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| Jeffrey Gomes. Photo: Annia Torres-Rossi |
Yesterday was an unusual day, both historically and personally. I had posted this first video on Facebook the other night and it has been highlighted on plenty of LGBT and mainstream blogs. The fact that it went viral right around the time of Obama's announcement, made it all the more poignant (and important).
When Shane lost Tom in a terrible accident after almost 6 years together and a promise to marry as soon as it was legal, Shane found himself blocked any all access by Tom's family, who rejected their son after he came out to them. Emotionally devastated, Shane wasn't even able to attend Tom's funeral, let alone have any say in it.
The 10 minute short, It Could Happen to You, chronicles Shane's pain and frustration and his determination to make sure no one else ever goes through what he did. If you've seen it already, it is so worth seeing again. If you haven't seen it, you must, but make sure you have tissues nearby. This is why Marriage Equality matters. I know I'm preaching to the choir but maybe some uneducated or curious or outright bigoted person, who came to bash or troll a story about gay marriage will see this video for the first time and suddenly get it. That's my hope, anyway. But then, I've always tried to be an optimist (though it isn't always easy, these days).
I hope that made you not just sad, but angry. I hope it prompted you to write, email or call your elected officials and make your voice heard. Share this post or even just the video and get other people angry. I hope it made at least one of you see that this is not about sex, religion, tradition or however you choose to rationalize it. It is about love, plain and simple. Love, you dopes! How hard is that to understand?
Okay, okay. Important stuff out of the way. Let's talk about Jeffrey Gomes up there in the right corner. What's that all about? Well, I'll tell you. Via Towleroad comes this sort of sexy and just terrifically upbeat dance video from Choreographer Drew James featuring James and Gomes tearing it up in Manhattan. It's meant to make you smile. And it does. Enjoy:
"Wait just one second! How the hell do those two clips go together in the same post, Uncle P?"
Truth is, they do and they don't. But mostly they do, because they are opposites. Sorrow V. Joy. We would never appreciate one without the other. I didn't initially intend to get all Zen on ya'll tonight but it seemed like a good opportunity to make the point. Enjoy your life. Express your love. Share your joy. Thus endeth the lesson.
More, anon.
Prospero
2 comments:
My brother sent me this today and I see it here. It is very sad. Thanks for posting it. I of course am democrat and support Obama. But I live in a state surrounded by bigots (Utah) who are Romney lovers. I keep to myself at work or it's a constant argument. I hope to be able to afford to move someday to a place where I can be surrounded by "my people" and not Mormons living on the wrong side of history.
How is it ok to leave everything a rich person owns to a favorite pet instead of immediate family members, but not ok fo survivingr domestic partners to keep what they spent years building together in a committed relationship? Where is the "morality" in pets over humans?
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