San Francisco Police Department "It Gets Better Video"

With the wall to wall coverage this weekend on TV of the death of Whitney Houston, I prefer to see something uplifting like this video from the San Francisco Police Department.

One thing I find very interesting is the fact that a couple of police officers stated that they knew they were "different" at a young age (5 years old) but should keep this knowledge to themselves.  I felt the same way when I was growing up in the late 1940's and first became aware that I was "different."  Now remember this was back before TV, the Internet and the Digital Age.  I didn't even know the word "gay."  In fact, I didn't even learn of the word "homosexual" until I was in high school.  I just knew I was different.  And yes, I thought I was the "only one" in the whole world, even up to the time I joined the Army at 18 years old in 1960.  It was only after I was in the Army that I met other young men like myself that I knew I wasn't "the only one" in the world.

Sadly, the two gay men I met in the Army and who were my best friends (Ron and Sal) are now gone.  They didn't live long enough to see this dramatic change in our society.  Oh how I would like to discuss this with them.  Maybe someday in the Great Up There we will meet again and we'll have a big laugh about the absurdity of discrimination against gays and lesbians.  Thank God things are changing for the new generation and the young people beginning their lives today.  They have a freedom that we didn't have. They will lead a much different life than we lead.

My two best friends (gay) in the Army - Sal DeRosa and Ron Hampton 1960 - Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland
Ron and Sal produced and starred in a Broadway type show (of course they did) at the Service Club - I supplied the music

Fuck Ken Mehlman

Ken Mehlman - Coward

Yeah, I said it.  My apologies to the regular readers of this blog who are offended by my gutter language but there is no other way to express my contempt for former Republican National Committee chairman and Bush/Rove flunky Ken Mehlman for coming out of his gay closet.

Today on the news I listened and watch Christopher Barron of GOP Proud say "Ken Mehlman showed great courage by coming out."  Excuse me?  Great courage?  Great courage is coming out when it makes a difference.  Great courage is not coming out when the coast is clear.

David Roberts, who is gay himself, was anchoring the MSNBC show that I was watching today.  He was interviewing the same Christopher Barron that I mentioned before.  He asked Mr. Barron why Ken Mehlman did not respond to his request for an interview.  I know that answer to that question.  Ken Mehlman did not respond to his request for an interview because he is still a coward.  Mehlman thinks he can do one fund raiser and his conscience is clear.

The damage the Ken Mehlmans of this world do is vast and unrecoverable.  How many gays and lesbians have been beaten and killed because they chose not to live in a closet?  They are the courageous ones.  Not a mealy mouthed apologist for the hate driven Republican campaigns that brought the Bush/Rove disaster to the White House.  How many gays have lost their livelihood because they were truthful about who they were instead of selling their soul for the almighty dollar?  How many have been kicked out of the military by the absurd Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that is still in effect today?

When you think courage think Matthew Shepard.  Ken Mehlman is human flotsam.

Ken Mehlman give prostitution a bad name.

Am I mad?  You're damn right I'm mad.