Jamie McG's Spot

Dear President Obama,

Firstly let me thank you for the incredible steps you've already taken in helping to make our country a better place.

I voted for you and would do it again tomorrow. But I must ask that you begin making good on your promises to the LGBT community. You've addressed so many of the promises you made on your campaign trail, but you've barely even said the word "gay" publicly since your inauguration.

I'm patient, we all are...especially after the past eight years. But PLEASE do something to let us know you're still thinking about us. I don't have a sob story about a partner who was sent back to Argentina because of DOMA. I can't tell you that I've ever been discharged from the military under Don't Ask Don't Tell. But I can say that I'm a citizen of the US and I just want to be treated equally under the laws of this great nation. And I know that you are our hope to make this happen.

I know what's in your heart, if I may be so presumptuous, and I know that you are filled with good things. That's why I voted for you. I know that you were in favor of marriage equality before you were against it and I understand politics. But we need you now, Mr. President. More than ever. When we have eleven year old boys going home and hanging themselves because some kids in school called them "fag," we have some work to do.

Only through YOU and your endorsement of us as equal citizens, can we begin to change the fabric that shapes the hatred and bigotry that has defined a large portion of your constituency. Once people see and understand that ALL people are created equally, the attitude will change. I know.

There will always be hatred and ignorance and none of us can stop that, but we have a responsibility to protect children from this hatred and ignorance.

Please make good on your promises to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell and DOMA. Be the change we wish to see in the world.

"A right delayed is a right denied." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thanks you Mr. President.

Sincerely,

Jamie McGonnigal
www.talkaboutequality.org

I really wanted to share this. These are some questions from some 1st graders in Michigan. One of the kids teachers is a friend on facebook and thought I'd be a fun person to interview for their cool jobs project!

Dear Mr. McGonnigal,

We are the first grade class of Mrs. V in Grand Rapids, MI. Mrs. K is our Junior Achievement teacher this year and we have been learning about different jobs. When Mrs. Krug told us about you job we all said "WOW! That's really cool!!" We have some questions for you:

1. How did you get to do all of the voices?

Well when I was a little boy, not much older than all of you, I started learning how to act by doing plays in school. That taught me how to be an actor. Then, many years later, I moved to New York City and started working as a professional actor. I loved cartoons when I was a little boy and it was always a dream of mine to do it. So now I do it!

2. How do you get your voice like that?

It’s all about acting. First I figure out by looking at what the character looks like, what I think his voice might sound like. Sometimes it’s a goofy little kid so he sounds silly and sometimes it’s a big monster, so he sounds a little scary.

3. When did you get your job?

I’ve been doing voices for cartoons for almost ten years now.

4. Do you have fun?

Are you kidding??? Of course I do! I get paid to make up silly voices! ☺

5. Do you ever get to do any songs?

Sometimes, yes. I played a rock singer in a series called BECK, which you guys are still a little young to see, but I did get to sing on that show.

6. What time do you go to work?

When I am in the recording studio, I get to pick what hours are best for me. Usually I work just a few hours a week in the afternoons.

7. Did you have to go to school for this?

I did go to school for acting back in Massachusetts, so that helped me out a lot. But yes, you do have to take classes and learn how to act before youre a voice actor.

8. Who is your favorite character?

My favorite character that I’ve played is probably Barry in Pokemon or Takeo in a show called Magic User’s Club.

9. Why did you choose this job?

See answer number 4! It’s so fun!!!

10. Are you doing well in your job?

I am doing very well in my job, but because of the economy, there’s not as much work as there once was. But I do very well considering that.

11. How long are your breaks?

Well I only record for a few hours at a time, so when I take a break, it’s just long enough for me to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water!

12. What do you do for fun at home? Do you watch your own shows sometimes?

When I’m home, I LOVE to play with my dog, Eli. I also like to read and I watch a lot of television. And sometimes I just sit and relax and think or write about things that are important to me.

13. Is your dog nice?

My dog is the NICEST! He’s a little crazy sometimes though when he meets someone new. He likes to jump on them and sometimes knock them down. He doesn’t bite, he just likes to lick their face – but their faces are sometimes a lot higher than he is, so he’s a VERY high jumper! And a clumsy faller after he jumps! ☺

14. What is your favorite candy?

OOOOh!! That’s a good question. I like candy a lot. I guess I’d have to say Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But I also really like M & Ms and those Cadbury caramel Easter eggs that the Easter Bunny brings and Jelly Belly Watermelon and Very Cherry Jelly Beans. Those are my favorites!

Thank you Mr. McGonnigal for answering our questions! We hope you have a nice day!!

Thanks so much for your very thoughtful questions! I hope you learn a lot from your project!

Love, Jamie

Sincerely,
Hisham, Zacary, Camden, Nickolas, Samantha, Mustafa, Jonathan, Arnel, Shaylee, Kathy, Griffin, Samuel, Jacob, Erin, Cameron, Willem, Marisa, Alma, Amy, Christopher, and Abdullah

Friends,

What an incredible day today has been. And I say incredible in the most true sense of the word. I caught an early flight from Texas (where I was doing some work as a cartoon voice actor) to NYC, so I could make it to an afternoon rally for Marriage Equality. I happily ended up on a very early and easy flight back to LaGuardia.

I grabbed a cab to take me back to 42nd and 8th, where I’d catch the short bus back to my home and my dog in New Jersey. As the cab entered the east side of Manhattan, we ran into lots of traffic. We hit 40th Street and I realized that there were going to be afternoon protests at Governor Patterson’s NYC office.

