Pride Number Five

Yesterday was the fifth Lexington Pride festival and probably the hottest in its history. Despite the oven-like temperatures, people from all across the tri-state area celebrated the GLBTQ community.

I've been to the Lexington Pride festival every year since 2008. The first year was very monumental for me. I had come out January of that year and just 6 months later I was walking through Cheapside letting my gay pride show to all of Lexington.

Pan the rainbow crowd

It was quite an experience to say the least. I went with my friend Robeij who had also recently come out. Together, we took some huge steps in maturing and developing as gay youth.

Wet homosexuals

Looking back, I can see how far I have come, how I started to realize that my identity as a person could never be summed up in one word, how I deserved more than what I settled for, how putting your happiness first isn't always selfish, and how powerful it is when people unite together for a common cause.

Dance like nobody's watching

The above picture is from Lex Pride 2009. I love this picture, because I remember this as a moment of hope for me. Many of us, especially in the gay community, face such adversity in our relationships. Those of us who are "out" still live in fear of persecution, religious altercation, and societal judgement in general. Seeing these two women dance and show their lasting love for each other was beyond amazing.

After Pride 2009, the location moved to the courthouse due to growth! In a very short amount of time, this festival had some extreme growing pains and needed room. The 2010 Lex Pride also started having local and national sponsors.

We knew him and C3PO were close but not that close!

As I was looking through all my facebook albums for pictures, I noticed that I always caption it with "hot". I suppose Pride being a hot, homorific day is not all that new.

I'm not sure if the leotard is scarier or the hand that is coming to get me

The outfits at Pride (any year) are always a hoot. This particular fella from Pride 2011 was great. From the frontview, nothing was left to the imagination. I'm pretty sure I could have told you what his kids would look like. 

Pride 2011 was an extra special year, because it was the first Pride that Emily and I went to as a couple. This is not to say I haven't gone to Pride with a girlfriend before, but, for me, going with Emily was great in that she got to see that it is possible to create a world where we can hold hands. We don't have to hide behind closed doors or around close friends. 

<3

So that brings us to Lexington Pride 2012. This was a great year in and of itself. We got to see so many people that we love. And, to me, I saw so many more gay parents this year with their children. It was heartwarming and hopeful. We signed the rainbow truck, had some beer, watching some drag shows, talked with friends, rain through a fountain, drank our weight in water, ate great food, and loved every minute and every one of it. 

LeeBroSto made it on the truck

Trans-itioning Through Hate

Too little purple and too much hate

Earlier this year, I was involved with gay & lesbian and feminist groups on my campus to raise awareness about trans issues. Admittedly, prior to this I had little knowledge of these issues myself. Although I have been relatively active in gay and lesbian issues in my community and on campus, I had never researched trans issues, because I did not feel like they related to me. I felt that it was not my battle; however, I've come to realize that the discrimination that trans people suffer are very parallel to anyone who is not a heterosexual male.

The suicide rate for transgender people is 50%. If you know two transgender people, then one of them has more than likely attempted suicide, perhaps even both. Depending on which website you read, gay and lesbian youth are five times more likely to commit suicide. They are three times more likely as adults. And, collectively, almost  non-heterosexual people suffer from discrimination.

Not only do transgender people (and GLBTQ individuals as well) suffer from suicide and discrimination, they are often the victims of violence and sexual harassment.

If you find these statistics appalling or what to know more about Trans issues, click "TranSouth". This is a digital version of the zine created last semester to raise awareness about transgender issues and learn more about transgender individuals

Thoughts on a Side Story: J. Edgar

No plot spoilers that aren't in history

Last night I watched J. Edgar with some friends, and it turned out to be a better movie than expected. I'll shed some historic light on it, so you won't have to refer to Wikipedia constantly after the movie to understand what's going on. J. Edgar Hoover (no relation to Herbert Hoover, 31st president) is famous  for having started and directed the FBI. So, the movie is pretty much how the FBI comes to life, what J. Edgar has to do to make that happen, the crimes that take place, backlashes, adversity, etc. 

What I am more interested in are the side stories. This movie takes into account the rumor that J. Edgar was a closeted homosexual and had a relationship with Clyde Tolson, the associate director of the FBI. I believe that albeit this was a rumor which  could have exploited, it was actually represented very tastefully. It shows a confused J. Edgar who seems extremely tormented by his sexuality. And this story, which is gingerly touched on, is what truly affected me from the movie.

Tolson and Hoover in 1939

It affected me to think of how tormented poor J. Edgar was and how he lived his life the truest he could with Tolson and with apparently little to no physical contact. Of course, this movie focuses on Hoover, but what about Tolson, the man who reportedly loved Edgar for the rest of his life? He stayed his companion to the very end, so much so that he was Hoover's heir and inherited all he had. I'm sure Tolson would have traded that inheritance for one moment when they could have been true to themselves without fear.