Living Out Loud with Darian

I've spent the past 24 hours trying to figure out what my next post was going to be and trying hard to break the writers block that was gripping my mind. Meanwhile I was being exposed to some harsh realities through television and countless newspaper articles.

Rev.Paul Barnes, a Denver pastor comes out as a gay man "struggling" with homosexuality and steps down only weeks after evangelical leader Ted Haggard falls from grace. On MTV's The Real World Denver gay cast member Davis decides to get drunk and throw the "N" word around almost causing himself to receive the worst ass-whipping ever broadcast on national television.

What in the hell is going on in America? Racism and homophobia has reared it's ugly head for all the world to see. Did Michael Richard's give the rest of white America the green light to verbalize their racist feelings in comedy clubs, on national tv and street corners all over the world?

Rev. Barnes was quoted saying " his father took him on a drive and talked about what he would do if a "fag" approached him. Barnes thought, "'Is that how you'd feel about me?' It was like a knife in my heart, and it made me feel even more closed."

When are we going to learn to accept the fact that God made us all different? We're black, white, asian, gay, straight, bi, and some of us indifferent.

For the first time in Real World history there are two black men in one house. Translation: Two angry black men, one a conservative christian(who curses more than the average sinner), another who is 200 pounds and hyper-masculine with an alter ego he calls" Leroy Jenkins", and the Abercrombie looking white gay boy from Georgia. It's an enviroment created by the producers to provoke racist and homophobic outbursts that are inevitable and eventually occur.

I haven't watched the show since my friend Karamo was a cast member, but seeing last night's episode woke me up to all of the hate that exists for Blacks and gays in the world. I guess I've sheltered myself from a lot of it by living in progressive cities where people embrace their differences and spend less time judjing each other on the color of their skin or who they sleep with.

I truly feel sorry for people who are so close-minded they miss out on an opportunity to learn more about the human experience, or use religion as an excuse to persecute another human being for their race or their sexual orientation.

Hopefully Rev. Barnes, his family and congregation will learn that living a christian life doesn't come with a heterosexual requirement. God is love and love is for everyone. As for the Real World, let's just hope this experience changes their twisted views of Black people and gays for the better. One can only hope.