The protest was filled with primarily Latino churchgoers, many of whom were bussed in from around the country. I sat in the taxi in traffic while these voices, filled with hate, intolerance and ignorance filled my ears. “Faggots go to hell!,”  and “Pedophiles shouldn’t be married!” Those are the only things I could make out in English. The majority of the signs were in Spanish. The cab driver said “Faggots are sick, they should go away.” I immediately asked him to pull over and let me out and let him know he should be a bit more careful with his bigotry.

I stepped out of the cab into this sea of hatred. I was terrified. My brain immediately jumped back to the Summer of 2004, when I was assaulted in the Bahamas by some anti-gay protesters while on an excursion from the Rosie Family Cruise. The fear and the hatred surrounded me and stole my breath like the peak of a roller coaster does when you first start that big descent.

I wandered through the crowd that was screaming vile things about me in a language I thankfully didn’t understand. I found after a block or two, a small counter-rally -- which I knew was being organized by my friend, Heath Tucker. It was a small group, but their message was clear, positive and hopeful.

Later that afternoon, I made my way back into the city for a rally organized by Broadway Impact on 45th Street and 6th Avenue. I met several friends and we went to the rally. I immediately noticed the difference in the energy of the two protests. The Hate Protest was filled with anger, with fire and brimstone – pastors preaching about sin and intolerance and fear. Not a sentence was shouted that didn’t mention the wrath of God. These are people living in fear. The theme of the 2nd rally, as organized by several members of the cast of Broadway’s HAIR, was “LET THE SUNSHINE IN!” The positive, embracing feel of this second rally filled me with something I needed.

This is hoakey as hell, but I felt like this second rally was a hug that I needed. A hug that made me realize that I do have a community of my own. I grew up in the theatre for a reason. And I was lucky to. I found that family I needed in the arts. When you belong to a minority, the feelings of isolation and loneliness come with the territory, but when you are part of a minority that even your own family isn’t a part of, that isolation can be terrifying. That isolation can drive you to unimaginable places. I was so fortunate, so lucky that I found this extended family who understood me and loved me for who I was. This is not to say that I was rejected by my own family. My own family, overall, was wonderful and accepting. But there was just no way they could actually understand what it was I was going through. I could never fault them for that, but I am so grateful that they let me explore who I was as a young person.

But today, surrounded by people who are all either going through the same thing, or loving those who have, I found the happiness and peace I needed. Especially after having been enveloped by such ignorance and intolerance earlier.

That’s not My God. My God doesn’t hate me. My God created me and loves me exactly the way I am. My God would probably like it if I ate a few less mozzarella sticks here and there, but My God loves me regardless. My God is in the faces of every one of my friends and family. He’s there when the wonderful Gavin Creel smiles at me. He’s there when my niece talks to me on the phone, when I hear Audra McDonald sing in support of our movement, when my friend Laura texts me “I love you xoxo,” when I see a movie with Blake and Colleen, when my dog and best friend Eli runs to greet me at the door nearly knocking me over with enthusiasm. He’s there always, all ways.

Now…pardon the syrupy religious notions, but now to some action. We need for everyone here, especially those in the state of New York, to call your State Senators and tell them that you believe in Equality. This is vital. Please, no matter where you are, please call ALL of your elected representatives and tell them that you and your friends and family deserve equal protection under the law.

Things are changing friends, they are. I promise. So many of you are in places where you can’t experience the “hug” that I felt today, but you deserve to. And you will. This is all happening so quickly and we are finding and fighting for our equality. We’re going to do this. Tonight, Cynthia Nixon said she couldn’t wait for 20 years from now when school children went to their teachers and said “How was same-sex marriage ever illegal?” That day will come. But it will come quicker if YOU talk about Equality.

Thanks for listening to my rambling and for continuing to support Equality.

In Solidarity,

Jamie

Joe the Plumber.

Up until now, I’ve seen him as a douche whose 15 minutes needed to be over 20 minutes ago.

Now, since he’s been rather ignored lately, he’s made the decision to come out in favor of bigotry, hatred and once again, stupidity.

The funny thing about this fight for marriage equality is that there are a million antiquated attacks on us that are being dug-up, the latest of which by Joseph Wurzelbacher, AKA Joe The Plumber.

In an interview with none other than “Christianity Today,” Joey decided to pull the “Homosexuals are all child molesters” argument out of his ass. In the inerview, he is asked about the recent decision in Iowa to legalize marriage equality. He responds:

“People don't understand the dictionary--it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do--what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing.”

So...let’s go through this point-by-point, perhaps out of order, but stay with me...

“People don't understand the dictionary--it's called queer...It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that.”

Really? “queer” isn’t a slur? I know we’ve done a lot of work to reclaim that word as something homo-positive, but Joe...when you were in school, didn’t you used to say things like “Do my homework, you stupid queer?” or “Don’t call me queer, my girlfriend lives in Canada?”

“I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing.”

Joe...love...where have you been? Did you miss the memo from 1973 where it was studied and discovered that less than 5% of all sexual crimes against children were perpetrated by homosexual men? Wait...and according to Kinsey, we’re 10% of the population...which says to me that as a straight man, you are twice as likely to perform a sexual crime against a child as a gay man? Do the math...pretty sure it works out.

“I've had some friends that are actually homosexual.”

Rudy Giuliani. 9/11. You remember him, right?

He was the Mayor of New York 9/11 back in 2001, when 9/11 the country was attacked by 9/11 Muslim extremists in one of the 9/11 worst attacks ever on our home soil 9/11.

Anyway, after an embarrassing attempted run for the Republican nomination for President, he’s decided to try his best to stay in the public eye by coming out squarely against something he used to kinda be for.

