I watched this yesterday with my daughter and we both came away with moist eyes.
I am sure that every parent with a gay son or daughter (Well one that doesn't let their religion interfere with their love that is.) must feel so gratified that THIS President has finally spoken up for their rights, and passed legislation to offer them the same protection that other parent's children take for granted.
I would take on the world to protect my daughter, and fight to my very last breath, but it is so gratifying to finally have somebody fighting by my side.
I am proud of my daughter, and I am proud of my President for accepting and protecting her, just the way she is. As I have accepted and protected her since her very first moments of life.
Thank you so much.
ReplyDelete"Come out and vote for President Obama." Tears as well from this old, fat, straight lady. It seems so simple: true, all-inclusive equality. Yet the right wing evangelicals have made it into an evil plot to undermine the nation. They don't want to admit that some of the greatest leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes and writers were/are gay. Unfortunately, many of these great people had to keep their private lives hidden because of the prejudice.
ReplyDeleteIn the not too distant future, the rigid old farts of my generation will die off and, future generations of LGBT people will be able to live openly without fear of someone stripping them of their rights.
Gryphen, I sometimes don't like the tone of your blog (because of the Palin family rant, not atheism) but today I want to thank you for being a father who knows your daughter never lost her natural right to be loved.
ReplyDeleteI had two wonderful parents, one a christian minister, who both loved me and my husband -- yes, I'm a gay man and that means my husband (married in the Yukon!) must be too -- and I always wondered how it was that my parents could somehow screw up the courage to love and accept us and God just can't do it. At least that's what so many religions tell us...
So this is for you, Gryph. Let me thank you for being there for me, your daughter and all of us who know we are who we are.
And to everyone out there, we tired of waiting for Alaska to protect us, to treat us as equals and we're living in London now. I became a citizen of the UK this year, yet as I remain a US citizen, I cast my vote for Obama today, absentee, with a good deal of satisfaction.
There is always hope. Now get out and queer the vote for Obama!
Very nicely stated!
DeleteYea for the Yukon!!!!
DeleteThere are some things as a Canadian that when watching/reading things in the U.S., have to shake our heads.
To read how some people think of Canada as the 51st state like the U.S. owns us -- that old saying that Canadians are doormats comes to mind as if we can be 'rolled'. If they actually got off their ass and researched and/or read about Canada -- we're far more forward thinking than the U.S. I'll benefit from that pretty soon when I take a year's paid maternity leave.
I'm thrilled that you benefited from one aspect of our 'forward thinking' and that you and your husband will have a long & happy marriage!
Amen from this Canadian. I cannot believe how backward in their thinking so many so called Christians down south of us are. I do believe Christ said that we should love one another as he loved us-whether one is a believer in religion or not-this comment strikes me as a great philosophy for life.I do not know much about our PM's religion but I do know he does not shove it in our face and I am pretty sure that he will never do that. He, like Biden, is personally opposed to abortion but kept his promise to keep our law intact and refused to sign on to the "personhood" theory that has made its nefarious way north of the border.
DeleteI hate the ads that portray it as a right that some energy company in the USA has the right to decide how to use our oil! We are NOT the 51st state; we are a proud and independent country.
Our Canadian ambassador and his staff saved the Iran hostages that managed to escape being taken and we Canadians are affronted by the movie with Ben Affleck that gives the credit to the CIA!!!
Rant over!
Well said fellow Canadian! I also agree with you on Canadian Oil. Romney last night said that he is going to make this TC pipeline happen, I would like to look him in the face and ask him if Canadians want this TC pipeline. He sluffs the Canadian public off with his assumptions as if we are a tool for the U.S. I'm sick of these asshole republicans. My son works and breaths the oil sands in northern alberta and it isn't a pretty picture of what they are doing to the earth there. With saying that, yes my son is reaping the money from oil through hard earned labour but he wouldn't be very sad either hearing that these money rich oil barons are losing and having to slow down this oil production in Canada.
DeleteWith Gryphen's reference to religion in his writing above, I have to say that Romney spoke far too much regarding his religion in his closing comment in the debate. His reference of being a missionary, of holding a 'religious' position in his church -- all speaks volumes that he doesn't respect the 'separation of church and state' and will play by his own rules like everything else he does.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting to hear the media address the issue of 'character' and 'style' as they did in the first debate by tearing into President Obama about his looking down and his smiling. Romney left much on the table of 'character' and 'style' that should be addressed by them along with his verbal disrespect of the President at various times. To see the many facial expressions of disgust, of the looks that would kill that could be construed to be pure hate. The eyes -- burning through the President when the discussion of Libya was ongoing and Romney turned back to look at the president and the eyebrows raised
Where's the media tearing strips from Romney on this. Even the left a la Matthews and then you had the ad nauseum Andrew Sullivan's rants and others going at it for 2 weeks -- about the 'style' and 'character'.
Wow. That made me cry. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteG -
ReplyDeleteYou wrote a beautiful comment. I, too,have a lesbian daughter.
