to those still confused

wow.

you must watch this entire video.  but grab a box of tissues first.

raised by love

a great video that i have to share.  please view the link below and listen to what this well-spoken young man has to say.

Two Lesbians Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got

photo. 

StandUp with Ben

g and i have had a crush on ben cohen, an english rugby player
(we may even have his calendar hanging in our bedroom!) for quite some time.  though he has a huge gay following, ben is a straight man and father of two.  he is a straight ally and does work to combat homophobia, specifically in sports.  after the surge in teenage suicide recently, ben expressed his feelings towards bullying and homophobia.  ben felt so strongly about this that he retired from rugby and went on an acceptance tour last spring throughout the US.  while on the tour he announced the launch of his "StandUp Foundation".

"The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, Inc. is the world’s first foundation dedicated to raising awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying, and funding those doing real-world work to stop it. We stand up against bullying regardless of to whom it happens. Because lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are often targeted by bullies, we give particular attention to this community. We include removing homophobia from sports as central to our mission."

last week, while in chicago for the 2011 gay softball world series, ben scheduled a meet and greet at a local bar to raise money for his foundation.  unfortunately i had to work, but g was able to go!  not only did he get to hear ben discuss his excellent organization, but he got to meet ben!!

(he said he's nicer and hotter in person...duh!)  when i got home from my trip, i was surprised with a few ben cohen gifts of my own!  a StandUp t-shirt and bracelet and this personalized and autographed picture of ben!  thanks, g!

in all seriousness, it's nice to have someone like ben cohen as a straight ally, fighting for what's right.

celebrating pride

yesterday was the 42nd annual chicago gay pride parade.  for the past few years, g and i always say we're not going but somehow find ourselves amongst the masses of people along the parade route.  yesterday was no different.  with perfect temperatures and sunny skies, it was a perfect day in chicago!  in addition, we had a great spot along the route with easy access to shade...and more importantly bathrooms!!

the parade is always enjoyable, but it's quite lengthy with numerous politicians, churches, advocacy groups, and local bars.  some of the annual highlights for me are the dykes on bikes and the parents, students, and staff of the neighborhood elementary school.

each year, dozens of ladies on big motorcycles rev up their loud engine to the excitement of the crowd!  this year there seemed to be even more!!  you can't quite understand just how loud it is until they're right in front of you!!  here's a video of the dykes on bikes at this year's parade.  (forward to the :45 mark to hear some of the loud noises i'm talking about!)



nettelhorst elementary school is in the heart of boystown.  extremely involved in the neighborhood, the school grounds are covered with artistic murals and statues.  nettelhorst elementary teaches respect and inclusiveness with attention being given to LGBT issues.  here's an article that was posted on huffington post earlier this year.  each june, every student in the school ties a piece of fabric onto the fence outside the school to create a rainbow along the school walls.  and in recent years, members of the school - parents, students, and staff - march in the pride parade to celebrate diversity and inclusiveness with their neighborhood.  it's really a touching site to see.   (note: i applied and interviewed with this school...but they didn't want me.)

happy pride!

it gets better

i seriously tear up every time i see this commercial.



it truly does get better.  visit this site to hear how it gets better.

i am what i am

such a neat video from the flight crew of SAS on the first ever inflight gay wedding.



and check out the wedding rap, too! 

picture challenge: day 24

a picture of something you wish you could change.  

hatred and people's ignorance. 
(especially in the name of religion)

embargo lifted

for the past three and a half months i have forgone spending my money at any target store.  in july, the target corporation donated $150,000 to minnesota forward,  an umbrella organization supporting corporations.  sadly, one of the candidates that the organization backed was republican governor candidate tom emmer.  mr. emmer is an extremely anti-gay supporter, calling for a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage or its legal equivalent.  only months later did target corporation issue an apology of the donation, yet did not feel itself justified to donate to any LGBT-friendly candidates. 

although i disagree with target's (or any corporation's) large donation backing political candidates, there is thankfully a law requiring the disclosure of such donations.  it's a double-edge sword for the corporations that choose to make these donations; they may be helping pro-business candidates, but the candidates views can backfire on the corporation making the donation, like it did for target. 

while target made a major political mistake, target has long been a company providing excellent working conditions and benefits to LGBT employees.  for that, they should be commended. 

thankfully the 2010 election season has come to an end and the political attack commercials have ended.  the race for minnesota governor is too close to call and is undergoing a state-required recount of its results.  DFL party candidate mark dayton has a slight lead over republican-backed tom emmer. 

while i read up on companies that have the backing of the HRC each year, it is nearly impossible to avoid all businesses that support individuals or causes that i disagree with.  that being said, i have lifted my ban of shopping at target. 

yesterday was my first time back inside a target store in over three months.  not only did i go back to target after a long hiatus, but i was able to visit our near-neighborhood's newest target store which opened in late-july.  it is a very nice store with a full grocery section.  i will fully admit that it was nice to be back shopping at target, even if there was a tiny smidgen of guilt.