ATTENTION PEOPLE OF LIVEJOURNAL AND NOT PEOPLE OF LIVEJOURNAL!

Have I got your attention? Marvelous!

Today I shall commence with a Blogathon! Blogathon in that I shall be up for 24 hours and post an entry every 30 minutes!

The aim of Blogathon is to raise money for a particular organization and this year- I SHALL BLOG FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!!! AS IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN!

BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IS EQUAL! AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH!

IF YOU BELIEVE TOO- COME JOIN ME TODAY AT 9am EST OF SATURDAY TO 9am EST OF SUNDAY- AND LET'S GET JIGGY WITH IT HAVE A FANTASTIC SLEEP-DEPRIVED TIME AND RAISE SOME MONEY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!

YOSH!

Your Ever More Insane Goodwill Blogger,

~Shirhys~

Well, fellow blogathoners, the time has come for the first post.
The theme for these 24 hours in 2008 is 'gay':  from happy to homosexual.
Of course I left out the third definition of gay since it's only cropped up recently and I really don't feel like using it like that.
The posts will consist of a large variety of things- fiction, poetry, pictures, voice posts (if I have that option-  do I?), and probably lots of other stuff.

Since my writing skills are still stretching out-  let's go with a picture.




See you in 30 minutes~
Shirhys

Since I forgot to do this for the first post-

As you probably know, I'm blogging for the Human Rights Campaign.  (You can donate here.)  They work towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equal rights.  They recently got a repeal on the HIV travel ban.  They also worked to keep marriage legal for everyone in California.  The reasons why I'm blogging for HRC are two-fold.
1. I believe in equal rights, no matter who you are, what you are, or what you like to do.  Everyone should be treated equally, no exceptions.
2. A great friend of mine sent me one of HRC's  pamphlets on coming out.  On the back it had a list of various religions and denominations that are accepting of GLBTQ people.  That gave me hope when I saw my own religious affiliation on that list.  Hope where there hadn't been any, and for that, I want to give something back to them.

I am a Lutheran, pangender, and pansexual person, and I am happy to be me.

See you in 30 minutes,
Shirhys

Happiness is eating  a whole bag of garlic bread.
Not caring about the calories or the bad breath
Your roommate is gone for the weekend
And it's still too early for other people to come bug you.
Your fingers aren't too greasy yet
And the rest of you is clean
From the shower you had almost two hours ago
It's early like I said
And the headache you had is dissipating
You have all day to do stuff
And more than one movie you can't wait to see.
Happiness is just being able to do
What you want and not really care what others think.

See you in another 30 minutes,
~Shirhys~

Happiness is laughing uncontrollably at a picture of your crazy niece.  :)



(For those of you waiting for the homosexuality - we'll probably get around to that later)

See you in 30 minutes,
Shirhys

These seem to be going really well and I have a couple more pictures...
Also?  I'm about to put Rent on.  I've actually seen most of the second half of it with my roommate while flipping channels- but I'd really like to know what's going on. ^^

Happiness is crazy family traditions that you know you'd be disappointed if it didn't happen (even though they are really crazy family traditions). ^^



Any requests for fiction/poetry posted?
(This is where you give prompts)

See you again at 11:30~
Shirhys

Haven't worked on the prompts yet-  (watching Rent)

Happiness is getting the dog you always wanted (even if it's not real).


(may be a little hard to see-  that's a person under the white blanket and he's hugging a stuffed dog- with the tan legs sticking out. ^^)
(We named the dog Roudy)  


Again- Here is the link to donate to HRC~

See you in an other 30 minutes-
Shirhys

This is the reason why it took so long to get the last post out, then I decided to make it its own post since it was taking up so much space.  This allows for me to work on prompts. ^^

And now a bit of discussion on things including the Bible-
I'm a Lutheran and I'm also pangender and pansexual.  How can I be that?
Well, I knew in High School I wasn't exactly straight and at that time I didn't really need to think much farther.  In college I needed answers and I finally managed to work out- that God isn't against love.
Sure, God says 'no men laying with other men '  but I tend to think of that in the same sense as- 'Don't commit adultery,' instead of the "no homosexuality' sense that a lot of Christians take it as.  I believe that God provides laws for good reasons.  Circumcision for one-  Circumcision helps prevent disease, not because the foreskin is 'unnatural or sinly.'

