Affirming

So, I spoke at the Affirmation conference again this past Saturday. I talked about the new place I am finding myself with God and it freaked the hell out of me. As previously stated, I would rather publicly discuss my coochie than my spirituality. But, since there were WAY more gay men there than lesbian women, I don't think that would have been a very popular topic. And even the lesbians may not have been interested. For some reason, with the exception of relatives, lesbians don't seem to like me. Almost every single time I go out of my way to introduce myself to a lesbian woman that seems like a totally cool and interesting person, she gives me the stink eye. While my personality might be like champagne bubbles to some people, I am well aware that it is a sword through the head to others. Lesbians are seeming to fall into the latter category. Maybe said personality reminds them too much of the girls they hated in high school. Who knows...

Anyway, talk went well. Although, I was totally misquoted in the Deseret News. I would never tell a gay Mormon to be a Mormon on their own terms. I would tell them not to be a Mormon. And I would never use the words "each and every one of us" unless I was drunk.

Song last night at the benefit concert for Utah's homeless youth went well too. It was the first time I have sung publicly in nine or so years. I thought I would be far more nervous than I was but, while my voice ain't what it used to be, it was so fun to be singing in front of people and flexing that muscle again.

One of the highlights of the entire weekend was meeting Robert Kirby - on whose sense of humor I have an enormous crush. I was so excited it was all I could do to refrain from licking his cheek and piddling on his shoe. Which I practically did anyway.

Sword through the head.

I hope it didn't damage his super cool giant mustache.

LDSApology Event #1: Benefit Concert

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by the executive director of The Committee for Reconciliation (www.ldsapology.org) which is an organization dedicated to "encouraging and facilitating a respectful reconciliation between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Gay and Lesbian members and non-members who have been hurt by Church practices, policies and politics."

Basically, LDSApology is a group that knows it won't get an apology but is noisily requesting one anyway. Their initial launch got quite a bit of media attention and they are expecting that to be the case with three events they have planned this fall.

The first of these events is a benefit concert for Homeless Youth on September 21, 2009 in Salt Lake City. (Gay youth account for nearly half of the homeless teens in Utah, many of whom have been evicted from their homes because of their sexual orientation.) And, yes-n-yikes, I'll be singing. About 20 years ago my dear friend Kim Simpson helped me write a song called "Goodbye, I Love You" for my father. I sang it then on "Geraldo" and haven't sung it since. Really looking forward to dusting it off and yodeling it again.

For anyone interested in buying tickets, suggested donation is $12 adults, $6 children/students and $30 family pass.

Click here to order tickets online.

Or request tickets by email at homeatlasttickets@gmail.com

Should be a great night. See you there!