It's taken more than half a century of bigotry and prevarication, but the gay computer genius and war hero Alan Turing has finally been pardoned. Mathematician Alan Turing, who helped Britain win the Second World War by cracking Nazi Germany's "unbreakable" Enigma code, was granted a rare royal pardon on Tuesday for a criminal conviction for homosexuality that led to his suicide. Justice Minister Chris Grayling said the pardon from Queen Elizabeth would come into effect immediately and was a fitting tribute to "an exceptional man with a brilliant mind."
I must admit I had never heard of Gabrielle Giffords before she was shot. I don't follow American politics that closely.
I can't eh? Not when I have to worry about waking up every day in Stephen Harper's Insane Con Klown Canada.
But the more I read about Gifford, the more I liked her.
And then I saw this picture of an Arizona sunset on the day the bigot law Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed...
That she posted on Twitter along with this message.
And I liked her even more.
So I thought it was really neat that her 20-year-old gay intern may have helped save her life, and was able to console her in the ambulance.
So what's being a hero got to do with being gay? Nothing really. But I sure love the karma. Helping a friend who helped us fight the bigots and the violent. At the worst moment in her life.
Which is why I thought this was the best news today.
Doctors said they were "very, very encouraged" by her ability to respond to simple commands along with their success in controlling her bleeding.
"When you get shot in the head and the bullet goes through your brain, the chances of you living is very small and the chances of you waking up and actually following commands is even much smaller than that. Hopefully. it will stay that way."
She's in a medically induced coma, so she doesn't know how many people all over the world are pulling for her. How many friends she has. But I bet there are a lot of them.
And what more can you say eh?
Except go Gabrielle GO.
Let's NEVER let Stephen Harper turn us into that kind of gun crazy country.
As I watch the torrent of Wikileak material pouring out of the darkness and into the light, I can't get one image out of my mind.
The image of the young soldier Bradley Manning, downloading the classified information, while listening to Lady Gaga.
"I would come in with music on a CD-RW labelled with something like 'Lady Gaga' … erase the music … then write a compressed split file. No one suspected a thing ... [I] listened and lip-synched to Lady Gaga's Telephone while exfiltrating possibly the largest data spillage in American history."
And then there's the story of why he decided to do what he did.
After arriving in Iraq the young soldier, who is gay, complained of feeling socially "isolated" in the military.
As he spent his time looking through classified information for up to 14 hours a day, he is believed to have become increasingly disillusioned by US foreign policy, once describing "military intelligence" as an "oxymoron".
How it all began when he was ordered to look the other way in the face of injustice.
“Everything started slipping after that. I saw things differently. I had always questioned the [way] things worked, and investigated to find the truth. But that was a point where I was a part of something. I was actively involved in something that I was completely against.”
And how it all caught up with him.
“I’m isolated as fuck. My life is falling apart, and I don’t have anyone to talk to.”
You know I don't think I'm brave enough to do what that young gay soldier did. I can't even imagine being caged like an animal, when I love freedom so much. And I find the cyber-world scary enough.
But I sure admire him for finding that courage. Because I'm tired of looking on helplessly while old men play games, and lie and cheat, even as the planet burns. And I believe the truth will set us FREE.
Just like the young soldier who set the truth free does.
"I want people to see the truth, regardless of who they are. Because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.”
Except that for him there will be no freedom. He's been held in solitary isolation for seven months, and faces a fifty-year prison sentence.
They told him to look away and lie. They told him don't ask don't tell. But he took the truth out of the darkness and told the whole world.
What a sad story. So young, so brave, so much to look forward to, gone in a moment. I feel so sorry for his family. Because they loved him they worried about him. Because they loved him they were there when he needed them. Because they loved him they were proud. And he must have been so proud of them. Especially his old man. As for us gay guys who love sports, but so often have our fun ruined by homophobia. Or have to grow up without any sporting heroes, because bigotry makes them afraid to come out. Or ruins their careers. We will not forget that he was brave, that he was proud, that he spoke for all of us. Way to go Brendan. Rest in peace brother. You didn't get much time. But you were OUR hero.
And we will REMEMBER... ------------------------------------------------------------ Here's a video of Brendan and his dad being interviewed shortly after he came out.
I'm delighted to see that the gay community has a new superhero ....the fabulous flame-haired lesbian Batwoman.
"A lesbian socialite by night and a crime-fighter by later in the night". Because with all the enemies we have, we need every superhero we can get. The more diversity the better. And also because since Apollo and The Midnighter got married, adopted a child and disappeared ....like most gay comic characters do...it's been awfully dull out there.
But ....but....but...I NEED to know....what ever happened to Batman? How did I miss that one? And how does poor Robin feel? Or should I say how would he have FELT.... back when Batman was gay? And before the loudmouth prick Christian Bale killed off the Boy Wonder.
