Last Day of the Hop Against Homophobia

Today is the final day to leave a comment and win your very own copy of Jordan Castillo Price's new book, Mnevermind: Persistence of Memory. It's the first in a fantastic new science fiction series. You can read more about it including an excerpt in my last post. Feel free to comment on any of the posts for the four days of the hop to be entered, by the way.The winner will be picked randomly and announced here tomorrow.

Also, if you haven't stopped by The Ravens Crossing, please give it a look. The first time here page will explain the project. In a nutshell, three authors and a group of our friends and family have volunteered their time and resources to create a free LGBTQIA young adult website that promotes tolerance, diversity, and equality for all. There are or will be characters of all orientations. In particular, some of our main characters include strong, positive depictions of LGBTQIA people of diverse cultural and social backgrounds, someone  that most everyone can relate to. We post free flash fiction stories by three authors six days a week. The stories all stand alone, but also work together and are set in the same world. It's a science fiction, fantasy, adventure series. We also provide information to young adults about where they can go to find help and support if they are in need and we support these projects. Please check it out and consider telling your friends.

The most important thing about participating in this hop is spreading the word about the need to speak out against homophobia and intolerance of any kind. Because hate in any form is dangerous and deadly. And it's easy to miss how much your voice and your support might mean to others. If you don't believe me, be sure to read my personal story about why I am involved in this fight. Love is what matters, and kindness to one and other shouldn't be that hard. You don't have to do what others do, you don't even have to be okay with it to show them respect and tolerance. It's all about thinking before you speak and being willing to lend your voice in support of equality.

There are lots of ways you can get involved with this cause, beyond the most important one of kindness. Start by being willing to stand up for those who are victims or homophobia and intolerance when you witness it. Vote for those who support equality and be willing to speak to your representatives about how you are voting and what you expect from them. You can always give money, or perhaps more importantly your time and support to a number of worthy causes like The Make it Safe Project, The Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG, The GLBT National Help Center, or GSA Network. Find a chapter near you and get involved.

Lastly, I'll say it once more because it cannot be said enough. If you or someone you know is the victim of homophobia or intolerance, and you are worried and having trouble coping, please reach out. Call the GLBT helpline, or The Trevor Lifeline where you will find help and a whole community of people who support you and accept you!

Thanks again to all who participated and all who stopped by this weekend. Hit the Hop Against Homophobia icon on the top right of this page for links to the other blogs participating.

Intolerance is Absolutely Intolerable!

Today, May 17th, is International Day Against Homophobia. A day when people around the world come together to fight prejudice, to stand against bullies, to say no to hate, to say yes to equal human rights for everyone. No exceptions!

In honor of this day and this cause, which is hugely important to me, I have joined the Hop Against Homophobia. Make the jump to find a list of links to hundreds of authors, publishers, and readers participating. Many of them will be blogging over the next three days to speak out against homophobia. Many will discuss LGBTQIA issues, their own personal stories, and what has inspired them. Many will be offering resources, places for you to reach out. If you are in need of help, please be sure to look at the list of resources at the end of this article!

All of the blogs participating in the hop will be offering give aways. Here, at Creative Antics, if you leave a comment on any day of the hop, and provide your email address, you will be automatically entered to win a copy of Mnevermind: Persistence of Memory, the first book in a new series by Jordan Castillo Price. Jordan is one of my favorite authors, whose stories are partially responsible for inspiring me to write LGBT fiction. I will blog more about Jordan and Mnevermind later in the week, as well as tell you more about a few of my own creative projects, so be sure to stop back by. The winner will be announced here on Sunday, May 21st.

Why am I involved in the fight against homophobia? Well it isn't simply because I write M/M Romance, or LGBT fiction. I mean, sure I write M/M, and F/F, and M/F, not to mention YA stories, pretty much every letter combo there is. Whatever the muse inspires. I am, in fact, an independent interdisciplinary artist. But, I have a very personal interest in fighting homophobia, in fighting for human rights and equality, and it is this personal stake which drives me to look for any way to help stop the atrocities caused by intolerance. I think it's important to share my story, to shoot straight about what motivates me. Fair warning. This is not a happy tale, though it is, without a doubt, what has brought me here today.

I lost one of my best friends, someone I considered family, to suicide just over five years ago. My friend, who was also my roommate for a time, was just one of many thousands of victims of homophobia. Even worse, she was bullied by the people who should have loved her the most. Her own parents. Their behavior, their homophobia, is shameful, and a community and country that continues to condone this kind of intolerance in any way is equally shameful.

