Poetry From a Friend

When I started my Taekwondo training in 1987, I was a Freshman in high school and a man named Rex Veeder was the highest ranking Black Belt in Arizona. He was my instructor's instructor's instructor - like a great grandpa, if you will. Rex was a leader and someone I looked up to and respected. While I didn't get to work with him often, when I did, it made an impression. 

Four years later I moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona. Rex was a professor there and helped me start a Taekwondo club on the campus. He was a great mentor and was always there if I had any questions or needed any help.

Rex moved to Minnesota and became a professor in St. Cloud. We spoke rarely as the years passed. 

Then came Facebook. We connected and would make occasional comments on each other's posts from time to time. Now, I am very out on social media. If people didn't know I was gay before...well it doesn't take long to figure it out. I hadn't come out until well after Rex moved to Minnesota, however, he has been very supportive of me and of the LGBT community.

This past weekend Rex performed a reading that kicked off the Second Annual Above the Clouds Pride March held at the campus where he teaches. He posted it on Facebook and I have his permission to re-post it here. I found the words very powerful and hope you will too.

Mr. Veeder, thank you again for your leadership. For standing up. speaking out, and giving hope.

Above The Clouds on Judgement Day

by Rex Veeder

[Imagine as you read this rock guitar as duet. Or, put on some Jazz and go down deep.]

Above the Clouds on Judgment Day

(What good is wit if not savage?) 

 Allen Ginsberg and Carl Solomon, 

 I am with you in Rockland 

where you are madder than I am 

where we remember together the all night winter-party of Normal Illinois  

and memory is a Mexican volcano  

where I am young and you are gay  

and we Buddha on the road 

waiting to be killed or dragged as you said 

off roof tops waving genitals and manuscripts. 

1. 

Poets doing politics

Are rodeo clowns looking for a barrel.

I don't mean to complain

only flash a grin at the bull

But, so many politicos

(the politicians of Inquisition)

JUDGE the sick, lonely, old, poor, people of color, and the gay

that I guess I'll make an adjudication about the judges.

It's judgment day.

2. 

So, marriage is for hetros only,

legally,

really,

someone wants to vote on legal love

reminding us it's a nation of laws

 not justice

why arouse us

with  blatant provocation --

are you crazy,

are you drinking LSD tea?

If you can’t  imagine yourself gay

At least imagine what it’s like to be gay

And step away for God’s sake.

3.

How about an invocation

a necessary provocation

to rile the steel-crusted knights of

supply-side rightness --

I'll even challenge liberals

to stop ending the world with a whimper and

BANG

come out in the streets.

It's  high noon

and town’s folks have to get it up.

Show some balls

or ass.

What if Brave Heart were gay

and raising his kilt to moon the Brits

REALLY pissed them off?

There might have been no bloody battle at all,

only a huddle of family-value knights

confused and outraged,

writing Magma Carter into

the wee-willy hours of the morning,

their maces, broad swords and spears piled in the corners

like declarations of penis envy

with bright heralds fluttering

in invitation

or speculative expectation.

4.

Being Gay in Minnesota must be

like living with Peyote in the drinking water,

Minnesota with its optimistic blue sky

and white Fluffy clouds

and cows with incredibly pink udders.

Suddenly, a vision at once utterly funk-dance

and gay

and yes queer

billows out into the streets

like deathly hollows smoke from the Mall of America.

5.

And the politicos who hide in the cloud are afraid

of themselves and the world

demand a law to insure isolation's rules,

command with rage the vigilantes of misplaced rightness

to loose the hounds on the highway to hell --

so sure,

so nice,

so ripe with envy,

with skully grins for the sound-bites

with proclamations at tea against

a revolution

OUR revolution

that rings like a brass alarm bell

that to be born "the other"

is to find in queerness

a world more vast and kind

than white bread, white milk, and white fish.

6.

In the schemes of the straight and narrow, Leprechauns

(they MUST be gay)

escape from prison and

cart kettles of gold

to a bow-end denied them

since the road to rainbow end is not straight . . .

no three wishes, no magic, not even the gold

and all the while those who escape march the streets

ringing cowbells,

chanting: "Bring out your queer. Bring out your queer."

7.

And the queer do come out

along with all those who feel strange

or have been the other

who died to themselves

or to the world

or found DELIGHT a habit

delight that is by birth chosen

not to be prayed away

but saturated with joy --

God in all the glory

funk-dancing in the streets

with God’s brothers and sisters

stating publicly to the slayers of love:

"Bring it on politicians of inquisition;

your days are numbered,

and you can't count anyway.

Hell, you don't count at all."

