Happy Monday.

This band makes me smile. Just what you need on a monday am. Jake Shears=yummy.

A set of balls, bats, and bravery.

After 40 years of identifying as a man, Mike Penner is beginning the transformation to Christine Daniels. Mike is transgendered. This is new and awkward for all involved. For Mike it's the therapies psychological and hormonal, for society it's the normanlizing of phenomena. Many people have vested interests in this. Everyone is privy to this man's life as he is a seasoned sprotswriter for the LA Times. He coaches football and plays intramurals. His is an amazing story in the homophobic world of Sports. I can't help but send him as much good energy as I can muster. Read his story in the Times today here.

Another great story is an editorial written by David James, 15 year veteran of British football. In his great article he urges gay footballers to come out. I wonder if we would be having as much dialogue about homos in sports if it hadn't been for John Amaechi or Tim Hardaway for that matter. The article from The Observer is here.

I like to think that all of this is in prepartation for IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia. A cause close to my hearts.

Would Jesus Discriminate (dot com)

This is fantastic. The Jesus Metropolitan Community Church has launched an initiative to promote education in religion, not the other way around. The JMCC is a local GLBT church in Indianapolis, Indiana that has put these billboards around the town preaching a new gospel. Anyone can quote Leviticus 18 and 19 TO THEIR OWN MEANINGS (Mankind shall not lie with another man the same way he does with womankind, abomination blah blah) but no one lives Leviticus. This would include the owning of slaves, avoidance of shellfish and the stoning of your bratty children. The JMCC has found enough of an opening in the Bible to make us a home as easily as some would make it a tomb for us. In this endeavor they have found assistance from the national organizations, Faith In America and The Metropolitan Community Church. Without these two powerhouses David wouldn't be able to look Goliath in the eyes. The billboards went up last week and since then have been the subject of scorn and even pathetic vandalism attempts. I'm glad to see that although the graffiti had a lack of artistic vision or theme, the spelling was correct. That's so rare in bigotry.

The beauty is the dialogue now opened on interpreting the word of God. Before the door was closed to any rogue thought outside of a diocese, remember how well that mindset worked with Martin Luther. It's great to see an organization appreciate it's members to the point of standing up for them and recognizing what's most important;





Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

4.20

Springtime and it's remembered with certain rites. There's asparagus, colored eggs, shamrock shakes and of course 4.2o. I never remember to celebrate this holiday, which is ironic, not cronic.

Keeping green on 4.20. Pix courtesy of Simple Answers To Complex Questions.

Stipend, Constipation, Over-compensation.

Embracing the day and moving forward in a positive manner is the way I live my life. I fully believe that opening one's self up to the energy of the new day empowers the believer to do good in an amazing manner. It's a little difficult to get the hang of, Lord knows I go to Sarcasm for 'quick relief' of a vexing situation. But acquiring the techniques to live Well can make a difference. Letting the regrets fall to the past and not crippling you in the present is the first step to conditioning you to face the day. I don't want to belittle this theory as "Paying It Forward" but instead of making arrears, it would be nice to put goodwill out there before it's even recognized. A little stipend to the universe so that it will, in turn, provide dividends.

In this mindset I approached the day. Juzjed my spirit, sprung out of bed, and I was on my way to yoga early this am. My ymca cronies greeted me wearily, I must have been shining too bright for their view. Then again they see me soooo sporadically that they didn't wish to invest the emotion in a commitment to friendship again. Their desires, their portfolios. My radiance was designed to combat the spiritual constipation I have been feeling. I have been at odds with productivity because I haven't been seeing any immediate results (you heard me, being result oriented as opposed to being process) I decided that embracing the day was the best way to take the bull(shit) by the horns and fix this dilemma. FFFFFlllllUUUUUUSSSSHHHH.

So I actually started to break a sweat at yoga. I normally extend a fair amount of energy in class, but today I went a bit further. I was well within my capabilities, not having fully sacrificed all exercise just curtailing my yoga practice (my yoga practice) over the past few months. My glow was rewarding. My glow was echoing what was happening in my heart. My glow had made my shirt wet and the back of my knees moist. My glow helped produce a fart-noise from the back of my moist knees during one tucking floor stretch. How the room went quiet in my direction. I was on a cosmic gangplank, not knowing which way to go. Should I jump into the direction of the pirates or into the water? I debated furiously in my zen/scented state. Ignore the situation or address it; flight or fight? I had it it. I decided overcompensation the way to go and produced the noise twice more for all to realize. Why I transformed to the monkey from the organgrinder I'll never know but it happend/s with the ferocity of a full moon on a werewolf. There. Wolf. I'm still laughing and you know what, I just farted for real.