There were few warnings, and though many of us knew how my friend had been treated by her family, none of us knew the extent of the damage this had caused her. None of us saw her suicide coming. In hindsight, there were things we all missed, things I would give just about anything to go back and change. But none of them were glaring. Even her long-term partner never expected to come home and find her gone at the age of twenty-six. In the end, her parents, who probably have a special reservation in hell, refused to even claim her body. It was up to her partner and all of us, her circle of friends, to take care of her. For this, I am actually thankful, that we were able to offer her a loving send off and a fitting tribute filled with all the love she deserved.

What haunts me the most is the memory of her apology note. It said she truly believed we would all live better lives without her. She was so, so wrong! I miss her every day, and my life will never be lived without her. She is with me all the time. I spent several years extremely angry with her, my way of dealing with my own guilt and pain. But, now I have turned that anger towards a drive to create change. I am determined to be heard. Homophobia has to stop. People are dying out there, children are dying, my friends and family are dying! This is unacceptable! Intolerance is absolutely intolerable!

Every day, I look at the picture on my desk of my lost friend, her lovely face smiles out at me, and I remember why it's important to write stories that promote diversity, that portray gay protagonists, that celebrate equality for everyone. I get involved in political activism, in creating community change, in educating and providing resources for our LGBTQIA youth, so they hopefully will never have to feel like outcasts. I often blog about LGBTQ issues, as well. Because, I want a world where my friends are no longer made to feel like this might be a better place without them. I want a world where everyone is free to be who they were born to be, a world where love is the most important thing, and who you love isn't. This is my way of honoring my lost friend, myself, and all of my fellow LGBTQIA community members.

If you are struggling with who you are, if you are being bullied or have been cast out by your loved ones, if you are dealing with what feels like unbearable pain, please know that there are so many people waiting and ready to help, who accept you exactly the way you are. Don't hesitate! Reach out to someone! Here are just a few of the places you can go to find  help and a loving community near you: The GLBT National Help Center, PFLAG, The Trevor Project,The Make it Safe Project .

For the Ones Who Are Questioning.

Tetsuya is a high school student struggling with the Q label. He is one of the many teens who are quietly questioning their sexual orientation. In case you don't know, this is what one of the Qs stands for in LGBTQIA. Of course, Tetsuya is a fictional character, a figment of West Thornhill's fertile imagination, who's wonderful story has posted today, along with Raiden & Hemp, over at The Raven's Crossing. Today, I blog in his honor, but I also blog for all of the very real people who are questioning.

Questions of sexual orientation can happen for many people at different stages of their lives. For those who begin to question during their teenage years, however, it can be an even more confusing and frightening time. One that can prove to be very dangerous. I know. I was a teen questioning my own sexuality while attending a very small high school in an extremely conservative farming community.

I don't wish this on anyone. In fact, I am adamant that no teens should have to feel alone and afraid to talk to others about their sexuality. It's vitally important that teens have people they can come to, people who are open to their questions and concerns. People who won't hit them with the pat, knee-jerk reaction that they are "too young to know or question these things." Dr. Jeffrey Fishberger of the Trevor Project often reminds adults that they don't react in this manner when teens come home talking about attractions to people of the opposite sex. It is important to take our questioning youth seriously, to treat them fairly and without judgement and bias. 

Luckily, for teens today, there are a wide variety of organizations that provide safe places with 24 hour help, places where people of all ages can go to ask important questions and find support. Please, if you find yourself questioning your sexuality, no matter what letter of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, or Ally (LGTBQIA) alphabet you wonder about, don't go through this process alone. You don't need to! You can contact The Trevor Lifeline and Trevorchat or the GLBT National Youth Talkline. Parents, guardians, teachers, friends, you also need to know how to best navigate questions from your teenagers regarding sexuality. Know that you are not alone, either. Please visit PFLAG to get support.

Again, we welcome everyone at The Ravens Crossing. Come join the fun, read about LGBTQIA characters you might identify with, leave comments, meet the staff, find friends, link to resources. But, most importantly, know that there is a huge community of people out in the world who support and love you no matter what questions you have, not matter what answers you find. 

The 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

On this 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember all of those in the Transgender community who have been lost to violence, prejudice, and ignorance. 

This is also a day when the LGBTQ community comes together to educate others about these issues. So, in keeping with tradition, I direct you to several notable articles. Please take some time to go read them.

The Huffington Post's JaimeAnn Meyers writes about "Remebering our Dead and Seeking Justice for our Living."

The Miami Herald's Steve Rothaus speaks about The Human Rights Campaign support of Transgender Day. He reports on some positve news this year, saying, "Polling released earlier this month by the Public Religion Research Institute shows strong majorities of Americans favor rights and legal protections for transgender people." Go read what he has to say.

The PFLAG's National Blog (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) talks about discrimination and PFLAG's promise to renew their ongoing efforts to support the needs and rights of transgendered people and their families.