George Takei Calls 'Em Like He Sees 'Em

That's actor George Takei ("Star Trek;" "Heroes") and his partner Brad Altman. George is one of those actors who doesn't take himself too seriously and is never afraid to make fun of himself. He's been on "The Simpson's" plenty of times and made some very amusing commercials. 

Now, while Uncle P was busy being silly about Horror movie directors last month, a very ugly event took place in Arkansas. It seems that the Vice-President of a local school board posted some very inflammatory and patently homophobic remarks on his Facebook page. In light of the recent attention given to bullying and teen-suicides, the remarks didn't sit very well with a bunch of people, least of all CNN hottie Anderson Cooper, who took the man (one Clint McCance) to task for being a bully himself, made all the worse by his being the School Board VP. After Cooper's blistering report, McCance gave him an exclusive interview in which he "apologized." I put that word in quotation marks because McCance apologized only for upsetting the parents of those who had committed suicide and for his choice of words. Not once did the falsely contrite little prick apologize for the sentiment behind those words. McCance, who was forced to move his family out of state due to death threats, has resigned from the Board, but not recanted his views.

Which leads me to dear George Takei, who saw through McCance's carefully orchestrated false apology and responded by adding his voice to Dan Savage's It Gets Better campaign. Below is Mr. Takei's It Gets Better message, my favorite, so far:

I am in the process of  trying to get the JTMF to add The Trevor Project to our beneficiaries, and hope to add our own video to the It Gets Better campaign. I'll let you know when and if we do. In the meantime, I'm so glad there are folks like Mr. Takei out there, unafraid to call a douchebag a douchebag.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide because of anti-gay bullying or because you fear your family members may reject you, PLEASE call the The Trevor Project 24/7 at 866-488-7986. Please know that you are loved and that your life is worth living. It really does get better.

Enough pontificating. I'll be back to my usual nonsense tomorrow with this November's first Turkey post.

More, anon.

Prospero

Read More......

True Horror

I'm interrupting the Shocktober posts tonight, because its happened again. That's 19 year-old Zach Harrington of Norman, OK. Towleroad is reporting that Zach took his life this week after attending "a hate-filled recent City Council meeting" on September 28th, during which adults his parents' age shouted epithets and sentiments similar to those expressed by children and teens in other recent suicide events.

I am sickened and distraught by what's happening in America, right now. Why do people still hate our community in the 21st Century? And how can anyone still say that being a member of the single most hated minority on the planet is a "choice?" Why would anyone deliberately choose to be taunted, vilified, hated and labeled as 'sick' and 'evil?' Does that make any sense to any one? I thought not.

Yes, I'm going to name the actual villain here: Religion. Blinded by what they've been told for centuries, religious leaders around the world have expounded on the 'sin' of homosexuality. Preachers, Priests, Imams and Rabbis have taught against homosexuality for centuries. Why? Because homosexual relationships (until recently) produced no children to give money and power to their cause. Of course the Pope wants you to refrain from birth control. That's that many less people to tithe. At least Lenin got one thing right when he said "Religion is the opiate of the masses."

Now I know there are plenty of LGBT people out there who still believe. And there are a few churches out there who teach acceptance. But as long as groups like Exodus continue to lie to people about being able to change their sexuality; and as long as the Catholics, Mormons, Baptists and Muslims tell their followers that being gay equals being evil; young people like Zach Harrington will continue to be hated simply for being for who they are. And they will continue to take their lives in desperation. And that is simply NOT acceptable.

This has to stop. I am asking all of my readers and my fellow bloggers to join the "It Gets Better" campaign. We have to let our young people know that they are loved, valued and needed and that their lives are worth living. 

And if you are a young LGBT person reading this, please do not give up hope. If you are considering suicide, please, please call the Trevor Project, 24/7 at 866-488-7386. You are not alone. Again, I've been there. I know how difficult it cane be. It really does get better. I promise.

More, anon.
A heartbroken Prospero

Read More......

Two More Things

I have some more messages for those of you who are feeling alone and afraid. First this:



 And then, this:

I've been there. And I got through it, because I knew it had to get better. And it did. And it will for you, too. There are plenty of folks out there you care about you and want you to live your life to its fullest potential. Don't let the assholes win.

And if you want to talk to someone anonymously, leave me a message. I promise I know what you're going through. And plenty of others do, too. And we care.

Prospero

Read More......

Enough Is Enough

This is a picture of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after his roommate and a friend web-casted Tyler and another man in an intimate moment. The 18 year-old jumped to his death from the George Washington bridge after he found out about the betrayal.

Clementi is the latest in a string of recent suicides among gay teens who have been mercilessly bullied into taking their own lives.

CNN posted the story below today, noting that those involved have been charged with "Invasion of Privacy." Personally, I think they should be charged with Hate Crimes and Involuntary Manslaughter, at the least:

13 year-old Seth Walsh of California; 15 year-old Billy Lucas of Indiana and 13 year-old Asher Brown of Texas have all recently committed suicide because of homophobic bullying by their classmates. These are children whose lives should have just been beginning, not ending. In Ohio, 11 year-old Tyler Wilson had his arm broken by bullies because he was a cheerleader. What the hell? Are Americans raising an army of homophobic monsters? Why? 

I really don't understand, because the young straight people I know are all perfectly sane, rational folks who agree that this is an epidemic that is quickly getting out of control. And it's certainly not something we can just chalk up to "Kids will be kids." Because the truth is, kids will be what their parents teach them to be. Nearly 70 years ago, Rogers and Hammerstein wrote a song for the musical South Pacific called "Carefully Taught," in which they very clearly say that hatred and bigotry are instilled, not innate. And while at the time they were specifically talking about racism, the message rings true for any minority:

And at the usually hilarious Kindertrauma, blogger Unkle Lancifer posted this diatribe about bullying and the 1977 Brian DePalma classic, Carrie. Not nearly as silly (and far angrier) than one might expect. And the undisputed Queen of the Gays, Ellen Degeneres, addressed the issue on her daily talk show today. I dare you to watch without getting as choked up as she does:

My question is, where are the teachers and administrators in all of this? The parents of all three younger boys say they repeatedly called their children's schools to complain, only to be met with empty platitudes. Are teachers so scared of these bullies themselves? Or are they just as hatefully homophobic? We can blame the Fred Phelpses and Maggie Gallaghers of the world all we want, but the ultimate responsibility for these reprehensible behaviors lies solely with the parents of the children committing them. sadly, the messages sent by groups like NOM and the Westboro Baptist Church seem to be taking hold, and that's something we must stop now, before it's too late.

Gay kids are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than straight kids, and far less likely to seek help when feeling suicidal. If you, or someone you know is considering suicide because of anti-gay bullying, I urge you call the Trevor Project, 24/7, at 866-488-7386. You are not alone. You are loved and you are worth keeping around. It gets better. I promise.

My heart goes out to all the families of these (and all) young folks who have suffered because of their sexuality, whether real or perceived. 

More, anon.

A very saddened Prospero

Read More......