Two Hockey Girls In Love

Hockey fan at Senators-Leafs game

On any given night, you can attend an NHL hockey game and count on a few certainties, like overpriced beer, pale bearded white guys on ice skates, and an occasional fight breaking out.

In any given year, you can venture out on the night of March 17th and find some of your fellow human beings, particularly us Mc-SomethingOrOthers and hordes of our sympathizers, enjoying fairly predictable past times, like green beer, parades with bagpipes (however Scottish that might actually be), and drunken wailing that attempts to pass as traditional Irish folk music.

Here's what no one expected last weekend on St. Patrick's Day at an NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators.

The first time I watched this video (Hat Tip to my friend Wes Crisp for sharing it via email) I actually got a little misty-eyed. Seeing people in love is always nice, but c'mon, I see that all the time and it's nothing to get all weepy about. And clever marriage proposals can be sweet, but those don't usually get me either.

I watched the clip a second time, and as I reflected on what moved me about the video, I realized that it was actually the cheer of the crowd that stirred me. I was touched by the way the fans reacted to the idea of two girls in love - with the same moment of roaring adulation they would have shown if the couple had been comprised of a man and a woman. The crowd, like me, simply felt happy, privileged even, to share in that moment of real personal joy with the couple on the ice - and so they cheered.

Thanks to the Ottawa Senators for hosting the proposal, kudos to the NHL for sharing the video on their website, and hurray for Canada - where they aren't afraid to let two people in love get married!

Former TV Star Kristy McNichol Likes the Ladies

Kristy McNichol, former teen star of the weekly 80's television drama Family, has come out as a lesbian.

In other shocking news...Nebraska has corn, the ocean is deep, and pizza is delicious.

Seriously though, good job Kristy. Young GLBT folks need all the role models they can get, and every actress, athlete, musician, or celebrity who publicly ventures outside the closet helps.

Newt Tells Gay Iowa Man to Vote for Obama

Photo: USA Today

A gay college professor in Iowa asked Newt Gingrich how he would engage the gay community if he were elected President.

Gingrich, who is not known for his tact, diplomacy, or internal editorial ability, simply told the man he should vote for President Obama.

It's astonishing to realize that Gingrich has so little regard for the GLBT community that he can simply dismiss gay voters. The underlying message his response sends to gay and lesbian people about what they could expect from a Gingrich presidency is clear - you aren't voting for me anyway, and I have no plans to support you or your causes.

On the plus side, his candor is refreshing and everyone knows where he stands.

What Didn't Happen When Mitt Met a Gay Vet

Romney and gay veteran Bob Garon

At the Chez Vachon diner in New Hampshire this week, cheese sandwiches weren't the only thing being grilled.

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney got more than he bargained for when he saw two older gentlemen in a booth at the restaurant, and then invited himself to sit down for a quick campaign chat. The man Romney slid next to in the booth, Bob Garon, was dressed in a red flannel shirt and a Vietnam vet baseball cap. The fellow seated across from them was Bob Lemire, who we can only imagine to Mitt's surprise, was Bob Garon's legal husband.

Garon, who did in fact serve in Vietnam in the 1960s, wedded Lemire in New Hampshire where gay marriage is legal. When Mitt Romney sat down at his four-top booth, Garon took full advantage of finally having a "seat at the table," posing several questions to Romney about his stance on gay marriage and a gay spouse's eligibility for veteran's benefits.

You've probably read about this encounter already, but if you're interested, you can find the full text of their conversation here, or watch a video clip of their interaction here.

Romney deserves some credit for how he managed himself in this situation once he realized where the conversation was headed. He didn't quickly slink away to the next table as Michele Bachmann might have done (for fear of gay cooties, no doubt), he didn't cut Garon off in mid-sentence as Newt Gingrich might have done, and he didn't duck Bob Garon's very pointed questions about gay marriage. In fact, Romney gave concise and straightforward answers, even though they weren't the answers he knew Garon wanted to hear. Of course, knowing his response was completely in line with what his Republican base would want to hear probably made being "direct" a little easier for Romney. Still, I give him credit for not pacifying "the Bobs" on the spot.

Rick Perry Throws the Anti-Gay Hail Mary Pass

Texas Governor Rick Perry has launched a new ad campaign attacking President Obama and his alleged "war on religion."

Unbelievably, Perry's campaign posted this video to YouTube, but forgot to turn off the like/dislike function. As of this writing, there were just over 4,000 "likes" and more than 200,000 "dislikes."