It says in the Bible- "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law."  Galations 5:22-23
When I finally accepted who I was, as someone not entirely straight, and realized that under my religion God thought what I was doing was wrong.  I couldn't accept that God would condemn me... and that if he did- God must be the one who was wrong.  I also can't stand hypocrisy.  The above verse was my Confirmation verse, and I've taken it to heart.  Love isn't wrong, how you interpret the Bible is.

Another 30 minutes, another post,

Shirhys

 

Still no fic drabble YET because I'm sloooooow and still trying to figure out what to do.  and got distracted watching Ben 10- OH the crack! XD

Well, when in doubt- resort to picture post!
You get another cute happy small child picture!



30 more minutes, possible fic post?
Shirhys

FICTION POST TIME!
Let's do the time warp again!
(Just ignore the strike-outs. Please.)

Prompt: Silly Dance (provided by marika_kailaya )
Warning:  Some boy homosexual overtones
Rating: PG?  PG-13?
Note: This took me absurdly long to write.


30 Minutes-  GO!
~Shirhys~

No fiction this time because as stated before- I'm sloooow.
SO!  Thoughts post!

Not many people are familiar with the term 'pangender.'  It's a minority among minorities, so that's understandable.
The quick and easy way that I usually explain it to people is- "I don't associate with either the female or the male gender completely."
It's a little bit like associating with neither and with both.  Some days I feel more female, some days I feel more male, some days I just feel like 'myself' and don't really care how I choose to express my gender on that day.  It's been termed as third gender and transgender.
To understand it, you have to understand that there is something called the 'gender binary.'    It's basically the belief/theory that there are only two genders- male and female.
Also- it's a little hard to explain.  Like explaining the concept of 'hate' to someone who's never felt that.

For more information here is the pangender wiki.
Here is the gender binary wiki.
Here is the donate to HRC wiki link.

Feel free to ask questions. ^^
Next up will be pansexuality.

30 minutes more till touchdown again,
Shirhys

And we're back with the other half of the sexual canteloupe.  What?  Why are you looking at me?  I dunno where this stuff comes from. Ignore the stuff in strike-out, I said!  Your fault. :P

There's gender identity and then there's sexual orientation.
Gender identity has to do with what gender or non-gender you associate with.  It has to do with how you interact with yourself, if you will.
Transgender, Female, Androgyne, Neutrosis, Male, Pangender.  Etc.
Gender identity wiki explains it better.

Sexual Orientation has to do with how you interact with others.  What affects you and with whom you are sexually attracted to. 
In that category are heterosexual, pansexual, bisexual, homosexual, polysexual, and more.
Sexual orientation wiki for those inclined.

Pansexual is the inclination or ability to feel affection for anyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation.  It's beyond gender-boundaries or binaries.  As the gratuitous pansexual wiki says, "some pansexuals suggest that they are gender blind."

Combined with pangender... this can make for some very interesting scenarios. ^^

Time for bathroom break!
30 minutes-GO!
~Shirhys~

RECESS RESOURCE TIME!!

Here is the site that let me find a church in my area. ^_^

It's LC/NA which stands for- Lutherans Concerned/ North America.  I'll try and find that pamphlet from HRC and up load the other religious sites that are accepting of GLBTQ. :)

For those of you not gay/etc. PFLAG seems like a good site you might want to check into.

PFLAG stands for Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays.

Books that were recommended to me:

"Is It a Choice?" by Eric Marcus

"Coming Out: An Act of Love"  by Rob Eichberg, PH.D.

"The Invention of Heterosexuality" by Jonathan Ned Katz

"Boy Meets Boy" by David Levithan

Movies recommended:

Jeffrey

I really recommend the book Two Teenagers in 20;  I've read through it and it really helped me.  It's a collection of letters from various Gay and Lesbian (and a few bisexual)  Youth talking about coming out and their experiences.   It's edited by Ann Heron.  This is a sequel to the book One Teenager in Ten

I also found the movies "The Birdcage" and "TransAmerica" very interesting.

30 more minutes till post again!
Shirhys

Crap!  It really IS unlucky!  I forgot to sign off and I think Rika's power went out!  D:
(An idiot twice and false alarm. ^^)

Happiness is red hair and being yourself.


