I Didn't Say It ....

Tim Watts, an Australian member of parliament, on his gay uncle, same-sex marriage and anti-marriage Prime Minister Tony Abbot:

“So I am tossing the script and talking about a gay man that I knew: a man that I called my Uncle Derek but who my Uncle Ian was never able to call his husband. It’s a horrific thing to watch someone die from AIDS, [and] it was particularly horrific in the Queensland of the 1980s and ’90s — to have to do so not only with the horrors of the illness but the indignities and horrors of a lack of recognition from the society around you. To have to deal with being beaten by hateful thugs on the street while your body was destroying itself from the inside. … It’s obviously a very personal issue. I haven’t spoken publicly about this at all. Being confronted with Tony Abbott telling another generation that it would have to wait again was the last straw. I couldn’t stop thinking about my uncle and a generation of gay men who died before being able to see the opportunity to have full equality under the law.”

It’s time, Australia, it’s time.

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Miley Cyrus, on Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood video:

“I don’t get the violence revenge thing. That’s supposed to be a good example? And I’m a bad role model because I’m running around with my titties out? I’m not sure how titties are worse than guns.”

I usually find Miley more than a little obnoxious, but she has a point. People rave about Swifty’s violent video but rage about Miley’s overtly sexualized performances?

Now, I ain’t a titty man, but I’d take ‘em over guns any day … though I probably wouldn’t know what to do with either one.

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Bill Donohue, on the charges against anti-gay Swiss Bishop Vitus Huonder:

“They want him behind bars. His offense? He quoted from the Bible. … If found guilty, he could serve up to three years in prison. These same activists would like to arrest Pope Francis, if they could. After all, the Holy Father has quite openly condemned homosexuality and gender theory. Explicitly, he has labeled proposals to legalize gay marriage ‘the envy of the Devil,’ and has said, ‘Gender ideology is demonic!’ Gay fascists are on the rise in North America and Europe. Their goal is to criminalize the Bible, and to destroy freedom of speech and religion.”

First off, wingnut. Huonder said the Bible is clear what to do with gays: put them to death. How is that, in any way, a Christian thing to say?

Asshat.

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John Waters, on calling Caitlyn Jenner ‘Bruce’ and wondering why you can’t make jokes about her:

“The Bruce Jenner/Caitlyn thing is kind of old hat to me. I had a transgender woman in Pink Flamingos. She had breasts and a penis. She got the operation that week. That was radical to me then. Caitlyn’s a Republican, she’s on a reality show, and she’s a Kardashian. We can’t make fun of him or her?”

First off, John, it’s her. Get used to it, because to call Caitlyn ‘him’ is both offensive and wrong.

And, go ahead and make jokes about Caitlyn and the Kardastrophes and being a Republican, but stay away from the anti-trans humor.

That’s all people are asking.

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Jeremiah Johnson, pastor [?], on how [t]Rump has been sent to us by God:

“The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘Trump shall become My trumpet to the American people, for he possesses qualities that are even hard to find in My people these days. Trump does not fear man nor will he allow deception and lies to go unnoticed. I am going to use him to expose darkness and perversion in America like never before, but you must understand that he is like a bull in a china closet. Many will want to throw him away because he will disturb their sense of peace and tranquility, but you must listen through the bantering to discover the truth that I will speak through him. I will use the wealth that I have given him to expose and launch investigations searching for the truth.”

Siddown Crazy. The last thing God has time for is American politics, because she’s too busy sending typhoons to Taiwan and killing babies in Africa.

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Mike Huckabee, again being anti-trans in saying the military doesn’t need to accept transgender people:

“The purpose of the military is to kill people and break things. It’s not to transform the culture by trying out some ideas that some people think would make us a different country and more diverse. The purpose is to protect America. I’m not sure how paying for transgender surgery for soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines makes our country safer.”

The military is there to kill people? Don't get started on that ....

Equality, Huckleberry. Equality makes America great, and safe, because when people are treated equally they feel safer and they work harder and better to keep it that way.

