Wed. June 18, 2008
By Feature Column
Roscoe's is also where I met my partner of 15 years, Roger. So many years of amazing times and life experience! We have seen so much together in our community. We've come a long way from watching Billy Crystal as the first openly gay character on prime time television in ABC's "SOAP" in 1977 to Ellen coming out on the cover of Time Magazine as well as her character on her self titled sitcom on April 30, 1997, to the launch of "Will & Grace" in September of 1998. We have seen many friends pass away from AIDS. We have seen many organizations come and go in the name of HIV/AIDS and we have certainly experienced our fair share of pride celebrations in Chicago as well as many other cities like New York, Atlanta, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco and Houston.
I have always been extremely grateful for all of those before me that sacrificed so much to just have basic human rights as gay individual. Like many other minority groups, the struggle continues, but I will never take for granted my freedom today as a gay man what it took to be able to safely walk down the street with the man I love and hold his hand. Seems very simple, yet virtually impossible to do in most of the world. In 2008. What is that???
I don't know that I will ever be considered a trailblazer or a role model. I suppose those that are, don't set out to be that. You don't wake up one day and say, "Hey, today I think I will trail blaze something-or-another" and head out the door to the grocery store…or maybe you do? Hmmm. What if that was all you had to do? Just add that to your errand list for the day:
1. Dry cleaners
2. Bank
3. Client meeting
4. Trail blaze something-or-another that will make the world a better place
5. Pick up dinner
6. Call the real mom.
Perhaps that's the key. A little conviction, a little planning, a little heart and a lot of balls and backbone is all you need. I think this Sunday, as I head out the door to ride on my fifteenth pride parade float as a grand, red drag queen, I will add "trail blaze something-or-another" to my packing list of the day along with makeup remover, boy clothes, vodka and sunscreen. I consider myself fearless, really, so it should be no big deal to make a difference on this, my nineteenth pride. I hope you will add it to your list each and every day, too. Who knows? Maybe next year, on my twentieth pride celebration, I will be able to hold EVERYONE'S hand in celebration anywhere in the world without a second thought. Now go! Trail blaze something already!
With love,
Matthew (circuit mom)
www.CircuitMom.com
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