Tuesday 3/15/2011
Interviews
I'm embarking on a whole new project. Yes, I have another something that I've got my mind set on doing. But I won't take credit for coming up with it - it's in collaboration with many, many other people. But I got asked to interview college kids all across Chicago about their experiences, knowledge of, and awareness of HIV/AIDs. Today I had my first couple of interviews and I've already learned some amazing things!
The idea behind the project is to allow readers an insight into the treatment of someone who has just recently been diagnosed, and I'm covering the perspective of someone born after the epidemic. So I'm interviewing people ages 18-25 from every imaginable walk of life over the next 9 months and writing it all down in a column that will be published online every 2 weeks via the Windy City Media Group. It may also run in print occasionally from time to time.
My first article runs this April, so keep an eye out! It's my own story of sexual and mental health as an LGBTQ youth, and just one of many different chapters to come. I hope to learn more about where we stand as educators to our LGBTQ youth, what the community can do better, and hear lots of horror and success stories.
The project is called AIDS @ 30, watch for more info soon! Also, I'll post some interesting stuff from the interviews on this blog from time to time (things that didn't fit in articles or are quick reads).
If you are at all interested in being interviewed for this project, please go here for more information.
If you are at all interested in being interviewed for this project, please go here for more information.
Thursday 3/10/2011
Art
I came across this today on a visit to the Art Institute here in Chicago. I was skimming the first line of some of the more linguistic pieces in the modern wing and then saw this. It hit me like a train - people have had the same thoughts as I do now about homosexuality since I was born. That means that when a cute little homo like me was born, there was somebody like Wojnarowicz fighting for me. And we're still fighting. Wow.
Please take a minute and read the writing, look at this piece of art, Untitled by David Wajnarowicz. Better yet, go see it! I'd be happy to take someone as my guest (I'm a member there so it would be free to you) if you just send me a message here on GoPride. It's Gelatin Silver Print, so it really pops (and it's also quite large) when you see it in person.
Fun fact: The boy pictured is the artist himself as a young boy.
CPBill
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Monday 2/28/2011
MBLGTACC
Referred to as the "the big gay," or "the alphabet soup conference," the Midwestern Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transexual, and Allied College Conference was never meant to be so wild. But of course I always find a way to mix work and play - while attending workshops, caucuses, and meetings during the day around the University of Michigan, Queer people from all walks of life found themselves in the rich social fabric that converges on the host University each year. With featured comforts such as Gender Neutral Bathrooms, a live Twitter Feed, and shuttle buses to ferry the weak at the knees to and from various hotels and night spots in Ann Arbor, the conference was much more than I expected. It allowed me to explore new interests unchallenged and gain a wealth of new information from writing for LGBTQ journalism to cleaning up bubbles from an overflowing jacuzzi.
From the moment I walked into an auditorium filled with queer folk it was clear that whatever I thought was going to happen, wasn't. Over a thousand people were dancing in their seats chanting "baby, I was born this way." My jaw literally dropped, friends around me told me to keep my mouth closed and it became a conscious effort the rest of the night. As the opening ceremony got underway on Friday, I quickly learned that I wasn't alone. I may be eighteen, but at my age we generally think we have the world figured out. Speaker Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality said to us, "if you've seen the news or been on the Internet lately, you'll see that our world is changing and it's kind of crazy." After walking in a world without bigotry, hatred, or discrimination I believe every word of that speech. This conference is not only about education in the classroom but education within a community. In our micro environment we learned to hold doors open for each other, not because boys are supposed to do that for girls, but because it's the kind thing to do. Because some people have their arms full. Because that's one step closer to genuine equality.
That's one thing I hadn't figured out before.
Monday 2/21/2011
Choices
Something I've thought a lot about lately when I get frustrated with school is choices. My Dad used to always tell me that knowledge is powerful. Many people I perceive to be "powerful" are only in that position because they have choices, and a lot of them. They can make decisions from a broader depth of understanding. But what about that Hollywood glamour? Well, surely we can't deny that wealthy people also have more choices. This doesn't mean they're any happier because of it - let's face it, some are completely overwhelmed - but it allows a person more leeway when the right choice might be more expensive than plan B. A wise woman once said; "don't marry for the money, marry for the love of money."
In the end, those with the most choices available to them seem to be happier. And I know from my own experience that I'm happier with that extra freedom that knowledge brings, and hopefully a career which will afford some of my choices. But I have to put in the work. And I have to work hard. So hard, yeah yeah yeah, so hard.
CPBill
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Friday 2/18/2011
Defrost
The snow is almost all gone! Whew, finally.
It's been a busy week, what with the Auto Show and Justice Sotomayor coming to visit. Paired with elections buzz - I wonder if I'll have a more exciting week between now and Spring Break?! There's no better weather for letting go than this moderate not-too-cold, not-too-hot sunshine we've had yesterday and today. I'm a huge fan. Plans include going to the Auto Show, taking several long walks outside while I can, catching up on some school work, and seeing some friends I haven't seen since I caught a bug two weeks ago.
On a more serious note; I started dancing this week. No, it's not seriously funny, although it is new for me. It's this great bonding experience between me and a couple friends that had begun to drift apart in the last couple months. We decided to join an on-campus dance troupe together, mostly because we all love to bump and grind and thought some formal instruction would do us some good the next time we went out. But the troupe incorporates ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and a pretty rigorous stretching routine. Let's just say I'll be touching my toes by the end of this semester.
Point in case, we've now seen each other fall, fail, and overcome some personal and physical boundaries. It's been an awesome way to come together and rely on each other in ways we wouldn't in everyday life or by just going out on the weekends. One of my friends has a new beau, which is the reason he split some time ago. Boyfriends can be really distracting when it comes to splitting your time. Friends often get left behind or have to tag along. My other friend and I had been serial dating like the world was really going to end in 2012. But having the structure of a rehearsal, the plan to be there each week (multiple times a week), and the commitment we've made to our team mates and to each other has helped tremendously. And it's something every boyfriend can understand (and if they're smart they'll encourage you to do those stretching routines). I'd recommend this kind of thing - starting a routine activity - to anyone suffering from forlorn friend syndrome.
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