http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gay-bar-raid6-2009jul06,0,869366.story?page=1

Well isn’t this interesting. It just goes to show you that after all that is happening in the world, after all that has been made public, and what has been put in the public eye for people who are LGBT, there is still outright stupidity being practiced by poor bags of rotten human flesh who call themselves “law enforcement”.

They claim that there were some gay men making advances toward them. Now, whomever is reading this, when was the last time any gay man just outright touched your crotch shamelessly?

That’s about as believable as little green men on Mars. Meep zorp!

The fact that this was, I am sure cleverly planned, carried out on the date of the 40th anniversary of Stonewall only adds salt to this very deep wound.

Outright police brutality doesn’t get anyone anywhere. How can that institution possibly demand the respect that their puny, less-than-juvenile brains demand, if they are behaving like worse than gang members?

I believe there are only a couple of explanations. One is that someone in that “force” is gay, and incredibly closeted. So, instead of dealing with his own frustrations in more productive ways, he has to get his cronies involved (because that’s exactly what they are), and take them out on the very thing he is afraid of.

Two is that they were all intoxicated with something themselves before they stepped foot into that bar, it was a slow night, and they had nothing better to do – like a spoiled child.

It scares me, because what kind of reflection is something like this on other police forces around the world? How are they going to read this? Will they respond in the swine-ish way that has earned them the name of animal same? Or, will this finally stop?

Obviously, police quite often are given too much power in their positions. Perhaps it’s time for some of those powers to be revoked, changed, turned upside down, inside out, and rethought. Whatever base internal law they feel they are following isn’t working, for themselves, or anyone else.

And yet, because of this very, very out of place incident, it almost seems like no matter how much fighting we do, LGBT or otherwise, it doesn’t matter. Well, why should it? We aren’t getting through. Emotions are emotions.

Then, there are blogs like mine, and so many more out there, in addition to the tremendous myriad of media, laws, etc… that have been put in to place, because of our fighting.

Let’s hope to the spiritual powers that be that this is a mere blip in the continuum.

I am referring to Mr. President Barack Obama’s recent proclamation that June is to be LGBT pride month.

You can view it here –

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/

First off, I absolutely celebrate our beloved president. I secretly call him my father. I get lost in his voice, like everyone else. Yes, he has enchanted the entire planet with gift of perfect speech. A very respectful notion of his was that he compared the work he has to do with that of turning a gigantic cruise ship. It will take some time, but eventually we will get there.

So, for the most part, I applaud his act here. I see the value in what he is trying to do.

All of that being said, part of me feels like it is just a temporary band aid for the huge, festering wound of a marriage equality de-boggle that has plagued our souls, and hearts. I am such a proponent of “one race, a human race”. To be reading this proclamation like we have been put into such a defined category was a bit disconcerting.

If we flip it a bit, and look at this from the viewpoint of the public that questions those who are LGBT, than if our “month” informs others from an educational standpoint, I am all for it!

However, at the end of the day, just how much education does someone need? Two people of the same sex love each other. That’s it. That’s all. Period. How we choose to handle our own lives is our own business, just as it is anyone else’s. It’s all quite simple.

Any shade of grey, where negativity is concerned against the LGBT group is totally destructive, as is any negativity in any other situation, weather it be personal or professional. So, why should we be “pointed out” as something that needs to be celebrated to begin with? I am who I am. You are who you are. Now, let’s ALL make a beautiful world (with LOTS of rainbows!).

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but does the above paragraph even make sense? O.K., so, it’s great that we can all stay wed. However, what about the guilt that has been placed on our shoulders, because the heads of a few people in power are stuck in the ancient past?

By that same notion, does that mean that only a few black people can stay free, and the rest have to go back to being slaves? Maybe only a few Jews can live, and the rest all have to die by gas poisoning.

State of California, you have turned gay marriage into a complete farce.

It can be seen how something like the “war on drugs” is a tremendous money maker for the United States government. But, this doesn’t even make sense in that category.

LGBT people are a large part of the economy, and quite often spend lots, and lots of money, when you put us in perspective via an equational per cap.

Forgetting how our government believes, it hasn’t occurred to them that the clothes they wear, the chairs they sit in, the cars that are designed that they drive around in, the computers they use, etc.. more than likely have the thoughts and ideas contained therein of many, many LGBT people!

We are all living under the same sky, eating the same food, spending money the same way, and living very similar lives. Marriage is marriage. The same dating, going out, ideas, hard work, struggles, and love all play a part.

The constitution was created to be amended. The original writers of it knew that such a document had to be changed as the people changed with it. We all get and understand that such a decision was made under a free voting system. But, what were the reasonings for this vote? How valid are such mindsets under a man like Barack Obama? In the interest of moving society forward, as any government’s priority should be number one, how is voting in such a way contributing?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m extremely proud and grateful to be both gay and married. I live to see the day that everyone who so chooses can have similar joy. See! Within myself, I’m not spreading any kind of “whatever the heck is inside the minds of California government”.

So, they are wrong.

*”Gay rights advocates have scheduled marches throughout California and in several other states for Tuesday evening. Organizers say the gatherings will be celebratory if the court rules in their favor and angry if Proposition 8 is upheld.”

It’s really too bad. I know I would’ve at least wanted some champagne.

