This is an awesome reader letter at Andrew Sullivan's blog:
"My Inspiration"
A reader writes:
As a gay African man (Kenyan), I have been infuriated by the recent proceedings in Uganda and just incandescent at the Christianist right's midwifery of this execrable 'bill'. For the LGBT community in majority of sub-saharan Africa, the stigma is absolute. South Africa remains the lone outpost of progressivism because gays can legally wed there. Kenya is the most socially liberal country in East and Central Africa but only relatively so since homosexuality hasn't been decriminalized yet.
I've thought a lot about how I've enabled this by not being open about who I am. I have heard the same disgusting anti-gay rhetoric openly spoken at parties and gatherings where I was present and I said nothing. No more.
The picture of the Malawian couple in the back of a pickup truck, besieged and utterly alone, surrounded by a sea of unsympathetic and mocking faces, sealed the deal for me. It is no longer possible for me to take my own indignation about these human rights abuses seriously. How can I while being closeted at the same time? This is why I'm coming out. As soon as possible. I'm telling everyone that matters to me and will admit openly to who I am to anyone that cares to ask. It is clearer to me than ever before that I can't have it both ways. I can't be outraged and closeted at the same time.
You correctly called those two Malawian men heroes and I saved that post. They remain my inspiration.
And my reader becomes a hero of mine as well. The Internet is helping to propel global gay consciousness as well as religious fundamentalism.
If my coworker brings in his h.s prom photos, I may have agreed to wear my prom dress to work.
I have the better deal: he wore a purple velveteen tuxedo, with ruffle shirt, massive 'fro and platform shoes. 70s fashion so trumps 90s for humiliation factor. I think he forgot that.
SO AWESOME.
We need pictures!
So today the one full time reference librarian in the SF office went out on disability for an indeterminate amount of time. It could be a couple of days, or weeks, or years.
Plumber came back today and FINALLY (Finally!!) fixed the shower. The bathrooom sink, however, is still dripping.
I would love to run "I think I am ready for a grown-up house" or "I need grown-up clothes" workshops/bootcamps.
I think you'd be awesome. And I bet people would spend good cash money on that.
Speaking of spending good cash money, as someone surprised at how long it's taking my hair to grow out, I do see the appeal of extensions. I just don't see spending $7000 on them.
I'll get pictures eventually. I may even have some old ones, somewhere, but I don't know where. Most are at my parents'.
My neighbor swept my steps and walk today. I didn't have time to do it this morning. I think I've won the neighbor lottery: he does heavy lifting, loans me tools, shovels out my balcony, sweeps my walk of snow, introduces me to the neighbors and his friends. Plus, his kid is adorable.
old and bad
?!?!?! Summer Jam 2007!!!
Even NPR said so: [link]
Ack. I don't share the Rihanna love.
Kat, I'll send my dad to visit. He'll drive you crazy, taking up SO MUCH SPACE and reading you articles, but you will no longer have dripping faucets or woggly doorknobs. And possibly all your drawers will slide smoothly too.
Oh, I love Rihanna. "Good Girl Gone Bad"! "Take a Bow"! It's that new one, Ke$ha, or whatever her name is, that makes my teeth itch.