Pat Padrnos
I too have a gay daughter. She is the light of my life. Thank you President Obama.
DeleteI had a gay daughter who was the light of my life. He's now my transgendered son...and still the light of my life!
DeleteThat tore me up. . . .
ReplyDeleteYou are a loving father Gryphen.
Moist eyes? I sitting here blubbering. Great spot.
ReplyDeletegreat spot! i'm 60 and somehow, by this point in my life, have a raft of gay friends despite my being hetero. i have always felt privileged that these friends included my in their circle - that i was an open an open and accepting enough person to be trusted. it's sort of old hat to us now because we ARE so old and so used to one another. but i have a gay stpdaughter (she was in high school when i married her dad) and she "sheepishly" came out to him/us only about 4 years ago. she didn't know us as people who have gay friends and are accepting - she knew us as possibly disaproving parents. which is unfortunate because someone missed telling her that somewhere along the way and that made me feel bad for her. we have a great relationship now - the same relationship we have with our other children. and, like gryphen, i'd die fighting for her rights as well as the rights of my other children/step-children. our world is so much better and richer by including everyone. to me it's just a no-brainer.
ReplyDeleteWaffle House Homophobe Smacked Down By Crowd Following Slur (VIDEO, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/waffle-house-homophobe-smacked-down-video_n_1970880.html
Beautiful video Grygh and thanks for putting this up. My son is 28 yrs old and came out first to me at the age of 20. I am his mother. It was very difficult for both himself, and I and his father. Most of all I wasn't so upset that he told me who he was because as a mother I already knew it. But what was so hard for me and a parent was how he was going to be able to handle his life in public as a gay man. We spent a few years watching how he wanted to handle this and in the meantime we gave him the support and encouragement that he needed. He is now an openly gay man and our entire family knows and accepts him for his sexuality. I'm lucky, I have a very understanding family. But still today, I worry about him and the homophobic nature of our society. It's just so wrong. It is wonderful to see your president openly accept gays, this is a milestone for america. Harvey Milk was a legend and the movie about him moved me tremendously.
ReplyDeleteYes, made me cry. Time to go make another donation to re-elect our principled president.
ReplyDeleteHow could one be human and not be moved by this? I was always mindful when raising my children and made it a point to discuss all issues, including LBGT issues because I want them to understand that my love for them is unconditional, no matter whom they choose to love.
ReplyDeleteI have a nephew who's openly gay, and we have friends who happen to be gay. I didn't have to avoid the issue with my kids, I didn't have to explain a thing nor lie to them, they accept people as they are. Frankly, what people do in private is none of their business anyway, no matter if they're gay or straight.
Gryphen, you're a great role model for all parents.
I am so happy you posted this, Gryphen. While some of the tears I shed are from sadness that it has taken well into your daughter's adulthood for you to have a fellow warrior in the fight for a fair country for her- many of them were for joy, the joy which bubbles up and boils over when I see these beautiful, talented people finally realizing someone is on their side.
ReplyDeleteI of course have felt ostracized due to my skin color- especially in my college and grad school years when there was not another black woman to be found who was trying to take on a very white, very male profession (diagnostic linguistics).
But even that is nothing compared to what people who are gay have to go through. At least people can't miss that I'm black the moment they see me. But if it was a secret, a carefully shrouded and shamed part of myself I didn't feel even merited public knowledge. . .I just can't imagine.
Please vote, everyone. Please.
Gryphen
ReplyDeleteI don't quite understand this homophobia. I was raised on a reservation and deep into my Native culture. Most Native American tribes are like mine, totally accepting of gays. In fact most tribes consider gays to have 2 spirits thus making them a person to respect. But everything good was lost when the hysterical Europeans moved over here.
Little Rabbit
PS hug your daughter for me. She has a powerful spirit.
These are the ideas that take courage to represent in politics because of the well-funded, organized opposition that has always oppressed the minority.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the new "normal" so we can focus on tough issues that affect so many that can't be changed with the stroke of a pen--- economic blight, poverty, and human rights.
History will favor those who treat every individual with the dignity and respect that they deserve as a unique human being. It's simply the "Do Unto Others..." thing, and there's a reason it's called the golden rule. Although, to their own detriment the opinions of some will never change, future generations will laud President Obama as one of the greatest presidents in our country's history.
Yeah, it feels good to be on the right side, doesn't it? Let's commit ours and our children's generation to continuing to move forward.
Be sure you are registered to vote if you haven't voted already, and remind your friends and family to do the same. We're coming down the home stretch. Let's have a big turnout in 3 weeks.
It would be so hard to watch the heartfelt sentiment in the video and not cringe at the thought of denying gay couples to marry and have equality.
ReplyDeleteDAMMNIT!
ReplyDeleteI was NOT going to CRY!!
...I am.
OBAMA 2012- It. Gets. Even. BETTER.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-juro/if-i-could-talk-to-the-president_b_1970413.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices#comments
ReplyDeleteOH my God this Bitch!!!