Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Part of the Gay Community?
@WORK. So last night was our monthly "secret gay meeting" as my straight friends like to refer to it. In actuality, it was a monthly Corporate Pride Mixer sponsored by the Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. It's a one a month event that gives us the opportunity to network with some other GLBT people from companies across the valley. The turnout last night was small, only about 20 people or so. The event usually consists of some networking time, an icebreaker, and then aninformational session on a particular topic. The icebreaker was a quiz taken from the Advocate to see where you ranked on taking a stance on GLBT issues. I think I must have been sitting with the very 'gay' section of the group because our table all scored 90 or higher. I was really disappointed when we went around to tell everyone how we scored and I heard people say 50, 60, 70 and then say that reflected their personality and were proud of that score. I couldn't help to wonder why these people were proud of that fact that they weren't doing much to help the gay community as a whole.
I keep thinking that if you want to be part of the gay community then BE part of it. Do something with yourself. As Harvey Fierstein said on an episode of 'In The Life', if you don't participate in Pride, and you don't participate in fighting for our rights, then you're letting everyone else do all the work and you're not really "part" of the gay community, you're just a leech.
My perspective has really changed on this the past few years. The more and more I see documentaries regarding past activists, and people such as Harvy Milk, I realize that it was only through the efforts of these people that we have what we do today. Without people taking an unpopular stand on difficult issues, no one will hear our voice and realize that we want the same rights as everyone else. So with that said, take a stand, do something, be proud of who you are and stand up for your rights as that's the only way we are going to be heard across the world. Cheers!
I totally agree with you when you say that we just don't have "to pretend" to do something for the community but really do something, it's important because it's the only way to make things change.
When you say "Without people taking an unpopular stand on difficult issues, no one will hear our voice and realize that we want the same rights as everyone else." It's true but it's sad that we have to tell it today. It makes me think that there is a gap between heterosexuals and homosexuals...Unfortunately for some people it's true but i like to think that it's not the majority. I am happy to live surrounder with people who are fine with that and I can't believe that homosexuality is such an issue... Instead of wanting to know who sleep with who, people should be aware of real problems, because there are tons of them.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Walk on your own path @ Thursday, February 17, 2005 2:37:00 PM
