16 — Our IN THE MOUNTAINS — SEPTEMBER 1999 The Hills are Alive with tliesountl oi Musing TWENTY SOMETHING BY THOMASg HENNING 11 right, pumpkins, I am A about to just bust, so fasten to be a bumpy article. Let me first start with saying I have become bored with myself. This is a luxury that someone as self-absorbed as I am cannot afford. I don’t know when it all start- ed, but I find myself moving far- ther away from self-interest and closer to being interested in oth- ers. Tragic, really % especially when you have a deep-rooted fear of intimacy on any level. I will be frank. I loathe cheap sen- timent and find emotions to be messy and unreliable. It has been my experience that people, in general, are frail creatures more concerned with their own egos than the general well-being of the community they live in. It sounds like a harsh judgement, and I admit that it is. But I am allowed to have personal judgement. I V could do my best Julie Andrews your seatbelts —— it’s going I and fill the world with sunshine and song surrounding the issues of friendship and love, but I am feeling a bit more Bette Davis, so you’ll have to excuse me ifl don’t invite Rogers & Hammerstein to participate in this particular article. I have been fortunate to have been blessed with some wonder- ful friends and an amazing life —— I have said that repeatedly. The flip side of that is that I have experienced some real bug- gers in my day: friends who aren’t loyal, trusting, or genuine, and who would just as soon sell you to the black market for their personal gain as they would brunch with you; friends who are ruled by their own agendas to a degree that they lose sight of morality or common decency. Don’t get me wrong pump- kins, I don’t presume to preach morality or common decency. I would rather merely allude to its existence to accentuate the point that some are so blinded by per- sonal greed, in whatever form it manifests itself, that they lose sight of the concept, to say noth- ing of the practice. I am a strong believer in society’s ability to produce warm, generous, and compassionate people. It is just that I think that, unless individu- als have that inspiration en masse, most lose their initiative. They may enter your life all fire and music, but in the end they leave your life in flames and noise. Is that too jaded? I suppose it may sound jaded, but I would argue that it is just truth without a pretty bow to distract you from its unpleasantness. People are both wonderful and venomous ‘since The Metropolitan Community Church Responds to the Controversy continued from page eleven The Millennium March repre- sents a key element of a three- pronged strategy for advancing our movement. We must advance in three areas: the state govem- ments, our national government, and the ballot box. That’s why we’re supporting the marches on state capitols through the Equality Begins At Home events and the Millennium March. Each event will support and sustain the ' other. And that’s why UFMCC has embraced this powerful theme: “We’re marching to our state capitals in March of 1999. We’re marching to our nation’s capital in April of 2000. And in November of 2000, we’re march- ing to the ballot box.” The March follows in the tra- dition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Civil Rights advances. Dr. King knew the value of marching on the nation’s capital, and galvanized support for civil rights by an overwhelming pres- ence in Washington, DC. We believe in the value of demon- strating to our nation the strength of our numbers and the passion of our commitment to justice. The March will demonstrate the broad diversity of the GLBT communities. This is a March for all of us. Every segment of the GLBT movement will be represented. AIDS activists, civil rights work- ers, families, leather folk, com- munity organizers, children, mil- itary service members, transgen- dered people, people of faith, same-sex marriage proponents, youth — everyone is invited! Together we’ll demonstrate the diversity of our movement. It’s already been too long. Seven years will have passed the last March on Washington. If we" have Ieamed any lesson, it is how quickly and easily our elected officials forget. It’s time to remind our govem- ment and our nation that millions I of her citizens are still denied equality. The new millennium presents a strategic opportunity. The dawn of a new millenni- um, by its very nature, heightens society’s sensitivity. Comment- ators, the press and society at large will be looking for mes- sages and trends for the new mil- lennium. We have an opportunity at this strategic time to move our GLBT message to the forefront. - The year 2000 is a presidential election year. In our society, much of our progress is contingent upon get- - ting the ear, and then the support, of our elected officials. The pres- ence of one million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered per- sons is designed to make our voice heard — by all of our national elected officials In addi- tion to the Millennium March itself, one million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Americans will have an opportu- nity to walk the halls of our 9 national government and make a compelling and personal case for equality for all citizens. The March will birth a new generation of activists. Each of our previous national marches has served to birth new activists. In fact, as with many GLBT organizations, there are many UFMCC members whose first taste of activism came through the previous Marches on Washington. With have a strate- gic opportunity to become inten- tional about using this Millennium March to inspire and birth new activists who will con- tinue to work toward the dream of equality for all our citizens. The Millennium March will energize our movement. The Millennium March on Washington will energize the GLBT rights movement, strengthen all of our organiza- tions, and present untold oppor- tunities for gay» human rights, jus- tice and spiritual organizations to grow in terms of members, influ- ence, accomplishments and media access. The Millennium March’s theme is focused, simple and understandable. Our society still hasn’t heard the message. We need look no fiuther than the recent repeal of the equal rights law in Maine to know that the simple message of equality has not yet been heard and embraced. The theme of this Millennium March is simple — and designed to build allies. To accomplish the goal of equal human and civil rights, it is imperative that we strategically build allies and support throughout society. One million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons have an opportunity to call upon our nation and its citizens to live out our nation’s creed of “liberty and justice for all.” Every element of this March will be focused on the call for equality, and every sub-theme will directly relate to the march’s purpose. These are some of the reasons the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches supports the Millennium March on Washington. We must use every means at our disposal to get our message out. And we must not rest until our nation’s highest ideals have transcended promise and become reality for all our cit- izens. V with everything in between, myself included. That is why I have always kept my distance from people. Always kept them at bay, never letting anyone get too close to me so that that venom would never effect me again. Yes, again, I was hurt as child, as we all were in one form or another. The wounds were deep, and they never fully healed. A child’s pain is like a_ favorite toy. Even when you out- grow it, it is hard to throw away. I suppose that is why I kept my distance, so I could control the wonder and the venom. Well now I realize that I never controlled that world, it controlled me. It kept me in a box and cultivated my fears and anxieties while it cast shadow over my dreams and goals. I no longer choose to live in that world, although I still visit from time to time. People can be ven- omous, frail sycophants content to destroy rather than construct, ‘ but people can also be compas- sionate, strong believers content to support rather than consume. People are beautiful and full of life and love if you let them share that with you; if you believe that they are capable of it, they will show it to you and you to them. It frightens me to open myself to that level of vul- nerability, to invite people into that place that I have held pri- vate for so long. I have seen peo- ple feed off others’ misfortunate or exploitation like starving vul- tures, but I have also have seen how protective and loyal they can be, how supportive and com- mitted they are to building a bet- ter life for all of us. They may enter your life all fire and music, but in the end they leave your life in flames and noise. As I said in the beginning, I’m beginning to be bored with myself. Well, maybe not with myself, but with the world I kept myself in. After all, I am like one of Life’s little action figures (naturally, complete with grip action). There is always an adventure to be had. The moral of this little rant you may ask? Well, never a moral, but just a smig of humble suggestion. Take a look at your world, a real strong look, and figure out ifyou bore of it or if it —the people, the places, and the adventures —— works for you. Don’t limit yourself to just a small piece of life. Firmly jump into the unknown with every confidence that there will be people waiting to help you land. Support your community, sup- port your circle of family and friends, but mostly support your- self. Feel life’s magic and energy go through you every moment of every day of your life. There is so much out there if wejust let it into our worlds. Damn, I guess a little Rogers & Hammerstein made it in after all. 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