Tuesday, February 24, 2009

It's still about love

I’m in love.

Yep, I’m in that crazy, euphoric, shout-from-the-rooftop stage of love that has to annoy the hell out of everyone. My friends, family and co-workers are no doubt sick to death of hearing me gushing like a teenager about my freakin’ awesome boyfriend, but frankly I don’t give a crap. Stick a fork in me, I’m done with dating—this one is it! And if you read this blog about my dating antics, you’ll be rejoicing right along with me.

I love this feeling! I love it when he takes my hand as we walk through a casino or puts his arm around me as we’re leaving a restaurant. I love it when he gives me flirty glances for all the world to see.

But I wonder… What it would be like if I couldn’t talk about him, much less gush like I do, without the risk of offending my audience? What if he couldn’t take my hand in public? Or show any more affection than he would to a casual friend? What if we couldn't get married even if we really, really wanted to?

In other words, what would it be like to be gay?

Not since Bjork’s feathered fiasco in 2001 have I cried during an Academy Awards ceremony, but last Sunday night Dustin Lance Black moved me to tears. Black, in case you don’t know, wrote the screenplay for Milk, the story of Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, who was murdered in 1978. When I heard his acceptance speech for Best Original Screenplay, I paused my DVR and grabbed my laptop to capture his poignant words.

“When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to California. I heard the story of Harvey Milk and it gave me hope. It gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am and maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married.

“I want to thank my mom, who always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to. If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who’ve been told that they are less than my their churches or by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value, and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon—I promise you—you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours.”
Yes, very soon.

17 comments:

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

I just don't understand the Bible-thumping mentality that is against love, in whatever form it takes. My guess is Jesus would have voted against Prop 8. I sense he was a kind, understanding, inclusive kind of guy. Who knows? Maybe he was gay!

Anonymous said...

Blasphemy Debra! Stop guessing. Strange things happen to people who Blasphem.

ReeRee said...

I love it Linda! You can talk about your boy toy everyday all day! He is a great man. First thing I thought of when reading this was...Sean Penn. "You homophobic...communist sons of guns". LOL!

Anonymous said...
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KriMonster said...

Keep on gushing! He is one lucky guy!

Sharee's comment was perfect :) I can hear Sean Penn's voice now!

Anonymous said...

I say gush away!

Anonymous said...

This is a tad off the subject, but have you heard about the New Breakfast Special this month at Denny's?

It's called The OctoMom:
14 eggs, no sausage, and the guy sitting next to you has to pay!

- Cory

Julie D said...

I'm boycotting Love Posts until I'm in it again.

(But I'm still happy for you!)

Travel Girl and I are batting around dates for our Vegas trip, we need to get an email going between the three of us and work it out!

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

To Bobdfishr, Awesome! I love when strange things happen...

Vegas Linda Lou said...

@ Kri, Ree Ree, Danica Lynn: Yeah, there's no stopping the gushing. Obnoxious, I know...

@ Laura: The wave--that's not all I'm ridin'!

@ Cory: A tad off subject? I don't see it. Ha! I do have something to say about that whack job. Future blog.

Vegas Linda Lou said...

@ Debra: I'm with you. Jesus had better be awesome or a lot of people will be disappointed.

@ Bob: No, strange this happen to people who blast phlegm.

Vegas Linda Lou said...

Oops--I meant "strange things."

Sandi said...

That was awesome! I am crying too! I have faith that one day we will see it happen! I am hanging on to that hope!

travel girl said...

Awesome post.

Lilly said...

It was a great speech by Dustin. best speech of the night. And I love that you are in love. Because you are reminding the rest of us who arent quite at that stage that you are, to get a move on. You go girl. I AM TRULY HAPPY. Bask in every loving second do you hear?

Looks like you lost my follower thing too. I just read this on another blog. It might help it did me. I lost 60 that I was following. Cant remember who they are but I use blogroll anyway.

To fix the Follower issue, go to Dashboard. On the left you will see "Manage". Click on that. To the right of each blog if you see "Anonymously" against any blogs you are following, you need to change it to "Publicly." It often reverts to Anonymous for some strange reason. Now you will appear on that person's blog. I imagine they have to do the same to reappear on your blog. So spread the word!

CarmenSinCity said...

awwwwwww - Linda has a boyfriend - so sweet. Loves it!

Last night was so much fun. I'm glad we all had the chance to hangout and I hope we get to do it again VERY soon.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Linda, Hey, girlfriend - congrats on being mentioned on Nathan's blog and for your bit in the SF Chronicle. WELL DONE! And, who knows - maybe this will be the thing that propels you to a big publishing house!!! (I know, from my lips to Buddha's ears!)