*Yahoo! News
May 26, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090526/ap_on_re_us/us_gay_marriage_6

My other half, Ralph is 43, and I am 31. He’s black, while I’m white. He a Jesus centered upbringing, while mine was a healthy mix of Jewish and Wiccan. Does he have a body of Herculean proportions? Maybe not to others, but to me, he’s perfect. And me? Well, I’m a thin stick!! So what? We love each other.

So often, in the gay world, age differences can mean the world. But, luckily for us, we both saw past that upon our eyes meeting for the first time.

Where did we meet? Would you believe, myspace? Traditionally, the gay personals area of myspace is nothing more than a hook up board. And, for only one nighters at that. From someone who has been to at least five different dating sites, I honestly did get the most from myspace!

I wasn’t really expecting us to get past the first date. It was quite traditional. We went out to a movie at the ArcLight Cinemas, and had a great time. For food, we enjoy the same kinds, so going out to eat at restaurants is often not much of a battle.

I have to say, if there was any aspect, or angle that I attribute the longevity of our marriage to, it is the fact that we both come from similar background. His family lives in Palos Verdes Estates, and mine in Beverly Hills. It is true when you hear that “rich folks hang out with rich folks”. I can imagine that the same is true with all other groups. It is an innate, and inherent understanding that we both have, and grew up with.

If I can illuminate further, at one point, while discussing past men that he has dated, and questioning why our marriage is successful, Ralph mentioned, “You know how to act around my mom and dad – around rich people.” Then, it hit me. We were going to be together forever. I know, strange, eh?

His parents happened to have owned a Budweiser distributorship, serving an incredibly large sector of Southern California. My grandparents owned Beverly Hills Sound Company who rented walkie talkies and sound equipment to the entertainment industry. For all of you Lucy fans out there, David Wolpa was my grandfather’s name, and he worked with the cutting edge Glen Glenn sound on the show, as well as many other t.v. shows, and motion pictures at the time.

A large part of our relationship is our dog. We spoil him, and treat him like a child. Wherever we go, if possible, we bring him. Whenever we are out, and purchasing something for us, it is often that we buy for him first. He licks our plates clean at the dinner table, even after we have fed him his regular dog food! Princee-pooh!

I find that our work lives are even interesting, as we are both always learning something from each other’s professions. He works at the Gay and Lesbian Center in Hollywood, and while servicing the entertainment industry with small projects, I am quite happy working with Staples in their Copy and Print Center. Oh, and I must say, for those whom may think that a “copy monkey” isn’t creative work, clearly, you have never worked in a copy and print center! It is enormously creative, and each job and client is different. This is how I view it. The full service copy and print center is in it’s own little world, doing jobs for clients. Then, there is the self serve world, which is it’s own ball of wax, but works with the full service world. Then, there is the rest of the store at large that works with the other two departments. Then, there is the team that you work with to smoothly tie it all together.

What makes it incredibly creative are the challenges. When a customer asks you to do something that is normally outside of the “normal boundaries” of the center, it’s how you solve that customer’s solution that makes you valuable.

In terms of Ralph’s work – to say the least, don’t know how he does what he does on a daily basis. He is a true angel. He works in a beautiful homeless shelter for primarily LGBT youth, ages 18-24. Ralph says that it is rewarding work and very challenging. As well, he is very passionate about his work.

Do our families know each other? Not yet. No marriage is perfect. In this case, it is about protecting our marriage. We are hoping for a meeting of the two forces as soon as possible. And, you know what? That’s o.k. Ultimately, you have to do what you have to do to keep the love between you strong. Is it selfish? Well, that depends upon how you look at that. On the surface, perhaps. When you look deeper into it, if, only once in your life, you find that perfect other, than maybe it isn’t so much so.

Heavens, what do we do for fun??!!!! Lots of things! We enjoy Disneyland, Santa Monica beach and pier, Pasadena, Palm Springs, many places. Being in California definitely provides it’s fair share of eclectic activities. All in all, the ideal city for us to live, and my personal favorite would have to be Pasadena. I call it the “Paris of Los Angeles”. It’s rich history, culture, and good natured people are grossly under estimated.

We can enjoy a lavish dinner at the Ritz Carlton hotel castle just as easily as a seven dollar lunch at King Taco. For fast food mexican in the area, you can’t beat it. We often go for various reasons. One thing’s for sure. The Gamble House in town will keep anyone coming back! This is an Art’s and Crafts masterpiece, and was created around the turn of the century by Greene and Greene. Today, it is owned by the University of Southern California, and architecture students live and study there. In addition, they do give public tours.

Pasadena is also home to the world famous Art Center College of Design. They are known for their automotive design, but excel in all of their areas. For myself, I have taken classes both at Art Center, and Pasadena City college in graphic design. Both have propelled my career forward.

When Ralph and I are browsing around the streets, we enchant ourselves by walking in and out of different alleyways, seeing interesting little shops, arguing over what is expensive, and what isn’t, and by the end of the day, we are drinking tea, and driving home. The rich diversity of places we go out to, and activities we enjoy can not only be defining, but certainly enhance our already strong marriage.

I could fill ten books with this information. This is but a taste. A first go at this exciting blog! Thank you, and we hope to see you back soon!