Melissa Etheridge Inspires Me

Rock-n-roll princess, Melissa Etheridge, is my favorite music artist. I don't put people on pedestals but I'd build her one. She's out, proud and loud. I didn't start to write down all my feelings until I listened to her music. It was the 90's and a radio dj said she came out at some political event. That got my interest, and so I was all ears when her song "Like the Way I Do" was played. Wow! (Is it so hard to satisfy your senses? You found out to love me, you have to climb some fences.) I could totally identify with those words. That is a powerful song lyrically, vocally and musically. It rocked. It still rocks. Then VH1 showcased her and I couldn't get enough. I was taping her whenever I knew she would be on -- shhhh!

So I began to write about my life and I could easily remember how I was feeling way back to when I was a kid. Not every poem I write is about my life but what I imagine and see around me. I'm still surprised at some of the stuff that comes out of me. It might be one or two lines in a poem that make me pause and think back to how it was generated. Listening to Melissa E got me to open up more and write down my feelings and thoughts. Now I have a blog and have put a lot of my writings on here. After reading several post from girls/women who have trouble with faith, have parents who are not accepting, or just feel isolated because they don't know any lesbians where they live, I hope each who visit SPT will connect with one of my poems and feel better.

When I first started to write I would wonder what was the point of writing this stuff down. It was in my head and no one else was going to read it. And from that thought came the lines: so you ask -- why tell -- it's over and done -- if you spit on dirt -- it only makes mud -- because i want it out of my head -- so it can be buried without dread (from The Twins). Some poems just flowed so easily while some had to be put aside and finished later.

So SPT readers, whatever you are feeling and thinking and dealing with because of your sexuality, just know that you are not the only one. HA! Okay, see how Melissa just slips in? Anyway, the characters I write about are women that I always wanted to see on tv and read about when I was younger -- lesbians with full lives -- family, friends and lovers. I've read paperback books and web-stories that have women happily married to men or have boyfriends but cheat with a female friend/neighbor/co-worker out of curiousity or boredom. I want to write about women who love women and have passionate sex and make love to each other without a man in
the middle. So I write for myself and get to share on this blog. I hope that I'm stimulating some women and not just their brains. HA! I can't help it, I'm single and think about women maybe getting a little heated from something I've written.HA! What can I say, I like women.

TO Melissa E: Thanks for the music and the inspiration. -S-

Last Thoughts for 2008

It's the last day of 2008 and I wanted to post one last thing about Gay marriage and Civil Rights. I've made 2 or 3 drafts, but finally decided to just post the following.

IT'S CRAP. When Rick Warren and others say they are against legal marriage for Gays because the word "marriage" has something to do with religion -- it's crap.

The KKK burning crosses, is not protested by religious institutions. No law has been inacted to say that it is illegal to use that religious symbol as a sign of hate and terrorism.

Religious institutions don't own the word "marriage" and Blacks don't own the phrase "Civil Rights".

IT'S CRAP. If marriage is a sacred word, then why are heterosexuals who don't believe in God allowed to get legally married? If marriage is a sacred word then why are heterosexual murderers allowed to get married? "Thou shall not kill" is a commandment from God, but homosexuality didn't make the list. Heterosexuals judged to have committed a crime against society have the right to legally marry, while homosexuals who pay taxes, and raise families don't have that legal right.

In America, homosexuality is not treated legally as a crime anymore, yet we have been found guilty of not conforming to religious doctrine, and denied our Civil Rights.

Melissa Etheridge should not be referred to as a traitor because she spoke to Rick Warren and walked away without attacking him. She meet him and heard for herself what he had to say. She reported what occurred between them.

If Warren has said the things I've read he said, then he has to worry about what God thinks about him. Many religious leaders preach rhetoric, and give their interpretation of scripture, and if people want to believe him, then they have to worry about what God says about them.

President-elect Obama chose who he wanted to speak at his inauguration. And for some to ask if he would have let a KKK member speak -- well that is just racist. If I was concerned enough, I would question would he have let a Satanist speak since the issue has more to do with religious beliefs.

Melissa has said that Gays felt like we were thrown under the bus because Clinton didn't do more to help Gays while he was in office. Now some question if Obama has thrown Gays under the bus by having Warren speak. Warren would not have been my choice but it's not my nauguration. I don't recall anyone blogging about Warren's rhetoric during and immediately after Prop 8. But now because it is a big deal, more people will watch the inauguration just to hear what Warren has to say. And while he is getting more publicity, so has the issue of Gay equality. I personally prefer to know the name and face of my opponent, then I'd know not to turn my back on him.

Obama can't please everyone no matter what he does.

I'm a lesbian, and so I understand the feelings of the LGBT community, but if we turn against everyone who doesn't support us the exact way we want, then we will have no allies. We at least have a President who is willing to talk about our issues.

I read a line today that Obama might be an Uncle Tom. Words like that coming from a caucasion, is laughable. Obama is too Black for some and now he might not be Black enough.

Excuse me people, but Clinton is one man. Obama is one man. The Presidential seat maybe the highest office in this country, but the President do not make the laws. They both have at least acknowledged that we exist and something needs to be done. Hopefully, when Obama takes
office, he and others will do what they can to have the Civil Rights Laws enforced.

It is not heterosexuals who need to change their opinions. It is our federal officials who need to enforce the laws of the Constitution of the United States of America. It is our federal officials who can reverse the bad decision to let individual States decide who can get legally married.

