Random thoughts on important topics

For some reason, I feel more inspired to write when I'm on my laptop, well, my work laptop. It's mine to keep as long as I stay in my school district.

• CAREER - I've had a career discussion with Frank about what I think my future holds, and also the sheer point that I have NO idea what I want to do with my life, if I resign from teaching any sooner than expected. I still want to get a doctorate, and I still want to get it from UT. We've talked about getting one online, but there are no doctoral programs, especially online ones, that appeal to me as much as the Music & Human Learning doctorate from UT. I've been told to make my doctoral studies broader than strictly music, but more about education, but when it comes to education, music education is really the only kind I'm most passionate about. I can teach music really well. Very few doctoral programs, that I've seen so far, do not require applicants to take the GRE, but he's made it clear to me that if I don't have the self-discipline to prepare for and take the GRE, then I have absolutely no business even thinking about getting a doctorate, even if the doctorate application doesn't require a GRE score. He's got a point. I just wish I knew what I'd do with a doctorate. I'm still not sure, and when you apply, you must include a Statement of Purpose. Why are the faculty going to invest their teachings in you if you have no idea what you'll do with what you'll learn? 
• POLITICS - I've become increasingly disgusted with Republican politics, with anti-gay sermons in so-called Christian churches, and with just how stupid some people can be. And as I've reflected, I've become increasingly set in the mindset of a progressive liberal who can't shut up about politics, religion, or how they shouldn't ever go together. Also, upon deeper reflection, I feel much more confident in my arguments about why I think and believe the way I do. 
• RELIGION - I remember I thought if I ever stopped being a practicing Catholic, I'd probably go crazy because it's all I've ever known, since I grew up with it. But ever since New York legalized marriage equality, the church has done one horrible thing after another marginalizing gay people, and I've come to the conclusion that I cannot invest myself in a church that would do that to people like me. I cannot, in good conscience, partake Catholic practice if my church enacts policies and rules the way it's starting to. Further, I've found and have been attending a church that DOES affirm the LGBT community: Metropolitan Community Church at Austin (MCC Austin).
• FINANCES - A friend and former Kodály classmate of mine referred me to one of her colleagues regarding a summer camp at a school where she teaches. They needed a bilingual music teacher, and I happen to be one. It's a 5-week long summer camp. There goes more than half of my summer! The pay is good, though, and I'll likely use the pay to really knock down my credit card debt...which I feel like will never be gone. I intend to go into this job, rocking it out so much that they want me to come back again. I have NO idea if I'll like it, or what, but I'm going in hoping to be exactly who they need me to be.
• LEGAL BENEFITS - Since Texas Republicans and social conservatives think my relationship with my partner will destroy the "sanctity" of marriage, you know, despite the number of divorces any of the conservatives have had, we cannot obtain a marriage license in Texas since a constitutional amendment was passed back in 2005 making me, and others like me, a 2nd-class Texan. They all voted on whether or not I can get married, even though I never had the chance to vote whether or not any of them could get married. So because having a marriage license gives its licensees a TON of benefits and protections, we, for our 6th anniversary coming up on June 6th, have taken the extra (very expensive) step of becoming each other's Power of Attorney. This way, when anything happens to either of us, we are unfuckable, in the sense that no one can fuck with us. With these legal documents at the ready, we can make medical, financial and other such decisions on each other's behalf in the event of death, or in the event of mental incompetence. These are serious protections to have! For instance, though we've bought a house, and both of our names are on the title, if one of us dies, that doesn't mean the house goes to the other; rather, it means that the other is held liable to pay the mortgage. But having gone this extra mile, we also have to be constantly thinking about what we want to give to whom. We're both in our early 30s, and we're putting together our wills. It's morbid, but it's important
• INSURANCE - Given that we've gone the extra (expensive) mile to get ourselves legally protected, probably the BIGGEST protection we need for each other is mortgage insurance (well, it's really just a life insurance policy that is enough to cover your mortgage). Thankfully I have an uncle who's our insurance agent, and he hooked us up with a 20-year term that, regardless of who dies first, (Frank or me), in the event of our death, our house will be paid off. Can we say "relief"?
• VOTING - GO VOTE!!! I know you're probably sick of attack ads regardless of which party you support, but if you don't like current leadership, then you have no right to complain if you don't VOTE! If you don't like the guy or girl proposing, voting on, or signing the bills into law, VOTE THEM OUT. Too many people don't keep up with politics, and that's partly why a lot of people don't vote, because they can't stand the games politicians play with each other, and even worse, the games they play with their constituents. Just remember that politicians are elected to SERVE, not do whatever they want to do. You elect them to do the job you believe they should do. In their ads, on their site, they'll list what they stand for. If that matches what you believe, support them! If not, find the candidate with the least "evils" and support THAT person! If they FAIL in serving you according to the beliefs they promised they'd bring to the table, you need to let them know by putting someone else in their place. But here's the hard part: You've GOT to keep up with politics! Who said, what, when, where, why, etc. For instance, with the auto industry bail out, Romney wanted all to go bankrupt, and now he's saying he'll take credit for it. This man has changed his mind so many times that, even if he was a governor that instituted a health care plan similar to Obamacare in Massachusetts, I STILL wouldn't vote for him because the only thing that's more two-faced than him is a mythical two-headed dragon. Obama, on the other hand, though he hasn't gotten ALL the things done he promised, he's done a LOT of stuff, including the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which is something I was deeply passionate about, both as a gay man, but also as an equality-loving American. More of the stuff he wanted to get done he couldn't because Republicans kept blocking and filibustering, a move they've now started to use against Obama so they could say he failed the American people, not being able to keep his promises. Yes, Republicans can be THAT duplicitous!

