Russia is watching still!

As most of you know, as soon as I came out last April my TV show, The Remix, was immediately pulled from all the Christian networks it aired on. However, yesterday I received this friend request from a girl in Russia. She says that she watches my show. I don't know how.

(click on it to enlarge)

Blow Mighty Breath of God

I can't stop listening to this song, "Blow Mighty Breath of God" sung by Chris McClarney from Grace Center Church. I LOVE it!!! You can listen to it at myspace.com/gracecenter

This song is calming, simple, and powerful. I hope you'll listen to it and be refreshed. :)

What I'm reading...

Here are two excellent books I'm currently reading.



- "Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality" by John Boswell

- "Mere Christianity" - C.S. Lewis

My walk in Centennial Park

Centennial Park is a beautiful part of Nashville everyone should visit. I love taking a nice little stroll on a beautiful day like I did yesterday.

Here are some pictures from my walk there...

Someone to watch...

I want to introduce you to Jonathan Merritt. I have recently discovered him via USA Today and The Advocate.

Jonathan is a writer and someone that I hope to connect with and have dialogue with in the near future.

Here is something I pulled from his interview with The Advocate...

"My generation will not fight to preserve the platform for traditional marriage that our predecessors have fought for,” the 26-year-old says. “Older evangelicals are so stubborn and unable to compromise or reach out a hand. And they’re in danger of losing their legacy.”

More of his work can be found on his blog at... www.jonathanmerritt.blogspot.com

Gay lifestyle?

I hope what I am about to share will provoke thought and conversations about something I've been thinking about for a while.

I will start it with a question... Is being gay a lifestyle?

My opinion is that it is not. To me, a lifestyle is something that is practiced and cultivated into your life. Being gay is something that is inherent and not cultivated. For example, Christianity. To be a Christian is a lifestyle choice. It is a culture and practice that you cultivate into your life (i.e. bible studies, church services, religious holidays, etc).

I do believe there is a gay culture lifestyle (i.e. going to gay bars/clubs, gay activism, etc.). This is the lifestyle, however, being gay is not a lifestyle. I hope this makes sense.

My friend Tim and I were having this conversation last night. It started because he referred to himself as, "living a gay lifestyle." When he said this I had to ask him what that meant.

I believe it is important for us as LGBTQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allies) people to stop using the term "gay lifestyle" when referring to ourselves. It feeds our adversaries idea that who we are inherently is something that is a choice. We know better than anyone else that is an absolute lie.

Anyways, this is something I've been thinking about and wanted to put it out there for you. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment!

Protect All or Protect None

Back in Nasvhille!

I am back in Nashville for a few days and eating my favorite sandwich in town!

The "Turkey Rockefeller" at Cafe Coco. After one bite, this sandwich is the only reason you need to come to Nashville.

Enough chatter and back to finishing the amazing goodness!

Monday Music Madness

This week I want to share an artist with you that I love... Ray Lamontagne. This picture is the cover of his latest work, "Gossip in the grain."

My two favorite songs are... "Trouble" (off of his album 'Trouble') and "Let it be me" (off of Gossip in the grain)

Get his music now. You won't regret it.

Favorite quote...

"I am not saying to Christian conservatives, ‘There is no place for you,’ I am saying, ‘Please stop saying there is no place for us.’" - Former Republican Governor of New Jersey, Christine Whitman

You better step

If you think I talk about LGBT issues too much... than this isn't the blog for you.

So step!

Are you listening to Adam Lambert?

Meet a hero...

This is Ronnie McNutt and someone you need to take note of. Why? Because he is a hero.

I met Ronnie while I was on the 2008 Equality Ride. While on the Equality Ride we visited 15 mostly faith-based Universities and Colleges throughout the South. Ronnie's school, Heritage Christian University, was one of our 15 stops.

Last night was the first time I spoke with Ronnie since I met him. In our conversation he told me he use to watch my TV show The Remix before it was canceled because I 'came out.' This however is not why he is a hero. It does take a trooper to watch a whole episode of my show, but that is beside my point. lol.