Perry, who finds himself unable to gain ground on his top conservative rivals since poor debate performance catapulted his poll ratings over a steep cliff, has done what Republican Presidential contenders always do when they are unable to gain even the smallest amount of traction - they throw the family values Hail Mary pass.

With a struggling economic recovery, a nearly unsolvable budget impasse, a dysfunctional Congress, and the Arab spring/awakening, you would think Perry would have plenty of critically important issues to focus on, and to his credit, he has made some effort to do so. After all these months on the campaign trail though, the lack of enthusiasm generated for Perry's flat tax economic plan is matched only by the absence of coherence in his approach to foreign policy.

Rick Perry Believes Not Being Executed Is a "Special Right"

President Obama has boldly announced that the United States will incorporate the promotion of basic human rights for gay and lesbian citizens around the world into American diplomatic interactions with other countries.

The President issued a memorandum in tandem with a speech delivered by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wherein the administration vowed to work to decriminalize homosexuality and to challenge nations where abuses against gays and lesbians are flagrant.

In countries like Saudi Arabia and Uganda, being gay is a criminal act that is punishable by flogging and potentially even death. In many other countries, egregious harassment and beating of gays and lesbians is common and perpetrators go unpunished. While the President stopped short of directly connecting diplomatic aid to fair and equal treatment of gays and lesbians in foreign countries, the initiative is an important step forward in supporting fundamental human rights for homosexual people around the world.

And then, there's Governor Rick Perry.

On his website Perry makes a bold and stupid proclamation in response to the President's new human rights initiative.

"Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America's interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers' money."

No one is asking for "special rights" here, unless you consider not being arrested, beaten, and murdered as special rights that gays somehow don't deserve. Obama is simply saying don't torture and execute someone because of their sexual orientation.

Perry also maintains on his campaign site that Obama is "out of touch" with American values. The last time I looked there was no principle held in greater esteem in this country than that of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." If Rick Perry thinks asking other nations to honor this fundamental tenet of democracy by not subjecting innocent civilians to torture and murder is somehow out of step with mainstream American values, he is not just narrow-minded but bigotedly and cruelly so.

A 14 Year Old Boy Is Dead - Please Take Action

Almost everyday, I come to Starbucks and I write, but I don't usually have to fight back tears as I do it. I am seated at my usual table, sipping my usual drink, working on my everyday blog, but today is different. Today, I stumbled across the story of Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14 year old boy who committed suicide last week.

Jamey was a gay teenager who was struggling to come to terms with his own sexuality, and as if that wasn't enough for a young teenage boy to handle, he was being bullied both at school and online. 

From the Buffalo News article about his death:

"I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens," Jamey wrote online on September 9. "What do I have to do so people will listen to me?"  

Just over one week later, Jamey was found dead outside his home of an apparent suicide.

Now we know how Jamey answered his own question. Those who knew and loved Jamey had an awareness of his struggles, and he did have help, but not enough. He had friends and he saw both a therapist and a social worker. Still, he continued to be bullied at school and online. He made the mistake of starting a Formspring account where people could make anonymous comments, and they did.

"JAMIE IS STUPID, GAY, FAT ANND UGLY. HE MUST DIE!" read one post.

Another read: "I wouldn't care if you died. No one would. So just do it :) It would make everyone WAY more happier!"

I learned about Jamey through a post on Facebook from the It Gets Better project. The project compiles short videos from famous (athletes, celebs, etc) and not-so-famous people who have a supportive personal story or message to share in the hopes of reassuring struggling GLBT youth that they should hang on, as life does eventually "get better."

It breaks my heart to tell you that young Jamey Rodemeyer not only knew about "It Gets Better," but he also had enough love in his heart to make a supportive video of his own. The video painfully shows us the beauty of Jamey's open and tender heart, and it serves as proof that Jamey had hope for his own life as recently as May 2011 when it was posted. In the end though, the brutal hatred and intolerance he faced were simply too much for such a fragile soul. I wish I could make every person I know watch his video. And since you've read this far, why don't you? Now.

That brave young man is dead now. So, what's the lesson here? Fuck if I know. If I have to find one, I'd say it's - don't hate a child. And don't let anyone else get away with that, either. Even other children. Stand up and show your love instead, because your love matters. Maybe not every time, but sometimes. 

Sometimes love triumphs over hate. Sometimes love salves the vicious wounds that hate inflicts. Sometimes love restores a soul that has been crushed beneath the unbearable weight of hate. Sometimes love slowly weaves its way into an unimaginably broken heart and repairs the devastation. Sometimes, but not every time. Sometimes, there just isn't enough love in the world, and sometimes, it's just too late. RIP Jamey.