No Love Is Wrong

In retrospect, I have realized that no love is wrong no matter who you are or whom you love. Same sex marriage has become an issue that all Americans have become aware of. Many people argue over the thought of seeing a couple of the same sex becoming legally married, but marriage is for love, whether it is between a man and a woman, a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. I believe everyone has the right to marry. Heterosexual couples get married everyday so why not same sex couples?

Homosexuals want to marry for the same reason as any heterosexual couple. Some people feel gay couples seek to destroy the sanction of marriage, but that is false. They just seek to be a part of it. Gays and lesbians want to marry for the same reason heterosexuals do and that is to show their love for one another. By not allowing gay couples to marry is the same as telling them their love is wrong, and no ones love is wrong. We live in America, the country of the free! Yet same sex couples are unable to marry? Something seems odd there.

The choice of marriage should be given to everyone no matter what his or her sexual orientation may be. I firmly believe that the future does hold a positive outlook on same sex marriages and will hopefully one day become legal. However, until then everyone should remember that we are all humans and that we should all be treated equally no matter what. Just because certain peoples lifestyles are different from one another doesn’t give anyone the right to discriminate against them.

The True Colors Tour is indeed full of color

Cheers to you Mrs. Lauper! Cyndi Lauper has become one of my new favorite people. Besides being a well known singer and icon, she is also a firm believer and supporter of the LGBT community. She is actually putting on an event called the True Colors Tour, which supports the Human Rights Campaign and empowers both gay and straight Americans to stand up against discrimination.

The True Colors website gave me some great information on why Cyndi Lauper decided to put on this event. She said she wants this tour to “celebrate people’s differences by raising awareness for liberty, fairness and dignity for everyone- not just some of us. Our fans can come out to celebrate a great cause while also hearing some great music.”

This tour has a great lineup of musical guests including Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, The Dresden Dolls, The Gossip, The Misshapes, and Margaret Cho. Matthew Shepard’s parents are also going to make an appearance at some of the tour dates in remembrance of their son and his foundation.

The True Colors Tour sounds so optimistic and very exciting. I’m glad to see such positive actions being made towards not just the LGBT community, but also the straight community. As Cyndi Lauper says, “We should all have the right to live with the same dignity, opportunity and safety. It shouldn’t matter what anyone’s sexual orientation is.” How nice would it be if everyone thought this way? Hmm…Maybe the issue of same sex marriage wouldn’t be as hectic and controversial as it is today.

Website: http://www.truecolorstour.com/

Touchy Subject

As I began writing my blog in the beginning of the semester, I told myself that I wasn’t going to incorporate religion into my posts. I just felt that it would open up a whole other door of controversy and opinions that are hard to justify and being that religion is a sensitive subject to talk about.

Yet, I heard some rather upsetting news regarding Vatican officials and Pope Benedict that I just had to mention. It seems as though Italy is trying to offer more rights to the gay community, which is great! When news of this got to the Vatican, it didn’t end up so well. Sources say that Archbishop Angelo Amato, who is very close to the Pope, stated “parliaments of so-called civilized nations where laws contrary to the nature of the human being are being promulgated, such as the approval of marriage between people of the same sex” responded a bit hostile to the subject of same sex marriages.

Being of the Catholic faith myself, I know that same sex marriage is not recognized or accepted. That is fine and I hardly ever hear gay activists asking for the right of a holy matrimony in the first place. Gay activist solely want same sex marriage to be legal in the eyes of the government and issued the same rights as heterosexual married couples. I guess the reason why I am disappointed is that I found Archbishop Amato’s quote rather offensive. Being of Catholic faith myself, I was always taught to love thy neighbor and treat others the way you would like to be treated. Yet, Archbishop Amato’s remarks in response to Italy’s consideration of more rights to the gay community was so un Christian like in my eyes.

Is New York the next state to legalize same sex marriage?

Some good news! A positive initiative has been made on legalizing same sex marriage. The New York Times has reported that the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, will soon introduce a bill for same sex marriage equality in New York. This move has been anticipated because Spitzer announced in his campaign a year ago, that he supported same sex marriage and he planned to introduce a bill to legislation on behalf of it.

