...Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Either this guy was having just one grand day or he literally was happy to see...well...whomever. Only in Munich, Germany, the town I grew up in are they out and proud. And it shows!

Can you imagine to see a photo like this on the front page...or any page, for that matter...of an American publication or a news web site?

That would be a loud and clear no the absolute hell.

One would think Americans don’t know what sex is or even why genitalia is there for. Since America’s population only came into existence by virgin births or other divine interventions. No wonder this is “God’s own country.”

Unless you’re a male goodie-goodie Republican politician or a Catholic priest. Somehow they’ve figured out what to do with their “sin sticks” and put them to good use too.

Oh, those Europeans. Have they no shame? They have history, culture, real bread and coffee that actually tastes as such. They get higher education and have efficient health care, which is mostly free to all. And now this?!?! A healthy portion of good clean sex, all out and proud for everyone to see.

Do these “socialists” really believe that using common sense and having this notion that consensual sex is just a very normal and healthy part of life in general, along with a very honest and open sex education in public schools is a good thing?

Americans are so blessed not to a mindset as evil and perverted as Europeans do. It is true that America, the only true holy land, may have one of the world’s highest rate of unwanted teen pregnancies. Or that all these born again Christian politicians are so out-of-control sex-crazed that they’ll poke anything with a hole in it. But that’s okay though, because they’re all brainwashed patriotic Americans who still believe that the earth is flat and Jesus had dinosaur steaks for dinner. It’s all in the bible or something that God himself told Bill O’Reilly on Fox News. Therefore it’s all good. Besides, don’t they all have their own personal line to the big fella up there?

Good thing America has got its priority straight. That’s why it has this most precious law that is the envy of all the other lands everywhere: The right to bear arms.

That’s right, people. Most Americans can’t find their own country on a map or name the current vice-president, nor do most of them have health insurance, which again is run by corporations who decide whom gets to live and gets to bite the dust because some lil’ fucker had the audacity to develop cancer. Seriously, who needs education, health and all that other “communist” crap anyway?

Americans have guns, goddammit! Shoot first, ask later! Whoa, look at the size of this bazooka Fuckin’ cool, man! Let’s blow shit up!

You see, owning a semi-automatic riffle is all Americans need to solve problems like lack of proper health care, schooling, equal rights, poverty or hunger.

Would you like some freshly grated cheese on your Smith & Wesson and maybe some extra pepper on your side of ammunition?

- - - Sarcasm session terminated - - - Political Ranting disabled - - -

How the hell did I get into this whole ranting mode? Is it Monday? By the way, the above photo is in reference the Christopher Street Day celebration which was held in downtown Munich, Germany over the weekend. Here are links to see more photos in two Munich newspaper sites:

http://www.abendzeitung.de/bilder/12166 and

http://www.tz-online.de/nachrichten/muenchen/innenstadt-schwuler-hand-meta-400513.html

Please note that the articles are in German. But be forewarned! It contains further images of these...gasp...I can barely get myself to even type this...these life-loving and equality-seeking homosexuals.

Okay, my sarcasm button is now officially turned off.

George and I had another amazing weekend. And a great surprise. We met Al and his partner Steve for an early dinner at Town Square on Saturday. We’ve met them at a gay couple’s pot luck the other day and hit it right off. We were planning on seeing a movie after dinner but we ended up walking around at Town Square, talking about everything and nothing for the rest of the evening and just enjoying each other’s company. George and I hope this is the beginning a new friendship.

Yesterday morning we decided to go swimming. It certainly was a hot enough day for that. There is a gigantic, olympic-size pool over at the club house which is literally a two-minute walk away from our house. Okay, maybe three minutes. Since we’ve been so darn busy lately, it was the first time we’ve gone swimming this year. Last year we managed to go at least once a week. We thoroughly enjoyed dipping into the cool waters and taking a few laps.

However, the highlight of the day was a surprise call from our dear friends Rover and Cal. They were on their way driving back home to Los Angeles after taking care of a month-long project in Denver and decided to drop in to pay us a visit. Mike was with them too so it turned out to be one big reunion of sorts. It was great seeing them all again. We chatted endlessly and tried to catch up on everyone’s life. Then us five went out to one of the neighborhood dives to have some dinner. Except for a few people sitting at the bar, the place was empty but we soon turned it into one big laugh fest. We made the waitress’ day.

