We are Fortunate

Hello Friends, Something has happened over the past few days that has made me think...it has been on my mind so much I need to share it with people..and since y'all are the only people I really talk to you get to listen to me. If this starts to offend please just skip a head in your reading... First let me say, ...I AM AN AMERICAN.... I am an American that also happens to be gay... I am not a Gay American...To me the American come first... With that said, over the past several day the Iranian President, I will call him Akmud...his full name is too long....has given several speeches. On in which he said there were no gays in Iran...Ok this was comical, and everyone laughed...it was on all the networks...I just thought this guy was a joker.... Yesterday after noon, on all the stations, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, they had some "experts" who were analyzing Akmud's body language, and facial expressions... They all said the same thing, his smile was rehearsed, but there were some flashes of anger on his face...Like he really did not like being laughed at...but that he covered it pretty well... Ok, I have no reason to doubt these people, since all were saying the same thing...and they came from different areas of the news spectrum, right left center... So, I file this away in my brain, and go on... Well, yesterday, after the UN Speech, Akmud was given another chance to face the press, and of course they zero in on the "No Gays in Iran" A lady journalist, said, "Mr. President, I would like for you to elaborate on you statement of NO Gays in Iran, because I have been to Iran, and I know some Gays...." After the chuckling, he said I know of know gays in Iran, ....maybe you should give me their address, so that I can see for myself" To me, the room went silent, and there was a look on the mans face..like ..we missed one...give me their address so that we will be gay free... I do not have to say the feeling that this gave me...it had truly never registered how some people can hate on that level, and I thought, in error, that way of thinking was over in WWII. This man wants to hurt me, and he does not even know me... When I as a kid, My mother had a mantra, "only by the grace of god were you born in the United States" I realized how fortunate I am, and it really hit me last night going to be, that Kelly and I did not have to worry about people breaking into the house in the middle of the night, because we were gay.... This has me rethinking a lot of things I had mentally put on a shelf, I don't want to swing to be a total alarmist, but maybe I have been a little passive in my views of the threats against out great land... Maybe I need to give "W", a little more slack???? Anyway, I am fortunate, and grateful, and thankful, that I live in the USA, and have been given the opportunity to live my life, in peace, and be able to exchange thought with all of you... Thank you.. Russ

To start out I had several iranian pen pals who were gay...They said that if they were "found out" they would be persicuted and most likely tortured. On the flip side it is considered ok to have man friends who hold hands and sleep in the same bed......Saying that I have encountered people here who say they have never met a gay person....I know this cannot be true....I look at it this way...\"I do not want to recognize that this person is gay because if they are I will not be able to socialize/recognize them because being gay= being bad.........This of course is subconcious...But it is blind discrimination.........I am not suprised the president of a fundimentalist country had a comment like that...And I would expect it from all the fundimentalist countries.....

We are less unfortunate is the way I would put it. I would consider myself fortunate if my relationship was afforded the same rights and privileges that heterosexuals in this country enjoy. But you are very right in that at least the government isn't trying to kill us and will even make some effort to protect us against fanatics who would like to kill us for being GLBT.

I am more and more inclined to give W less and less slack. He is a closet Dominionist, and I fear what he could do. I suggest you check out the Dark Christianity Wiki at http://dark-christian.clanxanadu.org/ - the implications are horrifying. If the Religious Right maintains its hold on power, we are in serious trouble.

You got that right! If the Religious Right have there way; they'd have us on our knees going through hours of "laying on of hands" to make us "right." We are fortunate in that we live in a country that hasn't ordered an edict for us to stay in the closest and not come out. We are going to have to be more vocal in our communities as well as at the voting booth. Some paths have been made; however, there is still much to be done --whether we pursue legalization of Civil Unions or Same-Gender Marriage.

I have a good friend(ok an ex) that holds a position on Inter-Pride and he has been traveling all over lately. He says in Iran if you are found to be gay, you are executed. It is very bad over there. Rich

you are right..we are fortunate,despite the challenges we face. we've come a long way baby from 20 yrs ago. yeah, that guy from iran..i knew from what he said that he was a gay hater. how absurd to say there are no gays there. i truly believe what sean said, they are persecuted if they get found out. God bless them. I will say an prayer for them! Still don't think I owe "w" more slack, though. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Russ...made me think Susan