I talked about how toxic masculinity can definitely make the workplace a lot more tough to feel comfortable in, but it also goes beyond that in many occasions. Toxic relationships can start within own families and it was much more common in years past. Social climate dictates a lot of how people respond to minorities … Continue reading Chosen Families
Civic Duty
Are you registered to vote? I know you are probably thinking that I have lost my mind asking this so early in the year. But it is important to know if you are, especially since last year Cuyahoga expunged a large amount of people from the voter rolls. So you really should know your status … Continue reading Civic Duty
Toxic Masculinity in Action
We know that bigotry exists, we see it every day. Sometimes, we forget how far people will go with their judgments. We forget all the people that can be affected just because someone has a dislike for another person. I was reminded of the far-reaching scope of hatred recently, when two of my friends came … Continue reading Toxic Masculinity in Action
Toxic Masculinity
Psychology defines toxic masculinity as traditional cultural masculine norms that can be harmful to men, women, and society overall; this concept of toxic masculinity is not intended to demonize men or male attributes, but rather to emphasize the harmful effects of conformity to certain traditional masculine ideal behaviors such as dominance, self reliance, and competition. … Continue reading Toxic Masculinity
Salvation Army and Discrimination
We have all seen the picture of the Salvation Army bell ringer holding the sign that says they do not help LGBTQ people. For some, this is hard to believe but the truth is that they are a faith based institution that is part of a church. As such, the church's doctrines play pivotal roles … Continue reading Salvation Army and Discrimination
Rise! Rebel! Resist!
Words can have such a powerful influence on people and events. In the simplest of terms, you can say the wrong thing to someone and they become upset and inturn can color their interactions towards you and their lives. On a larger scale, people who exert power and influence can say things that thousands of … Continue reading Rise! Rebel! Resist!
Media Madness
Well it’s Friday and a good time to look back over some news stories that are circulating. When you think the world is progressing forward and becoming a more tolerant place, we are forced to see things that show us just how far we still have to go. Here are four stories from LGBTQ Nation … Continue reading Media Madness
The Road Before Us
Sometimes I feel like I envy the LGBTQ youth of today. They now live in a world where our visibility is far more common that it was twenty years ago. It is easier to talk about gender identities, in many ways, than it ever has been. They have idols to look up to that are … Continue reading The Road Before Us
World Aids Day
When I was a young gay kid, before I came out and understood what I was, I hadn't had much connection with a LGBTQ community. Keep in mind that when I was a child that was late 1970s through the 1980s. The only LGBTQ people that I even knew were two women who lived … Continue reading World Aids Day
Decking the Halls for Mental Health
As LGBTQ people, we usually end up picking our own family as we move through our lives. I have said it before, that was the single best lesson I was taught by my first boyfriend and I still carry it with me today. Each of us come from places where we may not have the … Continue reading Decking the Halls for Mental Health
Gay in the CLE 