Wow...So I've been reading more and more about this Federal Marriage Amendment which Mr. Bush is proposing.
I'm scared and it's making me more and more sick to my stomach. I know that this is going to be a major turning point in the lives of gay and lesbian Americans. There is going to be a large uprising and it is the ONLY way that change will occur.
As I said in a previous entry, I was quite unsure about gay marriage. To expand on that, I think the way the gay movement has been occuring thus far, is that we have been making baby steps here and there-constantly grateful whenever we are thrown a speck by our legislators. I was thinking it would be the same with marriage-you know, why not just be happy with civil unions for now? Marriage will come when the time is right. I'm wrong. Marriage won't come when the time is right. Marriage is our final frontier before we are seen as anything more than second-class citizens. It is the final step. It is the ONE thing which stands between us and full equality. For decades, we have been seen as an abbhoration, something unnatural, and then when the heterosexual portion of our society decided that we were good for something, they accepted us in theory. Basically they admitted to themselves that we, homosexuals, do exist and are not just a myth or legend like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. But as far as what happened in our homes, in dark corners of steam rooms, in the rambles of the park, that was still something that they didn't need to know anything about. As far as they were concerned, and some still are concerned, gay people exist as stereotypes who help us with fashion and decorating tips on television, and then go have illicit sexual affairs. Those are the two portraits that one portion of the culture has painted of us.
This is why marriage is the final frontier-If finally we are seen as loving couples who go home, make dinner, watch TV, take the dog for a walk and read our children bedtime stories, then finally we will be seen as equal. It is our love that some people fear in the deepest corners of their hearts-(some people's fear is made a wee bit more apparent by their need to actively pursue taking away our civil liberties). We MUST make others understand that our love is not a phase. Our love is not a fling. Our love is not the love you feel for a brother or sister. Our love is not the love you feel for your pet. Our love is what you feel for your partner, your spouse, your husband,your wife. Our love is NOT second-class. Our love is their love.
The first battle we all need to fight is within our own community. We need to accept the fact that our love IS the same. Our love is just as important as the love that our parents may have felt for one another. If we are inconvinced that what we feel is equal, we are not going to be able to convince someone else.
It is now time for us to join together and stop taking what's "good enough for now" from our elected officials. Take a stand. Now is the time to call in all your favors. Call your elected officials or better yet, call on your soon-to-be elected officials and inform them that they will have your vote ONLY if they take a stand to support GAY MARRIAGE. Tell them you are not going to accept civil unions or domestic partnerships.
CIVIL RIGHTS HAVE NEVER BEEN EARNED BY POLITELY ASKING. NOW IS THE TIME TO FIGHT FOR WHAT WE DESERVE. DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG TO ALL YOU KNOW!
Thank you!
Jamie
with love from Jamie at 12:26 AM
This is a message from my dear friend, Dan Whitman. Up until this week, I was on the fence about gay marriage. This is mostly because I was doubtful that it was the right step to take with the current political climate. Now, thanks to Mr. Bush (I have issue calling him "President"), we have been forced to fight for something which I have realized is not only an important step in the gay movement, but impossible to ignore now that a Constitutional Amendment limiting my freedoms has been proposed.
There is someone very special in my life, and it is still very new for me. It is a young relationship, so I am not about to drag him to San Francisco to get married. But it pains me to think that simply because I was born the way I was born, I will never be able to marry the person I love. I may be a bit simple in my thinking, but I just cannot comprehend why a man who we have (collectively, not individually) elected to the presidency of this country, a man whom we have CHOSEN to represent us the entire world over, has such HATRED and FEAR of those who are different from him. I've never done anything to him, Hell, I've never even been in the same room as the man, but because I love, because I express compassion, empathy, desire and an overwhelming need to hold, kiss, hug, squeeze and feel somebody who is not a woman, I am hated by a man I've never met. All because I love. Why am I so confused? I'm certain I am not the only one who feels this way, but how can anyone feel any differently? What is so scary about me?
