Kids These Days

It sometimes takes my breath away to realize just how much the world has changed since I was a young'un. Here's a couple of totally NSFW vids from the kids at FCKH8, with a great message. 



And some hot bods.  Even if your old Head Trucker really can't comprehend straight boys doing this - it was way different in my day and time:

Homosexuals in Revolt

Gay Activists Alliance dance, New York City, 1971


A show of hands, please:  is there anyone else here who remembers hot pants?

Hmm. 

And is there anyone besides your graybearded Head Trucker who will admit to having owned a pair?

Uh-huh.

And actually wearing them in broad daylight, out in public?

Oh.  I see.

Goddamn, I had to have been born this way; didn't know another gay soul, it was just sheer instinct.  Years and years before I even thought about coming out, there I was bopping down the sidewalk one summer day in 1971, wearing my new tank top and hot pants (all color-coordinated, of course, in maroon and white), thinking I was just being mildly fashionable.

Until later my (straight) best friend carefully mentioned he'd seen me.  And asked what I was wearing out there.  "Oh, hot pants . . . is that what that was?" he asked, with a pained expression on his face.

Chagrined, I got the point and promptly consigned them to the lower depths of my closet.  As far as I know, they're still in there.

Meanwhile, I was only very, very vaguely aware that my gay brothers up north and out west (those awful, sinful homos I yearned for and feared at the same time) were hanging out of in hot pants and dancing their butts off, happy and fearless and free. 

My God - 40 years ago.  Already.  Where does the time go?  WTF?!

Take a little spin in the time machine with this Life article from 1971 on the militant homos who were finding their voices and gaining ground, inch by inch compared to today.  But it was a start.

Excerpt:

It was the most shocking, and to many Americans, the most surprising liberation movement yet.  Under the slogan, "Out of the closets and into the streets," thousands of homosexuals, male and female, were proudly confessing what they had long hidden.  They were, moreover, moving into direct confrontation with conventional society.  Their battle was far from won.  But in 1971, militant homosexuals showed that they were prepared to fight it . . . .  

Gay pride march, Christopher Street, 1971

BTW, the following, unrelated article, "Looking for Ourselves in the News of '71," gives a very accurate feel for the deflated, uncertain, lackluster mood of the time when the brilliant parade of the Sixties had passed and the stale twilight of the Nixon years had set in. Another good read by a thoughtful writer.

So Kind

Your Head Trucker was very pleased yesterday to make the happy discovery that the Blue Truck has been given its first award for excellence:

Many thanks for this honor to raulito over at From Top to Bottom (NSFW, but check it out anyway, guys), who says:

This blog deserves a well-earned recognition: it has just about a little bit of everything; from social commentary to entertainment, from male erotica to political opinions. But most importantly, Russ Manley is one very dedicated LGBT rights defender living in the homophobic wilderness that is Texas. I can imagine how hard it must be to face ignorance, superstition and homophobia every day of your life living in a place like Texas…and I do because I went to college there. So this award is given in view of all that and more…may you continue to post ‘till you drop...u are doing a terrific job!

Appreciate ya, bud. Muchas gracias!

In Memoriam: Betty Ford

Mrs. Ford poses barefoot on the Cabinet Room table, two days before her husband was succeeded by Jimmy Carter.  As a young woman, she was a dancer with the Martha Graham company in New York City for a time.

The former First Lady's funeral today in California was marked by eulogies from other First Ladies. PBS this evening has a fine summary of her life and accomplishments:



I remember the uproar - not nearly as bad as it would be today - over her "outspoken" positions.  Practically unimaginable now for a Republican wife - but the parties weren't so drop-dead polarized then, and the Religious Right hadn't yet turned politics into a holy war.

In fact, even though my family was mostly Democratic, and I always just thought the Dems looked and sounded nicer than the Republicans, I was grown and had a full beard before I could ever see a real policy difference between the two parties - somehow all the talking and campaigning just merged together in my mind, and I'm not the only one who felt that way. We were raised in that day and time to believe that all politicians were of course good public servants, honest and patriotic and devoted to the country's best interests - with liberty and justice for all, yada yada yada.

