For me, being called gay has never been an insult. I don’t worry too much about what people say, as much as what they do. And being somewhat physically aggressive myself, I have (in the past) sometimes welcomed the opportunity to stomp some manners and sense into those who believe themselves on a higher moral ground. But there are other, and better ways, to handle such situations as the video below shows.
Cole Strona from G.J + Iziki + Cole talks with Equality Hawaii’s Mathew Bellhouse-King about being bullied, getting called “gay” and how music can make a difference.
“Gay” is not an insult… from Equality Hawaii on Vimeo.
Love Me As I Am
On any given night, there are between 500 and 2000+ local homeless gay youth trying to survive on the street. They may be right in your small hometown, or in the nearest city. Nationally, the numbers are estimated to be between 100k-250k+ homeless lgbt kids living on the street. We’re going to dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about homelessness and lgbt youth.
Yet Jonathan’s Hope is about a youth who is tossed out into a forest by his parents who want him dead without physically killing him. When I started writing that story I had just gotten another one out of my system, “Family Ties”, a book that is also in the process of being published. There, two brothers and their families gather for the funeral of their mother. They each face different demons and obstacles that might challenge not only their relationships, but their own well-being and future. That story is told in a 24 hour time frame, and deals with other difficult topics, from rape, infidelity, to child molestation, and of course, other challenging topics such as parenting, coming out, and living out and proud.