Congrats To Jason Collins

First and foremost I want to applaud Jason Collins for his courage. His coming out story will inspire and encourage not only current professional athletes, but future generations of gay youth who may have otherwise given up the idea of becoming a professional athlete due to their sexual orientation. This man had so much more to lose than just a few friends. He put his fears of losing his career, the torment of fellow players and the backlash from the fans aside so that he may be true to himself and to others about who this man is. As it is too soon to tell what the reaction from the fans may be, I am happy to see the support from so many fellow athletes and coaches. Kudos to you Jason Collins! Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Does Karma Have A Sense Of Humor?

Do you ever feel like Karma takes a break from doling out her bitchy balances and picks people at random and just screws with them for fun? I have had one of those days! If I pick something up, five things drop. the simplest of tasks have been an uphill struggle all freaking day! I am the last person you would want in a china shop today, that's for sure! Am I the only one this happens too? If it happens to you too, let me know! Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Spring Cleaning....Still

I sincerely apologize to everyone for not posting as much this weekend, but I am still working on the big spring cleaning. I promise I will be finished soon and be back to regular posts. With all that is happening  around us, is there anything any of you would like to discuss or see a post about? let me know below. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

How Others See Americans

We as Americans have a very proud and high self esteem. Ask anyone in the country how the country compares to the rest of the world and undoubtedly they will say, "We're #1!" But just how does the rest of the world see us? I have actually been discussing this very question with several people from around the world and the almost unanimous answer has been, "Stupid Americans". At first I took great offense to these answers. I would defend our honor and argue the great achievements made by Americans. Then I came across this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/dumbest-things-ever-said-on-the-internet. Our ignorance is going to be our downfall. Our government cuts education budgets more and more and this is the end result. Come on people. Quit turning a blind eye to what is going on. Stop assuming that education is someone else's problem. Stop assuming politicians have YOUR best interest in mind. Get involved, get educated, and ensure the next generation is educated too!

Spring Cleaning Contiunues

So spent the day continuing my spring cleaning as well as getting ready for Arv's visit. Who knew I had so much crap. I am about 25% of the way done and its taken me two days to get this far. I must appologize however, as while I am doing this, I will not be able to focus on the blog, but I will continue to at least update daily on the progress. Has anyone else started their spring clean? Let me know. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Spring Cleaning

What is it about spring that drives people to pick up the dust rag and tear into the darkest of corners long forgotten? Every spring I get this urge to just take everything, rearrange the furniture and make everything fresh. I can understand if I lived in a climate where it was dark and cold all winter, but where I am, its sunny all year. But anyway, that is what I am up to today, my first Thursday off since going back to school. Anyone want to help? ha ha, Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Congrats To Rhode Island!

Congrats to those in Rhode Island, who are well on their way to becoming the 10th state to recognize gay marriage! The Rhode Island Senate passed a bill today with a vote of 26-12 that will officially recognize gay marriage! The next steps are purely procedural as both the House and Governor have both supported the bill. It is estimated that marriages can legally begin as early as Aug 1st. This now makes gay marriage legal in all 5 New England states, and a fine example for the rest of the nation to follow. The common misconception is that by passing gay marriage, ministers and clergy will be forced to perform these marriages. As clearly stated in the Rhode Island bill, this is not the case. We are still a long way off from national legislation, but 20% of the nation is now setting the bar for the rest. So Congrats again Rhode Island! Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

The Princess' Birthday!

Today is the 21st birthday on a very special girl. My niece, Adrian. My Sweet Pea! It is hard to believe it has been 21 years ago since this little girl entered into this world. For those that do not know, Adrian has Autism. It is only fitting that she celebrates her birthday in the same month as Autism Awareness Month. If there is anyone who can inspire awareness, it would be this special princess. Spend any amount of time with Adrian and she will instantly win over your heart. It was her love of all things Disney that inspired and motivated me to work for the company. I only wish I could be there with her to celebrate the day. In honor of Princess Adrian's birthday, and of Autism Awareness Month, I would like to mention AutismSpeaks.org. Autism Speaks has grown into the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. So for the princess' birthday, how about checking out the site, see what they do, and if you are able to, donate or volunteer to help other families with special prince and princesses. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

The Countdown Continues!

