"I hugged a man in his underwear."

*Credit: http://www.practikel.com/2012/01/27/christian-group-shows-up-to-chicago-gay-pride-holding-apologetic-signs/#.T3ssxrXeO_o.facebook

"I spent the day at Chicago’s Pride Parade. Some friends and I, with The Marin Foundation, wore shirts with “I’m Sorry” written on it. We had signs that said, “I’m sorry that Christians judge you,” “I’m sorry the way churches have treated you,” “I used to be a bible-banging homophobe, sorry.” We wanted to be an alternative Christian voice from the protestors that were there speaking hate into megaphones. 
What I loved most about the day is when people “got it.” I loved watching people’s faces as they saw our shirts, read the signs, and looked back at us. Responses were incredible. Some people blew us kisses, some hugged us, some screamed thank you. A couple ladies walked up and said we were the best thing they had seen all day. I wish I had counted how many people hugged me. One guy in particular softly said, “Well, I forgive you.” 
Watching people recognize our apology brought me to tears many times. It was reconciliation personified. 
My favorite though was a gentleman who was dancing on a float. He was dressed solely in white underwear and had a pack of abs like no one else. As he was dancing on the float, he noticed us and jokingly yelled, “What are you sorry for? It’s pride!” I pointed to our signs and watched him read them. 
Then it clicked. 
Then he got it. 
He stopped dancing. He looked at all of us standing there. A look of utter seriousness came across his face. And as the float passed us he jumped off of it and ran towards us. In all his sweaty beautiful abs of steal, he hugged me and whispered, “thank you.” 
Before I had even let go, another guy ran up to me, kissed me on the cheek, and gave me the biggest bear hug ever. I almost had the wind knocked out of me; it was one of those hugs. 
This is why I do what I do. This is why I will continue to do what I do. Reconciliation was personified. 
I think a lot of people would stop at the whole “man in his underwear dancing” part. That seems to be the most controversial. It’s what makes the evening news. It’s the stereotype most people have in their minds about Pride.
Sadly, most Christians want to run from such a sight rather than engage it. Most Christian won’t even learn if that person dancing in his underwear has a name. Well, he does. His name is Tristan. 
However, I think Jesus would have hugged him too. It’s exactly what I read throughout scripture: Jesus hanging out with people that religious people would flee from. Correlation between then and now? I think so. 

Acceptance is one thing. Reconciliation is another. Sure at Pride, everyone is accepted (except perhaps the protestors). There are churches that say they accept all. There are business that say the accept everyone. But acceptance isn’t enough. Reconciliation is. 
But there isn’t always reconciliation. And when there isn’t reconciliation, there isn’t full acceptance. Reconciliation is more painful; it’s more difficult. Reconciliation forces one to remember the wrongs committed and relive constant pain. Yet it’s more powerful and transformational because two parties that should not be together and have every right to hate one another come together for the good of one another, for forgiveness, reconciliation, unity.
What I saw and experienced at Pride 2010 was the beginning of reconciliation. It was in the shocked faces of gay men and women who did not ever think Christians would apologize to them.
What I saw and experienced at Pride 2010 was the personification of reconciliation. It was in the hugs and kisses I received, in the “thank you’s” and waves, in the smiles and kisses blown.
I hugged a man in his underwear. I hugged him tightly. And I am proud."

More: Tristan's Response: A Man in His Underwear Hugged Christians

Photoshop Bomb by the Russian Orthodox Church.

When under fire for flaunting their wealth, the Russian Orthodox Church photoshopped out a $30,000 timepiece off the wrist of Patriarch Kirill I.
Except they forget about the reflection on the table.

Gold shines like a motherfucker, Gentlemen.

"That's not the music I requested. That sounds like Yanni."

Love Onrait.

"We're Rockin' this bitch..."

It's been a while since I have posted anything. Consider it a good sign that I have been busy doing a savage amount of fun shit. WHO GOES OUT THIS MUCH IN MARCH?

Notably, after 20 years of adoration, I finally got a chance to see one of my  faves, Sir Ben Folds.



And he improved.
Someone shouted out "Rock this bitch!"
And he did. THEY did.
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was astounding.
The entire show was one of the best I have ever seen. I am so glad that, even though not a huge fan of Folds, Greg was able to come and share that with me. It was also excellent to know that just a few rows closer to the stage sat Shawn with his brother. Everyone that should have been with me was. Including a sweet guy from Calgary that sat beside me having the absolute time of his life.

That being said, the ever lovely Lindsey Walker and I have a date to see Kathleen Edwards on Monday and I am simultaneously excited and relieved. Greg had me convinced that he left it too long and the tickets were sold out. I almost keyed his car.
I have never missed a show since the release of Failer and I am certainly not starting now. Greg waited just long enough before I started selling off his comics to pay some dude named Ned on Kijiji. Perhaps some decadent Steak Tartar at Accent before the show?

Man, my life can be beautiful.

You can always tell the birth of spring in Edmonton between the sifts of snow by the way people begin to talk to each other... in excited, anticipatory tones. So many music shows. Comedy. Art shows all over our lives. We can barely keep our calenders straight.
"Which art show is this? Who is hosting this?"
 As Greg has said, when it comes to much needed R & R, Monday/Tuesday is our weekend. Starting Wednesday evening, we don't stop. And it never seems to get old. We do surround ourselves with some amazing people.

