The Wrong Side of History.

Before I say anything about anything you should watch this video. It’s pretty much the best thing ever.

Granted, the end of the video is much like the beginning sequence in the movie “Up”, in that you’ll probably cry the ugly cry.

I do not believe you can ever truly be “healthy” without truly being who you are. Being truly and uniquely yourself, unabashed, unashamed, accepting yourself fully, is a certain and true course to a healthy lifestyle. Once you accept who you are, embrace it, you love yourself. In loving yourself, you want to be the BEST you. The healthiest you. I know that the Miz agrees with me on this one. Her writings on the subject of being yourself are some of my favorite.

Most of us (+/- 90% of us) never have to sit alone, questioning if who they love is what is right or what is prudent. We never have to consider the fact that our families might not accept us based purely on the FACT that we are attracted to someone with the same genitalia as we have. We never have to worry that our government won’t recognize our right to be legally wed to the person with whom we plan on spending the rest of our lives.We never have to go to bed worrying about someone beating us, bullying us, making us feel less-than because of who we love.

I realize that straight kids and adults are bullied too, and I also realize that people are bullied just because they “act gay”.

What a ridiculous notion.

I never had to think about how I would “come out” to my family and friends. In my life, it was just assumed I was straight, and that was that. It was easy for me. From the time I can remember seeing boys, I remember LIKING them. A lot. My first crush was in kindergarten on a boy named Ernie. Ernie totally liked me back and gave me the BEST valentine in my homemade valentine’s day box. (which, incidentally, means something else entirely 20+ years later)

That’s not the case for my gay family and friends. Two of my closest friends and my favorite family members ever, are gay. Not a one of them grew up in an environment particularly accepting of homosexuality. My maternal family is very accepting, couldn’t give a rip who you love, as long as you’re willing to offer them up at the sacrificial altar of sarcasm. My paternal side of the family is uber conservative and not exactly “warm” in any sense of the word. Unfortunately, this was the cloud over our home in our teenage years. It wasn’t one of acceptance, but one where you knew things like how your parents voted for the gay marriage ban in your home state. Where you knew they went to a church that spurned homosexuality as if it were a disease that you could cure with prayer and patience.

As bad as that is, it is light and happy compared to my best friend, Broadway Baby, and his childhood and adolescence. {I was given permission to post his story}

He grew up in a small town in West Virginia. His parents were strict Southern Baptist, his father was a minister. When he was growing up, his father used to “whoop him” for acting to effeminate. When he told them he wanted to start taking dance lessons, his brother beat him so badly playing “touch football” his arm dislocated from his shoulder. He was made fun of and bullied all through elementary, middle, and high school. When he left for NYC, and subsequently came out to his parents, his father told him never to come back.

He once told me that he would go to bed every night and pray that he wouldn’t like boys anymore. He prayed he would wake up and want a girlfriend. When none of that worked, and the bullying got worse, he would pray that he didn’t wake up at all.

Because of who he loved.
I thank G-d none of those prayers were answered because to me, he’s perfect.

As I sit here, writing this post, my beautiful daughter is using me as a jungle gym. I cannot imagine ever telling her that she isn’t good enough because of who she loves. I can’t imagine ANYONE telling her that she or my son couldn’t be and wouldn’t be treated equally for something that holds no matter to how anyone else lives. If you believe that homosexuality is wrong, that’s on YOU, but it shouldn’t be on anyone else. Their marriage doesn’t make your marriage any less of one. Their children playing with your children doesn’t influence your children to become gay anymore than having straight parents influences a child to be straight.

What the hate rhetoric and lack of civil rights does do is force people into a corner. It holds people back. It makes us and our country less.

What brought this on? Reading the comments on the live stream of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Reading comments on pins that are OBVIOUSLY a GLARING truth. Reading comments on that Macklemore video, and watching one of my best friends get denied military benefits time and time again even though he is married to a marine, because they both have penises. This is making our country less than. I really don’t want us to be on the wrong side of history on this.

I promise I have a recipe post all ready for you for later today, but it just doesn’t feel right with this post to put up a mug cake recipe.