~Shirhys~

Ungggh...
If I disappear partway through this?  I passed out on the couch... -_-
*wants to save the tea for later*
But I shall boldly try to go forth and ignore my own exhaustion!

Happiness is humor during snack-time



Once again-  to donate go here.

Bah!  You should know the drill by now.  It's about pounded into your heads. ^^
~Shirhys~

Why am I posting ahead of time?
Because I have to make a break for water- 

Happiness is that first hint of intelligence.



31 minutes-  SEE YA!
~Shirhys~

Happiness is posting the 17th at the seventeen hundreth hour.  :)
Happiness is art comaraderie.




See you again in 30 minutes
~Shirhys

( I got distracted reading fic. ^^U)

Happiness... is remembering the good times



See you in another 28 minutes
~Shirhys

Watching Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. ^^
I'll probably start another movie soon.  Maybe C.R.A.Z.Y.  or Highlander THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!


What are the issues facing GLBTQ?
Some of them you may be familiar with-
Marriage laws that don't protect homosexual relationships.
The military ban against homosexuals in the military.
Workplace and school discrimination of all ages.
HRC has a nice list of issues that face GLBTQ and that they're working on.  It can be here.


Americans always say we're a land of equality.  That everyone has a fair chance here.  But sometimes we have to fight for that equality!  As the saying goes, "freedom isn't free."
We gave equal rights to African Americans.  We gave equal rights to women.  Can we give equal rights to Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgender, and Queer people?  Can we pass laws to stop the double standards and ensure people can be who they are without fear?
Human Rights Campaign is a great organization that's fighting for GLBTQ equal rights.

Again, the link to donate is here.
If you'd like to volunteer or not quite sure how you can help go here.

Thanks, and see you in another 30 minutes. ^^
~Shirhys

Title: What matters
Prompt: Devil
Note: This is just a little snippet that I'll expand upon later
Rating: PG?
Warning: Very minor language.
Word count: 115



See you in another 30 minutes!
~Shirhys

C.R.A.Z.Y. won out!  ^^  Not quite sure what to make of it as of yet though....

Happiness is an adorable non-attempted pirate impression that's all yours (and her mother's.)



30 more minutes and back to my movie. ^^
~Shirhys

Happiness is grass hair and stickin' it to the man. :D



See you again in 30 minutes,
~Shirhys

Happiness is GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!!!!  And going El Mira on birds you can actually get within feet of.  Happiness is love from the simple things in life... even if they poop everywhere and come out of the water to ATTACK you- that just makes it all the more fun.



~HEE~
Shirhys

I've been singing this song VERY loudly in my room and the bathroom. :D
I share a dorm room and I think my suite mate is still around.
...
I HAVE NO REGRETS.
Also?  THE EGGS ARE A LIE!!!  XDDD

So what's up now?  Another snippet~  ^^

Titie: Kiss the Boy
Prompt: Colors, or the lack thereof.
Rating: G or PG
Warning: Uhhh.... really UNobvious hints at homosexual relationship?
Word Count:232


Like before, this took way too long to write down. ^^
Still, I'm rather pleased with how I salvaged my notes.

See you in 30 minutes,
Shirhys

12 hours! 12 more hours to go!
Happiness is imagination and seeing what this plate can be.



See you again in 30 minutes
~Shirhys
(Now off to go get some of that The eggs are a lie! Cookie dough. ^^)

This was going to be another fic post- but that'll take up until 10... so PICTURE POST!
Still watching C.R.A.Z.Y., and I'm still not quite sure what's going on.  I suspect I need to get to the end and take off the slash goggles. ^^U

~Happiness sometimes just is~



In case you've been distracted by the cuteness and the fic and the hours, my organization is Human Rights Campaign
and here is the link to donate.  And to the right of the browser there are various links to ways you can give. ^^

So, see you in another 30 minutes!
~Shirhys

"The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act / Matthew Shepard Act H.R. 1592 / S. 1105
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act / Matthew Shepard Act gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence by providing the department with jurisdiction over crimes of violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

The LLEHCPA / Matthew Shepard Act provides the Justice Department with the ability to aid state and local jurisdictions either by lending assistance or, where local authorities are unwilling or unable, by taking the lead in investigations and prosecutions of violent crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury that were motivated by bias. The LLEHCPA also makes grants available to state and local communities to combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers or to assist in state and local investigations and prosecutions of bias-motivated crimes."