Here’s the thing...hippocracy...it’s a funny thing. You see, when a man cheats on his wife while he’s Mayor of NYC and proceeds to marry his mistress...they tend to lose a tiny bit of credibility when arguing for the sanctity of marriage. Then when his bff not only has a mistress, but buys her a swanky little apartment with government money, his reputation where marriage is concerned, is a little soured.

So here’s this dude, who everyone hated as Mayor of New York City, until 9/11 happened (even then, it was only those outside of NYC that liked him). While he’s “in between” marriages, he stays with his good friends, a gay couple...a gay couple who made the choice to let this sorry piece of crap crash with them when he was at one of his lowest points. How does he repay his friends?

Rudy Giuliani, a few short weeks ago, decided to become the poster child for marriage equality-bashing in the hopes to gain some support in a run for NY Governor (since the presidential thing didn’t work out so well). And what happened to his friends who were there for him when he needed it most? Well...they got married in Connecticut last weekend. Guess who mysteriously no-showed the wedding? You guessed it. Rudy.

This letter is in response to Mr. and Mrs. Schowengerdt, an Iowa couple who made the choice to spread ignorance, in spite of the loss of their son to AIDS. Please read their editorial and see the video interview.

Editorial: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090428/OPINION01/904280350

Video Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw9sKC7yZpE

My Response:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Schowengerdt,

I’ve recently been made aware of your editorial and interviews regarding the loss of your son to AIDS. I am very sorry for your loss and please understand that I too, have lost loved ones to this horrible disease.

You have been through a great tragedy and for that, I am truly sorry. But in the interest of truth and honesty, I cannot let your statements about homosexuality, AIDS and marriage equality stand without someone pointing out your ignorance about it.

I never made a choice to be gay. I was recruited by no one. I spent my youth being bullied and harassed by children who clearly think the same way as you. Parents and others in positions of authority who tell their children to hate and to choose ignorance over love, acceptance and family are the reasons for generations of gay people suffering such horrific discrimination and shame.

You speak in your video interview about the fact that your son felt too much shame to ever come forward and tell anyone he was living with HIV. And if he hadn’t felt this shame, he may have come forward earlier and perhaps lived a very long and healthy life with proper treatment.

While I respect your feelings and your opinions about homosexuality, YOU are the reason your son felt so much shame that he could not come forward and tell you he was sick sooner. I have many friends, gay and straight, who have lived with HIV for several decades now. With more support from his family, perhaps your son might still be with us today.

It is attitudes like yours which cause not only people like your son to hide a fatal disease, but for schoolchildren to torment other kids so badly that at eleven years-old, they feel they have no other way out than to hang themselves – as in the recent cases of Jaheem Herrera and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover. It is attitudes full of ignorance and hatred that cause 1/3 of all teenage suicides to be made up of LGBT young people.

Don’t you see, Mr. and Mrs. Schowengerdt that you are a part of the problem, not the solution? No one made your son gay. Your son did not “choose” the gay lifestyle. And I can promise you that his unhappiness stemmed only from the shame he felt from an upbringing full of intolerance and ignorance. So much ignorance in fact, that you have made the public choice to blame your son’s death on homosexuality and somehow magically link it to marriage equality. I am astounded that unlike others who have lost their children to AIDS, suicide, or even a hate crime, as in the case of Matthew Shepard, you have chosen to remain ignorant to the facts. You are the only ones making a choice here, and that choice is to continue the volatile and ultimately fatal trend of hatred, which brought on the death of your own child.

May you find peace one day and may you come to the realization that hatred and ignorance is the only thing that brings about destruction.

Sincerely,

Jamie McGonnigal
www.TalkAboutEquality.org

Mark Lawson 

To Rock it Out in 

BROADWAY LOVES THE 80S VOL 5: 

THE MOVIE EDITION  

Friends,

I'm having a bit of a reflective evening and I wanted to share some of this with you.

While reading up on stories of Carrie Prejean, the Miss USA contestant who stumbled over what could have been a wonderful statement of humanity and a call for equality, I found a story about some of the people who were at the Stonewall in back in 1969, forty years ago. And I thought to how far we have come.

Travel back with me for a moment, if you will, to the late 1960s. You and I are in a bar, having a drink. We're in a place where we feel safe, but never quite safe enough to not be on the lookout for a possible bar raid. Bar raids happened very frequently. The police would burst in, the patrons would be lined up, asked for ID, and promptly arrested and hauled off to jail, more often than not, covered in a few bruises, black eyes and even broken bones from police officers' batons.

On June 28, 1969, a few brave souls decided not to give their IDs to the cops who burst into the Stonewall Inn, while waiting for the police wagons, some patrons were released from the bar - but these people didn't leave. They waited outside the bar, which caused a crowd to form; onlookers stopped to see what was going on. By the time police cars had arrived, the crowd outside had grown ten times larger than those who had been arrested. Tensions were high and hostility was growing. People started shouting "Gay power!" and singing "We shall overcome." Pennies, beer bottles, and even a parking meter were thrown at the police when a rumour spread that the police were beating the people who were still being held inside the bar. Police then barricaded themselves inside Stonewall until help arrived. Outside, a fight broke out and the crowd became a violent mob. Several people were arrested and several others were injured that night.

This protest ended up lasting several nights and after they ended, activist groups began popping up all around the country. No longer afraid to speak up, we began fighting for our rights. How proud would those drag queens be, who, at the time were mourning the death of Judy Garland, that we are now fighting for our equal rights to marry the people we love?

We have taken extraordinary steps and we will take many more. However...I fear that the current momentum we have found may cause some to get complacent. Marriage Equality is going to happen in the US. And it's going to happen soon. But it will not happen without ALL OF US being on board. I speak of not only those of us who happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, but of our friends, our family and those who support us.

