MARTIN LUTHER KING

I am writing this blog on Martin Luther King Day because it just seems right. Dr. King was a man who fought for civil rights and was not afraid to speak his truth. He was passionate about humanity and sacrificed his life for what he felt was a story that needed to be told. He believed in non-violence, equality and social justice.

Life today still has not improved as much as Dr. King would have liked. Although there have been many successes in social change there still is a lot of work to be done. I believe we are all capable of change once we are educated and realize that fear is just a four letter word and all human beings deserve respect. It does not matter the color of your skin, your gender or gender preference, rich or poor, we are all made from living matter and more importantly, we all matter.

Dr. King, this blog is for you. May your wisdom be passed on from generation to generation and thank you for allowing us to, “Have a Dream”. Happy Birthday.

Hugs, Barbara

NATE BERKUS AND THE YES PROGRAM

Yesterday, my sister Frayda saved my tail once again. I was starting to panic because my blog deadline was fast approaching and I still had not come up with a topic. Luckily I got the call. Frayda, with a sound of urgency in her voice said “Turn on the Nate Berkus show now!” I did and oh happy day.

Nate was doing a special make over at the center for the Yes Program in NYC. The program, established through the Youth Enrichment Services, is for GLBT youths aged 13 to 21. It’s a safe place to land and begin the process of becoming confident GLBT men and women. Nate spoke a powerful message, that gays are so well connected, once you get over the bad part, and life is so good on the other side, is a beacon of hope for all. He was referring to the fact that when he did this makeover, all the people involved, furniture and interior designers, florists etc., were all successful gay men and women who owned their own businesses. I just loved that he was sending a message to all LGBT youths, that life does get better and never give up hope.

This show was also about Seth Walsh. Seth was a 6^th grader who came out and was bullied to the point that he took his own life several months ago. He is yet another casualty of the ignorance in this country when dealing with LGBT youths. This brave young boy’s death must not be in vain. We must all raise awareness to the catastrophic consequences of bullying. We need to educate our children and give them the tools to protect themselves from the cowardly behavior of these bullies who are terrorizing our gay youth. This can only be achieved by educating the victims and the bullies.

Nate also talked about an organization he is closely working with called, “We Give a Damn”. Their website is www.wegiveadamn.org. This is only one of many organizations that advocate for our GLBT youths and you can find more information on the Greater Boston PFLAG website. Nate gives a damn, we should too.

Hugs, Barbara