Hello everyone! My blog will mostly be weekly GLBT-related news and commentary. I felt like it was important to have such a blog, because most people don't keep up with the news. I used to do something similar when I was President of my college QSA (Coloring Outside the Lines).
Before I get to the news, I thought I'd tell you a little about the blog, and how this all works. Soon you will have the ability to submit blogs. When you compose a blog, you'll be able to
bold,
italicize, and _underline_ fonts. You'll also be able to quote in a way similar to the forum(s), as well as add videos, pictures, and link to other websites. The interface doesn't look difficult to use (my only annoyance is that it doesn't respond to HTML codes), but if you need help, tag me or make a note in your blog (include all links to pictures, videos, etc).
I hope that we can have a lot of fun with this. I'd really like to see people get creative, and share their poetry, short stories, photography, art, and other writings. I'd also like to see people willing to share their personal lives with us. It's a comfort to a lot of people when they know that they are not the only ones who feel the way they do. As an editor, I'll be looking for people who are willing to share those intimate moments with us. I really want this blog to be an opportunity for us to see the world through your eyes.
On to the news!
The first news story I have comes on the heels of Lifetime's airing of "Prayers for Bobby." For those that don't know what "Prayers for Bobby" is about, it was originally a book written by Leroy Aarons. Here is a description of the book from Amazon:
Very painful and personal, this is the story of a mother's struggle to reconcile the tension between her deeply held religious beliefs and the suicide of her gay son. Mary Griffith came from a religious family and raised her four children to believe in God and live a Christian life. Their conservative Presbyterian church was the center of family life for every family member except Mary's husband, Bob. When 17-year-old Bobby confided to older bother Ed that he was gay, the family's life changed. Mary convinced Bobby to pray that God would cure him and to seek solace in church activities. Bobby did it all, but the church's hatred of homosexuality and the obvious pain his gayness was causing his family led him increasingly to loathe himself. Excerpts from a diary he kept, family photos, and letters written by Mary to her dead son make the book intense reading for both high-school and public library patrons.
Lifetime decided to make a TV-movie version of the book starring the lovely Sigourney Weaver as Mary (you can check for show-times
here. Here's an interesting interview The Advocate did with three executive produces who worked on the film.
The Evolution of Prayers for Bobby
I have not seen the TV movie, but Prayers for Bobby was a moving story when I first heard about it. The diary entries from Bobby are hear-wrenching, and hit home hard. Here in my state (Utah), about 65% of the state is LDS/Mormon. A lot of young GLBT kids experience the kind of shame, doubt, self-hate, and questioning that Bobby experienced. Many, like Bobby ultimately commit suicide. In fact, recently a play called
Facing East touched on that very subject.
Prayers for Bobby stood out to me for a few reasons, Bobby's diary entries were so powerful, Mary's reflection was so deep, what Mary ended up doing after her son's death was so amazing (she found her "truth" and went on to speak to congress in an effort to prevent suicides), and the way Bobby died was so shocking- he jumped off a highway overpass in front of a semi-truck. Anyway check it out.
This is quickly becoming a longer blog than what I anticipated, so I'll try to keep the rest short.
Remember Christian Sirano from Project Runway (Fierce!), this is a cool interview with him and his partner Brad.
Christian and Brad's style guide to New York
Also, did anyone see gay Bishop, Gene Robinson's prayer at Barack Obama's inauguration? Here's the clip.
What do you think? Did it move you? Was it like other prayers you've heard before? Gene Robinson has advised Obama on GLBT issues, and will most likely continue to do so. Do you think he's someone you're comfortable representing the GLBT community? Do you think he's a good role model?
On
WhiteHouse.gov, Barack Obama outlined his goals in terms of civil rights. Do you agree with what he's outlined? Are there any that are most important to you? Which ones?
Finally, in my state the Sundance film festival just wrapped up (I failed to go again, dammit). Here are some of the GLBT related films to look for, including one with Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey! Have a look-see
here.
That's it for this week. Leave some comments, and get some ideas in your heads for some blogs!
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Getting on topic, I agree with Brett. I do pray, I am somewhat religious, but it was a very inclusive prayer in my opinion (and even possibly applicable to secular society). In my opinion, a prayer doesn't have to be to a specific deity. It can be a means for peaceful reflection and meditation.