Monday Meme: Moonlight

ginsburg moonlight

An LGBT icon, a literary powerhouse and a vital part of the Beat poet movement, Allen Ginsburg was an American original. His legacy of bold thoughts and wonderful words make him a natural pick for today’s Monday Meme. Most famous for his epic poem “Howl”, he also wrote articles, short stories and songs. Ginsburg was out and proud way before it was considered fashionable and he lived with his partner Peter Orlovsky from 1954 until his death.  The poet is once again making headlines as a reissued recording of his spoken words is set to be released this May. The album, The Last Word on First Blues, recorded in the 1980’s, features all-star talent like Bob Dylan.  According to Omnivore recordings, the label releasing the album, “The release includes a full color 28-page booklet of rare photos, writings and drawings from Ginsberg’s archives and an essay from set producer Pat Thomas featuring interviews with original participants. Longtime Ginsberg-music aficionado Thomas was given full access to the poet’s tape archive at Stanford University and spent several years pouring over hundreds of hours of recordings.” So here’s to Ginsburg, a godfather of gay rights and champion of self-expression. Now get out there and make Monday howl!

While you’re here check out  our inspiring greeting cards, perfect for any occasion!

Frank Ocean Pays Tribute to Prince

<> on June 14, 2014 in Manchester, Tennessee.

Openly bisexual singer/songwriter Frank Ocean took to his Tumblr to pay tribute to music icon Prince, who died yesterday at the age of 57. The post, written in all caps, lauds Prince for his fearlessness and Ocean says the artist helped him embrace his own sexuality. Per Pink News, here’s what Ocean had to say about the legend:

I’M NOT EVEN GONNA SAY REST IN PEACE BECAUSE IT’S BIGGER THAN DEATH. I NEVER MET THE MAN (I WAS TOO NERVOUS THE ONE TIME I SAW HIM) AND I NEVER SAW HIM PLAY LIVE, REGRETTABLY. I ONLY KNOW THE LEGENDS I’VE HEARD FROM FOLKS AND WHAT I’VE HEARD AND SEEN FROM HIS DEEP CATALOG OF PROPELLANT, FEARLESS, VIRTUOSIC WORK. MY ASSESSMENT IS THAT HE LEARNED EARLY ON HOW LITTLE VALUE TO ASSIGN TO SOMEONE ELSE’S OPINION OF YOU.. AN INFECTIOUS SENTIMENT THAT SEEMED SOAKED INTO HIS CLOTHES, HIS HAIR, HIS WALK, HIS GUITAR AND HIS PRIMAL SCREAM. HE WROTE MY FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME, ‘WHEN YOU WERE MINE’. IT’S A SIMPLE SONG WITH A SIMPLE MELODY THAT MAKES YOU WISH YOU THOUGHT OF IT FIRST, EVEN THOUGH YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE – A FLIRTATIOUS BRAND OF GENIUS THAT FEELS APPROACHABLE. HE WAS A STRAIGHT BLACK MAN WHO PLAYED HIS FIRST TELEVISED SET IN BIKINI BOTTOMS AND KNEE HIGH HEELED BOOTS, EPIC. HE MADE ME FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH HOW I IDENTIFY SEXUALLY SIMPLY BY HIS DISPLAY OF FREEDOM FROM AND IRREVERENCE FOR OBVIOUSLY ARCHAIC IDEAS LIKE GENDER CONFORMITY ETC. HE MOVED ME TO BE MORE DARING AND INTUITIVE WITH MY OWN WORK BY HIS DEMONSTRATION – HIS DENIAL OF THE PREVAILING MODEL…HIS FIGHT FOR HIS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – ‘SLAVE’ WRITTEN ACROSS THE FOREHEAD, NAME CHANGED TO A SYMBOL… AN ALL OUT REBELLION AGAINST EXPLOITATION. A VANGUARD AND GENIUS BY EVERY METRIC I KNOW OF WHO AFFECTED MANY IN A WAY THAT WILL OUTRUN OBLIVION FOR A LONG WHILE. I’M PROUD TO BE A PRINCE FAN(STAN) FOR LIFE.

Prince was found dead in his home in Minneapolis on April 22.

Bullied Teen Ballet Dancer Gets Moment in the Spotlight

The fight to be yourself and follow your dream isn’t always easy. But every so often that fight proves to be a worthwhile one.  Take 14-year-old dancer Jack Higgins, for example. A ballet dancer from Liverpool, England Higgins wowed the judges and viewers across the globe with his performance on Britain’s Got Talent over the weekend. Higgins said other kids his age bullied him for being a dancer. “When I started, I was called names,” Higgins said. “They said it was just for girls and I should be doing football.” Despite what his peers said, Higgins kept dancing. With the support of his family, he now attends an arts high school and by the looks of it, the education has really paid off. Higgins’ dance to “Say Something” by A Great Big World earned him a standing ovation, a trip to the next round of the competition and words of praise by notoriously cranky judge Simon Cowell. “You know the one thing bullies don’t like? They don’t like it when you do well. I can see how hard you’ve worked and I congratulate you,”Cowell said.

Watch the incredible performance here!

Monday Meme: Whatever

maria meme

Happy birthday Maria Bello! The actress/writer/activist  turns 49 today. Bello made headlines in 2013 when she wrote about her long-term relationship with a woman for a piece in the New York Times but that wasn’t the whole story. Bello doesn’t identify strictly as a lesbian and instead wrote a bestseller questioning labels and championing sexual fluidity. Bello is a voice of a recent movement focused on love and not who we love. Hooray for that! Bello is an award-winning actress best known for her roles in films like A History of Violence, The Company Men and Coyote Ugly. 

 

Good News From The South! Louisiana Bans LGBT Discrimination

New-OrleansIn a couple of weeks filled with really bad news coming out of the south, this little nugget from Louisiana is a real gem.

On Wednesday, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBT Louisianans. The order overturns an executive order by Edwards predecessor, Republican Bobby Jindal which protected employers and agencies that wouldn’t serve the LGBT community. Edwards said order was “bad for business, tourism and the Louisiana economy. Per NBC News, “Louisiana has no law protecting LGBT residents from employment discrimination. Edwards’ order protects state employees from discrimination over a variety of reasons, including race and religion in addition to sexual orientation and gender identity.” Edwards’ bill also explicitly protects transgender people. The nonprofit Forum for Equality called the order “a bold stroke to broaden equality in Louisiana,” while Equality Louisiana said it should spur the Legislature “to extend these employment protections to all workers in Louisiana, in both the public and private sectors.” The order was signed after months of pressure from gay rights groups and companies like IBM which worried that Jindal’s order would “create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees.”