So yeah, these are a bunch of random thoughts I've had on my mind lately. 

Loss, gain, and the Golden Rule

LOSS

Last night, I had intended to write a post about my extreme disappointment in North Carolina for approving Amendment One, defining marriage as one man and one woman. It passed by about 61% of the vote, a moderate majority. This was a tremendous setback for gay equality in America. Also, it marks NC as the 30th state to constitutionally ban marriage equality. And yes, sadly, Texas is among those 30, since a similar constitutional ban was passed back in 2005. But even before TX passed the ban, we already had a law passed making it illegal, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Similarly, NC had already passed DOMA as well. But, no. In both states, conservative voters wanted more. They wanted there to be NO chance, whatsoever, for gay couples, no matter how long they've been together, no matter how committed they were, to enjoy the same rights and protections as them.

There's no question that NC is a conservative state. They were part of the Confederacy in the Civil War (1861-1865), and likely, many of the conservative evangelical Christians over there are likely Baptist. Well, NC got some heat, especially pastor Sean Harris at Berean Baptist Church who justified that parents should physically beat their child should a boy exhibit feminine traits, or if a girl exhibits more "butch" behavior. Later, the pastor went on to disavow his comments, saying he was only joking, and would've been more careful with his words. But in the background during his sermon, you can hear congregants laughing, and even a few "Amen" affirmations. It's bigotry disguised as gospel, spoken through a big microphone, affecting the minds and lives of hundreds (potentially thousands) of families, plenty of whom could have closeted gay children who live in fear and self-loathing, very aware that the truth will make them lose their loved ones. Considering the kind of people Jesus spent his time with, he'd probably be very disappointed.

GAIN

A few weeks ago, Vice President Joe Biden affirmed his support of marriage equality. This was a major point of progress for equality supporters.



Here's what gets me, though. Evangelical Christians who interpret the Bible as literally as they do, they'll use verse after verse to justify anti-gay opinions. Yet, President Barack Obama, used his faith as a means to help him evolve towards his conclusion that he does indeed support marriage equality. This decision has made him the FIRST and ONLY president to fully support marriage equality.




THE GOLDEN RULE

Though he didn't refer to the Bible and quote Scripture the way equality opponents typically do, Obama just made a reference: The Golden Rule, which is found in Matthew 7:12: "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." He referred to this lesson in Scripture to complete his "evolving" view on marriage equality. And now, because of the Golden Rule, he supports it, because it states that we should treat others the way we want them to treat us.

My big thing with the Golden Rule and how there are so many "Christians" who oppose marriage equality based on the Bible is that opponents quote every Scripture where someone else spoke, not Jesus. They quote the Old Testament, and the letters of St. Paul to whomever. However, in this particular verse, Jesus himself spoke. He also spoke about divorce, and how "what God has joined, no man shall separate" (Matt. 19:6). So, again, there Jesus himself spoke, and he said it clearly, that what God has joined, no man shall separate. So, if Jesus clearly speaks against divorce in the gospel, why are there no laws being worked on to ban divorce? Why are people so up in arms about the one true event that is the REAL enemy of the "sanctity of marriage"? If anything, gays are fighting FOR the sanctity of marriage. They're trying to get married because they're committed to their partners, which is what a marriage is all about. It is, after all, "until death do you part", so marriage is about love and commitment, and THAT is what gays are fighting for: the sanctity of marriage. And ironically, the same people who typically oppose marriage equality are the ones who've likely already experienced a failed marriage. So, how are gays such a threat?

Our president, whether you like him or hate him, has concluded that it's only fair for committed couples to have a legally recognized marriage. He's the first president in American history to publicly state this. He could look at me and Frank, and millions of others like us, and see us as married, recognizing our life-long commitments to each other.

"Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." -Jesus
"Love your neighbor as yourself." -Jesus

Obama is doing just that. 

Can you guess who I'm voting for in November 2012?