The Children's Hour

The Children's Hour 

Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine

Every time I watch this movie, I get wrapped up in the injustice of it all. I guess as a lesbian, this movie is my worst nightmare. What would happen if someone found out I like girls? Would I lose my job, or worse, never be able to work with children again? In many states it is still legal to discriminate against employees based on their sexual orientation. Luckily, I live in a state where that sort of discrimination is illegal, but I'm still weary of coming out of the closet in the work environment, and even to my fellow graduate students. Some may say that this film is out of date, or hard to watch, but it remains one of my favorites simply because it feels like a manifestation of my own fears. I can see myself in this film; something I think that makes it powerful and relevant.

Birthday

Well, turns out my birthday wasn't bad at all. My girlfriend made it easy and fun. She's quite good at making me feel special. She made be a wonderful birthday cake (funfetti with cream-cheese frosting) and a steak dinner complete with mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts (I love brussel sprouts) and PBR. At the end of the day we cuddled and watched Being Human together. It was pretty awesome.

Pretty much like that.

Plus! This weekend is Seattle Pride, and tomorrow I get to hang out with my bestie from High School. I'm pretty stoked.

Jeepers Creepers: Summer School, My Birthday, and Seattle Pride

It's my second day of summer school, and already I feel behind. I'm taking three classes: research methods, intermediate statistics, and behavioral psychology of health. This quarter is only 6 weeks long, so all the information contained in one 10 week class is crammed into this summer session. I will survive, I guess; eek by like I usually do. 

Read this, all of it.

This is my birth month and my birthday is approaching rapidly, and everyone seems to want to know what I'm doing. I'm turning 24, and I don't feel very enthusiastic. My mom has always been the queen of throwing amazing birthday parties. In the recent past I've tried  to match the excellence of those childhood birthday parties with pony rides in the backyard, but I can never live up to the amazing-ness that is my mom when it comes to these things. I guess that's why I never try to plan anymore, and I've all but completely ignored this coming birthday. I will be nearly a quarter of a century old, and I don't like the feeling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I'm still young(ish), I just don't feel like I've even started to appreciate the life I have or even truly let myself be happy yet. I just wish I could pause my life at this age, finish school, and come out the other side. Whaa waaah waaah. First world problems.

On the other hand, I am looking forward to Seattle Pride this weekend! It'll make the rest of the week stressful, but completing my work due Monday by this Friday will allow me to enjoy at least one weekend of summer and visit my friends whom I never see.

By the way: learn how to make this lovely thing (LGBTQ Flag flying from the Space Needle) happen again by donating here.

Coming Out of the Closet

Megan - Yrrbby

 Coming out to my parents was one of the hardest, if not the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was nervous, and I cried. My parent's thought this was a sign of my hating my life and wanting to change. They tried to help me by finding me a Christian therapist to work through our issues under the guise of  family and carrier counseling. I don't think it helped much, the therapist had no idea how to handle my situation. After therapy, I still had issues with them until I stopped blaming them for their handling of the situation, stat them down, and told them I was happy with me, and with the woman I was with. Over time, it's gotten better (so much better) between me and my parents. I understand their side of the situation, and they understand, at least in part, mine. I know that they just want the best for me, and at the time they didn't understand that gay people can be happy and lead productive lives just as straight people can.

It's interesting the reactions people have when you come out. All of my friends were decent and supportive of me and my girlfriend, and I think this speaks to the character of my friends. 

Then you get these kinds of people: 

The fact that some people still believe that gays and lesbians are somehow driven to either rape bigots and their grandchildren or that just being around a gay or lesbian person will magically turn you gay is ridiculous. I do not understand this line of thinking, let alone the thinking that in this day in age it's acceptable to publicly discuss interracial marriage as if it were a sign of psychosis.  This person was/is dating my girlfriend's father, and this was her public post on myspace shortly after my girlfriend began to come out about being in a relationship with me. Luckily for us, the rest of her family was incredibly supportive and accepting. 

When you come out of the closet whether it be as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, you will be met with adversity, hate, and misunderstanding. It's important to know that it does get better. There will always be people around you who will love and support you for who you are, and if you truly have no one on your side, you soon will just by virtue of being yourself.