OK, so I'm not a videographer! But, it's the thot that counts. Something has to be done for gay rights, both in society at large and to protect those sometimes oversensitive teens who have been killing themselves out of disgrace for something beyond their control and which is not disgraceful. I hope the recent tragic death of a talented young man will spur some outpouring for sanity. Anyhow, I made my attempt. Maybe you can do as well. Let young gay ppl know that they are loved and accepted. That it is alright for them to be open and not have to hide in a closet. It Gets Better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-PB1JNALnw"]YouTube - 2010 Oct 4 It Gets Better It is time. Shale
I think the idea behind what he's saying is that one doesn't have to be gay to care about gay people or their rights. You can make a video advocating the same thing, you needn't be of any specific sexual orientation. Your video was well put Shale.
Nice work, Shale. Tragic story. I don't even own a camera, so all I can do is applaud what you've done. And hope other folks will follow your excellent example. QP
Why did I always assume Shale would sound like Sean Connery? A rather strong and sexy american accent you have Shale But seriously, as you said at the start of that vid, you havent had to deal with the same stuff we have. Some in their teens, the things they have to struggle with, the things that are really likely to push them over the edge, isnt about discrimination, or not fitting in, or even bullying...........its about things much more sinister than that, things that are never talked about in polite conversation, things that everyone else pretty much never gets to see, perpetrated by those that are not gay, often perpetrated by those closer to home. To solve the problem of teen gay suicide, you have to fix problem No 1, and if thats something that everyone else never even sees, something no one ever wants to talk about, we are never going to be able to tell if its fixed As for 'It gets better' well yes and no. Again you, a guy outwardly seemingly normal wont face certain troubles the rest of us do. Whilst overall, yes I do think I have it better off than most in society, there are a couple of things that are getting far worse as I get older, again mainly stuff thats never seen or spoken of, which leads me to believe I'm just going to stick with my own kind from hereon in - so a fight for acceptance when I want segregation for myself? - hmmmm So my main message to my younger counterparts would be - Gay, it is soooo not the one thing, get that through your thick heads, different types face different difficulties at differing times in their lives from different sections of the community in many different ways. And if you want that sense of community dont just seek out gay, seek out your type of gay
Yeah, I didn't go into detail about how easy I've had it - coming out in the midst of the sexual revolution in New Orleans when fucking anyone, male or female was pretty much accepted by the whole community. I currently live on Miami Beach where you can't throw a rock without being charged with a hate crime. I think the key word here that some are saying in their message is move to a big city or college town. Don't try to be liberated gay in Bumfuck Oklahoma. My thing in high school in the Heartland was protesting the pledge of allegiance and professing to be an Atheist. Luckily, my birthday is late in the year which made me half to a year older than most of the guys in my class, so I was too big to bully. Plus - we were rather civilized in the Midwest in the '60s. Now after Jim and I broke up I met Brenda, a black woman. I got more conflict out of that than being with a man. Jim hooked up with a black woman also and got the same grief from his family. But when you are over 30 you blow that stuff off and tell ppl to see you on your terms or fuck off.
Great message, Shale! I really respect you and how you are using the Hipforums to further greater understanding and tolerance, not just for gays and nudists, but equality and brotherhood for everyone! I wish there were a lot more ppl like you here, activists who use this site to further their positive agendas.
This is so timely, Shale. For those of us in small towns and rural areas, the internet is the only place to see positive messages about homosexuality. This certainly was the case during my high school years. Thanks to you and the rest of the movement, many other young individuals have hope for a better, near future.