Only 8 more weeks to go until Arv gets here! I can't wait! Everyday I get more and more excited!. But at the same time, I get more and more worried about his trip. In order to get here, he will be traveling for nearly 17 hours and then another 3 hours or more just to get through the airport. And then just today, the furloughs began for airport employees. Delays of up to another 3 hours are predicted. My poor baby is going to be so tired by the time he gets here. Yet he still wants to. It just shows how much he loves me and I can't wait to show him the same. So I am still coming up with ideas to show him around while he is here. Any suggestions? Let me know. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Depression: The Do's And Don'ts

It is hard for those who have never suffered clinical depression to understand how things look so bad that one contemplates taking their own life. In a rational world, nothing seems that drastic and it becomes easy to throw around phrases like, "It will be okay." Or "It gets better." Although meant with well intentions, for someone suffering severe depression, these rational thoughts are foreign concepts. Many people who have never experienced depression on this level mistake depression for merely being unhappy or sad. Although these emotions go hand in hand with depression, there is much more to it than that. Clinical depression is a disorder that has many causes and possible onsets. For more on those you can check here. Let me try to put what it is like to experience depression into perspective. Imagine you are driving in a heavy rain. As the water comes down and makes it harder to see. The windshield fills with water drops and soon it is impossible to make out what lies ahead. Now imagine you are on a busy highway when this happens. Cars are passing you at high rates of speed. Drivers are behind you blaring their horns. You feel lost and helpless. You don't know what to do, do you speed up into the unknown, do you slow down and deal with the anger of those around you? You just want to pull over and stop, but you cannot. There is no place to do so. No imagine that every waking moment was this way. Now, I know what you are thinking. There are antidepressants and therapists to help. But when you are in this state, its like knowing there are windshield wipers but not knowing how to turn them on. You cannot simply apply rational thought to irrational thinking. So what do you do and what do you avoid? Well here is a list of both for either those who need help or those who know of someone who needs help.
What NOT to do.

• Isolation. Isolation only adds distance between the sufferer and happiness. It is common for the sufferer to isolate so others do not see what is going on, or to avoid situations that are high anxiety. 
• Listen to depressing music or watch depressing movies. It is common to seek out others that are feeling morose as well so that one does not feel so alone, but what ends up happening is that it becomes all that you see and harder to see positive things. 
• Place blame. Do not blame yourself or others for your depression. This leads to thinking such as, "I will show them.." 
• Eat the wrong things. Food and beverages high in sugar and caffeine can effect the way the body and mind handles stress.
• Stay in bed. Get out of the bed and into the shower. Taking care of your physical self will help your mental self.

What TO do.

• Talk to others about your depression in moderation. Too much talk will cause you to dwell on what is wrong and not what is right.
• Go outside. Sunshine is vital in physical as well as mental health.
• Set small goals. Set up a small task or goal like cleaning a closet or drawer. Accomplishments big or small will help build self worth.
• Acknowledgement. Acknowledge that depression distorts and darkens your perceptions, thinking, and judgment of yourself and the world around you.
• Reach out. Reach out to your friends and family. Tell them what you feel and be honest. They may not understand fully, but will have a better idea than not saying anything at all.

