this issue and these sites--you never know who might need to hear about them.

http://www.glaad.org/spiritday

GLBT History Month

October is GLBT History Month. The website http://www.lgbthistorymonth.com/ is observing the month by featuring the contributions and achievements of thirty one important gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered figures. Each day in October, a new GLBT figure is featured with a video, bio, bibliography.

Below is a wonderful and very partial list of GLBT figures throughout history. To the people who say "Well, I don't care if (insert famous GLBT person's name here) is/was gay. It's none of my business who (famous GLBT person) sleeps/slept with," I say that it is important to know in order to combat the still-persistent belief present in many quarters of the country that gay men or lesbians or bisexual or transgendered individuals are sick, useless, incapable of success, and have nothing to do with society or culture at large.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Today is the 24th annual National Coming Out Day. This celebration started in 1988 as a way to raise awareness of the GLBT community and civil rights movement. It may be called "National" Coming Out Day but it is observed internationally in many countries including Australia, Canada, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/national-coming-out-day

Welcome, Orlando!

Not only is it currently GLBT History Month, but today boxer Orlando Cruz came out. This marks the very first time ever that an active, professional boxer has come out. I do not follow boxing at all (it puzzles me), but I am happy to see anyone come out with confidence, pride, and determination. He is quite brave to have come out in such a traditionally masculine sport, and in a country that is suffering such a sick backlash against gay men and women.

Continued success to you, hero.

"I've been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself...I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.

I don't want to hide any of my identities...I want people to look at me for the human being that I am. I am a professional sportsman that always brings his best to the ring. I want for people to continue to see me for my boxing skills, my character, my sportsmanship. But I also want kids who suffer from bullying to know that you can be whoever you want to be in life, including a professional boxer, that anything is possible and that who you are or whom you love should not be impediment to achieving anything in life."