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Ivan, have you ever heard the song "National Brotherhood Week"" By Tom Lehrer? It is biting sarcasm, but has so much truth to it, about how "the black folks hate the white folks, my folks hate all of your folks, the Protestants hate the Catholics, and everybody hates the Jews" That is certainly not a direct quote, it is from my Nutrasweet fried memory. the central idea is that people always seem to reject anyone different from themselves. My experience is that if we were all identical, then we'd be rejected according to what sports teams we root for, or what color car we drive. In fact, I have been criticized for both, and I really don't CARE! Just CONTINUE to be yourself, and if some doofus can't handle it, or wants to think your battle with PD is any less serious because of your sexual preference, appearance, religion, or skin color, tells us that THEY have the problem! [OO] LOOKING FOR RADIOS! Ken Becker [log in to unmask] On Sun, 23 Feb 1997, Ivan M Suzman wrote: > >From the midwinter desk of Ivan Suzman ([log in to unmask])............ > > Dear listmembers, > > Thank you all who have written so far, and shared your feelings about > my proclaiming my GAY sexual orientation to our listmembers.. > > There are many reasons why it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for me to IDENTIFY > myself as GAY to the Parkinson's List...... > > Here are just two examples: > > > 1. OUR PUBLIC IMAGE ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW > > In the last few wonderful weeks, mostly thanks to the DEDICATED > work of Stan Houston and Barb Mallut, we have teasingly, but also very > seriously, begun our first effort to be visible on the OPRAH show. > > Could the sight of two men holding hands in loving support of each > other , a PWP and his CG, and REPRESENTING us on OPRAH, make the > Parkinson's world recoil in internal turmoil? Would our Parkie style of > propriety, especially in this age of Udall Bill work, discriminate > against us same-gender partners?? > > WE talk about being VISIBLE, but the heterosexual PWP 's and CG's > are burying the thousands of GAY Parkinsonians. An obvious fact supports > this: > I AM THE ONLY GAY PWP who feels safe enough, so far, to be open about my > sexual orientation. Ask yourselves why this is happening............... > > If I, as a gay, younger (47), blue-eyed blond, bearded PWP, held > on to, or hugged, or gently kissed his very cute, special, 32 year-old > male friend ON THE AIR, and while REPRESENTING OUR PWP COMMUNITY, that > behavior would be perfectly natural for me. But a lot of our > listmembers would probably, I am disheartened to say, find this behavior > to set off red flashing sirens, screaming," out-of-bounds!" Is this > fair??? > > These expressions of love and support, SO acceptable in the hetero > world, would probably be the source of an outcry of "OH NO, DON'T LET > THIS BEHAVIOR REPRESENT US!" > > So, listmembers, what do you feel is acceptable? Please be honest. > I already know from at least one message sent to me after I had said, > like Barb Mallut had also said with an excitement that had me in stitches > with laughter, that I MIGHT enjoy seeing a man wearing a kilt (I didn't > say anything to suggest I would pursue dear Jeremy Browne!), that the > Parkinson's Community has never confronted the homophobia that pervades > and divides us from one another.. > > And unless we are open about our worries, we cannot move towards a > consensus. > > 2. CAREGIVER IMAGE > > If you look through the MAGAZINES AND FOUNDATION REPORTS on > Parkinson's (at least what I've seen), we GAY and LESBIAN Parkinsonians > have NEVER EVER been shown with our CAREGIVING PARTNERS, as role models. > > ....It's no wonder gay and lesbian PWP's and CG's are hiding. WE ARE > STILL EXCLUDED. > ANd that EXCLUSION hurts us. > > So, I must pursue this, because I feel like I am a lone voice for > thousands of creative GAY and LESBIAN PWP's and CG's who are completely > INVISIBLE. > We have so much to give to our whole community, but will you let us do > that for the benefit of all, while meanwhile not pushing us into the > closets of the world?? > > So my question is, WHAT PUBLIC IMAGE OF PWP's AND THEIR > CAREPARTNERS is comfortable for you?? What public image is unacceptable > as a role model of our common battle?? Again, PLEASE be honest. > .......................................................................................................................................................... > "The world is like a spider's web---touch it anywhere, and it quivers > everywhere" > > > Ivan Suzman > 47/10 Portland, Maine > land of lighthouses > and, "Proud-to-be-gay!" > ........................................................................................................................................................... >