It is hard not to be grateful.




Aside: The annual Pirate Party/CF fundraiser/ Greg birthday bash is being held at the Artery this year, May 20th, and some pretty excellent people have agreed to be a part of it.

Of course they have.

Love you too, Marko.

Now it's time to hit the streets, back up those words you've sung.

I remember being in Victoria and having a helluva great night with a self proclaimed "skin head." I didn't know if I should be afraid or not, but he and I were engaged in brilliant conversation for hours before I found out so I felt pretty okay about it.

It takes a lot to get me to recoil in fear. Just ask my father.

The same Neo-Nazi group that rampaged Calgary and sent a ripple of fear through the landscape here (whether real or imaginary remains to be proven), are now supposedly coming to the heart of Edmonton and turning our "used hubcap district" into their locker room. At least this is the rumor.

https://www.facebook.com/events/336712919707737/

A facebook anti-rally has been created. It reminds me of the anti-Westboro Baptist Church rally that was ultimately fruitless since the church members couldn't get across our border to protest our unknown gay theatre production or whatever queer form of expression they were mad about. Afterward, everyone just went to Whyte and drank beer and cheers-ed a lot instead.

This town, while redneck in reputation, loves its protest songs. God love it.

I refuse to become jaded.

"But if it is the first time some people have become aware of it, so what? Is there a statute of limitations for when someone has to start caring about an issue before they have missed the boat? Some people only knew of Uganda 4 years ago when their government passed a law that homosexuals would be killed, even though they had been doing that illegally for years before. You said so yourself, we are in a first world bubble. I am just disappointed to read that so many people seem to be so intent on chastising people for caring. They didn't care early enough, they aren't caring about the "right" things, they are caring too naively, their care is misplaced and should be over "here" instead. I, as the eternal optimist, am just happy people are caring AT ALL. We need this, as far as I am concerned. We need to know what it feels like to care about something genuine again. And not just discovering the latest meme."

Kony 2012. I get it.

The last 24 hours have been a flurry of people posting the video, and the subsequent backlash. What video? You can't possibly have missed it:


KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.


The organization Invisible Children describe the video as this

The video is moving, enraging, uplifting, and ultimately inspiring.

But is it a piece of manipulative garbage, produced to tug at the empathetic heartstrings of the optimists all the while padding their falsified "charity" organization? Are they simply really great filmmakers hoping that the public will donate money that will write their exorbitant paychecks?

Is it both?

The backlash from this video has been incredible. While I applaud the people backing Invisible Children for getting off their asses and fighting for justice, I am aware that it takes willingness as well as aptitude to get anything accomplished. Blind rage, blind vengeance, and blind faith are limited in longevity. There are many sites, many articles, many charitable organizations, and many political science essays that are extremely important to read and research before tens of thousands of dollars are accumulated with little established direction. The problem in Uganda is bigger than one man, but what they are trying to do and the passion we as a civilization are capable of feeling astounds and amazes me. I hope people ARE energized. I hope they DO get involved. I just hope they also approach this, and everything, with a critical mind.

While bandwagon jumping and "slacktivism" is rampant and easy, I am more fascinated and intrigued by the effect this campaign has had on our passions and our sense of global connectedness and our desire to help our fellow man. The internet is rife with articles and essays and posts either praising this organization or condemning it. There are facts about their legitimacy, their transparency, their history. And I could read until I was blind and couldn't tell you with certainty if this social call to arms was a brilliant movement or a sick networking experiment that showed us what hopeless sheep we really are.

But here are their financial statements for 2011.

While I can never say for certain what motivates another individual, I do know what happened to me when I watched the movie.

I allowed this video to raise my own awareness to a level of much needed urgency. Not just for this particular cause, but in the personal sense that I have let the minutiae of daily stresses cloud my empathy for others. I have forgotten to get involved in something bigger than me for some time. It angers and disappoints me. I am in awe of others who are always on top of their sociopolitical game, so to speak. I used to be. I used to bombard myself with the plight of others. I just kind of... forgot.

But I love the feeling I get when I see people come together to influence positive change. No, most aren't always completely informed or doing it for the "right" reasons, myself included depending on who you ask. But the fact that when they see injustice they are moved to action makes me ridiculously inspired. Because we DO care. People know that there IS hope and we ARE worth protecting. And this little piece of film engaged that side of me. Perhaps those heading Invisible Children are manipulative and maybe I am emotionally naive... but I am grateful for the newness of unity I feel after having watched it and the renewed sense of connectedness I now feel. 

If a poem motivates a man to go boldly in the direction of his dreams, is it all meaningless when he finds out the words were a lie? 

I am appreciative for any and all inspiration. Even if this movie only inspires me to investigate the other information and all of the other charities that are involved in this particular case, then I would be at peace with that. And as far as I'm concerned, the movie has done what I want it to- maybe not what they wanted it to do but at least what I want it to. I mean look at us right now- everybody's talking about this movie. People who have never even heard of Uganda before are now aware of what's going on. People who haven't read any of the articles, haven't seen any of the websites, haven't heard of any of these charities, are now reading up on them in droves. And as far as I'm concerned if that's what this movie encouraged us to do, then I am grateful. 

I don't know how legit this campaign is or what the true story is in Uganda. What I do know is that this movie should be the FIRST thing you read on the subject. Not the last.