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Kristin Beck, a 20-year-veteran, recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and a trans woman, responding to the Huckster:

“He’s taking his religion and his personal beliefs and disenfranchising a large portion of the population. And I just think as a leader, you need to put the people ahead of your own feelings sometimes. Governor Huckabee has no idea what it means to sacrifice. It’s service and sacrifice over your own person. Others above self—always—and he does not understand that.”

You’d have to serve in the military to understand, but like all War Hawks, Huckabee never served.

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I Didn't Say It ....

Dan Savage, on America’s changing position on marriage equality:

"I tell this story in the book of being at this park in Seattle many years ago, where a limo pulls up and a bride and a groom tumble out to get their portraits at this very famous park with a beautiful view of downtown Seattle. And as they're walking back to the limo everyone starts to applaud, and rightly so. Everyone takes delight when two people find each other and make that commitment. I was standing there clapping next to these two older gentlemen with two big dogs. It was clear that they were gay and I was gay. And as they get into their car, the one closest to me looks at me and says, `We are always happy for them. Would it kill them to be happy for us?' We've reached that tipping point, where they are happy for us. Now you see straight people looking at gay people and recognizing something about themselves in us."

It should be that simple.

We should be happy for anyone who finds love.

Marcel Neergard, an 11-year-old gay student from Tennessee is speaking out against his state's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, and one of its proponents, Representative John Ragan:

"You have parents who don't want to talk about gays and don’t want to teach their children about gays, then they don't know anything about it and they don't get the education about what being gay is. During my first year in middle school, I experienced severe bullying. I was called terrible names that were quite hurtful. At that time, I had just realized that I'm gay, and the bullies used the word "gay" as an insult. This made me feel like being gay was horrible, but my parents told me otherwise. Their support was tremendous. But as powerful as their love was, it couldn't fight off all the bullying. I don't want anyone else to feel the way I did. No one deserves that much pain, no matter who they are. This was my reason for writing the petition."

Silence = Death.

And do we really need more young gay kids dying because some wingnuts don’t wanna hear about The Gays?

Go HERE to sign Marcel’s petition.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts quarterback, on the idea of an NFL payer coming out as gay:

“I mean, it's the 21 century. I know I would have absolutely no problem with it. I hope no one would treat him any differently than any straight player, and no special treatment. He's another guy...It's none of our business, the sexual preference of people. I hope if someone's thinking about (coming out), that if they do come out as gay and are a professional football player, and it makes them happy and it makes their life easier, then I think they should do it....When it does, if it does come, I'd be disappointed if there was a negative reaction among players."

Just another step in the right direction, though I have one quibble with Luck’s statement: it is not a sexual ‘preference’ because preference implies there is a choice, like when offered Italian or Chinese food for dinner, I would prefer Chinese.

It’s an orientation, because if it’s a preference then being straight is a preference, er, choice, too.

Kristin Beck, a former Navy SEAL and Transgender woman, on transgenderism:

"I do not believe a soul has a gender, but my new path is making my soul complete and happy. I hope my journey sheds some light on the human experience and most importantly helps heal the 'socio-religious dogma' of a purely binary gender."

As my parents instilled in all their children from an early age, ‘All you really get in life is happiness, so strive for that.’

Glad that Kristin is happy now.

Macklemore, rap artist and singer, calling for the government to support gay families:

“All families deserve respect. All parents deserve support whether they're gay or straight. I want a government that doesn't discriminate, a government that doesn't try to use religion to define what makes us a family. And that's why I am one of the voices united for the separation of church and state.”

I think being a parent is one of the hardest jobs a person could have, and why should we treat same-sex parents any differently that opposite-sex parents, or single parents.

A parent is a parent is a parent. Equally.

Liz Barker, Baroness in England's House of Lords, coming out as lesbian while coming out in support of marriage equality:

"Many years ago, I had the great good fortune to meet someone. She and I have loved each other ever since ... What we are doing today does not undermine any existing or future marriage. It extends the status of marriage to gay men and lesbians who want to make a public commitment in the presence of their families and friends, and sometimes their co-religionists. It reflects the wishes of those people who today do not want just to tolerate lesbians and gay men; they want to celebrate and support them as people in their own right.”

As I have been saying, show me the ‘traditional’ marriage that has been destroyed because of marriage equality and maybe then we can have a discussion.