And in making that point, I need to ask you all, one more time to speak to our allies and those people who could potentially be our allies, and ask them for their support in this historic struggle. You are a part of history right now. We will all have stories to tell our grandchildren about the fight that we were a part of. A fight that will allow children to one day grow up in a country where they need not live in fear of judgment from the other children they go to school with.

Many of you may have heard that ANOTHER 11 year-old boy committed suicide last week. A lovely young man who was also tormented by anti-gay taunts, went home and hung himself. Jaheem Herrara was found hanging in his own closet by his sister. This, only a week after Carl Walker-Hoover, another 11-year old also hung himself after severe anti-gay bullying.

We are winning. The tide is turning in our direction, but it is hard to feel the joy of our triumphs when we see children killing themselves because they feel there is no other solution. We have so much work to do my friends. And we can't get it done without ALL of you speaking up. I am talking to everyone here. My friends who are gay, my friends who have already pledged their support to me and especially my friends who are still struggling with their feelings of ambivalence. Please. Tell your family who you are. Tell your friends who you are. Without complete honesty, we are nowhere.

I have close friends who have lived lives full of fear that someone might discover your feelings. In some cases, not even you understand those feelings, but I am here to tell you that whether you are gay, straight, bisexual or anything in between, it is vital that you come to terms with yourself and speak up for yourself.

We will gain equality, but not without ALL of you.

There is news all around and messages of action you can take. And while I try to make these messages primarily about more general personal action, I want to bring your attention to one specific point of action we all can take.

Michael Savage, a radio personality who has said every manner of disgusting falsehood and rude, homophobic and repulsive remark one can fathom against homosexuals, is also the inventor of ROCKSTAR Energy Drink. I think it is not good for us to support a person who speaks so much ill against us, so I ask that if you drink ROCKSTAR, or have friends who drink ROCKSTAR, you should realize where your money is going to. Please take it a step further and speak to the bars, clubs and stores you patronize and request that they stop carrying the product. Explain to them that you refuse to give money to a company which will support the rantings of a hateful and homophobic man who benefits greatly from the sale of this product.

I want to close with a brief passage from a poem my mother used to read me. It's called Desiderata and I highly recommend reading it in it's entirety, but tonight, one stanza is ringing in my head:

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Thanks for listening.

In Solidarity,

Jamie

Friends,

After some time away, you now can’t get rid of me.

Thanks for your kind replies to the note I sent out last night about the child who committed suicide after having endured brutal teasing and bullying. In his name, we are continuing the brave fight for our equality.

And today, the first African American Governor of New York presented a bill before Congress demanding Marriage Equality. Governor Patterson has been accused of using this bill to further his own political aspirations. He’s been accused of using our rights as a stepping stone for his own career. These accusations are not coming from those who oppose us, they are coming from the mouths of Marriage Equality activists who fear that we may not be ready to pass such a bill in the State of New York.

Friends, if we have shown anything over the course of the past decades of intolerance, hatred and bigotry, it’s that we will never get anywhere by sitting and complaining about the actions of others. We only move forward by letting our voices be heard. And here we have an opportunity that has been presented to us. Let’s not close the door that’s been opened. Stand behind Governor Patterson and make Marriage Equality a reality in the state where our Grandparents arrived full of hope that their dreams were just as realistic as everyone else’s and the state where Abraham Lincoln once spoke of ending slavery.

The challenge here is not going to be an easy one. Though the Democrats have control of the NY State Senate, it’s only by a very slim margin. Add that onto the fact that some Democratic Senators have vowed to see Marriage Equality defeated and we have an even bigger challenge ahead of us.

Organizations such as the Empire State Pride Agenda are coming up with strategies to make this work. What we need most now though is for supporters of Marriage Equality to be ready to make those phone calls and show support for Equality in New York. The strategy being used will include crossing the aisle to find those Republicans who have realized that Equality is an American tradition and one of the values this country was founded on.

We need to stand together now. Our brothers and sisters in Iowa and Vermont have started this ball rolling. It will not keep rolling without each of us taking a stand and Talking About Equality.

If you live in New York, please visit

http://eqfed.org/espany/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=32828685

and let your representatives know that you stand for Equality. Please also use the “tell a friend” option and spread the word around. This needs to start happening today and not end until the day we see this bill passed.

Thanks so much friends and if you feel so moved to call the office of a New York State Senator to let them know the importance of New York being next to recognize Marriage Equality, please be my guest. As time goes on, I will find those numbers and post them on www.talkaboutequality.org.

Thank you again for all your support. Let’s do this New York!!!

In Solidarity,

Jamie

www.talkaboutequality.org

Things need to change.

We are seeing history in action right now. Majory victories are being seen around the country. Between Marriage Equality finally being recognized in Iowa and Vermont and the first gay families being invited to the Easter celebrations at the White House, we have a lot to be proud of.

But even with these victories, we are continually seeing the horrors of hatred everywhere we look. The National Organization for "Marriage" released a television commercial full of fear, hatred and bigotry claiming that Marriage Equality would threaten their very way of life. Lies and fear like this only leads to hatred being passed down generation to generation. Slowly, children and teens are fighting back against their parents' fearful intolerance and letting their parents know that they have friends who are gay. Children are going home and asing questions about this and in some cases, refusing to accept that their friends are somehow not equal to them.

Then there are other cases like that of 11 year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover. On April 6th, having been the victim of months of anti-gay bullying, Carl went home, wrapped an extension cord around a high ceiling beam and hung himself. He left a note apologizing to his mother and leaving his video games to his brother. Carl was 11 and didn't know whether he was gay or straight, but the intolerance and bigotry from his school bullies caused him to walk home one day and take his own life. This little boy...a few years younger than my own nephew, is no longer here because he was convinced that his life wasn't worth living.