Of course, I found out different later. Bless Mrs. Ford for having the courage to say what she actually thought, the party line be damned.

And then there's this from David Mixner, from a time long after the Fords had left the White House:

Marylouise Oates, who was a society columnist for The Los Angeles Times was a longtime supporter of LGBT full equality and devoted to taking care of those with AIDS. She contacted her friend heiress Wallis Annenberg to see if she would be willing to CoChair the 1985 Commitment to Life Dinner knowing it would open new doors for the cause. Wallis, after some reflection, agreed to join the effort. The two of them thought that the perfect CoChair for Wallis would be First Lady Betty Ford. However, she was well known for refusing to do events except for her clinic. Nevertheless, Wallis agreed to call her Palm Springs friend.

Without hesitation, First Lady Betty Ford not only agreed to CoChair the dinner but also said she would be present for the evening. In 1985 to have someone of Betty Ford's caliber come to the AIDS Project Los Angeles Dinner was astounding. Most prominent political people wouldn't touch the issue and many wouldn't even touch people with HIV/AIDS. Her decision to join us in the battle against the epidemic was courageous, ground breaking and historic.

Because of her involvement, the event took on a new life. For the first time in AIDS Project Los Angeles history they raised over a million dollars in one night. Those in the room will never forget when First Lady Betty Ford rose that evening to the podium. The ovation and tears of gratitude seemed to last forever. As she stood that night among us, she gave us a dignity and respectability like no other person before her. Overwhelmed with the response, she proceeded with a moving and humble speech that made us love her even more.

For all the accolades that the former First Lady richly deserves, I will never forget that she stood up against HIV/AIDS and helped us turn the corner. Thank you, Mrs. Ford.

And I am happy to report that the raving nasties from Westboro Baptist did not show up as they had promised to today. Normally your Head Trucker is all in favor of free speech, etc.; but the Supreme Court was very wrong to give these despicable haters free rein. There is a time and a place for everything; but a funeral is not a time for anybody's demonstration, ever.

Sweethearts of the Rodeo

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge concluded their North American tour on Sunday, which by all accounts was a great success everywhere they went. I have watched several news videos of them greeting the crowds, and I was struck by how unaffected and sincere they were, enthusiastically chatting, smiling, and joking easily with everyone from toddlers to nonagenarians. Kate, with her husband not far behind, often went along shaking hands for a quarter of an hour at a time like an old pro, not a hint of hesitation or nervousness. Ditto for her husband, who of course has had much more experience at it. It was almost as if they were running for office, I thought - and in a way, I suppose they are.

The kids are all right. And their down-to-earth style on this first major test of their poise and endurance seems to have endeared them to everyone high and low, from First Nations people in the far Arctic to the superstars and sophisticates of Hollywood. Good for them; it augurs well for their future together, and I'm sure Grandmother back home, who will be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee next year, was very pleased.

Kate knocked 'em dead on the red carpet in Hollywood with this simple, flowing gown. Your Head Trucker is no fashion expert; but this is how a real lady dresses. And if she doesn't quite have Diana's magic, she does at least have a regal posture.

I'm not sure the monarchy will last out the century, to tell you the truth; we have been living through revolutionary times for the last half century or so, and that confused and tangled force is not yet spent. But when the Crown eventually descends to William and Kate, if it does, it will be in good hands - precisely because they give every appearance of being just nice, ordinary, (upper-) middle-class people:  the friendly, sensible couple next door. Good-looking and well-heeled, of course; but not so much so that the crowds can't aspire to imitate their looks or their manners, and to see in them, at least in imagination, the mirror of their best selves. That's the kind of monarchy that is best loved.

And your Head Trucker has to say that Will looked quite good in the cowboy hat they presented him with at the Calgary Stampede - it suits him. He'd make a fine impression down in here in Texas with that, I tell you what.

And this little remark by his wife during the rodeo caught my eye:

The Duchess bit her lip as Scott Schniffer, 31, a former Canadian champion, stayed on for eight seconds before being thrown. "Oh my God! Oh my!" she said.

