Where The Rubber Meets The Road

Every once in a while we get a Youtube comment that puts me in check...

Jay and I get really involved in the struggle for marriage equality and all the rancor that comes with that ...as well as the overwhelming positives. But then a comment like this one from Serbia comes along...

popokatipetl (2 days ago):
In three days, there will be first gay pride parade in my country. Radical nationalists are preparing to slaughter us on the streets, literally. We are ready to give our lives for just a small peace of freedom that you have in your country. You have opportunity and ,above all, freedom to change something and you should make that change. I hope that you'll succeed. Good luck!

Good luck to us? I thank you whole heartedly, but quite frankly sir, I send all my luck and prayers to you.

Sometimes in our railings against the injustices of our situations we forget that for some of us, it isn't a battle to marry...its a battle to live. Its literally, a fight to survive AND fight for the ability to love the person of your choice. This is the still spreading ripples of that events like Stonewall dropped in the great pond of life. I hope soon those ripples will begin to return to their source.

I wish i could say that this was the only time we have recieved a comment like this. That at least would help me feel better about the world I live in...but its not. I remember two egytian men who wrote to tell us that we were there heroes. No sirs...you are ours, to deal with the threat of death everyday and still get out of bed in the morning takes more balls than it does to make a Youtube video, however positive and neccesary it may be.

I hope everyone is aware of the deathsquads in Iraq practicing a modern day witchhunt to "cleanse their country of homosexual perversion". Families are coerced to inform on anyone in there own family, or anyoe else for that matter, that is believed to be gay. Then, that person is drug out into the steet in front of everyone...tortured...then beaten to death...if they are lucky. Worse fates exsist. I'm also sure many heterosexuall people are also being killed just out of suspicion of being gay or because the informants feel like they need to have someonee to give to the mob. Alot of press coverage was given to this a few months ago that since has died....but so to do the gays keep dying. The situation continues and is anyone still listening? I try to keep them in my prayers everynight....it absolutly haunts me.

And even in "modern" countries like Russia a gay pride march is met with violence, not just from the police, but from average citizens standing by. They are even marching fully clothed...nothing like San Francisco's parade...or sydney Australia's...all feathers, sequins, men in underwear, and ladies with no tops. They still get out there though, even with all the rocks thrown and every punch. Even if its only a handfull of people in front of a whole city. Now thats true grit, in my opinion. That makes our Youtube videos look like the easiest thing in the world to do by comparison and its part of why we don't worry about the privacy issue of putting our family online. Look at what these people are doing!

This is not to minimize the struggles here in America in any way. They are important to in there own way. Gay men, women, and transgendered people are still beaten and killed here too lets not forget. Every right gained ads to the rights of us all, even if it only builds momentum for someone elses struggle or makes the world one degree more loving. Like the ripples of Stonewall.

Popokatipetl...if you read this blog...Today must be the day of your pride march. Let us know how it went and dont leave us hanging. We will keep up the fight on our end, you stay strong and keep it up on yours, stay alive and, if you can, go kiss a cute guy.