Ronnie was the only person from HCU that even spoke to us. He took a great risk by doing that and because he took that risk he reaped the consequences of it. Ronnie was expelled from his University. He was expelled for talking with me and other Equality Riders. Expelled for talking. Expelled. Can you believe that?!

If that wasn't enough, after being expelled Ronnie came out of the closet. He identifies as bisexual and I am so proud of him. He now attends Mississippi State University.

Add Ronnie on Facebook and send him some love and encouragement!

What I'm doing right now... Day of Silence

Today Carl Walker-Hoover would have turned 12-years-old. However, Carl hung himself last Monday with a extension cord due to extreme bullying at school. Carl was called "gay" "faggot" and more constantly everyday until he couldn't take it anymore. While his mother cooked dinner, Carl wrote his last note explaining why he did this and that he loved his mother.

Now Carl has been silenced forever because of homophobic bullying. When will enough be enough? Today, I remain silent in honor of Carl and the thousands of others who have taken their lives. I encourage you to do the same. When you break your silence begin to educate those around you so the hate will end someday.

If you need a friend to talk to please call, The Trevor Project, at 1-866-4-U-Trevor. The number is toll free and confidential. You're valued and loved as you are. May the silence begin.

What if God was one of us?

The majority of my readers are white. Because of that I want to pose this question to you. If your church changed all their pictures of a white Jesus to a Jesus who is a person of color, would you still be able to relate to Jesus and your church?

I ask this because its something I wonder about. What does a person of color feel like when they see pictures of Jesus as a blonde hair, blue eyed, white man? Can they relate to him?

I encourage churches to display pictures of Jesus as a person of all race and colors.

Are we a Christian Nation?

By now we all should have seen the cover of Newsweek
which declared, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America."

Evidently this guy in the picture didn't. This picture was taken from one of the many Tea Bag protest yesterday. When I spoke to protesters in my area I asked, "So are you guys protesting Obama's spending?" They're response, "No! All the of the government and their spending." However, I have yet to see a button or sign that says, "Bush is a socialist."

More than that, what does America being a "Christian nation" have to do with big government spending? Lets go even further and ask, "What is a Christian nation?" What does that even look like? Does Jesus still have to be white for it to qualify as a 'Christian Nation?'

Is another victory near?

Will we see another victory for marriage equality soon? Some think so.

States to watch...

- Illinois
- New Hampshire
- Nevada

How many lives will it take America?

How many must die until the harassment we face as LGBT people will no longer be tolerated? Last week 11 year-old, Carl Walker-Hoover, hung himself with an electrical cord because of homophobic bullying. Learn more about Carl's story by watching this video...



After watching this video, what will/can you do to end discrimination and bullying?

The homosexuals are to blame!

I found this letter to the editor for Indianapolis's newspaper Indy Star. I was quite shocked when I read the first line. It boldly stated, "It's not surprising that right beside headlines touting new state definitions of marriage are reminders of our failing economy and stories of desperate acts of suicide and mass killings."

What?! Wait! Stop! I can't even handle this! This is a harsh reminder to me, to all of us, that people still see us as the enemy. People still think gay people are to blame for the evils done in our world. Damn, we must be good at what we do in order to effect the economy, inflict enough self hate on people for them to commit suicide, and to provoke mass killings. We must be the most influential group of people to be able to achieve so many atrocities!

I personally see it the other way. I could gather countless names of people that have been taught by the "church" to hate themselves so much it drove them to commit suicide. We can go through history and learn about how Christopher Columbus lead a genocide through the Bahamas in the name of Christ. We can bring up actual happenings and stories of how the "church" has inflicted so much pain in our world. Rather, its easier to blame the gays.

I honestly don't know what to do after reading something so absurd like this. What are YOUR thoughts? Leave a comment.

Great Album

This is the best album that has come out of Christian music in a very long time. Hands down. Great music. Great message. Get it. Not only is this a great album but Brandon was one of my first roommates in Nashville. Super super cool guy.