Like I said before, these are rational approaches to an irrational state of mind. The sufferer may or will not see the benefits of these at first. The number one thing to make perfectly clear with the sufferer is that NO life altering decisions should or will be made while in a depressive state. Also be optimistic, but not condescending. Avoid phrases like, "Well you are just depressed so you don't see things right." This just affirms that the sufferer is and always will be wrong. Say things more like. "I know you feel that way now, but lets revisit these things again in a few days and see if things change." This validates the feelings as well as affirms you have a continuing interest. There is much more to depression then meets the eye. A resource for finding more help for depression can be found here. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Lazy Days

I have to apologize to you guys. Today was the beginning of my spring break and, well, I was just plain ol' lazy! I stayed in bed and caught up on Big Bang Theory since I had missed all of last season with classes. I promised, to myself more than anyone else, that I would blog daily, so I thought I would keep you all up to date on some posts that will be coming soon. The countdown continues until Arv's visit and I get more and more excited everyday. My beautiful niece's birthday is this week! Gay teen suicide is on the rise and what we can do to help prevent it. And I want to do a post on more effective ways of handling the Gay Marriage Vs Religion debates. Look for all of these in the coming days. Sorry for taking the day off, but I needed to recharge my batteries. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

What Is Eurovision?

This year will mark the third year that Arv and I share Eurovision together. He watching it live on TV and me watching with him via Internet. This year is extra special as Sweden won last year and will be hosting the contest this year. But for the rest of the United States, it seems no one knows what the heck Eurovision is. I admit, before he explained it to me, I had no clue either. Eurovision is a song contest that is held throughout Europe including Russia. Each participating country will hold national contests to decide who will represent their country in the Eurovision song contest. Each song submitted must be an original song and three minutes long. The semifinals are held on two nights where each night 16 or 17 countries compete for a chance to move on to the finals. 10 Countries move on to the final along with 5 countries that get automatically into the final plus the host country. The 5 the get automatically are the top 5 financially backing countries. At the end of the contest, phone lines across all Europe are lit up with voting. Each country then awards points based on the votes within their own country. A country cannot award points to itself, therefore they cannot vote for their own song. Eurovision is where the group ABBA first gained notoriety  This year will mark the 58th year for the Eurovision Song Contest. It amazes me that The United States has not created one of its own between the 50 states! You can check out this years entries at the following playlists Semifinal 1 Semifinal 2 and the Grand finale. Who do you think will win? let me know below. Love to All.

Burly Bear Chris

Crazy Stats!

So I check on mt blog this morning as I usually do and was hit with a pleasant, yet confusing stat. Over 400 hits this morning at 6 am. WOW! That is like 4 times my average daily hit! I am still not sure as to why, by hey, not going to look a gift horse in the mouth as they say. What is also surprising is when I look into it more, all the hits are on one blog. http://burlybloggingbear.blogspot.com/2013/01/bear-hug.html Also, all the hits come from Taiwan. I am not affiliated with any advertising or with and monetary compensation for this blog what-so-ever. This blog is purely a labor of love for me. So when I see the numbers go up like that I find it exciting and rewarding! I only hope you all get as much from reading it as I do writing it. So thank you to all my regular readers and welcome to all my new ones! Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Hooray For new Zealand!

Congrats to New Zealand for becoming the newest on the ever growing list of countries to legalize and recognize same sex marriages! Coming directly on the heels of Uruguay's decision last week to legalize gay marriage, New Zraland becomes lucky number 13 in the list of countries and the first in the Asia-Pacific region. These are historic times. We are seeing the very beginnings of the waves of change and evolution in humanity and perception. The change is slow. You cannot change the minds of those who have their heads buried in the sand. Slowly knowledge and acceptance will wash away the stains of ignorance and hate. No one ever said these changes would be quick, but it is exciting to see them take root. I don't know if it will be in my lifetime that prejudice and bigotry will become but a nasty snapshot of our history in this country, but I am happy to see major steps taken in the 13 others that have become the beacon of hope and the foundation to a brighter future in equality. Kudos New Zealand! Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Leave The Investigations To The Professionals

Almost as quickly as the heroes react to a tragedy, so do the couch potato investigators. In the minutes to follow the bombings in Boston yesterday, social media was ablaze with conspiracy theories and inaccurate information. If these people were so good at figuring out everything, why are they not working as FBI agents? These people are no better than a celebrity tabloid using a situation as tragic as this to gain attention for themselves. Almost as shameful as these opportunists of sensationalism, are the sheep who blindly re-post their mutterings of falsehoods and inaccuracies. If the information you read does not come from a credible source, do yourself and those around you a favor and just leave it. How can you tell if a source is credible? Here is the method used by my University.

