Tony-Man vs Gay Pride

Gay Pride Parade, Chicago, 2012

Before reading this blog, some of the comments, and sentences that are written below may be considered off-putting, and could inadvertently offend some friends of mine.  However, it is not my intent to offend anyone whether straight or gay.  If you are one such that offends easily, well you probably wouldn't be reading anything I write anyway, but I would advise not to read this particular post.

With that out of the way, let's get this trainwreck a'rollin.  I personally don't understand the LGBT community as a whole.  I don't really understand the need for parades, I don't understand why in the last fifteen to twenty years, gay people in general have been really all "in your face" about their homosexuality.  I don't really understand why gay people feel like they have a sense of entitlement.  Now, to be fair, I don't really understand why racists, atheists, Christians, feminists, or really most people who belong in certain religious or political groups feel they have a sense of entitlement either... but I've already looked under those rocks in the past.

Don't get me wrong.  I have no complaints on gay individuals, but in the interest of full disclosure, I was raised Southern Baptist.  I was taught that homosexuality is a sin, and that I should not associate with homosexuals.  And for a long time, I agreed with my Southern Baptist upbringing because one, at the time I didn't know any better, two; it made sense to me, because marriage at the time was to be a covenant between a man and a woman, it seems more natural.  Now that I'm older, and the nation is evolving, I've realized that gay, straight, bisexual, asexual, whatever... in the end we're all human beings.  I even have my share of gay friends and acquaintances since I decided that the narrow-minded stance of a 1990s Southern Baptist Church agenda probably wasn't the moral compass that I need to have in my life.  So, while I support the rights of the LGBT Community, and I'd like for them to get married, and I like for them to be treated as equals, I still don't get the parades, and the flamboyancy, and the rainbows, and some of the little nuances of Gay Pride itself.  I suppose I could blame it on the church and its indoctrination, but when it all comes down to it, I have to confess it on my own ignorance.

Flash forward to 2014, here I am, asking similar questions about why racism still exists, why poverty still exists, why the need to fight for animal rights, and why feminism still exists.  And while all of these things are unrelated to each other in many respects, each of these things really comes down to social incongruity.  For so long, we've accepted our social barriers because we haven't known any better.  Finally a group of people decided that something's not right with our society, and then take up a cause to fix things.  Sometimes, they are successful, and sometimes that which they set out to fix becomes counter-productive and end up making things worse.  Gay rights so far is on the right path to getting the equality that they feel they should have, and I personally agree that all people in America, and by extension all over the world should be treated equally and fairly.  But what happens if the fight doesn't end?  What happens if the rights of all Americans are trampled on in the name of equality?  Not to say that it's going to happen, I don't think the fight for gay equality is going to take that turn, but what if it does?

Maybe, that's just outside thinking.  But I wonder if anyone else has thought of it.  Getting back to my ignorance, I don't understand the myriad of gay people I guess... it's really less about the symbolism of gay pride and the LGBT, and more about the people.  For example, I have three people in the pod where I work who are gay.  All three of them are openly gay, and don't care if people know it.  But they don't act in a manner that's flamboyant.  They don't straight-bash, and they don't act in an overgeneralized gay way.  (Yes, I realize that there was really no way to describe them without being somewhat offensive, but if you thought that was bad...)  On the other side of it, I have several facebook friends who all they post is anti-straight posts, and just how incredibly gay they are, and they post up pictures of gay people in sexual/sensual positions, and they have no substance to their facebooks other than to reinforce how gay they are.  When I meet some of these people in real life, they are a walking personification about why I don't understand the LGBT community, and how off-putting they can be.  And maybe that's what I don't get.  And every time I speak with one of them, it's clear that I'm being judged for my ignorance, just as they're being judged for their hate of the straight person.

I suppose that my ignorance and my judgement can be called into question, but still... am I wrong for not understanding all the stuff that comes with gay pride?  Probably, and if so I can publicly acknowledge that while I support its agenda, I can support the struggle that they go through, I can support my gay and lesbian, and bisexual friends.  I just don't really understand the rainbows, and the flamboyancy, and the community as a whole.

So, yeah.  That's my take on that, Next time on the Infraggable Tony-Reviews, something perhaps a little less political, and... judgmental?  Sure, why not.

Tony-Man's Tribute to Casey Kasem

Zoinks! He's like the voice of the top 40 countdown!

Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 - July 15, 2014) was an American disc jokey, music historian, voice actor, actor, and was a genuinely good guy.  While he was probably best known for several radio shows, most notably the American Top 40, from 1970 until his retirement in 2009, he was also widely known as the voice of Norville "Shaggy" Rodgers of the Scooby-Doo franchise from 1969 to 1997 and again from 2002 to 2009.  Along side this, he provided the voice in many commercials, and had been several voices on Sesame Street. 

In 1971, he voiced Peter Cottontailin the Rankin/Bass production of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail."  He also voiced Robin from 1973 to 1985 oft he SuperFriends, and in 1980, he voiced Merry in "The Return of the King" animated movie.  He also voiced Alexander Cabot III in "Josie and the Pussycats"and "Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space."

Kasem was a devoted vegan, supporter of animal rights, and was a critic of factory farming.  He quit the role of Shaggy in 1995 when he was asked to voice Shaggy in a Burger King commercial.  He returned in 2002 when he negotiated to have Shaggy become a vegetarian.

Like most people in America, Casey Kasem had a hand in helping to shape my musical tastes.  Every week whenever I could, I would listen to the radio and listen to the American top 40, and I would always listen to his very recognizable, "guy next door" voice.  He wasn't exactly what I suppose we would consider a radio voice, but he was always pleasant, upbeat, and always had a charming demeanor.  He has also voiced one of the most beloved and long lasting characters in television history.  Casey Kasem was in my opinion truly one of America's treasures, and a hole has been left in his untimely death.  He was a man who despite his message of keep reaching for the stars, was very down to earth.  That was the sort of man I felt he was.

It's clear that Casey Kasem touched a lot of people's lives over the years, and inspired many of them to chase their dreams, and to be what they are destined to be.  As for me, I remember this man I never truly knew, and can't help but wonder what this world could be like if he hadn't graced it.