This is the message from my friend Dan:
Hi,
On Tuesday, Mr. Bush set into action a very dangerous and hurtful amendment to both Bob and me. We've had a really hard few days grappling with this. On Tuesday, we went to an impromptu protest just a few hours after the announcement, and left feeling very moved and empowered. I feel as though our president and the Republican party have declared war on me and my relationship, and thrust the marriage rights issue into the campaign to distract from the true problems at hand - a failed economy, the largest deficit in history, unemployment, growing discomfort with the war in Iraq, . ..not to mention his "spend and spend and spend" policy at the expense of my generation and our children. I've been pretty tolerant of his antics until now, but I have lost my patience. As if it were 200 years ago, he has introduced an Amendment to the US Constitution to withhold and LIMIT the rights of a particular group of citizens!
I'm infuriated by this - both as an individual and as part of a couple. At Tuesday's rally, one of the speakers stated, "You're either with us, or you're against us. There is no in between." He was right. I've always felt that the unsung heroes in the history books are the individuals who "cross the line" and fight for those who are persecuted: The men who marched for women's rights, the whites who crossed the line to fight against slavery and stood with Blacks for the right to vote and the Germans and Europeans who risked their lives to hide Jews in their basements and attics - Just because it was the right thing to do! These people could have easily stood by and chosen to do nothing, but instead decided to stand and make the plight of others their own.
Bob and I are calling on our friends and loved ones to not only stand with us, but to fight with us, and to not accept this from our president. It's easy to say this isn't a defining issue in the upcoming election, but the president has made it one. It is about what OUR Constitution, the platform for our country, represents! It is about oppression and basic freedoms -- the words that our president now uses to justify his war in Iraq.
So what can you do? First, support me. Honor the commitment and love in my relationship. But that is not enough. I'm asking you to stand with me and make this fight your own. Engage others in this conversation - your friends and family. Stand up and volunteer! Protest! Call your Senator and Congressperson and demand their support. Finally, and most importantly - Vote! Vote! Vote! This debate will continue into the next presidential term. I don't know how you feel, but this isn't an issue I'm willing to lose by 5 electoral votes.
Thanks for listening with your mind and with your heart. Support me and my relationship, which, I assure you, will outlast this president and this amendment!
With much love and respect,
Dan
with love from Jamie at 7:11 PM
Hey all,
Staying very busy here in the city with the upcoming SNOOPY Concert as well as the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
I've also been picking up some Post-EMBRACE! Press-Most recently, this article came out in the Gay City News. Check it out!
I am currently not liking a certain real estate broker in Manhattan who seemed to ruin a friend's month by not getting back to them in a timely fashion, after discovering their offer on an apartment was turned down. So they are now 2 days before their moving day and finding themselves without a place to live...of course they will be fine, but it upsets me that people practice such poor business affairs. As soon as I find out the name and agency the broker works for, I will do my best to make sure people know to stay away from him.
Anyway...finished my reading of Isabelle and the Pretty-Ugly Spell at the York last night. We had a wonderful time doing it. As previously mentioned, I actually will NOT be participating in the second reading of Playboy of the Western World: The Musical. I wish it nothing but success, but find myself rather glad, after all is said and done, not to be a part of it. Yes there is a bit of a story there, but if I were to print it, that would go completely against wishing it success. Wow...rather bitter little entry for this beautiful afternoon.
Things are always looking up and bliss is just a breath away.
Love, J
with love from Jamie at 4:09 PM
YAYYYY!
EMBRACE! Went off beautifully! It was one of my favorite nights in the theatre in a very long time. Charles Busch is my hero, he was a brilliant emcee for the evening and we raised more than $10,000 for The Matthew Shepard Foundation!
