Random Musings

We’ve been watching Black-ish on TV and finding it very funny, and very timely.

In light of the recent deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of police, and the increased need for a discussion on race in America, the show has been talking race, making it funny, while making it thoughtful.

One particular joke this week was that Black people cannot be racist because, well, Black. And I’ve heard the same thing about The Gays.

Something to do with being discriminated against makes you unable to discriminate.

It ain’t true. Some of the biggest racist and homophobes are racists and gay folks.

Just sayin’.

Now during the episode of Black-ish, ABC ran a promo for a new show about an Asian family, with the all too funny jokes about how hard it is to say Asian names. It’s high-larious … not.

The show, sadly is called, Fresh Off The Boat; seriously.

Am I the only one who finds that title offensive? Howsabout a show about a Mexican family called Hopped The Fence or Swam The Rio Grande?

Nope, not funny either.

There has been talk about what might be the new LGBT battle now that marriage equality is sweeping the country, and most seem to think it will be ENDA; that it will be to protect LGBT Americans in all fifty states from being hired, evicted, denied housing or employment simply for being gay.

And, on the other side of that argument, comes the religious not-right, who want to be able to discriminate against The Gays because God. And so this week, a local ordinance making LGBT discrimination illegal in Fayetteville, Arkansas was repealed just months after it was enacted, thanks primarily to political activity by conservative religious leaders and the Duggar family—you know the TLC family that spits out a new child every year so they can have a TV show and spew their familial hate.

Now the HRC is going after TLC because of the Duggar's support, both financially, and vocally, to the repeal. But who cares about that? If the HRC convinces TLC to drop the Duggar’s they’ll still be supporting anti-LGBT causes.

I’d suggest we simply ask The Gays and The Gay friendlies to avoid TLC if they choose to air hate-mongers, and then turn our efforts towards enlightening those people in Fayetteville who bought into the hate.

Just sayin’. Don’t get angry, get to work.

I saw this earlier in the week and, well, it made me look at our pets in a whole new, less enthusiastic , light.

Tabatha Bundsesen, the woman who owns Grumpy Cat—AKA Tartar Sauce—may have made as much as $100 million in the past two years offa that Frowning Feline. 

The Grumpy Cat empire has grown into books, merchandise, appearances, and even a holiday movie.

I looked at our dog Ozzo, and asked why why why he wasn’t out there making money for the family? Why did they get lucky with Grumpy Cat and we got stuck with Dumpy Dog?

The next day Carlos informed me that the story wasn’t true, that grumpy hasn’t made 50 million a year for the past two, he’s made just 10 million.

Oh … my bad. Now excuse me while I get to making our pets look a little pissed off.

Well well well, it appears that the International Olympic Committee [IOC] has voted in a new Principle 6 clause stating the Olympics must be free of discrimination "of any kind, including race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status."

This new rule is a direct result of the Sochi Games and Russia’s very anti-LGBT laws and policies.

That’s good to hear.

Speaking of Carlos, I have been driving him crazy … crazier … every day by, out of the blue, busting out into my high-pitched, off-key rendition of Tomorrow from Annie.

All Carlos can do is shake his head and look away.

♫♪ The sun’ll come out ….. ♪♫

We’ve been watching The Leftovers on the DVR. I mentioned last week about the hot-itude that is Justin Theroux, but the show also includes, clockwise from the top left:

Chris Zylka, Paterson Joseph and Max and Charlie Carver.

It’s like Beefcake-apalooza over there.

Speaking of Hot Men on the tube, how much do I like Finn Wittrock who plays the bloodthirsty, murderous Dandy Mott on American Horror Story?

The answer is “A lot!” He’s a hot little killer, with a killer booty, and a way to play crazy that reminds me of that other AHS star Jessica Lange.

I hope that however AHS returns next year that Finn is part of the show.

Carlos plays in a community band here in Smallville, and this week they gave their Christmas Concert, after which the band had a Christmas party at a member’s home.

Good food, good conversation, some drama …

Like when Carlos introduced me to his conductor as his, ahem, “significant other.”

I know; we had a long talk about hat and about how, if he thinks someone might be offended by him calling me his “husband” — because that’s what I am — then that unease is on the part of the other person.

That said, we chatted up Fiona, a lovely Brit who now lives in Smallville, and as we chatted the talk turned to food and cooking. Carlos said he as the MasterBaker while I said I was the cook, and she smiled and told us that we were the perfect pair; one of us is Art — that’d be me — and the other is Science — that’s be Carlos.

I reminded him that Fiona had no qualms about chatting up the homos.

And so this week's Song in My Head is for Carlos ..... though Idina Menzel AKA Adele Dazeem, sings it far better than I.

Ian Thorpe Comes Out

"I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight. Um, and this is only something that only very recently — we’re talking in the last two weeks — I’ve felt comfortable telling the closest people around me. Exactly that."

And with that, after years of speculation, rumor, questions, guesses, dreams, Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe came out as gay.

And I say, Good for him. Some people were annoyed that he’d spent years denying his sexual orientation, going so far as to write quite plainly in a memoir, ‘I am not gay,’ but we should not judge when people come out, how they come out, or how long it takes. It’s a personal journey that, while it may have the same destination, is a completely different path for each of us.

"I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man. And I don't want people to feel the same way I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay."

That’s all that need be said. He’s battled the gossip, he’s battled the speculation, he’s battled depression, all of which make coming out more difficult, but one thing he has, that a lot of gay folks don’t have, no matter when they say the words, is support, from family, friends, and, especially, the LGBT community.

"I was concerned about the reaction from my family, my friends. I'm pleased to say that in telling them, and especially my parents, they told me that they love me and they support me. And for young people out there, know that that's usually what the answer is."

I read on Facebook, where some folks called it a brave step — and coming out, again, no matter who you are or when you do it, is a brave step — that others were annoyed that Ian hadn’t been truthful in the past. But again, walk in his shoes, live his life, battle his demons, and then tell me it wasn’t brave.

"What happened was, I felt that the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity and a little bit of ego comes into this. I didn't want people to think that I had lied about everything."

Again, it’s done, and you can say “Finally,” or you can simply say, “Welcome out.” What you cannot, or should not, is denigrate him for not coming out sooner. It's his journey and all we should do as a community is be thankful and grateful and welcoming.

And offer up a copy of The Gay Agenda and the Obligatory Coming Out Toaster Oven and the thought that now, finally, Ian Thorpe can take a breath and finally be himself.

And that’s the bravest thing of all.

Welcome out, Ian, welcome out. 

Read the full transcript of the interview HERE.