What it's like to be a "gay" activist

What’s it like to be a “gay” activist? I guess that’s one of the most common questions I get from people who watch my Gay News videos. I am always quick to remind them that I am an LGBT activist, and that gay is just the easiest label for society to place on me. I would venture to guess that more people find me by googling the keywords gay activist, than they do LGBT activist, and my goal is to reach a wide audience. I watch my online audience grow larger every day, and it feels good to know that people are getting something from me that they value in the content I create. As an artist, nothing could be more rewarding than to know that there are people out there listening to my songs. The same applies to my photos, my videos and my blogs. They are all my own, unique creations. I am the controller of my online realm, of which, if you’re reading this, you are a part. Pretty much everything I create, in some way, is connected to activism for equality. From my uplifting song, “Don’t Give Up” to my down and dirty, sticks and stones, controversial, yet timely song, aptly titled, “Faggot” to the outright demand for equality in my most recent song, “Right 2B Gay”. It’s only natural that I would extend this activism into my video projects as well, and that has gotten me into a lot of trouble, LOL.




What’s it like to be a citizen journalist? I look for the angle in every story I cover, that may be overlooked in the media. Being a citizen journalist is not as easy as it may look. In order to find stories that are relevant, timely and interesting to my audience, I sometimes have to do a lot of research. I rely on every major news network in the world, but most of my news comes from 365gay.com where there is unprecedented coverage of gay news 24/7. My goal is not to compete with them in any way, but to share the stories that affect the LGBT community the most. I don’t believe there’s such a thing as being “over informed” when it comes to the issues that directly affect us as human beings. Aside from the long hours of preparation, the technicalities of shooting the scenes and editing them, there’s the aspect of public perception. Regardless of how well I plan my show. How lined up my bullet points and facts are, I always end up pissing somebody off with something I say. Joy Bahar once said something like, “Every public speaker loses half his audience the moment he opens his mouth.” that makes so much sense. Not everybody is going to agree with everything I say, and that’s okay with me. What matters is that they are talking about whatever issue I’ve just informed them about. I don’t care if the think I look like a cheap whore, as long as they get the message I’m putting out.



Does it bother me when people call me faggot or post a comment on my page calling me a pervert, freak, asshole, bitch, fudge packer etc.? Hell no! My favorite new quote is this: “Keep talking shit about me! You’re making me famous!” Of course there are lines that have been crossed by overzealous bitches trying to take my place in the world, but they were quickly handled with full force. My real friends don’t let assholes fuck with me online. Anyone who posts stupid shit on my pages will find their inbox jammed with my defenders, and trust me, it won’t be pretty, LOL. My people love my big gay ass and I love them all right back! Most of my friends list is family. No, I don’t have 44,000 relatives on myspace. I mean family as in “Love makes a family”, as in “We are family! I got all my sisters and me!”. No matter where in the world you travel, even in strictly religious regions of the world, if you have your gaydar turned on full volume, you will find your family members there. It’s that special, knowing wink or nod. That shy resisting stare. That funny tickle in your gut when you’re a lez who see’s a queen in an unexpected place, or vice versa. It’s a magic that makes us all united as one. We recognize each other because we’re supposed to. Ultimately, it will take the unification of us all to overcome the adversity we are facing in the world as a family. My goal isn’t to become a professional newscaster. I’m not trying to win American Idol. I just know that I only have one life, and I don’t want to spend it wondering what if? What if nobody ever marched I a pride parade? What if nobody ever stood up to the cops at stonewall. What if everybody still had to live in fear because nobody was strong enough to stand up and speak out for everyone. I would sacrifice my life to keep it from happening again. We must never go back to the days when gays were forced into shock treatment and considered mentally ill by the American psychiatry. What if there was no Sir Elton John, no Madonna, no Rufus Wainwright? What if there were no gays in fashion? This world would so uncolorful. Even the most stereotypical of us impact our environment in immeasurable ways. We all have our place. Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, pre op, post op, leather men, bears, foot fetish dudes and chicks, queens, of all shapes and sizes, even bitchy, gay cliques have their place. I’ve been excluded by a member of every afore mentioned group at one time or another, but I don’t hold it against everybody when one person decides they don’t like me. I’ll fight for your rights, even if you don’t want them. I’ll fight for your rights, even if you think you already have them. I’ll keep fighting, no matter how many times I get cussed out, threatened or bashed on the radio. I’ll do it because they’re not just you’re rights, they’re mine. So, I hope this explains, not only what it’s like to do what I do, but why I do it. I’ll tell you right now that I couldn’t make a living at this, if I tried. I do this for the pleasure and peace of mind it brings to do my part in this fight for equality for our family.