If you believe that homophobia is wrong

Stories of the people who were discriminated for being who they were:

I am the boy who never finished high school, because I got called a fag everyday

I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.

I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.

I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.

We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.

I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room

I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.

I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.

We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.

I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.

I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.

I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.

I am the woman who died when the EMTs stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.

I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didnt have to always deal with society hating me.

I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.

I am the person ashamed to tell my own friends im a lesbian, because they constantly make fun of them.

I am the boy tied to a fence, beaten to a bloody pulp and left to die because two straight men wanted to "teach me a lesson"

IF YOU BELIEVE THAT HOMOPHOBIA IS WRONG... REPOST THIS

IF YOU ARE IGNORANT... IGNORE THIS

The best part of me is......

you........... (click picture for full animation)

Happy in love

Ooooh, I just want to tell the world how happy I am!
It's great being in love!

I love you so much.........

Every day I love you more and more my darling Sharon.
You truly are the most amazing woman in the world and I love you so very much.
You make my life so happy and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.
Love you forever and ALLways xxxxxxx

Times gone by

Just for a minute, forget everything stressful and read this...............



Close your eyes and go back in time...

Before the Internet...

Before semi-automatics, joy-riders and crack....

Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...

Way back........

I'm talking about Hide and Seek in the park.
The corner shop.
Hopscotch.
Butterscotch.
Skipping.
Handstands.
Football with an old can.
Fingerbob.

Beano, Dandy, Buster, Twinkle and Dennis the Menace.

Roly Poly.
Hula Hoops, jumping the stream, building dams.
The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.
Bazooka Joe bubble gum.

An ice cream cone on a warm summer night from the van that plays a tune.

Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhaps screwball.

Wait......

Watching Saturday morning cartoons, short commercials or the flicks.
Children's Film Foundation, The Double Deckers, Red Hand Gang, Tomorrow People, Tiswas or Swapshop?, and 'Why Don't You'? - or staying
up for Doctor Who.

When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere.

Earwigs, wasps, stinging nettles and bee stings.
Sticky fingers.
Playing Marbles. Ball bearings. Big 'uns and Little 'uns.
Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro.
Climbing trees.
Making igloos out of snow banks.

Walking to school, no matter what the weather.
Running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.
Jumping on the bed. Pillow fights.
Spinning around on roundabouts, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
Being tired from playing....remember that?

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Football cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Choppers and Grifters.

Eating raw jelly. Orange squash ice pops. Vimto and Jubbly lollies

Remember when...

There were two types of trainers - girls and boys, and Dunlop Green Flash
The only time you wore them at School was for P.E. And they were called gym shoes or if you are older - plimsoles

You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents.
It wasn't odd to have two or three 'best' friends.

You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas Eve.

When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.

When 25p was decent pocket money
Curly Whirlys. Space Dust. Toffo's.
Top Trumps.
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him
to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.

When being sent to the head's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving pupil at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs etc.


Remember when....

Decisions were made by going "Ip, Dip, Dog Shit"
Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in Monopoly

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.
And the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one.

It was unbelievable that 'British Bulldog 123' wasn't an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a catapult.

Nobody was prettier than Mum.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.

Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.

Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest
protectors.

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED.

Life is good!

Well life just seems to be getting better and better at the moment.
It's to be able to feel that things are improving and that a rosy future is ahead.

Our House

Father wears his sunday best
Mothers tired she needs a rest
The kids are playing up downstairs
Sisters sighing in her sleep
Brothers got a date to keep
He cant hang around

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

Our house it has a crowd
Theres always something happening
And its usually quite loud
Our mum shes so house-proud
Nothing ever slows her down
And a mess is not allowed

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...
Something tells you that youve got to get away from it

Father gets up late for work
Mother has to iron his shirt
Then she sends the kids to school
Sees them off with a small kiss
Shes the one theyre going to miss
In lots of ways

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

I remember way back then when everything was true and when
We would have such a very good time such a fine time
Such a happy time
And I remember how wed play simply waste the day away
Then wed say nothing would come between us two dreamers

Father wears his sunday best
Mothers tired she needs a rest
The kids are playing up downstairs
Sisters sighing in her sleep
Brothers got a date to keep
He cant hang around

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our ...

Our house, was our castle and our keep
Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house, that was where we used to sleep
Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house, in the middle of our street

- Our House (Madness)

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Meaning

What matters is what something is, not what it is called.

Origin

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1594:

JULIET:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

My darling Sharon, you are MY beautiful rose!

Happy Birthday Mum!

Happy Birthday Mum.

Hope you have a fantastic day.

All our love

Keith, Sharon, Sophie, Sam, Toby & Zoë

Let's Go Rangers!

New York Rangers make it through to the second round of the NHL Play Offs!

Let's Go Rangers

Where are all the damn houses?

Isn't it typical, casually browsing for potential houses when you aren't ready to buy showed loads of lovely properties that would be ideal. Then when you are ready to look property all those ones are sold or under offer and there is a drought, with hardly anything new coming onto the market!

Want to buy a house?

Then this one comes highly recommended!

For sale in South Woodham Ferrers

This is so cool

Home sweet home

Well this weekend we are starting our hunt for a new home. It's exciting yet scary at the same time. One thing is for certain though, we'll soon have a home sweet home.

Happy Birthday Sophie

Happy Birthday Sophie,
Hope you have a fantastic day.

Love from Dad, Sharon, Zoë, Toby & Sam
(and Jack, Vodka and Coke)

Thank you for being you

My darling Sharon,
I just want to say thank you for being you.
Thanks for our little chats over the weekend.
Our friendship, relationship and love is so wonderful.
I never thought I would find a true friend, lover and soulmate but I have in you.
I love you so much xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Got loads done

Well after the trauma of Sophie being in hospital it was time to knuckle down and get some jobs done. We have now tidied up the garden and planted lots of plants in pots. The front door has been painted white, the cat flap replaced and new black fittings added on to it. All the washing has finally been done and we have a massive list of things to do prior to the final push towards moving but at least now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy Easter everybody

Happy Easter to one and all!

Sophie is home again!

Phew, that's a relief. Sophie was finally diagnosed as well enough to return home today.
It's such a shame that whenever she comes down to see us her asthma gets bad.
It was lovely to see her again but such a shame we had to spend nearly all of our time in the hospital.

Bad news

Sophie has had to go to hospital!
She came down and everything was fine and then suddenly she had a bad asthma attack and was admitted to hospital last night :o(
We tried to stabilise her but to no avail and so had to call an ambulance.

God I love this picture

I want get a great big print of it and hang it on the bedroom wall

Henry Fuseli
Brunhild Watching Gunther Suspended from The Ceiling on their Wedding Night 1807
Pencil, ink and wash on paper, 483 x 317 mm
Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Sophie is coming down

Sophie is coming down to stay with us for a few days, I am really looking forward to it as we haven't seen for quite a while now.

Sometimes it's just one of those days....

....when you feel you have to shout I LOVE YOU rather than just say it

Today is one of those days, for no other reason than because.

Off to see Rufus again!

Just ordered Sharon and I tickets to see "An Evening With Rufus Wainwright" at the Old Vic Theatre in London on 31/05/07.

We can't wait, it's going to be a fabulous evening and the first time we have seen Rufus perform his own material live!

Good job but boy are we tired

We have just spent the day doing gardening, and scrubbing down the barbeque, and we are both absolutely knackered now!
On the plus side the garden looks really nice and we can now start adding some plants etc to make it really pretty now that the days are warming up.