NYC

Hopping the Amtrak tonight to head back to NYC! Had a great time visiting the family in Indiana.

Wrong Direction, but oh so right!

146 days

It has taken 146 days to heal from my surgery to a point where I can dance again. Today, I'm testing out my freshly healed ankle by attending my first dance audition since the spring. I'm excited, scared, and nervous. But, I'm going to be dancing!!!!

Raging Grannies

Love them!

Really...

$5 Fruit Stand Friday

Today was the second time I tried this, and I'm hoping to make it at least a weekly occurrence. I visit a fruit stand on the street and purchase $5 worth of fruits and vegetables that can be easily eaten and bag it up. I carry it with me all day until I encounter a homeless person and then give the bag away.

It all started last week when I walked passed a young homeless guy (who looked to be around my age). Something inside me told me to help this kid. Rather than just giving him some pocket change, I crossed the street and stopped at a fruit stand and bought an apple, an orange, and a banana...totaling $1.75. I took the bag back across the street and handed it to him, and he looked up at me with the most grateful look on his face. I smiled, holding back tears, and wished him well...carrying on with the rest of my day. I turned back as I got across the street to see him take a bite of the banana.

That moment has stuck with me and so, today I tried it again. I passed a young woman sitting on the street with a sign that said 'homeless and hungry'. Bingo...sprang into action. Found a stand, bought two packages of baby carrots, two oranges, and two bananas. $3.50 is all it cost. And now I had two bags to help people with. I returned to the girl and offered her the bag. She took hold of it and patted my hand gently. Again, I wished her well and went on about my day.

I had one bag left. A few blocks later, I saw a middle-aged woman with grey dreadlocks sitting silently in the sun. I crossed to the center of Broadway and asked if I could offer her something to eat. She asked what I had, so I showed her the banana, the orange, and the baby carrots. She said she would take the banana and orange. Smiling a smile with many missing teeth, she said carrots would be too tough to eat.

Now, I had a bag of baby carrots left. When I passed another fruit stand, I plopped down another $1.10 for another banana and an orange. For under $5, I made my third bag of the day. I kept my eyes peeled, but didn't see another homeless person all day until I was headed home this evening. Another young woman was sitting under a phone booth near Columbus Circle. I handed her the bag, and wished her well, and headed home for the night.

I challenge you all to find a way to help the hungry. For $5, I fed three people today. You don't have to be rich to make a difference. Brighten someone's day, and I promise your heart will feel better too.

Gays Ruin Everything

You might've heard that there was a shooting yesterday at the Family Research Council. No one was killed, one security guard was shot in the arm. The shooter was a man named Floyd Lee Corkins II. Not much is known about him other than his volunteer work at The DC Center for the LGBT Community.

What is known is how the conservatives in this country have wasted no time in blaming this shooting on all gay people and their supporters, by instantly playing the victim card.

I, as a gay American, am no more responsible for that shooting than any straight person is responsible for the Colorado shooting or the recent Sihk temple shooting, and I detest these crazy conservatives for even suggesting that gays and liberals are responsible.

Because the shooting happened on their own turf, now it's personal for them. Their false sense of security they held spewing hate and vitriol while hiding behind their religious views has been shattered. So, obviously they are blaming the easiest target. It must be the homos that caused this to happen, they instantly lay blame. I mean why not? We're very powerful. We cause hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and wildfires. Why wouldn't we all, as a collective whole, be responsible for one man shooting another in the arm in DC?

Do I condone this violence? No way. I am a firm believer that we need stronger gun control laws in this country. Am I thankful no one was killed? Yes. The security guard did his job. He kept this man from killing more people. He was quickly disarmed and taken into police custody. I'm sorry he was wounded and I wish him a quick and speedy recovery.

But let's look at this for what it really is. A man shot someone. Those actions were the actions of that man alone, not an entire community. And to place blame over an entire community is not fair and quite detestable.

I still personally feel the people at FRC, NOM and the like are nothing but a bunch of shitbags, and their actions over the past 24 hours do nothing to change my opinion.

Frustrated

I'm frustrated.
Ready to dance, but I can't.
Upset with the hatred in this country.
Questioning a lot these days.
Ugh.

Decision

Today I've made a decision.
I will no longer let anyone make me feel less than my whole self.
I will not tolerate behavior that belittles me in any way.
You are not allowed to hate the sin, but love the sinner.
You can have an opinion, but I do not have to listen to your opinion of me.
And, you don't get a special pass just because we're family.

It's Father's Day

Call your Dad.