(CARS = Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, Support)

Credibility	Is an author listed?  What are the author's credentials?  Can the author be reached for questions or comments? Is there evidence of positive peer evaluation? Has the author taken care to check for misspelling, poor grammar, etc.?
Accuracy	Is the date of the site current? Is the information complete and not too vague? Does the author acknowledge all views?
Reasonableness	Is the author fair and objective? Is the author concerned with the truth?
Support	Does the author provide support for the information? Are the sources listed? Are there other resources with similar information?

So yes, it is important to pass on viable information, but it is also important to make sure what you are passing on is the truth. Love to all.
Burly Bear Chris

The Tragic Events In Boston

The events in Boston today are a tragedy and my heart goes out to those not only physically effected, but those emotionally effected as well. You need not be there to feel the emotions of fear and panic. It is too soon to determine who was responsible or what the motivations were, but the objective is clear. To strike harm and fear to innocent lives. No matter where you are in this country, or the world, if you feel effected, there is help out there. My deepest respect for those who quickly took action to help those without concern for their own safety. I feel it is important to point out that as much terror that was caused, in also brought to light the heroic mentality of the people of Boston. Kudos to you, the unnamed police, doctors, nurses, and citizens that took immediate action to help your fellow man. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Relationship Dialectics

The topic in this weeks class is relationship dialectics. I found the information quite eye opening and thought I would share it with you all today.

Dialectics refers to the tensions that are normal in relationships. It’s the apparent opposition of two interacting forces, emotions, needs, or elements. In our American culture, we are frequently expected to make choices; that is, something must be clear cut and distinct, either/or, white or black, wrong or right, conservative or liberal, and so forth. However, from a dialectical perspective, two things might be both/and. For example, you may love your parents deeply, but you have an absolute and overwhelming need to be independent of them. Or, you may have a close friend in whom you can confide your deepest thoughts, but you don’t want to tell them everything you’re thinking and feeling. Those are both dichotomies, and they can cause dialectical tension within you, even though in both examples both sets of expectations are normal and reasonable (Adler, 2001; Alberts, 2007).
Autonomy-Connection: This requires staying in close relationships while simultaneously remaining independent or autonomous. This tension seeks to balance being overwhelmed with being totally disconnected.
Inclusion-Seclusion: Being involved with the outside world while also wanting to be relatively secluded and free from interference from others can cause feelings of conflict. For instance, at the end of a hectic day at work, an even more hectic community meeting is not always attractive.
Expressiveness-Privacy: Being open and self-disclosing at the same time while also keeping some distance.
Change-Predictability: This is the challenge of experiencing what is new, spontaneous and unplanned versus being totally stable and predictable. One part wants stability, the other seeks adventure.
Predictable-Novel: There can be comfort in knowing what will probably occur in a given situation. On the other hand, unpredictability can have a stimulating attraction.
Conventional-Unique: In particular, from the vantage of those who see you and the other person in your relationship from the outside in, you may have to contend with a point of view that puts you in tension between the expected and the creative.
Open-Closed: Couples may discover they are at odds with their feelings when faced with questions or situations in which they would prefer to not fully disclose their thoughts.
Revealing-Concealing: The challenge of being fully truthful, or not, can bring tension in numerous situations within a relationship, as well as in a public one, say when asked a question about a co-worker you would rather not answer.

Part of the management of dialectical tension is being personally grounded enough to allow for flexibility within the two extremes. This requires the individuals in the relationship to be sufficiently grounded, internally, to understand what is impacting their immediate moods and needs. There are at least eight ways to manage these tensions.