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Certified

Photo by Pete Souza

Today, President Obama signed the certification that will lead to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" finally being gone on September 20, 2011. Some were not happy with the delay in certification, however, for a change like this in the military I am very satisfied with 7 months.

There has been a lot of information coming from the White House today and I wanted to share some of that. 

First is the press release from President Obama.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

__________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2011

Statement by the President on Certification of Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Today, we have taken the final major step toward ending the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law that undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality.  In accordance with the legislation that I signed into law last December, I have certified and notified Congress that the requirements for repeal have been met.  ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will end, once and for all, in 60 days—on September 20, 2011. 

As Commander in Chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness.  Today’s action follows extensive training of our military personnel and certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our military is ready for repeal.  As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country.  Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian.

I want to commend our civilian and military leadership for moving forward in the careful and deliberate manner that this change requires, especially with our nation at war.  I want to thank all our men and women in uniform, including those who are gay or lesbian, for their professionalism and patriotism during this transition.  Every American can be proud that our extraordinary troops and their families, like earlier generations that have adapted to other changes, will only grow stronger and remain the best fighting force in the world and a reflection of the values of justice and equality that the define us as Americans.

Next is an email sent by the President to organizations like HRC and individuals who worked hard to make this victory possible. 

Last year, I visited Afghanistan. I was there to thank our men and women in uniform, the brave Americans who have given so much on behalf of this country and who make me so proud to be Commander-in-Chief.  At one of America’s bases there, I was shaking hands and taking pictures, walking along a pretty tight crowd of service members.  A young woman in uniform pulled me into a hug.  She leaned in close so I could hear her over the noise and whispered, “Get ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ done.” 

I said to her, “I promise you I will.” 

A few weeks later, after a struggle that lasted almost two decades, I signed a law to repeal this policy.  I signed it with absolute confidence in our men and women in uniform, in their professionalism and in their capacity to adapt to this change, just as they have adapted and grown stronger with other changes throughout our history.  And I signed this repeal knowing that our military would be stronger – and our nation safer – for the service of patriotic gay men and women who would no longer have to live a lie in order to defend the country they love. 

Today, in accordance with this law, I signed the certification that will end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” once and for all.  The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also have certified that the military is ready for the repeal.  Sixty days from now, on September 20th, the repeal will be complete and gay men and women will be able to serve their country openly. 

On that day, I’ll be thinking of the young woman I met in Afghanistan.  And I’ll be thinking of the countless others like her, straight and gay alike, who love this nation and the ideals for which it was founded, and who have signed up to serve so that we might all live in freedom and uphold this simple creed: we are all created equal. 

Thank you for helping to make this victory for our country possible. 

Sincerely,
Barack Obama

Finally I wanted to include a copy of the actual certification document

This is a great day. The end to this awful law finally has an expiration date.

McDonald's Gay Ad in France is a Conversation Starter

I happened to catch this ad by McDonald's today in the Telegraph. I Tweeted, Facebooked, and Google+'d (yes twitter has the best social media verbs but that is another discussion). I realized that there was more I had to say on it so I am doing things a little backwards with with writing after already putting it on social media but oh well.

First here is the video...then we can discuss.




I guess the video was actually released a year ago but I missed it somehow. Maybe because I don't live in France.  Regardless of when it came out, I have seen it now and I love it. I love how it shows just one of many conversations that happen daily in which LGBT individuals have to decide whether or not to come out. Many people just don't realize how often this happens. Then the decision comes - do I out myself or not? We don't actually know what the father and son discuss over fries and that is ok. Part of me really wanted to see the conversation start. Something like, "Dad, I've got something to tell you." However, is McDonald's really the place to have that conversation with Dad?

Sometimes I think that is what holds us back from coming out. Is this the right time and place? I wish that wasn't the case. I wish people felt like it was something to discuss anywhere at anytime. Doing that takes the stigma out of it that talking about being gay is only something to do in private. I understand that many risk their jobs and others could risk their safety. That's why for those of us that feel safe and secure we must not miss these opportunities. It will only help to make things better for those that can't.

Another thing I thought of as I watched this was, how many conversations did this start? Not necessarily between teens and their parents but among all generations - maybe with friends or even co-workers. Just someone commenting they had seen the commercial and liked it would be enough for an LGBT individual to recognize they had an ally and be more comfortable coming out. Even just a parent that wants their child to know they are loved no matter what could comment on the commercial in a positive way. I see many good conversations that can happen because of this.

Do I see how there could be bad conversations, of course. People could learn a close friend or family member is not accepting. However, I choose to believe that both the good and bad conversations are good. The bottom line is the more things are in the open the better.

Thanks McDonald's. I can't wait for the day we see things like this in the U.S.