This is too much. I know I'm usually fairly positive and encouraging in my messages, but I am moved to tears by Carl's story, as I'm sure many of you are.

Other 11 year-old children learn how to hate from their parents. An 11 year-old child calls someone "faggot" because they think that this is acceptable behavior. Something is wrong here. People of many faiths are the first to jump in and say "We love you...we just don't think what you do is morally correct." I ask you, is it morally correct to teach your children that they have the right to verbally and physically abuse others who disagree with them? Is it morally correct to teach your children that hatred is more important than morality? Is it morally correct to teach your children to put another CHILD through enough emotional torture that this child now thinks that the only way out is to hang himself with an electrical cord? Tell me. Is this proper?

We have been fighting this good fight for a long time now and will continue to do so. And our childen will continue this fight when we are gone. But Godwilling, a generation soon will see justice and equality. One day the statistics will change. One day, 1/3 of teenage suicides will no longer be made up of LGBT youth and one day, LGBT young people will grow up in a world where they will have the same hope of a full life, complete with children, legal recognition and tolerance from those around them. One day, the scene will change...it's already changing.

The masses are beginning to see that denying another human being their full equality is wrong. They are seeing that their friends, the ones they grew up with are no different from them. All they want is to find love and participate productively in society the same way that they do.

Things are changing, but we are far from finished. The hardest part is yet to come.

Friends, for every victory we have, there is a setback waiting. Those who oppose equality are angry. They are claiming falsehoods and spreading lies via television commercials, social networking and everywhere they can. It is our job to tell the truth. It is our job to tell our friends, our family and our colleagues WHO WE ARE. We need to continue talking about equality. Keep the discussion going.

On April 20th, some believe we will be hearing the results of the legal challenges to California's Proposition 8. Some believe that the result will not be a favorable one for us. If this turns out to be as some think, we must let it be known that WE WILL NOT SETTLE OR STOP HERE. WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE HAVE FULL RECOGNITION OF OUR EQUALITY. In every state, we will take to the streets and we will not stop screaming, chanting, fighting or marching until we have our equality.

This is not about you. This is not about me. This is about the memory of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover. Whether he was actually even gay or not, our victories today will help end the violence and torture of LGBT young people in years to come.

Friends, please keep fighting. Please keep working. Please find out how you can help and participate. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU.

In Solidarity,

Jamie

So tonight, I left work and headed to the LGBT Community Center to meet my friend Blake at a Candlelight Vigil to commemorate the Eve of Justice. Tomorrow, California's Supreme Court will be hearing arguments for and against overturning Proposition 8.

I bought myself a Glade French Vanilla candle and I was on my way to the Center. Blake brought some paper cups and tea lights. It was a short moment of solidarity at the Center and Blake and I moved on to finding a place to go have a drink. So we wandered to Pieces, a small bar in the West Village. It happened to be Porno Bingo night with my friend Eric waitressing. So we played a few games and lost at Porno Bingo. Then, as both Blake and I have a great appreciation for the Village and the older architecture there, we went wandering around the old streets looking at the revolutionary old brownstones and chatting about life and stuff.

We were about to wander into a Starbucks and then decided we needed to ind something smaller and more "villagey" so right on Christopher Street, there was this little cafe we stopped into. No sooner did we sit down with our espresso and hot chocolate, than a little old woman came in with...you guessed it, a 6 foot bugle. Yes. A bugle. She walked past us to a barren part of the small cafe and proceeded to blow out a few quick notes. Confused, I looked at Blake and said "is this really happening?" He was doubled over and crying. The lady took her bugle back past us to her corner table which I could see and Blake's back was to. And just when the randomness seemed to be over, I glanced over to see her pulling out an array of bubble pipes and bubble solution. And guess what? Yup, she began blowing bubbles. It was then that I realized that this is the little old lady I hope to one day become.

We overheard her speaking to strangers and telling them that it was her 75th birthday and that she was born in 1935. Well...so she was off by a year or so, but who's counting. So I bought her a cupcake, Blake donated his tealight from the earlier candlelight village and we sang Happy Birthday. Hester then spoke to us about...well...everything for about 45 minutes. She then gave us some foreign coins as her tradition is to give other people presents on her birthday.

We finally made our way out and back up to midtown where we saw an African American little person on 42nd and 8th screaming...just another great little part of our New York night. LOL I said "little part" tee hee.

I love New York and am very grateful for my new friend Blake!
Me, Blake, hester and her Bugle...

Dear Friends,

What an exciting week we are having! Let me start by saying how proud I am of Dustin Lance Black, the writer of the screenplay for MILK. It became clear to me during his acceptance speech, just why he deserves an award for his eloquence.

“But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours.”

This is why we are here my friends. Sure, I’d love the opportunity to marry. I would love to see what real equality feels like. But this is not about me. Nor is it about any of you. This is about those kids. Those kids who can’t run home to their parents when they’ve been discriminated against. The ones who, in many unfortunate cases, have no one to run to, We must be their parents. We must lead by example and We must SHOW them that Equality is their right.

Last night, I was moved to tears several times as I sat in Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre for “Defying Inequality,” a benefit concert for several organizations fighting this good fight. Again, I was grateful. Grateful to be a part of this amazing community that has accepted me for who I am since I was a little boy. And for every moment I was grateful, I felt a pang in my heart for that little boy in Nebraska who has no community…at least no community he knows of.

The only way he is going to see and feel acceptance is if we Talk About Equality. The reason that the tides are turning in this country is because more people know who we are. Our brothers and sisters and coworkers and friends WANT us to be happy. There is something very human and very compassionate that is happening here. Just when we’d lost hope that caring and that human resonance was dying out, we have thousands coming out to their loved ones, and in their bravery, they are finding not only the support of those who love them, but power and courage in discovering that they are not less than anyone else.