1. Alternation: Going from one side of a tension to the other as a way of dealing with competing events and opportunities. Example: A dating couple decides to spend specific evenings and weekend days together, and others with friends or doing what they individually prefer.
2. Balance: Attempting to manage competing forces through compromise. Example: A couple decides one should take a trip with friends that the other is not prepared to make. Both are content with their decision.
3. Denial: Selecting one extreme side of a tension and ignoring the other. Example: In spite of warning signs financially, a couple continues to make purchases they cannot afford.
4. Disorientation: Overwhelmed and helpless under the tension, a person or a couple becomes unable to act, or face their problems. Example: They might fight, freeze, or leave the relationship following the death of their two youngest children in an automobile accident.
5. Integration: Accepting opposing forces without trying to diminish either one. Example: A man likes to canoe and hike, while his wife prefers to read books in front of a fireplace. They decide to go on vacation to a resort in the north woods where each can comfortably do what they most prefer.
6. Reaffirmation: Accepting dialectical tensions as a normal part of life and not, therefore, be stressed by the challenges. Example: A comparatively low-key relationship allows both people to ride out dialectical highs and lows with little stress and strain individually, or as a couple.
7. Recalibration: Reframing or redefining the challenges in order to eliminate the tension. Example: A newly married couple decides to let certain parts of their past individually remain in the past and safe from disclosure, willing to accept that if each desires to share, the other will accept without judgment or ill will.
8. Segmentation: Compartmentalizing aspects of life and relationships so as to avoid conflict and stress. Example: Friends decide to leave their usually broad and deep discussions about people unlimited, except for several friends about whom they have opposing opinions.

Jess K. Alberts Ph.D. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Psychology 180, 2009. Argosy University.

Hope this is as informative to you as it is to me. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Gays Bullying Gays

Being part of a minority of people, each of us hear everyday negative jabs, insults and threats. Either directed at ourselves or at our community. We are battling for equality. We want our voices heard. So when the ears open up to what we are saying, do you really want them hearing members of our community bullying and bashing other members of the community? When members of the LGBT community go around degrading subcultures of it, do you think that really help our cause? Bears, Twinks, Chubs, Chasers, Drag Queens, Lesbians, Furries, Trans genders, Bisexuals, Jocks, it doesn't matter. Not one group or subculture is any better than the others. We are all brothers and sisters. We are a family. Now I am not saying we have to get along with every individual. That we need to walk hand in hand singing "We are family.." but we do need to respect each other. If you have a problem with a certain person in the community, don't stereotype the whole sub-set. And why is it that I see more and more that a separation within the community? A shunning if a member of one group is friends with members of another? Is it because you need to act out against the bullying from those in the world who have hurt you? The proverbial shit rolling downhill? It is time to stop it. Of all the people to realize, violence begetting violence is utter nonsense. Show kindness to your brothers and sisters in the community. Show respect. Show we are better than the sum of us. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Knowing When To Speak Up And Knowing What To Say When You Do

Knowing when to stay quiet and when to speak up can be hard to figure out. I had an interesting thing happen in class yesterday that might illustrate an example of knowing the right moment for me. In class we were discussing relationships. Relationship dialects and balance of power to be precise. Not exactly exciting stuff. The instructor was lecturing about dialects and how there needs to be a healthy balance and moved into perspectives and how the differences in culture play a role and how even a difference in the perception of the sexes play a role (I said, not exciting). At that point a classmate raises the following question. "Is that why gay people choose to be gay because it is easier to relate to the same sex?" BOOM! First reaction is to rush over and slap her! Successfully keeping my reaction in check, I listen as the instructor goes into explaining that homosexuality has been scientifically proven to not be a choice. The sane student then asks, "Oh so it is in the DNA and genetic?" The instructor goes on to explain that no, their is no gay gene. The student still pushes the issue, "Well if its not genetic, then it must be a choice." I am biting my cheek so hard at this point I taste blood. At this point, the instructor is looking at me each time he answers. He knows I am gay, I had turned in a paper on relationships and fully disclosed I was gay. I can tell he is trying to answer her and yet still not offend her or myself. She then says, "What about people who come out late in life? Isn't it a choice for them?" at this point others start to answer her as well as the instructor explaining again that homosexuality is not a choice and how some may choose to do a homosexual act, but that does not make them gay. I am now playing with my phone trying to distract myself when I hear the conversation going and  hearing the words "They" "Them" and "Those kind" is when I could not take it anymore. I finally spoke out. I said, "For those that do not know, I am gay. I am not a "Them" or "that kind" I did not choose to be gay. as far as how we relate to our partners, it is no different them those in straight relationships. If anyone here wants to sit down and have a one on one conversation with an actual gay person and hear from my mouth the facts and not hypotheticals, I would gladly do so!" The class was shocked silent. The instructor looked like I had taken a bullet for him. He thanked me for my openness. and poof, the discussion was over. I could have reacted in a more combative manner and that would have only escalated the situation. I could have stayed passive and the discussion could have dragged out for way too long. I chose an assertive approach. This is me, This is who I am. Go to the source. That is not to say i was not angry. I was still furious this morning, but I kept my emotions in check and hopefully opened some eyes in the process rather than shut them tighter. Would you have reacted the same way? Let me know. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Learning A New Language

