CHE BELLO wants equality.
I just wanted to pass along this video on the day when the Matthew Shepard Act was finally signed into law after a decade of legislative struggle. Phillip Spooner is a highly-decorated veteran of World War II, and his thoughts on marriage equality for gays and lesbians brought tears to my eyes. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to his remarks and pass them on to those you can influence. We made a great deal of progress today with the stroke of President Obama’s pen, but we have a long way to go before we achieve true equality under the law.
Today is a victory for Matthew Shepard, who was brutally beaten and tortured, tied to a fence, and abandoned for 18 hours outside of Laramie, Wyoming — the sole reason being that he was gay.
Today is a victory for Angie Zapata, a transgendered woman in Greeley, Colorado who was murdered in July of 2008 for simply expressing who she was.
Today is a victory for Howard Efland, beaten to death by Los Angeles Police Department in March of 1970 after checking in to a hotel known for patronage by gay and lesbian clients.
Today is a victory for James Zappalorti, a gay Vietnam veteran who was stabbed to death in 1990. Our nation demanded the sacrifice of James serving in war, but could not treat him with dignity and respect upon his return home simply because of who he loved.
Today is a victory for Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11 year old boy from Springfield, Massachusetts who hanged himself with an extension cord to escape the bullying of classmates who ridiculed him for acting feminine.
The list is seemingly endless. In order for this violence to stop, we have to develop social institutions that reinforce the equality of all people. If our government is sending the message that discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transgendered people is acceptable, how can we expect our neighbors to treat us with respect? Write to your legislators and friends about the need for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the reversal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the need for comprehensive employment discrimination protection, and the need for comprehensive federal benefits for gay and lesbian couples. If we don’t hold our officials — and each other — accountable, we can’t expect change.
CHE BELLO dies laughing.
A better YouTube video never existed:
Guess they all look alike to this news bimbo?
CHE BELLO’s scary story.
In honor of Craig’s post about Paranormal Activity, I thought I’d share with you all a horrific flash from my childhood involving an otherwise not-so-scary movie. So I was maybe 13 or 14 when this fine cinematic gem was released:
I’ll refresh the plot for those of you who made the mistake of missing this one. A creepy old widow is murdered by the townspeople after they think she murdered two children who later return home safe and sound. She comes back to haunt children on the night they lose their last baby tooth — she was called “Tooth Fairy” when she was alive — but can be warded off by staying in the light. Lots of people die because they don’t believe this one guy who saw his mom get killed by her when he was young, but then he destroys her at the lighthouse, setting her soul free forevahhhh.
Aaaanyway, my dad and I went to see this movie. We came home and I went upstairs to my room. I was working on the computer with the rest of the upstairs dark when, out of the corner of my eye, I see this black flying thing whooshing toward me just like the freaky-as-hell Tooth Fairy lady. I SCREAM BLOODY MURDER, swatting the thing away. As it hits the ground, I see my dad at the top of the stairs laughing hysterically — he had thrown my black sweater into my room, knowing it would scare the bejeezus out of me.
The best part about it was our elderly neighbors — on both sides — calling the police, thinking there was some serious shit goin’ down. But you’d scream like a girl too if you thought this bitch were flying at you:
CHE BELLO is sorry.
Hi, my name is David, and I’m a perpetually infrequent blogger.
There. I admitted my problem, and that’s the first step, right? So, a brief update:
– regular posting shall hereby recommence
– Teach for America interview went really really well, I hope. I hear back on Nov. 10th about whether they hire me and, if so, where and what I’ll be teaching.
– I think Pat Buchanan is one of the most worthless people on this planet.
– You should all go find a copy of The Undeserving Poor by Michael Katz.
– I ran my first 5k this past Saturday, with an official time of 24:49. After only a month and a half of running, I’d say that’s not too shabby.
CHE BELLO 