Ted Haggard's Completely Heterosexual.

This is Roy Zimmerman, and my he's mighty funny.

Easter's Cancelled.

This April.

"Here Comes Peter..............................................................."

Gay Pimped.

On one side we have a whackjob celebutante movie star and on the other we have a NYC club-sation who parades as the Gay Pimp. One jumps all over couches and one humps all over couches. The similarities are amazing aren't they? Like looking in all of the funhouse mirrors at the same time. Imagine Father Guido Sarducci on Viagra and X; you have the Gay Pimp. His new release is great earcandy for those into homofrolic. Find The East Village Mix Tape at his website Johnny McGovern is the Gay Pimp

Bermuda's Shorts.

Head Bartender and Chief Muckymuck Premier of Bermuda Ewart Brown , can you believe that they have a premier, has responded to locals' protest of impending Rosie O'Donnell and partner Kelly's 'R Family Cruises' from visiting the country. This from a country that prides itself on it's pink sand beaches! Wanting to deny the people who'd most appreciate pink sand from putting it into their ass cracks is like denying crackwhores a fix or stockbrokers their Brook Brothers', or Pilgrims' stuffing ( you get what I mean)

Premier Brown: "If we discriminate against a cruise ship, then we would have to send a homosexual detection unit to the airport." - Now that's major funny.

photo from bermudanews.org

Rabbit, Rabbit.

Rabbit Rabbit. Here comes a gorgeous spring. Filled with luck and frolic, spring is an amazing time to see life re-create itself. I always take inspiration as the Earth springs forth fun and flora in green. It sets a pace that I like and emmulate. Have a fantastic spring, passover, easter and melonball thursday.

There were some tremendous comings (and goings) out for the month of March. A young popstar from Mexico, Chrisitian Chavez told the world that he too was as pink as his hair. His career was born of the popular telenovella Rebelde. He then joined the boyband RBD and has enjoyed great success. In 2005 he married his partner in the throughs of Canada's new gay marriage laws. As photos of the event had begun circulating the internet he decided it would be time to address the rumors. 2005? 2007? Such a delay in getting the photos developed. I suppose I've been guilty of that at one time or another, in my gloveblox I know I have a roll of film. It's great so many young gay people having the fortitutde to do this when so many in society fail at taking a stand. Of course I mean coming out, not marriage. Marriage is insane for straights or gays. Many good wishes to Chavez and his partner on their happy life together. Latin Pop star Ricky Martin commended Chavez on his bravery "Life is too short to live closed up, guarding what you say...". Gosh, now if that's not the pot calling the kettle mauve.

photos; rebeldigital.com, towleroad.

Another important hero giving his all for the effort is Eric Alva. Marine Staff Sargean Eric Alva has the distinction of being the first soldier injured in the war on Iraq, March 2, 2003. When stepping on a landmine Alva broke was blown twelve feet, breaking his right arm, shattering his right leg to the point it needed to be amputated. He was given the purple heart and a medical discharge from the military. Alva has come out to announce that he is gay man. Alva has returned to public service as a representative of the HRC, speaking out publicly against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Alva came out as a proud gay man to ensure that everyone knew his sacrifice and the sacrifices of countless other GLBT servicemen that are forced to serve under the DADT policy and how it needs repeal. He did this for his brothers and sisters in arms, in the gay community, for himself, his family and his partner Darrell. He is inspirational.

photo from HRC.

And finally, in March Marvel Comics wrote an end to a popular hero, Captain America. Granted that these storylines have a way of working out to different conclusion in time, the shock and awe of this standard bearer assassination sent ripples through comicdom. The waves went as far as local and national news. People near and far remarked on the suprise of such a storyline. It was an incredible decision on behalf of the Marvel editiorial staff, and unnervingly poignant. The decision to do this reminds everyone of the sacrifices being made daily for our liberties. The lesson is cemented by making it part of pop culture in an informed way as to remind us in a way that fleeting newscasts can't. People have a tendency to carry a short attention span on current events but can still quote their favorite Seinfeld lines, years later. I always thought him a great character, always written with a great dispositon and important leadership skills. He waged tireless battles against evil and relished in his victiories. With a career spanning sixty years, his brand recognition was infalible. Everyone knew what a round-shield on a man-in-blue meant and that the Stars and Stripes were something steadfast, revered. Thanks Cap, you won't be forgotten, or what you stand for.

Images courtesy Marvel.