The Maiden and The Princess-Check it out!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1396193475/the-maiden-and-the-princess

So i’m really sorry it’s been a LONGGGGG time since I posted, a lot has happened since we last spoke.
I promise I will blog more from here on out. I just wanted to take this opportunity to talk and put the shout out for a new short film called “The Maiden and the Princess” starring David Anders and Julian Sands, directed by Ali Scher! It’s about a little girl trying to come to terms with her sexuality amidst a musical fairytale, quite an interesting and dare I say risque concept. Scher is trying to raise money to get the film out there on the festival circuit, and get them through the final stages of post production!

Check out the film and the website! We need to get this film seen by the people!

This Summer

Ok I know this has absolutely nothing to do with gay rights in the least bit, but I was just so excited and had to let everyone know haha. I GOT AN INTERNSHIP IN NEW YORK CITY!!!!.
Thats right, yours truly will be interning this summer at a company called Full Circle Post, a Post Production Company in Lower Manhattan!!! This is the first step in me achieving my dream of being a film editor .

I start on June 1st, and it does for 7 weeks.

NEW YORK CITY WATCH OUT
CAUSE HERE I COME!!!!!

Discrimination at it’s finest-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Since it’s creation in the early 90′s by President Bill Clinton, the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law has been the reason that almost 14,000 military personnel has been kick out of the military. For those who do not know what this is, the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law is the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those that are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service. The policy prohibits anyone who “demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts” from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because “it would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” (US Military)

To me, this law is the ultimate act of discrimination. No one should be barred from serving their country. Just because someone is gay does not make them any less capable of serving in the military. I ultimately feel that the military is very insecure and cannot handle the fact that gay people are serving in the military as we speak. As we speak now, their is an investigation going on into the legality of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. However, President Obama has said he was this investigation to go on for an entire year. Really Obama??? an entire year??? You’re starting to disappoint me.

Recently a man named Eric Alva came to my school to speak with us about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell:

Mr. Alva was the very first American injured in Iraq when we invaded in 2003. Instead of honoring the work he had done for this country, serving for us in two wars, when the military found out he was gay, he was discharged under DADT. Now, Mr. Alva is fighting for LGBT rights everyday with the HRC (Human Rights Campaign). He is one small piece to the end of discrimination against the LGBT community on this country.

I ask my readers out there to please look up the HRC, and get involved in anyway they can. Equal rights for some people means equal rights for all people, so its time for President Obama to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

Pennsylvania Anti-Gay Marriage Law

Recently, a law in the pennsylvania government was tabled after it was voted down by the state senate judiciary committee. If this bill had passed, it would of changed the language in the state constitution that would of officially banned gay marriage in the state of Pennsylvania. It was started with Senator Eichelberger (R) recently tried to relentlessly tried to convince the state to vote this down. To continue with the anti gay hate he has produced, he sat down for an interview to discuss this law. It went on like this:

LEACH: How would he [Eichelberger] want to encourage stability in gay couples?

EICHELBERGER: I wouldn’t. I mean they can practice whatever sexual activity they like to practice, but there’s no reason to give them special consideration. We don’t give them special consideration in Pennsylvania for any reason. Why in the world would we allow them to marry?

LEACH: How would you encourage gay couples to be able to provide for their families?

EICHELBERGER: Well, I wouldn’t.

LEACH: What would you expect of them?

EICHELBERGER: There is no reason to encourage that type of behavior in Pennsylvania…That comes back to the definition of family and that’s where we differ. We can call all kinds of things families. I mean, we can say a 3 party marriage is a family, or 7 or 8 people or marrying younger and younger children these days .

HOST: Are you saying that by their very nature homosexual relationships are dysfunctional?

EICHELBERGER: [Pause] Um. I guess I would say that. I would say that.

LEACH: Should our only policy towards [same-sex] couples be one of punishment, to somehow prove that they’ve done something wrong?

EICHELBERGER: They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation.

Personally, I hope that this man is voted out of office in the next election. It is because of people like this that we have problems in our state and that there is discrimination against the gay community. I ask you if you read this and are from PA, call the state and express your disappointment with him. Although this bill is tabled for now, and its chances are slim, there is a chance that this law could come back up for discussion. Everyones voice matters, and our opinions matter. When one person speaks up, it can start an entire movement. Please speak up and have your voice heard, you’d be shocked at who actually listens to you.

Thank you, and Ill see you next time.

Uganda and Homosexuality

As some of you may of heard recently, Uganda is attempting to pass a law that will make homosexuality a crime that is punishable by death. Also, if you are found to have AIDS in Uganda, that is also a death penalty offense. In a time when gay rights is becoming one of the biggest issue not just in the United States, but in the entire world, it is not just the United States’ job, but the worlds job to tell Uganda it is wrong and they are committing a crime themselves.The President of Uganda has come under immense pressure from around the world surrounding this law, and it is not known yet if he will sign this bill into law, however it can be assured that if he does, the world will not react kindly to this, to say the least.

A few of my friends went to a rally in New York City a few months ago against this bill, and they had a letter penned and sent it to the Ugandan Embassy. It is a start, but we still have a long ways to go. We cannot allow this bill to be passed, and our government can help stop this. Do what you can, write letters to your senators and representatives. One of President Obama’s promises was to help the LGBT community, he’s done well with the passing of the Hate Crimes Bill and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell being repealed next year. However, LGBT people all around the world need to be protected as well.