Last night, Harvey Fierstein read a letter he’d written to President Obama. In closing, I’d like to share some of his inspiring words…

“But what only you can give us is the grand gesture…America needs to hear you say, "We will no longer tolerate the oppression of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles. They are our family. They are we and we are they."
The nation needs to hear you say, "We must prove ourselves worthy of the title Americans; protectors of the weak, standard bearers of freedom, and guarantors of equal rights for all."
Mr President, history will record the day you say, "From this day forward no amendment, statute or law that seeks to deny full rights of citizenship on the basis of sexual preference will be tolerated. Hatred and bigotry are here forth banished to the dark recesses of small minds.”

That, dear son of Lincoln, is the grand gesture we need from you.
We need a hero, and you have been elected.”

Please write to President Obama.

Please stand up and Talk About Equality.

This change will NOT occur without you. We are all responsible and we ALL must be accountable for the future of our civil rights.

Stand up friends. Stand with one another. We WILL have this. We will. I promise.

Much love in solidarity,

Jamie

I just found him on facebook...and upon discovering it was actually him, I wrote him a diatribe 23 years in the making, ending with this:

"I hope you're well Billy. And I hope that you're happy. And most of all, I hope that you can look back and take some pride in the fact that through your bullying, your need to bring someone else down and your own mediocrity, you helped bring someone to a place greater than he knew you'd ever be."

too much?

:)

Hey everyone,

Give this a read - it's a fantastic article by my brother and (recent official blogger for the American Marketing Association), Ian McGonnigal. Go give it a read! These are important rules for anyone in ANY business.

http://www.amaboston.net/2009/02/17/eight-rules-of-engagement-marketing/#comment-1108

I've decided to post this because fewer things make me feel as good about myself as reading this. This was a note my friend Kelly posted on her facebook. She's one of the best people I know and I am so honored that she chose to write about me. Here goes...enjoy...

Something About Jamie

I promised to start blogging about why I love who I love, and I’m starting with Jamie.

It will be no wonder to anyone who knows me that I have met most of my favorite people while they were mid-showtune, and Jamie is no exception. When I met him, he had graduated high school weeks before, a big fish in his little pond, a great big voice in a somewhat awkward personage. I could hardly believe that that soaring baritone came from that curly red-headed, overalls-clad sunshine of a fellow. We had been cast together in YPST’s Godspell, and though I had heard-tell of the legendary cultish connection that often evolved in a Godspell cast, I had yet to experience it first-hand. He came with a dozen or so others from his high school drama club, and I would learn of the twisted love triangles and hexagons that plagued them all while Amy and I daubed Bactine on each other’s sunburns during rehearsals. Jamie, however, was above all of that, though I don’t actually remember if he identified himself as gay at the time, it was certainly clear that the “can-men-and-women-ever-really-be-friends” question was not going to apply to us.

I haven’t always been as instinctive when it comes to friendship - or romance, for that matter - as I would like to be, but every so often, I meet someone and know immediately that they are a missing member of my tribe. I had no sooner clapped eyes on him in auditions when I knew that he was part of mine. As the summer progressed, I was impressed by his talent, his quirky sense of humor, and his knowledge of Broadway trivia that was sprung from the same sort of well as my own: lonely middle-school afternoons with nothing better to do than learn lyrics. I loved him when I met him, but I longed to have known him then, in our middle school years. We could have traversed the Great White Way in our imaginations together, casting each other in everything from Oklahoma to Into the Woods while snacking on Doritos and Slush Puppies.

In the years that followed, we stayed in touch through phone calls and various get-togethers during our college years, seeing each other’s shows, going to the same parties, lamenting or celebrating our various romances. Jamie was a theater major at Bridgewater, and though he took the occasional trip to NYC to pseudo-stalk his favorite singers and writers, his destiny was yet to be seen. He knew he loved theater and the people and trappings associated with it; he knew that he wanted to contribute to the world in meaningful ways. If you asked his friends at the time, they would have had varying answers: Jamie will tour in musicals for the rest of his life. Jamie will be a professional stage manager. Jamie will write novels about the theater experience. Jamie will be a cabaret singer. How very much we underestimated him.

Jamie sang at my wedding, sneaking in a showtune (“All Good Gifts”) during the pre-mass part of the ceremony to the chagrin of the priest. He sang “With You on My Arm” from La Cage as our going-away dance at our reception. A couple of months later, Jamie would perform a star turn in an unexpected way. I was in the middle of my first directing job at a high school, doing Guys and Dolls with 107 high-school and middle-school kids in the cast. I was WAY over my head in the position, and had balked at even doing it in the first place. It was my second year teaching fifth grade, and at about 11:00 in the morning of opening night, I got a call at school. “Sky Masterson was late to school today, and they won’t let him perform tonight. It’s in the handbook.” Now, if you’ve ever been a part of a high school musical experience, you’ll know that NO director has an extra Sky Masterson kicking around. She’s lucky to have ONE. WHERE was I going to get a Sky…on seven hours notice?? I put in a couple of calls to area theaters to see if anyone knew anyone who had ever played it, but even as I did it, I knew there was only one answer. Who had played every Broadway leading man ever written? Granted, it was in his living room and in his full-length mirror, but still. Who had seen every musical about a musical where the chorus girl goes on for the lead and comes out a star? I frantically dialed Jamie, left a message on his cell phone and ordered him to call me back the instant he came out of class, which he did, not a half hour later. I don’t fully remember the conversation, but it went something like, “Play Sky Masterson tonight you can hold the script I’ll buy you liquor and have a child for you and I won’t make you kiss the sixteen-year-old-Sarah and I’ll pick you up at four listen to the soundtrack. Okay?” And of course, he did. I didn’t have to have a child for him (he got a dog instead) but I did have to move him into his first New York apartment - a sixth-floor walkup in a questionable neighborhood. Small price to pay.