Imagine a bunch of intellectual gays, talking about politics, arts, bears in leather and sparkling gold leaves falling from the skies. I can’t even begin to describe it. One had to be there in person. Mind you, Rover, Cal and Mike are rather butch, masculine looking guys. Cal can be especially intimidating as he’s very tall and has a ruggedly handsome face with a big bushy beard. But he’s such a sweet and cuddly guy. They all are.

Now, here you have these strangely queer acting macho-kinda guys, talking about theater and pulling a V8 engine out of a muscle car, all in the same breath. We completely confused and scared the jebeezes out of all them straight folks there sitting at the bar. I certainly felt a few eyeballs fixated on us as we were leaving the bar, laughing like schoolgirls at some bohemian joke.

We’ll spend Thanksgiving again at Rover and Cal’s amazing home in California. There are definitely more good times in store for us. We can’t wait. Is it turkey day yet?

Gobble, gobble!

Change only for the Straight?

We received an anonymous and interesting comment in response to my last entry and regarding Proposition 8 in California.

Los Angeles Times

We think it’s a bit unfair to say that gay activists let us down. There were more than enough LGBT organizations out there to inform us about what was going on regarding Proposition 8 ever since it succeeded to be put on the voting ballot. We’ve been following the print and television news for months and also read countless articles, opinions, blogs, comments and strategic plans how to combat this unfair proposition.

Additionally, there were numerous organizations and groups where people could join or donate either money or personal time as a volunteer to help spread the news how to defeat this measure.
Of course, this also meant that people had to be making a personal effort to actually do some research and seek out this types of groups and activities. Either on the internet or by calling or visiting their offices in person. In doing so, an interested reader and potential voter would have gathered enough information about the issues, the pros and cons presented by supporters and their opponents, and the opportunities to get involved or to visit meetings and rallies.

And here lies the problem. It takes effort to do these things. YOU have to make this happen. You cannot solely rely on the news or those organizations to come to you. They can only do so much and only succeed if you let them. America has become a society of convenience. If something requires the slightest effort on someone’s part, then no one will even attempt to make an effort. And if the subject matter is not interesting enough or presented all neatly and flashy, people tend to loose attention very quickly. Even if the issue at stake would greatly improve their own rights or benefits.

So, to say that gay activists let us down is not quite true. There were...and still are...more than enough outlets to inform and get informed on what happened. Besides mainstream media, there were many web sites and blogs. Some web sites were just recently created for the purpose to get the latest news out to the people and call for their involvement. If people are truly interested to get the latest news or facts about issues, then they’ll get them. They’ll make an effort to find the information. Eventually, the information will find them somehow. We live in Nevada, but we knew that it didn’t look too good for our side in California. Or Arizona. Or Florida. We even knew that the Swedish government is split on the gay marriage issue in that country.

We saw the news that Proposition 8 had a good chance of passing. So did many others, on both sides. Many people stepped up their efforts even more to do whatever they deemed necessary to either help or defeat this measure. The gay activists did everything they could to help us all achieve equal rights. And for that we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. Unfortunately, our opponents had more money, manpower and help from the outside to misconstrue perceptions and spread false information about the LGBT community.

However, we do agree on one thing. The apathy of many people when it comes to the right to vote, or politics in general. This is not a particular gay or straight quality. But gay people seem to be particularly indifferent when it comes to their own civil rights. If something is not exciting enough they couldn’t be bothered with it. We hate to admit this, but the majority of the gay community is indeed superficial and doesn’t take gay rights and issues very serious. When important issues are discussed then most gays will scream: “Boring.” While this certainly does not apply to everyone, that wide-spread gay stereotype however is for the most part very much true.

That’s why George and I aren’t part of the so-called gay scene. Whatever that means. We don’t fit their criteria and quite frankly...we don’t want to. If we do happen to attend a gay social gathering or go to a gay bar, others wouldn’t give us the time of day. Even if we just try to start a friendly, harmless small-talk with some people, hoping to break some ice. Most are too consumed with certain looks, appearances or some hierarchical ranking. It is next to impossible to be integrated into that clique if one doesn’t fit the expected label.