It’s good to see that Spitzer went through with his plans and upholds of his support on same sex marriage. Unlike other governors, as lets say *cough cough* California, who supports the gay community by signing laws that strengthen tax rights to gay partners, hate crime protections, and domestic partnerships. Yet he opposes same sex marriage, which is obviously a BIG deal for the gay community. Schwarzenegger should look up to Spitzer and take in that in order to support a community, such as the gay community, you should support everything about them and not just certain issues.

Who knows if Spitzer’s bill will even go through, but the fact that he is doing something about it is great. I applaud him for standing up for this issue and trying to make a change.

More than just marriage

I know that my blog is in favor of same sex marriage, but I also feel it is also a pro GLBT rights blog as well. When I see stories, pictures, and in this case even videos of individuals talking down on the GLBT community it makes me upset and at times even offended. The reason I feel this way is due to the fact that some of my closest friends and even family members are a part of the GLBT community and it has become a issue close to my heart.

Here is a short film including the oh so unfavorable and my current opponent Fred Phelps (founder of the Westboro Baptist Church). He is giving his description of why God hates “fags” and that it happens to be a profound theological statement… I think not! Watch and see how unbelievable he and his statements really are.

A visitor

Here it is! The post I had promised you all from my friend Cassandra that includes her views on being gay and of course same sex marriage.

Mostly everyone believes that love is unconditional, that when you fall in love nothing and no one matters…all that matters is that “you have each other.” Yet that isn’t the case for me. I love my partner unconditionally and I’d do anything for us to be happy together, but there is one problem…my partner is a she. I have been a member of the LGBT community for about 4 years, and being in a lesbian relationship has not been easy.

I came out to my family when I was 17 years old and fortunately, I was one of the “lucky ones.” My mother took it so well and she accepted me automatically for who I was. I cannot say that my experience as a lesbian has been a horrible one, but it hasn’t been the smoothest ride either. Though I also consider myself lucky in the sense that I have people who love me for who I am, give me a positive outlook on life, and keep a smile on my face. I always try to surround myself with the resources and people that I know won’t set me up for emotional distress.

I work as a program coordinator in the Pride Center at my University and I am involved in various organizations that aid to the LGBT community. It has become something I am passionate about and being able to help others is the most rewarding. Yet, when it comes to love, it is where I am the least accepted. I was with my partner for over two years and we had to end our relationship because her family wouldn’t accept her as a lesbian. Until this day, it breaks my heart that my partner and I can’t be together because of society and all its negative stereotypes that have influenced people’s (her parent’s) outlook and decisions amongst the LGBT community.

I am a firm believer in same sex marriage; I want to get married and form a family and be happy just as everyone else. Yet, that dream sometimes seems impossible for me. I fear that I will have to stay lonely or in a hidden relationships for the rest of my life because others wont accept me any my lifestyle. I would like to just live my life peacefully and not feel ashamed of loving another woman. I would like to marry the woman I love and plan ours lives together with out feeling scared or degraded. Until that day comes I can only hope for the best.

Some good news!

It is official the Westboro Baptist Church group has finally been put to a stop in the state of Kansas where they are based out of. If you look back into my previous posts, I wrote an entry on the group and their insensitive acts on various groups of people including homosexuals, soldiers, and even the families of those who have been killed in war or hate crimes.

The Governor of Kansas has actually signed a bill aimed at stopping the homophobic church group from protesting at various places, the most inappropriate being the funerals of those killed in Iraq. They are banned from coming within 150 feet of a funeral one hour before, during or two hours after the end of the service. Violators could face up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. Kansas joined 16 other states in stopping the hate group’s activities and covers 122 national cemeteries.

Thank goodness, someone has put a stop to this homophobic hate group and their heartless acts. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a law or bill against these kind of hate crimes or groups before. I'm hoping the Westboro Baptist Church groups protests and hate acts will be banned in all the states not just 17 of them.