That was long ago, now. What has this once-geeky teen gone on to do? Produced benefit concerts with the biggest names in Broadway, earning enormous amounts of money for the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation and the Matthew Shephard Foundation. He is the founder of the World AIDS Day Concerts. He has worked with HIV-positive inner-city kids in his summer camp. He has gone to Africa and built and repaired schools. He has been an activist for the rights of the gay community for fifteen years. He counts among his best friends scholars and students, Tony winners, Oscar Winners and teachers, and accomplished artists from every corner of the theater world. He can relate to people from all walks of life, having grown up the son of a single mom but later working with bazillionaires. He has the largest DVD collection of anyone I know and a victrola with her own name. He has mentored terrified teens coming out of the closet, nervous chorus girls in their Broadway debuts, and hugged sobbing strangers after 9/11. He has babysat Daisy Eagan’s Tony Award, embraced Darius de Haas on the street before my very eyes, and led me by my trembling hand into Laura Benanti’s dressing room after a performance of Gypsy.

One of the things I like most about Jamie is his ability to reflect on his life and experiences. Every January, he writes a list of things he has learned in the past year, and they always reflect his openness to try new things, his quirky sense of humor, and above all, his determination to let optimism triumph over cynicism. When life or career or a certain raspy-voiced Broadway nightmare deals him a troubling blow, he looks for the lesson and moves on. He knows the sun'll come out tomorrow, the best of times is now, and children will listen. He believes in generosity, equality, and the power of a great meal. He asks questions, and listens to the answers. He writes letter of protest, but also of support. He encourages informed debate, and has his facts in order before he speaks out. He activates and dedicates and strives and builds.

I cherish my friend. I am in awe of him, and I am especially glad to have met him in a hot and musty church when he was still wearing high-top sneakers and an Evita t-shirt. He may have played pool with Patti Lupone, but he also snuck nips of Aftershock with me before Little Shop rehearsals. He reminds me that anyone can live the life of his dreams, but you have to let the dream evolve and grow to where your destiny leads you. Jamie has only just begun, and it will be my privilege to follow his journey till we are sitting together on the Lido deck of some cruise ship in our 80’s, sipping Pina Coladas while singing “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top.”

Has anyone seen this show? It existed one season on HBO in 2006. And it is hands-down one of the funnies things I have ever seen. Because of it, Lisa Kudrow will always be one of my comic heroes.

I have a copy of it already, but this weekend at the Comic Con, they had a big $5.99 DVD sale and it was on the shelf, so I bought a few copies for friends. And then today for shits and giggles, I decided to put it on.

This show is genius. One of the few shows I've seen that skillfully rides the rail between comedy/reality/and awkwardness. Every episode is painfully awkward and brilliant at the same time. Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow) is an amazing creation who is someone we in the biz all know, and someone we all hope we don't (and secretly think we already have) become.

Without revealing too much, the premise is that Valerie Cherish, a star of a short-lived early-90s sitcom is starring in a reality show about her "comeback." Most of the joke is that she has been cast in a (very) supporting role on a new sitcom about a couple hot young co-eds, where she plays the prudish, yet sexy Aunt Sassy. Every episode winds up with her coming milliseconds from an utter emotional breakdown and then something happens to bring her back from the edge. Part of you truly wants to see her have the meltdown she's earned and part of you is terrified of what will happen when she finally lets loose.

I find myself watching every episode (even after seeing them all several times) at the edge of my seat feeling awkward, angsty, laughing my ass off and worrying that I have already become this character at the same time.

The acting is utterly brilliant on the part of every member of the cast, from her put-upon, utterly patient husband, to the producer of the "show."

It is such a brilliant exploration of humanity in the business. I wish I could put my finger on every moment in this show and figure out what makes it all so brilliantly awkward. One of the reasons, I'm sure is that there is no incidental music throughout. It amazes me. Anyway, everyone go pick up the DVD, it's worth it. Enjoy!!!

When I was a little boy, my bedroom was at the top of this seemingly enormous gold shag-carpeted staircase. You'd hit the top of the stairs and take a left. At the end of the hall was the room I shared with my brother (much to my chagrin).

On Christmas morning, from my earliest memories, I'd wake up, stare out the window and wait for my Dad to arrive. We weren't allowed to go downstairs to see what Santa brought until Dad got there. My parents were divorced when I was four and I don't really have any recollection of just waking up and walking downstairs without the car-watching ceremony. Sometimes though, instead of watching out the window for him (since we had a very creepy Poltergeist-type tree in my front yard that freaked me out when it was still dark), I'd wait at the top of the stairs. The walls were a glossy cream and the lights from the Christmas tree reflected off them (and the gold shag carpet) in a magical way that I'll never forget.

Finally we'd hear the car and rush downstairs, give Dad a fake hug while secretly eyeing the treasure trove behind him. Not unlike going to a party and speaking with one person, all the while glancing around for someone far more important you should be speaking with. Chaos would ensue, paper everywhere, tossed-aside sweaters, sweatpants, socks and underwear were nothing but a background set for the Blackstar figures and He-Man Castle. Hours of playing followed.

