Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Sep 17, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

Know Your LGBT History - Armed and Dangerous

Time to lighten up the mood:

If there is one thing I hate worse than insulting lgbt portrayals in the movies and on television, it's insulting lgbt portrayals that are so bad that they come across as just pitiful .

Perfect example is this scene from the 1986 John Candy/Eugene Levy movie Armed and Dangerous. The pertinent part of the scene starts at 3:05 when Candy and Levy are trying to elude bad guys by walking into an x-rated video store. In order to get away from the villains, the two lure a gay guy dressed in leather and another gay guy dressed as a drag queen into the back of the store where they steal their clothing:

Basketball coach wants to 'save young girls from lesbianism' and other Friday midday news briefs

Meet Kentucky’s High School Basketball Coach for Girls Who Are Not Lesbians - He says nasty things about the lesbian community but when this blows up, and it will, watch how quickly he will try to make himself sound like a victim.

'Opposite Gender Day' at Jackson High School is offensive, transgender professor Julie Nemecek says - This will open up a very good debate.

GOProud Backs Frank's Challenger - A gay group (Republican gay group) supports a candidate who is not for allowing gays to serve openly in the military and marriage equality over a gay U.S. Representative (the legendary Barney Frank) who supports both. There should be more words to describe irony as well as selfishness.

Repost: - The night I told my father I'm gay

On September 17, 2000, correctional officer Alvin S. Glenn was murdered during an escape attempt at the Richland County Detention Center. He was the first correctional officer in over 50 years to be murdered during an escape attempt.

In his honor, the Richland County Detention Center was renamed the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

That's all very good, but speaking as one of his children, I would rather have my father back.

When I told my father, Alvin S. Glenn, that I'm gay, I didn't come out and say it.

I really should have though. My father was a former military man. He served 29 years in the United States Army and had an aversion to being dramatic. No tears, no dramatic pauses, and no beating around the bush. Just say what you need to say and be done with it.

But to say that I was nervous as we drove to the grocery store was an understatement.

"Pop, I said. I don't think you need to worry about grandchildren when it comes to me."

Granted, that this was during the time when I inaccurately thought being gay meant that you could not have a family complete with little rugrats (I say that word with much affection) running all over the place. I figured that statement was the best way the best way to break the news to him.

My father, however, said three words to me that made it all unnecessary:

"I knew that already."

To tell the truth, I was a little shocked. But I really shouldn't have been. No matter how I try, I'm not the most butch fellow in the world.

Maybe it's my diva fascination.

During Halloween in second grade, I borrowed my mother's ratty bathrobe, my aunt's cold cream and went as Bette Davis in the dressing room scene of All About Eve.

When I was in fifth grade, I had a Diana Ross fascination.

By seventh grade, Ms. Ross was replaced by Stevie Nicks.

So needless to say that I'm not exactly the "straight-acting" gay man type.

But still, my father saying that he already knew that I'm gay floored me. Apparently he and my younger brother had been discussing the matter for some time before I came out to him.

After the revealing that he already knew of my sexual orientation, my father proceeded to tell me that while he does not particularly understand why I am gay, he accepted me as his son.

I didn't have a problem with his honesty because of two reasons. I wanted my father to be honest concerning how he felt. If you can't be honest with family, then who can you be honest with?

Secondly, he never rejected me. This was probably because my father and I didn't spend that much time together as we should have. We only really got to know each other during my first year in college.

Still, the main thing was the fact that he made it clear that I was still his son. Forget this mess about "God doesn't want you to be that way," or "how could you do this to the family."

By the way, my father wasn't that squeamish about my relationships either. I even got to introduce him to the man I was dating at the time.

Today, the day of my father's death, haunts me and it will continue to do so until my dying day. But it doesn't get me as sad as it used to.

I hate how my father was taken from me but I'm blessed to have known him and to have spent as much time as I did with him.

I was very lucky to have Alvin S. Glenn as my father.

He was a pretty cool guy.