Mike

Legalize Gay t-shirts

At the National Equality March in Washington D.C. a few months ago, I purchased a t-shirt that says Legalize Gay: Repeal Prop 8 Now!

To get this shirt, google Legalize Gay T-shirts and click on the first link u get. They come in 6 different colors and all sizes
Hopefully if enough of these shirts get sold, the government will finally get the message that equal rights needs to happen.

Heterosexism v. Homophobic: The truth

I am a part of the gay straight alliance i attend. One of the questions I get sometimes from people about my sexuality is “What do you think of people who are homophobic?
My answer usually is, I worry more about the people who are heterosexist than the ones who are homophobic. And then I get a questioned look on there faces.

This blog post is specifically designed to differentiate the two words.

First I will start with Homophobia. People who are homophobic means that they are literally scared of gay people, like a “phobia”. It does not mean that they hate them or are discriminating against them in any way whatsoever.

Now, heterosexism on the other hand is something completely different. People who are heterosexist are the ones who are prejudiced against the homosexual community, and hate homosexuals just for who they are. They are the ones who are saying gays are going to hell, they call us fags, etc etc etc.

I hope that has cleared some stuff up Talk to you guys soon.

Prop 8 in California

Ok, so many of you probably know that Prop 8 is currently being debated in California’s federal court, known as Perry v. Schwarzenegger. They are debating the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a law that bans gay marriage in the state of California. If ruled unconstitutional, it will be the first time in the marriage debate that the courts have gone against what the people voted. Either way, it will be appealed to the Supreme Court and will become the first national marriage case in U.S. Supreme Court History.

If the supreme court rules that states are going against the constitution banning gay marriage, it may well be that gay marriage will become legal across the country!!!!!
I believe it is discrimination to tell people who they can and cannot marry. So Britney Spears can get married in Las Vegas and have it annulled the day after and two people who love each other for years can’t? And to top it all of… they let the citizens vote on our happiness! I personally do not think this is fair in the least bit and needs to changed. Equal rights means equal rights for everyone. Sometimes I feel like our government forgets that.

Make love not hate, and don’t discriminate!!!

Mike

Ok, an apology and then blog

Sorry I have not posted in so long, its been crazy, I went on winter break and spent a lot of time with my family and have just been getting back into the swing of school again. I will be back on a lot more now.

So lets recap from where I last left off, and that would be America’s Next Top Model. When I last left you we were down to the final four. Jennifer, Erin, Laura, and Nicole. These 4 all did photo shoots where they had to wear beautiful gowns and post on top of a cliff in Hawaii. The shocker of this episode was that two people were going home, making it the finale episode. So Nicole was called first. That left Laura, Jennifer and Erin. Ultimately, Laura was chosen and Erin and Jennifer were the ones to go home.

This leads us to the fashion show between Laura and Nicole. They stomped it out to the death for the titl of America’s Next Top Model. At panel, the judges said they both did a good job on the runway, which i disagree with. I felt laura did a much better job than nicole. Anyway they went into their pictures and Nicole and laura seemed to be even there as well. So who was America’s Next Top Model?

And America’s Next Top Model is…

Nicole!!!!

Also, check out this video the touring cast of Spring Awakening did on the National March in DC!! I think its awesome that people like this are supporting us. It makes my heart feel all warm and fuzzy

Sorry I haven’t been around lately, I promise I will be posting more often now that I am back in school

America’s Next Top Model

Alright, So we are down to the final four at last. This week the girls are in hawaii and they are learned about swimsuit modeling but the number one swimsuit model in the world: Marisa Miller. So the girls had a challenge where they had one chance to jump of a ledge into the water and do their best pose and give a great face. Nicole won and her prize was she got extra frames for her next photo shoot. After Nicole won she then got to pick a friend who got extra frames as well, this kept going until there was one person left who did not get any extra frames. So Nicole picked Jennifer, Jennifer picked Laura and Laura picked Sundai. This meant that Erin was the lone girl out.

When they got to the photo shoot, they found out they were being photographed by world famous photographer Russell James. The plot of this photo shoot was they had to be underwater, like the photo shoot in cycle 2. So they did there shoots and Russell expressed that both Sundai and Erin were disappointing because they didn’t go farther down and you could see the surface of the water.

So now we are at judging. Jennifer comes down first and has a funny moment where she explains that she holds her breath when the judges are critiquing her and that she feels lightheaded once the judges begin deliberating. (Oh Jen lol) Jen had a stunning picture however. The worst two based on the judges was Sundai and Erin. So when the deliberations were over and girls we’re called back in, Jen was called first for best picture, Nicole was second, followed by Laura.

Bottom Two:

Erin:

Sundai:

And the person who went home is….. SUNDAI!!!! FINALLY lol, she should’ve went home a lonnnnnggggggggg time ago.

So now, the final four girls in the running for America’s Next Top Model are:

Erin:

Jennifer:

Laura:

Nicole:

My prediction is that Nicole is going to be the winner, with either Laura or Jen joining her in the final two. Next week I believe is the last episode since they said two people are going home next week. Erin is nice, but she just doesn’t stand up to the other three. We’ll see if I’m right next wednesday