There was not a weak link in the whole evening, the performers were all incredible. Laura Benanti and Gavin Creel singing from notes to Marianne was out of control, the song from bare (a new musical I got to see a sneak preview of yesterday-which is going to be easily one of the top theatrical experiences of this year) was incredible, everything...Michael Arden-who plays one of the lead roles in bare, also contributed two songs for the evening which were both brilliant. Andrew Lippa, Anne Runolfsson, Max von Essen, Adam Fleming, Robb Sapp, Dana Steer, Julie Garnye, Wes Coulter, Jonathan Sandler-EVERYONE was just SO unbelievable. Scott Nevins stepped in with a lot more responsibility than was previously planned-he's incredible! Anyway-thank you to all who took part in last night's concert it was clearly one of my proudest moments.
And once again, my company for the evening, made it even more memorable and magical. So thanks M!
On to Snoopy and The New York Musical Theatre Festival!
Love, Jamie
with love from Jamie at 2:30 PM
Hey there!
Had an interesting day today...things are going very well both for the SNOOPY!!! Concert as well as EMBRACE! For the Matthew Shepard Foundation (which is fast approaching- next Thursday, February 19th). An article came out in the Gay City News about the event, and despite the errors in reporting, it was nice to see some attention being drawn to it. Also look out for ads in HX and Next Magazine this week...very exciting!
I also decided to call the writer of a show which I did a reading of a few months back. I had heard that rehearsals were starting soon, and wanted to know what was up. Now this writer had called me about a month back and said he wanted to use a good friend of mine as the lead in the show-and I was anxious to work with him too, so I passed his info along, he got hired and then evidently the director "went in a different direction" with the role I'd originally played (and played well in the opinion of many who attended). So at this point I am feeling just a touch used by this writer, considering I had made it clear that I was looking forward to working with this friend of mine. He invited me to come see the show and I made it pretty clear that I was not interested...so needless to say, that upset my day a little bit.
On a lighter note, I got to finally see Thoroughly Modern Millie this week. Sutton Foster is not only one of the sweetest people I've ever known, but also clearly one of the most talented. It's rare that you get to see someone like her onstage. They don't make actors anymore who can truly carry a show the way she does-not to say anything negative about her supporting cast-Christian Borle is incredibly charming as Jimmy, and as I discussed with my friend Max this evening, when Leslie Uggams walks on the stage, it just feels (as Max put it) "like you're watching royalty onstage." So very true. So I finally saw the show, after having meetings for several months in Sutton's dressing room, and having no idea why she was always so exhausted in between show on a Saturday afternoon. I also had some pretty great company to the show, and I think that certainly helped make the evening as wonderful as it was.
That's all for now! Hope everyone is great!
Love, J
with love from Jamie at 7:48 PM
Hey there!
Wow! Posting 2 days in a row...cool.
Went to a very fun party last night at the Nickel Spa on 14th and 8th for Next Magazine. There should be some rather entertaining pictures in Next next week. As there was a good deal of free liquor being served.
I wanted to let you know about an interview posted yesterday-take a look, it's pretty fun!
20 Questions with Jamie McGonnigal
Hope everyone is well!
with love from Jamie at 11:18 AM
Hey there,
Just finished Max von Essen's sold-out run at the Ars Nova Theatre-thanks to all those people who came to see it, especially those of you who I know are reading this and came to see it not once but 2 or 3 times! It was a great success, Max and I both felt wonderful about it. It was great to see him grow and really embrace an art form which many people think from the front row, is a very easy thing to do, but it's actually pretty terrifying if you've never done it before.
Now working on the EMBRACE! Concert for The Matthew Shepard Foundation going up February 19th. Buy tickets now if you can, it should sell out I think.
Things are great in my world right now, some unexpected, wonderful surprises have come about and they've put me in quite a good mood the past few days.
Thanks again to everyone for being so supportive! Hope you are all happy and healthy!
an important thought from a rather insightful young man:
Through the mere act of living, we ourselves
Defy our own mortality every day
So that when we reach our last tomorrow,
We are completely full of all our yesterdays.
with love from Jamie at 1:45 PM