They can have that all nonsense. We already gave up on the notion to make even one decent friend and have come to the conclusion that there really is no gay community. Not in the sense of camaraderie or helping to make a difference for the good of the many. Gay...or straight, for that matter. At least not in Las Vegas. Our society has become very pretentious, suspicious and angry, but oblivious to everything else at the same time.

If we sound bitter, we’re not. It’s somewhat sad that it seems so difficult to make any friends. But that’s okay. It‘s their loss, not ours. George and I have each other. Besides, we have some friends, although they’re all living out-of-state. And if we get to see them every once in a blue moon, so be it.

Yet I’m still giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. Yes, even the gays. Despite the many dissapointments. Maybe one day they too will realize that fighting for people’s rights and the community’s well-being...or just giving someone the time of day...is far more rewarding than hearing the latest gossip of so-and-so or be up-to-date with the newest trends.

The people here in the United States just elected it’s first black president. Progress has been made. So there’s still hope yet. Maybe this is the kick in the butt that America, or Americans, needed to finally start shedding some of the prejudice and that fear of the unknown. Maybe the promised change will indeed come and help to open minds and hearts again down the road. Who knows? Time will tell.

Maybe we’ll see the first female president. The first gay president.

Like I concluded in my previous entry...baby steps.

Small little baby steps.

By the way...gay activists alert! November 15th, 2008 is National Day Of Protest Against Marriage Discrimination. So make your voice heard. Find more info on this web site:

www.jointheimpact.com We’re positive that there are many more web sites like this out there.

Make an effort, be involved, help change minds for the better.

Earth and AIDS

First off, today is Earth Day.

Two of many things most Americans aren’t too concerned with is the horrible state which our environment is in and the unequal status of the LGBT community in the United States.

Doing our part in conserving energy, recycling and taking care of the earth is a no-brainer. If the air is too polluted to breath, the water too toxic to drink and our food supply too genetically modified to cause more harm in the long run, what else is there? Do we eat dollar bills? Drink the last remaining drops of fossil fuel? It’s not that hard to understand that the human race depends on a clean environment to survive. It’s very simple really.

George and I recycle. We have replaced most of our indoor and outdoor incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient fluorescent ones, and we car pool every day. We don’t turn the heater or air-conditioner on until absolutely necessary. Even during the summer desert heat we have our thermostat set at 84 degrees. Otherwise we’d be working only to pay for mortgage and the already way too high power bill. It’s mind of matter.

The other issue, which is rather alarming, is the fact that people of the LGBT community in the U.S. are becoming third class citizens. For whom exactly does "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," as it is stated in the United States Declaration of Independence, apply to then? Only to rich white guys? Some people want to vote for a federal amendment to ban same-sex marriage. What business is it of heterosexual people whom gays or lesbians love and want to spend their lives with? What gives them the right to take away the right of other people? Not too long ago in this country, women would not even have been allowed to vote on this subject. Or any subject, for that matter. Imagine that, certain white straight people had no equal rights at one point in history of the United States.

Then there is the whole debacle how HIV infected people are being treated and how AIDS in general is being used as a smear campaign by some right-wing, religious fanatics against anything gay or lesbian. The fact that HIV is not only affecting homosexuals, but also heterosexual people, including women and children, is conveniently swept under the rug. The claim that AIDS is a gay disease is not only a lie but also ignorant. And while the endless debates and finger pointing over whether it is an abomination and who to blame rages on; countless people continue to suffer. With no cure in sight, without help or compassion.

One of the few things that help to bring some kind of relief are events such as the annual Las Vegas AIDS Walk, which was held on Sunday. The money raised will help the AFAN (Aid for AIDS of Nevada) organization to provide support and advocacy for adults and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Nevada.

George and I participated in the walk, as we did last year. It’s our little contribution to a great cause and it’s usually fun too. Some people came in costumes. Many families with children were taking part as well. And as always, there were lots of dogs. Countless dogs in every size and shape were present. The weather cooperated too. It was sunny and very comfortable. Below are some photos of Sunday’s event.

This is actually a picture from last year's AIDS Walk in Las Vegas. Here we are with one of the Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.