Change.

If you are at all interested in everything going on right now with Don't Ask, Don't Tell, please go to this link. It is an article and video from MTV that features a good friend of mine.

Danny was discharged from the Marines under this senseless law, despite being one of the most proud Americans and servicemen that I have ever known.

He now works for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and through his journey to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell has met Lady GaGa and worked with her to spread awareness.

[Hear his story here]

It breaks my heart to think that dedicated men and women, people who live to serve this country of ours, are not allowed to do so simply because of their sexual orientation. The branches of the military pride themselves on commaraderie and unity, yet they cannot find it in themsevles to protect some of their own. I am disgusted, and truly hope that one day SOON [starting today] all servicemembers will be treated EQUALLY.

I don't think I would be able to go back after being so unjustly discriminated against, but Danny can't wait for the day when he can once again wear his uniform. I pray that day comes soon for him and the thousands of others who are owed justice.

L-O-V-E

I love that this blog can be a venue in which I blab on about issues that I care about. If you'd like to hear some blabbing, please feel free to continue.

As anyone with access to any type of media outlet knows, Propsition 8 was overturned in California yesterday. I personally jumped for joy and was so proud of this giant leap of progress. Here's why.

I like to keep an open mind about people. Sure, I can be critical of others' fashion tastes or haircuts gone wrong, but when it comes to who they are fundamentally I try to stand back and keep my judgements to a minimum. In this vein, I have always been a proponent of gay rights. It is something I am passionate about and will argue about with you until you can't see straight.

All the uber conservatives out there have their panties in a knot over this and are going to use Bible verses as ammo and Christianity in general as their armor. To them, I say this: I may not be able to name all the books of the Bible to you, nor can I spout verses at the drop of a hat, but what I do know with unwavering confidence is that the Son of God loves ALL. In fact, I do believe there is something that says "All who believe in me shall have everlasting life." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't say "All who believe in me (except if you're gay) shall have everlasting life." And furthermore, in my opinion, all those people who espouse their Christian morals so fervently and pride themselves on being such excellent followers of the faith aren't actually being very good Christians when they refuse to love and accept their fellow man. Hypocrisy's a bitch, isn't it?

The overrulling of Prop 8 is so monumental because it demonstrates that more people are turning away from this baseless hate. Because in my eyes, who someone chooses to care about comes down to one thing: love. Whether that love is between a man and a woman, two men, or two women, who are we to judge? Real love is hard to come by, so why should this country that prides itself on all of its freedoms prevent anyone from experiencing the joys of it? If two men or two women have found a deep and abiding love for one another and want to honor that just as heterosexual couples do, that is something to celebrate. People who choose to spend their time castigating this love just because it is not natural to them are only perpetuating hate, a hate that festers, destroys, and seeks to overshadow love by any means.

So in a world with so much of this hatred, violance, and intolerance toward our fellow man, I think The Beatles said it best:

All you need is love.