I have a dream. A dream that will one day become reality. When my forefathers (and mothers) arrived in the barren and desolate land of Utah (or Ootah, as they say in the Book of Mormon musical), they took to heart the counsel of beard-loving ol' Brigham Young and made their homes in these valleys. They heard the song in their heart (as it wouldn't be recorded and played for over a hundred years) the song "Go West" by the village people. Yes, Sentry, they went west. Why? Cause life was peaceful there. Go west. They went and in the West they settled. Did they complain? I assume so. I am related to them, after all. But did they make do? Yes!
My dream is to one day see Salt Lake City become a place of happiness, tolerance, and paradise (click on link). A city where men can walk around holding hands with other men. Where women can do the same!
Where on every street corner cannons shoot glitter on the hour (it will be a city littered in glitter, I realize, but a fabulous city!) to remind people that the rainbow menace is here to stay!
It will be a place where there is celebrating in the streets! Where gossip is done in the form of musicals!
Yes, Sentry! Just imagine it! Utah: gayest state in the Union! What's this? You lived in San Francisco? Psh, it's Utah where you wanna be. The rainbow flag is the state flag now! They have glitter cannons! What your city doesn't? That's so bland and tragic. Sentry, I see a Utah where the new state flag would be shown everywhere. It would be a city and state that would celebrate love in all its forms.
Some day this dream will come true, Sentry. Some day I will see the realization of it. Bigotry cannot last. Hatred and misunderstanding will one day yield to love and understanding. Tolerance will surrender happily to acceptance. We will get there. We will be better. Plus, how could anyone deny the opportunity to have glitter cannons to celebrate life? Come on, Sentry, you know you want your presence acknowledged by rainbow flags and glitter!
Growing up in California, I met a few gay men and women there. My best friend was gay, a fact I learned nine months into serving my mission. I had one friend my freshman year of high school that was gay but I stopped hanging out with him. My section leader in band my senior year of high school was a lesbian. We promised to never "act on it (a promise we thankfully have both broken)." On my mission, I had one companion that was gay. He chose to come out shortly after the mission and I chose to remain in the closet. Coming home, my parents banned my best friend from the house because he was openly gay.
For two years at college, I knew no one that was gay. My solitary prison existed by my own design. When I finally wanted to come out, I found out that I knew no one in the entire state of Utah that was gay. It was only by pure coincidence that a friend of mine knew a friend that knew gay men. It was through that connection that I was able to connect to the gay community in Utah, Sentry.
But I have met dozens of gays that know of no other gay guys. They know me by pure happenstance. I cannot help but wonder at how many gay men are out there in this county that wish they knew other gay guys but don't know how to meet them?
There's a group at school called "Understanding Same Gender Attraction." It's the Mormon equivalent of GSA clubs at other universities and colleges. The nature of the group is more discussion oriented than socializing. It's education does not extend beyond the realm of discussion. It is not affiliated with the school but is permitted to meet on campus. It's existence has allowed for many other gays and lesbians to connect on campus. The feeling that "you're not alone" is a welcome relief, certainly. The public schools are also woefully weak on different clubs and organizations to assist and educate the LGBTQ community in the county. I know very little about what goes on in that area. When it comes to those schools, I am left in the dark on what goes on there.
What's my point, Sentry? Travel less than 40 miles north and the center of the LGBTQ community can be found in the downtown. The Pride Center, Equality Utah, clubs, and bars are all to be found there. Cross over into this county and there are no such things. The groups that meet are just groups of friends that are barely connected to other groups. Every once in a while a games night group forms but nothing else. The USGA group is not the first to have organized at BYU. It may not be the last. USGA risks disappearing without a trace like so many of its predecessors. What will happen then for the my community at BYU? We are unaware of each other. Sure, there are groups that know of each other. Some of the more social members of the group know many of us. But so many are unconnected. We have no ability to connect. The centers up north are focused on Salt Lake City's LGBTQ population. Meanwhile, my county is barely linked into the system.
I do not write this as a complaint against the groups in Salt Lake City. It is not their responsibility, in my opinion. It is our responsibility down here. If we want to change our situation, we must change it. Sentry, I want to see this changed. I want to see a group that organizes and registers different groups and activities that go on in the county. I want to see eventually educational resources available for the LGBTQ community here. I want to see groups organized to meet throughout the county to address the different needs of this community, my community. Sentry, I primarily want this information available to everyone that wishes to find it.
I want to one day see the Pride Center equivalent in Salt Lake City created and run down here in Utah County. I want kids from the high schools, UVU, and BYU able to know of its existence and go to it to find resources and information to help answer their questions and connect. I want to see adults also connected to it. Activities organized outside of the group that announce times and places through it so that attendance can be high and a sense of community exists. I want to essentially connect the LGTQ community to each other. I want to one day see bars and clubs open up serving our community and any others that wish to participate in it.
That's my dream, Sentry. I want to help make Utah a better place for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and all others that belong in my community. I want to see positive change in this county. Wouldn't you like the same, Sentry?
I made a goal for the summer just a few weeks back. It was to watch a gay/transgender or drag queen/lesbian movie a week. Because of that I have gained a new appreciation for movies that explore the LGBT theme. It has led me to want to understand even more about transgender issues. Sentry, I have grown to appreciate, even if only a tiny bit, the desire that all of us have to live our lives with dignity. I've only completed one rotation of this. This week starts the new rotation. But I will share with you the movies that I have watched and a few of my thoughts on the movies.
Summer Storm
Summer Storm was incredibly dramatic. I first watched this when I was a freshman in college. I was still in the closet so watching it touched too near the heart on how I felt about coming out. When I watched it this summer, several years after coming out, I felt a sense of relief. Then I was able to notice and appreciate the beauty of the film itself. I really did like it, Sentry. But it's still very drama-y, ha ha!
Kinky Boots
I love this movie. There's just something about the character Lolla that you can't help but admire, Sentry. I believe its her strength in the face of cruelty, hatred, and a refusal to treat her as an equal. I loved it because of her mostly. I really can't wait to watch more movies this summer during the weeks that I watch draq queens, transvestite, and/or transgender films. It was clever and funny at the same time.
The Kids Are All Right
The movie was practically perfect. Why? The characters were believable to me. It was believable that they loved each other and were a family. I loved how the characters interacted and dealt with the problems that they faced. It was just amazing! I loved the acting in this movie! The Kids Are All Right has become one of my favorite movies now.
The Broken Hearts Club
This movie won't be shown yet. I watched it in advance while decided whether to show it this week or A Single Man. I love this movie for all the humor and actors that I recognized. I loved that the movie focused on post-coming out lives. As much as I enjoy a good "coming out" film, I do like ones that explore life beyond that. This is one of those movies where you can sit back and laugh and still feel it speaks to you on an emotional level too.
A Single Man
I watched this movie yesterday for the first time in my life. I confess, it stole my breath away. I fell in love with the music, the story, and the cinematography. It was breathtaking and made you smile and cry throughout the whole movie. I couldn't stop watching it! And by the end of the movie, I was just stunned. I literally called up a friend after, Sentry, just to gush about how amazing the movie was. I haven't watched a new film like that in a long time. Most films I've watched recently that were for the first time (except for Kinky Boots) have not really impressed me. They have been "bleh." But this movie made me pause and fall in love with it. Sentry, I highly recommend this film to you. If you have never seen this movie, do so now. You won't regret it, I promise that!
So there, Sentry. I have shared my goal for this summer. I love it so far! I can't wait to watch more films. I thought I would share with you some of the movies that will be on the list for this summer. If you have any that you recommend, I'd love to know, Sentry. Thanks :)
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