First off, remove the word marriage from legal documents and let all couples who want to legally join get Civil Union Licenses. Simply signing that document would automatically give the same privileges and
protections to couples/family.

Right now, American Law is in a recession just like our economy. To have a strong nation, we must have strong leaders who believe in Equal Rights for ALL citizens. Leaders who take the oath to uphold the law, must also fight for the law to be enforced, and change the law when it is not fair.

To be a nation representing freedom, citizens must be free. To deny any citizen more legal rights than another based on color, gender, religion, sexuality is just wrong. And of these four things, religion is the only one that people can actually choose.

Because federal officials recognized that it is wrong to tell consenting adults who we can share our bodies with sexually, homosexuality is no longer illegal. For adults to be denied legal joining unless we join with the opposite gender, is not freedom. It is our Human Right to pick our mate.

MELISSA on The View

If you were working this morning and didn't see Melissa Etheridge on The View, click the YouTube video URL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fLSJeVZ0LI

I don't watch The View, even Whoopie can't get me to tune in. But I set the cable box and even though I was sick in bed, I woke long enough to see it. One of the regulars, brought up the topic on Prop 8 and of course Our Warrior was ready to respond. But she was eventually cut off because she was there to promote her new album "A New Thought For Christmas". The one who had started the conversation said the people should decide what's right for the country. WOW! The heterosexual woman thinks people should vote on who can get legally married. (As long as there is no vote on her right to marry. And what the hell does she mean "what's right for the country"? American citizens being denied civil rights is definitely not good for the country. The View should let viewers vote on keeping her or telling her bye-bye.) She said, it's not a personal issue for her, and since it is not, why does she get to vote on something that doesn't affect her rights.

I had written more, but decided to not include it. Don't mind me, I'm just a Black lesbian woman. " I'll never be White. I'll never be heterosexual. I'll never be a man. So I'll never be equal.

I'm going back to bed now. When I wake and hopefully feel better, I know things in America will be the same. My body might feel better but not my mine.

Right On Melissa Etheridge

“Blatantly Hateful" is how Melissa Etheridge describes Prop 8. If you haven't read it yet, click ^..^ and go read what she wrote and the comments. And then come back and read what I have to say. Yes I have more to say. If anyone wants to comment here, I welcome your thoughts on this issue. If you have already blogged about it, then give your link here so that I/we can read it.

First off, no human has the right to tell me who I can love and sex. My life is my own and what I do with it is my business as long as it doesn't infringe on someone elses. The term marriage doesn't need to be redefined. Marriage is simply a joining of people before their family and friends or alone together. People take that step to commit their love to each other.

Jesus was publicly baptisted because it was a way to outwardly show his faith. And to give an example of what we can do to show our belief in God, the Father. Disciples of Jesus (me) do not have to be baptisted (I am), it's just a public display.

There is one word that many people are overlooking and the word is ------
LEGAL. A legal marriage makes it law, and to deny any one group of people their legal rights is ILLEGAL. Is that plain enough. Will they next redefine the word LEGAL? Religion is not suppose to be forced on anyone. God in Heaven said it is our choice to believe in Him or not. So for humans to link marriage and religion means that people who are not religious are committing a religious act. It's the word LEGAL that gives me the right to have all the benefits that heterosexuals have already. Since I can't get LEGALLY married unless I marry a man, then no one should be able to get LEGALLY married. So TAKE AWAY the state and federal benefits that are attached to the word LEGAL. Our officials redefined the word marriage and they act like that is suppose to over-ride the law of the United States Constitution. Under the law, I am not suppose to be discriminated against because of my skin-tone, my heritage, my religion or my sexuality.

My sexuality is just as much a-part of me as my skin tone and my heritage. I can't change it and it is totally wrong to be judged on what I am -- a
homosexual. If I said I didn't want to be Black, then Black people would jump all over me the same way some heterosexuals jump over homosexuality. The reason heterosexuals keep saying that homosexuality is a choice is BECAUSE they wouldn't dare question what GOD has made. And some where, I've heard and read the words -- whom God has joined together, let no man put it asunder. And I seem to recall that we are not to have any God before Him. So I don't have to answer to any man or woman on this sphere.

I just don't understand why some people need to feel like they are better than someone else simply because of skin-tone and sexuality. Neither is a choice for me. And if I had a choice, I don't want or need to change. I don't have to be a man to love a woman and my skin-tone only helps to describe me -- not define me. The words Black homosexual woman do not describe the total me.

(I don't have the equipment to post my picture. It would certainly be an honor to have my pic on this with Melissa Etheridge.)

MELISSA & TAMMY to wed

I keep getting Google alerts about Melissa and Tammy getting married before the next vote in California. Um, didn't they already do that. Oh, it didn't have the government seal of approval, so they are not legally married. Well, I think of them as married. I have a cyber-friend who is married to a woman. They tied the knot in Canada which means it is not recognized in the United States. Well, I recognize it, their family and friends recognize it.

I think every gay couple who wants to get married, should go ahead and have their ceremony. There should be a database where gay couples can register so that there will be a record. We should not let the government have that kind of control over our lives.

NEW MELISSA ETHERIDGE VIDEO

I got a surprise this evening at SPT -- a new Melissa Etheridge video. Her rock-n-roll hair is growing back. She is my favorite singer-songwriter-musician. I've never been to her show and was hoping to go this year. But because of automobile trouble (one thing right after another), I'll not get to see her live this year. So to whoever recorded that video and submitted it to YouTube -- Salty thanks you.