March Vol.3 Issue 26
News & Views
Insights
The Monthly Newsletter of PFLAG Beaumont
Anecdotes and Opinions
PFLAG Dad ‘thinks critically’ with the help of LGBTQiA community, Allies By Calvin Jorden PFLAG Beaumont Treasurer
“Daddy, I love her. I mean, I really love her; I’m gay!” Those were not the words I expected to hear when my daughter and her girlfriend stopped by one night. Although we had never discussed her being in AA, we had had enough Father/Grown Daughter talks for me for me to be impressed with her deepening maturity, so I was thinking she would finally open up about her alcoholism. Instead — Gay. My first thought was, “Wow, she has been going through even more than I imagined!” My second thought was, “I don’t know anything about homosexuality that fits with her.” (For years I had been listening to Marlin Maddoux and James Dobson rail about AIDS and the “perverts” that spread it, and the bedrock Southern Baptist worldview I had could not imagine that anyone I loved could actually be “one of them.”). Now these two young women sat waiting for my response. The voice in my head said, “This is big; don’t mess up!” In those few seconds, my life changed. That sounds dramatic, and at the time I tried to make it no big deal, but looking back, that was the turning point. I had graduated from high school in 1967, and at that time “critical thinking” was taught and applied to ______________Continued Inside as Insights
Bob’s Blurbs
Bob’s take on a month of movies
By Bob Meier PFLAG Beaumont Hospitality Chair
Last month was an unusual stretch of days, lasting for three weeks. It started off with watching the movie "Boy Erased." This movie recounts why change theory may work for alcoholics, but does not work at all for gay (or transgender) folks. Lucas is told he could pray the gay away. Both parents want conversion therapy to work. The movie featured Lucan Hedges as the college age boy who learns he is gay in high school lives with parents Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman, and tries to please his parents by changing back to a "normal life". The big problem is his father is the local pastor. The mother is torn between son and father. The movie was nominated for three Emmy awards and was excellent. The second movie seen one week later was "Bohemian Rhapsody". Queen was absolutely outstanding. ____Continued Inside as Blurbs
“Boy Erased” earned two Golden Globe nominations
“A Star is Born” is nominated for 8 Oscars and won two Golden Globes and is nominated for two Golden Globe awards
Inside _________Insights Cont..
every subject. It was expected that we should “question everything.” But in the frenzied, nonstop struggle of raising six kids, I had gotten lazy, mentally, and the black-white simplicity of evangelical Christianity abetted that. Suddenly, what I knew to be true, wasn’t. It was nearly a decade before I found PFLAG, and
by that tim, my son had come out. Had it been sooner, what I was learning from my daughter and her girlfriend would have made more sense — would have had context. I spent those years thinking those were the only gay people I knew, and I was the only Baptist parent with that particular secret. I was okay with my kids being gay, but it was nobody else’s business. Finally, at PFLAG, I became friends with a lot of other parents,
___________________________Blurbs Cont.
This movie shows the behind the scenes happenings between group members, the first real girlfriend, and some
and very few of them were keeping quiet about that secret; instead, they were celebrating their gay children. Finally, at PFLAG I became friends with a lot of other gay people, and, like my daughter and son, none of them were perverts, either! (It’s sad that was such a revelation to me). Instead, they were kind, and intelligent, and funny, and so patient with my slow comprehension of things they had known all their
lives. Finally, at PFLAG I found people that for many years had been supporting one another, educating their communities and advocating for the rights of their children. I met Heroes - everyday, common folks doing extraordinary things out of love for their kids, and love for other people’s kids - just out of human decency. As long as there are such people, there is hope that the world can change.
sexual orientation issues. “We are the Champions" and "RadioGaga" are among the songs. This film was nominated for three awards and won by Rami Malek for Best Actor. The third and final movie was "A Star is Born". This film featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga was also nominated for three awards. And the winners were "Bohemian Rhapsody" for Best Film and Lady Gaga for Best Song "Shallow". It was a fine three weeks of cinema! “Bohemian Rhapsody” earned one Golden Globe award and is nominated for five Oscars.
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More o ns ti la e v e R w o b Rain
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Yo ur N He am re e
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