Love and our guts baby."
It was a busy last week.
We had our second annual Day of Silence here at the university, and I was asked to speak again. This is what I had to say, I'm never sure what to say, it was put together quickly.
Breaking the Silence
Today we show the world silence can and will speak louder than words.
I was once one of the silent, the scared.
At first I was too afraid to admit I was queer to myself,
or even to my friends in GLBT community because I do not fit into the binary of straight or gay.
I have found my voice now, but there are those who remain silent out of fear,
unable to fully be themselves.
Today is about turning the silence into visibility.
I participate in this for one simple reason: I can, when so many others cannot.
We do this so people who aren't out, know that there is someone on there side.
I'm loud every day for myself, and for those who can't be.
I do it for the scared person I once was, and the strong person I am becoming.
Silence can be so loud it deafens the crowd.
Silence spends its youth locked away
Struggling to find its voice, any noise
Hope is found along with a voice,
and strong, loud friends who become family.
Silence has no place here
There is only hope eternal for a loud life
Spent showing the Silent that our voices will yell out where their's cannot.
~B.A.S. 4/18/07
WyoAIDS Walk was amazing this year. I was a registration bitch :) at the time of the walk we had raise close to $10,000. Spectrum was again top team for the 6th year running, which is awesome but the new Gay Straight Alliance in Cheyenne, Across All Lines, gave us a very big run for it, which makes smile. As most of you know after the walk comes a very fun and crazy night at Drag Queen Bingo, where we raise even more money. This year at the show alone we raised over three thousand dollars.
It takes me by surprise every year how much we can really do, especially as a community.
On another activist note Congress is looking at enacting hate crimes legislation this year. Go find out about, sign petitions, talking to your Congressmen about it.
Start by looking here.
Read more here.
"And I owe my life
to the people that I love."