I have been slowly trying to learn Swedish. Well, let me re-phrase that. I have been learning Swedish, slowly. Arv has been trying to teach me proper pronunciation. OMG. I just can't seem to wrap my tongue around it! Literally! He and I just got done practicing and after a few hours, my tongue feels like its swollen twice its size! I never had this much trouble learning Spanish (Except for the rolling of the "R's"). If anyone out there has some tips or tricks to share, then by all means pass them on! Sorry for the short post today, running late for class. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Love Across The Miles Continued

The countdown to Arv's arrival continues! In less than 69 days he will be here! The tickets are bought and the anticipation grows! I cannot express enough how excited I am. This meeting has been 8 years in the making. As he and I chat, I know he feels just as excited. But just as nervous. I play out our meeting in the airport in my head so often and so many ways. I want it to be perfect! There is so much I want to show him while he is here. I want him to not only see where I live, meet my friends, and experience the things I enjoy, but to experience the things that he enjoys, and for him to see the things he wants to see. I feel like a little boy counting the days to Christmas. But him coming here is better than any gift ever found under the tree, that is for sure! So much to do to get ready! So any of you out there have any advice for making this trip special? Let me know! Love to all!

Burly Bear Chris

Why Is There No Straight Pride?

This is something I hear often, especially around this time of year when many Gay Pride celebrations take place. Well, to answer your question with a question, when did it become okay to celebrate the oppressors for discrimination, hate, and violence to a minority in the community? Why don't we have Nazi day? Why don't we have Slave Owner Appreciation days? The answer is, oppression is not something to be proud of. The purpose for gay pride is not to alienate, but to provide support. To let others know they are not alone. There are others just like them out there. To let the community know that we are a part of their neighborhoods and we want equality. There is nothing we would like better than to change gay pride days to United Community days. Change them to Love Our People days. Yes, there are some people who may in fact take things to far and make things in appropriate, but that is not gay nature, but human nature. Least not forget the KKK. Even the other side has it extremists. So if you are feeling left out for not having a celebration, embrace equality, embrace goodwill and your are welcome to join our celebrations. Love to all

Burly Bear Chris

Love Across The Miles.

So a while back I had written out my coming out story. In that story I had left off with the break up  with my long distance relationship. Well a little update. We both dated for a while, but each of us quickly realized we were giving up on something that we would not find again. After a lot of soul searching and apologies we have gotten back together. We have been friends for nearly 8 years. We have seen each other through break ups, and pit falls. We have celebrated accomplishments and milestones. No one knows me like he does. All this while never actually meeting in person. Well, that is about to change. After all these years, in just 10 weeks we will be meeting face to face. Over the coming weeks I will be postings updates about the things I am doing to prepare for his arrival, and the emotions that are building. While he is here, I may switch gears a bit and start with a Vlog of the time together. Stay tuned as Arv and I bridge our love across the miles. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

The Results Of Hate

When you allow people to classify one group of people as being superior to another, you create a precedent that allows them to believe that it is okay to hate them and to act out on that hate. Maybe it is time some of you got a real close look at what that hate creates and does.