Kevin Beckner, openly gay Hillsborough County [Florida] Commissioner, holding up a copy of the Constitution , and speaking to those who had originally put in place a ban on recognizing Gay pride by the county—the commissioners voted this week to repeal the ban:

"What does it say to a community when its own government sanctions discrimination against a class of its citizens? Does it give authority to others to discriminate against their fellow human beings? What about our children? Our children who go to school every single day that are subject to bullying simply because who they are as human beings. Does it give children the authority to bully and to put down their fellow classmates because government has said it's ok to do so? Ladies and gentleman, that is the real cost that this policy has to this community." 

Like I said yesterday, discrimination of any kind has no place here.

Good for the Hillsborough County Commissioners to put a stop to legalized discrimination.

Harvey Fierstein, on anti-LGBT religious bigots:
"Can you imagine if I was on a school board and I came in and I said, 'you know, I don't want any Jews or Christians teaching my kids, because they believe in people living inside whales, and they believe in slavery, and stoning women who have had an affair, so I just don't want any of those Christians or Jews'. Can you imagine? But they feel just absolutely free to say that about gay people."

If discrimination is wrong, all discrimination is wrong.
Well said, Harvey,

Kristin Beck Comes Out As Trangendered

People are always talking about how tough Navy SEALs are, and how brave and fearless. I mean, they took out Osama bin Laden quickly and smoothly. But. One of the toughest SEALs I’ve ever seen is Kristin Beck because Kristin Beck used to be a man, Chris Beck.

Chris Beck served 20 years as a SEAL--as part of the team that took out bin Laden--and fought on some of the most dangerous battlefields in the world, but after leaving the service she realized that life wasn’t her life.

And she has written a new book—along with Anne Speckhard—called “Warrior Princess” that details her struggles and her journey towards recognizing and becoming her true self.

Beck, as most transgendered people do, hid her secret form everyone for years, going so far as to grow a beard to conceal herself behind, figuratively and literally. Brandon Webb, another former SEAL who served on a different team than Beck, said Beck's reputation was a good one and said she was, by all appearances, the "consummate guy's guy."

"For years Chris had turned off his sexuality like a light switch and lived as a warrior, consumed with the battle -- living basically asexual. For Chris the other SEALs were brothers and in the man's man warrior lifestyle, even if he had wanted to entertain sexual thoughts, there really was never any time to be thinking too much about sexuality."—from “Warrior Princess”

Chris Beck retired from the SEALs in 2011, and decided the time was right to become her true self; to make what she felt inside be reflected in her outward appearance. She announced her decision to friends online with the declaration "No more disguises" and then began living her life as a woman. She is currently undergoing hormone therapy in preparation for sexual reassignment surgery.

In writing the book, as she says in the Preface, Kristin Beck hopes "to reach out to all of the younger generation and encourage you to live your life fully and to treat each other with compassion, be good to each other, especially in your own backyard (where it be high school or your community)."

One of the most amazing parts of this story—other than Kristin Beck’s bravery—are the responses she’s received from other SEALs:

"Brother, I am with you ... being a SEAL is hard, this looks harder. Peace"

"I can't say I understand the decision but I respect the courage. Peace and happiness be upon you...Jim"

" ... I just wanted to drop you a note and tell you that Kris has all the support and respect from me that Chris had ... and quite possibly more. While I'm definitely surprised, I'm also in amazement at the strength you possess and the courage necessary to combat the strangers and 'friends' that I'm guessing have reared their ugly heads prior to and since your announcement. ..."

If some of the toughest men on the planet can learn to understand and accept what it means to be transgendered, then the job should be much easier for those 'regular' folks.

Welcome Out, Kristin, and thank you for your service, and your bravery, on the battlefield and here at home.

Of course, you will also receive a copy of The Gay Agenda and the official Coming Out Toaster Oven from HOMO HQ; we’re having quite the run on those lately.

But again, your bravery knows no bounds. Coming out as gay is hard, and may still find it objectionable and unacceptable. But coming out as transgendered seems somehow doubly, triply, hard, and you have show true heroism to the T in LGBT.

Thank you, once again, for your bravery.

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