Then, as Mr Schniffer climbed out of the ring, the Duchess admired his leather chaps and giggled to her husband: "We should get you in a pair of these.”

Hmm. Yes, I'd like to see how he fills out a pair of chaps too. Grin.

H. R. H. arrives at the Calgary Stampede, booted up and rarin' to go.

Was Ex-Gay, Now Ex-Mormon

You have to watch this terrific video by Steve, who tells it like it is:




And this one by Chad, who was excommunicated for publishing the Men on a Mission calendar. Then a week after graduation, Brigham Young University actually revoked his college degree.

Today's Quote

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R - North Carolina) is one of the most vocal opponents of LGBT rights in Congress. It almost seems as though right wing Senator Jesse Helms has been reincarnated in drag.

--David Mixner

A Soldier's Legacy

Right now, what this community needs are heteros to show up on their behalf and say "Look, these are my people you're trying to discriminate against. You can keep your religion in your church, you can keep your ideologies in your home, but when it comes to the civil arena, when it comes to civil constructs, their citizenship is every bit as valid as yours or mine."

--Jeff Wilfahrt, father of the late Corporal Andrew Wilfahrt,
a gay soldier in the U. S. Army.

Read the Stars and Stripes article here:

"Soldier Leaves Legacy Much Larger than "He Was Gay"


Honk to Wounded Bird



Related:  Gay officer, companion look forward to repeal of "don't ask"

What We Believe

Map showing the largest denomination (a plurality) 
in each U. S. county; black dots indicate a majority.

Since it's Sunday, here's some stats on religious belief you can meditate on. Keep in mind that no survey of human behavior can ever be totally accurate to the last decimal point; and people do sometimes change their, um, lifestyles beliefs as they proceed through life.

From the U. S. Religious Landscape Survey, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2007, based on about 36,000 responses nationwide:

For a breakdown by denomination, check the PDF summary here.

And you can cross-check the numbers with those provided by the Association of Religion Data Archives here.

Population of the U. S. at the 2010 census was 310,232,683. 

Homos included: latest estimate is 3.5 percent of the adult population, equal to the state of New Jersey, plus 700,000 transgendered folk. 

But that estimate came up with 1.8% bi, and only 1.7% gay or lesbian; your Head Trucker is just not sure that's entirely right.  Also, it ignores the fact that people are gay from birth on up, just like with race or sex, so the numbers are skewed.

Time and Again

Socrates:

For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons and your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue come money and every other good of man, public as well as private. . . . The unexamined life is not worth living.

Buddha:

One should seek for others the happiness one desires for himself. . . . Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

Confucius:

Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.

Micah:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Hillel:

That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.

Mohammed:

As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don't do to them.

Jesus:

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. . . . Love your neighbor as yourself.

Rupert Murdoch:

The News of the World phone hacking scandal, which has heaped such disgrace not just on the paper but on Murdoch himself, making him the object of an entire nation’s disgust and anger, is at once inexplicable and predictable. On the one hand, reporters who work at pressure-packed scandal sheets quickly become inured to crossing lines and destroying lives; it’s what they do. On the other hand, it’s still hard to believe that not a single reporter or editor at The News of the World had the sense to realize that tapping into the cellphone of a murdered teenager was deeply wrong — no matter how many great scoops resulted. That, however, appears to be the case. The Murdoch culture had stripped them of their conscience. . . .

Most people outgrow their twentysomething selves. As they age, they realize that the impulses and excitements of youth need to be tempered with the judgment, empathy and caution that come with maturity. They get a better feel for the lines that ought not to be crossed. Journalists, in particular, learn that there are stories that ought not to be pursued. Not every scoop is worth it.

Murdoch’s essential problem is that he never grew up. His instincts as a journalist are the same as when he was 22. “I love competition,” he said at the end of that Esquire interview. “And I want to win.”

A little too much, it turns out.

(--Joe Nocera in the New York Times)

Waitin' for the Weekend

Beating the heat: