Sunday, June 22, 2008

Shameless Self Promotion Sunday

Please feel free to share any links to Queer or Queer related topics of interest. You can post a blog entry you made, a website you found interesting. Anything goes as long as it is Queer in nature.

6 comments:

Diane J Standiford said...

Some readers of my blog have asked to hear about my “coming out” story. (We gay-folk all have ‘em.) I will provide, but it is very boring.

I, like many, knew from my earliest logical memories that I was, “…not like the others,” and I just figured that as I grew up all would be righted. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. There were no role models, no kind words, and no other gay people in the whole world as far as I knew. I had a crush on an elementary school boy—what? Me worry? I was just a tomboy, that’s all.

Until puberty hit, then it became clear that I would never ever fall in love with a male. Fell in love at 15, it was forever, plans made, long story…apparently I was just an experiment for her. By 18 I was alone again, knowing no other gay/bi/whatever women in the whole wide world. I was so distraught over the break-up; I had to explain my suicidal and morose behavior…to Mom.

When I was about 11 years old, Mom and I were eating at a buffet and I said,
“Mom, what would you do if I dated a black guy?”
Without interrupting her spoon to mouth, she casually replied, “As long as he is nice to me.”
I continued through various diverse possibilities. Then ended with the one I could barely say. “…a girl?”
Again, without missing a beat, “As long as she’s nice to me.”

Yes, my mom is cool. A Democrat in Republican Indiana, a farm girl who only finished high school and loved homemade ice cream and paperback romantic novels; but a true liberal and a great mom. (Though no domestic Goddess.) So, when I turned 15, I tried to say the words to her, but I never could. I’d start, stop, she would giggle and I’d quickly leave the house. Finally, at a local pizza joint, I said, “What would you do if one of your kids were gay?”
Lighting a cigarette, she replied, “Oh, do you think Mark is gay?”
“Mom!”
Taking a drag and calmly blowing it to the side, she said, “Is Manny gay!?”
Obviously toying with me, not nice, “FORGET IT!” I shouted.
She laughed and said, “Oh come on.”
I got up and left to sit in the car. We rode home in silence.

And that is my coming out story. By the time I spoke the words, everyone knew. Lesson to non-gay people: Sometimes we are as shocked as you. Happy Gay Pride Day, Week, Month, oh hell, just be happy.

http://dj-astellarlife.blogspot.com/

Queers United said...

Diane thanks for sharing your story, it was very cute. Kinda funny that your mom played with you on it.

Anonymous said...

I have a couple...

1. A teen in Long Island who is the victim of bullying (homophobic as per ABC7 in NY) made a YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6xH4kAF68M

I'm a little disgusted at some people for not picking this up.


2. Two of the Jersey 4 have had their convictions overturned.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/nyregion/20appeal.html?ref=nyregion

Anonymous said...

Don't you think it's about time you linked me up? Huh? Hmm?

http://blog.comingout101.com

or

http://www.comingout101.com

FYI - in case you haven't been back to my site - your blog is worth 45k. :)

Avory said...

Just dropping by to reply to your comment - I'm sure fresh figs are incredibly expensive, but I've never seen them. I can get a bag of dried for $3.49 (calmyrna) or $2.99 (Mission). That's not cheap, cheap, but it's not horrible. Then again I'm really bad at eating inexpensively.

planet trans said...

New England held the first Transpride event.
http://www.transpridemarch.org/
Ethan St.Pierre sent me a speech that was made, powerfull stuff
http://planetransgender.blogspot.com

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