'RENT' Production Protested by Rowlett High School Parents

Parents of students at Rowlett High School in Rowlett, Texas are up in arms over the proposed production of Broadway hit musical "RENT".  VIDEO BELOW

Parents say that the content of the play deals with "controversial issues" such as homosexuality, drugs and transexuals.  Others even FEAR that the production will teach kids an alternative lifestyle that is "unacceptable".  I could barf right now, considering "RENT" is one of the most profound and beautiful musicals ever written.

Clearly, what many people fail to see is that "RENT" doesn't teach anything other than how to love; how to find true friendship; how not to judge people around you and how to overcome adversity.  It also teaches us that drugs are dangerous and can not only lead to death, but drugs also hurt the people that care about us.

How many other high school plays truly teach all the profound valuable lessons that "RENT" attempts to convey?  What really pisses me off are all of the idiotic parents out there who are so oblivious to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of school-age kids who already identify themselves as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and I'd bet my life on it that they've known they were gay since they were old enough to speak.  I knew I was gay even in kindergarten when I had a crush on my best friend. 

For Pete's sake...some of you stupid people out there who really think that being gay is a choice are sadly mistaken.  It's time to open your eyes and discover that numerous generations have been brainwashed with hatred and fear of something you can't understand.

Thankfully, I had parents who let me discover myself and loved me no matter who I am.  I couldn't imagine trying to shelter my child from all the things that they will someday be faced with in the real adult world.

But, I digress.  I know that bad habits, albeit hatred and ignorance, die hard.  Some people just don't even know how ignorant they are.  And, that's just really sad.

A decision by the School Board will be made on Friday, December 5 whether or not to let the show go on.

UPDATE:  As of 2:17 a.m. - not even an hour after I posted this same blog entry on www.NBC5i.com, the station DELETED my post!

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For the Bible Tells Me 'No'

So, I get these Google Alerts in my email box daily - always GLBT news of some sort, particularly pertaining to Dallas where I live. Google is a great thing - if you haven't yet discovered Google Alerts, you're living in the Ice Age. Seriously...go get 'em.

On Monday, I get an alert about a new film titled For the Bible Tells Me So. Naturally, I was intrigued since it seems lately that God and all of his followers have been cramming the Good Word down my throat. For the past few months, a large gang of Jesus freaks have been congregating outside JR's (a local gay bar on the gay strip in Dallas), forming a circle and singing tunes that include words like "Jesus Saves" and "Jesus forgives." You can't blame these folks for standing up for what they believe in...but come on...you don't see a gaggle of fags standing outside a motorcycle bar singing Madonna tunes, trying to convert all of them into good little gays!

Right, so Jesus is all up in my Kool-Aid these days. The religious conservatives are all about sending us fags to hell - several even want us killed, according to signs they hold up when protesting in the streets.

After reading all about this new film, I can't wait to see it. So, I send a blanket text message to everyone in my address book, looking for someone with whom I can see the film. Bingo! My straight female friend, who has a 19-year old gay son, is all about attending with me.

The film is a documentary that was very well directed, telling the story of non-acceptance of the GLBT community in the religious world. Chronicling the lives of several families who are born and raised with religion in their lives, each family finds themselves becoming connected to the GLBT community through a sibling, child or relative who outs themselves.

This film is very powerful and quite controversial. We watch one mother tell her own lesbian daughter that she will never be accepted and that she is going to Hell for being gay. Later, the lesbian hangs herself and the mother grieves her daughter's death for years to come. This tragic turn of events makes a light go off in Mom's head, and she decides to go back and read all of these passages in the Bible that supposedly say homosexuality is wrong. Through her own education, and without the direction of her church for once, Mom understands these passages in a completely different way. Mom now believes that the Bible never meant that homosexuality is wrong...that it is misunderstood and misquoted by the entire religious community. Several reverends back this up. So, Mom sets out with her new-found knowledge and begins protesting for gay rights, remembering and memorializing her daughter's death every step of the way.

There are several real-life stories in this film about families who have their own struggles with homosexuality and religion. Each story is very moving.

I highly recommend seeing this film - gay or straight.

Check it out at www.forthebibletellsmeso.org.

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