Then, as late afternoon approached and we'd be forced to pry ourselves away from the brand new Commodore 64 (which stretched the length of the dining room table). I'd pack 3 or 4 of my favorite toys and my brothers and I would jump into my Mom's vomit green Mercury Comet (which was complete with involuntary detachable hood). We then spent a couple hours driving to Sandwich, Massachusetts on Cape Cod to my Aunt Peggy's house, where we'd see the whole extended family (My mother's side anyway). My cousin Brett and I would play constantly as we were the same age. My Aunt Peggy and Uncle Sam had a very fancy house and I was always a little bit jealous. You see, my cousin Brett was actually my Aunt Peggy's grandson. My mother and Peggy were separated by 20 years, so Brett's Mom, Linda was just two years younger than my Mom (her Auntie Susan). So here's why I was jealous...

I wanted Peggy to be my Grandmother too. It only seemed fair really. My Mom's mother had passed away long before I was born and both my Grandfathers had passed within 6 months of me being born. And my Dad's Mom, well, she just passed away last year, but she didn't really care for my brothers and I. So here I am, essentially Grandmother-less, watching my cousin Brett get to have this Awesome Grandmother.

Most of what I knew about Peggy then was that she was just a cool, really warm and really nice person. What I've learned as an adult could fill books. Peggy is a woman who (as inspired by her father) knew she could do anything. She went to a technical High School because she wanted to learn about drafting. She was the only girl in her school. She then got hired drafting ships for the Navy during World War II, because why? Because she was a woman and the men were needed to go and fight. She's done great things with her life, including working with Gerry Studds (the first openly Congressman in US history-which my Mom did too), having a "59-year love affair" with her dear departed husband, Sam Hassan, traveling the world and learning something from everyone she's met and she (at 83) held signs every weekend for months on Cohasset Common reading "No Blood for Oil." And even now, at 84, she's part of the "Skeptics Club" and the "Equality Group" in her retirement community. She told me a story the other day about a Black woman she'd become friends with in the Equality Group. The woman said to her "You know why I'm in the Equality group, don't you?" and Peggy said "Well, I assume to know, yes." And the woman said "Yes, I'm Black, but I'm also a lesbian. Might I give you a kiss on the forehead?" Peggy replied "Of course you may." And this is what my Aunt Peggy attracts - not Black Lesbian 84 year olds - but everyone. Peggy could have a conversation with a stone if she thought there was something she could learn from it.

So tonight, I happily got to see my Aunt Peggy in Florida. My dear friend, Bill hosted a small dinner party for me and agreed to have Peggy join us. Of course, everyone was enamored with her stories and her absolutely inspiring life, but here's what got to me...Bill had taken three of his kids to get ready for bed and the oldest was sitting with Peggy, Bill's friend John and myself. Peggy had the rapt attention of Bill's 14-year old daughter who'd been having trouble sleeping. Peggy told her about this painting that she thinks of whenever she has trouble sleeping, Monet's "Field of Flowers" and she told the girl very specifically what she needed to do to sleep better, never speaking down to her - always as a friend. And it was that moment, I realized what a special soul my Aunt Peggy truly is. For her, it's only ever been about learning and passing it on. That's it. It's her whole life. And if we all lived a little more like her, this world would be a far better place.

Hello Friends!

I am so thrilled about what this year holds. I, like many of you, have spent many years taking a back seat and hoping I wound up at the right destination. But now, we're all the drivers. We all have the opportunity to steer this movement and our future, in the direction we want it to go.

On Tuesday, millions of you watched as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. While this should give you hope that change is coming, it does not give us permission to hop back into the passenger's seat. It's actually quite the contrary. Obama has said quite specifically that this is OUR government and WE have the responsibility to make sure our government is truly a government OF, BY and FOR the PEOPLE (that's us). What an incredible opportunity for us to take an active part in our history. And more importantly...our future.

A lot of you don't know me personally, some do, but I am an extraordinarily lucky person. I grew up in Massachusetts, moved to New York City as an adult and have now been here for ten years. I have never known what it was like to grow up in an environment that wasn't truly accepting of who I am. Sure, like anyone else, my parents at first had trouble when I came out. But I have ALWAYS been surrounded by supportive and loving individuals in my life. I'm lucky. This struggle isn't about me. It is not about my friend Wes who is doing incredible work in California fighting to overturn Prop 8. This is about the kids in the middle. This fight that we are fighting right now is in honor of the children growing up now who have a much bigger fight than I can even imagine. This struggle is so that they will know they have a family.

In the African American community, a little boy growing up has someone they can relate to and when they experience racism, they can go home to their Mom and talk to her about the heroic battles she helped to fight. When a little Jewish girl experiences anti-semitism, she can go home and talk to her Dad about the great pride they should have in their strength and history. When a gay child finally comes to terms with who they are, there is not always someone to run home to. And oftentimes, these kids are abandoned - sometimes literally and very often at the very least, emotionally. As adults in this community, our job is to let these kids know that they will some day live a happy, successful life and that one day - they will find love and marry the person they want to be with.

So most importantly, we have a responsibility to the children who have no one else to turn to. So go Talk About Equality, and understand that you are all doing incredible work. Keep it up.

And go visit www.talkaboutequality.org for some action items and talking points in case you need them.

I'd like to leave you with a shout-out to one of our members, Eric Ethington. Eric is in Salt Lake City, Utah (an interesting place to be indeed, during this fight). Eric and his friend Elaine have broken some incredible ground with someone many never thought open to talking about this. Please take some time to read this article about the incredible work Eric has done in building a bridge, take his example and go find a bridge you can build. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11506991

Thank you all for Talking About Equality. We're moving forward.

Much love,

Jamie

PS- Please don't miss what I'm certain will be a brilliant film on Lifetime Television this weekend called "Prayers for Bobby, True story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy Aarons. Airing on Saturday night, Jan. 24th at 9 and 11pm