Gwen Araujo (February 24, 1985 – October 3, 2002), born Edward Araujo, Jr., was an American teenage pre-operative trans woman who was murdered in Newark, California. She was killed by four men, two of whom she had allegedly been sexually intimate with, who beat and strangled her after discovering she was transsexual. On October 3, 2002, at a party, one of them forced inspection and got to know that Gwen Araujo possessed male genitalia and is a transsexual.
After discovering this, Gwen Araujo was beaten to death with a frying pan and a barbell. Among the four murderers, two of the defendants were convicted of second degree murder of Gwen Araujo, while the others pleaded guilty of voluntary manslaughter. However, the jury did not consider the murder of Gwen Araujo as a hate crime; instead, it was reaction to a sudden astonishing disclosure.

Eudy Simelane (11 March 1977 – 28 April 2008) was a South African footballer who played for the South Africa women's national football team and an LGBT-rights activist. She was raped and murdered in her hometown of KwaThema, Springs, Gauteng.Simelane's partially clothed body was found in a creek in KwaThema. She had been gang raped, beaten, and stabbed 25 times in the face, chest, and legs. She had been one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in KwaThema. A report by the international NGO ActionAid, backed by the South African Human Rights Commission, suggested that her murder was a hate crime committed against her because of her sexual orientation.

Raymond Chase, a 19-year-old openly gay sophomore studying culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, committed suicide on Wednesday by hanging himself in his dorm room.

In the early hours of 23rd June 2012, Steven Simpson was set on fire by 20 year old Jordan Sheard who had gate-crashed his house party in Cudworth near Barnsley. He had been verbally abused, stripped of his clothes and had phrases like “I love dick” and “gay boy” scrawled across his body. He was then doused in tanning oil, Sheard lit his crotch with a cigarette lighter and the flames engulfed his body. Those involved fled as Simpson’s neighbour tried desperately to put out the flames. Simpson died the next day after enduring 60% burns to his body.

Hate kills. Time to quit playing the semantics games. It amazes me that the worst hate comes from those that profess that they are followers of a "Loving God". Homosexuality is NOT an attack on Heterosexuality. There is NO gay agenda. You cannot say you are for truth and justice for all if in the same breath you say gays must lie about who they are and have no rights. Stop being hypocrites to self serve and embrace one ideal. That ideal is Love To All.

Burly Bear Chris

What Does Gay Look Like?

I think it is about time some people understand exactly what gay looks like.

Gay People:

Gay Love:

Homophobia:

The only ugly I see is the hate and abuse inflicted upon those who only want to love. Love to all.

Burly Bear Chris

Autism Awareness Month Continued

There is so much information to share on Autism, that I could not fit it all in one post, so this is a continuation of yesterdays. If you missed it, please check that as well.
Treatment for Autism is not something I can go into great detail here. There is no known cure for Autism, but there are many many treatments that are designed into assisting those with the disorder. Each case is quite unique therefore not all treatments will work with all cases. Treatments are something that a Dr. will have to assess with each patient and range from dietary changes, medications, to behavioral training. Just a quick search on treatments returned over 52 million results, so there are quite a number of pages on the subject via the web.
What does Autism look like? Like everyone else.

As you can see, there are many faces to Autism.
What can you do to help? The best thing you can do to help is to get informed and then pass it on. Just last night I came across a woman who was all upset because she had heard from her sons school that he may be Autistic and she had no clue what that meant. Even if you do not feel comfortable educating others, simply by having the resources for someone can make a huge difference so I will add links to some great places to get even more information.
http://www.autismspeaks.org/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
http://www.autism-society.org/
http://www.autism.com/

I hope this helps someone out there. Love to all
Burly Bear Chris