"According to 2004 FBI statistics, hate crimes based on sexual orientation constituted the third highest category reported and made up 15.5 percent of all reported hate crimes. Only race-based and religion-based prejudice crimes were more prevalent than hate crimes based on sexual orientation."

FBI's 2006 statistics on Hate Crime and why they're committed.


*Both passages in quotations, I took directly from the HRC site.


What does all this say? 
The top 3 hate crimes in the US are ethnicity-based, religion-based, and sexual orientation-based.

The Matthew Shepard Act in conjunction with the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act will enable the Justice System and police to better investigate and prosecute violent crimes committed because of bias/prejudice.

The HRC is working to help pass this law.
Here is the link to where it talks about the Act.
Here is the link to donate. (I am ever hopeful)
Here is the link to take action.
Here is the link to volunteer.

See you in another 30 minutes and thank you for your time,
~Shirhys ^^

To save your brain from OH THE TEXT of 27th!
Here's some more picture post. ^^

Happiness is having family to laugh with (or at ^^)



See you in 30 minutes  (I should order some pizza....sauceless pizza)
~Shirhys 

Some more pic before more text

Happiness is a peaceful baby.  (no, really. MUCH happiness. ^^)



30 Minutes- GO!
~Shirhys

Happiness is a familiar face encouraging you to laugh.



(I am so lazy. ^^U  More interesting content soon- Promise)
~Shirhys

It wasn't the slash goggles!
My intuition was correct! :D
I'm watching C.R.A.Z.Y.- it's about how this boy grew up in a house where his father is very anti-homosexual.  Now that the boy-Zac- is a teenager he's struggling even more with stuff.  He supposedly has a gift and his family is very catholic.  He's rejected both and is starting to subconsciously act out.  It's a foreign movie, but for all that, very intriguing. ^^


Personal Experience:
I've not really been subject to any sort of hate crime.  I mean, yeah, I was bullied in school, but none of it pertained to my sexual orientation.
I've always been the more quiet type around others, preferring to read and stay out of most people's ways.  I kept my orientation under lock and key until this past year of college where I've actually started to tell select people.

I have received some negative messages from my parents about GLBTQ, though.  I was raised in an LCMS Lutheran household.  (Heck, my father was a pastor)  But I managed to escape most of what they could tell me because- A. I'm the youngest and B. My parents were busy and I kept myself busy.  Rules tend to be less strict when parents finally get around to raising the youngest.

Aside from that, I think my parents have begun to suspect something, mostly because of my change in haircut.  I cut it very short, and for some stupid stereotypical reason it's become almost a family discussion on whether or not I'm a lesbian.
But the most negative message I got from my parents was a couple weeks ago.  My sister was jokingly asking my mother 'what's the worse I could be', saying that my cutting my hair and dying it different colors really was nothing compared to other stuff.
But my mother took it seriously and answered, "A lesbian."

I'm not quite sure how HRC's plans to help GLBTQ would help me specifically... But I have dreams that if maybe they can get it into people's minds that GLBTQ people are no different from others (aside from the obvious) then maybe it will be easier for my parents to accept me.
I know that HRC is working on strengthening the appearance of GLBTQ in religion so that the stereotype of GLBTQ being religionless and somewhat amoral can subside.

I've known a few people who were GLBTQ.  One of them I'm internet-courting/dating.  One of them is a great friend that I correspond with regularly.
But the one I'll always regret is the one that I refused to sign a petition for in 9th grade.  Because I didn't understand what was going on at the time... and I'd like to make up for it.  I'd like to say that I will never let someone else's ideals dictate my own ever again.  I've got my willpower now and let's see where it takes us, shall we?

HRC has helped me re-find my faith.  I'm hoping they can re-find my parents for me and I'm hoping that I can make up for naive mistakes.
So, to pay them back, to keep my own hopes going, and to maybe make other people's hopes come true- that is the personal reason why I am blogging for HRC this year.

As always,
Link to HRC
Link to donate.
Link to take action.
Link to volunteer.

See you in 30 minutes
~Shirhys